Carbon fiber is a very sturdy, yet lightweight material – something auto industry has started to acknowledge, with lots of new vehicles (especially high-end ones) being made from it. Global Caravan Technologies (GCT), a company based in Speedway, Indiana, is the first to use carbon fiber in the manufacturing of an RV’s monocoque chassis and body – a prototype called CR-1.
Founded in the summer of 2013, GCT is a young company and so far seems to be alone in its particular niche. According to its CEO, Charles Hoefer, the production model of the CR-1 will be unveiled this autumn, with sales beginning in the first quarter of 2015. The CR-1 will have a base weight of about 6,000 pounds, about half as much as other RVs of this size – something which can only be good when it comes to the vehicle’s fuel economy.
In addition to the high-end material used for its construction, the CR-1 also features full-height closets, a walk-through master bath, 700-watt solar system, integrated generator, adjustable-tint privacy glass, run-flat tires, and system controls via iOS, Android or PC. As expected, all of this comes with quite a hefty price tag, too. Starting at $170,000, the price for a fully customized model can go as high as a staggering $770,000.
