Thor Forums

[Chance]

Originally Posted by Long & Winding road

Well I think its awesome and a step in the right direction.

I can see 5 years from now .... All big RV's have a system like them... then hopefully the prices will go down enough were it will become a viable option for any RV.

Who knows..... this could be the beginning of the end for on board Gennys. Might take 10 - 15 years but its all started here.

Guys have been tinkering with this concept for decades; it’s just now that costs are a little more affordable due to advances in technology and manufacturing.

About 15 years ago I went to see a camper van in Houston that was built by a start-up company. It was beautifully finished inside and exterior looked like a luxury travel van so it could avoid many HOA restrictions. I loved it but was too expensive.

They had installed 8 AGM batteries under the floor, which powered a 2,000-Watt inverter that supplied power in van. It could even power the 8,000 BTU/hr A/C for a few hours. Basically, it was a simpler version of the systems we see today.

Roadtrek produced many motorhomes with similar systems, but improved capabilities by switching to lithium batteries and adding a second dedicated alternator. However, not all went well initially. The concept was great, the execution not so much. There was a learning process.

If you recall, Xantrex, being big into inverters, introduced a 12-Volt system for RV manufacturers similar to the Volta. I think it was shortsighted to use 12-Volts. Obviously it’s easier to integrate today, but I haven’t heard much about it. I’d bet the future will be 48-Volts; or higher if supplied by chassis OEMs. I think that’s where Volta invested for the longer term, and it’s now paying off. Advances like these often develop over long periods of time in small steps. And I doubt the Volta system will be the last advance we will see in this area.