New Roadtreks available

[angelmroman]

Sunshine State RVs in Gainesville, Florida has new Roadtrek inventory from the Rapido Group. They are still using Ecotrek Lithium Batteries. Hopefully, the parasitic current draw has been substantially reduced, if not eliminated completely. We’ll see....

[Bud]

Originally Posted by angelmroman

Sunshine State RVs in Gainesville, Florida has new Roadtrek inventory from the Rapido Group. They are still using Ecotrek Lithium Batteries. Hopefully, the parasitic current draw has been substantially reduced, if not eliminated completely. We’ll see....

What would and will be new is if the new Roadtrek will simply answer that question and others honestly.

Bud

[Jon in AZ]

Found their website and looked at one of the “new” Zions. I’m not seeing anything new. Appears to be just like the old Roadtrek Zion, maybe slightly different finish materials, but the same plans, molds, jigs, etc.

I guess I shouldn’t have expected different given the very short timeline. It’s been less than a year since the acquisition. Perhaps new models and designs will come along later, and this is just a transitional product, something to rebuild confidence in the brand.

Means they’re still chasing the same (declining) demographic. Nothing here I can see to generate interest among younger buyers.

[Bud]

Wonder if the ecotrek battery owner still gets to play with their batteries turning them off and on by groups?

[booster]

I guess there is no real surprise in what they are building, as it is what they said they would do to get started. They need to get product out to pay the bills and the designs have been pretty popular in the past, all the tooling and other stuff still exists to get started again with the same designs.



Hopefully, they got the parasitic down or eliminated, but we didn't really even know what it was at the end of the old Roadtrek for sure, although it appeared to be lower than in the beginning. As was mentioned, just getting a straight, honest, answer to that kind of question would be a really good thing for all involved.


It will be very interesting when someone gets a chance to go and look at some of the first out production to see how the quality looks, at least what you can see. They have a lot riding on it being a whole lot better than is used to be.

[mumkin]

Thus far they have done as they said they would. Started with the bigger seller, the Zion, with few visible changes. The first one was sold awhile back when it appeared at an RV show in Canada. The dealer reported that they felt that they had upped the quality... but we will have to wait and see when they hit the road. (newly delivered RTs required lots of ... adjustments... in the past before they hit the sales lot)

As to the lithium system, the supplier KS2 or K2S some such combination, has been working very hard, along with the knowledgeable owners upgrading the batteries and getting the settings such that the batteries are not being harmed by the inverter or battery. (not that I understand any of it... which is why I will stick to AGMs forever) The Aktiv owners have been very proactive in working with the system. Last I read, the parasitic draw was down to a fraction of the original problem and that was before the collapse. With all the work since, I doubt that will be a huge problem forward.

As they say... watch this space. I look forward to their bringing some of the European models to attract the younger crowd.

[Popcorn]

I wonder if they’ve followed other B Van manufacturers in providing some level of insulation and 4 season capability?

[markopolo]

Hopefully, the Roadtrek lithium setups will now at least have battery State of Charge and cell balance information available to owners.

I can't imagine much interest in it without that very basic level of monitoring at this point in time.

[Davydd]

Does Rapido have any experience in lithium battery technology and experience in camper vans?

[gerrym51]

Originally Posted by Bud

Wonder if the ecotrek battery owner still gets to play with their batteries turning them off and on by groups?

i looked at picture of zion with 2 ecotreks. i saw 2 switches for batteries. i assume 1 for each ecotrek.

I also saw on the site that the original northstar agm sms 400(not 400 amp hours) battery is still standard.

However-and this is new= a second northstar sms agm 400 can be added.

that might be viable

[mumkin]

Originally Posted by Popcorn

I wonder if they’ve followed other B Van manufacturers in providing some level of insulation and 4 season capability?

I'd assume not as the majority of buyers neither want nor need it. I think it should be offered as an option though. Perhaps later they will if enough people ask for it.

However-and this is new= a second northstar sms agm 400 can be added.

IMHO that would make the glitchy, labor intensive, lithium systems superfluous. Although they are pretty heavy.

Does Rapido have any experience in lithium battery technology and experience in camper vans?

Camper vans yes... in Europe. I would assume no on the prior lithium experience. I don't know if it is used at all in Europe. Probably, like Hymer, they bought the company to get the technology... plus a foot in the door of the NA market.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by mumkin

Camper vans yes... in Europe. I would assume no on the prior lithium experience. I don't know if it is used at all in Europe. Probably, like Hymer, they bought the company to get the technology... plus a foot in the door of the NA market.

I know they have camper van experience. I was asking if they had experience with lithium batteries in camper vans. If they wanted a foot in the door, they wasted their money on that as Roadtrek’s Etrek lithium system is dated and the worst implementation. It should be scrapped but they are seemingly foisting the left over remnants on unsuspecting customers. Not a good start.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by Davydd

I know they have camper van experience. I was asking if they had experience with lithium batteries in camper vans. If they wanted a foot in the door, they wasted their money on that as Roadtrek’s Etrek lithium system is dated and the worst implementation. It should be scrapped but they are seemingly foisting the left over remnants on unsuspecting customers. Not a good start.

How do you know that??

[gregmchugh]

Originally Posted by Roadtrek Adventuous RS1

How do you know that??

Lot’s of opinions on EcoTrek batteries but if someone is not following the improvements coming from the battery module manufacturer working with the owner community then they are just opinions. The reports from owners with the latest module versions and the correct van wiring indicate that the EcoTreks are working fine and still have advantages over the drop in replacements that don’t have battery warming capability.

[booster]

Originally Posted by gerrym51

i looked at picture of zion with 2 ecotreks. i saw 2 switches for batteries. i assume 1 for each ecotrek.

I also saw on the site that the original northstar agm sms 400(not 400 amp hours) battery is still standard.

However-and this is new= a second northstar sms agm 400 can be added.

that might be viable

I would agree that a second agm400 battery would be a good addition, as they were a bit short of capacity for current standards. As long as it doesn't cost a bunch of load capacity, definitely a really good idea.

[Popcorn]

FYI: Mike Wendland will be interviewing the new CEO of Roadtrek on his Wednesday podcast on YouTube.

[Gastineaurower]

I'm not currently in the market for a new Roadtrek, but after diligent market search I have traveled all the way from Seattle to purchase two used Roadtreks from them. (They paid my airfare both times.) They have the largest selection of Roadtreks, new and used, and they make sure the units leave the lot in pristine condition. I think they are great folks to deal with, and I recommend them without reservation, if Roadtrek is what you are looking for.

[Rdean925]

Originally Posted by Popcorn

FYI: Mike Wendland will be interviewing the new CEO of Roadtrek on his Wednesday podcast on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/Tnto3KUONu8

[RossWilliams]

Roadtrek has been a very successful brand. I suspect Rapido is more interested in reassuring people that there aren't any changes to Roadtrek products. Of course for people who hated Roadtrek, that means they can still hate it. But Rapido would be foolish to target that market before it re-established itself with the existing market.