Quote:
Originally Posted by wincrasher
Good review of the systems.
However, at the end, I think you missed the price comparison. Galleria will trade with the typical Coachmen discount of 25-27% off MSRP while the Roadtrek (10-15%) will not, and there is no discounting on ARV. So that makes the Galleria a far more compelling choice. It's not much of a premium over traditional offerings when you factor this in.
Also, I wouldn't put Roadtrek in with "cutting edge" at all. Their system is closed because it's mostly a kludge of an engineering project. Still many reports of failures with Voltstart.
I'm very impressed with what Coachmen and especially Xantrex have put together.
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I agree that in terms of bang for the buck, the Galleria Li3 is a strong contender, When supply pushes past demand you could probably buy a loaded Li3 in 4x4 for around 125-130k. Not too shabby.
By "cutting edge", I was referring to the hardware itself, not component integration which indeed has been problematic. Ironically, three or four years ago at the inception of lithium batteries for RVs, Xantrex made a proposal to Roadtrek for a fully engineered system, but Roadtrek turned them down.
I don't think the reference to Voltstart "failures" is accurate because it assumes that there was some period prior to failure that it worked properly. I think it's more likely that verified reports of failure are for systems that for a number of reasons, probably never worked from the get-go. I don't know the current production QC for this module but as late as summer 2016 it was neither tested at the factory nor at the dealer. Without a simulator, a full test of Voltstart requires substantial time and, as they say, time is money.
Some coaches had the wrong module installed, e.g. an AGM version in a lithium equipped coach. Some just had a defective Voltstart module. Some had incorrect wiring between the Voltstart module and the coach autostart module.
Undoubtedly most of these issues have been resolved in current production but there is, IMO, the question of whether this feature is worth the $1800 cost. The original battery threshold voltage for triggering a lithium Voltstart was 12.4 Volts which would reflect a substantial depth of battery discharge and consequently a significant run time prior to engine startup. However, current production employs a 12.8 Volt threshold which will result in a much shorter period before Voltstart turns on the engine. It's arguable that you're better off saving the cost and just letting the engine run. I notice that while Coachmen does offer an Onan auto-start on their AGM Galleria, they opted against providing a Voltstart equivalent on the Li3.
Since the original Li3 production, there have been some changes. Xantrex has improved the BMS parasitic to negligible levels. The Xantrex Link Pro meter has been replaced with a Battery control module. The Nations alternator will be provided with splash protection.
) 2017, it's a little bizarre to be cautioned by a major engine manufacturer to avoid subjecting their engine to lots of short trips or too much idling cuz, well, it could trash the engine? Talk about emperors what ain't wearing no clothes!
). The DEF system is an embarrassment.
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