roopod » Construction Progress http://roopod.com roopod: The alternative vehicle Mon, 18 Jun 2012 15:13:28 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 http://roopod.com http://roopod.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/giflogo50.gif roopod TAIL/BRAKE/BACK-UP LIGHT LED SUPPLY SPONSORSHIP! http://roopod.com/tailbrakeback-up-light-led-supply-sponsorship/ http://roopod.com/tailbrakeback-up-light-led-supply-sponsorship/#comments Tue, 19 Jul 2011 20:41:20 +0000 roo http://roopod.com/?p=730 I finally got to the tail light, I had been running a regular 4″ truck tail light double taped to the ‘POD and it was time to put the final light in.   LED SUPPLY ( WWW.LEDSUPPLY.COM) sponsored this project with donations of their EndorStar high powered LED’s and Buckpuck and Powerpuck drivers (and lots of advice on how to use them)  I used a stick-on reflector lens for the brake light (still reflects too!) and the appropriate optic for the back-up light.  The housing is machined aluminum that doubles as a heat sink for the high powered LED’s.  The little perfboard circuit provides the need electronics to isolate the tail from the brake light and switches in a resistor for the tail light control circuit that dims it (it uses a little 12v relay and a couple of diodes).   Anyway, check out the pictures and please visit LED SUPPLY’S website…really great service and very cool LED’S!

]]> http://roopod.com/tailbrakeback-up-light-led-supply-sponsorship/feed/ 0 SIDES! http://roopod.com/sides/ http://roopod.com/sides/#comments Fri, 08 Apr 2011 15:11:37 +0000 roo http://roopod.com/?p=694 Check out the sheet metal…

]]> http://roopod.com/sides/feed/ 0 Some People Thought there would never be a door! http://roopod.com/some-people-thought-there-would-never-be-a-door/ http://roopod.com/some-people-thought-there-would-never-be-a-door/#comments Fri, 18 Mar 2011 20:30:47 +0000 roo http://roopod.com/?p=655 Here are some pictures of the begining of the canopy…The hinges and gas struts are designed to clear everything that needed to be cleared when it opens, and hold it there…I might have to get the next weaker gas struts as these ones seem like they have more push then I really wanted (it pops open with too much force) it will be alot heavier with all the glass and lexan, but still I think that the are too “pushy”…It was Very Scary cutting the tubes with a hacksaw!

]]> http://roopod.com/some-people-thought-there-would-never-be-a-door/feed/ 1 roopod is street legal! http://roopod.com/roopod-is-street-legal/ http://roopod.com/roopod-is-street-legal/#comments Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:12:32 +0000 roo http://roopod.com/?p=638 Hey everybody! the roopod is street legal check out the pics! check out the video

]]> http://roopod.com/roopod-is-street-legal/feed/ 7 Almost ready to be on the road (officially) http://roopod.com/almost-ready-to-be-on-the-road-officially/ http://roopod.com/almost-ready-to-be-on-the-road-officially/#comments Sun, 17 Oct 2010 20:52:42 +0000 roo http://roopod.com/?p=630
[Show as slideshow]
[View with PicLens]

I am just a couple of days away from trying to get the ‘pod inspected…just need a rear fender and a few reflectors…but we may have tried it on the road, and we may have gone 48.2 MPH! (slight downhill) more soon, this is just a teaser…there are so many back-posts to put in…very soon…roo

]]> http://roopod.com/almost-ready-to-be-on-the-road-officially/feed/ 1 F-N-R Shifter and Parking brake http://roopod.com/f-n-r-shifter-and-parking-brake/ http://roopod.com/f-n-r-shifter-and-parking-brake/#comments Wed, 12 May 2010 12:45:40 +0000 roo http://roopod.com/?p=623 Here was the next item on the list towards roadworthiness…just a couple of simple levers right? not quite, I have three days into the design and construction of this unit.   The hardest thing to figure out was the Push-pull cable arrangement of the two shift cables…how can you get two cables in tension to push and pull on the same lever, and since the lever on the gearbox is pointing to the rear when it is in forward gear, how do you get the shifter to have the reverse action…that is probably a run on!  Anyway, it is possible, it does work and I will try to explain it…It is all about the cable “housing” if the cable is in tension and pulling, then the little tube around the cable (housing) must be pushing! and if you push on the housing, then you are pulling on the cable, so at the shifter end, on one cable, I anchor the end of the cable and push on the housing, and the other end I anchor the end of the housing  and pull the lever with the cable anchored on it: this moves  the lever on the gearbox forward when I pull back on the shift lever.   The other cable is the opposite… If you did not get this explanation, don’t feel bad, I did all my thinking and still I hooked it all up backwards the first time!  It does make for a nice and compact, simple way to move the lever on the gearbox with a cable pulling on it from each side. The Brake lever is much more “conventional” with just a ratchet and a regular bike brake cable, then for both levers, they have a cam on the bottom to activate a micro switch…one for Parking brake idiot light, and the other for the backup light…I will try to put up a video of it working.  for now look at the captions on the pictures for more notes…

]]> http://roopod.com/f-n-r-shifter-and-parking-brake/feed/ 1 First Drive! http://roopod.com/first-drive/ http://roopod.com/first-drive/#comments Wed, 05 May 2010 15:49:48 +0000 roo http://roopod.com/?p=613

Hi everyone, well it is official ROOPOD will actually drive.  I have been working like a demon on getting everything ready to drive and we are here!

I will try to list some of my most critical observations:

 Suspension is working great, ride height is a little low for the rough roads around here, and my driveway but I will fix that with some slightly taller shocks in the back.

Brakes are doing what they should (as far as I can tell in the yard!) I may need to adjust the balance bar a bit to keep the back from locking up first…the real test will have to wait till I can get some speed up on the road.

Steering seems just perfect, I seem to have got the steering geometry just right, the wheel feels lite in the hands, but not sloppy at all, center return is good and there is no play or stiction anywhere= fancy rack payed off! again we  need high speed testing.

Drive-train:

Engine runs fine, is just about as vibratory as I thought it would be, and maybe a little less loud seems good about not belching much black smoke when under heavy acceleration.

CVT seems to be just right, enguages just above idle as it should and shifts as it should, hopefully it will work as well at higher speeds. actually there seems to be all the torque I need at the low and and I am thinking of putting a bit taller final drive in which could possibly make for a better top speed…hope to try soon.

Reverse Transmission seems to to what is should, I am skeptical of how robust it is going to be , and I hate how wimpy the plastic shift lever is on it…hope it does not break…right now it is held in gear with a zip tie…working on the shifter today actually. (this item is my most worrisome, if it is not up to the job, there will be big back to the drawing board time)

Rear wheel sprocket mounted to the wheel lugs is handeling the torque fine. and would love to figure out a toothed belt for the final drive, but the chain is fine for now…

Fuel system: works in it’s abbreviated form, but soon will have a heated fuel tank and heated fuel filter to run Vegetable oil. also a 1 gal diesel tank for starting on. I will be using the solenoid valves and fuel level senders that greasecar has given me, but I am going to make my own heated filter that is smaller and lighter.  I also have to make the heat exchanger for the the fuel tank.

electrical system is just barely hooked up, but that soon will change, I am getting all the stuff I need to hook up all the lights and accessories.  I will have to make my own self canceling turn signal switch. other switches will be toggles on the dashboard.

I am lights and fenders away from being inspectable for the road, and I can’t wait!  it may take a couple weeks to get there, but soon!

look at the pictures, I will try to caption the pictures if I am trying to show you anything particular…

and here is the video from the first drive!

Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite PicLens]]> http://roopod.com/first-drive/feed/ 2 Amherst Sustainabilty Festival/construction progress http://roopod.com/amherst-sustainabilty-festivalconstruction-progress/ http://roopod.com/amherst-sustainabilty-festivalconstruction-progress/#comments Wed, 28 Apr 2010 00:51:11 +0000 roo http://roopod.com/?p=599 Hi everybody, here finally is progress!

YES! I have had some time to work on roopod and a lot is happening very fast!

I have included a bunch of pictures of the systems that I have worked on: they include BRAKES, THROTTLE, COOLING, and the begining of electrical look for captions on the pictures for more details…also incuded is the first time that roopod rolled down a hill, and stpped at the bottom with brakes! Susan at the controls, and the first show of the year in Amherst! enjoy the pictures…more to come soon I plan to be driving around the yard by the end of the week!

]]> http://roopod.com/amherst-sustainabilty-festivalconstruction-progress/feed/ 0 SOME MORE GOOD PICS http://roopod.com/some-more-good-pics/ http://roopod.com/some-more-good-pics/#comments Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:13:13 +0000 roo http://roopod.com/?p=583 20091010-IMG_4767

Here are some more pictures of the ‘pod in it’s current state taken by my friend Ford Bailey it’s amazing what a real photographer with a real camera can do! enjoy…

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