LightShip 4 Now Starting Customer Evaluation

[turbopilot]

Yesterday was the first day I had a chance to pull the LightShip around without troubleshooting other issues. I am not a fan of these chain and bar weight distribution hitches. What a pain. Since the LightShip tongue weight is so low I am running it at the "5 chain link" setting which is a low bar deflection. (So archaic compared to the B&W Continuum Hydraulic WDH system I am used to with the Airstream). I think the B&W Continuum would work on the LightShip and not materially interfere with the hitch force sensors but right now I don't want to be a test pilot for that application. To many other things to fiddle with.

Bars and chains aside the F-150 PowerBoost and LightShip tow very well. The only factor I noticed with the bars and chains of the Curt WDH is the porpoising oscillation dampening going over peaks and valleys in the pavement surface. The Continuum will dampen in one oscillation with the composite bars. I saw the same thing when I ran the Blue Ox bar system WDH on my Airstream. Takes longer to dampen with both the Blue OX and Curt system bars.

And while the LightShip is exactly 1,000 lbs heavier than my Airstream, I really did not notice any difference in responsiveness with the PoweBoost towing the LightShip. At highway speeds I think the much reduced aerodynamic profile of the LightShip more than offsets the additional weight of the LightShip in terms of driving feel and responsiveness of the tow vehicle.

I did notice the LightShip requires an "8" gain setting on the PowerBoost trailer brake settings versus a "5" setting for the Airstream. This may reflect the additional weight of the LightShip.

I have not done extensive long distance towing yet. But looking at instant MPG data for the PowerBoost via two sources, I am consistently seeing about 17 MPG towing the LightShip at 62 MPH TrekDrive OFF and 22 MPG towing the LightShip with TrekDrive ON. Contrast this to 12 MPG towing the Airstream with the same tow vehicle.

There are also additional constraints to using Trek Drive in Road Mode. You can charge the LightShip in motion with the inverter generator in either "Storage" Mode or "Camp" Mode. But to use Trek Drive you must switch to "Road" mode. You can only switch to "Road" mode standing still. And when you pull over to make the switch to "Road" mode Atlas throws and error telling you to unhook the NACS connector from the LightShip. In short the current firmware will not allow "Road" mode to be active if the NACS connector is plugged into the LightShip.

Much more testing to do but nothing has changed my bias going into this experience, that I will have little need for TrekDrive towing the LightShip with the PowerBoost, especially when the PowerBoost and LightShip are linked with a NACS umbilical in motion. With this combination, I will have tow vehicle and LightShip combination capable of a 500 mile range (without TrekDrive active) and a certainty that I will arrive at my destination with a 100% SOC on the 77 kW LightShip battery, plus the ability to convert the remaining gasoline into electricity up to 240 kW depending on the fuel remaining in the PowerBoost tank on arrival at the destination. For this tow vehicle and LightShip combination the only argument to retain TrekDrive could be the ability to use the TrekDrive system to do in motion "fast charging" via regenerative braking. But that capability has not yet been implemented for the LightShip TrekDrive system.

For the future I think a less expensive Atmos LightShip model, without TrekDrive, is going to be a perfect, more affordable and lighter LightShip for anyone using a hybrid tow vehicle or a future EREV tow vehicle, providing those vehicle have an on board 240 volt inverter generator.

 

[Blackstone]

Thanks for sharing @turbopilot ! I suspect the firmware requiring the NACS to be unplugged in “Road” mode is to prevent inadvertent damage to chargers while trying to leave a charger after forgetting to unplug. My truck does this today when charging and we’ve all seen people rip out gas station nozzles by accident

 

[turbopilot]

Thanks for sharing @turbopilot ! I suspect the firmware requiring the NACS to be unplugged in “Road” mode is to prevent inadvertent damage to chargers while trying to leave a charger after forgetting to unplug. My truck does this today when charging and we’ve all seen people rip out gas station nozzles by accident

But there is no such warning for Storage or Camp Mode. I simply plug in the NACS connector and drive away. I remember talking about this with Ben Parker. I think there is some issue in the high voltage switching box where having the high voltage coming in at the same time TrekDrive is active creates a conflict.

This will also apply to Lightning, Cybertruck and GMC EV tow vehicles who can also tanker electricity to the LightShip either in motion or fixed. I saw a Pebble owner with a Cybertruck doing a NACS fast charge with his truck while simultaneously charging the Pebble out of the the bed mounted NEMA 14-50 plug.