Adding weight to an electric vehicle drops its driving range, and campers drop it significantly. That’s why Polydrops – a travel trailer company from California – designed a camper specifically for battery-powered cars.
Since 2017, the startup has been designing travel trailers. In 2019, it reimagined the teardrop trailer as personal mobile space sporting an angular form. This year it’s debuting a new way to escape the world – a fully equipped and more comfortable ‘towable hotel room.’ Most importantly, it’s the first model explicitly modified for the Electric Vehicle (EV) market.
The P17A, as it is called, dons neat gull-wing style doors, an all-weather battery-powered HVAC system, and a powerful solar-charged lithium battery bank. There’s also an available kitchenette, but that doesn’t come standard.
It’s a cozy 13.6-foot (4.1-m) long, climate-controlled tiny living space that you can disconnect in for up to six days at a time. It’s a little shorter than the original Polydrops, but all in all, it looks much the same. Nevertheless, there is some considerable reshuffling going on behind the aluminum skin to optimize layout and weight.
The trailer’s lithium-iron-phosphate battery is integrated flatly into the aluminum frame center, much like in an EV skateboard chassis. This keeps the weight as evenly distributed and low as possible.
The company also installed paneling over the underbody and a large tongue cover between towing vehicle and trailer for better aerodynamics. The tongue reduces the vacuum effect created between car and camper, and the aero underbody allows air to flow smoothly over the bottom.
The base model comes with a 2.4-kWh battery, but a double 4.8 kWh or 12-kWh pack is available as an upgrade. To meet Polydrops’ six-day estimate, you’ll need the 12-kWh pack. There is a 110-volt inlet charging port for when the battery gets low.
The standard P17A comes with a 260-watt solar system that can be upgraded to a 520 watts system. Either way, the roof-mounted solar panels will keep any battery option charging when the trailer isn’t hooked up to external power.
The P17A doesn’t have the standard tailgate galley with a full-width kitchen like previous Polydrops. Instead, the tailgate opens directly to the main cabin and its full-size mattress. This layout modification saves weight on kitchen appliances and structural elements. It also gives the cabin a breezier space in which to relax.
However, the company does offer a partial-width kitchenette for those who want it. It’s placed behind the passenger side corner shelf and includes a 1,300-W induction cooktop, 20-L fridge drawer, hand-pump sink piped to 6-L fresh and gray water tanks, storage bins, and trays for utensils, cookware, and dishes. Its partial width allows for interior access from the tailgate to remain open.
Behind the driver’s side, there’s a small wardrobe. Rearward of both the gulling side entries is an open shelf unit resembling an upside-down wheel well cover.
The complete HVAC system includes air conditioning, a heater, and a vent fan.
The Bluetooth speakers (optional) are mounted to each shelving unit’s face and pair into a stereo system.
There are also 2 USB charging ports, a 12-volt outlet, and a 110-volt outlet. The interior lighting is LED.
How does the new design affect range? Towing the camper with a 2018 Tesla Model 3 Long Range would give you 245 miles of range. The electric sedan alone has a 310-mile (500-km) EPA-estimated range. That’s around a 20-25% reduction in capacity. And a 2021 Model 3 Long Range would have a 268-mile driving range. These figures are based on a single 400-mile (644-km) trip on mostly California highway.
The standard model costs $24,990, and a top model $33,790 (that’s with 12-kWh and 520-W solar). The optional kitchenette adds $1,850 to the price, and the Bluetooth speakers, $500.
Another great trailer for electric vehicles is the world’s lightest teardrop trailer by New Mexico-based startup Earth Traveler. It’s made of chicken feathers and ideal for travelers who want to adventure with as little gear as possible in tow.
