New kid on the block! AWD Transit with composite camper AEONrv

[skirunman]

Hi Adam, Thanks for the awesome feedback and we are really excited you like our design so much! @Victorian has obviously been a big supporter and we appreciate that very much.

I could go on and on. Honestly love everything about it. I literally can only think of one thing I could even remotely critique, and that would be the flexible solar panels. I am just not a big fan of flexible solar, but then again I totally understand why they were used. They are so easy to install (stick em on) and as much less weight. I think longevity of the newer panels might be better than the old ones. So this isn't even really a negative, because I would probably offer the same panels. That being said, I like that the option is offered to delete solar and get a 24v alternator instead. Honestly, I wonder if solar is even needed at that point. When you can pump more power into your batteries with 30 minutes of idling than solar panels can pump in an entire day you are probably past the point of needing solar.

I would love to know more info about the 24v alternator system. At $3500 is seems like quite the upgrade. What company is used for this conversion?

It is not in the video, but the water tanks have a 4" marine cleanout on top to make it easy to clean or sanitize. Also, the mattress and bed platform is removable to make it even easier to work on stuff in the garage.

The standard mattress we provide is a 6" gel infused foam mattress with a 1" AirFlow pad underneath for well, air flow...

Funny you mention earthcruiser. We actually designed our walkthrough bathroom before we even saw what EC had done, but it does make a lot of sense for multiple reasons.

Your thinking on solar pretty much aligns with ours. Newer flexible panels are much better and can even be walked on (carefully). They really are a "trickle charge" source for when you are boondocking and maybe not using the AC much. Nice to not have to run the vehicle if you don't want to though.

We are not ready to name the 24V alternator vendor, but it is one of the obvious choices. Non-trivial to get this to work correctly and we'll have more details in the next month or so.

Thanks again for the feedback. We have 7 units in our initial production run and many are sold already. You can reach out to us directly on our website for more details if you wish.

 

[skirunman]

For those that are interested here is some more info on our product launch.

https://rvbusiness.com/video-startup-aeonrv-enters-market-with-off-grid-class-c/

Exclusive: AEONrv Targets Class B+ Market with Silicon Valley Inspiration - RV PRO

The origins of AEONrv (pronounced “Ā-On”), a new start-up RV company based in Reno, Nev., began in disappointment but then took root in opportunity. The disappointment was CEO Jim Ritchie’s, who was living in Silicon Valley and pursuing his long-time career in computer technology when he and his...

rv-pro.com

 

[Steve_382]

I wonder if AEONrv had given any thought to using the E-350 long wheelbase SRW Cutaway model instead of the Transit. Either a Quigley 4x4 or UJoint 4x4 would be pretty nice under there. Maybe they were worried how long Ford will keep producing these.

 

[Bigly]

Awesome camper and very well thought out. I too wish you could get one on the Econoline cutaway chassis with the 7.3L gas engine. I say that because I would rather have a true Off Road camper. The transit might do some bumpier dirt roads but we do more than that in our Sportsmobile. I am not saying a rock crawler but a U Joint or even Sportsmobile 4x4 system would be awesome under one of these. The Transit AWD is just that - AWD. With the 10 speed tranny it might have a pretty good low end but not really 4x4 like you may need. Mild stuff would be OK with this and wifey says we will not be taking the SMB on rough stuff anymore.

I hear through some grapevines that Quigley is going to roll out a very aggressive 4x4 system for the Transit next year which would maybe change my mind. This is a really good design but you need to look at the gray water drain as you need to have a way to aim it to the side rather than the rear. Maybe a 90* pipe with a possible step down to a faucet connector. Lots of places have areas you can dump but you'll miss the target with your current setup. The hose connection in case you need to run a short length of hose to get the discharge where you want it. Happens.

Good luck with all this. Wish I had the available funds but I know the Minister of Finance will not approve this purchase.

 

[jamesk]

Finally, someone brave enough built the exact rig I've dreamed about.

Is financing available?

 

[skirunman]

We did consider the E-350 cutaway chassis fairly extensively, but we much preferred the more modern engine and design of the Transit. For our designated use cases we think the Ford AWD system with the LSD works awesome, especially in "mud & rut" mode with the larger BFG KO2 tires, 2" lift kit and the Falcon tuned shocks. A van with a 9.5k GVWR is likely not going to be a true rock crawler, but we have taken it into some pretty gnarly places, much more than just fire roads or snow to your local ski area. We will post more video in the future, but here is a teaser.

 

[skirunman]

Thanks for the feedback on the gray water. There are 2 ways to dump the gray water. There is a normal hose bib connection so you can drain it with a hose and direct the water anywhere you want. The 2" connection is also threaded so you could easily add on a 90 degree pipe if you wanted. We have not had any issues draining it as currently designed. Thanks again for the feedback.

 

[skirunman]

Finally, someone brave enough built the exact rig I've dreamed about.

Is financing available?

Reach out to us at sales@aeonrv.com and we'll help you out.

 

[skirunman]

 

[Littlehouse]

I wonder if AEONrv had given any thought to using the E-350 long wheelbase SRW Cutaway model instead of the Transit. Either a Quigley 4x4 or UJoint 4x4 would be pretty nice under there. Maybe they were worried how long Ford will keep producing these.


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I think this would be amazing with a totalcomposites box on the back. Would be a great collab with UJoint for the suspension.

 

[rruff]

I think this would be amazing with a totalcomposites box on the back. Would be a great collab with UJoint for the suspension.

It would require a subframe which makes things more complicated and expensive. That's one consideration anyway...

 

[simple]

I also figured with a name like Aeon that the current platform is for getting production started with a plan to then transition to the electric transit next year.

 

[skirunman]

2 former Silicon Valley executives are creating an off-grid, off-road capable $194,500 Ford Transit RV camper van — see inside

Aeonrv is the midpoint between a camper van and an overlander. The interior has a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and dinette, accommodating four people.

www.businessinsider.com

 

[Steve_382]

Are there any pictures of the rear bumper yet?

 

[Alloy]

Hi,

I was not sure if it was OK to post here or not, but I did want to clear up any confusion.

I’m one of the co-founders of AEONrv. We still have not “officially” launched and our prototype is about 90% finished. It will have a custom bumper with hitch and recovery points. We are final stage manufacturer and Ford approved RV up fitter based in Reno, NV so will deliver fully warranty vehicles to our customers.

We wanted to get some initial customer feedback in person before launching hence why we were at Overland Expo but not yet promoting on our website or social media. We will be launching in the next couple of weeks with full specs on our website https://AEONrv.com

Thanks,
Jim Ritchie


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That back of the exposed transfer switch is an accident wating to happen so is 110V wiring in a compartment that's not protected.

It's a good idea to use different color wire for AC and DC cabling.