Those who are successful nan marketplace for a caller RV typically statement whether to get 1 that's driven by state aliases diesel. But that's not Jeff and Chris Dangie astatine nan Dangie Bros YouTube channel. They decided their RV should beryllium pedal-powered, having been inspired by a man successful Japan who built campers fitted connected nan backs of bicycles. But he built them arsenic pieces of art; nan Dangie brothers wanted a fully-functioning bike-driven RV.
So, they slapped together immoderate plywood and metallic siding to build a mini RV that sat connected apical of a modified tricycle frame. It was conscionable nether 9 feet gangly and weighed 500 pounds. It had a sink, a stove, electricity, a bed, and a cozy seating area. It makes those tiny Japanese kei campers look immense by comparison. What much could you want from an RV besides, you know, an engine?
Jeff and Chris built their mini RV pinch nan extremity of taking it 100 miles successful 2 days, which is really agelong they had promised their wives they would beryllium away. Their planned way would person taken them to nan formation and up nan California coast. They didn't rather make it each nan way, though — not moreover close. The boys seemed to person under-estimated really overmuch power it would return to pedal a 500-pound RV complete a agelong distance, but they looked for illustration they had a batch of nosy successful nan attempt.
How acold did they get?
The boys would get disconnected to a unsmooth start, pinch Jeff crashing nan motorcycle doubly successful conscionable nan first three-and-a-half miles. They had to discuss immoderate beautiful tight spots astatine times, choosing to return to nan sidewalk erstwhile nan roadworthy seemed excessively busy. You person to wonderment why they didn't foresee definite difficulties, though — everyone pinch acquisition riding a motorcycle knows it gets harder erstwhile you spell uphill. Now ideate you're hauling a 500-pound RV connected nan backmost of it, not to mention nan further weight of a full-grown man riding inside. Needless to say, hills and moreover flimsy inclines were highly difficult, requiring nan "passenger" to get retired and push.
The first planned extremity connected their itinerary would beryllium nan drive-through astatine Starbucks, wherever they were expected to get breakfast. Unfortunately, they didn't moreover make it location until 3:00 successful nan afternoon. They would property connected aft that, but astatine nan extremity of 7 grueling hours, they had gone conscionable six miles. They soldiered connected for a small complete different mile earlier pulling into a residential vicinity to remainder for nan night.
They wouldn't beryllium capable to remainder for long, though, arsenic they would extremity up getting a sojourn from nan section rule enforcement. Unfortunately for nan brothers, they were told by nan constabulary they would person to move along. So, they ended up walking different 3 miles to do what a batch of RVers do: stay astatine Walmart for nan night.
The 2nd day, and later, motorcycle camper 2.0
The brothers had pedaled conscionable complete 10 miles that first day. They decided nan adjacent time to move to a much humble extremity of astatine slightest making it to nan beach. They besides bought a 2nd bike, which they tied to nan beforehand of nan RV to thief propulsion it. That worked for a while until they met headwinds. They didn't make it to nan beach, but they did extremity up going supra 13 miles during that 2nd day. In total, they racked up complete 23 miles for nan trip, which they chalked up arsenic an astonishing adventure.
But Jeff and Chris weren't done. Five months later they would attempt nan travel again, but this time, nan RV would person to beryllium heavy modded. And by "modded," we mean it was rebuilt from nan wheels up. They re-welded nan framework to redistribute nan weight and tore down nan plywood and siding and put up a due modern camper, complete pinch an RV-style doorway and windows.
Most importantly, they added a artillery to nan setup, making nan tricycle into an honest-to-goodness e-bike. They went overmuch further this time, moreover making it to nan formation and walking up nan coast. They had to bypass portion of their planned way owed to unsafe conditions, but nan Dangie brothers made it each nan measurement to Santa Monica pier, their intended destination, for a full of 85 miles. They weren't nan only ones to effort a stunt for illustration this; different YouTuber built an e-bike camper that tin thrust abandoned railroad tracks.
4 days ago
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