The E-trek Blog

[booster]

With all the e-trek discussions going on, I hope this is the right spot for this.

A rather long post showed up on the Yahoo board from owners of a 2014 AGM battery equipped e-trek on how they manage power to get overnight air conditioning. Looks like all pretty good suggestions, although it is highly unlikely that they are getting fully recharged each day like they think they are, unless the solar is finishing the charge off adequately. They added a gauge, but it appears to just be voltage and solar output. The solar output would be the only indication they have of if the batteries were truly charged full, as long as loads were taken into account.

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/...essages/106422

Very well written, and included in post pix, which is generally not possible on the Yahoo board, so they seem to be skilled internet users.

On edit-I searched the names and they appear to be tied in with this company.

https://www.internetmarketingninjas.com/

Could be a paid post??? It reads kind of like one.

[Arlo]

Interesting and well done indeed. There is a post on this in the Roadtrek Owners Facebook group.

As a relatively non-technically inclined E-Trek owner, I've wondered how a shunt-based amp meter like a Trimetric would work in a dual 12v/24v system like the E-Trek.

[markopolo]

It will be interesting to see when they have to replace the batteries.

They embedded an affiliate code in their Amazon link and probably should declare that. Most people with blogs or such add a note to indicate clicking on links helps them earn a bit of money. It's a courtesy to the reader.

They too took their etrek to the factory for upgrades: Ontario, Canada | Boondocking Ninja

and google turns up this:

Yvonne Maddox

Review of Roadtrek Etrek: We are having a lot of problems with our etrek underhood generator. It will only engage for a minute if our battery bank falls below 1/3, which is frequent when running ac in Texas heat. Then we have to wait for the solar/regular 200 amp alternator to charge our battery bank, which is slow. The engine generator is supposed to put out over 5K when driving and 2.8 at idle, however, we can be driving 65 mph with the rear AC, refrigerator, and microwave on and watch our battery voltage fall as we are going down the road. These loads do not add up to 5K when driving, so theoretically, the battery voltage should remain normal or in a charged state, and it doesn't. It literally discharges as we go down the road, unless the underhood generator decides to kick in, which it may or may not do. (We can tell when it engages because we hear what we believe to be a solenoid clank, causes overhead led lights to flicker, and immediately feel the parasitic load in the engine.) We have the 6000 watt Aims inverter. When we try to plug in to shore power, the battery charger (which is separate from the inverter), gets extremely hot and trips the onboard battery charger circuit breaker. According to the Aims and Roadtrek owners manual, we should get an indicator light when we are connected to shore power, however we do not. The only charger we can determine is working when connected to shore power, is the one built in below the ottoman and not the one built into the Aims inverter. (The Aims inverter is under the couch.) We have only plugged in once as we are fearful that the charger gets so hot it could start a fire. We really love the concept of the etrek and would like to have these problems resolved, if possible. We are contacting a roadtrek dealer tomorrow so we have to cut our trip short...just wanted to give everyone a heads up of some of the problems we are having. Leo at Roadtrek has been very helpful but no solutions yet.

[booster]

The writeup that Marko showed is interesting as it mentions that the engine generator should be doing 5K watts, and I just looked at the Roadtrek site that lists the engine generator at 3.5K watts.

I wonder if this could have anything to do with the belt issues that some have had, popping off and/or shortened life, as they use the original belt, not an add on like Avanti's setup.

In the big picture, they may get better life than some of the less power consuming folks as the batteries will stay in balance closer because most of what the use is 24v through the inverter, instead of 12 off half of the batteries. I doubt they are getting adequate top off time, though.

[cruisefx]

Originally Posted by booster

With all the e-trek discussions going on, I hope this is the right spot for this.

A rather long post showed up on the Yahoo board from owners of a 2014 AGM battery equipped e-trek on how they manage power to get overnight air conditioning. Looks like all pretty good suggestions, although it is highly unlikely that they are getting fully recharged each day like they think they are, unless the solar is finishing the charge off adequately. They added a gauge, but it appears to just be voltage and solar output. The solar output would be the only indication they have of if the batteries were truly charged full, as long as loads were taken into account.

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/...essages/106422

Very well written, and included in post pix, which is generally not possible on the Yahoo board, so they seem to be skilled internet users.

On edit-I searched the names and they appear to be tied in with this company.

https://www.internetmarketingninjas.com/

Could be a paid post??? It reads kind of like one.

I had a look on the Roadtrek Owners FB group and the poster used her real name. I looked at her own FB page and she commented to a friend the following in September...

"Yes it has solar and 8 batteries...all electric. We haven't had to plug it in for 3+ months! Look into a used Roadtrek...you and Kyle would love them. The E version is pricey but if you purchase an older Roadtrek that hasn't been altered, the Roadtrek company (or AM Solar in Oregon even if it has been altered) can add solar and an inverter to the older models. Roadtrek can even add the lithium batteries."

I suspect that she does have an e-Trek and she joined the group in July indicating she was travelling through Canada

[booster]

Originally Posted by cruisefx

I had a look on the Roadtrek Owners FB group and the poster used her real name. I looked at her own FB page and she commented to a friend the following in September...

"Yes it has solar and 8 batteries...all electric. We haven't had to plug it in for 3+ months! Look into a used Roadtrek...you and Kyle would love them. The E version is pricey but if you purchase an older Roadtrek that hasn't been altered, the Roadtrek company (or AM Solar in Oregon even if it has been altered) can add solar and an inverter to the older models. Roadtrek can even add the lithium batteries."

I suspect that she does have an e-Trek and she joined the group in July indicating she was travelling through Canada

They definitely have an e-trek, but the way the writeup read, and the business they are in, makes you wonder if they are in, or trying to get in, to the same type of gig that Wendland and Campskunk have as an "independent" journalist/poster.

[markopolo]

They're in a sales related business - JaxWorks SEO & Web Design - search engine optimization & social media marketing type stuff etc.

That type of work would let you work from anywhere so might as well cruise around in a Class B.

Originally Posted by booster

The writeup that Marko showed is interesting as it mentions that the engine generator should be doing 5K watts, and I just looked at the Roadtrek site that lists the engine generator at 3.5K watts.

I wonder if this could have anything to do with the belt issues that some have had, popping off and/or shortened life, as they use the original belt, not an add on like Avanti's setup.

In the big picture, they may get better life than some of the less power consuming folks as the batteries will stay in balance closer because most of what the use is 24v through the inverter, instead of 12 off half of the batteries. I doubt they are getting adequate top off time, though.

Good observation there. I just looked through the early stuff on this forum and the early advertising was indeed "5,000 watts generating power".

It does seem like a lot of E-treks had to go back to the factory for repairs.

I'm still hoping some owners get to know enough about their etreks so that they can post some info here: http://www.classbforum.com/forums/f5...wiki-3906.html

[booster]

I wonder how the Jaxworks ties in with Internet Marketing Ninjas that I had in the earlier post. They even tout using social media to promote products and services, etc as well as other marketing methods.

[markopolo]

Maybe it was the word Ninja from Boondocking Ninja | Adventures of Michael & Yvonne that linked things from a google point of view.

These folks look to be on their second Roadtrek and enjoy traveling in a Class B : Hello World! | Boondocking Ninja

[Arlo]

The setup they describe with the AIMS inverter and two PD converter/chargers is what I originally had prior to factory upgrades in February 2014, so they must have an early 2014 build. An E-Trek flyer I have from late 2012 lists a 5000w "power inverter" and 3500w "generator - engine mounted". I recall that the converter/chargers did get quite warm, but nothing that caused me concern. That said, I rarely plug in except to top off the batteries every week or two in my garage.

[tpmc99]

For those who have purchased a newer Roadtrek E-Trek (with EcoTrek, Voltstart ...), what has been you experience with this technology (good & bad) since taking ownership?

Planning to purchase in the next 12 months and am looking for input from actual E-Trek owners.

[gregmchugh]

Best place to find recent Etrek, Ecotrek, Voltstart owners would be on the Roadtrek Owners Group on Facebook.

[seekeroftheRVtruth]

Hi - I also read through theetrekblog site while conducting due diligence on a new Class B. Their account is compelling and revealing - and understandable. I too had an unfortunate experience with a new Class B we purchased in 2013 (not RT) and it taught me a lot about how to pursue Class B (only a Sprinter) version 2.0.

We MIGHT buy a 2017 CS E-Trek (partial) with AGMs, the GU (modified alternator/generator) plus solar. Given the apparent lessons learned, is it true that the battery equalizer is now standard in E-Treks with AGMs? If so, does this solve what seems to have been the problem with the AGM version of the E-Trek, or are there other noteworthy issues with E-Trek's power system (with AGM batteries - does not include EcoTrek package: lithium, Voltstart, etc)?

[gregmchugh]

I believe the battery equalizer has been standard on the 8 AGM configuration for a long time but it never hurts to confirm these types of things with Roadtrek since they seem to be continuously changing the electrical system design. The battery equalizer has corrected the major issue with the batteries. The 8 AGM batteries are no longer covered by a 6 year warranty and have a 1 year warranty.

The only other common problem I recall has been with the compressor fridge shutting down due to low voltage when on 12 volts. At least two fixes have been done to resolve this, a change to lower the cutoff voltage and a heavier gauge wire directly connecting the fridge to the battery bank.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by tpmc99

For those who have purchased a newer Roadtrek E-Trek (with EcoTrek, Voltstart ...), what has been you experience with this technology (good & bad) since taking ownership?

Planning to purchase in the next 12 months and am looking for input from actual E-Trek owners.

2017 210 with 800ah lithium/underhood gen/Voltstart/Solar but still uses propane for stove etc.

Pro: It's very boondock capable. So far, it's been trouble free. Apparently, they have fixed the earlier problems they had with this technology. With 800ah capacity, it never runs out of suds or even triggers Voltstart.

Con: Because the four batteries have independent management modules, there is no State of Charge indicator, just a Digital Voltmeter. The standby mode on the inverter has been eliminated. A comprehensive dealer delivery orientation is important because the owner manual doesn't provide a coherent set of instructions for managing the electrical system operation.

IMO, this technology is the wave of the RV future and any OEM that doesn't embrace it is going to be left in the dust.

[SiennaGuy]

I'm hoping that the next manufacturer who gets on board with this technology learns from RoadTrek's mistakes.