Three months ago, Drew, the creator behind the popular YouTube channel Drew Builds Stuff, caught attention by building a mobile home powered by a bicycle.
Using a bike as a mobile home isn’t impossible, but the downside is relying solely on human power. That makes climbing hills tough and long trips inconvenient.
So, Drew decided to upgrade to an electric bike for easier travel.
Instead of buying a ready-made electric bike or a motor kit, Drew built his own electric motor to install on his bike.
He did this to save money and because he needed a powerful motor to pull the 91kg mobile home trailer.
To create a 51Ah 48V battery pack, he connected 221 battery cells together, giving him about 100km of range. The battery is housed in a box originally meant for camera gear, mounted at the back of the mobile home.
He still plans to add safety features like a cooling system to prevent the motor from overheating.
Overall, Drew’s electric bike setup cost about $1,000 for the battery, $700 for the conversion kit, $800 for solar panels, and $500 for miscellaneous parts like bolts and metal bars.
That totals around $3,000, which is cheaper than buying a new bike with similar power. (Standard bikes range from $1,000 to $3,000, while off-road bikes capable of towing trailers can cost between $2,000 and $18,000.)
As for the mobile home trailer, Drew started building it three months ago using a metal frame, plywood, and a budget-friendly fiberglass alternative made from canvas, glue, and paint.
The trailer was also built with easily sourced materials. The wheels came from an old bike. Insulation is foam board. Waterproofing was done by applying glue to all screw threads. Cheap LED lights were installed. The whole setup cost about $1,200 – Photo: Drew Builds Stuff/YouTube
For the electric bike upgrade, Drew also made some safety improvements.
