When your dad is a former Disney Imagineer and current chief creative officer of tech firm Applied Minds, you better expect the single craziest RV ever when he decides to build one. Bran Ferren designed the KiraVan to be able to take him on some epic road trips with his daughter, and it’s closer to completion than ever.
It’s taken five years to get this far, and the progress will be highlighted on tonight’s episode of the Travel Channel’s Extreme RVs. There’s a lot to cover: The 51,700-pound vehicle has several computers, lots of navigation systems, a variety of protection and security features, and emergency and medical equipment. No wonder the cockpit is jampacked.
The trailer is more Ferren’s daughter’s domain. “The intent has been to make this expedition vehicle more ‘kid friendly’ and give Kira places to work, play, interact (often remotely) with her friends, and do her own personal research and discovery,” according to the description of the KiraVan.
In addition to the bathroom and kitchen, there’s an office and dining area. There are also two sleeping areas. The kitchen is equipped with a refrigerator, freezer, convection oven, microwave oven, induction and infrared cooktops, sink, fold-out cooking surfaces, and storage. The entire trailer works with the tractor but can also operate independently.
Last year, Ferren told Wired that the vehicle, which is equipped with Kevlar reinforced tires and can apparently traverse a 45-degree slope, was nearly done. Now that it’s making its debut at the SEMA show in Las Vegas, he admits it’s still not finished. His daughter, Kira, is five now, so he still has quite a few years to finish before she becomes a tween and decides traveling in her dad’s super RV is, like, so not cool.
The Extreme RVs episode airs tonight on the Travel Channel at 8/7 c.
