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How about a TESLA Motors Camper?
- Thread starter fjavifp
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igotzzoom
Active Member
Elon has said several times he'd like to make a pickup. I know Tesla generally likes to make things in-house, but I think Airstream would be a perfect partner for such a project. Another added advantage of a trailer is auxiliary battery packs, partially mitigating the issue of diminished range under load.
Hi there,
TESLA's pick-up intentions you mention would automatically open the door for truck-campers (canadian style) - it would just be a matter of finding the suitable match to carry on the truck's bed.
Airstream, if I understand correctly offer either travel trailers (towable) or Class B Motorhomes:
- towable are also already possible for Model S (I imagine), so I don't see the need to partner there. Correction: Model S as of yet does not have towing functionality as Elon Musk answered after being asked during his trip to Oslo - Norway.
- as for motorhomes, it is in this case that the original discussion makes real sense, i.e, wether TESLA "should" partner, license, or develop their own motorhome(s).
I agree with you on the topic of trailer benefits of additional/independent battery pack, but it also has some drawbacks, as any truck-camper or motorhome owner would argue...
Regards
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In some ways it makes a lot of sense, since you plug in a camper at every stop anyway. I'd love to see a version of the concept where the driving section can detach, like this but much better:
With an electric car such a concept makes sense, because you can have most of the batteries and an additional motor in the camper section, with a much smaller range for the separated driver section.
With an electric car such a concept makes sense, because you can have most of the batteries and an additional motor in the camper section, with a much smaller range for the separated driver section.
santana338
Member
I was just talking about this the other day with a friend who has a pop-up camper like I do. We were thinking how cool it would be to have an extra battery pack under the camper to supplement the car pack. Then when we camp, we could run everything on the camper off the trailer pack and use the car pack only if needed (and reserve enough range to get to the next destination). Then we went on to imagine the car pulling into a battery swap station, followed by the camper. So 2 battery swaps in 90 seconds and tons of range to go camping! 
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ToddRLockwood
Active Member
igotzzoom
Active Member
It's not that I doubt Tesla would have the capability of doing a travel trailer in-house, but Airstream is an iconic, premium brand that I think could lend a lot of credibility in a co-branded effort. As noted, you could also have a "pusher" motor in the trailer to help in going up hills. Exciting possibilities!
Too Cool!!
Pitty this cannot (yet) be done with Model S... Model X was conformed by Elon Musk to have towing capability, but that'll be 2015...
igotzzoom
Active Member
dmetcalf
S258
I recently took my sons out for July camping in FL in the "Tentsla". Not possible with any other vehicle. Charged and cooled to 70 in the tent all night...
purplewalt
Active Member
I have spoken with another owner who have traversed areas of the country without Superchargers: he used RV parks equipped with 240 V outlets as his charging stations.
Taking this slightly one step further, think about this: a modified Model X (with two motors) could use the basic skateboard platform and be re-built/modified as a mini-RV.
Yes, it would take some sheet metal work, but if the aerodynamics were correctly addressed, THAT would be an awesome vehicle, and with very little chassis-down-to-the-ground work required.
OR, as mentioned in a previous post, possibly develop a camper trailer with its own battery pack to be pulled behind your Model S (or X).
Talk about extended range!!!!
Pull into a Supercharger station and plug BOTH your car and camper trailer in for a huge charge!
I just remembered an RV set-up that would be right up Tesla's avenue.
The (rental) RV had a driver area, restroom, small kitchen, some sort of seating for eating, ladder to a bunk over the driver compartment and ample room inside the rear for two or three (maybe electric) motorcycles (or a bunch of bicycles).
The floor area was stamped heavy gauge aluminum plate for traction, and I guess one would strap/secure the motorcycles to keep them from falling over.
Tesla's platform already has a flat floor, and it is not that high above the ground.
THAT would be a premium set-up, having your cake and eating it too.
Taking this slightly one step further, think about this: a modified Model X (with two motors) could use the basic skateboard platform and be re-built/modified as a mini-RV.
Yes, it would take some sheet metal work, but if the aerodynamics were correctly addressed, THAT would be an awesome vehicle, and with very little chassis-down-to-the-ground work required.
OR, as mentioned in a previous post, possibly develop a camper trailer with its own battery pack to be pulled behind your Model S (or X).
Talk about extended range!!!!
Pull into a Supercharger station and plug BOTH your car and camper trailer in for a huge charge!
I just remembered an RV set-up that would be right up Tesla's avenue.
The (rental) RV had a driver area, restroom, small kitchen, some sort of seating for eating, ladder to a bunk over the driver compartment and ample room inside the rear for two or three (maybe electric) motorcycles (or a bunch of bicycles).
The floor area was stamped heavy gauge aluminum plate for traction, and I guess one would strap/secure the motorcycles to keep them from falling over.
Tesla's platform already has a flat floor, and it is not that high above the ground.
THAT would be a premium set-up, having your cake and eating it too.
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Wow, great pic! although it is not gonna possible in HK, i'd still love to try when my Model S is arrived!
I've been contemplating buying a Vixen with the 21foot long 21td (turbo Diesel) getting 30mpg. the drag coefficient for the Vixen at .29 isn't far from Teslas .24 for model X. Not bad for something 8 inches wider than an Econoline van and 21 feet long that just barely fits in the average american garage.
So....
I spoke with one of the best Vixen techs. turns out the drawings for the original body panels are still around.
Personally I have a lot of ideas for a compact RV. Especially ways to instantly reconfigure the RV so that items that are used sporadically can hide away leaving more livable space.
The entire floor of the coach could be batteries. A Model S 85kwh battery weighs 1200lbs. There are 14 modules in a battery pack. Figure on about 85lbs per module. The Vixen tips the scales at about 5000lbs. assuming you would want a 400 mile range on a single charge and perhaps enough charge to get through a night ( B. Nyland of Finland used up about 40km of range sleeping in his model S in winter.) Assuming that the Model S is mostly uninsulated glass without huge concern for R factor -whereas the Vixen is 2 inches thick of foam coated by fiberglass (Nearly a picnic cooler) and a second airplane quality interior plastic layer ...the heating requirements for the cabin might be close.
So I would guess 22 modules would come in at about 1700 lbs assuming more mass might need slightly heavier gauge metal for containment in the event of a crash.
Having more batteries and being to use adjacent cells that are not being drained as heat sinks might add some efficiency to the equation by having the batteries run cooler and more efficiently- and correspondingly being able to run batteries in larger clumps when cold might also gain some usable range.
Now it starts to get fun.
Add an air2water maker. Remember those dripping air conditioners?
Atmospheric Water Generator, Drinking Water Machine, Air2Water
Well you may as well feed this water from an AC which you can run backwards as a heat pump..and heh heh , a humidifier if needed.
That takes care of some of your water tank needs and allows for indefinite boondocking (camping without a hook up)
Add 2 flaps in the roof line on either top edge length wise - that can deploy dual flexible solar generating canopies that can be tilted on sliders to change the angle to capture the sun more efficiently (and add wind sensors so they retract in gusts to protect themselves) .
On top of the roof you can integrate a solar hot water heater just below the flexible solar sheeting- or perhaps a dedicated area. Using counter current flow you could run a large portion under flexible solar and then a smaller section through the final solar heating chamber. Temperature and altitude sensors monitor to avoid boiling points to keep airlock from happening. This heated water goes to tanks which are well insulated protected against freezing- and could be heated if needed. That water can be pumped inside the walls of the bedroom and living areas for sleeping for warmth to reduce battery heating needs.
The toilet is a composting type to eliminate the need to dump a black water tank and greatly extend your boondocking. Some grey water could be used for hydroponics.
So you would be electrically independent , water independent. And with Autopilot you really could go just about anywhere comfortably. Ideally the coach could be extended to the rear on tracks when parked and could widen- but instead of using a slide out "pocket drawer" The RV would be specifically designed to widen on rails and use inflatable aircraft accordion seals to lock out noise and add rigidity along with a slide panel to fill the roof void (not unlike a giant sunroof sliding in place like a leaf in a dining table.
Reach for a couch on the RV- slide it forward to reveal a shower pan and a extending tambor wrap to create an instant shower stall of considerable size-better than current cramped ones. The shower completely disappears when not in use.
Pivot two couches into a facing dinette exposing a wall space from which drops down a hidden sink, and kitchen area. A sliding panel reveals a super slim Induction cook top. Which can even be fooled up and removed. These would work on higher voltage. induction cooktops do not get hot.
Roll Up : Foldable Induction Cooktop by Goran Bjelajac | Tuvie
Sometimes people want to sleep while others are still reading or watching television with headphones. This presents a problem as some couches need to be turned into beds. but can't be both at the same time..... or can they?
Watch from 5:20- 5:38 note there is some storage still available under the bed. Again a tabor on a rack can slide out from the wall to give the sleeper privacy. Locks could be added to lock the bed in place. This is an interesting solution as compared to beds that drop down from the ceiling - That have little space to use underneath. Or from Class C style campers that are too tall to fit into an average garage.
Having this camper expand in width could allow it to fit in a double garage and create additional sleeping for extra guests within your own house.
I'd also fit a flat section that could unfold on the outside or another tabor to create an outdoor shower. With the recessed retracting tambor walls you could reconfigure the space on the fly from an open living room- to an office with a rear bedroom.
I'd use ultra quiet computer fans for ventilation.
For the main rear bed I might consider using a "Zoom-room bed" style mechanism as an option.
The composting toilet could store below and rise up out of the floor to meet with a sound roof privacy fold off the side wall. Just press a button to have it appear and set itself up flat fold out Plumbing would be inset into the wall as well as a drop sink. The toilet and bath could be separated or joined depending on how you set the panel preference.
And of course the Tesla RV would have normal creature comports - a nice flat screen, perhaps an internal reflected projector that could activate a lens on the Inside and/or outside wall for making your Tesla RV into a "Driving Movie", ahem "drive-in movie". There would be outside speakers of unusually high quality and a way to easily get the to extra induction plates for easy outdoor cooking- you wouldn't want cooking oil coating your RV? The inside burners should be more for reheating anyway. there should be a high volume low db jennair style exhaust for all RVs because there it doesn't take much to get the small interior space smokey.
And I would figure out a way to make it vacuum itself since you would get an endless parade of people wanting a tour.
So....
I spoke with one of the best Vixen techs. turns out the drawings for the original body panels are still around.
Personally I have a lot of ideas for a compact RV. Especially ways to instantly reconfigure the RV so that items that are used sporadically can hide away leaving more livable space.
The entire floor of the coach could be batteries. A Model S 85kwh battery weighs 1200lbs. There are 14 modules in a battery pack. Figure on about 85lbs per module. The Vixen tips the scales at about 5000lbs. assuming you would want a 400 mile range on a single charge and perhaps enough charge to get through a night ( B. Nyland of Finland used up about 40km of range sleeping in his model S in winter.) Assuming that the Model S is mostly uninsulated glass without huge concern for R factor -whereas the Vixen is 2 inches thick of foam coated by fiberglass (Nearly a picnic cooler) and a second airplane quality interior plastic layer ...the heating requirements for the cabin might be close.
So I would guess 22 modules would come in at about 1700 lbs assuming more mass might need slightly heavier gauge metal for containment in the event of a crash.
Having more batteries and being to use adjacent cells that are not being drained as heat sinks might add some efficiency to the equation by having the batteries run cooler and more efficiently- and correspondingly being able to run batteries in larger clumps when cold might also gain some usable range.
Now it starts to get fun.
Add an air2water maker. Remember those dripping air conditioners?
Atmospheric Water Generator, Drinking Water Machine, Air2Water
Well you may as well feed this water from an AC which you can run backwards as a heat pump..and heh heh , a humidifier if needed.
That takes care of some of your water tank needs and allows for indefinite boondocking (camping without a hook up)
Add 2 flaps in the roof line on either top edge length wise - that can deploy dual flexible solar generating canopies that can be tilted on sliders to change the angle to capture the sun more efficiently (and add wind sensors so they retract in gusts to protect themselves) .
On top of the roof you can integrate a solar hot water heater just below the flexible solar sheeting- or perhaps a dedicated area. Using counter current flow you could run a large portion under flexible solar and then a smaller section through the final solar heating chamber. Temperature and altitude sensors monitor to avoid boiling points to keep airlock from happening. This heated water goes to tanks which are well insulated protected against freezing- and could be heated if needed. That water can be pumped inside the walls of the bedroom and living areas for sleeping for warmth to reduce battery heating needs.
The toilet is a composting type to eliminate the need to dump a black water tank and greatly extend your boondocking. Some grey water could be used for hydroponics.
So you would be electrically independent , water independent. And with Autopilot you really could go just about anywhere comfortably. Ideally the coach could be extended to the rear on tracks when parked and could widen- but instead of using a slide out "pocket drawer" The RV would be specifically designed to widen on rails and use inflatable aircraft accordion seals to lock out noise and add rigidity along with a slide panel to fill the roof void (not unlike a giant sunroof sliding in place like a leaf in a dining table.
Reach for a couch on the RV- slide it forward to reveal a shower pan and a extending tambor wrap to create an instant shower stall of considerable size-better than current cramped ones. The shower completely disappears when not in use.
Pivot two couches into a facing dinette exposing a wall space from which drops down a hidden sink, and kitchen area. A sliding panel reveals a super slim Induction cook top. Which can even be fooled up and removed. These would work on higher voltage. induction cooktops do not get hot.
Roll Up : Foldable Induction Cooktop by Goran Bjelajac | Tuvie
Sometimes people want to sleep while others are still reading or watching television with headphones. This presents a problem as some couches need to be turned into beds. but can't be both at the same time..... or can they?
Watch from 5:20- 5:38 note there is some storage still available under the bed. Again a tabor on a rack can slide out from the wall to give the sleeper privacy. Locks could be added to lock the bed in place. This is an interesting solution as compared to beds that drop down from the ceiling - That have little space to use underneath. Or from Class C style campers that are too tall to fit into an average garage.
Having this camper expand in width could allow it to fit in a double garage and create additional sleeping for extra guests within your own house.
I'd also fit a flat section that could unfold on the outside or another tabor to create an outdoor shower. With the recessed retracting tambor walls you could reconfigure the space on the fly from an open living room- to an office with a rear bedroom.
I'd use ultra quiet computer fans for ventilation.
For the main rear bed I might consider using a "Zoom-room bed" style mechanism as an option.
The composting toilet could store below and rise up out of the floor to meet with a sound roof privacy fold off the side wall. Just press a button to have it appear and set itself up flat fold out Plumbing would be inset into the wall as well as a drop sink. The toilet and bath could be separated or joined depending on how you set the panel preference.
And of course the Tesla RV would have normal creature comports - a nice flat screen, perhaps an internal reflected projector that could activate a lens on the Inside and/or outside wall for making your Tesla RV into a "Driving Movie", ahem "drive-in movie". There would be outside speakers of unusually high quality and a way to easily get the to extra induction plates for easy outdoor cooking- you wouldn't want cooking oil coating your RV? The inside burners should be more for reheating anyway. there should be a high volume low db jennair style exhaust for all RVs because there it doesn't take much to get the small interior space smokey.
And I would figure out a way to make it vacuum itself since you would get an endless parade of people wanting a tour.
david_42
Member
I suspect there will be some companies that build Class B RVs that would be interested in using the X platform. I own a 140" wheelbase SHC Sprinter van, one of the most popular vans for conversion to Class B. Overall, my van is about 18', only 2 feet longer than the X. The dual motors and adjustable ground clearance are pluses. The later can probably be modified to automatically level the RV when parked. Since the platform is lower than a typical van, that would mean better aerodynamics. As has been noted, the size of the battery would eliminate the need for a generator and probably propane as well, when boon-docking. Most RV parks have 50 amp 220 volts hookups.
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