IS THE RV INDUSTRY
READY FOR THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE REVOLUTION? PART 3 OF 3
By: Tom Davidock
RV DESIGN AND INNOVATION
and trucks power up. As a result, campgrounds will need to upgrade their sites, but RVs will also need to become more self-sufficient.
One of the best ways to combat the towing limitations of EV trucks is to build lighter and more aerodynamic RVs. The traditional rectangular boxes that the RV community currently hauls around simply won’t work in an EV-only market. So over the next decade, we’ll need to see newer designs that offer lighter weights while not compromising livable space.
Just as RVs indeed to integrate with tow vehicles, they will also need to integrate with campground electrical connections. Larger onboard batteries on both trucks and within RVs will need to serve as power-hubs. As a result, the campground’s electricity demand can be offset with power supplied directly from the rig. If RVs are built to be more self-sufficient, they can learn to sip electricity from the grid rather than chug it at high-demand times.
RVs of the future will also need to work more seamlessly with the tow vehicle. One challenge with truck battery capacity is simply space. Until battery technology allows for smaller cells, space will be one of the constraining factors. RVs, however, can provide that space. For example, an extra battery bank, necessary for a longer range, can be integrated directly into the RV. This design can give the tow vehicle the extra travel distance needed by the RVer. As an added benefit, the electric components allowing this can supply the electric needs of the RV. This type of collaboration is something that we need to see.
Powering a vehicle is much more demanding than powering an RV when parked. One of the future goals of EVs is to serve as a generator replacement for homes. For example, when equipped with an extended range battery, the Ford Lightning can power an entire house, for three whole days, based on household usage of 30 kilowatt-hours. Ford says that the battery can stretch for even ten days when rationing usage. Applying this same technology to an RV can theoretically meet the electricity demand of campers for days on end.
In 2020, Camping World and Lordstown Motors, an EV truck manufacturer, announced a partnership to build an integrated electric RV/Truck. As of 2021, it appears that this partnership may not come to fruition; however, the concept is sound. RV manufacturers must work in unison with truck manufacturers to innovate and develop creative solutions.
However, accomplishing this means that RV and truck batteries must be big enough to get you to the campground and supply you with electricity while you’re there. They also must be designed to recharge efficiently. RV and EV trucks must integrate smart charging, balancing use and recharge needs when connected to the grid.
Another exciting concept has been introduced by THOR Industry’s Airstream, called eStream. The idea centers around an RV with an integrated electric powertrain. The eStream features a high-voltage, electric drivetrain, which powers the trailer’s wheels and thus reduces the tow vehicle’s fuel or energy consumption. The electric drivetrain can also remotely park the RV without the tow vehicle – eliminating the need to back into a campsite. The battery pack also makes it an excellent off-grid vehicle.
FINAL THOUGHTS
As the world moves towards a fully electric vehicle fleet, the industries that rely on these vehicles will need to adapt. Technology is advancing at lightning speed and will continue to do so in years to come. The RV industry must innovate to be ready for this certain future. However, they can’t do this alone. We need to see collaboration across the board from the auto industry, RV community, transportation industry, and federal, state, and local governments.
However, the eStream concept is not the first of its kind. Across the pond in Germany, the caravan maker Dethleff has been working for nearly five years on an electric-drivetrain towable RV. In 2021, its e.home Coco underwent testing, hauling it across the Alps on a single charge towed by an electric vehicle (a passenger vehicle). These innovations will get us to a place where EV technology can work for RVers. We need to see more of them.
No single entity can solve the many challenges ahead. It’s going to take collaboration. The RV industry can’t simply wait for EV truck technology to advance, just as truck manufacturers can’t assume RVers will simply adapt to smaller RVs. Innovation must happen in unison and with intention. When it does, we’ll have a whole new camping experience. We are sitting on the cusp of change, and years from now, we’ll look back in amazement at how far we’ve come.
EV-READY CAMPGROUNDS
As mentioned in a previous article, one of the challenges for the future EV RVing experience is the needed upgrades to the campground electrical infrastructure. Outdated and insufficient electrical connections at RV parks will undoubtedly run into problems when dozens of RVs SUMMER 2022
By Tom Davidock
To read the article in its entirety go to https://outdoormiles.com/ electric-trucks-and-the-rv-industry/ which addresses some of the challenges of the EV revolution including batteries, charging stations, RV design and size, and towing vehicles. H 20
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