LightShip Serial Production Factory Tour

[turbopilot]

What will time tell exactly? I guess I’m at a loss as to this reference.

I am seeing the same silliness over on the Airstream Forum. A guy keeps repeating the same meme that he does not like the product because it reminds him of a coffin. Here is the link.

In the end many of these empty criticisms relate to individual affordability.

 

[redbaron]

I am seeing the same silliness over on the Airstream Forum. A guy keeps repeating the same meme that he does not like the product because it reminds him of a coffin. Here is the link.

In the end many of these empty criticisms relate to individual affordability.

If it’s about market demand, I don’t know the answer. Airstream has a cult following and those that sacrifice space for efficiency are largely already airstream owners. Converting an airstream cultist will be impossible.

There are airstream owners that are buying due to deep pockets and minimalist lifestyle. Those would be the target market in the airstream crowd.

Then there are people like me. I own several RVs. I have 2 different bumper pulls and a 5th wheel. All are for different types of camping situation.

Towing with the jeep, sleeping lots of people, or setting up a base camp to support events. What I don’t have today is a small comfortable luxury accommodation for my wife and I to go to a park last minute for a few days. I have considered an airstream for that purpose. Now I have another choice.

 

[turbopilot]

If it’s about market demand, I don’t know the answer. Airstream has a cult following and those that sacrifice space for efficiency are largely already airstream owners. Converting an airstream cultist will be impossible.

There are airstream owners that are buying due to deep pockets and minimalist lifestyle. Those would be the target market in the airstream crowd.

Then there are people like me. I own several RVs. I have 2 different bumper pulls and a 5th wheel. All are for different types of camping situation.

Towing with the jeep, sleeping lots of people, or setting up a base camp to support events. What I don’t have today is a small comfortable luxury accommodation for my wife and I to go to a park last minute for a few days. I have considered an airstream for that purpose. Now I have another choice.

The Airstream owners are a cult. It is a great tradition. Wally Byam was in his 30's when founded the company during the depression. The brand has endured.

The founders of LightShip think their audience for the higher trim levels will be coming from the disgruntled Class A crowd who are aging and downsizing. The other smaller demographic are the owners of EV pickups who need the range assist of aerodynamics and TrekDrive.

 

[redbaron]

While I am a disgruntled class an owner, I will maintain a driving Rv in some fashion for a long time. For long distance or long duration trips, the thought of a travel trailer is not comforting.

We spend 90-100 days in a class A travel. We do about 40-50 total days in other rvs for various reasons. That’s the time I would utilize a lightship or similar.

I am also hoping that this type of innovation will translate to a driving unit. Maybe not by this team, but others that see that engineering and manufacturing a quality product will bring market demand.

I digress…

 

[turbopilot]

While I am a disgruntled class an owner, I will maintain a driving Rv in some fashion for a long time. For long distance or long duration trips, the thought of a travel trailer is not comforting.

We spend 90-100 days in a class A travel. We do about 40-50 total days in other rvs for various reasons. That’s the time I would utilize a lightship or similar.

I am also hoping that this type of innovation will translate to a driving unit. Maybe not by this team, but others that see that engineering and manufacturing a quality product will bring market demand.

I digress…

Not really a digression. Like you I was a disgruntled Class A owner. Then I discovered the flexibility of a light trailer and a good tow vehicle to enjoy the world. There are just two of us moving around but with the 25' trailer and a good truck we can go anywhere and stay most anywhere.

The only downside to my current setup is the miserable range towing a high profile trailer. Unlike taking the Class A into the diesel lanes at Flying J, for me every 200 or so miles I need to navigate a 50' rig into a gas station somewhere. A real pain. There are some Flying J and Loves with RV lanes but they are not too common.

The LightShip will increase my range by 40% without using the LightShip battery, much more if I use the battery. But the Easter egg I still need to hatch is that (based on my test drive with the prototype LightShip) the LightShip in the 7' Drive Mode can be towed at passenger car speed limits safely. I also think this can be done on the hitch without a weight distribution/anti sway device.

Because of the very low center of gravity with canopy down and those heavy batteries in the chassis the LightShip is very, very stable in tow. LightShip is promising an 820 lb hitch weight (9.8% of gross weight) before loading cargo and water. So weight distribution may not be so critical depending on tow vehicle.

In any event the ability to move about the country at 75 MPH to 80 MPH safely will completely change the trailer towing experience.

I am scheduled to pick up LightShip in October so many of the questions I hope will be answered within a week of getting the product.

 

[Holdmybeer]

Not really a digression. Like you I was a disgruntled Class A owner. Then I discovered the flexibility of a light trailer and a good tow vehicle to enjoy the world. There are just two of us moving around but with the 25' trailer and a good truck we can go anywhere and stay most anywhere.

The only downside to my current setup is the miserable range towing a high profile trailer. Unlike taking the Class A into the diesel lanes at Flying J, for me every 200 or so miles I need to navigate a 50' rig into a gas station somewhere. A real pain. There are some Flying J and Loves with RV lanes but they are not too common.

The LightShip will increas my range by 40% without using the LightShip battery, much more if I use the battery. But the Easter egg I still need to hatch is that (based on my test drive with the prototype LightShip) the LightShip in the 7' Drive Mode can be towed at passenger car speed limits safely. I also think this can be done on the hitch without a weight distribution/anti sway device.

Because of the very low center of gravity with canopy down and those heavy batteries in the chassis the LightShip is very, very stable in tow. LightShip is promising an 820 lb hitch weight (9.8% of gross weight) before loading cargo and water. So weight distribution may not be so critical depending on tow vehicle.

In any event the ability to move about the country at 75 MPH to 80 MPH safely will completely change the trailer towing experience.

I am scheduled to pick up LightShip in October so many of the questions I hope will be answered within a week of getting the product.

Where exactly were you thinking of attaching a WDH?

 

[turbopilot]

Where exactly were you thinking of attaching a WDH?

To be determined. Some WDH's interfere with the hitch force sensors.

 

[Holdmybeer]

To be determined. Some WDH's interfere with the hitch force sensors.

I don’t know, if or how, is something you may want to resolve before hand. From the looks of the Lightship tongue I don’t see how you could attach a WDH.

 

[turbopilot]

I don’t know, if or how, is something you may want to resolve before hand. From the looks of the Lightship tongue I don’t see how you could attach a WDH.

WDH is part of the purchase price and they are actively working the problem. I think they have found a bar and chain solution but I don't like it and other customers have said the same. Depending on final hitch weights, I don't think any WDH will be necessary. We will see.

 

[josephpRV]

I toured the factory today with Rick from Sales, and also had a great discussion with Toby, co-founder. Here are some pictures. The video at the start of this thread does a great job of touring the facility, consider these pictures an update on specific assembly bays with ongoing activity. My observations are not conclusive, just what I observed on the day.

A quick caveat ... I've followed the Lightship journey since inception, so my observations on final product are relative to my reasonably informed baseline.

Picture 1 - Stack of pre-fabricated floorboards
Picture 2 - Non drive axle
Picture 3 - Pre-fabricated chassis
Picture 4 -Trek-Drive unit
Picture 5 - Assembly bay 1 - wiring harnesses, drive unit install, front/rear axle install, pre-install canopy lifting mounts
Picture 6 - Assembly bay 2 - water tank install, plumbing, tongue box pre-wire
Picture 7 - Assembly bay 2 - battery install, wiring
Picture 8 - Assembly bay 2 - close up proprietary lightship hitch and force sensors
Picture 9 - Assembly bay 3 - canopy lifting units, note the new "tape measure" style dust protectors
Picture 10 - Assembly bay 3 - floor install, canopy lifter install and calibration, tongue box final
Picture 11 - Assembly bay 3 - tub panel installation
Picture 12 - Assembly bay 3 - tub panel staging (just in time)
Picture 13 - Assembly bay 3 - tub internals, drawers, panels etc.
Picture 14 - Canopy bay - internal wiring
Picture 15 - Lightship internal unit (1 of 2), interior in Canyon Rim
Picture 16 - Lightship internal unit (1 of 2), *NEW* table (now two legs, and motorized), previously single pole mount and manual action
Picture 17 - Lightship internal unit (1 of 2), tongue box - almost complete
Picture 18 - Grey/Black water outlets, updated design, no longer a single fixed pipe, allows for multiple pipes to be attached based on requirement

Other notes:

According to Toby and Rory (CFO), orders are going really well. If I remember correctly from the brief discussions I had with them, new orders are now projected for fulfillment late Summer 2026. Having previously run manufacturing sites, there's a way to go for them to commence volume ramp, but you can see the pieces coming together and they are learning quickly.

Overall I was significantly impressed with the material choices at every stage, the quality of workmanship in all the sub-components, particularly the chassis and wiring harnesses were very impressive, and the overall focus on getting it right really came through. The videos posted at the start of this thread really did the facility justice, and it's interesting to see the facility a few-weeks later in the early stages of production flow.

 

[turbopilot]

@josephpRV thanks for the update. I am only seeing 10 of the 18 images you listed.

 

[josephpRV]

@josephpRV thanks for the update. I am only seeing 10 of the 18 images you listed.

Ahh. Maybe user error on my part. Will finish the uploads in the AM.