By Russ and Tiña De Maris
“The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog,” was the standard test for a typewriter keyboard. Imagine how long it took to type that out on a manual machine. Then came the electric typewriter, and an oh-so-much faster test. Let’s change the test: “The quick blue Tesla RV flew over the race track!” OK, maybe we missed a few letters, but hey – there is a quick blue Tesla RV.
How quick? Imagine zooming across the salt flats at 150 miles per hour. How far can you go? Try 200 miles on a single charge. Tired out from the journey? Retreat to the rear of your converted Model S and pop up your roof to create a soft-sided motorhome. Solar panels provide juice for your internal activities. Although precise information is hard to come by, the rumor mill suggests the ‘lectric rig will feature such comforts as a sink, toilet, 20 gallons of fresh water storage and 350 watts of solar panels.
It’s more than just a drawing-board concept, too. Author and world traveler, Travis Rabenberg has built the rig and will be trotting around at a Michigan State-sponsored conference on alternative fuel vehicles on April 17. Travis’ Tesla traveler has a beefed up suspension and gnarly tires, all suitable for off-highway use. Those are all good things, because when the finishing touches are complete, Rabenberg has plans to be the wagonmaster for a group of electric cars heading out from England on a tour to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to the 2020 World Expo.
