Has anybody done a van mod or RV setup with an electric vehicle? Could you build an electric RV with any currently available vehicle? Maybe add a large solar panel for emergency charging even?
Conversation
Replying to
why not keep the ICE for backup? i think thats the logic for why this doesn’t exist
1
Replying to
You would need 10 5.5 x 3.5 ft 300 watt solar panels to charge a typical BEV to go ~30 miles. A larger heavier van would probably only do maybe 20 miles with current solar capacity. Lots of people swap Tesla drivetrains into various ICE vehicles that can accommodate the batteries
2
1
2
Replying to
Hmm that’s not terrible. Carry them folded, spread out on a field or empty parking lot to charge.
2
Show replies
Replying to
I looked into dropping a Model 3 power train into a Sprinter or Promaster. The problem is air resistance. A gas Model 3 would get 45 mpg easily, as it's a very slippery vehicle. So you're looking at 80-120 m range depending on speed and headwinds.
Replying to
There are vans but they’re mostly low range at this stage AFAIK. Not great for an RV.
Replying to
I have no idea how legit this company is, but I really like to the look of this as an EV conversion van base:
canoo.com/mpdv/
Solar panels would be a *very* slow charge... it would have to be a *real* emergency (ie charging for a week is better than alternatives)
1
Replying to
As an aside that would be a next level climate haven given that there will be a lot of variability and any specific location has long tail risk that's probably not captured in the regional projections
Replying to
Solar panels shmolar panels, just throw one of these bad bois in a trailer and hook 'er up
1
Replying to
I've read that both the Ford Transit and Mercedes Sprinter will have EV platforms in the next couple years, for the small commercial van market. They both are operating EV vans in Europe currently. We pull a travel trailer, I'll be getting an electric Ford F150 next year.
2








