The Living Vehicle – Going Off-Grid (in a Luxurious But Sustainable Way)

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, many Americans are leaving cities to be in nature to live as eco-friendly as possible. The funky recreation trailer of yesteryear has been transformed into an off-grid luxurious trailer, the Living Vehicle (LV) by Matthew and Joanna Hofman.

Auto Futures talks with architect and mobile space expert Matthew Hofmann, CEO of Living Vehicle.

The problem with typical recreational vehicles or even trailers such as Airstream trailers is that they’re not designed for living through all seasons, says Hofman who for many years rebuilt interiors mostly on Airstream trailers. He also started the Santa Barbara Autocamp Hotel where travellers stayed in refurbished Airstream trailers. Matthew and Joanna Hofman (CMO) co-founded Living Vehicles in 2017.

“We give you the opportunity to design and customise the Living Vehicle itself. How you see it. Living Vehicle is all about creating a great combination. Option packages are based on who you are as a person,” says Hofman about the twenty different packages.

Closer to Nature

Living Vehicle enables four-season use and is extremely eco-efficient. Hofman says that the batteries and other utilities are insulated allowing for year-round use. The Living Vehicle has been tested in very hot weather and as low as six degrees Fahrenheit (- 14 C).

“We have a dynamic part of the market for people living in the LV full time. Some are telecommuting and they choose to live where it is nice with nature. We have an entire community in Napa. Sadly, people who lost their homes to the fires are living in Living Vehicles. We have families of five who are living in LVs that can sleep up to six,” says Hofman.

“It’s for people who want to spend an extended amount of time on the land. The latest model will power a washer dryer and even recharge a Tesla Model 3,” says Hofman.

In fact, partnering with Volta Energy, Living Vehicle offers up to 3,080 watts of solar and 47,600 watt-hours of energy storage. It can enable electric vehicle charging at rates up 44 miles per hour using optional 240-volt exportable power.

Now with the 2021 model, there is also an extendable solar array on the extending shade structure. For towing the LV, there is an alternator that can generate 48 volts.

Living the Dream

The Hofmans have lived in their LVs on and off. They work personally with all customers to know their customers’ expectations and make sure the Living Vehicle is the right fit.

When you’re dealing with a small environment, every little design feature is important, says Hofman. “We are a luxury company. We get to know our customers and we know  our customers by name. We listen to what our customers want and give it to them.”

The design of Living Vehicle is adroitly shown in extensive videos including inside and outside tours. It seems like the Hofmans have thought of everything.

Viewers can see the dining nook with comfy cushions transformed into a lounge area for viewing the big screen TV or meditating. The tabletop is removed, a tray slides out and then the tabletop gets put into the tray and all the cushions make a queen-sized bed. Living Vehicles can be outfitted with a mobile office in which the desk folds down, the monitors and keyboard stay put on the desktop as it folds down into a bed.

The couple stand in the walnut-wooded spa shower to show how roomy it is. Joanna Hofman comments that the electric dishwasher is more efficient than if you washed the dishes by hand. Her marketing and blog posts perpetuate both founders’ philosophy.

“We know we can’t control what happens around us but we can control the story we choose to write,” writes Joanna Hofman in a blog post.

It blurs the distinction between indoor and outdoor space.

For the kitchen, there’s a three-burner stove with an oven. The chef kitchen package offers instant hot water. The 13 cubic feet (368 Litre) large fridge has a special safety latch.

Other options include security cameras to view the family pet while on the trail, surround-view cameras for seeing around the trailer while driving and a communication package that will be updatable to Starlink by SpaceX for satellite internet connections. The LV has 100-gallon (378 Litre) water and sewage tanks. Hofman is testing incinerator toilets for future models.

Prospective buyers are encouraged to visit the Living Vehicle Santa Barbara, California gallery. During their visit, the company provides an hotel stay.

Hofman is influenced by growing up in Mammoth Lakes, California where bears are commonplace as well as having a deep connection to the outdoors. The trailer sits high so it would be difficult for bears to see what is inside and a break-in. A panoramic glass door opens out to the extension patio platform to create a feeling of being outside.

Hofman sums it up this way, “What’s so great about the Living Vehicle is it’s a connection with nature. It blurs the distinction between indoor and outdoor space.”