On the Road July 2027
When we first introduced the Skyloft Van, our goal was to create something that didn’t really exist: a true four-season expedition vehicle with the capability and self-sufficiency to travel far beyond the pavement, without requiring the size, weight and compromises of a traditional expedition truck.
Since then, we’ve built, tested, traveled in, delivered, and supported Skyloft Vans across thousands of miles and a wide range of environments. Along the way, we’ve learned a great deal about what works exceptionally well—and where an already capable platform could be made even better.
The result is the Gen 2 Skyloft Van.
Gen 2 isn’t a reinvention of the Skyloft Van. The fundamentals that define the vehicle remain: a lightweight Mercedes-Benz Sprinter platform, our hard-sided climate-controlled Skyloft, handcrafted interior, serious four-season systems, and the ability to travel comfortably and independently for extended periods.
Instead, Gen 2 represents the continued refinement of that idea.
Nearly every major system has been revisited, with an emphasis on greater reliability, simpler operation, increased capability, reduced maintenance, and a more refined experience throughout the vehicle.
A New Generation of the Skyloft
The most recognizable feature of the vehicle has undergone one of its most significant evolutions.
The Gen 2 Skyloft uses an entirely new, one-piece shell, creating a cleaner, stronger, lighter, and more refined structure while reducing maintenance requirements over the life of the vehicle.
Inside, the redesigned Skyloft accommodates a thicker mattress and more bedding, making it an even more comfortable place to sleep night after night. Increased solar capacity expands the vehicle’s ability to capture energy while maintaining the clean, integrated design of the rooftop.
The result is a Skyloft that is lighter, simpler, and more refined while improving the experience that made the original so distinctive: climbing upstairs at the end of the day to a quiet, secure, climate-controlled bedroom with a view.
A Streamlined Ecosystem for More Intuitive Control
Modern expedition vehicles contain an enormous amount of technology. The challenge isn’t simply adding more of it—it’s making that technology intuitive, reliable and easy to live with.
For Gen 2, Redtail worked directly with Garmin to develop and customize a control interface specifically around the Skyloft Van, its systems and the way our owners actually use them.
The result is one streamlined ecosystem with a single, intuitive dashboard. Vehicle systems can be controlled from integrated touchscreens in both the main cabin and Skyloft, or through the same familiar interface on your phone or tablet. Whether you’re inside the van, sitting by the campfire or checking in remotely, the experience looks and works the same.
A major Gen 2 advancement is bringing the HVAC system—including heat, air conditioning and ventilation fans—into this central ecosystem. Systems that previously required separate controls now communicate through a unified platform. By reducing the number of independent modules, interfaces and connections, we’ve also reduced complexity and potential points of failure, creating a simpler, more robust and reliable system.
Lighting control has been expanded as well, including greater control of RGB lighting throughout the vehicle. With integrated Starlink, owners can also monitor and control key systems remotely from virtually anywhere in the world. That connectivity gives the Redtail team additional tools to remotely diagnose issues and provide technical support, even when an owner may be hundreds or thousands of miles from our Colorado shop.
Perhaps most noticeably, functionality that previously required navigating as many as seven different apps has been consolidated into one central ecosystem. The goal is simple: you shouldn’t have to remember how to operate your van. Controls should feel obvious, consistent and intuitive.
It’s a significant technological upgrade designed to make the technology itself fade into the background—and the experience of using the Skyloft Van that much simpler.
More Power. Faster, Smarter Charging.
Gen 2 receives a substantially upgraded electrical system, designed not simply around how much energy the Skyloft Van can store, but how efficiently it can generate, use and replenish it.
The new system can provide meaningful charging power at normal engine idle, allowing owners to replenish the battery bank without relying on the significantly louder high-idle operation required by many systems. High idle remains available when maximum charging speed is desired, but it’s no longer required for effective charging.
We’ve also introduced redundancy with two charging alternators rather than one. If either alternator becomes unavailable, the other can continue charging the system at reduced capacity—an important layer of resilience when traveling far from home.
Rather than simply adding more batteries, we focused on making the entire energy system work smarter. A larger battery bank only adds weight if you can’t efficiently replenish it. Faster charging, more efficient components and lower overall power consumption mean longer runtimes between charges without the weight and complexity of an unnecessarily oversized battery bank or expansive solar array.
The architecture itself has also been simplified and optimized for reliability and serviceability. Individual batteries can now be replaced independently if necessary rather than requiring replacement of the entire battery pack.
The result is a lighter, more efficient and more resilient power system: faster to replenish, more economical with the energy it stores, and easier to maintain over the life of the vehicle.
Twice the Climate-Control Capacity
True four-season capability has always been central to the Skyloft Van, and Gen 2 takes a major step forward in both climate-control performance and simplicity.
The redesigned air-conditioning system provides approximately twice the cooling capacity of the previous system while reducing overall complexity. The main cabin and Skyloft now operate as two fully independent climate zones, allowing each space to be conditioned according to how it’s actually being used. The Skyloft can stay cool and comfortable for sleeping while the main cabin is maintained at a different temperature—or either zone can operate independently when the other isn’t needed.
Climate control is fully integrated into the Gen 2 Garmin ecosystem, with the same intuitive controls available from the touchscreens in the main cabin and Skyloft or remotely from a phone or tablet.
For colder conditions, the hydronic system has also been refined for quieter operation and intelligent fuel-level sensing, improving both comfort and usability in true winter environments.
And because expedition capability also means being able to maintain the vehicle over the long term, key climate-system components have been intentionally positioned for easier access and service.
The result is significantly greater climate-control capability with fewer compromises: more powerful, more flexible, quieter and easier to live with in every season.
Suspension That Responds to the Terrain
A vehicle designed to cross highways, mountain passes, washboard roads and technical terrain shouldn’t have to be optimized for only one of them.
For Gen 2, the Skyloft Van features KW DDC (Dynamic Damping Control) adaptive suspension, an intelligent electronic suspension system that continuously responds to the vehicle, the driver and changing road conditions.
Seven body and wheel sensors gather vehicle data while integration with the Mercedes-Benz CAN-bus incorporates inputs including steering angle and braking. The system reads that data 1,000 times per second, continuously adjusting the electronically controlled dampers to suit what the vehicle is doing and the terrain beneath it.
The result is a suspension that can provide greater control and composure during long highway days, then adapt as conditions change when the pavement ends. Preconfigured driving settings can also be selected while underway, giving the driver additional control over suspension behavior.
The system includes approximately two inches of lift, adjustable front ride height and corrosion-resistant stainless-steel KW struts—all particularly well suited to a vehicle designed for year-round travel far beyond maintained roads.
Rather than asking one fixed suspension tune to handle every environment, Gen 2 can continuously adapt its damping to the journey.
More Useful Storage
Some of the most meaningful improvements to an expedition vehicle aren’t necessarily the most technologically complicated.
The Gen 2 garage gains additional depth and increased storage capacity, creating more usable room for the equipment that accompanies extended travel.
We’ve also redesigned the rear-door storage concept to provide significantly more flexibility. The spare tire and storage box can now be positioned on the driver’s-side rear door, leaving the passenger side available for different equipment configurations such as vertical bike storage, ski storage, and other accessory systems. Rather than dictating one configuration, the new system allows the rear of the vehicle to better adapt to the way each owner travels.
Smarter Water Management
We’ve relocated exterior water functions into a dedicated exterior shower and water-fill compartment.
This seemingly simple change means owners can access these frequently used systems without opening the rear garage.
Whether rinsing equipment, using the exterior shower, or filling the water system, the process is quicker and more convenient—and the garage and its contents can remain closed and protected.
The interior shower system has also been revised with an improved pump and drainage design, allowing the shower pan to drain more efficiently.
A Better Awning
Gen 2 introduces a completely new awning system designed around greater reliability, smarter operation and a better experience at camp.
Unlike conventional awnings that are spring-loaded toward the open position, the new direct-drive system is spring-loaded closed. That means if the drive mechanism ever fails, the awning is designed to remain safely retracted rather than extending unexpectedly. The direct-drive design also helps prevent the awning from becoming stuck closed after long periods of storage—a common frustration with traditional systems.
A new hardwired wind sensor eliminates batteries and automatically retracts the awning when wind conditions exceed the selected threshold. Wind sensitivity can be adjusted directly through the Skyloft Van’s Garmin control system, giving owners more control based on conditions and how the awning is being used.
We’ve also integrated warm-white COB lighting into the awning, providing soft, even illumination for the outdoor living space without the need for separate campsite lighting.
It’s another example of the philosophy behind Gen 2: simplify where possible, eliminate potential points of failure, and make the systems owners use every day work better in the real world.
Refined Inside and Out
Not every Gen 2 improvement is hidden within a major mechanical system. Refinements throughout the Skyloft Van improve comfort, functionality and design—inside and out.
In the cab, an upgraded MB Quart audio system engineered and tuned specifically for the Sprinter delivers a significantly improved listening experience during long days on the road. A new insulated privacy curtain quickly separates the cab from the living space when parked, providing both privacy and an additional thermal barrier between the cabin and the expansive windshield glass.
Inside, the bathroom now incorporates a window, bringing natural light into a space that previously had none. And white oak joins our available wood species, opening up an entirely new palette for customers drawn to a lighter, more contemporary interior.
Outside, Gen 2 features a refreshed version of our Redtail-designed front bumper and an all-new Redtail rear bumper, giving the vehicle a more cohesive, distinctive appearance while adding protection and improved functionality appropriate for an expedition platform.
Throughout the vehicle, we’ve made dozens of additional refinements—some immediately noticeable, others deliberately subtle—all with the goal of improving function, aesthetics and the overall experience of living with the Skyloft Van.
Taken together, these details make Gen 2 feel more considered, more cohesive and more refined from every angle.