Roadtrek CS owner

The fridge is a compressor based fridge, a Norcold DE-0061 model. It doesn't use propane, but it will make inroads on your battery's charge.

On the CS, you have three options:

• Buy the "engine generator" option. Caveat with this is that you run into troubles if idling a Sprinter engine for long periods, maybe running the risk of plugging the DPF, which can cost $3000+ to replace.
• Get a propane generator option. This will charge the batteries, but propane generators tend to not have a long run time on the 10 gallon tank. From what I know, you will be able to run the generator 20 hours, tops.
• Getting an external gasoline powered generator. A small, 1000 watt inverter generator can run 8-12 hours in less than a gallon of gasoline, good enough to top off the batteries. However, you will need to find space for that somewhere.

Not to be rude but my question was to someone who owns a RoadTrek CS with the Norcold Unit. As a full-time I know how to connect a Propane Generator.

As a Firefighter I have run Tanker and Engine for over 10 Hours on idle, on all fire scene all equipment is always running with or without load no problem !

On my Class C with a generator the fridge is on Propane or 110v and it must have 12 volt to control the CPU.

My Question is without starting the propane generator and going down the road is the fridge on the invertor if it is the standard CS only has a 750W unit and will not support the fridge. The RV batteries are isolated from the engine unless you option for the 3500engine/2500 invertor I think?

this is posted to RV's who have Class B units not Trailer experts

We don't have a CS, but we do have a Roadtrek 190 with compressor frig, and have looked at the CS systems.

The compressor frig in the CS will be running on 12 volts going down the road. The 12 volts is probably the actual compressor design voltage anyway, as it will almost certainly have a Danfus compressor in it. On shore power it will be running on 110volts. It shouldn't need 12 volts when on AC. The frig will use, probably, about 50-80AH per day.

The specs on the CS have jumped around a little with the propane generator. If I understand them right, if you get the E-trek style 8 battery setup, you can't get the the generator. With the generator you are limited to 4 batteries. Even with 8 batteries, any reasonable amount of air conditioning use is pretty near folly, regardless of what Roadtrek says, and they have backed way, way off their original claims of run time.

The new Sprinters are not the same as an old big truck diesel. They have EGR and DPF systems that will plug from extended idling, per Mercedes Benz, which could severely limit the usefulness of the add on engine generator.

If the e-trek is too small for you, all you gain with the CS is cabinet space, as they are built on the same van.

I don't have a CS but I have a 190 with an all electric fridge. We run the fridge the entire time that we are traveling. It goes on when we leave the house and it does not go off until we return home. I need that fridge for my meds and had it installed before I took delivery of the Roadtrek. It runs fine on our two coach batteries and when we hook up at a campground the 110 v takes over - and recharges our batteries at the same time. We have the Onan generator and it also will power the fridge and charge the batteries. You are correct about the engine generator. It is actually an large alternator that will recharge the batteries to full in two hours. There are now also solar options for all Roadtreks that will keep your batteries charged during the day. The A/C will only run off the grid with the ETrek's solar and power capacity (8 batteries) and it will do so for an estimated 9 hours - with no other drain on the batteries. (And that number may not be accurate.) Then the engine generator needs to be run to bring the batteries back up. The ETrek can be fitted with multiple power sources.

If you plan to boondock for more than a day then you are going to need to recharge your batteries at some point. If you plan to go in and out of campgrounds, the compressor all electric fridge will be fine with two batteries and regular recharges. The Roadtrek batteries charge while you drive on all models.

If you want more space inside, get a 210, have a compressor fridge installed (I suggest NovaKool as it fits the space with over 4 cuft inside), and have it optioned with solar panels and 4 AGM batteries, the Onan 2800 and the larger inverter.

Anyway, I had to have the all electric fridge for my meds and I do not need to be level to run it.

I too do not have a Roadtrek CS nor do I own a Sprinter, but just like many have a great amount of knowledge do to being here for several years and reading many many posts.So believe people when they tell you.New Sprinters should not be run at idle unless it has a high idle setting.Also fridge will run just fine on the batteries.Get the genny.

Thanks for all the info my comment on the RS to small was about the fridge not the storage. The meds my wife take are for MS and cost $7,000 a month luckly my Fed BCBS pays it with the deductible. I think I will go for the engine gen and propane gen with extra battery for the 2500w inverter. Solar maybe.
Thank again for all the posting.
Safe travels to all
Bobby J K5ypp

ABBACUS,

While my response is a bit different that your question, I do think it addresses your problem, at least indirectly.

We own a PW Lexor which contains a three way 3 cuft fridge. For my wife's tastes, that was a bit small, and the freezer - well, it ain't much. So, I figured out a way to "add" an Engel fridge/freezer and it runs on either 12V or 120V. We use it only as a freezer, but it could be used as only a fridge - and use less power.

Though the "three way" factory fridge is relatively power hungry except on propane, the Engel is not. It's amazing how little power it uses. And, my wife now has the freezer space she wanted.

The Engel freezers come in various sizes and I'd suspect that for your DW's meds, a smaller one would suffice.

I've set up ours so that it runs off the engine (12V) when underway, 120V when plugged in to shore power, and I added a portable rechargeable battery to power it when boondocking. Then that battery recharges when either underway or plugged in. The "boondocking battery" carries the Engel overnight with ease, but I did a little testing to get that sized just right.

In your case, having a "backup" cooling source (i.e., RT fridge and a separate portable fridge/freezer) might offer some peace of mind.

Cheers.

Abaccus. I think you have made a great choice. Solar will be great to add later if you end up camping in spots with no electric. After market companies will be more reasonably priced. I did mine myself for $235.00. 1 155 watt panel and 20 amp controller. I also use a danfoss compressor fridge. It is a Dometic .Works great.

By the way. Don't discount info from RVers simply because they don't have your particular style of RV.Systems on all RVs are basically the same.