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Bumping this thread to add a few more thoughts about towing and RV's in general.
I went to the RV show in Hershey, PA this past Thursday. It is bllled as the largest RV show in the country, and while I have no idea if that's hyperbole or not, it is a huge show. I'm at a loss as to who buys some of the behemoths I saw there; many were essentially the equivalent of putting your entire house, from bedrooms, to bathrooms, with dens and kitchen in between, on wheels. Prices were similarly astounding and more than a few were more expensive than actual houses ($300k and up). Moving your house down the highway also must be a pretty costly proposition; some of those rigs can't get much more than a mile or two per gallon.
The reason I went to the show was to take a first-hand look at some larger campers. We presently have a small but very well-equipped [email protected] 320 teardrop. It literally has every feature that much larger campers have, and everything but the a/c and microwave can be powered by LFP batteries/solar or propane for off-grid camping (until the water runs out, the cassette toilet gets full or the sun doesn't shine). While we love the camper, we are a bit cramped now that our camping "family" has grown from one dog to two, and hence the consideration for something a bit larger.
While we want something larger, we don't want to upsize at the expense of range. My understanding is that the Airstreams are quite aerodynamic, and if cost were not a consideration, a 19 or 20 foot Bambi would be a great option. The Airstreams look great, are well-made and can be very nicely equipped. At well over $70k new, and not much less used however, the Bambi is not really an option.
The other alternative I saw at the show, but had not previously considered, was an A-Liner. These are pop-ups, so have a low profile, but have rigid, insulated sides. The model that interested me most was the Expedition, which has two pop-up dormers (photo below) making it seem very roomy. One of the Expedition series actually has a pull-out galley, similar to the Rivian camp kitchen, though in this case, the pull-out is a stove and refrigerator (the sink is inside the trailer). Cost is under $30k with most amenities, but adding solar and LFP storage will bump that up a few thousand but will still be in the affordable range.
That leads to the range question. The A-Liner weighs in at under 1,850 lbs/841 kg dry (GVWR 3,500 lbs/1,591 kg), and is 84" wide and 68" high (213 x 173 cm) when folded for towing. It is about 18' (5.5 m) long. I'm thinking that the low profile, low weight and modest length will have the least impact on range of any of the three trailers.
If my thinking is anywhere near accurate, I may be looking at achieving something over 2.0 mi/kWh which in turn, could mean that the 135 kWh Large pack (which apparently is really more like 129 kWh) would give me an effective range of at least 150 miles. That would mean I could live with the R1S/T LR and don't need to wait for the R1T Max.
Thoughts?
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I went to the RV show in Hershey, PA this past Thursday. It is bllled as the largest RV show in the country, and while I have no idea if that's hyperbole or not, it is a huge show. I'm at a loss as to who buys some of the behemoths I saw there; many were essentially the equivalent of putting your entire house, from bedrooms, to bathrooms, with dens and kitchen in between, on wheels. Prices were similarly astounding and more than a few were more expensive than actual houses ($300k and up). Moving your house down the highway also must be a pretty costly proposition; some of those rigs can't get much more than a mile or two per gallon.
The reason I went to the show was to take a first-hand look at some larger campers. We presently have a small but very well-equipped [email protected] 320 teardrop. It literally has every feature that much larger campers have, and everything but the a/c and microwave can be powered by LFP batteries/solar or propane for off-grid camping (until the water runs out, the cassette toilet gets full or the sun doesn't shine). While we love the camper, we are a bit cramped now that our camping "family" has grown from one dog to two, and hence the consideration for something a bit larger.
While we want something larger, we don't want to upsize at the expense of range. My understanding is that the Airstreams are quite aerodynamic, and if cost were not a consideration, a 19 or 20 foot Bambi would be a great option. The Airstreams look great, are well-made and can be very nicely equipped. At well over $70k new, and not much less used however, the Bambi is not really an option.
The other alternative I saw at the show, but had not previously considered, was an A-Liner. These are pop-ups, so have a low profile, but have rigid, insulated sides. The model that interested me most was the Expedition, which has two pop-up dormers (photo below) making it seem very roomy. One of the Expedition series actually has a pull-out galley, similar to the Rivian camp kitchen, though in this case, the pull-out is a stove and refrigerator (the sink is inside the trailer). Cost is under $30k with most amenities, but adding solar and LFP storage will bump that up a few thousand but will still be in the affordable range.
That leads to the range question. The A-Liner weighs in at under 1,850 lbs/841 kg dry (GVWR 3,500 lbs/1,591 kg), and is 84" wide and 68" high (213 x 173 cm) when folded for towing. It is about 18' (5.5 m) long. I'm thinking that the low profile, low weight and modest length will have the least impact on range of any of the three trailers.
If my thinking is anywhere near accurate, I may be looking at achieving something over 2.0 mi/kWh which in turn, could mean that the 135 kWh Large pack (which apparently is really more like 129 kWh) would give me an effective range of at least 150 miles. That would mean I could live with the R1S/T LR and don't need to wait for the R1T Max.
Thoughts?
