Airstream Aerodynamics Put to the Test in a Wind Tunnel

Does an Airstream travel trailer have less aerodynamic drag when compared to another travel trailer brand? With a continued focus on reducing our environmental impact and the increased adoption of electric vehicles by RV customers, in the summer of 2021 Airstream initiated an aerodynamics study at the Auto Research Center (ARC) in Indianapolis, Indiana in order to better understand this important element of travel trailer design.
Read more: www.airstream.com/blog/airstr...
#Airstream #Aerodynamics #ProductDevelopment

Пікірлер: 28

  • @thaisguedes4067
    @thaisguedes40672 жыл бұрын

    Great company and an awesome trailer. Hope one day I can have one!!!

  • @davidnola5628
    @davidnola56282 жыл бұрын

    Thank you Airstream! I am getting close to retirement and the first thing I’m going to do when that day comes is purchase Tesla Cybertruck, Airstream, dog and hit the Pan-American Highway.

  • @Airstream-Inc

    @Airstream-Inc

    2 жыл бұрын

    Can't wait to have you join the Airstream family, David!

  • @davidnola5628

    @davidnola5628

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Airstream-Inc so when can I get the EStream? 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽 Please take my money!

  • @Webcrawler45

    @Webcrawler45

    Жыл бұрын

    I have a 19cb Caravel and based on the range loss from my 2020 Ford Range that I tow it with, the 500 mile Cybertruck would only get about 200-250 miles of towing even with this small airstream. I have an order for a Cybertruck (1st hour) and I own a Model S and model Y. I still think anything much larger than a teardrop trailer is simply not going to work well for any significant distance of towing.

  • @tvck3183
    @tvck31832 жыл бұрын

    this video is very helpful for me thank you I hope you are always healthy friend 🙋🥰

  • @mitchberger2691
    @mitchberger2691 Жыл бұрын

    The battery box in the front as well as the AC and vents are not streamlined. Would be simple to make some aluminum pieces to reduce the drag.

  • @sierradenali3270
    @sierradenali32702 жыл бұрын

    Love my 1983 31' Limited. I've owned it since '93, plenty of travels with it, but it's in need of some touching up & it's worth doing it.

  • @josephdonnaway5755
    @josephdonnaway57552 жыл бұрын

    The Zip Dee awnings with external supports are an obvious area for aerodynamic as well as aesthetic improvement.

  • @somedayistodayrv
    @somedayistodayrv2 жыл бұрын

    You are right, great company and super duper product. I love mine. Don't wait, start the adventure today!

  • @fletcherburke1110
    @fletcherburke11102 жыл бұрын

    Electric vehicles, like them or not, are coming. I think Airstream is being smart to plan for that, so that our great grandchildren, years from now, will still have the option of buying, and enjoying, a brand new Airstream. Meanwhile, I will appreciate the improved economy I get from my F-250 PowerStroke pulling my new Globetrotter!

  • @TheRayDog

    @TheRayDog

    Жыл бұрын

    Keep in mind, govt stats still predict about 70% of on-road vehicles by 2050 will be internal combustion.

  • @themoores5210
    @themoores52102 жыл бұрын

    It seems from the video that the third party parts are the biggest problems.

  • @douggolde7582
    @douggolde7582 Жыл бұрын

    To prepare for electric vehicles get everything off the top of the trailer to make room for solar. Instead of roof AC use a mini split system.

  • @Webcrawler45

    @Webcrawler45

    Жыл бұрын

    Yep, and it will openup a great space for the flat semi-flexible solar panels!!! I 100% agree. In face that is what Bowlus is doing now.

  • @Bob_Sacamano
    @Bob_Sacamano6 ай бұрын

    never forget vocal fry is a choice

  • @Webcrawler45
    @Webcrawler45 Жыл бұрын

    You must make them narrower, shorter and lighter or it will be a mostly wasted effort. It is time to ditch the roof mounted air conditioners. The most are dynamic trailer one can buy today is the Bowlus Road Chief. Interestingly, it was the grand father of all airstream trailers. In nearly 100 years, it's aero dynamics have never been surpassed. Unfortunately, It is two times more expensive that the already expensive airstream trailers. I have a 2020 CB18 Caravel and it is not aerodynamic. Even though it is short is weight about 4,000 ;bs. In my opinion Airstreams have become too bloated and too big. I would love to see a return to some of the smaller original designs with a longer more tapered tail.

  • @stefanfrembgen637

    @stefanfrembgen637

    Жыл бұрын

    Narrower and less height (pop-up roof like the Hymer or Eriba in Europe, now also a Thor company) will give you less frontal area. Length is probably less critical or will even improve the cw-value. Integrating the awning cassette into the body would probably be easier with a fiberglass shell for the roof. But a really big re-thinking on what you really need for a pleasant camping experience is probably needed to do away with a lot of the weight. Even in Europe the trailers seem to get heavier with all the amenities manufacturers have added over the years…

  • @robgrune3284
    @robgrune3284 Жыл бұрын

    Mucho talk, but zero data shown. Claims for aerodynamics are highly dubious. The issue has 3 determinants: frontal area (truck+trailer); drag coefficient; turbulence. Wind tunnels are used to determine the drag coefficient; not the real-life performance. Aerodynamics require laminar flow: ie no turbulence over the surface area. Trucks produce great turbulence. The turbulence moves rearward to the trailer and increases by the gap twixt truck and trailer. No trailer can magically smooth that turbulence into a laminar flow. Add a roof-top a/c to the trailer and drag increases. This is why a boxy cargo trailer, with rounded edges, has only slightly more drag than an aero- trailer, in real life conditions. In this vid, where are the data and comparisons? Fact: this vid is misleading propaganda.

  • @XuehaiFang
    @XuehaiFang2 жыл бұрын

    Please double down on this! Towing with an EV is vastly superior in efficiency and comfort than the alternatives. The only reason someone would not tow with an EV is the range which needs to be improved trailer side. Campsites already have charging so you wake up with a full tank!

  • @robertking1818
    @robertking18182 жыл бұрын

    Stop peddling electric towing vehicle fantasy's. The math doesn't work. The mass of battery packs needed to produce sufficient range and torque would destroy your needed payload capacity for passengers and cargo. You are selling snake oil. Bad handling, dangerously high voltage, child slave labor mining rare earth metal using snake oil which will lose half of it's range in cold weather and with battery packs that will decay in performance over their decade long lifetime. In other words an INFERIOR PRODUCT to what we use now. You are "fixing" a problem that does not exist. Why? Politics perhaps?

  • @Litboge

    @Litboge

    2 жыл бұрын

    New world order. World economic forum. Davos group Globalist.

  • @timothywitthoefft8356

    @timothywitthoefft8356

    2 жыл бұрын

    Let me guess, you were afraid of LED lightbulbs too?

  • @Litboge

    @Litboge

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@timothywitthoefft8356 huh, really thought you did something there didn’t ya bud. Smooth brain take.

  • @Litboge

    @Litboge

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@timothywitthoefft8356 We are pointing out the nonsense of pushing all electric vehicles. You seem to be afraid of “MUH climate change. MUH global warming”. Just waiting for the next talking point to be fed to you through the screen.

  • @Webcrawler45

    @Webcrawler45

    Жыл бұрын

    First of all EV handle very well with a low center of gravity. The break even point of C02 emissions is about 8,500-13,000 miles. After that they are far cleaner over their life time. As for child labor used in mining, the same kids are used for the various raw materials used to build ICE vehicle like the cobalt used to refine gasoline and in machine tools used to make the hundreds of parts in the engine and transmission. also platinum used in the exhaust systems and the Chromium, Titanium, Aluminum, etc... Interesting NO ONE care about these kid until the EV came along. However, if the EV gets people to care enough about the situation to do something about it, then the EV will be a huge success from that one point alone. However, you re right, they are not ready for long distance towing. Having owned them for almost nine years now, I know they make far superior every day vehicle though...