Totally AC only electric 5th wheels

[mtlakejim]

This thought crossed my mind while responding on another thread. Do you think we will ever see a totally electric (as in no 12volt or butane) 5th wheel? Or at the very least no 12volt (except for marker and turn signals of course).

I know this may cause those who boondock to loose their minds but there are a lot of us out here who for the most part could do completely without the 12 volt and butane systems.

I suspect that such units would cost less and would certainly be easier to maintain. In fact, we are more or less there on ours now. We try to avoid using 12 volt lights to reduce the strain on the batteries and converter and have multiple 110volt lamps throughout the camper. I actually hate that the air conditioner thermostats use the batteries for power and wish there was a 110 volt transformer just like a house instead.

I do wonder if AC power at a 50 amp site would be sufficient to heat a large camper as well as Butane does and of course cooking would be a possible issue as an electric cooktop would certainly be an energy hog. But certainly all the 12 volt system could easily be replaced by 110volt. Especially now that we have LED.

Anyway it was just a thought that crossed my mind.

[DQDick]

An all electric Motor home is supposed to be introduced in Germany before the end of the year. Winny is also supposed to have a prototype, you can see a picture on line. Propulson is also supposed to be electric on the German one.

[rohrmann]

At least for towables, a battery will still be required for the emergency breakaway system for the brakes. It sure is nice to have batteries when the power goes out.

[DanandBrenda]

I Know that some Big boats like 40ft have all electric but they have a genset to run everything when not plugged in. Don't see any reason why rv couldn't do the same. Just need big fuel tank for the genset.

[Theunz]

Already have them. They've ben around for years. They call them mobile homes��

[AZ Traveler]

Would not want a house without gas or a RV. It is the best way to cook and heat and it still works when the power goes out.

[Carl n Susan]

Even the all electric motor homes use their diesel supply for heat and hot water.

[beeje]

I don't know about you all, but I love the fact that I can travel down the road in a fully self contained camper. I can cook / have refrigerated food/ use the bathroom/ take a shower/ have heat etc without the need to be attached to shore power. That's what these rigs were designed to do.

To me, if I wanted every comfort of home, I would just stay there.

[TLightning]

Many of the newer motor homes are all electric...but still have 12v for dry camping. Gone are the Dometic/Norcold refers, propane stoves and propane heat. Replaced by residential refers, induction cook tops and Aqua Hots for heat and hot water. When not plugged in, inverters take care of AC power....generators for heavy power requirements like air conditioners.

[mlh]

All electric campers, no thanks. I like them just like they are. I don’t even wont regular refrigerator.
Lynwood

[mtlakejim]

Ok folks it was just a thought. I certainly wasn't suggesting that EVERY camper ought to be total electric by any means. Different strokes for different folks as they say. And I am all for variety and letting folks have what they want (counter to the way a lot of folks seem to want to FORCE everyone to think and do like them these days).


I absolutely don't expect that everyone will use their rig exactly the same way. Heck we bought ours to be weekend warriors chasing white water for kayaking. Never imagined we would be full timers in the desert (about the last place we want to be).

But I do think there is a significant segment of the market that would welcome at least a greater portion of the coach being 110volt as opposed to 12volt. I know I would as a full timer. I cringe every we leave the 12volt lights on thinking about it drawing down the batteries till the thermostats won't work. What if that happens while the puppies are alone??


I know there are a few systems that have to be 12volt, like slides and electric brake system and of course the running lights. I get that. And I am not sold on the idea that replacing gas heat would be a good idea or even feasible on only 50amps.


One thing I know I am absolutely opposed to though at least for myself is an electric drive anything. Heck I don't even like electric golf carts. But then I do work in the oilfield LOL....


Anyway this was only one of those, "I wonder if" sort of posts......Y'all have fun with it.

[jking]

Dammit Jim, i’m a doctor, not a magician! 😂. Capt Kirk sez! Oh, and it’s Propane not butane ya oilhead! Jus kiddin. I’m full-timing and loving it! Even the desert.

[mtlakejim]

Originally Posted by jking

Dammit Jim, i’m a doctor, not a magician! ��. Capt Kirk sez! Oh, and it’s Propane not butane ya oilhead! Jus kiddin. I’m full-timing and loving it! Even the desert.

LOL well back at ya it was Bones that told Capt Kirk that.....

I'll give you the butane/propane argument and should have known better considering I am a chemist in the oilfield!! That was a major misstep LOL. I know full well that Propane's lower boiling point is the principal reason for it being the gas of choice for RV use even though butane is less expensive.

[QKnot]

Disclosure: I drive an electric commuter car. I've often thought the regenerative braking of an electric vehicle would be a much better solution to trailer brakes than the current drum set-up as long as the trailer had a large enough battery to store the energy.

As far as an all electric camper, it would probably not be too hard as a DYI project to put in a recycled electric car battery in and use that with an inverter for your major loads. You could use radiant heat in the floor for those cold evenings. Then the battery could be recharged during low load times without putting too much strain on the campground electrical system.

But I don't see it happening any time soon on an industrial scale unless a major player like Tesla gets into the game. Who knows?

[RichR]

About 1974 I bought a new home,(called Medallion) All electric. I got a 1/2 rate from the electric company. Then the legislature decided that was not fair and took my 1/2 rate away.You would not believe the electric bills to heat the house and hot water. I would not even consider an all electric anything!!! I burned a lot of wood back then!

[mlh]

Jim. My home is all electric. My heat pump runs on less than 30 amps. Of coarse that is 220 volts. It will heat my home all the way down to -15 F. All the way down to -5 at above rated BYUs. So it is possible to heat and cool a 400 SF camper on 50 amps 110 volt power. Just not with the HVAC system that in them.
Lynwood

[beeje]

My 1700sf rancher is all electric also. Very well insulated. Even with a 2hp pool pump running for 8 hrs a day my electric bill is under $200 mo. year round.

[mlh]

This is one of those believe it or not. My electric bill for my home and machine shop with 4 people working and a 40 HP electric motor running to convert single phase power to 3 phase and 3 CNC machines running compressor and manual machine averages less than $200 per month. Last month was $170. Electricity is by far the cheapest thing I buy.
Lynwood

[BiggarView]

All electric RV's already exist. But, since RVs are self contained, but would be impractical to be strictly AC since one power source would be battery power which is DC, so some items would be best left on DC. The high end RV builders will build whatever you want and there a few units out there so equipped. Now, will that level of sophistication get down to the level of mass produced RVs... maybe, but probably not. It will be an option for those that can afford it. JMHO

[JamesD]

I think most park model trailers are wired like a regular house. They don't have water or waste tanks, and have standard flush toilets. They may still have propane hookups.

There are some like the Forest River models that are built like an RV, but many aren't designed for a lot of travel, and they require a large tow vehicle.
You would be parking them for long periods of time.