"Where are the Electric RVs?"

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JT646 said:
Not needed there...electric vehicles get free regenerative braking on the way down.  :)
...Can't do that with a I.C.E. 
Best places (to install them) are probably gas stations, rest stops and parking lots.  Also keep in mind that many campgrounds (KOA, etc.) already have 30 & 50 amp power available at each site.

They put in 6 Tesla units in at a gas station near one of the ski areas about 50 miles from me. They got used 11 times in 6 months, but that was during the pandemic so have to take that into account. They are all shut down now, according to the news article, Elon didn't pay his bill.
 
JT646 said:
Not needed there...electric vehicles get free regenerative braking on the way down.  :)
...Can't do that with a I.C.E. 

Dunno - I had a girlfriend in high school that I convinced I refilled my gas tank by putting the rear up on blocks and running the car in reverse every night  :p
 
My first fiberglass dune buggy had the big wind up key on the rear and a warning sticker that read "Warning Spring Loaded Device!".
 
Dunno but Germany had been making an all electric RV in recent years whereby they had the solar receptor panels on the vehicle catching power in real time. After living with solar the past 20+yrs this is not at all rocket science but just not an Industry priority to make real functional EV vehicles. When it is in their $ interests backed by tax$ funneled through gov to them they will be all out and into producing EV RV's and the like. Seriously we thought of this years ago just put the dam solar catchers on the exterior like Germany recently did and the hell with finding and paying another petty venture capitalist to charge off of some dirty fuel source.
 
I would think that having to rely on an all electric vehicle in Texas for the last couple days would be more than inconvenient.

Here is a link to an article on how cold weather affects electric vehicles.
https://www.myev.com/research/buyer...cy-weather-affects-an-electric-vehicles-range and charging ability.

Is there such a thing as roadside service charging? Seriously, if you run low on battery do you need to be towed to a charging station?

Guy

For those who are also wondering - on the west coast, this is not really much of an issue. Unlike gas stations, it is very easy for any business owner to install a charging station or three. I have seen them at Walmarts, hardware stores, motels, hotels, and C-stores. And California is installing them in highway rest areas.
 
For those who are also wondering - on the west coast, this is not really much of an issue. Unlike gas stations, it is very easy for any business owner to install a charging station or three. I have seen them at Walmarts, hardware stores, motels, hotels, and C-stores. And California is installing them in highway rest areas.
Yes where there is $ to be made, never fear. The Cafe/Motel near me in the middle of nowhere is planning and looking into installing charging stations as it is on a highway intersection of 2 highways going 4 directions whereby there is no longer a gas station in any direction less than 35- 50 miles.
 
I look at the electric RV question as more of a technical AND social problem.

It's not enough to design an RV that will move under electric power. Our road system demands they move at 60MPH or so. That is a whole different problem than just putting down a dirt road and keeping up with the Amash horse and buggies. Especially when pushing a large heavy box we can actually live in. And many of those side roads are disappearing anyway.

The social and economic roadblocks are also substantial. The 1st gas (kerosine) stations probably got as much traffic %wise as EV stations do now. And just like many people back then not liking the infernal combustion vehicles, there are many today that just don't like EV - of any size.

But, I think eventually technology will improve and demand will be filled. I just hope I'm still around for it.
 
And many of those side roads are disappearing anyway.

States with the best roads​

The best roads are highly rated by the people who drive on them. These states also have more funding for maintenance and infrastructure.

  1. Kansas
  2. Alabama
  3. North Dakota
  4. Kentucky
  5. Florida
  6. Idaho
  7. New Hampshire
  8. Georgia
  9. Nevada
  10. Vermont
 
The list above is from 2021 U.S. road conditions by state by consumeraffairs.com. The list you probably want is

What state has the worst roads?​

The worst roads score high on pavement roughness and low on resident rankings. We also factored in how much states spend on road maintenance and their highway safety budgets. Drop down to the full rankings to see where your state lands.

  1. Rhode Island
  2. Hawaii
  3. Wisconsin
  4. California
  5. Massachusetts
  6. South Dakota
  7. New Jersey
  8. Louisiana
  9. Michigan
  10. New York
 
Winnebago doesn’t do things without the idea of making money from it. Yes the initial cut will be limited and expensive, but that doesn’t mean that they will remain that way. I have a Travato that I purchased in 2016 for about $75K. I was dumbfounded when they introduced an all Lithium version costing about $170K, yet it has turned out to be rather popular and has been selling strong. The Lithium model is fully electric inside (gas engine still), but has an second extra powerful alternator to charge the batteries. Also there is an auto-start (much like a Prius) when the batteries get a bit low. I know of a lot of folks who have ditched both solar panels and the generator because of the auto start + second alternator.
 
Don't know about those worst road best road rankings.
North Dakota was some of the worst roads I've ever experienced, though honestly that was 20 years ago or so. I guess they could have fixed them by now?
New York certainly has terrible roads in NYC, but the rest of the state is fine.
California has great roads in most areas. Just some large metro areas with lots of truck traffic, like Oakland, Long Beach etc have pulverized roads.
New Jersey has not only terrible roads, but confusing highways.
 
Don't know about those worst road best road rankings.
North Dakota was some of the worst roads I've ever experienced, though honestly that was 20 years ago or so. I guess they could have fixed them by now?
New York certainly has terrible roads in NYC, but the rest of the state is fine.
California has great roads in most areas. Just some large metro areas with lots of truck traffic, like Oakland, Long Beach etc have pulverized roads.
New Jersey has not only terrible roads, but confusing highways.
UH... While good/bad roads are of interest to me, I fail to see the connection in a thread titled,

"Where are the Electric RVs?"​

 
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