Inside the Lightship Electric RV: Campgrounds Aren’t Ready for This

With interest in RVing and electric vehicles skyrocketing in recent years, Lightship(Opens in a new window) is jumping into both spaces with the Lightship L1, a tow-behind trailer with an on-board battery system that helps the trailer propel itself and preserve fuel efficiency on the vehicle in front.

We got a first look at the L1 in March, but had a chance to climb aboard at the recent Electrify Expo in Long Beach, California. “You guys are some of the first people to ever get inside this thing,” says Lightship co-founder Ben Parker.

Pull-behind trailers are notoriously fuel inefficient, but by having its own battery-powered propulsion system, the L1 offsets strain on the trailer hitch and towing force needed to bring it down the highway. This results in nearly zero loss in fuel efficiency for the vehicle in front, whether it’s gas-powered or electric, Lightship says.

Lightship co-founder Ben Parker
(Credit: Emily Dreibelbis)

The Lightship L1 has a starting price of $125,000 or $118,400 after an available tax credit. Pre-orders, which require a $500 deposit, opened in March at lightshiprv.com(Opens in a new window), and “in the first week, [they] filled up over a year of production,” says Parker. “I can’t disclose numbers, but we are quite confident in our business having enough market fit and demand that we will self-sustain.”

Deliveries are expected to begin in 2025. The company aims to reduce prices over time and offer more accessible variants.

“We want to be in the mainstream, not a niche brand,” Parker says. He notes that the current price is comparable to an Airstream. In time, he says the company’s trajectory will mirror Tesla’s, where he used to work as a battery engineer. Tesla started out with the pricey Roadster model, and has steadily reduced prices since then (the Model 3 is now around $40,000).

HVAC system in the front of the Lightship RV, next to the trailer hitch.
(Credit: Emily Dreibelbis)

The L1 aims for style, space efficiency, and a quiet, enjoyable ride. Lightship put the heating and cooling units in the front, rather than on top, which helps with aerodynamics, while placing the noisy HVAC blowers outside the cabin. “That, plus the fact that you don’t need a generator to run it, means it’ll be whisper quiet in a natural setting,” Parker says.

Inside the Lightship L1

A small staircase opens to 10-foot ceilings and a modern interior. All the materials and recessed lighting were designed by a member of the Lightship team who used to work on airplanes, Parker says. Windows on all sides let the light in and create an open feel.

Inside the Lightship RV
(Credit: Emily Dreibelbis)

It sleeps four to six, depending on configuration, Lightship says. In reality, it looks like it would sleep about three to four adults. The couch area in the back of the photo pulls out for a roughly full-sized bed (for two). The kitchen table also lowers(Opens in a new window) at the push of a button, similar to an office standing desk, creating another sleeping area for one to two.

The kitchen table lowers to create another flat surface for sleeping.
(Credit: Emily Dreibelbis)

The kitchen and bathroom are compact but easy to navigate, especially with the high ceilings. The kitchen has two stove burners, a microwave, sink, and cabinets for storage. A nearby outlet can power devices, using energy from the 3kW solar panels on the roof or the RV’s 80kW battery.

Kitchen in the Lightship L1 RV
(Credit: Emily Dreibelbis)

The bathroom is located on the end of the RV and it spans the unit’s 8-foot, 6-inch width. On the left sits the toilet, with the sink next to it. Across from the sink, the corner has a showerhead and storage racks for personal care products.

Bathroom in the Lightship L1 RV
(Credit: Emily Dreibelbis)

Storage cabinets line the walls near the kitchen area. In a way, the RV itself is a compact storage unit. The ceiling lowers down to 6 feet, 9 inches when it’s on the road for aerodynamics, and expands back up to 10 feet once it’s parked and in “camp mode.”

Ben Parker opens storage space in the Lightship L1 RV.
(Credit: Emily Dreibelbis)

‘We Aren’t Selling Vaporware’

Manufacturing the L1 will be a tall task. “Building an EV company and taking it to production is really friggin’ hard, but we think we are knocking down the pins to make this really happen,” Parker says. “The reception that we have gotten proves we have a good chance of materializing this. We aren’t selling vaporware. This is a working vehicle.”

The first batch of customer orders will come out of a new facility in Broomfield, Colorado, near Denver, that will add “dozens of jobs in high-tech manufacturing and clean technology,” Lightship says. The company plans to recruit a team of associates, technicians, and engineers from what it says is a premium talent pool in Colorado, where “half the team already lives,” according to Parker.

Opportunities to see the Lightship prototype in person are limited, but the next confirmed appearance will be at the Overland Expo Mountain West in Loveland, Colorado, from Aug. 25-27.