Frequently Asked Questions

Outside and below the floor behind rear axle.

Everything will already run on 110 or 12V except the stove, furnace and water heater. We do not offer these items in 110V since they would require a generator to run when not connected to an external electrical connection which limits the Roadtrek’s self containment.

Yes. The refrigerator will draw up to 15 amp. while on 12V(depending on fridge model), and the auxiliary battery has 120-225 amp.(depending on vehicle model) at full charge. However, actual battery life will depend on what other draws are made on the battery.

Yes, as long as you start the air conditioner first. This also depends on the model. The Sprinter-based vehicles have a 2.5 KiloWatt propane generator, which will not have enough power for this.

Yes you are able to run the generator and power the roof vent at the same time.

No. If you want to run several other items (toaster, electric frying pan, hair dryer, curling iron, etc.), you should turn off the air conditioner.

Generator operation is limited by the amount of fuel in the vehicle’s tank above the 1/4 level. Starting with a full tank, the generator can run until the fuel is at the 1/4 level or for about 90 hours at half load (0.30 gallons per hour) or 60 hours at full load (0.42 gallons per hour).

As of June, 2010, the auxiliary batteries used are AGM (Absorbed Glass Matting) type batteries that do not require maintenance other than keeping them charged. Most units get two 6-volt batteries in series.

It depends on how many things you are running. Like any battery system, your use and environmental factors dictate performance.

It depends on how hot the outside air temperature is, how much charge is in the batteries and how cool you set the temperature in the coach.

The engine drives the generator when running and the resulting 1680 watt electrical output (at idle) is sent directly to the inverter and the batteries. It provides higher levels of output when driving.

It is the same as the engine idling in your driveway: quiet.

Run the engine to operate the appliances you need and charge the batteries. Once you start your vehicle bring the rpm up to 2500 briefly and release, to initiate charging cycle. You can also plug in to a 110 volt 30 amp. service.

No, the solar panel charges the batteries during all daylight hours (not just sunlight) and is meant to maintain and improve the charge in the batteries. But if you are running appliances that use more energy than the solar panel generates, then the batteries will be used to make up the difference. If you run low, run the engine to charge the batteries.

When running the inverter, a minimum battery charge will be preserved by a “power save” setting in the inverter that emits a small alarm telling you to charge the batteries. From the point of that alarm, assuming you are not running a lot of appliances at the same time, you can charge your batteries to the point that will allow you to return to normal usage in 30-40 minutes (do not stop charging at that point). If you run the batteries right down with the inverter off, you may need to charge them for up to 2 hours before you can return to normal use.

The battery system holds 9600 watts of power and the answer to the question depends on what all you are using to recharge and what you are running. If you run nothing in the coach you can recharge with just the engine alternator/generators at a rate of up to 3500 watts per hr. If you are plugged in to a 110 volt electrical outlet, you can also be adding another 1400 watts and hour. The solar panels will also be adding up to 245 watts per hour depending on the amount of light available to them. As you can see there are many variables and the choices are yours depending on what you want or need to do. Everything you run in the coach or attached to it will reduce the number of watts going into the batteries. Information on their consumption is usually available on the backs or bottom of most electrical equipment/appliances.

Excessive use of appliances, without the engine being used to top up the batteries (or plugging in to a 110 volt 30 amp. service) will run the batteries down. So, if you need to run the air conditioner a lot, you should run the engine intermittently to top up your batteries. In most cases, people use air conditioning sparingly and the coach will function for a very long time with solar charging and good planning.

No. Ultimately, you have to consider the environmental factors, usage and battery life when using the coach. We engineered and installed the combination of appliances to achieve the best possible functional results for you, with the greenest possible results, along with the security of knowing the engine can run and charge the coach when needed. This is truly a special product, that you can use and enjoy performance far beyond other RVs.