You are 100% correct and so far we have not seen anything like cracking or failure. When you take the abuse mountain bikes get and the average ride a Radwagon has I think we are safe. Getting design specs from bike manufacturers and component suppliers is difficult to impossible!
Since its Alum you would use dye penetrant to look for cracks as opposed to the naked eye as a crack might not be visible unless stressed or you used dye. Magnetic particle inspection is out being Alum.

With the smaller (same design) just shorter tubes on the next modified fork the stress is also reduced. I had this 26" fork I bought from a black Friday sale this year, so decided to modify it and try it out but am modifying a fork the just fits the Rad 22" tyre.

The head tube of the RadWagon is the longest I have ever seen, so a stock fork (steer tube length) will never fit it without being modified. That said the long head tube design for the RadWagon makes sense for the frame design.

I just am never satisfied and always want to modify things to try to make them safer, better. faster, cheaper etc. Been doing this my whole life. Then people come along and take what I have done and do the same to my designs or modifications. Refinement!

Appreciate the feedback!

I have modified some airshocks for the front of my RadWagon.
This first one was proof of concept I made in my machine shop from a set of air shocks I already had.
The final air suspension fork will lower the front of the Radwagon to its original height and have a fender.
The ride is amazing and with a suspension seat post its like riding a full suspension bike.
We live on a farm and even our best roads are bumpy!
Anyone interested in these?

I have made a modification in my machine shop to use an air suspension front fork on the Radwagon. This modification with a suspension seat post and front air shocks the ride is really improved. Its almost like I am riding a full suspension bike! We live on a farm and the roads around here at best are paved but very bumpy. I am further improving this with another type fork and will put in a photo when its finished. This was the prototype proof of concept. New suspension will lower the bike front by 4" or back to original design height and have a fender. Anyone interested in these?

You are not the first person to point this out!
Just shows you the era I am in (wind-up timer)!
Just like things simple. Thank you though for pointing this out.

You can get a small generator like a Honda (expensive but good quality) that is almost silent and can be used for phones as well.
Solar panels set up to charge some 12v batteries. Then run the standard Rad charger on an inverter.
Also Costco has some cheaper small genets.

They make solar cell panels for campers you mount on the roof or just set out everyday.

I have taken a standard wind up timer switch available from Amazon for about $20.00. I put this in a plastic electrical box with a cover. Then wired this into an extension cord. The timer is max 12 hours so it can be used to condition / balance the batteries when required. I then set the timer based on experience and using the charging time chart in the RadWagon manual.

Using this simple timing box (switch) I can set the charging time and if I fall asleep not worry about charging the battery(s) over 12 hours. It is simple, plain vanilla and easy to set. If the power goes out its not a programable switch so no worries. Also this is way cheaper than alternative chargers and Rad recommends only using their charger anyway. So you use their charger just are able to set the charge time.

Switch $20
Extension cord* $24 (good quality, illuminated ends and orange cord - so easy to see)
Plastic electrical box and cover $10.00
*I like the extension cords where the ends light up so you know there is power to the plug (M) end then when there is power to the receptical (F) end.

Hope this helps anyone worried about charging their battery too long.
Max charge (normally) time is 7 hours.
The battery has 4 level lights and the Red display has 5 bars so based on approximate percentages you can make up a charge chart.
Using miles, as Rad does, I do not agree with because how much assist or power was used in the miles travelled? I just use the bars on the display and the lights on the battery. Do the math and then track what you did (charge time). Was the timer on enough time or do you need more time. With the Rad charger even if the light goes green it should be OK if you charge 1 hour more but never over 12 hours.

Also you dont know if you are at the beginning or end of a bar(5 levels) or light (4 lights on battery with push button) but you can be close enough and fine tune this based on your actual experience.

Yes you can just set your phone timer etc. but my phone battery is often dead by the end of the day or I left it somewhere. This cord and box is where I park and secure the bike(s) and can easily be taken along if I will need to charge my bike on a trip or weekend ride.

I made these securing points to reduce the risk of theft of our 2 new Rad bikes. I welded a truck load securing "D"ring to a drilled plate.
Then I epoxy grouted the mounting studs and plate to the concrete floor pad. The bolt head is in the hole so the only way to get the stud out is break or grind it off. The nut on the top was prewelded to prevent this from coming off. You can not prevent bike theft but you can slow them down. By the time they get this and the cable and/or U lock or the plate loose the dogs will be barking and we will catch or stop the thieves. We also have a wireless Arlo camera watching the bikes. Paranoid? No I think just reducing the risk factor when the bikes are parked especially at night in the carport.

After mounting the large basket using the rearward mounting holes I cut the original wood platform at a 45 degree angle to wedge under the rack to secure it from possibly vibrating.It would be possible for a small child to ride here or a place the bungee cord something to the rack.`

Mounting the large basket longitudinally on the RadCity stepthru.
Longitudinally mounted makes manuevering the bike easier and balancing a load of books etc. easier. My wife is a teacher
and carries alot of books and school things.

The basket as delivered/designed is not set up to mount this the way as the basket mounting holes are configured only for transverse mounting on the RadCity rear rack.

I made a 1/4" aluminium adaptor plate and bolted this to the rear rack and then the basket to the adaptor plate.
Remember leave room for the riders butt. This bike has a Suntour seat post suspension as well and you dont want the basket hitting the rider back.

This is an EXCELLENT article you have written. From one Nerd to another!

We have had theft issues here so to be sure our bikes dont go "walkabout, as we say in Australia, I made these securing rings by welding a "D" ring cargo hold-down to a plate. The plate and studs were then glued to the concrete slab in the carport.

Nothing can stop a thief but you can slow them down or they need to make a racket to get your bike (investment).

With the "U" Bolt lock and the bike cabled to the ground I think it is pretty difficult to steal these now!

If you want to use the SR Suntour suspension seat post order the one with the 30.9mm seat tube.

You back the allen screw out from the existing top clamp enough to remove the seat tube the bike comes with.
Do not remove the screw all the way out. You might need to open the clamp on the larger seat tube to pull the smaller seat tube out. To instal the SR Suntour seat post grease the bottom of the SR Suntour seat post and slide it into the larger seat tube. Leave the allen screw backed out as it holds the clamp but you no longer need it as the SR Suntour seat post does not have the groove in it the the Rad supplied tube has.

At first I tried just using a Cloud 9 seat but on rough roads it still jarred my back.
I measured the RadWagon seat post diameter (30.9mm) and ordered the correct diameter seat post from SR Suntour as they have 3 diameters to choose from.
They sent the tube with the heavy spring right out - great service.

With the Cloud 9 seat,I already had and the SR Suntour suspension seat post there is little to no jarring on rough roads. At 70 years old the hardtail RadWagon was really hurting my back on our country roads and farm access. This is my farm to home transport now not my pick-up!

I have removed my side shield on the RadWagon 4
I would say they are there to keep riders (children's feet) out of the spokes.
We dont have any little feet to get caught so I removed it to be able to easily lock the rear wheel to the frame and to a pole if I go to town, post office etc.

With the shields removed a Kryptonite "U" lock is a great anti theft option!

I replaced the 4 screws that go thru the frame to prevent water getting inside the tubing, Small plugs would do as well.

Story/Lesson
My daughter, when she was a child, was riding on the handlebars of a bike in Indonesia and her foot got caught in the wheel/spokes and I had too get it out without hurting her any more than she already was hurt. Was messy and painful. Children never listen to their parents as we had said not to do this and she had her own bike! It just seemed to be more fun to do this?!

Torque on a bolt can depend on many things from thread condition, lubrication and head contact surface area.
I previously worked on many engines from Solar turbines, CAT to Detroit Diesel engines. True torque or bolt preload is done by snugging the bolt up till it just tightens then turning the bolt a certain amount in degrees or turns to properly tighten or preload the bolt base on the thread pitch. All this said it is important not over tighten the bolts. I always use "Never Seize" on bolt threads to they will open after a period of time and conditions like rain, snow, salt on roads etc. Even Stainless steel bolts seize.
This is Techie talk!
Use a torque wrench or commonsense you can retighten or torque after a period of riding just to be sure.

My torque wrenches actually were calibrated in a lab and certified annually!

For years those in the company would tease me saying I did not support the industry I worked in (oil exploration) I road my bike to work (office and workshop) and heated my house with wood!