[nebulight]

So I'll admit when i'm wrong, I thought Winnebago would be years away from anything like this. However they are going full speed ahead with a 48V Lithium NMC battery pack (close to 833ah if you are talking 12V), 3600W inverter, 58V second alternator and DC step down converter for 12v appliances. The option to go with NMC vs lifepo4 is obvious since they aren't bothering to stick with 12V. The problem with other lithium chemistry has always been the nominal voltage. lifepo4 has a nominal voltage of 3.2v so 4 in series makes a really good 12V battery. most other lithium has 3.7v nominal so 3 in series would be too low and 4 in series would be too high. However if they are going to skip 12V all together and go with 48V, other lithium chemistry will give you much better performance and weight savings.

NMC power density is WAY better than lifepo4. For comparison, lead acid has about 40WH per KG. Lifepo4 is around 120WH per KG. NMC is around 230WH per KG. Cycle life on NMC isn't as good as lifepo4 though, however you can still expect 1000-2000 cycles. I'm still skeptical about the safety of NMC, but this isn't a DIY pack. I'm sure they are a lot of safety measures and they aren't charging the cells to their limit (4.2 volts per cell is the max and they are only going to 4.15).

The alternator is the real winner with this setup. Having a higher voltage alternator means it can provide a much faster charge. They can easily push 100amps through that alternator then you've got close to full charge in a little over an hour.

The obvious application for this is running the air conditioner then have the ability to quickly recharge the battery from the alternator. A battery this big, second alternator, inverter and dc-dc converter is going to be $$$$. My guess is this is going to be north of $25k upgrade on top of the $75k price of the travato.

 

[Ziggy Stardog]

I guess they are feeling some pressure from Hymer/Roadtrek. When I looked at the Aktiv it was priced around $100K and this has the potential to be a better system. So for the same money it looks like a better value proposition as far as retail class B's go.

 

[Chance]

Glad RV industry is finally starting to adopt the 48-Volt electrical system -- it's about time.

If you plan to run high-power loads off batteries, a 48-Volt system will undoubtedly make much more sense than 12-Volts. Now that the auto industry has accepted 48-VDC as alternate future voltage, the switch within RV industry should be faster. I'd guess that before long (a few years) we won't need 12-Volts at all, so no need for DC-DC converter or 12-Volt house battery; although these are minor in cost.



When mass produced, I think incremental costs will be much lower than $25k. I think $10k is more like it.

 

[travelvanvan]

Thanks for reporting on this guys. I don't have the expertise to make educated guesses on this type of technology. It's good to see battery power being able support lengthy A/C use now as well as maybe most types of cooking.

It could extend the times of the year that I travel. I hope costs go down though. It's a bit out of reach (for me) at even $10K USD.

 

[Showtime]

Travatos go for around 85k now I believe after expected discount. Travato group on facebook says they have been told about 20k for this sytem.

So really, its gonna be the bargain of class B vans if you are ready to drop 100k. Build quality beats Hymer/Roadtrek. And Roadtreks system has issues. Maybe this one will be too. Thats a ton of stuff to hope doesnt break. All for AC while boondocking.

Im sure at some point this will all be nice and streamlined and smaller footprint. Right now I just dont see it as being worth the cost and worry of malfunction or breaks. Unless money is no obstacle. Just dont travel to hot weather when its summer

 

[Ziggy Stardog]

The FitRV people have a video walkthrough up for a Travato based on this system. It's the G floorplan.

It should ring a bell with people familiar with their videos :|

 

[nebulight]

Yikes, they had to move the water tank outside?! Well I guess those that need enough power for AC don't have to worry much about freezing temps.

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[Ziggy Stardog]

Yep, seemed like they had heaters for everything under the sun. The inverter looks huge! I wonder if it's a LF inverter. A shame they had to put in a DC to DC converter for 12 volts.

P.S. the 58 volt alternator looks like it would be less trouble-prone than the 12 volt system.

 

[Showtime]

Gotta have cabin air forced into the battery box to make sure the temp doesnt get too cold for the lithium. Box seems to hang even lower then the genny usually does on Travatos.

What a weird choice to keep the propane stove top in this van, kinda goes against the entire theme.

Ive read these wont be available til sometime in 2019 due to Promaster shortages.

 

[nebulight]

I thought the same thing about the cooktop. However I read that when Winnebago went from a three burner stove to a two burner on another model, people freaked out. They should at least offer it as an option since they now have it on the revel.

Also I can't imagine having more than one pot going inside the fan.

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[keeponvaning]

It’s all about bragging rights. Why do you think people buy Sprinters?

More is not always better but, if you want it and can afford it...

 

[Wowbagger]

available for diesel?

I probably know the answer but I have to ask: does anybody know if they are doing this on the diesel engine, or only the gas engine?

 

[nebulight]

From Winnebago probably not as they don't offer the diesel anymore. However I'm sure you can work directly with Volta for options.

 

[Ziggy Stardog]

Any opinions on the non-lithium upgrades?

The new leather swivel seats look very nice. I wonder if they will be available in other models. The dinette seat looked nicer, but it looked like a bear to convert it to a bed.

Not sure how I feel about the dual pane acrylic windows. I think I'd feel very closed-in with the reduced window area. Seemed like even less window area than the Hymer Activ. Does anyone know the vendor for these windows? Maybe these will get easier to source in the US now.

Most storage tweaks seem okay, but I'm not sure about swapping in sliding doors for drawers. While they might give you slightly more space, you'd have to get down on your knees to get to your items.

I'm not wild about the dark flat interior finish, couple this with the smaller windows and it seems like a cave.

 

[nebulight]

I'm not a fan of leather so for me, I wouldn't like this. However a lot of people like leather, so this might be a win for them.

I LOVE my acrylic window in my van, so for me this is a HUGE win. I don't see the G haven't any smaller windows compared to what they had before. It was always much darker than the K model. The K does have smaller windows, but I'd take that in order to have awning windows.

I agree with you about the drawers. However if it nice if you want to access those with the bed down either by crawling under the bed or from the outside.

I agree again about the dark color, but the new lighter color is MUCH nicer than their previous offering.

There is a Travato facebook group that owners mod their vans and Winnebago looks at them and makes changes. Most of the improvements (minus the new windows and lithium which are both options btw) came directly from other owners that modded their vans. It's nice to see a company listen and make changes quickly to address market demands.

 

[Paul_E_D]

I just ordered a 19 G with the darker wood and the acrylic awning windows. They are Dometic/Seitz top of the line (S7?) windows. I had similar worries as I had to order before seeing these features. But, I have finally seen a few pics of the interior and it looks fantastic.

People have been reluctant about the windows, so I haven't seen that yet. I ordered them because I winter surf and they are FAR more air tight and insulative than the sliders, which offer zero resistence to cold drafts. They are a tiny bit smaller, but there is one extra window, and they open wider. Also, there are no valences and more streamlined shades, making the van feel more open inside IMO.

Delivery at the end of April. I can't wait.

Speaking of the power upgrade, I have no interest. My plan is to remove the gennie and A/C immediately, sell them, and double the AGM battery capacity and add a second maxxair over the bed.

Anybody want a gennie and A/C for their build?

 

[Ziggy Stardog]

I'm not a fan of leather so for me, I wouldn't like this. However a lot of people like leather, so this might be a win for them.

I'm neutral on leather. I've had vinyl, leather and cloth and all have their upsides and downsides. I was talking more about the way they adjusted and moved. They seemed like they would give you more options.

I don't see the G haven't any smaller windows compared to what they had before. It was always much darker than the K model. The K does have smaller windows, but I'd take that in order to have awning windows.

You're right. I was thinking about the K model which I have more affinity with.

I agree with you about the drawers. However if it nice if you want to access those with the bed down either by crawling under the bed or from the outside.

IIRC you had the option to lift up the bed platform so you could get to most of the crannies anyway. But again maybe that was on the K. Probably even more inconvenient than crawling on the floor, however.

P.S. I forgot about the front window shade. Seems a bit of a mixed bag to me. I think it could have been designed better.

 

[Ziggy Stardog]

Anybody want a gennie and A/C for their build?

No on the gennie, but I might take you up on the A/C depending on some research.

I didn't like the way they mounted it in the GL, not sure if it's always been that way. Or I've never seen a picture from that angle. It's a Coleman right? Didn't they used to use a Dometic Penguin of some sort, or was that something James swapped in at some point.

 

[Paul_E_D]

No on the gennie, but I might take you up on the A/C depending on some research.

I didn't like the way they mounted it in the GL, not sure if it's always been that way. Or I've never seen a picture from that angle. It's a Coleman right? Didn't they used to use a Dometic Penguin of some sort, or was that something James swapped in at some point.

The one I will be removing is a coleman. They did upgrade to a quieter coleman a year or so ago. THe penguin was an upgrade that FitRV did.

 

[Paul_E_D]

It's a Mach 10. 13,500 BTU unit.