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Old 07-08-2019, 02:03 AM   #1
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Cross Trek — generator free with huge garage

It’s new, small, light, and appears inexpensive. Huge garage with 130 cubic feet of total outside storage; and is generator free. Instead of going with lithium batteries, it has modest 330 Ah AGM to power a 3000 Watt Xantrex inverter.

Seems designed for active young couples. I hope much of the innovation and unique design spreads to other motorhomes; although in my opinion poor access to the rear bed will limit a lot of buyers.

https://coachmenrv.com/class-c-motorhomes/cross-trek



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Old 07-08-2019, 05:17 AM   #2
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Generator free? ....I hope that means you can run the AC off the inverter for more than 4 hours while boondocking.

And if it's got that big a battery, I hope it comes with alot of solar panels.
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Old 07-08-2019, 12:56 PM   #3
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No and no.

The Devil is in the details, right?

I’m pretty certain a single 330 Ah AGM battery wont run an A/C more than 2 hours at most, even a high efficiency small roof-top one. An hour is probably more like it.

And video suggest owners can add solar, so it probably comes with no solar or very little capacity from factory. Not much data yet.


For those who normally camp in cooler weather and don’t need A/C it makes some sense. Also for those like us who mainly stay in campgrounds and rarely ever use a generator other than to power microwave or coffee maker a few minutes at a time during the day.

I suppose those who boondock in remote areas could use a portable inverter generator to power A/C if it’s hot.

If battery can power A/C for an hour-plus, that would be enough to leave a pet inside RV while grocery shopping or eating out. That’s about the only time we ran our generator on Class C we had years ago.

It’s just a start, and a much cheaper option to Volta lithium system.
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Old 07-08-2019, 01:08 PM   #4
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Chance,
So... when are you pulling the trigger?
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Old 07-08-2019, 02:13 PM   #5
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An additional thousand bucks will put a nice rear hitch carrier and a Champion 3100/3400 generator on the back for those hot nights. I don't know what's so "innovative and unique" in the design, but there's a market for this, for sure. The bed design is horrible but...buyers in this market will make that sacrifice. I may get one and pull it on the trailer instead of my Jeep. It's cute! And small enough you don't need a toad...you can drive it anywhere. Small tanks will only allow two days boondocking at best. OK...Chance...you asked for it!!
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Old 07-08-2019, 02:42 PM   #6
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I would consider elevated twin beds like most compact Euro motorhomes have, but a platform bed where you sleep across RV seems like they copied design from common do-it-yourself van floorplan. Basically, the primary bed is similar to the bed over the cab of Class Cs. That’s worse than corner beds in that you have to climb a ladder, and then climb over your partner. I can’t see wanting to do that every night. Maybe in my 30s, but not now.

If anyone was interested in that type of motorhome, I would suggest waiting a few months for the new Ford Transit. The 2020 Transit will have dual alternators and higher GVWR, which would make upgrading battery bank capacity and faster charging easier.

Other advantages to waiting a few months may be the larger fuel tank which would extend range on gasoline motorhome (25 gallons just not enough), and front swivel seats should lead to additional floorplans.

Here’s a video of interior. Seems pretty roomy (wide) even without a slide.



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Old 07-08-2019, 03:03 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by The Gritz Carlton View Post

.....cut.....

OK...Chance...you asked for it!!
They are getting much closer for sure.

Specs show 8,100 pounds with over 2,000 pounds of cargo carrying capacity, so adding a second 180-pound battery to make 660 Amp-hours may not be too difficult to install. That would make a big difference.

Coachmen shows a second floorplan coming — hope they improve bed access.

And yes, a portable Honda or equal could do for hot weather if off the grid, which for us is only a few nights a year.
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Old 07-08-2019, 04:37 PM   #8
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I really like that RV. Great bike storage!

I wish it had a living room slide and a build in generator option. (or double the battery bank?).

We run our AC (when temp above 82 deg) the entire time we drive / park (if not plugged in). But since this floor plan is shorter you might get away with just the cockpit AC and a fan until its about 90 outside.

Plus the Axis front windshield/side cockpit windows will let in a lot more heat than this class C would so that will make it a very confortable cockpit while traveling.
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Old 07-08-2019, 06:04 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by Long & Winding road View Post
.....cut.....

We run our AC (when temp above 82 deg) the entire time we drive / park (if not plugged in). But since this floor plan is shorter you might get away with just the cockpit AC and a fan until its about 90 outside.

......cut......
Assuming they already install a Power Saver type of high-efficiency air conditioner, and since motorhome already has 3,000-Watt Xantrex wired to power A/C, the only thing that’s needed is for alternator to supply a little over 100 Amps. The largest optional Transit alternator (~250A) should be able to do that now, but in a few months the Transit dual alternator option should do 200 Amps or more easily. Running rooftop A/C while driving “should” be possible if only they size wiring correctly.

Days of running generator to power an A/C while driving should be coming to an end soon.
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Old 07-08-2019, 08:26 PM   #10
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Ok, well thats good (I hope).

If your stopped for a two hours lunch break/shopping break you will need the Chassis engine running for roof AC. I wonder how much fuel that engine burns per an hour with AC running. Up side it it would keep the RV that much lighter and close less with out Genset.

Plus the chassis engine will be quieter than an normal Genset (my v10 is much quieter than the Onan 4000).

Sounds pretty good on paper. I guess time will tell.
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Old 07-08-2019, 08:38 PM   #11
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I know a lot of folks with a small RV's want a low roof height as well but It would be pretty awesome if the roof stepped up a foot (or more) for the rear bed to offer more headroom (and/or overhead storage?).

Heck even if it raised up to the height of the AC unit that would give you like 10 inches more headroom in the bedroom.

Add a spolier on the back if the roof and it would pretty awesome!
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Old 07-08-2019, 09:17 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by Long & Winding road View Post
Ok, well thats good (I hope).

If your stopped for a two hours lunch break/shopping break you will need the Chassis engine running for roof AC. I wonder how much fuel that engine burns per an hour with AC running. Up side it it would keep the RV that much lighter and close less with out Genset.

Plus the chassis engine will be quieter than an normal Genset (my v10 is much quieter than the Onan 4000).

Sounds pretty good on paper. I guess time will tell.
If you add a second 330 Ah battery which I saw priced as low as ~ $600, it should be enough to power an A/C for a longer break of 2 hours. I’ll run the numbers using typical AGM specs when I get a chance.

Idling V6 gas engine for air conditioning could get tricky due to no-idling laws, but if you could do it, gas consumption wouldn’t be that much more than an Onan generator — at least not enough for me to worry about. A V6 should be less than about .5 GPH, so overall difference versus generator would be minimal during a 2-hour dinner break. Fuel cost, if any, would be less than a dollar, so not much compared to dinner bill.

Still, I’d rather have an additional battery or more rather than idle engine because I wouldn’t want to draw attention to motorhome.
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Old 07-08-2019, 09:24 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by Long & Winding road View Post
I know a lot of folks with a small RV's want a low roof height as well but It would be pretty awesome if the roof stepped up a foot (or more) for the rear bed to offer more headroom (and/or overhead storage?).

Heck even if it raised up to the height of the AC unit that would give you like 10 inches more headroom in the bedroom.

Add a spolier on the back if the roof and it would pretty awesome!
That would add drag, lower MPG, and make handling worse.

Maybe they can lower garage floor so they can lower bed, which would also make it easier to climb into the tall bed. For me it’s got to have twin/king beds with steps in middle. Otherwise a deal breaker.
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Old 07-08-2019, 10:31 PM   #14
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Well if you only went up to the height of the AC unit on the roof I would think it MPG and areo loss be minimal. Perhaps a roof spoiler can off set any handling issues?

The A class Outlaw has a raised roof. Had you ever seen comments on handling or MPG? I never noticed any postings on this subject... but you bring up a good point.
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Old 07-09-2019, 03:19 AM   #15
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Don't see much of an advantage with the crosstek, except better MPG, and the storage area.
comparing my Fourwinds 22E (also 24' long)

GVWR:Crosstek is 10360 lb.; Fourwinds 22E is 12,500
GCWR: crosstek is 12125 lb; Fourwinds 22E is 18,500
Fuel Capacity:crosstek is 25 gal; ; Fourwinds 22E is 55 gal
Exterior Length: crosstek is 24'; Fourwinds 22E is 24'
Exterior Height:crosstek is 10' 6"; Fourwinds 22E is 11'
Exterior Width: crosstek is 91" ; Fourwinds 22E is 99"
Fresh Water: crosstek is 30 gal; Fourwinds 22E is 40 gal
Gray Water: crosstek is 27 gal; Fourwinds 22E is 37 gal
Black Water:crosstek is 28 gal; Fourwinds 22E is 24.5 gal
I weigh in at 10,900 fully loaded My dry weight is @ 9500 pounds

The extra storage crosstek has is nice, but I'll keep what I have and use the rear hitch for extra cargo and bikes.
By the way the dash air has no problem keeping a 24' class c cool
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Old 07-09-2019, 11:50 AM   #16
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Don't see much of an advantage with the crosstek, except better MPG, and the storage area.
comparing my Fourwinds 22E (also 24' long)

.....cut.....
Thanks — great points and comparison.

You’re correct that the main advantages of the Cross Trek appear to be outside storage (130 vs 50 cubic feet) and MPG (maybe 20 to 30 % or less).

Your 22E, in addition to what you mentioned, also sleeps up to 6, and can sit 4 at dinette. The Cross Trek appears to sleep 3 (unless narrow dinette/couch can expand to double bed), and appears to only sit 2 for eating.

The market for the Cross Trek seems to me to be Class B buyers who want even more storage space, and a large bathroom with shower that’s not normally possible in a van-size motorhome. Everything else the Cross Trek does can be accomplished with a van; albeit in smaller scale.


P.S. — Cost “may” be lower than Class Bs also. Haven’t seen any pricing info yet.
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Old 07-09-2019, 12:32 PM   #17
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Well if you only went up to the height of the AC unit on the roof I would think it MPG and areo loss be minimal. Perhaps a roof spoiler can off set any handling issues?

The A class Outlaw has a raised roof. Had you ever seen comments on handling or MPG? I never noticed any postings on this subject... but you bring up a good point.
Yes, plenty of poor handling reports on this forum alone. As with high performance and race cars, keeping center of gravity and pressure low is usually better.

Note on video of Cross Trek how high the garage floor is compared to typical European motorhome garages. I’m curious to inspect a Cross Trek in person to see what’s under the garage. Perhaps there is a great reason they could not lower it more in order to increase bed headroom.

The garage floor seems to come up high on lady, whereas many Euro motorme garages start just above knee height. Euro garages are often stepped down, whereas this one seems level with motorhome floor. I’m guessing it’s partly to avoid dragging rear of motorhome because of longer rear overhang.

I’m just glad Coachmen is taking a chance, and hope Thor follows with Hymer-like designs.
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Old 07-09-2019, 01:00 PM   #18
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What if you put an exercycle that had an alternator wired up to it, in the garage? That would allow you to run the a/c for a longer period of time...

... as long as the Missus is willing to stay outside, and pedal!
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Old 07-09-2019, 01:03 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bry899 View Post
Don't see much of an advantage with the crosstek, except better MPG, and the storage area.
comparing my Fourwinds 22E (also 24' long)

GVWR:Crosstek is 10360 lb.; Fourwinds 22E is 12,500
GCWR: crosstek is 12125 lb; Fourwinds 22E is 18,500
Fuel Capacity:crosstek is 25 gal; ; Fourwinds 22E is 55 gal
Exterior Length: crosstek is 24'; Fourwinds 22E is 24'
Exterior Height:crosstek is 10' 6"; Fourwinds 22E is 11'
Exterior Width: crosstek is 91" ; Fourwinds 22E is 99"
Fresh Water: crosstek is 30 gal; Fourwinds 22E is 40 gal
Gray Water: crosstek is 27 gal; Fourwinds 22E is 37 gal
Black Water:crosstek is 28 gal; Fourwinds 22E is 24.5 gal
I weigh in at 10,900 fully loaded My dry weight is @ 9500 pounds

The extra storage crosstek has is nice, but I'll keep what I have and use the rear hitch for extra cargo and bikes.
By the way the dash air has no problem keeping a 24' class c cool
Yeah but I think its geared towards a different market like Chance said.

The person that is looking at this either has a "B" or is looking at B class RV's thinking "I need a little more room" but still want something narrow (which can be an advantage not dis-advantage like you pointed out). Or I guess a C class person looking to downsize a little?

I love the fact my Axis is only 94 inches wide. I take this thing everywhere and I never worry about fiting. Lots of intercity narrow roads, heavy mulit lane city traffic, narrow dirt road for the mtn bike trail head, small parking lots... etc.

IMO the buyer for this RV wants something light, most likely WILL NOT tow a car (just something light = kayaks or jetski), good MPG, good storage, fits in driveway + most parking spots etc.

They might also feel intimidated by a larger RV.... so this fits in there comfort zone.

Plus they might only need enough water for the weekend.... so 25 gal is plenty.

I for one like it.... Is it for me?.... No (but in the future who knows).
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Old 07-10-2019, 01:51 AM   #20
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Yeah I get it.
That's why there are so many different sizes and shapes of RV's.
Everybody has their own needs.

We are happy with the size of our Motorhome. We can fit it in most parking spots, and also tow a car or trailer if needed.
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