RT ss Agile generator or alternator with 2500 watt inverter?

tatest wrote:
I was just looking at the RT line, did not see an all-electric option on the Agile.

The E-Trek has the capability to run everything through its large inverter, leaving the diesel engine running as a power source for heavy loads like A/C. Battery bank is big enough for short term use of other heavy loads like microwave, running the engine remains as backup. It is an interesting idea just now, because truckers used to do this all the time, but several jurisdictions have outlawed extended idling, forcing carriers to install auxilary gensets. But for now, private vehicles may be exempt for rules that try to make truckers more environmentally responsible, whether the choices are better or not.

There's an all electric option for some Chevy models, more battery, bigger alternators, and a large inverter, and there is an all electric entry level model operating at 1250w, neither will run A/C long, the smaller one not at all.

I couldn't find a similar option for the Agile, but maybe it is just not in the brochures yet. What it would have to be would be E-trek in Agile size, maybe not as many batteries, depending on whether or not they can be fit and the weight carried by a smaller Sprinter.

It was quoted to my buddy in the Agile but with just 2 batteries. I think it's a pretty good option for him as he would rarely use the generator.

Try running your engine around here for more than 3 minutes and you can be cited by strata for noise violations. Using the car engine to power coach systems seems a lame alternative unless you can do it at no expense to engine wear and tear and your nerves plus are allowed to which isnt the case unless you are in the middle of a huge Walmart parking lot with no one around. I dont get it. Seems to be a non-solution to a problem which didnt exist in the first place. Nothing wrong with a generator IF you can run it.

I don't think the engine generator would be used any different than using the Onan. Is the Sprinter at fast idle louder than the Onan?
With the modern gas, and Diesel engines I really don't think 45 minutes of idling is a problem as far as engine wear is concerned. It does burn gas, and cause pollution, but so does running the generator. I know the Sprinter needs to be driven at higher speeds after idling, or extended urban driving to clean out the DEF filter, but other than that I don't see a problem.
The owners on the Rt FB page, who have the conversion, all seem pretty happy with the performance. I don't know enough about it to form an opinion, so I can't criticize, or applaud it.

I can see one use for the engine generator, and that is when on the road, all electrical appliances are usable, so the roof A/C can be used, or maybe one can pull over and run the microwave. Even then, it isn't a bad idea to run the onboard generator just for upkeep reasons.

Time will tell about how well this works. Because of the new EPA regs, the new engineering around DEF and DPF is relatively new. Maybe if there were a way to trigger a DPF regen cycle manually when one knows they will be at highway speeds for a bit, it might help things.

If given the option, I'd take the engine generator even if the rig had another genset onboard, just for the flexibility.

A motorhome drawing electrical power from a battery bank, solar chargers, and a big engine-driven alternator would be my preference, avoiding the weight and maintenance issues of a separate genset, and hopefully, eliminating the LPG fueled systems. I know gas engines handle the task fairly well, they've been dealing with similar light loads for years, running air conditioning in urban traffic. Diesel has recently gotten more complicated with emissions control add-ons.

Limitations are really just cost, how much more will the consumer pay? There is a weight issue for the batteries, but that can be overcome with lithium technologies, which brings us right back to cost. Big alternators aren't that much more expensive, but batteries, clean inverters, and solar charging are, and a sub 3KW genset powered by a small, primitive air-cooled engine is relatively cheap, and compared to lead-acid batteries, lightweight.

The premium on the E-trek is what, about $10K? Which model do we compare it with?

The closest model I can compare the E-trek with is one of Sportsmobile offerings (the only Sprinter model they show off on YouTube). It definitely doesn't have the sizzle the E-trek does, but it has a diesel stove (the diesel combustion intake and exhaust is blown to the outside like the furnace so no fumes inside), a diesel flat plate water heater, a hydronic heater, and a Powertech diesel generator. Both get the same results, and both are pretty close in price, although the lithium-ion batteries would make the E-Trek more expensive.