After a few months of lurking (and saving) I am close to pulling the trigger on a Trampa spur-drive complete but I have a few questions and would appreciate some opinions before I drop this huge stack of cash.
My short-term goal is for the board is a long range off-roader capable of climbing hills and getting through sandy soil (Perth metro and hills will be the riding area).
This board will also form the base for future DIY once I get more hands-on time with the tech and a space to tinker. I am in a small apartment at the mo but hope to have a garage in a year-ish. Future upgrades in mind are dust/waterproofing (e.g. swapping the monsterbox for a pelicase and rear-mounted VESC’s) and possibly making the board easy to change from an enduro-style to a free-style jump board (e.g. swapping the 30Q pack for a couple of Zippy’s with minimal fuss).
I am leaning towards the 118kv motors as going anywhere interests me more than speed.
9" vs. 8" wheels. I would really like to have as low centre of gravity as possible but I am guessing that the 9" wheels would be a better trade-off in lose rocky/sandy soil?
Battery stuff (where I need the most help)
I will be going with a Li-ion pack as I am looking to get a battery with as much range as possible and Li-Po’s are a little scary 3 stories up in an apartment IMO. I spoke to a local battery builder today who has made a Trampa pack before and the configurations confuse me a little. What would you guys recommend as a reasonable monsterbox pack to get the maximum distance combined with ease of use and as close to plug and play as possible?
Bearing in mind the Trampa completes come prewired with either 2 or 4 connections and I have zero tools or electrical skills (something I intend to learn eventually). I am also inclined to leave a little room for padding rather than having wall-to-wall cells.
The builder recommended 12s7p in two separate packs. A previous customer had done this and it meant the packs could just connect straight into the existing wiring. Price estimate was around $980 AUD.
I may have misunderstood but I believe he said that this would allow not having a BMS as some chargers can balance the packs as they charge provided they are under 6p Edit: should be 6s not 6p. Does this sound right?
Forgive me if I am way off track in my thinking but would this be essentially be one pack of 12s4p and another of 12s3p? Would this make charging more complicated (e.g. I would need to be careful configuring the charger each time I use it)? Edit: disregard this, I now realise it is two packs of 6s7p
If I go for a two pack configuration, does this mean I have to pull apart the monster box to charge them or would the box have all the ports ready to go?
What charger that Trampa stocks would you recommend in this situation? I figure the range of a big pack will negate the need for fast charging so that’s not a major concern. The Graupner charger would have the bonus of being more portable as well, just in case I want to charge on the go.
Alternatively, would the simplicity of a single pack with BMS just make things easier?
Finally,
What would be your recommended spare parts (e.g. tires, bolts, tubes) that I should get considering everything from Trampa will have to go half way across the world and then a quarter back again to get to Perth?
Sorry for the long-winded post but my google-fu could only get me so far.
Cheers
Edits to make sure I don’t confuse people googling
3_I have Lipo and never had a problem, just do not charge un attended. I ordered to @Eboosted 12s8P for long range commute, I wish I could order a 12s10P for my Trampa Hybrid…
4_My pack will be BMS charge only, discharge will be bypassed
5_ Monster box it lays over an anti dumping system, so you can flex the board a lot, without issues. You might fit 12s10p there. Also make it water proof with some DIY…
6_ I would not do that, but it is your choice.
7_ If you go for the 30Q pack you will need their biggest capable charger, the 18 ultramat would not being able to charge that many mAh.
8_ Yes I think, but if you use a charger with balance wires, you do not need the BMS, you could always charge with your balancer
9_ Tires spares, Trampa barrels, Slime, 9 inches, and the spacers for the king pins…
I had a Trampa Longboard and my biggest complaint was the LIPO battery. The balance charger is a pain in the ass and it takes FOREVER to charge up the batteries, plus you will be adding $200+ USD for a balance charger when you can get a brick charger for $50 USD. If I were in your shoes I would have your battery constructed with a BMS for easy charging with a brick charger. Just my .02.
Get 130 kv if you decide to go with 8 inch wheels it will give you a little more speed you will want it after getting used to the board. Also 130 kv will get you enough torque to go almost everywhere anyway.
I wouldnt choose lipo’s its a hassle to charge them. In the biggest monsterbox you will be able to fit a 12s7p lion pack with bms. 30q will be a good overall choice for this. I have a homemade 12s6p pack, works like a charm and about 35km of range (offroad). You can buy a 12s charger on aliexpress (6 or 8 amps). For bms you can get a charge only D140 bms.
For extra stuff I would recommend to get the trampa multitool thingie so you have a portable wrench for the wheels and get a spare inner tire and maybe an extra set of bearings oh and some trampa stickers. I hope this helps have fun!
You can hook a BMS up to a lipo pack and charge with a brick charger… Also, balance chargers can be had for $50. I’m sure there are others, but the only real reason I’ve found to pick liion over lipo is because you’re scared of the vulnerable pouch vs metal casings.
I think I am getting a bit clearer on how it will work now and the single 12s7p 30Q with charge-only BMS looks like the way I am keen to go.
On the charging front, with all the chargers that Trampa sell being balance chargers I figure I would be better off getting a brick charger. Does anyone have any favourites?
Would that and a XT60 to XT90 adaptor do the trick for overnight charging or is this something that needs to be supervised (i.e. it will automatically stop charging when its full)?
Was it necessary to do the off-set on your one to fit in the monsterbox?
Also, when you charge, are you just plugging the charger into the normal charge ports where the loop keys are? With a Y splitter connecting the battery to the two power lines, the charger could go in either of the ports couldn’t it?
Thanks for the clarification, I think I get it now and looking a taz’s build closer I can see the charge port. Looks like I might have to install a charging port myself and then get the battery builder to wire it in when I go to pick it up.
have fun!