Eco-RV thoughts?

[P-hack]

We've a "stow and go" caravan, about perfect for two with a mat, if you don't mind doing cooking and other stuff outside, plenty of protection from the elements and etc. Seats 7 during the week. Not the most fuel efficient but it works (and vastly more efficient and economical than a dedicated rv)

[freebeard]

Originally Posted by a8ksh4

I've been wondering about doing something like that, Freebeard. If ... then ... Any ideas on what might be a good starting platform for this? Maybe, literally, an old vw van, but I remember the shape of the front of those being really bad for aero...

The original Type II nose wasn't that bad, at the floor level it's half-circular. It's just a brick from there on back.

The design relies on that curvature. It was based on Art Deco locomotives and beer trucks. It's just a stripe in the paint along the side, then a box-out on the door with the front fender skirt and a wood veneer skinned foam block for the front bumper (Safety First!). The details were sorted out around the door hinge line and everything, but the restoration process got away from me (I blame the economy) so I sold it to someone I had promised right of first refusal to 30 years ago.

One detail that would transfer to a more affordable (seriously) base vehicle is the retractable boat tail:

[bikenfool]

Originally Posted by freebeard

One detail that would transfer to a more affordable (seriously) base vehicle is the retractable boat tail:

How were you going to implement this?

[freebeard]

At the time the picture was created, there was ongoing discussion about using ram air to inflate the boattail. So that's what the scallops were about. Today I'd use fiberglass rods in sleeves and/or a 12v fan, as aerohead did on his VW bus. More like an air mattress than a beach ball.

The pivoting floor/diverter would be rigid. When it is pulled most of the way down, the rods are inserted and it is tugged down until it latches with the fabric skin tensed. Inflated tubes could work on a push button on the dash.

Here's an earlier example with the tubes running crossways. I drew this around 1970, a variable-wheelbase reverse trike:



I think it was inspired by the ice sled in Barbrella.

[leety]

Toyota Previa. Best minivan ever built!!! You can put an entire sheet of plywood in one. The mileage is respectable, and it's a great van to drive. That might make a cool conversion.

[saturndude]

I'm a huge Saturn fan and always wanted to convert a Saturn 5speed SW2 to a camper, maybe with a pop up roof. Right now I'm trying out my SC2 as a tow vehicle for a 16' travel trailer. You can find some pics at tntt.com username LandCommander. I will track the mileage with a little more use. The 5speed DOHC (125hp) makes plenty of power for pulling, well-tuned trailer brakes help with stopping.

But honestly, for ease of use, economy, price, and livability, you an not beat a TOYOTA 20' MOTORHOME.

I sold my 1987 21' toyota mini-cruiser and miss it every day, hoping this 1964 aristocrat land commander travel trailer will help. But it's been a lot of work to get it livable. The toyota comes with a HOT SHOWER and FITS IN ONE PARKING SPOT. Fuel economy is 13-18mpg for full size rig. The reliability is legendary.

I bought mine for $2500 and lived in it 3 years, finished college, and traveled the US with my gf and dog everywhere from Maine (home) to Vancouver bc to padre island tx, key west fl. And as much as possible in between. I then sold it for $4000. (I added solar panels, refinished inside bit by bit etc.

So unless you want something without a hot shower, the toyota is the cheapest and easiest and bestest decision. Decided among models is another discussion. My dream rig is a 4x4 21' toyota sunradar.

[Hersbird]

Originally Posted by leety

Toyota Previa. Best minivan ever built!!! You can put an entire sheet of plywood in one. The mileage is respectable, and it's a great van to drive. That might make a cool conversion.

The full sheet plywood test has always applied to the grand cravan as well. The previa is a nice van but there is a reason the grand caravan was outselling every other minivan combined. That leaves a ton of them on every Craigslist out there for a nice price. Late 90s and the transmission was no longer an issue, besides most of the early failures were usually do to wrong fluids. We have had a lot of minivans since 1988 and tried wagons, SUVs, and crossovers but always seem to come back to a grand caravan in the end. I am kind of interested in checking out the 2015 KIA though...

[PaulB2]

FWIW I had the long, tall Sprinter van (2004) that was a cargo van with a minimal conversion. The lifetime mileage was just under 25mpg, usually holding it between 60 and 65 on the freeway; and toward the end when it was broken in (80k miles) I was averaging 27mpg. There were no aero mods other than removing one of the windshield wipers and substituting reflective tape for the plastic reflectors. I could carry a 16 foot piece of lumber if it went between the front seats (never mind the plywood).

The bad news is that it was pretty loud on the road. I got tinnitus from driving that thing.

[freebeard]

I blame my tinnitus on years of faulty driver door wind wing seals. I have a car now that when the latch is closed it's actually sort of quiet.

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

With US average hotel prices at around $120/night, that might not be the case, depending on how often you go. Of course if you spend upwards of $100K on something that's parked all but one week a year*, fuel costs are not your primary problem :-) But a bigger problem with this 'solution' is that there are seldom hotels in places many of us want to go.

For the OP, I really think you need to expand on your definition of 'liveable'. Personally, I think a tent & sleeping bag in a backback or on a bike is just fine, and can be carried easily in an Austin-Healey or Insight. Other people have different opinions :-)

*I have neighbors who moved their RV for the first time in at least 5 years this summer - to get it out of the way of another neighbor doing some major tree-trimming.

This post highlights the misunderstanding that a number of folks seem to have.

I am not going to spend $20k to $100k for something that sits in my driveway. I lived full time in my Eagle for almost seven years.

If I take the "drive a little rig and stay in a hotel" advice I lose a few things like:

Sleeping in my own bed every night.
Not having a kitchen to cook in.
Having a closet to hang my clothes in without having to "move" every few days/weeks.
Having "My" bathroom to use every morning.

Really, all of the comforts of home are gone as far as I am concerned are lost whem doing the hotel thing. Trust me, I have spent 4+ months straight living in hotels and I HATED IT.

Not to mention the $40k I would spend annually on hotel rooms. Also, without a kitchen I would probably find myself eating out much more. An added expense.

If I were looking at a $50k RV versus a $8k used car. I can make up the difference in purchase and operation costs in less than 18 months. Then I am $ ahead of the game.

All of that said, my project scope has shifted a bit. I am now looking at a Crown bus to convert. Plenty of room for comfortable living in a very reliable and serviceable platform. Also, it is about the most "aero" of any bus/class A that I have seen.

Now, how to optimize that rig for economy? I am looking at a 9 or 10 speed, air dam, skirts, airbags setup to adjust ride height, engine mods and propane injection.

The folks that are running the Crown's with automatics are claiming 9-10.5mpg average. I wonder if I could coax as much as 15 mpg on the highway? That would rock!

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.