New Roadtrek 'Zion'-----promaster

[gerrym51]

here is the new zion


Roadtrek Zion

[avanti]

mumkin wrote:
As to the fridge... that means that it is always 12v and if you plug into 110 then the converter/inverter is merely re-charging the batteries as you draw?

That's the way it should work. What they actually did, who knows?

[gerrym51]

mumkin wrote:
My bad... I'm looking at a dim printout and didn't pay attention to the fact that 2 6v AGMs is an option.

In the chassis section it says

Battery 800 amp (I thought it meant the starter battery)

I haven't a clue what that means.

(I got an emailed copy of the brochure)

As to the fridge... that means that it is always 12v and if you plug into 110 then the converter/inverter is merely re-charging the batteries as you draw?

mumkin-several things on that brochure are either missing or incorrect. usually in roadtreks other brochures the line above says 2 agm batterys(standard) then the next line underneath says 2 agm batteries optional.


most roadtreks(at least sprinter models) have used 12 volt compressor refigerators for several years. they only draw 3-4 amps per hour and are very efficient.Novakool,engle,Norcold all make them. you could lok at their sites. they started out being used on boats and have migrated to small rv;s.

since they are 12 volt they run directly off the batteries just like any other 12 volt devices. suburban furnace-water heater etc.

they do not need the inverter.

it does appear that instead of using an inverter/charger on this model they are going the converter that charges and a separate inverter. i have found that sometimes roadtrek mmesses up their info. i would not make any definate conclusions until they actually put it on their site and have additional/corrected info

i think the 800 amps battery in the chassis section is an error also.

they also don't mention the fantastic fan/tv antenna but i saw the fantastic fan on the video

[mumkin]

My bad... I'm looking at a dim printout and didn't pay attention to the fact that 2 6v AGMs is an option.

In the chassis section it says

Battery 800 amp (I thought it meant the starter battery)

I haven't a clue what that means.

(I got an emailed copy of the brochure)

As to the fridge... that means that it is always 12v and if you plug into 110 then the converter/inverter is merely re-charging the batteries as you draw?

[Davydd]

Roadtrek has a couple of objectives. One is to compete at a price point with other Promasters which might mean standard AGM batteries as a base. If 200 ah at 12v output that would be adequate as it competes with all one battery 100 ah Bs and the extra battery compensates for the 12v compressor refrigerator even if there is no solar. Secondly, they are still testing their lithium ion battery systems but they assuredly hinted in their video their Etreknology would extend to the Zion. Their lithium ion battery system is not going to be a simple pull out the AGM and drop a LiFefPO4 in.

[gerrym51]

I looked at the brochure-the battery listing is the extra 2 battery option. i think the 2 that come with it was misprinted

[avanti]

wincrasher65 wrote:
Surely it's also 110v. Most of them are.

Not really. 12VDC compressor refrigerators are DC-native (at least the ones with Danfoss compressors are). The ones that also accept 120VAC simply come with little built-in power-brick power supplies. You do not want to run this way in an RV. When you are plugged in, your converter will do the DC conversion, and when you are running from battery, you would be converting from DC to AC and back again.

[gerrym51]

wincrasher65 wrote:
Surely it's also 110v. Most of them are.

whats 110 volt? the fridge is 12volt- Avanti said it better than I.

[wincrasher65]

Surely it's also 110v. Most of them are.

[gerrym51]

I found the brochure at vancity. i think the 2 6 volt batteries are extra options because the inverter/converte says 3000 watts.

you should look yourself


i think the main battery pack is listed under chassis-the features has the optional extra batteries

[avanti]

mumkin wrote:
The 5cf fridge is only 12v?? (is that enough battery for this on the road?)

If the fridge is 12V only, it is almost certainly a compressor fridge. They take MUCH less power than an absorption refrigerator running at 12VDC. The industry is rapidly going in this direction--they are great.

[gerrym51]

wincrasher65 wrote:
If that is the case, then more roadtrek shenanigans on battery capacity claims - their 400 ah claim must be 6 volts, so it's more like 200 ah on 12v. If it's lipo, then 80% of that is useable capacity, if it's AGM, then 50%. So I'd agree that this van doesn't have enough battery capacity for my liking.

jim hammill answered on facebook 400 amp hours at 12 volts-but that was the model they were showing.

there are several different electrical configurations on roadtreks.

some of these are options.

we need a brochure to look at

[wincrasher65]

If that is the case, then more roadtrek shenanigans on battery capacity claims - their 400 ah claim must be 6 volts, so it's more like 200 ah on 12v. If it's lipo, then 80% of that is useable capacity, if it's AGM, then 50%. So I'd agree that this van doesn't have enough battery capacity for my liking.

The pictures we saw earlier sure looked like lipo's, so I had hopes they were talking 400 ah at 12v. Maybe the base is 2, 6 volt AGM's and there is an upgrade to lithiums.

[gerrym51]

mumkin wrote:
Got my hands on the brochure info...

The tank sizes are pretty decent

35 Fresh
19 Black
20 Gray

2 6v AGM batteries

The 5cf fridge is only 12v?? (is that enough battery for this on the road?)

Water Heater is only propane (?)

mumkin 12 volt compressor fridges use very low amps(4 dc amps) it is not the same as a 3 way on 12 volt-which is heating a boiler.

by the way where did you get brochure thanks

[mumkin]

Got my hands on the brochure info...

The tank sizes are pretty decent

35 Fresh
19 Black
20 Gray

2 6v AGM batteries

The 5cf fridge is only 12v?? (is that enough battery for this on the road?)

Water Heater is only propane (?)

[wincrasher65]

I was thinking that since they had gone to the expense of making the advertising materials, they must have the inside track on what RAM is doing in North America.

My theory is since they had just tooled the new plant in Mexico to build the Promaster, that North America would be one design cycle behind Europe - that it might be 2 or 3 years before we got the new bits. But maybe I'm wrong. If it's not much more than the front clip and lights, then it's just a parts swap out. So maybe we're getting a mid-cycle upgrade like Mercedes did with the Sprinter.