Extending towing range with Assist motors in the trailer.

[Okanoganjim]

Towing, even with a Diesel pickup takes a heavy toll on range. My truck seems to go 1/2 as far on a tank when towing my Fifth wheel. A way to improve upon this could be for Towed RV manufactures to include electric motors on two wheels of the trailer, and s structural battery pack in the floor. These motors would not need to be super powerful, but enough to provide an improvement in towing range. The motors could be controlled by the Towing vehicle through the standard connector. I think a CT towing a electric assisted Airstream would be fantastic!

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[firsttruck]

Towing, even with a Diesel pickup takes a heavy toll on range. My truck seems to go 1/2 as far on a tank when towing my Fifth wheel. A way to improve upon this could be for Towed RV manufactures to include electric motors on two wheels of the trailer, and s structural battery pack in the floor. These motors would not need to be super powerful, but enough to provide an improvement in towing range. The motors could be controlled by the Towing vehicle through the standard connector. I think a CT towing a electric assisted Airstream would be fantastic!

Maybe steerable traction and batteries could be part of a detachable 5th wheel module that makes a non-swivel lock to trailer 5th wheel pin and then has adapter for Cybertruck bumper hitch.

 

[Art O'Connor]

Already been done. Check out the Lightship 1:

https://lightshiprv.com/

 

[charliemagpie]

Being able to tow a heavy trailer 1000 miles would be fantastic.

But we can't tow that range with a standard ICE truck, and I haven't seen a push for assisted ICE trailers.

All the power to people who are after extended range, but charging location will be everywhere, aka fuel stations in the old days.

If running out of fuel, just stop and fill er up, and go have a piss.

 

[Rutrow]

Already been done. Check out the Lightship 1:

https://lightshiprv.com/

Already been done proposed...

There, fixed it for you. Lightship hasn't "done" it (yet?), and even Airstream seems to have abandoned the idea. Airstream and Porsche partnered up, insinuating a powered travel trailer, but have since changed their EV friendly trailer to just a lightweight and aerodynamic one instead.

Lightship has at least been explicit about a drivetrain powered travel trailer, but hasn't made a drivetrain powered travel trailer prototype... yet. They haven't even decided how the drive wheels and regen trailer braking will be controlled. THAT is going to be a difficult system to devise. Will it be a surge controller on the tongue? or a more complicated system relying on highly accurate (like millimeter accurate) speed or distance sensors that control the gain and boost?

I have a deposit down on a Lightship, but I'm not counting on any being delivered, for a loooooong time, if ever.

 

[Crissa]

There's lots of prototypes out there...
https://www.google.com/search?q=powered+axle+trailer+prototype

Tho I can't find the big brands one I saw a demo for. They were also using it so you could walk it around by hand. Kinda neat seeing someone move a big travel trailer with one hand.

-Crissa

 

[Tiberius]

Some big names have been working on it too, but looking far beyond just making range better. This one helps with the parking too.
https://www.airstream.com/air-lab/concepts/estream/

 

[Rutrow]

There's lots of prototypes out there...
https://www.google.com/search?q=powered+axle+trailer+prototype

Tho I can't find the big brands one I saw a demo for. They were also using it so you could walk it around by hand. Kinda neat seeing someone move a big travel trailer with one hand.

-Crissa

The ones I've seen that can do that only have a powered tongue jack wheel. Not the axle wheels.

 

[Rutrow]

This is the Airstream CGI concept from a year ago that they've gone completely radio silent on. And are now going the light weight materials route instead.



Now THIS is what they're touting

https://www.airstream.com/air-lab/concepts/studio-fa-porsche-travel-trailer-overview/

 

[Art O'Connor]

Already been done proposed...

There, fixed it for you. Lightship hasn't "done" it (yet?), and even Airstream seems to have abandoned the idea. Airstream and Porsche partnered up, insinuating a powered travel trailer, but have since changed their EV friendly trailer to just a lightweight and aerodynamic one instead.

Lightship has at least been explicit about a drivetrain powered travel trailer, but hasn't made a drivetrain powered travel trailer prototype... yet. They haven't even decided how the drive wheels and regen trailer braking will be controlled. THAT is going to be a difficult system to devise. Will it be a surge controller on the tongue? or a more complicated system relying on highly accurate (like millimeter accurate) speed or distance sensors that control the gain and boost?

I have a deposit down on a Lightship, but I'm not counting on any being delivered, for a loooooong time, if ever.

Lightship is currently building a factory in Broomfield, Colorado and expect to have Lightships rolling out in "2024".

 

[Crissa]

There are alot of people who are in them more often than that.

I had an uncle that commuted in three hours to LA in an RV, parked it in the company parking lot, he and his wife would use it for clothes changes while they worked in the city then back to Sun City for the weekend. I thought it was nuts.

I've known many snowbirds in my life, too, or half-years. So many people live a more itinerant life. It's kinda weird, but ya know, if they can reduce their footprint, all the better.

-Crissa

 

[FutureBoy]

Now THIS is what they're touting

https://www.airstream.com/air-lab/concepts/studio-fa-porsche-travel-trailer-overview/

Wow... Watching the promo video on the site, probably the point that is touted the most about that airstream is that it will be garagable. How many garages do peeps have these days? Between the CT barely fitting in the garage and now a travel trailer in there, where do they intend to keep the tools? The etsy nick-nacks? That extra baby stroller? Or heaven forbid.... Their car? I'm starting to think that people are building 3 level houses so that they can use the whole first level exclusively as multiple garages and then live in the top 2 levels. Maybe I'm supposed to take a hint by the fact that the car they drive is a Porsche.

Ahhhh..... But apparently these are not sitting in the driveway. Seems that people have enough money to build a garage around it for that 90% of the time. So clearly the price of the trailer isn't the issue.

 

[ldjessee]

There are alot of people who are in them more often than that.

I had an uncle that commuted in three hours to LA in an RV, parked it in the company parking lot, he and his wife would use it for clothes changes while they worked in the city then back to Sun City for the weekend. I thought it was nuts.

I've known many snowbirds in my life, too, or half-years. So many people live a more itinerant life. It's kinda weird, but ya know, if they can reduce their footprint, all the better.

-Crissa

My grandmother retired to an RV, then after several years would winter in Texas and drive the rest of the year.

At one point my mom lived in Borrego Springs and commuted 2-3 hours one way to Miramar (San Diego).

I would love to retire to an RV… I have tried to convince my wife we could do it now…

My family loves to travel…

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