2018 Coachmen Crossfit / Transit Opinions?

[Phoebe3]

Thanks. I don't know what Coachmen will decide with regard to the batteries, but I know there will be two and I hope they are 200 ah apiece. Based on your number, a day of refrigerator (with no driving or solar) will deplete one battery to 50% (I understand that is as low as it should go without damage). So that leaves another 100 ah from the second battery for lights, computer, etc. Seems do-able if we are careful.

Just to be clear, I'm not assuming the batteries will be depleted one at a time - just using that as an example to calculate usage.

[Yodar]

I see no mention of the driveshaft coupling recall.
https://www.lieffcabraser.com/2017/0...lawsuit-filed/
I recall a post in FordTransitForumUSA that Transits built in June 2017 have the new shaft and that Ford is prioritizing replacement to Transits with vibration or high mileage. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money...all/434934001/
Probably all Paseos and Crossfits in dealer inventory will still have the old couplings which need replacement every 30,000 miles.
More info here:Driveshaft recall - Ford Transit USA Forum

Also Canada has an interesting competitor to the Crossfit which I'm told can be built to order on a USA Transit base which would take at least a 6 months (and I shudder to think of warranty issues,) http://www.countryrv.net/upload/Okan...yer%202017.pdf

[Phoebe3]

The recall is quoted verbatim in the Class B Forums under "Recalls." That's one of the separate sub-forums.

The part that is being recalled is technically called a Giubo (joo-buh), but is commonly called a flexible coupling. It is between the transmission and the driveshaft and is a part that has been used in European versions of the Transit for quite a while. We believe the purpose is to dampen the noise coming from the transfer of power (a u-joint is louder). The place to check for updates is:

fordtransitusaforum.com

We bought a selfie stick so we could photograph ours periodically. Evidently, they develop cracks long before they fail. Without any proof, we suspect the biggest contributor is the EcoBoost and/or diesel engines because of the rapid application of torque to the flexible joint. That would explain why some people are having trouble at 7,000 miles and others can go over a hundred thousand without issue.

[Coachmen Crossfit owner]

I would really appreciate any performance reviews and suggestions on the Coachmen Crossfit Nova Kool refrigerator by Crossfit owners. Thank you in advance

[Phoebe3]

I'm not home at the moment so can't perform any objective tests. I can tell you that upon start-up, it took quite a while to cool down, but after that, worked very well on shore power. It did heat up some while we were driving (i.e., on 12v power), but it was well over 100 degrees where we were and the dash air was not sufficient to cool the whole coach (meaning the refrigerator was fighting high ambient temps). I don't think it ever got warm enough to put our food in the danger zone.

Let me know what you are looking for specifically and I'll try to answer.

Many owners have the compressor Nova Kool refrigerators - I think they are pretty much the most common refrigerator in the new vans so other people will also be able to help.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by Phoebe3

It did heat up some while we were driving (i.e., on 12v power)

Just an FYI:
The Danfoss compressor in the NovaKool is native 12VDC, so your fridge is ALWAYS running on 12v power. There is an internal 120V-12V converter that allows it to run on 120VAC. So, it is actually slightly more efficient to run on 12V.

FWIW: We can monitor the fridge and freezer temperatures of our NovaKool from the dash. The temps are usually rock solid and have never drifted out of the safe range, no matter the conditions.

[booster]

Originally Posted by Phoebe3

I'm not home at the moment so can't perform any objective tests. I can tell you that upon start-up, it took quite a while to cool down, but after that, worked very well on shore power. It did heat up some while we were driving (i.e., on 12v power), but it was well over 100 degrees where we were and the dash air was not sufficient to cool the whole coach (meaning the refrigerator was fighting high ambient temps). I don't think it ever got warm enough to put our food in the danger zone.

Let me know what you are looking for specifically and I'll try to answer.

Many owners have the compressor Nova Kool refrigerators - I think they are pretty much the most common refrigerator in the new vans so other people will also be able to help.

There are getting to be lots more of the compressor frig owners here, compared to just a few years ago when there were barely any. Many, if not not most are likely Nova Kool as that seems to be the choice of the OEMs. You see more variety in the retrofit units.

Compressor frigs are great, we have had one for a long time in our Roadtrek 190 (Isotherm), as long as you have enough power to run them without issue, and they get adequate ventilation.

The ventilation issue has been a problem on quite a few of the installations, both on retrofits and OEM units. We are starting to see more and more of the small fans being installed provide better air circulation to the condensers and compressors so the frigs use less energy and are able to keep up in hot weather, which they should be able to do easily. This is on OEM installs also.

Our isotherm uses outside air, which can be very hot depending on which way the van is sitting in the sun, but has always kept up even with the compressor set on the lowest speed setting. In Zion, it was 98* and the frig faced the sun all day and it held temp within 2*. As did others, we had to work to get the airflow just right to get that good of performance, but did not have to add any fans. The Isotherm has it's own built in fan on the condenser/compressor unit, so for us all we had to do is make sure it had a continuous source of outside air and never looped the hot air it was discharging.

Re the first post-your batteries are likely 200ah total or 100ah apiece, as that is very typical. 400ah would be nice, but those are usually optional.

Don't get too excited about going below 50% on the SOC, as long as you have a good meter to know exactly where you are. Even going to 20% on every charge would only shorten you battery total energy life by about 10%, and the discharge amounts average out, so a few here and there would be barely matter at all. There are several good discussions on the this forum that explain why the 50% rule appears to be way overblown.

[avanti]

Yes, air circulation fans can make a big difference on the performance of a compressor fridge. But it is important to distinguish between two ways to use such a fan:
1) to improve air flow over the condenser;
2) to prevent hot air from building up inside the compartment holding the fridge.

As Booster says, #1 is often built into the unit, but #2 is can be very important too. When we first got our rig, I discovered that it was getting very hot behind the fridge, due to inadequate air flow-despite the presence of two vents. I installed a pair of small, quiet computer fans to the exhaust vent and it instantly fixed the problem. The fan speed is controlled by one of those little temperature-sensitive boards that are designed for computer cabinets, so the fans are quiet, and usually undetectable.

One of the big advantages of a compressor fridge is the ability to eliminate the two outside vents that an absorption fridge requires. Internal venting is adequate (and often superior), but you do have to pay attention to the air flow.

[Phoebe3]

We tested our 6.0 cf Nova Kool this morning. Ambient temp was 82*F and the fridge cooled from 66* (off) to 39.6* in less than two hours. Freezer went down to 14*F. I think this fridge works very well.

We have been playing with fuses and found that the refrigerator will work unless BOTH the 110v 20A circuit breaker AND the 12v 30a fuse are disabled.

[BBQ]

Originally Posted by Phoebe3

We tested our 6.0 cf Nova Kool this morning. Ambient temp was 82*F and the fridge cooled from 66* (off) to 39.6* in less than two hours. Freezer went down to 14*F. I think this fridge works very well.

We have been playing with fuses and found that the refrigerator will work unless BOTH the 110v 20A circuit breaker AND the 12v 30a fuse are disabled.

I like the numbers

[Phoebe3]

Originally Posted by Coachmen Crossfit owner

I would really appreciate any performance reviews and suggestions on the Coachmen Crossfit Nova Kool refrigerator by Crossfit owners. Thank you in advance

Originally Posted by avanti

Yes, air circulation fans can make a big difference on the performance of a compressor fridge. But it is important to distinguish between two ways to use such a fan:
1) to improve air flow over the condenser;
2) to prevent hot air from building up inside the compartment holding the fridge.

As Booster says, #1 is often built into the unit, but #2 is can be very important too. When we first got our rig, I discovered that it was getting very hot behind the fridge, due to inadequate air flow-despite the presence of two vents. I installed a pair of small, quiet computer fans to the exhaust vent and it instantly fixed the problem. The fan speed is controlled by one of those little temperature-sensitive boards that are designed for computer cabinets, so the fans are quiet, and usually undetectable.

One of the big advantages of a compressor fridge is the ability to eliminate the two outside vents that an absorption fridge requires. Internal venting is adequate (and often superior), but you do have to pay attention to the air flow.

I forgot to mention earlier when I posted our temp numbers, that I checked the outside of the van behind the fridge and it was not warm. I note that there is a vent tub coming from the roof in an area that looks like it might be between the bath and the fridge so I'm not sure what it's for. Sounds like it may be a heat vent for the Nova Kool but I didn't climb up there to see if it was warm.

[RVing]

I would guess that is the vent for the toilet. As water goes in the tank, air has to come out. Since the air departing the black water tank will not be sweet smelling, best to vent at the roof. Just like your house.

Phoebe3, just PM'ed you. Close to buying a crossfit and would be most grateful for you hard-earned insight.

[Phoebe3]

Originally Posted by RVing

I would guess that is the vent for the toilet. As water goes in the tank, air has to come out. Since the air departing the black water tank will not be sweet smelling, best to vent at the roof. Just like your house.

Phoebe3, just PM'ed you. Close to buying a crossfit and would be most grateful for you hard-earned insight.

You are absolutely correct WRT the vent being for the bathroom.

And I have responded to your PM.

Also, for anyone else who is interested, there is a Crossfit-specific FB group:

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/...26%20Prospects

[Altster]

Straight from my tour at Coachmen RV (Indiana) last week:

These are the newest of the Crossfit (with Li3 aka Lithium)...

[Kswanson]

Originally Posted by Phoebe3

We looked at a Galleria and thought the fit and finish was very nice, but the particular Sprinter we looked at had issues (door wouldn't close, engine light was on, etc.).

For a little less, we could get the Crossfit on the Transit chassis. I like the floor-plan better (windows along passenger side, split twin beds instead of power sofa, etc.) and in 2018, it appears they elongated the beds so you can sleep lengthwise, which was critical and make the van useful for hauling other things when we're not RVing.

But when I look at van reviews, everybody seems to have problems with everything! Sprinters, Promasters and Transits all have more negative reviews than positive ones.

My spouse would prefer diesel, but I see both pro's and con's (gas is easier to find and there are more ford dealers if repairs are needed, but diesel can be run in the extreme heat of the desert southwest and gets better mileage).

Has anyone had a Transit RV? I'd like your opinion regarding handling, comfort, reliability.

And before we get into it, the name Crossfit is industry-specific. Was it a dumb idea to call it that? Probably, but there is no danger of a lawsuit.

Thanks for any advice you can give.

I realize you posted some time ago and maybe have purchased but now, but we have a 2018 Crossfix with the 2 beds. Love the Ford Econobust engine. Great pick up and gas mileage. Two twin beds are plenty long but narrow. We usually pull them together and it is 8 inches wider than a queen bed. Perfect! Bath is small. One complaint...the stove only works with electric and generator, not off of solar.

[mumkin]

Originally Posted by Kswanson

One complaint...the stove only works with electric and generator, not off of solar.

Solar is not meant to power anything. It is there to charge the battery(ies) only. Not much area on the roof of a van. This is why I prefer a propane cooktop... no electric needed. Induction cooktops suck too much power and you would need a huge battery bank to run them without being plugged in or running a gennie.

[Kswanson]

I heard about an inverter. What is this and can I use it to power my induction stove if we do not have electric (and the generator does not work)? Our generator, when we took it above 8,000 feet did not work. So I am looking for options.
Thanks!

[Phoebe3]

Originally Posted by Kswanson

I heard about an inverter. What is this and can I use it to power my induction stove if we do not have electric (and the generator does not work)? Our generator, when we took it above 8,000 feet did not work. So I am looking for options.
Thanks!

Your van came with a Converter. Converters change AC (i.e., shore power or generator) to DC which runs all your 12V items like lights, water pump, etc.

An Inverter does the opposite. It converts DC (i.e., battery power) to AC. They come in Pure Sine Wave and Modified Sine Wave versions. Pure Sine Wave inverters are more expensive, but will not damage sensitive electronic equipment like computers. We use a small portable pure sine wave inverter to power our laptops.

Inverters are generally only about 85% efficient, are heavy and get pretty warm. If you want to run a 1000W induction plate or the microwave, you will need a 1500W inverter or better (someone correct me if I'm wrong). The cheaper the inverter, the lower its performance will be relative to the advertised performance.

Beyond the inverter, you need sufficient battery power to run your AC appliance. Since induction plates work pretty fast, you will probably have enough to run it, but that will limit the other things you do with your batteries. A fast (and somewhat inaccurate) calculation would indicate that using a 1000W induction plate for 12 minutes would take 14 AH of battery power. (Watts * time in hours * .85 efficiency / Battery voltage = amp hours of battery use) (1000W * .2 hours * .85 efficiency / 12v = 14). so you can kind of figure 1 AH per minute of energy use for a 1000W appliance.

I assume you have the dual 105 Amp-Hour flooded cells, correct? If you have them completely full (often, they are not) and are willing to take them down to 20% (another discussion), you have about 140-170 amp hours to play with. Your NovaKool will take 35-100 AH in a day, depending on use and ambient temps. You would also need to consider lights, water pump, Truma fan (if needed), awning, entertainment, etc.

So it's do-able, but you will have to decide if it's worth the cost and be vigilant about managing your energy consumption.

I'm not an electronics whizz so I hope I'll be corrected by my betters if I've messed up the calculations.

[Kswanson]

Originally Posted by Phoebe3

Your van came with a Converter. Converters change AC (i.e., shore power or generator) to DC which runs all your 12V items like lights, water pump, etc.

An Inverter does the opposite. It converts DC (i.e., battery power) to AC. They come in Pure Sine Wave and Modified Sine Wave versions. Pure Sine Wave inverters are more expensive, but will not damage sensitive electronic equipment like computers. We use a small portable pure sine wave inverter to power our laptops.

Inverters are generally only about 85% efficient, are heavy and get pretty warm. If you want to run a 1000W induction plate or the microwave, you will need a 1500W inverter or better (someone correct me if I'm wrong). The cheaper the inverter, the lower its performance will be relative to the advertised performance.

Beyond the inverter, you need sufficient battery power to run your AC appliance. Since induction plates work pretty fast, you will probably have enough to run it, but that will limit the other things you do with your batteries. A fast (and somewhat inaccurate) calculation would indicate that using a 1000W induction plate for 12 minutes would take 14 AH of battery power. (Watts * time in hours * .85 efficiency / Battery voltage = amp hours of battery use) (1000W * .2 hours * .85 efficiency / 12v = 14). so you can kind of figure 1 AH per minute of energy use for a 1000W appliance.

I assume you have the dual 105 Amp-Hour flooded cells, correct? If you have them completely full (often, they are not) and are willing to take them down to 20% (another discussion), you have about 140-170 amp hours to play with. Your NovaKool will take 35-100 AH in a day, depending on use and ambient temps. You would also need to consider lights, water pump, Truma fan (if needed), awning, entertainment, etc.

So it's do-able, but you will have to decide if it's worth the cost and be vigilant about managing your energy consumption.

I'm not an electronics whizz so I hope I'll be corrected by my betters if I've messed up the calculations.

You did a great job explaining this. Thank you. We took our vehicle to the generator dealer since it would not start above 8000 feet. The Cummins dealer indicated it was a generator problem and worked on it. Now we have a new issue. Since it came back from Cummins, the 3 items that require power from the generator do not work on the generator...induction cooktop, microwave, and air conditioner. We are going back to the dealer to have them look at this. Any thoughts?

[Kswanson]

Originally Posted by Kswanson

You did a great job explaining this. Thank you. We took our vehicle to the generator dealer since it would not start above 8000 feet. The Cummins dealer indicated it was a generator problem and worked on it. Now we have a new issue. Since it came back from Cummins, the 3 items that require power from the generator do not work on the generator...induction cooktop, microwave, and air conditioner. We are going back to the dealer to have them look at this. Any thoughts?

I just re-read your post....soounds like the converter is not working? That is why the appliances do not work off the generator. I did not try the appliances off of electricity.