Preparing trailer range test with and without a wind deflector....

[hemiarch]

I wish someone would build an assist device/battery that could be added to an airstream so it would function a bit like a pebble RV.
I don’t want lightship and pebbles idea of reinventing the trailer for the 21 st century. Just the technology they are proposing.
Santa? Supreme being of Patents? Hell, even you Eoln. Anyone listening.

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[BornToFly]

I wish someone would build an assist device/battery that could be added to an airstream so it would function a bit like a pebble RV.
I don’t want lightship and pebbles idea of reinventing the trailer for the 21 st century. Just the technology they are proposing.
Santa? Supreme being of Patents? Hell, even you Eoln. Anyone listening.

Since the CT has plenty of power, just a way to run the CT with an external battery attached, or the charging plug in the port.

 

[hemiarch]

Since the CT has plenty of power, just a way to run the CT with an external battery attached, or the charging plug in the port.

Yes. That would also work. Big battery lots of solar. The CT can’t be charged while moving though so something that reduces its load will contribute to more continuous moving range

 

[BornToFly]

Yes. That would also work. Big battery lots of solar. The CT can’t be charged while moving though so something that reduces its load will contribute to more continuous moving range

I don't know if the inability to use current from the plug while moving is a software limitation, or a hardware problem. If software, they probably did that so people wouldn't rip the plug out of the car/wall.

 

[hemiarch]

I don't know if the inability to use current from the plug while moving is a software limitation, or a hardware problem. If software, they probably did that so people wouldn't rip the plug out of the car/wall.

I’m sure it’s surmountable. I’m just saying an aftermarket product like that that can be applied to any trailer and make it basically 6000lbs lighter could be used on any car. Even one that wasn’t a huge Cybertruck.

 

[Bridgeboy69]

I don’t want lightship and pebbles idea of reinventing the trailer for the 21 st century.

What don't you like about them? I mean, the Pebble is too short for me, but I like the Lightship.

What's not to like?

 

[hemiarch]

What don't you like about them? I mean, the Pebble is too short for me, but I like the Lightship.

What's not to like?

It’s not so much that I don’t like them but experience has taught me that new things aren’t always as good as products that have had many years to refine.
There is no doubt the engineers there have come up with some impressive ideas and I am personally very impressed with what they have achieved but it’s a far cry from that to…”these are the greatest designer/engineers/builders of trailers of all time and everything they do is flawless”.
I would assume that the imperfections in the process will present themselves over time.
I can’t say what they are yet, nobody can, that’s the point.
I’d prefer not have a $120k trailer with peeling this or that or some bathroom system idiosyncracy that presents itself after several months of use or some point of structural weakness that really wasnt obvious to me when I bought it because I don’t have that sort of knowhow.
I’d rather have a product like airstream or another brand that has refined itself over decades of consumer use with an added assist system.
Then there is also the matter of value, there are many many well priced second hand airstreams and others which are a way better deal than driving one off the lot or building a new home.
And configurations; these products come in vanilla, vanilla plus 20k , or vanilla plus 40k flavors.
There are literally dozens of different trailer designs with various sleeping arrangements cargo setups, kitchen options, trim material choices, power variants etc , You could even transfer such a system and change configurations as your family needs evolve.
And longevity, you just have to look around the used airstream market to know what you need to know. Nobody has any idea how these things will hold up other than the optimistic appraisal of the people trying to sell them which isn’t an ideal source of information.
I’m an early adopter. I bought the FS twice.
Probably not going to do that with this. Too much predictable loss compared to the already expensive depreciation of a trailer.
Rather let someone else do it first I think.

 

[Bridgeboy69]

Too much predictable loss compared to the already expensive depreciation of a trailer.
Rather let someone else do it first I think.

OK, I can appreciate that assesment.

 

[BornToFly]

Construction is complete. This turned into a MUCH larger project than I originally intended for a simple aerodynamic test....

Tomorrow I will have my wife drive as I sit in the bed and we slowly speed up to make sure everything looks ok. Then I hope to rent an Airstream Friday or Saturday. My friend's trailer, and my brother's trailer, are much taller than the Basecamp.

My wife and I can remove it in 60 seconds.

 

[dalton108]

Construction is complete. This turned into a MUCH larger project than I originally intended for a simple aerodynamic test....

Tomorrow I will have my wife drive as I sit in the bed and we slowly speed up to make sure everything looks ok. Then I hope to rent an Airstream Friday or Saturday. My friend's trailer, and my brother's trailer, are much taller than the Basecamp.

My wife and I can remove it in 60 seconds.

Love this ingenuity! So cool! I think the BaseCamp is an ideal trailer for me I just need a solution like @hemiarch is proposing.

 

[webspeedracer]

Construction is complete. This turned into a MUCH larger project than I originally intended for a simple aerodynamic test....

Tomorrow I will have my wife drive as I sit in the bed and we slowly speed up to make sure everything looks ok. Then I hope to rent an Airstream Friday or Saturday. My friend's trailer, and my brother's trailer, are much taller than the Basecamp.

My wife and I can remove it in 60 seconds.

I’d let you use my Oliver camper for testing, similar in size/shape to the Basecamp, with a more rounded profile. But you’d still be able to get consumption readings with/without your aero fairing.

I live in SLC, only issue is I’ll be gone Thursday, home late Sat night, so maybe Sunday testing? Sunday would have less traffic on the roads…but still plenty of smartphones to make you famous!

 

[BornToFly]

I’d let you use my Oliver camper for testing, similar in size/shape to the Basecamp, with a more rounded profile. But you’d still be able to get consumption readings with/without your aero fairing.

I live in SLC, only issue is I’ll be gone Thursday, home late Sat night, so maybe Sunday testing? Sunday would have less traffic on the roads…but still plenty of smartphones to make you famous!

Thanks for the offer. Sunday we fly to ABQ to visit my son and possibly buy him a trailer, so I'm REALLY hoping I can do some testing before that.

 

[dalton108]

I’d let you use my Oliver camper for testing, similar in size/shape to the Basecamp, with a more rounded profile. But you’d still be able to get consumption readings with/without your aero fairing.

I live in SLC, only issue is I’ll be gone Thursday, home late Sat night, so maybe Sunday testing? Sunday would have less traffic on the roads…but still plenty of smartphones to make you famous!

“Starting” at 70K! OMG, they all just seem so expensive to me. $22k for my little tiger moth. Freedom sure the hell isn’t free!!

 

[65SoYoLO]

I am towing a 2025 Casita Independence and use the CT as shorepower when needed, since my setup works with full AC,

I am towing my Casita freedom deluxe and use the truck to run the camper at the rest stops and boondocking. Awesome, I love it. And it does run my AC.

 

[mikeg112]

What a lot of folks don’t realize is when you are supercharging while hitched up to a trailer, you can run the 120/240 bed outlet to run AC, a microwave, etc. our family would charge while having lunch/dinner in your own trailer, it’s great!

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