MotorTrend Coverage of LightShip at the LA Auto Show

[turbopilot]

The Lightship AE.1 Camping Trailer Wants to Solve EV Towing

A telescoping roof solves aero issues while a battery and motor ease the load on your truck or SUV.

www.motortrend.com

 

[Holdmybeer]

"..but no one else makes the body change shape" .No one in the EV camper trailer end, but the Hi-Lo and Trailmanor were doing this decades ago.

 

[turbopilot]

"..but no one else makes the body change shape" .No one in the EV camper trailer end, but the Hi-Lo and Trailmanor were doing this decades ago.

Hi-Lo is out of business but it was the pioneer in the retractable canopy RV segment. In all my years of RVing I have never seen a TrailManor retractable canopy trailer. They have some very clever ways to recover interior space and functionality with the canopy up. The foldable hitch is a great idea for compact storage. But even with the canopy down the slab sided, square cornered design will have a high coefficient of drag for a low profile trailer.

 

[Holdmybeer]

"High" is a relative term. Otherwise, the rolling resistance ( friction) of the tandem axle Lightship must be quite "High" and certainly much greater than that of a Trailmanor. Likewise the grade resistance at over twice the weight of a Trailmanor is very "High". Both offset temporarily, ie., for the first 300 miles, by the Trekdrive, after that you're on your own. If you're arriving at a remote boondocking location after driving 300 miles with the Trekdrive engaged you're arriving with a fully or near fully depleted battery, which would take about one week to recharge via the vehicle's solar array.
Then there's the hitch weight of ~800lbs (before loading ) and no possibility to install a Weight Distribition Hitch. The Trailmanor has a 4-500 lb hitch weight ( depending on model) but that is offset with a WDH.