Electrifying the Mobile Life (Transmission #316)
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Nomadism is something I experienced early, taking many weekend trips in my father’s motorhome. Many of my fondest childhood memories involve those road trips to the unknown. It’s hard to even explain how cool it was to young Drew that you could drive and sleep in the same vehicle. Every time I climbed into it, I knew an epic adventure awaited us.
My father has owned a series of motorhomes, but when I was young he owned a 1978 Winnebago Minnie-Winnie. 22’ with 440 Dodge motor. What a gas hog it was, at 5-6 miles per gallon. But we traveled all over the Pacific Northwest in that rig, and he and my grandparents even drove it across the U.S. in 1992.
His current RV is a 41’7” 2008 Monaco Diplomat, Class A diesel pusher with 400 horsepower. Wow, have we come a long way for the 11.2 million US households that own recreational vehicles (2001, RV Industry Association).
There are many approaches to making the RV lifestyle more accessible. Just as Airbnb made vacation rentals the norm and Pacaso brought down the costs of owning a second home, RVshare is bringing RV/van rentals to the masses, and reve and RV Fractional enable the purchase of fractions of RVs.
Up next is the Tesla-ification of motorhomes, with a new wave of fully electric, luxury vehicles and towables coming to market.
ELECTRIC HEADWINDS
Covered in TWiST episode 2025, Lightship is building the AE.1™, a “travel trailer that operates as a self-contained microgrid, equipped with the largest and most capable battery and solar system on any available travel trailer.” Sleek. Modern. Windows all around. Weeks of off-grid life. Its TekDrive integrates with electric tow vehicles, adding “300 miles of extended range.” Production runs will begin this summer.
Exterior:
Interior:
I can’t help but love the aspirational positioning of this promo. It has a bit of an Apple, and Airbnb, feel to it.
Pebble is another company tackling the electric and solar-charging travel trailer market. And while both have started with towable trailers, it’s only a matter of time before they move into the traditional RV arena.