Full tour of the Lightship L1 All Electric RV with 300 miles of Range 

Low clearance with exposed underside components will be subject to road hazards, especially on Forest Service or BLM roads. Need a full belly pan.

If it's really going to have DC Fast Charging, it will need a plug at the very rear. How else would you get it close enough to a DCFC without backing it in? Anything else would block virtually all the parking spots. In fact, it'd be best to probably have a DC Fast charge in the very rear as well as a J1772 port at the tongue (for Lightning owners or similar).

6:38 the microwave going back in so smooth, I about died. Love it! Looks amazing! Can't wait to see one in person, or in my driveway. 😄

We spend about 5 months of the year camping pulling about 40,000 miles, with the majority of that time either boondocking or at basic sites; so, we were greatly intrigued by the L1. We have not seen it in person, only viewed the reviews and videos. My takeaway is that the camper is wonderfully designed for aesthetics but lacks basic functionality requirement of long-term camping. I could easily see taking it out for the weekend, but not for an extended trip - certainly not a 3-4-month sojourn. I will not address the Pros (too long a list), rather focus on the apparent practical drawbacks - please correct me if I'm wrong as we really would consider this camper without these drawbacks: Where do you put your stuff? There is little room for clothes. I see no provision for any hanging closet space. You'd have to approach a 3-month trip like you were flying overseas - packing very efficiently... The only real useable kitchen storage space are the drawers and compartments on the curbside. The depth of those drawers is quite limited. Most marketed campers today have slide outs which allow for cabinets with much greater depth (hence space). When you compare the floorplans of say a 19' Lance to the L1 the amount of storage space disparity becomes immediately apparent. Of course, all camper's promotional shots show spartan sleek interiors. Enter any long-term camper's unit and unless they have a massive camper, it is fully crammed with stuff to make 4 months on the road possible. Ask yourself where the pillows, sheets, and blankets required will disappear to... There simply isn't enough internal storage space in the L1. That also extends to the exterior. It shares the same drawback as Airstreams - very limited exterior storage. (There's a reason you see Airstreams being pulled by pickups and SUVs with their rear compartments fully packed with gear.) One limited height pass through is not going to cut it. See all that stuff set up outside the unit during camping? Where did that get pulled out of?? How about heating it? The southwest desserts get cold in the winter; snow is not uncommon. The entire upper section is basically not insulated. I'm assuming the mini split is about a 10K BTU unit that will draw about 700 W. Let's say you drive 300 miles and pull into a great BLM spot. It's now dark, cold, and your batteries are almost empty - you now have to choose to heat your food or maybe your camper. I don't see how that would work. Can you turn off the drive wheels and save your batteries at the expense of gas mileage? If so, then that's workable, but why have the extended drive capability at all? I guess you could get the extended drive and shut it off halfway to keep a reserve. But without propane, you better pray that the second day is not cold and raining. How about long-term reliability? Notice the multiple fans that cool the battery packs exposed under the unit; not to mention everything else exposed. Our undercarriage takes a beating. I'm skeptical the L1's would survive. I sure wouldn't want to have to pick skunk bits out of the cooling fans! :) You could surely make it into the Empire Ranch grasslands BLM, but I'm betting one trip into the BLM south of Ajo, AZ would destroy something underneath and perhaps rack it so hard that the lift mechanism may malfunction. The promotional video shows it circling a remote rocky hilltop in the middle of the wilderness. Ask yourself how did they manage to haul that 7,500 lb low clearance beauty up there? Was the location only a couple hundred feet off a nice black top road?? One short steep grade change in the road and you might leave your black tank permanently attached to a rock in the road 27 feet behind you. What about weight distribution? They clearly have put the massive battery weight centered on the axles. The black tank is at the very back and the water tank is at the front. If you want to boondock you have to have a full water tank and empty black and grey tanks to start with. This setup puts you at max tongue weight to start and you will then transition to minimum tongue weight as you camp. Seems quite undesired. Just about everyone take bikes with them. Can you hang ebikes off the back? When you do hang two hundred pounds of e-bikes and rack 27 feet away from the hitch, what happens to the tongue weight? The younger designers must be applauded for their ingenuity, innovation and creativity, but they clearly don't have the first-hand experience at long-term boondocking that us retired old farts have. I'm really not trying to tear down the concept and prior to a closer look thought seriously about putting in a deposit; but I just can't see this trailer fitting our needs. It would clearly excel at impressing everyone at your camping location, but I am very skeptical of being able to comfortably live in it past a three-day weekend. It seems to fill the niche of someone who would buy an Airstream for short excursions. If you've made up your mind to buy an Airstream, you've already decided against a slide out and dealt with the limited exterior storage space, but the other aspects still need to be addressed. There's a HUGE Wow factor, but equally huge practical downsides.

Thanks for the video!! What I’d like to see: - Increase solar output, primarily through folding awning panels, ideally ~7kW - Decrease on-board battery size for cost. Need 2 Powerwalls max. - Scrap on-board motor, instead opt to have bidirectional charging interface with lead vehicle while driving… ie, solar powered driving to increase range of vehicle rather than self-propelled trailer (for cost). - Better privacy / window covering Still, awesome product!!! I’ve been daydreaming about designs for an electric camper for years, really cool to see a company make one!!

Any 4 season package to seal that underbelly? What type of heater and AC are they using?

This looks like a job for the Electric family to test for us. Perfect size family for a test run.

Honestly I think it’s a great first go. I think if I were looking at something like this I would want it designed for more sleeping spaces with at least one more private / permanent bedroom. Like the effort to help increase driving range by putting less strain on the tow vehicle. Like the solar, and while I do agree it could be nice to have increased solar capacity (say in excess of 7kWh) I am a realist and understand that is likely just a limitation due to the physical area. Might be cool if they had an option to plug in additional panels to the RV while camped out or even had an additional fold out to increase the surface area to add another kWh or two. Also definitely agree with a couple other commenters, the underside needs to be covered with a good solid sheet of metal or something. Not only to protect the components under there, but also to help with aerodynamics and truly create a smooth surface. If I’m wrong on the aero part my apologies but definitely to help protect as I’m sure with the off-grid capabilities people will take this well off the beaten path.

That is really nice for a weekend or a week, but not full-time travelers. I can think of a million improvements but what a great start.

I am an airstream owner and I agreed with Joseph, you really need to protect that underbelly from road hazards and rocks… beautiful equipment.

Wonder if they'll have a 50 amp RV Plug? It would be cool if they added a plug and then had a J1772 cord in the front so you could charge your car, and have the ability to set a draw limit from the outlet, and then provide the rest of that power from the outlet to the car. E.g. Set a 40 amp max, and if the camper is drawing 12 amps, allow the car to be charged at 28 amps, but if the camper AC kicks on and is now drawing 20 amps then 20 would be available to the car. But if the campground power isn't great, be able to lower the total current to whatever you want, like 30 amps, or 36, or any number up to 40.

Very very nice!< Hope I get to check one out soon!

Since they have a drive train for the trailer, it would be nice if they made a larger trailer with more room. It seems quite compact inside. I feel like they are going for an off grid boondocking vibe, but it's very low to the ground and doesn't look like it could go off the beaten path.

Lack of window screens is a very West Coast design aesthetic.😉

Pretty cool. I would like them to add a wheel that extends from hitch. The wheel with tire would support the rvs weight. The wheel would be controlled by a remote to steer around at low speeds without connecting to vehicle. Since the drive train is already resident the steering boom with remote is the only addition

Good start, vanity sink unusable, I would replace microwave with a smart oven- I already made a deposit 👍

Awesome video, very interesting concept.

Obviously need to quickly move to NACS

Electric Family Goals 👍

Great video, and very interesting trailer. I did not get it at first when you said 300 miles of range, and then understood that later in the video. Even though it will be hooked to a tow vehicle it will provide some of the drive to the combined trailer/tow vehicle. What happens when it runs out of range, will it then just free wheel so that you can still tow it? It reminds me of the old Hi-Lo trailers that raised and lowered. Hopefully they loan one to you guys so that you can do some real world testing in the future. Kent

I need real world numbers. 300 miles of assist to maintain the tow vehicles factory range is great. But I’ve seen your videos on just trying to charge the Rivian or the Lighting, I can’t imagine trying to charge both of them at the same time. How much can the solar keep up with charging its own batteries while in tow? What if you have to hit up a camp ground for the night to charge; can you get the tow vehicle and the trailer charged overnight on a single 50 amp pedestal? How does a Bowlus Heritage fit into the picture compared to this and a traditional Air Stream?

Needs a Cinderella incinerator toilet to become a must have.

Since it has an independent drive, will it come with a remote control for moving it around without a vehicle? We've got a "Caravan Mover - small electric motors on the wheels" with our current trailer, which is great for positioning the trailer exactly where you want it on a site or hooking up by yourself. Just need to attach a small wheel assembly to the nose before unhooking from the TV. Difficulty might be that it would need to put one side in forward drive and the other in reverse at the same time to spin it.

The drawer sliders should not wobble, indicates lack of durability. Also the the center couch corner should be rounded for ease of access and to reduce accidents.

RV travel for several years and tent camper prior. Very sleek and clean lines. Making coffee without turning a generator on is a plus. Didn’t see enough storage space either on outside or inside. Camping chairs, bbq, gas fireplace, table for outdoor cooking. Cooler for drinks as never enough storage in refig. Need tall cabinet with shelves for food, cleaning supply like dust broom, extra towel paper. Spice rack. Also when sleeping I’m charging watch, phone & iPad so need several outlets near both sides if the bed. Bathroom storage?

After looking at airstreams. They specifically design a latch system into all their drawers and cabinets in order to avoid them opening when turning etc, these drawers don’t seem to have that so I’ll be curious to see how that would be on a long trip.

Would like to see a smaller version for 2 -3 person trailer. Maybe 22'-23' with a 60 kwh battery.

Wow. So cool.

Is the a cord that will reach from the electric charge input to the charging stations on the road?

How big are the tanks?

Can you put the drive unit in neutral so I can keep pulling father than the short limited range? Doesn't look like much access for weight distribution bars, especially for something like the Pro Pride 3P. Is there some sort of shower curtain/door or is the whole bathroom the shower stall? I would like it longer as it would be crammed as all get out with 4-6 people hanging around inside at night or while it's raining. I do like the no rubber roof - hate them leaky things.

Love this concept but needs changes. 1- full belly pan protecting expensive batteries and electronics. 2- electric suspension lift for more clearance for bumpy off road . 3- WaterGen water from air system. This would be huge, mitigating the need to lug around all your water. At least offer this as an upgrade. 4- more sleeping space that’s sleeps larger family and also privacy panel that comes down to make it feel more like a bedroom 5- more storage space. Does circular couch open up for storage inside? 6-they should work more on the exterior shape. I kind of agree with one of the commenters that it has shape of a trolley. They should round it out. 7-more solar panels if possible 8-bug screens 9-ditch the microwave. replace with smart oven 10-ditch the dishwasher. Anyone camping will wash their own dishes. Use the extra space for larger regular door fridge. Hate drawer fridge where everything is just dumped in. 11- ditch sink in bathroom. It’s useless caus it’s so tiny and gets in the way. This will make the shower more comfortable. ( unless maybe a pop out sink that stays out of the way.) I’ll use the sink in kitchen. 12-compost toilet 13- variation of colors and textures. I don’t care for the one shown Finally, I would advise them to hire someone from the RV industry that is experienced with RV needs and potential problems versus just hiring ex tesla engineers

If 300 miles of range in road mode, how many miles of range would it be in camp mode? How worthwhile is the hi lo function.

Is there a pet climate mode like the Tesla's have? Also - is there an install option for a small oven instead of a microwave?

Drawers with no sides - that’s just asking for problems to open/close them. Things get jostled and fall over when driving around. Deep sides are really helpful for that. The first thing I noticed was the impractical clearance. Even flat gravel roads could be an issue. Mountain boondocking would be absolutely a no-g0.

Thank you for the walkthrough! Did they say anything about fresh/gray/black tank sizes?

It's a giant electric oven. When the battery hits something on the road, it malfunctions, catches on fire, and everyone inside suffers fourth-degree burns, medium well.

Not going boondocking in that with such low clearance and all the critical components exposed. This thing is never going to leave the pavement the way it is. Bathroom sink is terrible. Not even worth having. Having to assemble and disassemble beds every days is a pain. If only the back window opens in the bathroom this is too much of just a viewing RV….no real air. Not a fan of a rain shower. Terrible for rinsing long hair, always pouring on your head and depending on your height might be good or bad. Gee whiz why make the table electric. Just one more thing to break. I think I will stick with my truck and an offroad trailer that has offroad suspension and can go far away where these trailers will never see. Then I will open up my windows with the screens in the morning and evening taking in the fresh air, roll into my bed that is always a bed to sleep to the sounds of crickets outside…..this trailer is just a rolling electric gondola that will cause someone to spend most of their travels charging their car AND their trailer.

How is this for off road camping?

Really intrest3d in how it will act when an nomal electric cwr pulls this multi ton thing

Is the RV equipped with ac/heating? What about the number of interior/exterior outlets and locations? Another convenient idea to incorporate would be that the left-side interior storage compartments come with an adjustable shelf/shelving inside and outer safety latches. How many overhead compartment bags are included? Additionally, the kitchen sink should have a built-in soap dispenser and fitted cutting board top. The bathroom sink should be bigger with a built-in soap dispenser. Is the fabric used for cushions, etc washable and/or sun-protected similar to a Sunbrella-type fabric with different color choices/options, and come with extra cushions for the dinette table-top when used for a bed? Another feature that this RV should also be equipped with is outdoor retractable awnings for shade and shelter on both sides of the front door for a seamless 27 ft-long cover. For the price tag, more/additional thoughtful features are necessary...innovative concept and a very cool design inside and out, however.

Can it be disconnected from the car, and maneuver itself into a camping space?

If it had variable electric assist you could have part of the load carried by the truck for extended range, then would be viable for long trips without stops.

How much does it cost?

When something breaks where do you get it fixed

When you do the live video tomorrow, ask them if they can make an all electric motorhome. Maybe something like an all electric class B or class C motorhome with an upper bed over the drivers area and a slide out. Or if they make some thing like those super C rVs with four slide outs and an upper bed over the drivers area, maybe they can do that. And tell them that the Tesla semi truck, because the battery pack is so big, the Tesla semi would probably make a perfect all electric class C motorhome. Either way and upper bed over the drivers area and slide outs are a must, and big windows

Is Lightship L1 park itself by remote.

That’s sweet now I just need a hitch on my model 3 that can tow it😂

what does they mean by it has a 300 mile range? it is getting towed. I don't understand

When battery for drive power runs out, can it be towed like a regulr trailer?

Is there a twin bed option?

I would buy this instead of a house!

The only thing missing is privacy for the master bedroom.

Need to get a step back bmview of the inside.

Storage?

being an avid RV'er i see this as a fishbowl of death... so many windows means massive heat, at 27ft you would need two 12k mini splits to cool with that much glass anywhere south of Canada. I like the concepts, but if most of their team does not travel and explore by RV already... I would not support the business. You have to be active in the hobby/lifestyle to make a truely capable device... yes it looks great, lots of windows, nice features... but I don't know of many locations to enjoy that view that this low clearance long trailer will be able to go...

I'm confused: How does it have a "Range". is it a Towable on a vehicle ? If it's a vehicle, how does it drive on Two centrally located axels?

Would want to see different interior color pallet. Something warmer with wood and earth tones.

Is there a tv?

Love the idea of lowering roof for towing, my trailer is a giant sail. But why on earth would I want to open the entire wall on my bathroom? Also, outside storage doors with bottom hinges decrease access and will be broke off if they sit horizontally

Can you ask them how much funding they need to raise to go in to production

Does the RV have air conditioning?

(Brazil,ok)qual é o preço?

Very concerned about (1.) off grid. Seems like shore power is needed to charge batteries; (2.) compost toilet & no black tank are not mentioned; (3.) storage looks aparce; and (4.) better understanding of the 2 models is nevessary. Hoping for tge best!

Interesting concept but having RV'd for decades, I see a lot of issues. No ventilation, no screens so when that mirror is up, welcome in the bugs. We often camp in cool weather - where's the heater? Needs at least a Fantastic Fan.

We own a 2021 27 foot Airstream Flying Cloud, and can't wait for an electric propulsion system. For its size, the Lightship is not very useful for those of us who need to work on the road. It's seats don't look like they would be comfortable for those who have to work for hours, and becuase it telescopes, it's storage is inadequate. It's bathroom is too small, and I would prefer a larger refrigerator instead of a small dishwasher. Right now, the undercarriage is not ready for the real world, and of course, the real issue is who will be able to repair these babies when things break. Great prototype, but you need to ditch the telescoping feature if you want to appeal to airstream owners.

I"m lost, how does it have 300 miles of range, but I don't see a drivers seat.... this looks like a pull behind trailer, but how can a pull behind trailer have a range?

no mention of safety / manual override systems. If the basic functions aren't secured in the event of (inevitable) electrical glitch then it will become a veery expensive lump of glass

I would want a design that blends more into the outdoors and doesn’t look like an out of place modern art piece.

seems like its going to be quite a long time before people get on the electric wagon. say you buy a tesla cyber truck for 70,000$ plus un USD then your going to buy this trailer ( which I for one would not - does not suit my requirement) but for argument reasons, 125,000 USD to start on this model the costs for this set up does not out weigh costs of gasoline or diesel. not to mention how long will this take to charge between the truck and trailer set up? in conclusion - The Technology is not up to where I would like especially from a cost perspective. I am not going to go into huge amount of debt to change over to electric drive

Can I suggest a clothes washer instead if dishwasher

They need to double the battery storage to be able to boondock more then 24 hours in hot or cold climates

Is it just me or when it collapses the glass should be on the inside😅

Not a fan of the refrigerator. I like normal size. Also the food would be pack like a drawer. I like seeing eye level

Some of these comments are so painful and lack research, equal comparisons, or basic RV knowledge. 1)it’s a prototype 2)it’s 27ft trailer people (not a fifth wheel) 3)it’s a prototype My only question, after watching 3 videos on this trailer. Where is the TV? No one seems to go over this in any of the videos I have watched.

Not fully impressed as i thought i would be when i took a look inside for the price if u want to leave it as is ok nice but if u not liking it and want to redo it I think it would be expensive not too much to like inside and outside i like

Sits to low can’t see it for rough camping. Why leave home.

This would not survive a single trip on Michigan roads. The draws at min @7:05 look like they are already about to fall off.😊

Frankly, I am sorry but to me it resembles a Trolley.

its cool but for 125k? idk bout that

I can’t believe it’s only $4,500

That's gonna be tight for even 5 people. No tv? The storage for clothes above which is proprietary and modular will get expensive and inconvenient quickly imo. No outdoor features like outdoor shower, hose, or gas hookups or range.

$150,000!!! Don't change that and it's a 'mobile' AirBnB. If it can pass EU regs, then there's your market. Dont fail by limiting your horizons.

I dont like it. I like the electric capabilities and i like the way the windows black out. but if you put those features on a normal travel trailer or fifth wheel i would choose that over this thing. I need a rear kitchen type version and a big tv and a home. make that for me please.

Great until hail damage 🤦

So it's a EV powered driven trailer 🤔 Don't get it. As I don't get al the equipment you guys haul around. When you can't do without. Stay at home 😅

Ground clearance is WAY to low. This trailer parked inthe shade (the only sane place for an RV) will produce very little power. The "300 mile range" is mostly marketing BS. This trailer is as contrary to the natural world as it gets...home.

Hmm. Where to start? $125,000 price tag. No enclosed under belly. Batteries will be exposed to the cold ground, not to mention the really smooth road conditions to get to some campgrounds. This, to me, needs many improvements before it can be released for sale. I understand this a prototype but, they could have done a little more R & D before showing this to the public. Yet again another example of automobile engineering trying something new and missing the mark. I say stay in your lane.

2:30 you're kidding! My fingernails are thicker than that flimsy storage door! Nope! Pathetic!

Too expensive. Rip off.

No thank you.

I question the veracity of the entire video. The assertion of "zero emissions" insults the intelligence of any brain=alive person. Wouldn't that be nice it it were true, but it's not true. If the electricity comes from natural gas or coal, there ARE emissions. You're just moving it from one place to another. Tow this 7,500 pound slug with an EV? Watch the range on your electric pick-up be cut about in half or more. If the range was 250-300 miles, now you're down 125 to 150 miles before charge time hits. Imagine driving 400 miles in a day and having to make 3-4 charging stops. Please be honest and stop claiming this "zero emissions" nonsense. Oh yeah, we haven't even started discussing the emissions created by mining to materials for the for the trailer and tow vehicle.

Highly disappointed with the interior