Roadtrek CS owner

[ABBACUS]

I have a question for RoadTrek CS owner, the new refrigerator (7CF) is listed as 12v and 110V. The CS model has propane but it looks like the Ref is power from the batteries and invertor when driving down the road.
I am a full-timer (2007) in a Class C 29FT and want to go to a smaller unit, but my wife has MS and needs a Refrigerator for Meds. I check with some of the dealer on the Etrek (too small for fulltime) and my understanding is add the engine generator is just a extra alternator to charge the batteries. The A/C is also power by the 5K invertor.

Thanks for any repleys Please no experts on why not to buy a Roadtrek
Bobby Johnson K5YPP Firefighter EMT

[ABBACUS]

Davedd gives some good advise I started the about the Roadtrek Refrigerator it is 110v or 12v. It will run totally on 12V's. The Roadtrek is not you normal RV that Cost 350K Class A. I would not have the batteries installed under the Bed Very bad ideal. As a Firefighter most fires in RV Come from the Hot Water Heater (GAS) or Refrigerator (GAS) when people don't check or do maintains on get GAS chamber clean out. The Roadtrek Don't use this type of system.
Remember the Roadtrek is a Truck the M/B warranty is excellent with lots of history and road miles problem free. Normal wear and tear is not cover on any extended warranty (brakes tires batteries etc) RoadTrek warranty the unit against water leaks and electrical wiring they put in, the solor convertor and batteries inverter is cover by the Manufacture this is normal in the RV World.
The dealer you buy from will do the first year check. If they are tell you that putting 4 batteries under the bed is ok I would not buy from them I would run away.
Call Roadtrek they are very good on answering question in one day or check Roadtreking.com The two extra batteries they install are located under the back in a tool box with ventilation. Batteries normal last about 5 years I would not want a 6 battery bill. Batteries are not maintain free a good check is 80% at 12V starting at 13.5v I have see batteries get very HOT and exploded if incorrect chargers or low water. Do some Reading on what 4 Batteries will do
normal 3 to 4 Days. The biggest power is Coffee pot, A/C or Micowave. I have live in a 30 AMP Class C Full time Starting 2007. If you start the engine it will charge the battery in 1 to 2 hours. Hope this Helps Safe Travels

[Davydd]

You are welcome to try them. I won't. 🙂

BTW, on the Sprinter those ribs are not indentations.

[wincrasher65]

Davydd wrote:
Those flexible panels are too flexible to span those ribs that are 10-12" o.c. You would have to put them on a stiff panel then provide anchors for the panels and thus back to regular modules. Then on a stiff panel the same concerns of cupping come back.

In looking at the Advanced RV photo and comparing it to AM Solar's line-up, those two panel modules might be 320 watts total and possibly this panel.

GO160 Solar Panel

I think those ribs are actually indentations - that's why I was saying tape it to the flat spots and span those indentations - they are probably around 1 1/2" wide.

That is a very nice panel. But 2 will take alot of space.

[mrlandlord]

So, I am getting a switch installed that will only allow for the front two 6V AGM to be used or the back four 12V batteries to be used. This will ensure that each battery block is charged at the same rate. Now we have to figure out where this is to be installed. I am guessing near the inverter or the solar charging panel in the back.

[Davydd]

Those flexible panels are too flexible to span those ribs that are 10-12" o.c. You would have to put them on a stiff panel then provide anchors for the panels and thus back to regular modules. Then on a stiff panel the same concerns of cupping come back.

In looking at the Advanced RV photo and comparing it to AM Solar's line-up, those two panel modules might be 320 watts total and possibly this panel.

GO160 Solar Panel

[wincrasher65]

I like the light weight aspect of them and that they don't stick up. Not keen on what the Wynns did with the wiring though.

I wonder if the cupping that AM is experiencing is from heat expansion? If you tape something down too much, then where does the material expand to? I think there may be a better technique to mounting them.

I would think that they could be taped down in the same orientation as the panels on the van pic above. Leave the grooves in the van roof open so water passes underneath them. That would also leave some room for expansion. Don't think they need 100% sealant under them, or along the edges.

[Davydd]

Those solar panels look interesting. I'm not sure of the details yet on solar panels. This is an example of one Advanced RV installation.



The unibody vans like the Sprinter don't have those nice flat roofs like that Class A RV Youtube video shows for glue down panels. AM Solar says they are not ready for prime time.

Flexible 100W Solar Panel

[wincrasher65]

Davydd - check this video out - yes, it's simplistic, but check out the panels.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNAHAtaoHpE

http://www.gonewiththewynns.com/flexible-solar-panels-rv

[Davydd]

mrlandlord wrote:
So, based on the feedback so far, I am going to get some clarification again on mixing 6V and 12V batteries. I thought it was a big no no as well, but the dealer is swearing that this is the way to go. Their extended warranty will cover all of it from day 1. Their selling point was this is peace of mind and no matter what happens, you are covered.

But, I am skeptical on this setup as well. The CS I am buying has all the E-Trek - solar, engine gen, 3500w inverter. I am going to call them out tomorrow and if I am not convinced, I am going to tell them to lose the 6v batteries in the hood.

All the feedback is helpful, but I still want to overbuild this. Sorry. You all should see my home electronic / computer setup. It is just as ridiculous.

I can understand overbuild. It kind of gives you a peace of mind and insurance. We tentatively look to be going to 4 lithium-ion batteries (400A) coupled with maybe 300 watts of solar and an 2800W Outback inverter. With that setup we probably would not have to worry about draining our batteries (based on our 9 years B experience) unless running air conditioning which we rarely do in our travels but supposedly could get up to 3 hours or a lunch stop in my mind. Still we will have controllers that will shut off the batteries from draining and auto start of the diesel engine with aux alternator to charge the batteries (no propane or generator). We will have an AC/DC compressor fridge, induction stovetop, diesel powered heat and hot water, coffee maker, TV, Maxxair ceiling fan, convection microwave and 100% LED lighting.

Your dealer is swearing it is the way to go but is also the dealer that sold you a bill of goods that you can drain Northstar batteries 100%. Go to the Northstar Battery website and check for yourself. You are also putting all your warranty eggs in one basket. I would want to know what that means. What happens if the dealer goes under selling something that doesn't ultimately work?

In theory lithium-ion batteries can be drained down to 20% over 1000 cycles and would lose about 30% of their maximum charge over that time. Northstar claims 20% over 400 cycles with their AGMs but doesn't say what the end result would be. I'm skeptical as I have had AGM batteries in the past. They deteriorated notably fast at 50%. I'm using two lead/acid batteries right now and monitor them carefully and so far have rarely, if ever, gone down to 50% and mostly maintained 80% overnight and they have served me well for four seasons so far. I can boondock up to 5 days for sure in one place with what I have without running our generator. I have the techniques down. With what we are getting, I hope it will be a no-brainer, but then again might have more free rein to break from our 40 years of tent camping frugality experience out in the wilderness.

[Sukiesmom]

We just bought our 2014 CS. Solar panel, two batteries. Our initial thought was to get 4 batteries but the dealer (who has a RS himself) convinced us that two are plenty. So far, we have found that the batteries are always full during the day and 2/3 full at night (we don't really watch a lot of TV so the only draw will be the lights). When day light comes the next day, batteries are filled up to full again. Fridge works great. Freezer is more than enough for ice cream. Hope this helps.

[mrlandlord]

So, based on the feedback so far, I am going to get some clarification again on mixing 6V and 12V batteries. I thought it was a big no no as well, but the dealer is swearing that this is the way to go. Their extended warranty will cover all of it from day 1. Their selling point was this is peace of mind and no matter what happens, you are covered.

But, I am skeptical on this setup as well. The CS I am buying has all the E-Trek - solar, engine gen, 3500w inverter. I am going to call them out tomorrow and if I am not convinced, I am going to tell them to lose the 6v batteries in the hood.

All the feedback is helpful, but I still want to overbuild this. Sorry. You all should see my home electronic / computer setup. It is just as ridiculous.

[1775]

When I was purchasing my Roadtrek 190 in 2011 I was looking to add a third battery that would be installed by the dealer after delivery of the Roadtrek to him. When the dealer talked to Roadtrek about this, they were told - at least this is what they told me they were told - that adding that battery would void the warranty from Roadtrek on the electric system. As a result of this, I did not get the third battery. Now, Roadtrek has been installing additional batteries at the factory and has been retrofitting additional batteries along with their solar system (though that has stopped now supposedly due to its distraction from producing new models at the factory). So I am not sure what Roadtrek's reaction would be now to adding batteries at the dealer.

I do know someone who added two additional AGMs by a RT service center to their older Roadtrek and was very happy with the result.

With your extended warranty it sounds like you don't need to worry about RT's warranty.

The whole mod sounds great - all the best with it!

[Davydd]

We are getting an AC/DC fridge in our next RV but it is a compressor type and DC does not use as much energy. A 3-way absorption type which we have now is used either propane or AC. We gave up on the DC way because it did not do the cooling as well and if you left it on DC for a short stop and forgot to convert it to propane it would drain a battery under two hours. If you have propane on board then a 3-way is the way to go. We had our fridge on our current RV on propane most all the time except when on shore power and only ran our 9 gallon propane tank down to 50% on our spring RV trip of 3 months. A propane fridge is very efficient. We used propane for a little bit of morning wakeup heating, hot water and cooking but not the generator.

[booster]

Overdesign is nice, but it can also cause more trouble than it is worth, like having to put on a hitch carrier because you used up all the space in the van. With 245 watts of solar and the Roadtrek optional 4 AGM batteries that would give over 400 AH I don't see very often that you would go below 50% in 5 days, unless you use a lot of power beyond the frig, and are in clouds or shade all the time. Beyond that you have the engine generator, so you could go for an hours ride on the rare occasion you ran low, and recover enough power to continue. More batteries will delay running out of power, but you still will, andyou will also have to recover all those batteries. The solar will short charge them, which is bad. If you don't have the right charger it will either short or over charge them, also bad.

IMO, there would be many other, better, ways to address your concerns than what they sold you. Heck, if you are that worried about the frig killing the batteries, have it changed out for a 3 way.