New to RVs and Hopeful Warp Core RoadTrekkers

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by BBQ

LOL

Only 3-4 amps?
Do you believe that ???

Yes, if the battery heaters are not on, he can believe that.

[booster]

My bet is that any other loads full time are not included in that number, just the parasitic of the battery. Add on other electronics like monitors, inverter, etc and you probably have at least one more amp.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by booster

My bet is that any other loads full time are not included in that number, just the parasitic of the battery. Add on other electronics like monitors, inverter, etc and you probably have at least one more amp.

The tank and voltage monitors are LCD and are negligible loads and the bsattery disconnect relay is bi-stable.. The inverter is a different matter - when on and in no load standby it's drawing around 5 amps and Roadtrek recommends shutting it off when not using 120VAC appliances. Some of the anecdotes describing battery shut down when the vehicle is unattended are undoubtedly caused by forgetting to shut the inverter down when not in use. If I was designing this inverter, I would include a user programmable mode that would shut the inverter down after a non-demand period selected by the user.

[booster]

Originally Posted by cruising7388

The tank and voltage monitors are LCD and are negligible loads and the bsattery disconnect relay is bi-stable.. The inverter is a different matter - when on and in no load standby it's drawing around 5 amps and Roadtrek recommends shutting it off when not using 120VAC appliances. Some of the anecdotes describing battery shut down when the vehicle is unattended are undoubtedly caused by forgetting to shut the inverter down when not in use. If I was designing this inverter, I would include a user programmable mode that would shut the inverter down after a non-demand period selected by the user.

The stuff all adds up surprisingly quickly. Even a gas frig unit will be in the .3-.4 amps range in most cases. Regardless of that, 5 amps for an inverter is inexcusable. You put in a huge Magnum or Outback and it will idle at maybe 1.5 amps, and they have a rest/monitor mode if you want to use, that will bring them to life if an AC load goes on. Roadtrek cheeses out with their off brand "proprietary" stuff, which is really just lower quality and featured than the price of the system would indicate.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by booster

The stuff all adds up surprisingly quickly. Even a gas frig unit will be in the .3-.4 amps range in most cases. Regardless of that, 5 amps for an inverter is inexcusable. You put in a huge Magnum or Outback and it will idle at maybe 1.5 amps, and they have a rest/monitor mode if you want to use, that will bring them to life if an AC load goes on. Roadtrek cheeses out with their off brand "proprietary" stuff, which is really just lower quality and featured than the price of the system would indicate.

No argument here. I've used Prosine 2.0s and a Magnum 2000 both of which had much lower standby draw plus excellent remote panels with lots of user program parameters. The early Roadtrek inverters were built by AIMS but the current version has Roadtrek labeling and my understanding is that they are sourced from a Canadian enterprise although more than likely, they are built in China. It used to have a power saver mode that would periodically interrogate for demand but it had some problem with the microwave clock so rather than fixing the glitch, they just deleted the power saver feature.

That said, so far, it supports our AC without complaint when off grid.

[markopolo]

Originally Posted by WingedRyno

............................ The wife and I have no RV experience but we are intent on purchasing an RV for near full time use and running an online business out of it while traveling....................

Have you considered other larger RV types if basically full timing?

As you would be going from no RV experience to near full time use I'll point out some of the advantages of a bigger unit: A larger rig permits a permanent bed, dry bathroom, dining area and work areas. You can get a unit with a washer & dryer instead of seeking out laundromats. There would be space for clothes hampers, trash bin & recycling bins. Food prep areas will be larger. It will have greater tank capacities etc. Two people would be able to move around with ease. There would be multiple closets inside for clothes and shoes. There would be lots of exterior storage for things like a larger BBQ grills, golf clubs, gear related to kayaking, biking, tools and/or other hobbies etc. There would be a choice of seating areas inside.

A car or truck would typically be the vehicle used for shopping, groceries, doctor & dentist visits & sightseeing. With a B van, everything thing needs to be packed up & stored to make the vehicle road ready for those frequent trips. The van would need to be parked level enough for your comfort so that might entail leveling it after returning from each those errand or recreational trips. There would be no certainty that your parking spot would still be available upon your return if boondocking.

Just thought I'd throw all that out there for you to consider.

[WingedRyno]

Originally Posted by markopolo

Have you considered other larger RV types if basically full timing?

As you would be going from no RV experience to near full time use I'll point out some of the advantages of a bigger unit: A larger rig permits a permanent bed, dry bathroom, dining area and work areas. You can get a unit with a washer & dryer instead of seeking out laundromats. There would be space for clothes hampers, trash bin & recycling bins. Food prep areas will be larger. It will have greater tank capacities etc. Two people would be able to move around with ease. There would be multiple closets inside for clothes and shoes. There would be lots of exterior storage for things like a larger BBQ grills, golf clubs, gear related to kayaking, biking, tools and/or other hobbies etc. There would be a choice of seating areas inside.

A car or truck would typically be the vehicle used for shopping, groceries, doctor & dentist visits & sightseeing. With a B van, everything thing needs to be packed up & stored to make the vehicle road ready for those frequent trips. The van would need to be parked level enough for your comfort so that might entail leveling it after returning from each those errand or recreational trips. There would be no certainty that your parking spot would still be available upon your return if boondocking.

Just thought I'd throw all that out there for you to consider.

We really appreciate reading all the comments from ya'll about this, so thanks again to each of you for weighing in.

The only RV experience we have is a month or so ago we rented a slightly smaller Class B for two weeks. It was propane powered and had one AGM and had the over the cab bed. We put three cats in there and the wife and I spent all of our time at RV parks just to get a feel for the space. We loved it.

We thought about larger units but don't think that's for us. Don't need all that space and don't want to deal with the hassles that come with larger units. Plus we'd like to be able to park the thing in urban areas and zip in and out easily. We'd like to spend the majority of our time boondocking but we want the flexibility to do some urban stuff too.

XL version of RoadTrek is about as big as we think we want to go.

We'll call AM Solar today and chat with them about possible upgrades to see what they can offer. We don't need voltstart but we do want 1600AH of lithium at least and as much solar as we can get. Would love to be able to tilt the panels so that would be one benefit of retrofitting the rig (I don't think RT stock panels tilt). We would want the batteries to charge when we're driving and would want an alternator or underhood generator option when not driving and the ability to charge it all from shore power.

We're also interested in using a compost toilet rather than black water tanks and if we can come up with a solution that works there, replacing the black water tank with more fresh water capacity.

I'll report back when we talk to AM Solar hopefully later today.

[WingedRyno]

Originally Posted by booster

To me, the below floor storage is a huge benefit, as they can use up half the inside with batteries and such. Since no generator, there is lots of room underneath. I would not put them inside, even if I had to get the underbody mount done by someone other that the installer. I hung 440ah of AGMs under our Chevy without a problem.

Booster, do you have any way to protect batteries from cold temps with them hung under the rig?

[WingedRyno]

The RT factory did also tell us that the lithium they use is "lithium iron phosphate" which they say is safer than lithium ion. We have to research this kind of battery because we're unfamiliar with it and were thinking lithium was lithium.

They also said it's a bad idea to have lithium batteries inside the coach because they offgas which was news to us, too. We were toying with the idea of having a lithium backup power supply inside the coach wired into a 110 outlet to supply enough power to keep a desktop computer running when we're away as an alernative to leaving multiple RT battery modules turned on and dealing with the parasitic drag.

[booster]

Originally Posted by WingedRyno

Booster, do you have any way to protect batteries from cold temps with them hung under the rig?

The folks with lithium underneath almost always have them in a box of some sort, both for protection from the elements and the cold and heat. The built up battery setups that are used include some relatively fragile parts that wouldn't like the water, salt, dirt, etc, and if it is cold you need to be able to have the heaters work as well as possible on the lowest energy use.

With our AGMs, I just put some splash shields on them to stop most of the water and debris. The back side is wide open.

[B Eventually]

If you're considering a composting toilet, you might be better off doing a van conversion instead. This FitRV post on their composting toilet can help you decide if that's the right solution for you.

Check out this beautiful and well documented Sprinter conversion. They have a electrical system like I described (+ a ton of solar) and they recently added a composting toilet recently.

[gerrym51]

it amazes me the number of class b'ers who want a composting toilet.

the size of a class b makes it impractical to me.

the black tank in a b-the largest i've seen is ARV 18gallons-are holding tanks. Most have to be emptied way before the brekadown process gets anywhere close to starting

these are not 50 gallon black tanks.

[GeorgeRa]

I read this thread and did not see listed needs for your electrical energy requirements, a balance sheet. With your plans of full time living in an RV I would suggest to consider the following points:

1. Think thoroughly about your energy requirements, what is trendy perhaps would not be needed in your situation. LPG stoves have been used for years, they work, induction stoves are inexpensive but needed infrastructures are not.

2. What if your electrical system fails and the closer shop is an average RV repair facility, will they be able to fix something that are not familiar with? unless you have skills to repair you could be wishing to have a main stream RV.

3. If cost is in your decision process, evaluate the need for a B-class RV, they tend to be more expensive than small C-class RVs. I recently went to the Camping World to see the Hymer Sunlight V1 B-class, to say at least I was not impressed, actually I was disappointed to see Hymer name on the van, the fit and finish highlighted by a cardboard ceiling will hunt them through their entry to NA. Right next to it was a Winnebago Minnie Winnie, practically the same price but an absolutely different league, in my view far better suited for full time living, larger tanks, RV standard technologies fixable in most RV shops.

4. How often will you be connected to shore power, if you plan to work while on the road a good access to utilities will likely be needed.

If I would be making a decision like yours I would seriously consider an option of a small C-class RV with a small car, and more importantly stay with technologies and appliances fixable in average RV shops.

Good luck,

George.

[WingedRyno]

Originally Posted by gerrym51

it amazes me the number of class b'ers who want a composting toilet.

the size of a class b makes it impractical to me.

Thanks for this point. We definitely have to do our research to make sure it is practical, and the amount of space is one thing we had wondered about. So we will definitely look into this!

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by WingedRyno

Greetings all, and thanks for this forum and the wealth of information it supplies. The wife and I have no RV experience but we are intent on purchasing an RV for near full time use and running an online business out of it while traveling.

We are strongly considering pulling the trigger on an RS Adventurous XL with Warp Core if we can find one used or perhaps new for the right price.

The chance of finding a preowned Roadtrek with the warp core option is slim but there is one available at Advanced Research Vehicles. It's a CS model which I think ist he best Sprinter layout that Roadtrek builds. This coach is a fully loaded 4 x 4 XL version with 1600 ah lithiums, 600 watt solar, Voltstart, drop down rear cabinet, Alde heating. If you want the improved VB suspension, they can provide it. ARV's reputation is unparalleled and any representation they make you can take to the bank. The person to contact is Janice Spicuzza at ARV, 440-283-0405.

https://advanced-rv.com/pre-owned-class-b-rv-for-sale/

[eric1514]

You couldn't pay me $139,000 firm to own that.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by eric1514

You couldn't pay me $139,000 firm to own that.

I see an opinion. What is your point?

[BBQ]

Originally Posted by cruising7388

The chance of finding a preowned Roadtrek with the warp core option is slim but there is one available at Advanced Research Vehicles. It's a CS model which I think ist he best Sprinter layout that Roadtrek builds. This coach is a fully loaded 4 x 4 XL version with 1600 ah lithiums, 600 watt solar, Voltstart, drop down rear cabinet, Alde heating. If you want the improved VB suspension, they can provide it. ARV's reputation is unparalleled and any representation they make you can take to the bank. The person to contact is Janice Spicuzza at ARV, 440-283-0405.

https://advanced-rv.com/pre-owned-class-b-rv-for-sale/

IIRC

There was a 2015 on the market a few months ago.
It was one of the earlier built.

[eric1514]

Originally Posted by cruising7388

I see an opinion. What is your point?

I've read enough about Roadtrek and their lithiums and voltstart to figure that coach is probably being traded in for one that actually works.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by eric1514

I've read enough about Roadtrek and their lithiums and voltstart to figure that coach is probably being traded in for one that actually works.

I own a lithium and Voltstart Roadtrek that functions flawlessly so forgive me for being singularly unimpressed by salvos from drive by critics whose conclusions are drawn from anecdotes.