Completely ELECTRIC Teardrop Including AC and Heat!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 มี.ค. 2022
- An electric teardrop trailer powered by the sun sounds ideal! But is it feasible? The folks at Campworks believe it is! And we are not talking a minimalist small camper electric setup here. This electric teardrop camper has AC, heat, an induction cooktop, and all the top end battery management systems. And on top of that they built it to be an off road trailer that can get you away from the crowds.
As you watch this teardrop camper tour I would love to have you fill in the blanks for others. Is this enough power to go days on end with all the gadgets equipped in this trailer? Is 240 watts of solar panels enough? Is the increased dry weight and tongue weight a big factor or something we shouldn't be over analyzing? And what about low temperature performance? What are your experiences with lithium for 4 season camping? And last, but definitely not least, the outdoor kitchen experience. Is there a way to protect yourself from the elements, while still having the ability to solar charge?
Campworks website: campworksco.com/
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i'd go with a used teardrop, a jackery and propane. sticker shock is real. good vid as always, thanks for sharing
You sound like us! Hard to beat a simple setup.
Used, or you can buy some of these for under $10,000 bare-bones. Then like you said, very simple solar and propane set up. All in for well under $10,000 versus 40,000+, which is frankly, insane! I can buy a nice 4 x 4 to tow it with for the $30,000 that I saved!
@@PlayingwithSticks
Not only is a simple set up inexpensive, but in my experience much more reliable. And if I want that much technology and complication I’d stay home! I thought getting out and getting away was all about making things simple. FYI love your channel & content!
@@JackFalltrades
You can buy a jeep, put a rooftop tent on it, and buy one of those off road trailers to carry tons of water & propane plus electric bikes mountain bikes and a huge yeti cooler full of ice and beer and still have money left over for what you can buy one of those things for!
@@JackFalltrades
Was it Mark Twain or PT Barnum that said a fool and his money are soon to part!
The concept is fantastic, leaving the smallest footprint possible when camping off grid is a no brainer. However at 40k for a base model, that’s steep. My Bushwacker teardrop, with taxes was less than 15k 🇨🇦. I have all the comforts that this unit has. Solar hookup, air, heat, Bluetooth and so on, with the price difference I can buy a lot of propane. Great video as usual. Look forward to your next one.
You can buy a lot of propane ….. how much can you carry ?
I think the idea “ like he said “ was to stay off grid LONGER.
Propane cans are big and heavy . That being said 40k !!!!😳
I'm only seeing a starting price of $65K on their site now. Whoa -- I can get an Airstream Bambi 20FB for the same price, or an Airstream Basecamp 16 for almost $20K cheaper.
the concept isn't new at all....it only comes with 240w of solar....yes, you can expand the solar capabilities by buying a ton more solar panels, but that's nothing different than other solar equipped campers....
it's like saying "the concept of putting solar panels on your house for free electricity is fantastic" but not recognizing the need for 1 acre of solar panels to actually accumulate enough energy for your daily use.....1 cloudy or rainy day, or in winter when the days are shorter and you're farther from the sun and this becomes even more of a joke.....nothing on this camper is special
Same. 40k seems like they didn’t put it together in the most economical way possible
@@scottfergusson8411 lol @65k -- if you want to go full electric, do so on your own instead of paying this ridiculous markup. Start with ANY camper and just add Solar, its really not that hard, just take it down tot he local shop and have them install it for you for a few thousand. The $65,000 version only comes with 400 Ah + 230 w solar... upgrading a camper to solar should cost you like $5,000-7,000 for top tier products. Even if you want the 1600 Ah version (no price given on their webpage) it should not be more than $15,000,
I love this guy. He’s so passionate about his product. You don’t see that very often. Most other reps are just salesmen. This teardrop is very cool. Impressive.
Exactly! This trailer is personal to him. And it was designed around his needs. That’s why I love these smaller trailers within the small camper industry. These are basically ma and pa shops started in someone’s garage. There’s a story behind every one of these designs.
I'd be passionate as well if I would come up with a product with such insane markup.
Where is the air conditioning?
Drew, you’re the reason we chose the Bean trailer. We took deliver of our Lil’ Bean last week and brought him home to Texas. We bought site unseen. I think we made a great choice with this teardrop. Keep up the good work with reviewing different trailers. There is not a one size fits all trailer. Choose what best suits your needs and get outdoors! Isn’t that what it’s all about!
How cool is that! What model did you go with? You know I am a huge sucker for the Classic and the Bean Stock. But honestly they are all really neat trailers. A little overbuilt for our families needs. But the simplicity of the design and the ergonomics are worth their weight in gold. Love your last three lines. So true! That is what I love about the current industry. So many options, styles, price points.
@@PlayingwithSticks we got the Bean Stock. We are in the last group of pictures from Bean Trailers. I have the image of Texas on my shirt and though it was mentioned incorrectly, we pull it with a Lexus GX 470! In one of your videos you mentioned think about what you will use it for and go from there. Yes, the Mean Bean on up have “beefier things”- but how often will I truly be overlanding with a trailer… more in my head than in reality! The Bean Stock is perfect for us. I told Cindy at Bean that you’re the reason we chose it and she said you have helped to sell a lot of them! God Bless you and your family!
Their site says MSRP $75G....FORGET THAT
@@bexxISM How much?
@@richardhouvener6423 $75,000
Just a thought, going fully electric is a great goal. But for sustainable results You need lots of integration that’s where a heat pump comes in instead of having separate heaters for cabin heating and hot water and a air conditioner .The heat pump
allows a fully integrated system And the possibility of solar storage think hot water.
Thanks for the segment. Out of my budget for sure. In fact costs more than my vehicle. If weight was not a primary concern on the build out, and coming with a $40k price tag, I would think there would be twice the room(cu ft)/interior height on the inside. Maybe a ft taller and no sloping rear end to create more interior space. Forget the rack up top suitable for the weight of 10 people for some silly reason. More solar panels on top would make more sense if the aim is "all electric". Just my thoughts. Thanks again.
Great vid, and thanks for getting out there and showing us what all is out there! I’ve learned so much watching your channel!
I could tow this behind my Rivian. If I had a Rivian. And if I had $40+K. But the concept is great and the execution looks solid. I really think this is the future, and not just for camping. If the QC is there & if the CS is on point, then this product has a future. I applaud the passion and energy the young man has. You can tell he knows his product well. I applaud the fortitude Campworks had to take this project from idea to reality, and they are already updating for a version 2! Awesome! I wish them luck & success.
Trailer looks great! Good engineering pays off in end results...
My 4x6 Cargo conversion has Solar, AM/FM/CD.DVD player for a 32"TV, LED lighting, Induction cooktop and A/C...
Also 68"wide diamond plate deck, cargo rack, and planning a detachable 14 sq ft 'Ramp-Room'. A perpetual project!
All for under $4k. I use an LP generator in bad weather and LP instant hot water is coming.
I absolutely love solar as a concept, It is clean, free and silent; what's not to like? I have a solar suitcase to help my trailer battery. However, I also have a propane furnace, a little 120v heater from Wal Mart, a 3 way frig that I run on propane when on the road or boondocking and plugged into 120v in campgrounds, I have a Jackery 500 that I use alone or backfeed 12v into my trailer to help my house battery and I have Luci lights that I use all the time since they recharge quickly and again are free to operate. My point here is that we should have many different sources of power/energy available because there are plenty of cloudy and rainy days out there. The sun is not always out. Camp on! P.S. Your boys are getting big!
Great comment Richard. Your setup sounds very similar to ours, minus we use pretty dinky little desk heaters and electric blankets. And yes, the boys are growing fast. That was a video of them in July I believe. You should see the little one now!
Solar is great small scale and I believe in having a smaller house and living off grid for a lot of practical reasons. But solar large scale is not the answer. And it’s actually not green. No, solar and wind don’t create CO2, not directly, but indirectly they’re more inefficient and bad for the environment on the front end in terms of production and on the backend when it’s time to recycle and go to a landfill. And the only reason on a large scale they are seen as affordable is cause of enormous tax incentives that are coming out of my pocket your pocket and everyone else is pocket. And they’re not reliable. If the wind doesn’t blow if the sun doesn’t shine they’re not producing power. Does you have to have a huge battery back up system which is also incredibly bad for the environment on the front end and on the backend. Michael Shellenberger is a lifelong environmentalist that has changed his tune and now recognizes that renewable energy is not the answer and he does some excellent TEDTalks that can be seen on TH-cam talking about using natural gas which is incredibly efficient and far cleaner than other fossil fuels as well as cheaper all aluminum and using that while we build new or safer more efficient nuclear power facilities that will provide clean safe efficient power for the next 50 years until technology can take us to the next step. He’s also written an excellent new book about how bad progressive policies have been for San Francisco and California in general.
Clean????, mining big hole uses most rarest metals can not recycle. Lithium battery can not be renewed I can renew my lead acid fully recycle it. It's not clean at all. Trees are cleared massive mining operations takes place. But hey government says it green energy. I use it daily running a farm impossible to run with out generators. Understand the power you use daily. Solar is not renewable.
Solar is not clean at all 😅
So here are my questions for you...
#1 What are the lowest draw heaters and ac units on the market for small camper trailers and how much energy do they consume? Is this setup realistic in terms of powering a stovetop, air conditioning, and a heater?
#2 I've heard lithium cold weather performance has greatly increased in the last few years. Does anyone have any experience with the new lithium batteries while out 3 or 4 season camping?
#3 Some folks give me a hard time about powering our fridge with 100 watts of solar. I can't imagine what people will say with 240 watts recharging a system with AC and Heat. Is this possible?
#4 Do you feel a teardrop needs to be light enough to lift by hand? Or is tongue weight a non-issue as long as it falls within the threshold of your tow vehicle? Also I would be interested to know if a 300lb tongue weight eliminates a majority of crossovers and mid-size SUVs as potential tow vehicles.
#5 I'm scratching my head a bit here. Is there a scenario where the Campworks NS1 kitchen can be protected from the elements, while at the same time keeping the solar panel exposed to direct sunlight? I spent some time on Google looking for photos of a setup similar to this. I'm thinking maybe a typical side entry tent? I'm wondering if the NS2 would benefit from having that kitchen slide out the side vs the rear? This would enable the cooking area to be under an attached awning, while keeping the solar panels free of cover. Am I crazy, or am I missing something here?
AC: Fresair 12v air conditioner is INCREDIBLE!
Heat: I have yet to find a “low draw” heater. It’s always a grueler to power heat using electricity.
Combined with everything else on the trailer, and so little solar power(only 240w), this camper is not realistic in the slightest.
Lithium Ions are great in cold weather. Lots of manufacturers are making LT(low temp) versions that can take the cold even more.
a 300lb tongue weight for a 2000lb camper is really pushing it. Tongue weight should ALWAYS be close to 9-12% of the total weight. it’s crucial for safety.
And lastly, the kitchen is extremely underwhelming. There is a literal slope heading right towards the kitchen box for rain to ruin everything.
In closing: This camper is simply too ambitious for the current available tech. They are running before they can crawl. There are zero scenarios where this camper would outperform, in any capacity, the other campers on the market of similar price. I just can’t get behind the design philosophy here. It shows a total lack of forethought.
ALSO! $75,000!!!!!! WHATTTTTTTT!!!!!!!
#1. Lots of examples of AC running off of solar and even power stations, so lots of data to choose from already. Electric Heat is 100% efficient. Cant get more efficient. Batteries run longer if the power is used slower, so finding a small wattage heater would help conserve battery power - just run it longer. Still, off-grid Electric heat uses so much power, it would only work on tiny campers. Localized heating like the electric mattress pad under me that I use is very doable.
#2. Lithium is cool. Excellent performance. I will own a lithium power station. Due to lithium expense, I will choose deep-cycle lead-acid batteries unless I REALLY needed to save weight.
#3 Yeah, multiple people saw that charging limitation. If they only use 1/2 of their 400AH battery, it is possible in the sumner with 10 hours of full sun to recharge -- or Alaska in the summer!
#4. Yeah that tongue weight is a bit tough on vehicle choices - much more than its weight is a vehicle limiter. They may be gearing their camper toward the new all electric pickup trucks.
#5. I think your experience with teardrop cooking placement is valuable here. I like the idea of traveling folded up and using interior space for stuff then sliding out drawers to make more room inside - little transformer thing going on. But it better be secure and weather proof. Side or back or both intrigues me. That solar is a limiting in multiple ways.
I can't speak to real world cold weather lithium performance when camping, but I can speak to it when driving.
First thing to do is eliminate any thought of your experience with lead acids. Two entirely different animals here.
While the cold does reduce the usable capacity of lithium, the reduction in usable capacity isn't too noticeable until it starts to get really cold.
The primary reason range of an EV is reduced in winter is that heating the cabin (and battery if you are intending to fast charge) consumes a lot of energy, especially if you have an older, resistance style heater.
I suspect then that by the time it gets cold enough to really affect the battery's capacity in any meaningful way it will be cold enough that only the hardiest of folks are still gonna go camping, and even then it will be the heater that is the problem, not the battery.
The big cold weather challenge is in charging. If the cells are below 0C/32F you can't charge them too fast. Winter use would really mean the battery needs to be inside, insulated, and ideally have a little heating pad.
@@dorvinion Yeah, that cold charging is a lithium issue. Still, their are lithium batteries with internal heaters, and they can be added aftermarket.
EVs have battery heaters that kick in while the vehicle is sleeping. Lithium warms up from use, so the heaters are not needed when an EV is traveling.
As REALLY impressive as they are, I cant justify $2,000 of lithium to make toast when my $100 deep cycle flooded already does it.
So I like this concept, design and the guy (he’s clearly passionate). However, the base price is high. I’m all about DIY solar (I’ve built my own home system) so while I like the teardrop, folks can easily get something much cheaper and build out a more powerful solar system and go all electric if that’s what’s important for them. Most teardrops I’ve seen are already setup for it, really, so it wouldn’t be difficult.
Love it! Someone has to push innovation. Its so silly to see comments about "nO oNE wILL bUY tHIs". Except he sold thru.... People value different things, and that's ok. Be excited that an industry we love has new offerings for us.
Right! All the 2021 units are GONE! Love this positive comment.
Exactly! Thanks!
@stinkykd1 thank you for being today's prime example of how a fool and their money are soon parted.
Sorry the other commenters on this page in favor of not throwing away stupid amounts of money on something that is not innovative in the slightest. The $65,000 version as advertised only comes with 400 Ah + 230 w solar... upgrading any camper to that much solar should cost you around $5,000 for top tier products. Even if you want the 1600 Ah version (no price given on their webpage) it should not be more than a $15,000 upgrade.
perhaps you consider knowing what you are talking about and/or having an IQ over 80 before you "TrY aNd mOCk OtHerS"
I really enjoyed the video and his excitement over a sweet tiny camper. It's out of my price range but still fun to see peoples creations. Did you happen to see if there was a shore power hook up or if it was completely off grid? If he covered it, i missed it. Thanks again for the great content!
Yes! That's how I first looked at this interview. Less about a company selling a $40K trailer and more about how this one guy came up with this unique concept and build. And then they joy he has sharing it and potentially marketing it at mass scale. "If you build it, they will come" seems to apply here as well.
@@PlayingwithSticks It's been a pleasure to design this. Thanks for the tour.
Building the NS-1 has been a 5 year project since the very first unit was designed back at CU Boulder school of Environmental Design. We have grid hookups and way more solar capacity than this video had at the time!
@@Campworks Thanks for this. I will make sure to pin your comment about the updated specs.
@@Campworks I bet it was. You truly are onto something as you can see from the interest in the comments. It also seems like people are willing to pay this higher price tag because it has a value that is very important to them. Keep doing what you are doing guys. I think your work of pushing the industry to become more conscious will not go unnoticed. Somebody has to blaze the trail!
I think they nailed it. Here in the Southwest I think one with their lower power spec would rarely need shore power, if ever. The bushwhacker teardrop I had which I rigged with 200W of solar and 160AH of lead acid never needed shore power in nearly 2 years and that was 2/3's electric without A/C. Just a little more work and I would've been able to ditch the stove and heater. I'm certainly going to work towards full electric with my new rig I'm already DIYing a system on. Hopefully these guys and other builders like them begin to inspire the traditional RV manufacturers to build more fully electric or electrically equipped for the most part RVs and we'll see some more diversity in [lower] pricing and configurations as a future result. If nothing else, I hope to at least see a day soon where the generator becomes a thing of the past. I realize some people truly need them but for me they just ruin the camping experience and seem overused. It's even hard to get away from them boondocking sometimes.
What an awesome trailer. Funny thing he said that with the accoustic insulation "if a bear comes through your site, you're not going to hear it, you're going to sleep really well". I've had a bears sneak through the bushes in the daytime coming up right behind us without being heard.
I'd be curious to hear who their target customer is. Because someone who can buy at that price point probably isn't looking for a teardrop. They probably want something big enough to take a family.
Uh…lots of teardrops are in the $40k range. The $40k “family” campers are mass produced garbage.
You haven't bought a trailer recently lol also this interests me. I have plenty of cash to spend on it and prefer a very minimal lifestyle. Big campers do not appeal to be in any way.
@@gmflash88 There are plenty teardrops out there for less than $40k. Infact their website now says it's $75k MSRP. 🤣
@@Thorpeland $75?! Holy crap. I wouldn’t buy it at $40 lol. And I know there are plenty less than $40. I just bought mine for $17 and put another $6 into it in accessories and electrical (I ordered mine with no electrical so I could customize it for my needs).
You can buy very good quality Casita and Scamps sleepin 4 under 20 grand.
This is Silly Talk.
The issue with solar panels attached to the shell are two fold, first you need to position the camper to get max sunlight and not best view, second here in the east the majority of sites are well shaded by trees, so even more difficult to get the trailer in proper position. Mobile panels are just much more flexible in positioning.
Yeah, I getting to the point where potable solar is a necessity, and mounted tiltable are kind'a useless. Now I look to see if campers have a protected, dedicated, convenient place to store the portable panels. I haven't seen any.
@@mikemead2315 A car top carrier for fold-able suitcase panels like the Goal Zero Ranger 300 watt panels if your system has an MPPT controller that can adjust for changing shade or overcast issues... even if you are getting half input a controller that accepts 600 watts... might get that with 4-5 suitcases... was not sure what they put on top of the trailer....
Agreed. We spent 3 weeks off grid in Yellowstone and Grand Tetons using two 100 watt suitcase panels in parallel and a 140 Ahr bank of LiFePO4 batteries. If we hadn't had the ability to place these strategically, we couldn't have done this trip as well.
@@mikemead2315 Bingo
Some other issues I see here….
A) panels mounted directly to the body are going to get extremely hot. And they will transfer that heat to the body.
B) panels are mounted at an angle. You’ll need to rotate the camper around to get normal incidence to the sun
C) Covering the camper body with near black liner material is also going to absorb a lot of heat
D) in other words, had this been painted with one of the newer ultra white heat rejecting paints, and the panels offset from the body with enough space to prevent heat transfer, yet allow shade and cooling, a good design could mitigate the need for air conditioning to overcome the heat soak of a badly planned design
I’m glad you spent the time to leave this comment. The folks at camp works are currently designing the NS2. The cool thing about the comment sections in these videos is it gives manufacturers a lot to look at. Not saying you’re necessarily going to listen, but it’s always nice to know it’s out there for them.
And I don’t mean to come off as so harsh. I live in the south and worked through many issues with running a solar replenished minisplit on a van. I also chose all electric (but with petrol for the heater, as it’s plumbed to the fuel tank). I just didn’t want a flame source in a confined space or risk of CO poisoning with an interior combustion heater. A good hot summer should help this crew figure out what does and doesn’t work out well.
This kid talking about solar…..he’s clearly drinking the koolaid. “I don’t want to refill a propane tank”. There isn’t a sailboat on the water that doesn’t have backup power system to pump amp hours back into there batteries for those endless cloudy days.
@@PlayingwithSticks Getting feedback is always great. The heat transfer of the panel is going to be mitigated with passive solar water heating. Working on that one in the future. With the A/C running and a heavily insulated body you can stay quite cool in the NS-1. Your input and feedback is seriously appreciated
@@Campworks Love that you are continually evolving the concept of this trailer. And also the fact that you are open to suggestions from the community. This says a lot about your business model.
Thanks for the video. Interesting that the roof rack and awning was shading the solar.
Really well thought out, great video! 🤙🤙
Wow! They did it! It is possible to have an all electric camper. Impressive attention to detail, design choices and goals.
I see one weakness: battery charging is lite even for the base 400AmpHour battery system, but especially for low irradiance winter when also using lots of electricity for heat.
Even in summer, that one solar panel would need more than 16 hours to fully charge the base 400 AmpHour ~4,800 WattHour battery, but I am leaning less and less toward camper mounted solar anyway (still needs extra solar storage area). Mandates summer Alaska camping to get that 16 hours of charging in!! Sounds good.
I always appreciate your positivity. Your initial sentence reminded me of a line out of Elf. Have you ever seen that movie? Here is the scene th-cam.com/video/wIiu89zKa4U/w-d-xo.html And your follow up sentence reminded me of this follow up scene in the movie th-cam.com/video/04PUkjt3wq4/w-d-xo.html
Just another excuse for everyone to come see the Last Frontier!
@@PlayingwithSticks 🤣😂🤣. What a memory that you were able to remember those scenes, AND find the clips! Impressive.
a not great video with a point on solar panel reflectors. th-cam.com/video/n3K9QHW21_g/w-d-xo.html
@@PlayingwithSticks nice combination to make a point
This is a really cool idea. The design and cool guy factor is there for sure. Seriously I loved the plug in mixer!!!! That was a major flex. My major "OH NO" moment is putting the uncovered kitchen next to the all black and the solar panels. Thats going to get way to hot and uncomfortable to want to cook. Its an interesting dichotomy of go green. Total solar but they don't care about how heavy this small trailer is. There is fuel economy to consider as well. Looking forward to see what this company improves upon.
Yes I think there’s some great foundations here to build from. But at the same time some head scratchers.
$65,000 is a no-go for most of us. Kudos you have overcome obstacles to make this work. Just the price kills it for me.
At 14:50 I laughed and decided that I can find a lot better for a lot less.
Cool build. My issue with some of these tear drop builds is that the aerodynamics are backwards, especially if you are trying to be as “green” as possible. Flip it around and tow it backwards.
I love the guys additude! "If you run out of energy are you going to blame the sun?" That's neat because he makes you feel like your less involved with a sales person who throws number and figures and honestly they never really add up until you test the product yourself! And honestly who does want to haul around a large propain tank if you don't have to? I love how creative these communities are! I am so exited to get out there and just be at peace! This is my chance to feel the freedom and life I have needed for a very long time! It is abit unfortunate the cost even if affordable! Although I would never want to see a person give up on thier creative goals! I have to provide this for my daughter, these people play a huge role within the change we need as human beings to promote a more kind, fun and lite society that we all need! Somtimes thier's also some hidden diamonds out there! Take that how you would like, one small project can turn a whole life around and keep minds connecting across the globe and further! All that's needed is time
For rigs like they they should have the system charge as you are driving as well. That would be pretty efficent.
Manufacturer website says... $65,000!!! The number one question you need to ask these people is how long can you run the heat, AC, etc. solely off the batteries with no solar. The number of time I've camped in the woods or cloudy weather would put a limit on how long you can run things on this rig for.
Great tour. It was so wonderful to see his passion with a quality small camper. I'd have to say I'd buy a Mission Overland camper all day long based on pricing point. There is much more usable space and layout. Not to mention all the high-end components that come standard.
As for the solar concept, it is a cool idea, but if you camp in the woods or have 5 days of clouds, you're going to have problems. We camp in the woods and prefer winter /cold months on the East Coast. This leads me to our love for our Chinese diesel heater, propane stove, and a backup 2000 watt Honda Generstor when the 5660 watts of lithium batteries run out, and 900 watts of panels do nothing.
Truely only a matter of time when 400Ah LiFePO4 batteeies are the norm. I feel like my 100Ah I just bought in Dec are already dated now 200Ah is becoming more available.
Plus, with at least 800Ah, one could run the Dometic AC unit nowadays. Little by little by next year, I'm forecasting bigger systems. Prices just get better and better every day.
Mark (& Teresa)
This is a really great comment. I love that you shared that you have 5550 watts of lithium plus 900 watts of solar and you still require a 2000 watt Honda Generator. This is really what I wanted to learn about when releasing this video. What does it actually take to power all this stuff in real camping conditions. Love your optimism as well. Like you I have seen the industry evolving quickly. I think it won't be too long until all of this seems much more attainable. Thanks for this great comment Mark and Teresa.
@@PlayingwithSticks 🙂
I said I would never ever go camping, but I might in this thing to feel somewhat safe.
I love this, especially the quality of everything, and the full closed system electrical is amazing.
But If I can run the AC as often as needed while I sleep without external power - SOLD.
My electrical needs are small but I do use a tethered 40w panel to slow down the battery drain and the biggest thing I did was to hot rod my alternator. Any purposeful auto electric shop can do this, they change some components and, in my case, almost double the output. Then I ran a fused line to the back of my vehicle from the main fuse box and clip that to my trailer, my almost 10 year old cheapest Walmart deep cycle battery I could find charges back up in just about half the time it took previously. I do run a 120 ice maker out boondocking and if needs be just idle the tow vehicle.
That hot rodding technique is new to me. Sounds neat. And I am starting to see a trend with ice makers. We may have to check that out one day.
240w of solar. In perfect illumination and 100% conversion efficiency, that’s good for 20A (240W/12V). It would take 20 hours of perfect illumination sunshine to completely charge 400 AH of batteries. The math doesn’t work out.
In other words, on a good day assuming 5 hours of max sunshine, the most you can get from this solar is 100AH. Any more draw than that, you’re depleting the batteries.
These are the type of comments we really appreciate. My understanding of solar is limited. My family uses it daily. But we really haven't researched the details as well as we should. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Love how you put this in perspective.
Yeah, we both honed in on that charging limitation.
I wouldn't necessarily say that inability to fully charge the entire capacity in one day using only the installed panels is a deal breaker, for a camper application at least.
What really matters is how many days autonomy do you expect, how much power are you using, and how much can the panels add back, and what if any reserve capacity do you want.
Say you use 150AH a day and its replenishing 80AH a day you get a net daily draw of 70AH. That's good for 5 days with ideal sun/weather.
That said, panels are cheap and light compared to extra batteries.
As long as the charge controller can handle the extra, a couple of lightweight flex panels to parallel in would help mitigate sun/weather/extra consumption
It look like a very nice little camper but I think you could have extended to the end of the fenders and the running board which would make even wider with more storage and more room on the inside. Just my thoughts.
The all electric concept is neat. The camper was decent. The front window was nice. I think we would like bigger side windows than those port hole type windows. Something you could open for more ventilation. Like most of these, expensive!
I think I struggled a bit capturing the visuals on this. I had camera issues at the event. The doors both have windows in them with good cross ventilation. The port holes were just an added bonus. Basically taking your 2-3 window teardrop and upping it to 5. I actually like the concept. I know others will disagree as they see each window as a potential for more heat/ac loss and water intrusion. But, I am definitely a MORE windows guy. Even Bean trailer agrees with Campworks about the stargazer window. They say it is too risky in terms of water penetration. Mark says it is when, not if. But I still want a skylight! :) Thank you so much for this comment Garret. It is always nice to be able to talk about a feature of a trailer that I didn't capture well.
Top of the line in many aspects. No doubt.
These are nice, nowadays you can get inflatable Kayaks are extremely nice, they fit into a sack and can fit under your bed.
Really nice option for people over 40 who want to get out easily and paddle. This also makes your camper use less gas, your entire ride stats smaller and compact.
You can tow this with electric truck or something, then you're really into business with battery capacity. Now, to get the solar to feed your main battery would be golden then I would do as many panels as possible. Then you would always be drawing some charge, on a normal day. Trying to rethink typical camping ideas, electric vans are nice. Off road campers like this are good.
fantastic vlog they are always coming up with new ideas
Glad you enjoyed it. Like you I really enjoy seeing new ideas and concepts hit the market.
That guy seems like a snake oil salesman to me. Especially when he was telling Drew, “You don’t want to look at a Maxx Air fan either.” Yeah, I wouldn’t buy a pack of gum from him. But I appreciate you, Drew, and you always bringing new ideas and perspectives.
Lol i was thinking same when I heard that. Next one they build will have one in ceiling and the sane guy will give another story how great it is.
Actually with the way this trailer is set up, a Maxair fan makes more sense than AC.
That roof is a great opportunity to view the sky
🌤🌥☀
The thing is, to produce a maximum power output it would need to stay in direct sunlight. But I would prefer to park in a shade. A couple of portable solar panels would work just fine.
That's what I was thinking. I enjoy camping spots in the forest with little direct sunlight except that that filters through the tree tops. Fine if you like desert camping or RV parks.....
Any shade caused by the canopy on that rear solar panel will cut output quite a bit. And of course the panel must be facing the sun to be effective at all. Maybe it will work while you are on the road but in camp portable panels that you can keep oriented toward the sun are much more effective. Been camping with solar since 1995.
Like the idea’s behind the design -nature heals us
A good rule of thumb is 200 watts of solar per 100 ah of battery capacity.
LOVE the design x functionality x execution, and most of all...loved his ENERGY !!! Loves his product and believes in it, super important !
The fit and finish of that trailer is gorgeous, but the kitchen cabinet of most teardrop designs was replaced with a stove top and a sink? was there a fridge in there that was not detailed in the walk through? Where do the dishes get stored?
We just got ourselves a Car-go Liberty2go teardrop last weekend and are looking forward to the camping season starting up here in Canada soon. Keep up the great videos, sir!
This is absolutely incredible. A/C, stove all solar = that is absolute camping goals.
Pretty cool huh! I think as time goes on this setup will get easier and easier. Technology is getting closer every day in terms of lithium weight, performance, and new gear that runs off of very little wattage.
Great video! May I know what kind of water tank you used to feed water to the portable water heater? From my understanding it needs to be pressurized?
Awesome concept. I think sticker shock will get most people, especially with DIY mobile solar setups becoming more cheap and approachable than ever. Love to see their attention to detail though. That said, if they sold out their 2021 inventory, the value is obviously there for enough people.
There’s that, then there are also a lot of people with plenty of money but not very much common sense!
Sold out , they only made 3 trailers.
The theory is great but I live in the south so I always park under trees so roof mounted solar would be a drawback. I keep my solar panels loose so I can put them anywhere away from my teardrop.
65k? does it come with a truck too?
I bet they will throw in a t-shirt or blanket. Perhaps a coffee mug. Those seem to be pretty teardrop trendy right now.
Thank you for sharing
2k weight?! ooof! Forget towing it with a small vehicle. It is a neat trailer. I like the pop out sink.
It's a very nice looking camper. I love the interior, I would like to see a full rear galley instead of that slide out
Exactly what I want. If you had a model I could stand in as a 6’ tall person even better.
Should be outfitted with sensor bear sprays on the back. That cook top gonna attract brown black and grizzlies
🧸🧸🧸
LOL
I hope they take all of this technology, build quality, materials and forward thinking and apply it to a new truck camper build/product!
Wouldn’t that be cool! I like how you think.
Feels like the Tesla of teardrops. No major complaints though, but I still think I'd have some propane backup for those cloudy days. Maybe a small power station too.
Just finished watching a cruising channel about their awesome solar and lithium upgrade…..that they had to charge up with a gas powered Honda generator due to lack of sun 😂
If you guys are looking for a simple no frills camper you could hook up (design) yourself the runaway camper does just that. Brand new for under $10,000 bucks. We have the Range Runner and love it. My fiance and I took pleasure customizing ours to our liking.
Great video! I love the concept of this trailer but I wonder how long the power will last with our family of four? Especially if we are really using everything that they say it can do.
For example if my boys were napping in the trailer with AC while I’m cooking, while my husband is using power for his own things, how long will the power last? I imagine no more than a day? We usually camp for 3-5 days or even longer.
And how about last summer? 2 straight months with only a few days break in between? We even struggled keeping the Bean Trailer and the power stations topped off and we were only using electrical for lights and the fan, and fridge. Struggled being the key word. Lots of running around the woods chasing sun with our portable panels. And then back feeding the power station energy back into the trailer. Definitely some energy waste in the process, but we made it work! Wouldn't AC naps be nice though! If anything though I see us going backwards this summer in terms of technology. The Bean really helped us solidify our stance that we really wouldn't benefit from more.
400 amp hours is really not a lot. Not for what they are trying to do with it. Lights and maby a fridge off and on but thats it.
@@PlayingwithSticks ñ
I'm looking into making a trailer for my goldwing cruiser, an aluminum frame lightweight teardrop I think should do it, but I wanted to cut down on gas weight, so I think I could:
A)go solar
B)go wind, there's plenty here
C)do them both. Pop out wind turbines?
I feel like making it instead of buying it will make a world of difference
Impressive trailer, nice attention to detail. The dark exterior color is going to create a lot of unnecessary heat transfer…lighter colors don’t always look good in Rhino liner, so you might look at a smooth surface, light color. You should option the MaxxAir vent, installed correctly, they will never leak. They move far more air than you have the ability to move and create enough air movement/breeze to stay cool with an A/C robbing your power.
Your biggest issue you mentioned but glossed over, at 300# tongue weight you’ve moved out of a class of cars that would likely be customer’s, Subaru’s and any other car that can tow 2000-3000#, can’t handle 300# of tongue weight, especially when that’s dry tongue weight…ALL of your storage aside from the limited kitchen storage is forward of the axle, including ANYTHING on the roof rack. I can’t see many smaller vehicles being able to take advantage of this trailer. The 2000# isn’t the problem, it’s the 300# empty tongue weight. Your axles have to come forward.
I’m not a fan of any wood in a trailer, BUT, the cabinetry is beyond beautiful…it is rich looking and gorgeous. The overall look of the entire camper is really nice. The construction is nice, once you lose the balsa wood…less wood is good…zero wood is best. But again, the cabinets look good enough I would probably keep them.
Your solar panel is awesome, Merlin is incredibly high quality. Mounting on the front angle limits sun exposure and would require you to move the trailer to take advantage of the limited solar watts you have available…especially if you upgrade to the larger battery size and utilized the power you had at hand.
Lastly…while some say $40k is a lot…they fail to see the build quality or understand the costs of the materials your using and the labor it takes to build the product. It’s not cheap to build a product like this…and I’m sure you’re not mass producing them, so you’re likely not buying in a volume that gives you great pricing. I see the value in this product…it’s going to last, it’s likely not to give you issues. It cost money to play with the big boys. For those that want a bargain trailer, Bushwhacker has one under $20k, but it’s not even in the same league…most advertise it as a trailer you have to finish after you buy it…repairing issues, reworking most everything…but it gets you to the table.
Great job on the trailer…I like it!!
Nice!! Luv Solar ♥️🧡
Ditto. It has been a really nice asset to our camping experience.
When you get the chance look at the Plasan Atemms System. That trailer is nuts.
When I was a kid army technology was so fascinating to me. Now as an adult, it is almost mind blowing. They have come so far!
Beautiful! Wish i could afford that base model....maybe in a few years prices will come down
A for effort, very cool. Still loving the Bean, though.
Yeah, hard to beat Bean's quality components, design details, longevity shell and relatively fast availability for the (still kind'a expensive) cheaper price.
How do you cook outside in wet weather? I didn't see an awning out the back and the slope of the roofline/solar panels dumps any precipitation right onto the cooktop.
Hmm. Just my humble opinion. When it comes to proper off road trailer campers. South Africa and Australia are leaps and bounds ahead. BUT what we call “tear drop” campers (obviously RVs as well) the USA take it to the next level.
I have NEVER seen the point or purpose of a tear drop trailer. But when I saw this? I wanted to rush out and buy one. Very nice work. Like it ALOT. ✌🏻👍🏻 and the use of Master Volt ? Genius! If you’re putting Master Volt in your trailers, then your build quality can only be top notch.
So true! And I think most Americans realize this as well. Just like many things in the States this is a fairly young industry for us. And yes, the boutique teardrop industry in North America is quite impressive. I am often surprised that you don't see as much of this in Europe. It is growing, but it seems they still put the most R&D into mid-size small trailers like 12-16 foot trailers.
That awning covering 1/3 of the solar panels. lmao
Love my Casita!
I like that a lot!
Love the solid body construction. Period. I am sure people are working on this, but more module design would be really helpful, too. As an example, take the sprinter van (or a standard trailer).
How cool would it be to have the basic sprinter (cab and chasis), and be able to buy a modular package that just "bolts" to the chasis, plugs into the cab, and away you go. Even cooler, do it like the pickup truck campers. Pull into the campsite, and offload the module, so you can drive around without it.
Same for trailers.
For me at least, there is so much emphasis on "adding" bells and whistles to the campers. As noted by others here, portable solar panels make more sense than fixed panels. Why not focus on transformable floor/roof space.
The market is becoming increasingly portable. Portable solar generators, portable hot shower/kitchen units, portable toilets, etc. So given these are constantly improving, and especially panels and batteries, why not focus on the best shell for "shelter" and let the after market take care of the amenities?
You have some great points here. I have noticed there’s quite a few modular items within the van, cargo trailer industry they just haven’t become immensely popular yet. But there’s a lot of room for development in the trailer market, I really haven’t seen anything there outside of cargo trailers.
I plan on building my own teardrop. There are several TH-cam channels out there for anyone who wants to save money and learn a thing or two as well.
YESSS!!!! We will be highlighting one very soon. And a new concept that is taking off. Which is DIY builder assist.
My plan is to purchase an all electric van RV, but as of now, i am sort of thinking it might have to have propane, at the least for heat. But i would love it to be all electric, and it is going to have 1000 watts of solar panels on the roof, and at least 6000 Wh of LiFePO4 batteries (separate battery bank).
Agreed. Its coming though!
I love Mike's optimism. And I think if you are doing this for ethical reasons you can't beat yourself up. At least at the moment you almost are forced to use propane in some way or another.
Campworks NS1 starting at $40k? Nope. How about $65k. Also they said they sold out, but are still taking $1000 deposits if you’re ok with $65k price tag. Love the idea, looks super quality, and great vid.
What's cool to me is showing you could add a robust solar/power storage system on any trailer and run full electric, as potentially storing almost 20KWH could charge an electric tow vehicle to go back home after the trip
This is what we were hoping people would take from this video. Yes, this is a cool trailer. But what else can you do when using this as a springboard to do something else.
Go sustainability go! Might be the final teardrop to convince me to buy, I refuse to have anything to do with fossil fuels, at home or in the wild!
Thanks for sharing Triston! It is always refreshing to get the counter argument in these comment sections. Sometimes they can get pretty dominant one direction or the other.
Cool design! Yes, I blame the sun! lol.
So how do you cook in the rain? You have a nice slide running into the kitchen
I carry a Honda gas generator inverter with my travel trailer. I have enough gas to run the generator for two days.
I carry a solar battery bank when just camping in my van because to me, that is really roughing it and we really don't "camp" for an extended time when only using the van.
Like you, I think many of us rely on some form of fuel.
@@PlayingwithSticks there is no utopia.
Honestly this has more than enough to do what’s needed and a little more honestly I’d prob ad another panel and have a emergency jackery you’d be fine
Thanks!
I have learned so much from ya'll's videos and really appreciate all the work you do to put this content together for us that like to play with sticks :) I own a 5x8 homebuilt teardrop and hopefully one day can upgrade to something like this. I love the idea of all electric! Going solar keeping a small footprint and leaving no trace that's the great thing about camping!
Oh my goodness Dana! I never got a notification that you left this. I am speechless, well typeless (is that a thing)? I am so glad to hear you are appreciating the videos. I have a feeling you will really like the video on May 5th. We are diving in to homebuilt trailers for a few episodes that will be spread throughout this season. Thank you so much Dana! We really appreciate this.
The thing about solar and teardrops is that there isn't enough roof area to think you can do everything only with permanently mounted panels. The obvious answer is to have a few loose panels you can prop up at an optimum angle in the optimum place and you're all set. That only takes seconds and doesn't take up much storage when you're travelling. The tech has been "ready" for years, but people are just ignoring the obvious.
Good point. This is what we talk about often on the channel. We "chase the sun" with our panels. When we said not "ready"' we were referring to a stand alone trailer not addendums to the design.
This is impressive. I'm glad more companies are seeing the value in going solar.
Yes, I see this as a concept trailer. And as technology increases and as people push more towards these designs we are going to see progress.
You can get a nice camper for under $10,000 and buy a lot of propane for that $30,000! Solar is nice but the price tag is ridiculous!
@@nedhill1242 Pfff who will cook electric on a camper its Ridiculous .....no space for prep .......
Super cool. Expected a big price tag…. Wondering how long you’d have Ac?
Awesome 👍
First problem i can see, chasing the sun. the camper is limited to how it must be parked to charge and where. this can limit the 'view' you get from camping, you might want to park to be able to look out at a beautiful water fall from the windows, but you can't because you won't get sun.
Rule of camping, 2 is 1, and 1 is none, you always go out expecting one thing to fail. You have a propane stove, you might have an electric hotplate backup and a small camp stove back up ontop of that. Also with electric cooking, you might feel rushed to cook, you've got what you've got, it means you might not be able to "slow cook" food.
now, the military has come out with canvas backed solar panels for tents, Picture if they could have gotten something like that for this, for Awnings on both sides. The ability to deply an extra 400-600 watts of solar surface area or at least be sure that no mater how you park you are likely to get SOME sun the to the panels.
Finally a system like this is really only 2 maybe 3 season. battery only in winter, late fall, early spring... with low temps and such.... having propane or diesel to heat is almost a necessity.
I wish they made a small camper for 3 like this.
great, ask and if it rains where and how do you cook?
Wow great! But shade where is? That have a 90/180/270 awning? I asking because in hot summer dont have shade to not cover the solar panel in front of cooking position, cant be a problem? same thing in raining days ? When take out cutting table and other item of the sink where you leave it? dont see any platform or surface or table... Maybe I dont understand all when you explain cause I'm Italian and not so good to understand english...ciao!
I think you completely got it! The questions you have are the same questions I have. How neat to know someone’s watching this all the way over in 🇮🇹
I would have those panels on a thin light weight frame that can tilt up from a pivot point towards the roof top.
On the plus side, I think it's a cool idea and a beautiful looking product. Conceptually, I think it's possible to achieve what they're trying to do, but in my experience 400 ah of battery power isn't going to provide the horsepower to cook, light, heat and cool. The panels will help, but in the PacNW, they are often not going to provide much capacity. On the minus side, the weight and price would keep me away, but thats just me.
PacNW... Puget Sound... I would come home down over I-90 back to the home of the cloud people... such a relief after 3000 mile loop through cloudless lands... I am thinking more like a 1200 watt array of panels that might snag 40% on a good day with my Goal Zero Yeti 1500x that weights almost 50 pounds.... that once it gets loaded in under the truck canopy that is where it will stay... probably leave the 30 pound GZ 1000x in the cab seat where it is now...I can current do a little over about 400 watts in panels.... The Goal Zero 4 way connectors are very useful.
These are great campers but how can you use the kitchen if it’s storming snowing or pouring rain. Guess that old propane stove comes in handy
Can you take a sledge hammer to the trailer like they do with Bean and not dent or break? Would a galanized frame be better than powerder coating? Would like the option for propane. Would like a box and 1up bike rack. Nice start.
It probably doesn’t have the flex like the bean. But it looks to be built pretty robust. A lot of manufacturers would say galvanized over powder coating. Yes propane would be nice.
_if you're in a mission, and you can't be bothered to get up to eat, or the kitchen is too far away, and everyone can't be bothered to get you food, and you are too busy to cook for yourself or others.. you can use one of these as a mobile kitchen (or portable arsenal or tool shed), or even emergency bed or shelter from extreme weather.._
I like the heavy electric design; there will be some other factors. One thing I noticed is the flat front of the trailer, it will "push" a lot of wind while towing; not good.
How long can you run the ac? Seems like it's up in the air with power
That $40,000 "base" price, can kiss me a** 😂😆
Solar doesn't work in shade - all camp sites are shaded. So you have to camp/park with panels in full sun. 240w of panels will only produce ~2khw/day in good, spring, sun. This is equivalent to a 12v @ 160ah battery that you discharge 100%. It's just difficult to be 100% solar with cook, heat, air in any but full sun / mild conditions. I run a 7 x 14 cargo trailer with R5 insulation, 9000w mini-split, and 1200w of panels. It burns 6-9kwh/day with moderate use/temps - the panels produce a max of 8kwh in perfect conditions but more often in the 5kwh/day range.
I was thinking the same. A camper you can't park in the shade haha. The fatal flaw.
Thank you so much for sharing this Kenneth. Comments like these really put this all in perspective.
The more options the better as far as energy needs.