- Living in a van down by the river never looked quite like this, with Living Vehicle providing HD entertainment, endless solar energy, and an $8000 automatic leveling system.
- A $24,000 option lets you charge your Tesla—or any EV, but, c’mon, your Tesla—at Level 2 power thanks to a new Volta Power System setup.
- Living Vehicle sells exclusive apartments on wheels, and it’s not done coming up with new ideas. The next big thing? Towing with an electric truck powered by the LV.
Glamping isn’t a strong enough portmanteau anymore. The luxury-van and RV-camping craze will need to mash together new words to describe what’s possible when you have a near-endless stream of money and a truck powerful enough to tow your precious cargo. Nouveau RV? WheeledPrepper? AntiTinyHome?
Whatever we come up with, some of the most extreme #BeyondGlamping examples come from the 2021 lineup of Living Vehicle travel trailers, which offer complete off-the-grid luxury apartments on wheels. These are deluxe RVs, so things like 100-gallon fresh water tanks, 13-cubic-foot refrigerators, and 32-by-36 inch showers are expected. What set the LVs apart are features like a solar awning that generates an additional 1320 watts of power ($14,995) on top of the standard rooftop system, a 5.5-kW generator ($17,995), and an automatic leveling system ($7995). Other pricey options include a two-mile Wi-Fi boost package ($7995), remote security ($5995), and an HD “home” theater system ($9995).
Living Vehicle is offering three bespoke models for 2021: Core, Max, and Pro. The Core is the bargain version, starting at $229,995, but can be outfitted to the same level of luxury as the other models. The Max and the Pro are designed for different lengths of off-grid living, with the Pro able to offer perpetual off-grid living, under the right sun conditions.
There are other benefits to the higher-power solar energy systems, if your car is the kind without a tailpipe. For 2021, LV introduced the ability to charge electric vehicles off the trailer’s solar power system, and all models can use the standard Level 1 connector to charge an EV. The top-of-the-line Pro model, though, can transfer energy from its 48.0-kWh battery—the largest capacity lithium-ion power system available on a travel trailer—to an EV with an optional 240-volt Level 2 charger ($23,995). The battery in the Core model has a 9.0-kWh capacity, while the Max can hold 24.0 kWh. The Pro starts at $369,995.
The price and capability fit the company’s Luxury Unplugged slogan and allow them to try new things, Living Vehicle co-founder Joanna Hofmann told Car and Driver. “Without luxury, the [Living Vehicle] experience is disjointed and does not meet our target market,” she said. “We are founded on innovation and this focus allows us to push the boundaries of innovation. These early innovations do not come easy, or cheap.”
Level 2 EV charging would not have been possible without LV’s new partnership with Volta Power Systems, Hofmann said. Living Vehicle was interested in finding a manufacturing partner that had commercial and industrial experience, since standard RV systems didn’t meet the automotive quality standards that LV strives for, she said. Not only are the Volta systems more reliable, Hofmann said, but the nickel-manganese-cobalt battery chemistry was needed to offer the faster EV charging and longer-term remote living.
Hofmann wouldn’t say how many Living Vehicles they’ve sold so far, but said that each unit is handcrafted and noted that they build “no more than 25 custom units per year.” She also said there’s more luxury innovation coming soon. “Integrating with EV trucks is just around the corner,” she said. “We’ll be ready.”
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Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
