My Dream RV

Tech Tips, Repairs, & Maintenance

May 2, 2009

183

May 2, 2009

By Bob Difley

I’m due for a new rig. A year ago that statement would have been, “I’m due for a new motorhome.” I admit I have never owned a towable, but have several friends that do and I have looked at the merits of both. Some of the reasons I like motorhomes are:

Easier to maneuver into tight campsites (like forest service and BLM sites).
Easier to get into boondocking spots once toad is detached.
Frig., toilet, water, etc. accessible without having to stop and leave vehicle.
Traffic ahead easier to see from higher vantage point of motorhome.
Two drivables (with toad), if one fails.
Touring and exploring in a small fuel-efficient toad is more economical than a truck (or motorhome without toad).
I often dropped my wife off with toad to food shop and do errands while I went on to campsite and set up.

I’m now reconsidering the towable choice. My main considerations have evolved, and now efficient operation and reduction of natural resources have risen to the top of the pile. With the push to reduce the use of fossil fuels, I’m looking toward an electric or hybrid power plant, with renewable sources of energy for house power.

Trouble is, no super-efficient hybrid or electric motorhomes appear to be on the near horizon, though we will see a flood of plug-in electric and hybrid cars in the next year for toads. However, good, rugged pick-up trucks are readily available, and going to diesel can make the most economic sense. A diesel rig can be converted to CNG (natural gas) as many bus fleets have done, but finding CNG while on the road may be problematic. A diesel rig can run without alteration on any biodiesel, like veggie oil (see G Shea’s remarks on my recent blog, Rally Report: Vegetable Oil Powered Motorhome at http://blog.rv.net/2009/04/rally-report-vegetable-oil-fueled-motorhome/comment-page-1/.

Not that motorhomes couldn’t be converted for CNG or run on veggie oil, which they can. But neither the diesel motorhome or truck seems to be what I would call my Dream Machine. So what would that be?

The dream machine would be:

A plug-in electric pick-up truck that could drive a hundred miles on a single charge.
When the battery reaches the end of its charge, a diesel generator would kick-in to charge the battery.
Recharging would be done overnight at campgrounds, which would charge lower rates overnight since the charge from the utility company would be lower as well.
The newest battery technology (probably an improved lithium ion type) would charge to 80% in about half an hour, a quick charge on the road while enjoying a coffee break, enabling a lot more miles of driving before having to return to the campground to recharge.
Solar panels on the trailer roof would not only charge the house batteries when boondocking, but could charge the driving battery as well.
Driving battery could also be used to power the “house” when needed.
Touring and exploring in the pick-up would be by electric power (a fuel-efficient toad would not be needed as the truck would be fuel-efficient).
The Dream Vehicle battery currently would be a large part of the vehicle cost, but with government backing, venture capital, and big companies (like BP) putting up big bucks and great effort at improving current batteries, the soon-to-be-here high-tech batteries once mass-produced would bring the initial cost way down.

OK, that’s it. So the next question is, when will I see this dream vehicle under my Christmas tree?