Comments on: Solar-Powered Eco Camper Lets You Take Sustainable Roadtrips

By: Bassman the Vanagon Man

Bassman the Vanagon Man — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 05:39:41 +0000

do we really need a 129k camper to make me feel good about Mother Earth?? I have a 84 Vanagon and a 86 Camper Vanagon 25 and 23 years old and still going strong…using regular gas getting 20 to 22 mpg…why would anyone want to spend 129k on this camper??

By: Sebastian

Sebastian — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:25:24 +0000

$129k? That’s just mad ridiculous – you could outfit an old Veedub van for a tenth of that and get more than what you’re getting here. Or, you could just buy a tent and suck it up when you go camping – after all, the whole point of camping is to get away from needless luxuries and reconnect with nature.

By: Sebastian

Sebastian — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:25:00 +0000

By: Mel Riser

Mel Riser — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:37:05 +0000

why does it cost so much? 129K seems like an AWEFUL lot…

a huge amount of money actually…

By: Mel Riser

Mel Riser — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:37:00 +0000

why does it cost so much? 129K seems like an AWEFUL lot…

a huge amount of money actually…

By: Vince

Vince — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:35:17 +0000

David,

That makes sense if you live in a bungalow by the beach, where it’s like camping every day. (inside joke?)

Jokes aside, I agree to a point. The question boils down to not only production emissions, but potential life span of the vehicle. Was it engineered with the goal of lasting 30-40 years or more, or is planned obsolescence part of the equation? I drive a ’69 VW camper, so I am all for this project if it will last that long while putting out a fraction of the emissions of my trusty old friend.

Vince

By: Vince

Vince — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:35:00 +0000

David,

That makes sense if you live in a bungalow by the beach, where it’s like camping every day. (inside joke?)

Vince

By: Stephen

Stephen — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:38:16 +0000

David – I don’t think anyone is saying this ‘particular’ vehicle is going to replace the current rental cars! Step in the right direction though.

Think I’d prefer it if it was aimed less at the hippy market to be honest. The camper styling is a bit much for my liking!

I think the GPS could be linked to the panels so they automatically adjust as you drive, not just so you can park facing the sun.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:38:00 +0000

David – I don’t think anyone is saying this ‘particular’ vehicle is going to replace the current rental cars! Step in the right direction though.

Think I’d prefer it if it was aimed less at the hippy market to be honest. The camper styling is a bit much for my liking!

I think the GPS could be linked to the panels so they automatically adjust as you drive, not just so you can park facing the sun.

By: David

David — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:29:05 +0000

I’m guessing that, after accounting for the production energy put into making this camper we’d find it to be about as bad as a regular camper. I’ll stick with my tent and rent a small vehicle (since my bike won’t cut it)… not only will these trips emit far less CO2 but I will also pay less.

I’m all about sustainable products but we have to consider production emissions in addition to the emissions we see with our own eyes. Otherwise what’s the point?