Is My Fishing Lifestyle Ready for an All-Electric RV?

We’re taking a 30-day, 1,600-mile road trip to test whether electric RV life can support a fishing and outdoor lifestyle.

We’re living in an all-electric RV for 30 days to see if electric camper life can truly support a fishing-first outdoor lifestyle. | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

Electric vehicles are no longer the novelty they were just a few years ago, but how do they fit into the fishing, camping, and outdoor world? Is it possible to live full-time in an all-electric RV while pursuing outdoor passions? To find out, my wife and I are committing to a 30-day road trip, covering over 1,600 miles while we fish, camp, sightsee and vacation our way around Florida in a 24-foot all-electric camper van from Detroit-based Grounded.

This article will serve as the introduction to the rig that will make our trip possible: the Grounded G3 camper van. Over the next month, and through a series of stories to follow, we’ll see how EV charging, solar power, daily living, and outdoor access all hold up in a real-world test.

Before we hit the road, I filmed a quick walk-through of the all-electric RV we’ll be living in for the next 30 days. This video give you a good look at the layout and which elements caught my eye right away.

The Grounded G3 Feels Like a Small Apartment on Wheels

The inside of the vehicle reminded me of a small modern apartment. | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

Let’s start with the living quarters. First impression is that it feels like a modern, compact, apartment on wheels. The aesthetic is clean and sleek with a feeling of higher-quality materials than I’ve come to expect in an average RV.

Everything you’d hope to find in a small apartment is present. The galley kitchen includes a sink, a refrigerator with small freezer on one side of the vehicle, and an induction stovetop and multi-purpose microwave, air fryer, convection oven unit on the opposite side. There is a good amount of countertop space finished in an attractive white and gray marble-ish material.

The back half of the van is dedicated to the living room/dining room. There are long couches on either side of the van with a large, adjustable tabletop between them. And I do mean long couches. Each one could seat four adults pretty comfortably. While the spaciousness initially seems like a plus, I can’t help but wonder if I’ll end up wishing some of that space was instead used for storage. We’ll see.

Here's a look from the cab, down the hall, to the living area. | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

That whole seating area can convert into a queen size bed, but there is also a queen size bed on a lift system suspended just above it. The dining table is retractable so that the lifted bed can be lowered for sleeping. But if you lowered that bed half way down, you could potentially sleep four adults with room to spare—two on the converted couches and two on the lift bed (as long as the two on the top are fairly athletic and able to climb the kitchen counters to get into bed).

But since the RV only has two seat-belted seats for travel, I’m wondering where these extra sleeping guests are coming from. For now, we’ll keep an open mind and see how we end up using the space.

There are many deep drawers, a medium-sized wardrobe/closet, a couple big pull-out spice rack-style drawers, and several overhead compartments. Also, while many of the electric works of the vehicle are under those two large couches, there is still a good amount of storage available there. And opening the back door of the vehicle reveals a large, pull-out, shallow storage area under the floor of the dining area. Overall, there seems to be a fair amount of storage for a van this size.

For a van this size, it's nice to have access to a shower and toilet. | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

There’s even a wet bath with a toilet and shower toward the front on the RV. As is often a theme in my writing, I’m a bigger than average guy, so this shower definitely looks pretty compact to me. I’ll likely be using the facilities at the campgrounds whenever possible. But just having the option of a shower on board is pretty luxurious when you’ve spent all day fishing or hiking and just need to remove some sunscreen, bug spray or sweat.

Old-School Utility Meets New-World Electric Tech

The sliding doors aren't exactly luxurious, but they are very functional and can be convenient. | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

In the front cab, the vehicle’s…utility heritage, I’ll call it… is pretty obvious. The wide cab design, sliding pocket doors with heavy-duty door latch/handles, and infinitely deep, recessed dashboard, give distinct delivery-truck vibes—but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The spaces in the large dash provide substantial storage, perfect for gear that you access frequently like sunglasses, a flashlight, an iPad, a lap blanket, or even an extra pair of shoes. The large sliding pocket doors make that distinctive, industrial, metal, rolling, latching sound we’ve all come to associate with a package being delivered to our front door, but they do provide unblocked entry and exit, even if another vehicle has parked right next to you. And the front windshield is huge—panoramic, really. It is a great place to sit and watch the beauty of nature as you’re traveling.

The Grounded G3 is that perfect size that offers enough room to live comfortably, but it's small enough to maneuver in traffic and park in most lots. | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

The Grounded G3 is roughly 10 feet tall and just over 24 feet long. There is also a 20-foot version available. Weather and terrain will have some effect, but real-world range for this EV is estimated at over 270 miles per charge.

Grounded has replaced the original roller-style rear door with a conventional hinged model allowing better insulation and a rear window. | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

Grounded replaces the Brightdrop’s original roll-up-style rear door with a more traditional hinged setup, improving insulation while adding a rear window. There are solar panels on the roof, with 1,000 watts of power to feed the house battery, keeping appliances like the refrigerator, stove, water heater, space heater, AC, Starlink and more, running and ready. All-wheel drive brings a bit of confidence on unpaved roads but relatively low ground clearance means you need to be realistic about how far off the highway you try to go. It isn’t a true off-roader, but it does feel stable, nimble, and very capable for active outdoor use.

The Grounded RV app allows you to take care of vehicle functions from your phone. | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

And Grounded has developed a phone app that allows you control and monitor everything, from lights to appliances to battery levels, from anywhere in the world.

Grounded’s Modular Approach Allows Custom Builds

And while I may have expressed questions and concerns about a few of the configuration choices in this vehicle, it’s important to note that this is just a sample RV. Grounded has developed a modular system which allows each owner to tailor the layout specifically to their needs. Plus, because it’s modular, Grounded can produce a fully-customized vehicle in an incredibly short amount of time.

The Real Test Begins Now

Now we'll get behind the wheel, log some miles, do some fishing, and see if this all-electric vehicle is a good match for the way I live. | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

Over the next 30 days, my wife and I will determine how this all-electric camper van handles real life on the road and in the outdoors. In coming articles we’ll share what it takes to plan a fishing and outdoors focused road trip in an all-electric RV, how we managed charging this vehicle between fishing destinations, and our honest impressions, reviews and recommendations for all of it. From campgrounds to local dinner spots to long travel days, is this all-electric RV ready for this fisherman’s outdoor lifestyle?