Thor Tellaro Owners

[Dashmead]

Has anyone switched from AGM to Lithium batteries in Tellaro? Is battery charger configurable for Lithium? I can't see paying the huge price for a lithium package when just batteries will get me 75% there.

[W9TR]

Yes -at least one owner I know of has replaced the two 100 AH Series 31 AGM’s with lithium batteries. You have to replace the charger module in the converter with one designed for lithium batteries. You also have to set the solar charge controller to Lithium.

By doing this, you don’t really get much more available power because the lithium replacement batteries are still 100 AH. So you have 200AH x 12V = 2400 WH.

The factory installed MasterVolt lithium system gives you 11,000 WH, or 4.6x the capacity.

[wny-pat]

RV's are not all about floor plans. Yes, floor plans are important, but so isn't reputation in the industry! You should consider the reputation of the company you are considering buying from. Are they going to be there when you need them? Do they support their Dealers? https://www.yelp.com/biz/thor-motor-coach-elkhart. I remember when I was a new RVer and ran across a new Thor at a RV show. Thought it had a wonderful layout. But then I started to read about Thor problems on RV forums. I learned about Thor's reputation in the industry. I know nothing about Thor's latest endeavors but I do know I much rather have a used Pleasure Way than a new Thor.

[Dashmead]

Originally Posted by W9TR

Yes -at least one owner I know of has replaced the two 100 AH Series 31 AGM’s with lithium batteries. You have to replace the charger module in the converter with one designed for lithium batteries. You also have to set the solar charge controller to Lithium.

By doing this, you don’t really get much more available power because the lithium replacement batteries are still 100 AH. So you have 200AH x 12V = 2400 WH.

The factory installed MasterVolt lithium system gives you 11,000 WH, or 4.6x the capacity.

Lithium batteries can be discharged to 80%, they charge really fast and they have around 3000-5000 charging cycles . I don't feel it necessary to run 11000 WH. Seems like an economical middle ground Thor could offer. IMHO.

[Rocinante]

Originally Posted by Dashmead

Lithium batteries can be discharged to 80%, they charge really fast and they have around 3000-5000 charging cycles . I don't feel it necessary to run 11000 WH. Seems like an economical middle ground Thor could offer. IMHO.

Assuming the vehicle has a charger that works well with drop-in lithium replacement batteries such as BattleBorn, this is 100% correct. Lithium batteries also weigh less for the same number of amp / watt hours, so that's another benefit.

PleasureWay has been doing exactly this for some time now. Airstream just got on the band wagon with their 2021 model year Interstates, replacing a pair of AGM batteries with a pair of BattleBorn. Given Airstream is also owned by Thor, it seems reasonable to suggest that Airstream's implementation in the 2021 Interstates will eventually become available in "Thor" branded units.

That said, I'm on the other side of the fence with how much I demand from my Class-B van's power systems. As I write this we're having 400Ah of lithium, 400 watts of solar, and a 3Kw hybrid inverter / charger installed in our 2016 Interstate. Yep, it's a lot more expensive than a couple of drop-in lithium batteries, but it's what we want, based on our experience with putting a similar installation in the travel trailer we used to own.

[W9TR]

Originally Posted by Dashmead

Lithium batteries can be discharged to 80%, they charge really fast and they have around 3000-5000 charging cycles . I don't feel it necessary to run 11000 WH. Seems like an economical middle ground Thor could offer. IMHO.

I am abusing the AGM batteries in my Tellaro 20AT and will replace them with Lithium batteries when they fail. I agree this would be a good option from the factory but it is not currently offered.

[Dashmead]

Does the Thor Tellaro have a built in surge protector? Does transfer switch include this function?

[W9TR]

Originally Posted by Dashmead

Does the Thor Tellaro have a built in surge protector? Does transfer switch include this function?

No to both.
There is room in the inverter cabinet for a hardwired surge protector.

I bought one from Hughes autoformer that protects against surges and over/under voltage.

[Dashmead]

We won't take delivery of our Tellaro AT until March.��. So we are wondering about a lot of things.

How do forum members feel about ground clearance? We worry since there is so much stuff added under the van that could be damaged.

[rowiebowie]

You do need to exercise some caution when it comes to ground clearance, but I wouldn't worry too much. When you get your model, just look underneath to find your low spots. On some models, it may be the lower front or back which requires caution when parking or backing in against curbs. On other models, like mine, it is the "break-over" or the point between the front and rear wheels (center of the vehicle). Due to a longer wheelbase, this means caution when entering and exiting steep driveways or parking lots that have sharp high crowns.

I've worried at times, but have never dragged over any speed bumps, crowns, or pot holes . . . yet.

[Dashmead]

Sleeping in a Tellaro AT: my husband is 5'10". Would he sleep north-south, east-west, or at an angle?
It looks like it is designed as a north-south bed but the specs say it is only 66" long. What is your opinion of the bed?

[LostInWoods]

The 20AT rear bed sleeps transverse (note the pillows on the Thor website floorplan) and the pop top sleeps longitudinally. He should fit fine in either bed.

[Dashmead]

Originally Posted by LostInWoods

The 20AT rear bed sleeps transverse (note the pillows on the Thor website floorplan) and the pop top sleeps longitudinally. He should fit fine in either bed.

Thanks. Good catch on the floor plan. I guess I will just have to crawl over him to get up. We are getting the AT because we really wanted a bed that we did not have to convert to seating every day.

[W9TR]

Originally Posted by Dashmead

Sleeping in a Tellaro AT: my husband is 5'10". Would he sleep north-south, east-west, or at an angle?
It looks like it is designed as a north-south bed but the specs say it is only 66" long. What is your opinion of the bed?

I’m 5’10” and I sleep either way in our 2020 Tellaro 20AT.

The reading lights are setup on the driver’s and passenger’s side of the bed so that’s the way we sleep normally. I sleep on my side so the length is not an issue at all. This way no one has to crawl over somebody else to use the restroom.

It is interesting that the bed is wider than it is long, and so sleeping that way works as well, just not as convenient to enter and exit.

[arand]

Originally Posted by W9TR

We are a few weeks and 2000 miles into our 2020 Tellaro 20AT. So far, we've camped 9 nights. We're pleased with the floor plan. Drivability is excellent - this van is fun to drive and easy to park. Build quality is very good - no issues so far.

On our way to look at a Tellaro 20LT and wanted to check the forum for any new comments on Thor quality. W9TR - thank you for your post!

[W9TR]

We are 10,000 miles in and no major issues with Thor build quality. We have a few minor issues, mostly with the screens and window coverings. Those will be resolved by our dealer in January. Happy hunting.
Tom

[Dashmead]

We won't get our new Tellaro AT until March! It is hard to wait and I have a lot of questions. Is the
dinnette seating in the AT comfortable? I am thinking about a small ottoman. We like to sit with our feet up.

[W9TR]

Congrats! We love our Tellaro 20AT. With just two of us we swivel the front seats around and rest our feet on the jumpseat to dine and watch TV. With more people onboard we use the jumpseat and the front seats both. The jumpseat back is almost vertical but plenty comfortable for dining. I wouldn’t want to sit back there on a long drive.

[Dashmead]

A question for those of you who understand the wiring: Is it possible to mount the Victron BMV 712 Battery monitor shunt inside the Tellaro AT near the power center? Since the batteries are under the chassis, the shunt would be too exposed without some sort of protection. Would anyone share their experience at installing this?

We do not have the lithium package in the new Van, but our current one does and we have found the monitor very useful. So even without lithium, we would like this upgrade. I have found monitoring by voltage less satisfactory.

Thanks!

[W9TR]

The Thor owner’s resource has electrical schematics for your rig.
For our 2020 Tellaro 20AT the battery (+) feed splits off to three places:
To the inverter
To the chassis battery isolation relay
To the main DC manual rotary disconnect.

You would need three shunts to measure A-H in and out of the batteries.

There is a single wire from the battery (-) terminal to chassis ground - that may work but it is underneath the van and exposed to the elements.

Tom