BougeRV's DuneRover remote-controlled wagon is silly but capable, review finds

The Verge said it requested the DuneRover expecting to criticize it, but found the wagon had enough torque to flatten hills even when carrying more than 200 pounds of gear. It can also cross soft sand that defeats conventional wagons, the review said.

The DuneRover uses two brushless geared motors, each producing up to 400W of output and up to 33Nm of torque. The wagon is activated by a trigger in the handle that a user presses naturally while pulling. Walking faster makes the wagon roll faster. Releasing the trigger stops the wagon, even on an incline, though the review said the wagon sometimes lurched forward on the initial pull before settling into the user's walking rhythm.

Pulling an oversized load weighing more than 200 pounds up a 10 percent grade required only a modicum of effort, about a tenth of what it would have taken without motor assist, according to The Verge. Repeated stopping and starting on slopes sometimes confused the DuneRover, occasionally making the motors jerky when the user started walking again; turning the wagon off and on resumed normal operation. Downhill with a heavy load, the motors regulated speed and maintained the user's walking pace when the trigger was held, and the wagon stopped when the user stopped.

The motors were not powerful enough to haul the same load through soft sand. The oversized beach wheels performed much better in sand with about half that load, and The Verge said they should be excellent for families carrying a cooler, snacks, beach umbrella, toddler, and toys for a day at the beach.

The review said the DuneRover easily transformed for different hauling needs. Its sides can be unzipped and folded flat to convert the wagon into a cart for oversized items or a senior dog. The sides can also be unzipped while leaving the straps connected to create more volume inside. The Verge used this configuration often and advised bringing bungee cords or cargo nets to keep items secure.

The Verge criticized some of the wagon's gimmicks. LED light bars on the back are on by default and can be useful at a campsite after dark, but they must be turned off through the app every time the wagon is restarted. The review said the default for a battery-powered device used primarily during the day should be off. It also described the remote control as absurd but fun, drawing joyful pointing from onlookers during testing. The reviewer speculated that the wireless remote was chosen over routing a cable through the wagon's folding mechanisms, after which someone in marketing suggested the remote-controlled feature.

The prototype suffered from intermittent rolling resistance when the motor was off. The wagon would roll fine for five or six feet, but wheels attached to the motors would brake, drag along the ground, and release after a second or two. BougeRV assured The Verge that production wagons would not exhibit this. The reviewer left the motor on throughout testing even when it was not needed, and the 82.14Wh battery was more than up to the challenge.

The Verge framed the review as a risk assessment for people considering backing the Kickstarter. Early-bird pricing is $467, a claimed 48 percent discount off the eventual $899 list price. The review noted that $500 is not outlandish for a wagon, with prices starting around $40 for a rickety model that lasts a few months, $300 for a durable wagon from a reputable brand, and closer to $800 at the top end, none of which provides motorized assist.

The review also said the wagon was used to move gear out of a beach house along the same route where The Verge tested BougeRV's original electric wagon. It was pulled six times along a path with a 5 percent grade on one end and a 10 percent grade on the other.