New Roadtrek CS Adventurous (Camping Series)

[booster]

Interesting video. Typical sales guy though, not very knowledgeable on some stuff though. It does look like a very nice rig, though. I think Roadtrek is on the right track with this one, finally, for the folks that actually want to be able to travel in them. It is very much like a modernized Chevy 190P.

Two nitpicky things in the video. The dealer guy said you needed the 12v power on for the batteries to charge on shore power. Unless they are wired differently than the current Chevies, they do charge with it off. The old isolator ones had to be on, though. Will have to check on that.

I would also never put the awning up the way he did. Setting the supports on the ground and cranking it out is asking for them to tip and slide out and possible hit the van. Plus, the point he made about not rolling it all the way out unsupported was silly because it was basically unsupported and out all the way when he moved the support to the van. We were told, and always do, the awning by rolling it out just far enough to engage the supports on the van, extend them as far as they will go and roll it out more, repeat until out.

Update: I just looked at the Roadtrek site. They don't have the CS or e-trek owners manuals online, but do have 2013 Adventurous listed. In the owners manual, it does say the 12v switch needs to be on when you plug in, if you want to charge the batteries, but the wiring diagram looks to say that it will charge the batteries with the switch off. For giggles, I looked at the owners manual for our 190 Chevy, and it said the same thing, no charge without switch on. Wiring diagram there also indicated it would charge with it off. Ours does charge with the switch off, I just confirmed it. Perhaps the CS is wired differently, but it could be another of the out of date manuals that Roadtrek is famous for. Can't blame the sales guy for repeating what the manual says!

Too bad we don't have an extra $130K laying around!

[markopolo]

Looks like a ProVista solar controller in the CS Adventurous in the video. Data sheet: http://www.provistahk.com/images/solarp ... ets/p8.jpg

It was a clever idea for the husband (my guess) to be shooting the video and the wife (another guess) to be taking written notes. They can review it all later to refresh their memory.

[pattonsr]

Has anyone ever seen the Roadtrek engine generator and how it charges the house batteries? The engine generator is standard on the E-Trek and optional on the CS Adventurous.

[mlts22]

Originally Posted by pattonsr

Has anyone ever seen the Roadtrek engine generator and how it charges the house batteries? The engine generator is standard on the E-Trek and optional on the CS Adventurous.

RT plays the cards close to the chest on that one. I'm guessing it is an alternator plus some type of charge controller, and/or an inverter to provide 120VAC. I like the idea because it means you can run the roof A/C while on the road, but newer Sprinter models do not take well to the main engine idling for long periods of time, so that is best backed up by a conventional generator when not on full hookups.

[mikeyes]

You are correct, I filmed while my wife took copious notes. We are slowly figuring out the systems for our new CS Etrek and will be taking it on its maiden voyage tomorrow when we go to a music festival in Marquette, MI. I'm still trying to figure out if there is a cutoff valve between city water and the fresh water tank. There is on the RS but there is nothing where it is supposed to be from the documentation we have now.

We have a propane cooktop standard in spite of the Etrek package, but are going to use an induction top we bought for $79 on amazon instead. We will try your way to put up the awning too <G>

Mike

[markopolo]

Congratulations on the purchase Mike This is a very exciting time.

Learning all the new systems can seem a bit overwhelming at first but then suddenly you'll find that it all just makes sense and you understand it.

The video showed that you have the under-the-hood generator but I'm curious to know if you also have an separate Onan generator. Was your CS Adventurous a special order?

This looks to be the heating system manufacturer: http://www.alde.co.uk/ So your CS would have propane heating and hot water. They have a smartphone app that might be worth downloading.

How many batteries does your CS have? I think the options were 2, 4 or 8 batteries.

Re: switching to the inductive cooktop - I'm guessing you checked with Roadtrek to make sure that would be ok - if not it would be best to check with them just to make sure. It seems like you have blend of a CS Adventurous and an E-trek so the inductive stove-top is probably fine.

Congrats again and enjoy your first trip today.

[Mike]

If you happen to visit Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, my wife and I are interested in a review of the area, and campgrounds, and facilities there. We had passed by near the PRNL area a couple of years back, actually drove through Munising on a western States trip, but weren't aware of it at the time.
We visited Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore last fall on a day trip, but it was late in the (shorter) day, and we didn't see much of the campground and facilities, although the lake front area looked really nice.
Good luck with your van/trip.

[booster]

Originally Posted by mikeyes

You are correct, I filmed while my wife took copious notes. We are slowly figuring out the systems for our new CS Etrek and will be taking it on its maiden voyage tomorrow when we go to a music festival in Marquette, MI. I'm still trying to figure out if there is a cutoff valve between city water and the fresh water tank. There is on the RS but there is nothing where it is supposed to be from the documentation we have now.

We have a propane cooktop standard in spite of the Etrek package, but are going to use an induction top we bought for $79 on amazon instead. We will try your way to put up the awning too <G>

Mike

Congratulations on your new B! The CS is the first of the many new models Roatrek has brought out recently that we really like. Please keep us posted on how it goes with all the newer systems they have on them, especially in relation the power usage and charging. We're jealous

[pattonsr]

I went back and looked at the video. The salesman said down there under the hood is a diesel generator. I guess because the Sprinter is diesel, it makes sense to him. Typical clueless salesman. I still would like to know exactly what is down there, not some wave of the arms and happy talk.

[markopolo]

Re: the under the hood generator - I think the salesman handled that part ok. An owner really just needs to know it is there. There's no maintenance or adjustments etc. to be carried out by owners. If ever it didn't work then it's a trip to the repair place just like most would do with their Onan generators or air conditioners etc. if they didn't work.

Campskunk posted on the RT Yahoo Group that he had one installed in his older gas engined Chevy based Roadtrek at the RT factory so it may turn out that different Roadtrek models have different under-the-hood units just like the variety of inverters used in the early E-treks. I'm interested in learning things like the under the hood generator's effect on MPG and battery life after running loads like air conditioners and recharge times etc. All of which we'll hear about as more of these units are sold and are used by their owners.

[Mike]

I still think if I had an extra $130K I'd want to know what I was getting for it, for sure.

I think I know what you mean, that there are probably lots of potential Roadtrek and other class B RV owners who might not care where it is, or what it looks like, or how it operates, and the details about things like idle speeds and duration, and max current output, and fuel consumption, and so on. They are probably in the majority of those people who buy a class B RV. They just want to know it all works like it's supposed to.

However, there are some folks who do want to know the details and the technical minutia, and they are (luckily, in my opinion) mostly members of this forum. We ask the tough questions, because many of us like that sort of stuff, and I daresay there are more people on the Yahoo Roadtrek Group and others, like us on ClassBForum who are equally curious. It's what we do.

[markopolo]

Thanks for catching that Mike - please replace "an owner" with "many owners". Just like you and pattonsr I'd personally want to know every part of the RV conversion but I think there are many owners who aren't too interested in the technical side of things.