With fuel prices on the rise, and power and water supply an ongoing consideration for many ‘independent’ grey nomads, it’s reassuring to know that there are some bright minds applying themselves to solving our ‘problems’.
One of them is an American company, Robrady Design, which has been hard at work attempting to develop an ecologically sustainable motorhome … and this is what they have come up with so far.
Coming from the home of the super-sized RV, the US company says its first challenge was to to ‘transform the lumbering gas-guzzler into a lean, green machine’.
As a starting point it slimmed down the RV,
instantly increasing fuel efficiency. However, it also borrowed from lessons learned in other market segments to create a transportation product with an innovative ‘sustainability at rest’ concept.
It introduced solar panels on the awning and roof, hydrogen fuel cells as an alternate power source, and an electric vehicle charging station for Segways and Vectrix motorcycles to give long-term travellers a more accessible local transport option.
Perhaps most intriguingly of all, it installed an AquaVentus device, which apparently pulls fresh, potable water out of thin air by use of condensation capture technology.
Wow!
There is no word yet when – and if – this design concept will ever make it on to the highways and byways of the US and Australia.
How would you like to pull your drinking water out of thin air? What else would you like to see in the recreational vehicle of the future? Comment below.
The first thing would be a whisper quiet generator.
yes please! , have to win lotto first to be able to afford one, would be very expensive me thinks
Having driven over 15.000 Km throughout the US. “American Cruise RV” … I can safely say that it will not happen in my lifetime. We so far behind US technology it will take years to get here.
That unit looks pretty heavy, as do most RVs on the road today. The fifth wheeler combination might be better – it can be quite a bit lighter. We’re making them from foam sandwich sheet here in Aus now – mine at twelve metres o/a weighs in at five and half tonnes (give or take a few). The look of this RV is cute, but does it work?
hurry to market, many of us are ready to buy.