Well that just takes all of the fun out of it. No more fights when backing in, no more " can you get up and turn that light off ". Plenty of space age technology in the future for sure. I think I will go back to tent camping and get back to the roots of it all , NOT.

Brian

Say Whaaaaat!!!! You mean you don't want to wake up to a soggy sleeping bag from ground condensation, or sharing the tent with all sorts of critters, or better yet - hearing a grunt and soft growl; and seeing the open marshmallow bag open in front of you in the tent

But just remember all this tech can break. Fortunately I have an almost dumb 5th wheel and I want it to stay that way - don't want it wondering off on it's own in the middle of the night.

Keith

Yoda

Keith,

I was in a tent when I was about 3 months old. I was also involved in Boy Scouts up until about 3 years ago. I have camped in a tent in every imaginable weather scenario, even down to 10 below with a foot of snow on the ground. I have paid my dues many times over. The critters never bothered me but sometimes the group I was camping with played many a midnight game on somebody. Plenty of good memories and I would do it again , if I had to.

Brian

I am with you there on tent camping. Got my polar bear badge at 21 below in scouting just outside Peoria Illinois. The Scout master broke into one of the cabins for the second night with the fireplace. Much more fun.

As a family we started out tent camping with the kids - but after our baby daughter gassed me out of the tent during a diaper change I broke down and got us our first small 17' TT with lots of windows for ventilation. They were windows like these https://ceciliatheshasta.com/jalousi...ntage-campers/ all over the camper so it was easy to air out even in the rain.

Yep good memories and I too remember the practical jokes (some not so funny) - I was the fat kid with coke bottle glasses. Did you ever go snipe hunting, or out here its jackalope spotting. with the scouts? Or digging for dehydrated water

The good old days of simple things that worked.

Keith

I was fortunate enough to not remember tent camping. Mom said no more tents after I was born and they bought the Apache pop up hard side. 1974 or 75 model if I remember in green. All 7 of us (mom, dad, and the 5 yunguns) spent many miles and nights in that thing. Awning was full manual (tent poles and ropes) but it was a true awning not some shade tree concoction.

I'll just drop this here https://www.dragzine.com/news/video-...ild-airscream/ I think they hit the mark a bit better than Thor (AKA warranty claim denied sorry we did not get your email from my person experience with one of their companies).

Mike,

Very cool. I figured this would come along but there is still a great deal of detail missing. Like how it will integrate with the TV and the cost. Since a regular Airstream the size of my Imagine is around 100k, the EV version I'm guessing will be north of that. Suspect they are integrating a Tesla driveline in the rig to reduce cost since the car is already in the video.

All this EV stuff is very cool but we need infrastructure and nuclear plants (true zero carbon) to power all our needs to really make this work. Nobody wants nuclear.

Jim

Jim,
No Clue. I read the same article.

Here's my thoughts.

• It has nothing to do with Tesla, they just happen to be the only production car out there with a tow hitch (Model X has a tow capacity of 5000lbs)
• The article led me to believe it's more like "Segway" in that the camper is more balanced on the wheels. (hence the NO WDH required, and why a SUV is able to tow the camper). It's also how it pulls off the move itself around trick.
• Like Segway, when it's in the "Pull Mode" you start pulling it, the wheel starts "helping". It's complicated, but no more complicated than, well, a Segway, and that tech is almost 20ish years old at this point. It's just software at this point, and Software can be pretty smart.

I recognize Yoda 's point, and I would think the first year or two is going to be a bit rough.

OMG I looked at Airstream prices a few weeks ago. MORE thank 100k. Like 50 year old total rebuild required units are going for 80-90k.

An interesting combination and use of technologies that already exist elsewhere. My first thought was . . . at what price ? Adding that battery bank and drive system to an already expensive and minimalistic Airstream would have to take you north of $150K and heading for $200K. Certainly a very limited market.

An interesting read and video . . . thanks Mike.

Rob

Mike,

The only reason I made the connection between Tesla and Airstream is ZF is into electrification where its odd they would give a competitor any credit in an advertisement. I'm uncertain but ZF makes tons of driveline components and the airstream has a differential to make turning maneuvers like that.

For price, I could buy a 2600RB and scrap it every ten years and after 30 I would break even with one standard airstream. However something I've always been curious about is why some do not make an aluminum box trailer and fit it out like a current RV. Seems this would reduce cost over the airstream since those units use aluminum sheeting inside and out which adds cost. Aluminum car haulers do not cost all that much.

So to Robs point, this prototype if it ended up into production would hit 150-200k with a bank of batteries, differential EV drive system and more. Cool but its much cheaper to buy gas.

Jim

Thinking about the drive controller, it could be a simple slide setup in the tongue of the trailer. As the tongue gets pulled (some type of spring / rubber system) increasing to the point where assistance is needed the drive motors in the trailer start "assisting". When the TV goes into brake mode, the slider then goes the other way and does regenerative braking sending the generated power from the wheels back into the batteries.

This gets creative in mountain areas as the can be a lot of regenerative braking. Think the Ike pass west of Denver. That's one long steep downhill grade (up hill also) that can generate a decent amount of power.

I guess they would also have the option to cover the roof in solar panels to assist the trailers power supply while on the road.

A reverse surge type control. That's a nice approach.

Some hybrids will allow for torque to be applied to the motors by arbitration from the hybrid controller where torque as you stated can be applied at startup where much of the energy is used. Also on grades to assist for a bit. With a trailer full of batteries, a great deal of energy can be stored for over the road or a perfect dry camp scenario. But that rig has to be fast charged which means RV parks will need to provide that. Lack of infrastructure is currently a roadblock to EVs where campgrounds may follow along? There is also a balance on all these type vehicles where mass increases with higher battery capacity where they can get so heavy all electrical energy is used to mostly haul the batteries. So a balance has to be calculated based on effort to tow versus towing range.

If the trailer control was integrated into the TV there could be a CAN connection that would communicate between TV and trailer to provide a coordinated control system. The trailer could also have regenerative braking where most braking and deceleration energy could be put back into the batteries where friction brakes would be used only for heavy braking and turning the trailer in the remote control scenario if the design incorporates a differential for that purpose.

Very cool stuff.

Jim

Guest Jim, I would hope they use 2 drive motors (possibly lighter option vs 1 motor and diff) which would give complete steering control by varying speed of the motors.

I would hope the trailer is set up on 50 amp and that being a 30 amp trailer would allow for an almost completely dedicated 50 amps of single phase power just to charge the batteries. Again as you mention campgrounds and general electrical grid are not ready for the massive EV surge that is being pushed by the government.

Joseph,

I would not disagree but their video gives us hint with the half shafts to the wheels and why I believe they went the route of a diff, one motor and steering via foundation brakes. But its a theory at best. Motors are heavy so to have one driving could work.

Interesting when I registered our two ICE vehicles in Ohio the price was higher for a hybrid and even higher for an EV. Not conducive to changing over, then throw in the charge station and the additional cost of an EV and this is an expensive option. When they hit 100k miles, resale will take a hit IMO. I'm not against them but folks need to know that they are charged mostly via natural gas, coal and to some extent nuclear. <2% via wind and solar in the east. Davis Besse Nuclear is about 20 miles from us and there is talk it will close. Should be updated.

Jim

Guest Jim, I think Davis Besse has already undergone the steam generator changeout which should have been a power upgrade. Next would be the actual generator, or some modifications to the generator and turbines for more power.

With all of these EV, no one is saying how they are recovering the road taxes for upkeep and maintenance.