Electric Airstream Concept January 20, 2022, 07:46:33 pm I found the following information about the concept eAirstream interesting. And perhaps others in the Neighborhood will too?Electric Airstream concept is the RV industry's 'iPhone moment'Stay safe. 3 Likes
Re: Electric Airstream Concept Reply #1 – January 21, 2022, 02:38:40 pm Fascinating concepts, especially the hydrogen fuel cell to power the batteries. But I had to laugh at one video where the voiceover was saying “boondocking is no boondoggle” while the video showed the owner plugging in an electric cord from some mystery source. Thanks for the link. — Jon 1 Likes
Re: Electric Airstream Concept Reply #2 – January 21, 2022, 04:00:28 pm An all-electric or hybrid RV is going to happen sooner or later, hydrocarbon fueled engines will need to disappear if the world seriously cuts back on carbon emissions. Adding drive motors and a battery to a trailer, slaved to the drive vehicle has been discussed for years, the day it arrives is getting closer. It would also be good for electric toads.BTW, electric drives for trailers, used for parking and positioning in campsites have been available for several years, in European caravans.Adding a hydrogen fuel cell is interesting, my last work car, 16 years ago, was a small Mercedes hydrogen fuel cell car, part of LAX's alternative fuel test fleet. It drove fine and was very quiet as if that mattered at an airport.An RV fuel cell would allow remote charging, making this type of RV a hybrid and more practical for touring in areas with few, if any charging stations. This assumes that hydrogen is going to be widely available There is a very limited hydrogen fueling infrastructure but it is expanding nationally. Right now, the cost of hydrogen is still high. It's going to be a few years until this type of RV is practical.Hydrogen can also be burned in internal combustion engines, its exhaust emissions consist of water vapor. This could help extend the life of IC engine technology, large trucks and buses designed for natural gas can be modified to burn hydrogen. Hydrogen can be produced with few pollution problems, using solar power or off-hour electricity to crack water into oxygen and hydrogen. Lots of interesting things happening in the world of alternative energy.Larry 5 Likes
Re: Electric Airstream Concept Reply #3 – January 21, 2022, 09:02:01 pm No vents? No air conditioner? How practical is this? 1 Likes
Re: Electric Airstream Concept Reply #4 – January 22, 2022, 02:19:34 am Quote from: Andy Baird - January 21, 2022, 09:02:01 pmNo vents? No air conditioner? How practical is this?It's a 'concept' vehicle from Thor, enough said. Electrification is a hot topic now so why not announce an advanced-design concept vehicle, one that will probably never be built by them. The lack of stuff on the roof looks sleeker, not to worry the HVAC system will take care of temperature issues.Larry
Re: Electric Airstream Concept Reply #5 – January 24, 2022, 10:37:26 pm Quote from: Andy Baird - January 21, 2022, 09:02:01 pmNo vents? No air conditioner? How practical is this?I just saw a video on it, the air conditioner is inside. my problem is with all the electronics and what happens if it breaks down. All the wheels lock and you can’t go anywhere. If you are bouncing up and down traveling something’s got to break. How are you going to get that fixed anywhere in small town America? I think one of the joys of camping with a trailer is the low tech ease of it. Having said that, I do think a lithium battery generator running the Truma Aventa air conditioner as with the Winnebago flex is a game changer for the trailer industry. One of the things I love about a motorized RV (and prevents me from getting a trailer) is that you can pull over the side of the road walk into the back, take a nap and run the air conditioner and use the microwave to make lunch, you couldn’t do that with a trailer. And you get get a Ford fixed almost anywhere.
Re: Electric Airstream Concept Reply #6 – January 25, 2022, 08:46:42 am "my problem is with all the electronics and what happens if it breaks down. All the wheels lock and you can’t go anywhere."Yup. And from what I've seen of Airstream's build quality, I wouldn't want to bet against that scenario. 3 Likes
Re: Electric Airstream Concept Reply #7 – January 25, 2022, 07:42:07 pm Quote from: alphpup - January 24, 2022, 10:37:26 pm my problem is with all the electronics and what happens if it breaks down. All the wheels lock and you can’t go anywhere. I'm sure they will have a way of making it towable with a drive failure, either inherent in the drive train, or with a mechanical disconnect. You know, like they have manual retracts for slides in case the motor system fails? 1 Likes
Re: Electric Airstream Concept Reply #8 – January 26, 2022, 09:30:53 pm Quote from: Andy Baird - January 25, 2022, 08:46:42 amAnd from what I've seen of Airstream's build quality, I wouldn't want to bet against that scenario.While I know some of the rules of this Neighborhood, this is one post that I wish I know the rest of Andy's story. I may have to re-join the Airstream Forum. 1 Likes
Re: Electric Airstream Concept Reply #9 – January 27, 2022, 02:38:54 pm "this is one post that I wish I know the rest of Andy's story. I may have to re-join the Airstream Forum."I haven't posted there or even read anything there in a long time. This is my home. :-)I've discussed Airstream's quality control issues elsewhere; suffice it to say that it's a typical mass-produced RV--not a Lazy Daze. Both my Airstreams (27' 2017 and 19' 2019 models) had numerous factory defects; in both cases the problems got fixed (mostly by me); and once that was done, I was happy with both rigs. I'm not sorry I bought Airstreams, because they are superior in many ways (design and materials), but the experience was not like buying a Lazy Daze. 3 Likes
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