rockymtnb
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Re: Cars moving to 48V systems
BenK wrote: 96 volts DC would be the better jump...than these micro jumps in higher voltage Everything they say is 'better' is real, but why just to 48 VDC? Because 50 volts is the dividing line between low voltage vs special high voltage safety regulations. Anything over 50 volts requires special safety enhancements both in the engineering/manufacturing and for servicing.393Views0likes0CommentsRe: Subaru Outback experiences
Erwin Hymer Group has announced they will be selling four of their ultralight Touring series trailers in North America during 2017. These are very popular in Europe for towing with sedans or compact SUVs. Gross weights range from just under 2000 lbs to a bit under 3000 lbs. The Hymer Touring announcement is available at: Erwin Hymer NA Touring Series Announcement Erwin Hymer Group NA just finished their second production facility for Hymer campervans and ultralight Touring trailers in March 2017, so the final products should become available fairly soon.436Views0likes0CommentsRe: Heater ideas
guyg wrote: ...The price of the outside combustion units (Eberspacher and Webasto) seems kinda high, and the complexity of a auxiliary diesel tank seems undesirable. Does anyone have any other solutions? Unless you have propane the Eberspacher or Webasto units are your only option for an externally vented sealed combustion heater. But they are available in gasoline fired versions so you don't need a separate diesel tank. The Ram Promaster and Ford Transit forums have a lot of posts about installing the gas fired Webasto air heaters.405Views0likes0CommentsRe: Pentastar engine
You will probably get more feedback on the Pentastar / Promaster combination over on the ClassBForum (dot com), where many members have Travato, RoadTrek or custom conversions on that platform. That said the Pentastar V6 is widely used across Jeep and Chrysler vehicles and has a good reputation as a simple and reliable engine. Not as sophisticated as the Mercedes turbo-diesel or Ford Ecoboost twin-turbo GDI engines, but then again simplicity and reliability can be a virtue in many situations. The Pentastar does rev to high RPMs to produce full power. So climbing steep mountain passes you may be running 4000+ RPM, whereas the Mercedes or Ford turbos might only need 2500-3000 RPM. Nothing wrong with that, it's expected behavior for a high-rev normally aspirated gas engine.155Views0likes0CommentsRe: Why don't TC makers use the Truma Combi units?
kohldad wrote: The biggest problem with the Truma is it is a slow heat system. It can not handle large temperature changes or that much even quickly recover from leaving the door open for a few minutes.... That's an accurate description of the Alde underfloor combo system, which provides a very even but relatively slow responding heat flow. But the Truma Combi is different, and much faster responding, providing the full 14000 BTU/hr output within minutes (20000 BTU/hr for the more powerful Comfort Plus version). And that's actual thermal output, whereas traditional RV furnaces list BTU rates using gas consumption value where 20k BTU/hr gas consumption provides about 14k usable output at 70% average cycle efficiency. Water heating on the Combi is a bit slower, but there's a Boost mode available for quicker hot water output.726Views0likes0CommentsRe: B Height
We have a similar situation, with a 9ft garage door that measures about an inch less clear opening due to hinges and garage door hardware. Our old T1N Sprinter fits but newer NCV3 Sprinter based Class B's are too tall. We found only a couple options for a newer and larger replacement - custom conversions of either a medium roof Ford Transit or high roof Ram Promaster. Both will fit under the 9ft door but without rooftop air conditioning. The medium roof Transit is limited to 5ft 10in interior height and 20ft max length; not enough standing height for us six footers and didn't really gain much interior space due to the medium roof length limit. That leaves the extended length (21ft) Promaster high roof as the biggest interior van that will fit under a 9ft garage door. And that extended Promaster feels pretty big inside, probably due to the combination the low floor, short nose, and significantly wider width than our Sprinter. You mention not wanting a Sportsmobile. Is that a dislike of the brand or simply not wanting a poptop roof? The reason I ask is because Sportsmobile is the only converter we've found that installs the Danhard chassis mounted air conditioning system (often used in ambulances) on a Class B conversion. High roof Sportsmobiles don't have (or need) pop-tops. Other custom converters can build a Transit medium roof or Promaster high roof that fits but without rooftop air. Or you could even try removing the AC from a factory built unit like Roadtrek's Zion or Winnebago's Travato. But Sportsmobile appears to be the only option for a full height Class B with air conditioning that fits under a 9ft opening. I'd be interested if you find any other options. And BTW the Sportsmobile folks in Austin Texas have been very friendly and helpful in answering questions. (But heads up - they have a long lead time for conversions).556Views0likes0CommentsRe: Trip to Sportsmobile Austin
Being located near the upfitter would be a huge plus when considering a custom van. That alone would seem worth the extra wait if Sportsmobile designs suit your needs. The interiors are a bit utilitarian but they're rugged and well built. We've received excellent support from Sportsmobile Texas and we're a thousand miles away. I would love to be next door and be able to send our unit over for some minor improvements now that we've owned it a few years.398Views0likes0Comments
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