Can a trailer look futuristic enough to stand out not just for how it looks, but how it functions, too? The Lightship Panos is an electric trailer from Lightship RV that is trying to reimagine what a modern RV can be, meaning a sleek design with future-proofing in mind that abides by the company’s sustainability focus.
It’s not cheap starting at $151,000 USD — especially when it’s supposed to be the “accessible” model — so this is hardly an entry-level choice by any industry standard. Compare that to the equally cool Pebble Flow RV starting at $109,000. Lightship RV doesn’t really do anything on the cheap anyway, which makes the Panos feel like it could’ve come out of a Blade Runner movie set. That goes for both the GraniteBraun and SnowLine color schemes.
A Trailer That Helps Tow Itself
What drives the Panos (apart from a vehicle) is the TrekDrive system, a self-propulsion feature that enables the trailer to help tow itself. To be clear, that doesn’t mean it’s a self-driving trailer, just that it delivers a propulsion boost, while also offering regenerative braking to recapture energy on descents. Lightship RV sees this as a way to positively affect those who need to tow larger loads. It weighs about 3.31 (3,039 kg) tons and stretches to roughly 22.6 feet (6.88 meters) when extended.
Juice From Batteries and the Sun
Where does the power come from? The trailer has a 44 kWh battery system, along with about 840W worth of solar panels on the roof. Lightship’s higher-end models do better in both respects, but the company says this combination of renewable energy is enough to keep the trailer going off-grid for a few days. Not exactly enough for long-term living situations, though perhaps fine for shorter trips or to at least relieve reliance on generators or the grid itself.
Glass Walls and the HVAC to Match
There’s so much glass on this that you get Lightship’s signature panoramic windows (10 in total), all of which have auto-shading capabilities. Maybe a power draw when simple dummy blinds would do just fine. You do have the option of installing those, if you prefer. Indeed, the abundance of glass does raise some questions over regulating temperature inside in hot or cold climates.
Modularity is part of the plan here, and while you can choose to go for optional upgrades on that front, you’ll likely need to believe in minimalism to make a go of this unique trailer.
The Panos will have “AirRight”, Lightship’s HVAC system made up of 20,000 BTU of air conditioning and 16,000 BTU of heating that runs quieter and is fully integrated into the trailer’s all-electric setup.
Inside: Minimalist Luxury Meets Small-Space Living
As comfortable as Lightship tries to make the Panos, space is at a premium inside. It seems to be a cross between a boat and shoebox condo using seaside hues and neutral tones for the interior, only it also does away with a movable master bedroom for a fixed queen-sized bed instead. Another option is to bring in the electric “Summit Sleeper” twin bed by just pressing a button to drop it from the ceiling to increase sleep capacity to four people.
No integrated dishwasher, either. The more open concept layout means some sacrifice in storage space. Lightship calls this “exo-style”, which takes away hidden cubbies and uses compartments hidden under benches. This has a dual-use in that you pack stuff in there or turn the dining table into sleeping quarters. Modularity is part of the plan here, and while you can choose to go for optional upgrades on that front, you’ll likely need to believe in minimalism to make a go of this unique trailer.
