I didn’t think it’s possible, but this Lightship RV camping trailer will change the way you tow. It is a self-propelled trailer with sensors inside the hitch coupler to make it safe. The Lightship RV company claims that this trailer is practically weightless when being pulled on the highway. We test this by towing it on the Denver 100 MPG loop behind our Chevy Silverado HD 2500 Duramax diesel. We also have an identical Chevy diesel driving alongside to verify the MPG results. Let’s dig in!
Lightship RV Trailer
The first Lightship RV camper is called the AE.1 Atmos. The trailer is 28 feet long from end to end (including the trailer tongue). A fully optioned Atmos can weigh up to 8,500 lbs with water and gear on the inside. The Atmos is designed to sleep a family of four and remain camping off grid about one week with a full battery. It has a full kitchen, bathroom, and up to 1,800 watt of solar panels built into the roof.
The trailer’s propulsion system is called TrekDrive. It uses a 77 kWh battery that is mounted in the floor of the trailer. The power is delivered via 100-horsepower motor/generator that is connected to the rear axle of the trailer. The tongue of the trailer incorporates two weight/force sensors that are also used on cranes. These sensors send real-time information to the trailer’s processing unit. Other TrekDrive sensors and software calculate the precise amount of power that the trailer’s electric motor should deliver or regen as it moves down the road. It’s designed to never push the tow vehicle with extra force, so the towing experience remains safe.
Denver 100 MPG Loop
The Denver 100 is a 111-120 mile highway loop around Denver, Colorado. We have been using this route for several years to test a variety of pickup trucks and SUVs. It’s time to put this self-propelled trailer on our standardized test.
Test Trucks
We are using two identical Chevy Silverado HD 2500 Trail Boss pickup trucks for this test. They are both powered by GM’s 6.6-liter Duramax turbo-diesel engines with 470 hp and 975 lb-ft of torque. These trucks have a 10-speed automatic transmission and a 3.42-to-1 rear axle ratio. Both of these trucks are rolling on BFGoodrich KO3 all-terrain tires. This version of the Silverado HD is rated to tow up to 18,500 lbs when using a conventional hitch.
Thanks to Johnson Auto Plaza for helping with this test.
Since this AE.1 Atmos test trailer weighs close to 8,500 lbs, you still need a tow vehicle that has at least that amount of towing capacity. The 77 kWh battery will eventually run out of energy, and the tow vehicle must be able to handle this type of trailer. We are talking about stability, stopping power (with a trailer brake controller), and acceleration capability.
MPG Results
This was a big surprise to all of us. The unladed Silverado HD Trail Boss delivered 19.66 MPG after driving 115 miles on this Denver 100 loop. This particular truck is not all the way broken in. The best result we have ever seen with a 6.6L Duramax HD pickup is 20.4 MPG.
The Silverad HD Trail Boss with the Lightship RV trailer delivered 19.42 MPG after the identical 115 mile trip. This AE.1 Atmos used 34% of its battery to complete this trip. The trailer’s driving efficiency was close to 4.39 mi/kWh or 148 MPG.
Expect to lose about 1 MPG when pulling this trailer over long distances when compared to driving unladen.
In theory, this trailer can approximately 300+ miles on a full charge. Naturally, you can set a minimum charge limit using the Lightship RV app, so that there is always a reserve amount of battery left in the trailer.
The claim stands. The Atmos camping trailer is practically weightless when you tow it on the highway.
Just for reference, we used this same Chevy Silverado HD Trail Boss to pull a large 28-foot box car hauler trailer. We went on the same Denver 100 MPG loop and this diesel truck delivered 11.99 MPG that day.
Verdict & Price
The Atmos trailer was effortless to tow. This trailer had a low center of gravity, it has capable axles and suspension. It is most stable trailer that I have ever pulled. (I have been pulling all kinds of different trailers with all kinds of tow vehicles for over 21 years.) When letting off the throttle and cruising, I noticed that truck & trailer were “coasting” for much longer than I was accustomed to when pulling regular trailers. This was the trailer helping out. I never felt like the trailer was pushing me or was doing something unsafe. I never felt trailer sway.
The new AE.1 Atmos (you see here) has a starting price of $184,000. It includes most items already, but there are still two or three options you can add. The AE.1 Panos version of the trailer is coming soon as well. It will have a smaller battery. The Panos will start at $151,000. Lighship RV company plans another more affordable version of the trailer that does not include the TrekDrive propulsion system. This version will be prices below Panos.
Please join our video at TFLtruck’s Youtube channel for my driving impressions, Lightship RV factory tour, and much more.
