ktmrfs
Portland, Oregon
Senior Member
Joined: 06/22/2005
View Profile
 Offline
|
when we were looking at hybrids NONE that we looked at (both mild hybrids and plug ins) allowed 4 down towing. ALL made it very clear that the car MUST be flatbed towed. Now we didn't look at all but we did look at many.
2011 Keystone Outback 295RE
2004 14' bikehauler with full living quarters
2015.5 Denali 4x4 CC/SB Duramax/Allison
2004.5 Silverado 4x4 CC/SB Duramax/Allison passed on to our Son!
|
Learjet
Louisiana
Senior Member
Joined: 02/21/2006
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
the problem is if you are still turning the electric drive motor while going down the interstate that is not good for efficiency.
I was looking at towing my Nissan Leaf BEV, which is FWD only, with a tow dolly and haven't found any problems with that.
Yes you can use the normal park 50 amp for charging or just plug into a regular outlet. Yes, it will be slow using L1 (120V) charging...but its not like most people are driving around all day.
2017 Ram Big Horn, DRW Long Box, 4x4, Cummins, Aisin, 3.73
2022 Jayco Pinnacle 32RLTS
B&W Ram Companion
Yamaha EF2600c tri-fuel generator
Champion Model 46595- 3000/3500w
|
FWC
The Wilderness
Senior Member
Joined: 09/12/2020
View Profile
|
It looks like flat towing and charging an EV is on the radar:
Ford patent on flat towed EVs
|
Skibane
San Antonio, TX
Senior Member
Joined: 11/09/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
Depending on how the regenerative braking was balanced with the brakes in the MH, it could be possible to produce a lot of electrical power.
The dinghy vehicle could not only be used to brake itself, but could also contribute some braking ability to the motorhome towing it.
There's a lot of kinetic energy in a 30,000 pound motorhome rolling down the road at 75 MPH! ![[emoticon]](https://forums.goodsamclub.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/biggrin.gif "biggrin")
Naturally, this would be limited by the capabilities of the dinghy vehicle: Most regenerative braking systems fall back on conventional service brakes whenever the amount of braking required exceeds their ability to convert it all to electrical power.
|
pianotuna
Regina, SK, Canada
Senior Member
Joined: 12/18/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
time2roll wrote:I have not given up on Bollinger yet.
FAQ:
When will you start production?
Production will start in late 2022.
Will the B1 and B2 be flat towable?
Yes, both will be flat towable.
https://bollingermotors.com/faqs/
Hi time2roll,
I sincerely hope I am wrong about Bollinger.
https://www.hotcars.com/here-are-all-the........21-and-which-ones-we-might-actually-see/
Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, soon to have SiO2 batteries, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.
|
|
|
jdc1
Rescue, Ca
Senior Member
Joined: 05/30/2011
View Profile
Offline
|
LOL. You don't think they aren't going to put credit card readers on those EV charge stations? Heck, the KOA up near me wouldn't even discount anything for the people (25,000+) that were displaced by the forest fires a few months ago.
|
JRscooby
Indepmo
Senior Member
Joined: 06/10/2019
View Profile
 Online
|
I will never have a MH or EV but I would like to see discussion of this. So far, the only reason I have seen why it can't be done is Manufacturer does not recommend.
(Years back, friend bought brand new Mack. I was picking him up at dealer, he told service manager the 460 HP would not keep up with my old 425 Cat, Turn it up! "But Roger, it is set as hot as we can and still have a warranty" DU*K THE WARRANTY! I'M NOT SPENDING THIS MUCH TO BE PASSED!) On the keyboard, do we need to worry about warranty?
E cars don't have neutral. If we can keep the parking brake disengaged, that is not a issue, IMHO. Electrically disconnected, a motor can spin with no more harm than running at the same speed. Extra friction? Most toads now in use are 4X4. So when towing you are spinning axles, differentials and driveshafts. And there is more friction ring/pinion when driving the ring instead of pinion. So I can't see a big friction increase spinning the motors.
Braking; I assume EV has a braking system that works pretty much like any other toad. So any system to apply brakes on toad can be adapted to EV. Also, I can't see how it would be real hard to control regen from MH. And holding the weight of both vehicles back on a downhill could put a lot of power in battery. But once full charge that whoa is gone.
Now to get into the most interesting idea. Some new vehicles can follow at a certain distance. Why couldn't things be wired so when MH is full throttle, power is turned on, so the toad pulls it's own weight? Or even push the MH some?
|
Reisender
NA
Senior Member
Joined: 12/09/2018
View Profile
Offline
|
JRscooby wrote:I will never have a MH or EV but I would like to see discussion of this. So far, the only reason I have seen why it can't be done is Manufacturer does not recommend.
(Years back, friend bought brand new Mack. I was picking him up at dealer, he told service manager the 460 HP would not keep up with my old 425 Cat, Turn it up! "But Roger, it is set as hot as we can and still have a warranty" DU*K THE WARRANTY! I'M NOT SPENDING THIS MUCH TO BE PASSED!) On the keyboard, do we need to worry about warranty?
E cars don't have neutral. If we can keep the parking brake disengaged, that is not a issue, IMHO. Electrically disconnected, a motor can spin with no more harm than running at the same speed. Extra friction? Most toads now in use are 4X4. So when towing you are spinning axles, differentials and driveshafts. And there is more friction ring/pinion when driving the ring instead of pinion. So I can't see a big friction increase spinning the motors.
Braking; I assume EV has a braking system that works pretty much like any other toad. So any system to apply brakes on toad can be adapted to EV. Also, I can't see how it would be real hard to control regen from MH. And holding the weight of both vehicles back on a downhill could put a lot of power in battery. But once full charge that whoa is gone.
Now to get into the most interesting idea. Some new vehicles can follow at a certain distance. Why couldn't things be wired so when MH is full throttle, power is turned on, so the toad pulls it's own weight? Or even push the MH some?
Any EV we have owned has had a neutral position. So free spin down the road with no regen. Putting it back in drive immediately engages regen.
|
Durb
NW
Senior Member
Joined: 01/15/2016
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
JRscooby wrote: Now to get into the most interesting idea. Some new vehicles can follow at a certain distance. Why couldn't things be wired so when MH is full throttle, power is turned on, so the toad pulls it's own weight? Or even push the MH some?
Wow, never considered this. Potential exists to use regenerative braking to help slow the MH and applying the juice to help push the MH when needed. Essentially, the BEV toad would be turning the DP into a hybrid.
|
FWC
The Wilderness
Senior Member
Joined: 09/12/2020
View Profile
|
With auto driving also on the radar, what about not even connecting the car to the MH? It just follows along 5m behind the MH as if it were towed? No hooking up, no disconnecting, no extra length or weight on hills. With some sort of beacon on the MH for the car to follow, this seems like a much easier control problem than 'normal' auto pilot for an EV.
|
|
|
