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The Tukster ☞ Der Schädel-Was

TL;DR / EXECUTIVE SUMMARY of 2022

In November 2021, I bought a weird thing at an online scrapyard auction, sight unseen - except for a handful of photos - and not even a lick of metadata. I decided to convert it into an electric-powered vehicle in the form of an illuminated skull, and debut it at Burning Man in 2022 ...

... I didn't quite get to my desired final result in time, but I managed to bring the frame of the skull and lined with LED rope lights, and displayed it as illuminated art at our camp (Rumpus). I learned A LOT in 2022, and I feel much better equipped to get the driveable version to Burning Man this year (2023). 🤞

WHAT I BOUGHT

WHAT I WANTED TO MAKE

WHAT I DID

CURRENT STATUS

CHANGES FROM DESIGN TO BUILD

As I was demoing and rebuilding the vehicle in 2022, some very key elements had to be changed from what I originally planned. This significantly derailed the overall timeline, but the changes were critical to ensure the long-term success of the project.

MOTOR

Even stripped down to the chassis, I was worried the first motor I bought wasn't going to cut it. I was also having difficulty figuring out how to connect it since it had only a sprocket chainwheel, and apparently the pinion yoke it would have tried to connect to was unlike anything anyone had ever seen.

After scouring the internet and trying to find out what other options there were, I ultimately decided to buy a NetGain HyPer9 motor, however, doing so also meant I needed to purchase more components like cooling systems, higher capacity batteries, a battery management system, etc. (see "Accessories" below).

BEFORE: BLDC 72VDC 3000W Brushless Motor, Current 45A, Rated Speed 4900rpm/min, Max 5800RPM, T8F 11 Teeth Sprocket Chainwheel, Load Weight: ~100-200kg

AFTER: NetGain HyPer9 motor: Synchronous Reluctance Internal Permanent Magnet Brushless motor, 173 lb/ft peak torque, 8.66" diameter, 130 lbs, Cageless Rotor / No Rotor Slip, up to 8,000 RPM, Up to 95% Efficiency, IP54 Protection

BATTERIES

Similar to what I discovered with the motor, I didn't think the original battery I had purchase would be enough to power the vehicle, and the one I had wouldn't work with the HyPer9. Tesla battery modules are the currently the best battery on the market for energy density, allowing many classic conversions to get well over 200 miles per charge, and are most commonly used in conjunction with the HyPer9 motor in particular.

BEFORE: One 48V 100Ah 4.8KWh Lithium|LiFePO4| Rechargeable Battery, Built-in 100A BMS, 280A Max

AFTER: Five Tesla Model S Lithium Ion Battery Modules 5.3 kWh 85 kWh Pack, 444 Panasonic NCR18650B 3400mAh cells arranged in a 74p6s configuration

TRANSMISSION

I now have a TorqueBox for gear/torque reduction, in lieu of using the original transmission, which was not an option for several reasons... 🙃

ACCESSORIES

"This is your life now." - Love, the Universe 💚

... I just need to put this all together and... TA-DA!

REAR AXLE

Now this change takes the cake!

HOW IT STARTED

POINT OF NO RETURN

THIS IS FINE 😅

DOES IT WORK?

✨ CHANGES + PLANS FOR 2023 ✨

Turns out, the HyPer9 motor and 5 Tesla batteries in a battery box are REALLY HEAVY. The original Mailster seemed to run on relatively light-load trailer tires, and even the new ones I purchased in 2022 weren't going to cut it. Currently they are 10 ply class E, but 38" aren't ruled out yet... I am in constant search of bigger and better.

Also, the original Mailster had a tendency to tip over due to only having 3 wheels, and it has been nearly impossible to figure out how to both upgrade the tire size and steering column with keeping its unique front "fork" intact, so welding a custom solution seems to be the only way. I bought this thing specifically because it only had 3 wheels, however, after putting in so much money into the new heavy components, it would be asinine of me to not ensure it's stability and overall functionality, so I am building a new 2-wheeled front axle, making it into a more "traditional" vehicle.

OHHHH yeah... I also plan on actually making it run ( !!! ) and adding the polycarbonate "infinity mirror" panels as described in my original plans last year... And who knows what other fun changes will inevitably come up this time!

WHEEL SIZE

WHEEL QUANTITY

MAKE IT GO

MAKE IT GLOW

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