RV Concepts and Models You Have to See
These Interesting Concepts and RV Builds Could be the Future of RVing
Image Caption: Image from Manufacturer
RVs have come a long way since the first modified Model-T Roadsters in 1915 offered drivers the convenience of a bed in their vehicle during extended trips. Now, visit any RV tradeshow and you’ll witness many of the evolutions the RV has seen in recent decades given the application of technology and innovation.
From intelligent-lighting living rooms and fully-loaded kitchenettes to voice-command temperature controls and satellite-equipped intelligent flat-screen televisions. The RV world is truly a far cry from those first Model-Ts.
So, what does the future hold for RV development? Comfort, efficiency, durability, adaptivity—new RV concepts have many of the same objectives current RVs have, but with new takes and approaches. Take a look at these RV concepts to see the directions designers are exploring and what might be next for RVs in the near future.
Off-Road
The allure of off-road travel might be to explore where no others can, or it might be to alleviate the worry of ever getting stuck—but, in the past, we’ve generally only looked to lifted Jeeps and other rock crawlers to explore the tougher environments in our travels. But perhaps future RVs will be more adaptable to extreme terrains.
Enter the Torsus Praetorian Overlander. This bus was originally purposed to serve as an all-terrain transport for miners, soldiers, and adventure tourists to get through difficult, unmanageable environments. But new conceptual designs suggest the Overlander as an off-road motorhome capable of traversing some of the toughest conditions to explore new destinations.
Image from Manufacturer
With 15 inches of axle ground clearance (46.8-inch tires!), 4×4 capability, and a hefty 6.9-liter diesel engine, the Overlander wouldn’t look out of place at a worksite next to bulldozers and earthmovers. But add the luxuries of a modern motorhome—bedroom, kitchenette, dining area; air conditioning, Wi-Fi, flat screens—and the Overlander becomes something entirely new. This adaptation is still in development, but be sure to watch for the motorhome version of this beast.
For those looking for off-road capabilities from their motorhome at a smaller size, some camper vans like the Sportsmobile Classic merges on-the-road living with more all-terrain capabilities. Also, Hymer has the VisonVenture Concept that’s worth checking out.
More people are venturing into the DIY world of converting vans and trucks into living spaces—and we’re likely to see future RV designs merge comfort/luxury with some of the traits of “van life” like off-road and low-impact.
Eco-Friendly and Electric
The RV community is no stranger to eco-friendly trends, partially because we’re already equipped to live off-grid, and doing more with less. From equipping your rig with solar panels to finding efficiencies with water and gas, heating and cooling—as much as RVing is about camping with added comfort, it’s also about managing energy. So it’s no surprise the eco-friendly, electric motorhome is on our list of intriguing RV concepts.
World’s first fully electric RV can now go 249 miles on one charge. https://t.co/XL26NVvrwo pic.twitter.com/IEtdXScxtf
— Curbed (@Curbed) September 17, 2019
As an example of what might be on the horizon, let’s look at the Iridium E Mobil, one of the most promising all-electric RV models revealed to the public. Battery-powered, the latest model has an impressive reach of over 249 miles on one charge, which puts it closer to par with electric cars, and beats back against many of the criticisms of other electric RVs like the Winnebago model, which pales in comparison at 85-125 miles in range. With new releases like Tesla’s Cybertruck, several electric semi-trucks from Mercedes, Volvo, and others—plus the developments in luxury for electric vehicles—expect the RV market to follow suit with some of these trends and expand with their own electric developments.
Glamping Future
If electric RVs are pushing the envelope for eco-tourism travel, the most luxurious designs for future campers are certainly blurring the lines between camping and exotic, resort vacations.
In the most glamorous of RV concepts, don’t be surprised by helipads, rooftop hot-tubs, state-of-the-art technology, and luxury similar to what you’d find on a private jet. And as you peruse concept RVs, you’ll be sure to see at least a few competing to lead the pack in extravagance, no matter the expense.
The Outlandish
RV concepts won’t always be practical in the end—but they push the boundary of what might be possible. Take the Rollerboat, for example, which acts as a floating platform that a motorhome can load onto and actually maneuver to cross low-impact bodies of water like lakes and ponds. By placing the driving tires onto monitored rolling wheels, the RV driver controls the power of the boat’s engine with the accelerator pedal. And the driver actually navigates the vessel with the steering wheel, which connects to the onboard motor.
Or take the driver out of the picture altogether: manufacturer Hymer recently introduced Concept Galileo—a self-driving, futuristic glamper, that would allow passengers to watch television or play videogames on its interactive window-monitors during the trip. While still very much a concept, Galileo is projected to drive itself with battery power and could allow different alternative types of passenger cabins—two-person or family-style.
Concepts like this pair travel with comfort in ways we currently have a tough time imagining—much like the original modified Model-T to passengers in 1915. What might seem outlandish now could be possible in the near future, and the RV community is the perfect place to introduce new, adventurous ideas that could change how we travel.
