Design and build an offroading camper
Problem statement
Last year, over 48 million households in the U.S. enjoyed the great outdoors by camping [1] . While seeing all that the U.S. has to offer is an appealing pastime, not all camping locations have access to electricity. Generators are an option for electricity production, but burning fuel may fall contrary to some campers’ beliefs of environmentalism [2]. Current RV manufacturers, such as Campworks and Airstream, have electrified campers in the works, but these cost upwards of $60,000 [3]. These are not only expensive but are also not even available for direct purchase, presenting two obstacles hobby outdoorsmen. The average new cost for a pull behind camper is in the $25,000 range, half of what the electrified campers are slated to cost [4]. Our goal is to design and build an affordable, off-road capable, solar-powered camper that can provide and generate clean electricity for the duration of a camping trip. We are setting a minimum target of 72 hours of self-sustainability. The camper will sit on a 15-foot trailer and be around seven and a half feet wide. An exoskeleton design will make up the camper shell, allowing for easy mounting of extra components and the back of the camper will include a galley and open kitchen. Solar panels will charge a bank of 12 Volt lithium-ion batteries on the camper that will power an induction stove, fans for ventilation and other amenities. To keep costs low, we will be designing and building as many components as possible, including the trailer, camper shell and galley kitchen. We hope this camper will extend the possibilities of camping comfortably at a much more affordable cost of under $6000 to manufacture. NOTE: For citations, please see Progress Report Week 2.
Team members
Bryce Vieth – leader
Madison Shipshock – communicator
Rachel Lee – accountant
Eli Chevalier – admin
Gavin Peterson
Client
Bryce Vieth, UW College of Engineering