one of The greatest joy of camping is silence. There’s nothing worse than going out into the wilderness, far from society, and hearing someone operating a loud, smelly gas generator in their campsite.
California-based Pebble, which is building a new travel trailer, hopes electric RVs can bring some serenity to glamping life.
that gravel flow It is a travel trailer with a large battery mounted on the floor. You can run lights, showers, heating, air conditioning, and anything else you need to use power in the woods. The battery also provides Tow Assist, so when towing on the road the Flow provides its own extra thrust, taking the strain off the vehicle you use to haul your camper.
Pebble first announced Flow in 2023, but didn’t reveal all the features it plans to put in the camper until today. In a CES week announcement, Pebble said it will assemble and ship its first camper in the first half of 2025. It’s available for pre-order now and is priced starting at $109,000, but can go up to $135,500 if you want. Control features with the companion mobile app.
in the flow
The Flow has the same aesthetic as many current model EVs, with large windows and gently curved features aimed at making it more aerodynamic. It looks like a futuristic luxury spaceship or a really big, flashy toaster, depending on how romantic you want it to be. CEO Yang Binrui is very romantic about this. He chose the name Pebble for his company because naturally occurring smooth stones tend to bring joy to people, and he wanted his electric camper to foster that same sense of tranquility.
I got a chance to wander the tight confines of the Pebble Flow demo unit at Pebble headquarters in Fremont, California. If you enjoy RVing, you can fit just about anything you want. Inside, there is a kitchen equipped with an induction stove, convection oven, sink, microwave, and refrigerator. The cabinets have plenty of storage space and feature a hidden hatch in the bottom for even more storage space. Most windows are open to allow for good ventilation. In the back is a queen-sized Murphy bed that slides into the wall to create space. The dining table can be separated into a second bed at the opposite end of the trailer. The bathroom and shower are centrally located in the floor plan. Although a glass wall separates it from the rest of the interior, anyone in the bathroom can electronically frost the glass at the push of a button if they need to relieve themselves privately.
To the experienced RV enthusiast, all of this probably seems like standard fare for a trailer costing over $100,000. Well, you’re right. But what Pebble hopes is that additional features like EV will make the Flow special.
The Flow is powered by a 45 kWh lithium-ion battery built into the floor of the camper. This is slightly smaller than the batteries inside small EVs currently on the market, and about half the size of the automotive industry’s largest EV batteries. Pebble says the battery can power internal systems for up to seven days on a full charge. A set of 1kW solar panels built into the roof can recharge the battery on the go, with regenerative charging kicking in while in tow. It also features vehicle-to-load technology, so you can connect it to Flow and use it as a backup power source or EV charger.
The Pebble Flow is not an E-RV in the sense that it can actually function as a vehicle in its own right. Towing anywhere requires another piece of equipment. Pebble says towing with a hybrid or gas engine vehicle will get you further, but you can also tow with any other EV. The 25-foot trailer weighs 6,200 pounds with all options, so you’ll need some muscle to move it. The Pebble website shows a Cybertruck towing the Flow. (While I was at the company headquarters, I spotted a matte black Cybertruck in the parking lot. It belonged to Pebble’s CTO, who I talked to a lot about while I was there.)
Electric Traction Assist can be turned on when Flow is in motion. The motor provides a decent amount of thrust behind the actual vehicle, but while it’s powerful enough to get the Flow rolling a bit using a smartphone app, it only moves about a mile per hour on its own. It’s close enough to spin in a very slow circle, but not close enough to go down the block. This feature allows you to move the trailer into place at your campsite without having to push or tow it with your car. Unlock Flow, grab your iPad, and steer it to the perfect spot like a giant, slow RC car. As you can imagine, using tow assist mode or driving around a campsite will definitely reduce the battery life of your trailer for actual camping activities.
Pebble has a feature called Magic Hitch (it’s not actually magic) that lets you connect the Flow to your tow vehicle’s trailer hitch using an app. Use the on-screen controls to connect, and when Flow gets close enough, hold down the button and the hitch will use the attached camera to find the exact spot to connect. Another feature called InstaCamp allows you to park your trailer on an uneven surface and then automatically level the camper with the push of a button.
