PatandTerry Report post Posted June 28, 2022 7 months ago I asked for input from owners of newer “B” coaches with lithium package no generator. How was it working, the good , bad & ugly. I received a few good replies but only one actual owner (thank you). I have had my coachmen 22c li3 AWD for 6 months now. Over all I am very pleased with the coach. This is my 10th motor home so I know what to expect as an owner. I think this coach build quality is very good. I know a motor home is just a box full of other manufacturers parts, so the components used and assembly quality are the key factors to a first class coach, especially a”B” sense the body & chassis is one component. I feel Forest Rivers/Coachmen is a first class organization. So far their major short fall is the absence of an owners operator manual for this specific Coach. They have a good staff of service advisors ready and willing to assist with any operation questions. Problem is most questions come up after hours and most need a hands on walk through. My 630amp lithium battery powered / 3000amp inverter/ charger (no generator),Truma furnace/hot water , small solar panels, Wi-Fi ranger and a panel called a fire fly. Each component has an installation/operator manual with mostly installation instruction and technical operator instructions, fire fly nothing, how they connect and communicate nothing. This has made the learning curve for me very steep. I survived the sub freezing winter with no damage, just looking forward to warm weather (careful what you wish for) past week had 2 days over 100. The white steel body has a outside temperature of 125 plus. The 12volt Premium Turbo 2 air conditioner could not keep it below 90 degrees. I have to run the chassis engine A/C to get it down to a bearable low 80s. The A/C is doing a decent job with a 15 degree deviance air in air out. There is one little glitch, the fire fly thing is having a program communication problem with the Premium A/C and the compressor will shut off and blow just hot air. So far it will go for a day or so between shut Downs, A/C factory is working with fire fly to solve problem. I like the size of this Coach and the ford transit chassis is easy and fun to drive. I think it may be a little too high tech for a camper. I wanted a small motor home easy to get around and see the country without a tow car and no noisy generator. I have the small motor home that’s easy to get around but has an A/C that’s noisier than a generator and has way to many PC Boards. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PatandTerry Report post Posted June 30, 2022 Adding to my original post hopefully to inform potential “B” buyers. I read a lot of blogs and so claimed reviews along with a few videos introducing new model 2022 Coachmen Beyond’s & American Patriots (Manufacturers I am familiar with) models that caught my interest 22 ft with lithium power package & no generator. I wanted to be able to dry camp run a C-pap and have Air Conditioner without bothering neighbors with a noisy generator. My experience so far: My Coachmen Beyond 22c li3 with 630 amp lithonics lithium battery package, Xantrex 3000 watt inverter/charger, Truma furnace/hot water, 12v compressor refrigerator, 12v Premium Turbo 2 Air Conditioner 22000 btu . With A/C running, refrigerator on and all the little gremlins running, on three occasions the lithium batteries have supplied power for a little over 6 hours with 40% batteries remaining. This would indicate the system should go approximately 9 to 10 hours to empty. I have not had an occasion to run any longer without shore power or running chassis engine alternator/generator. I’m very pleased with this performance and the fact that the A/C is reasonably quiet inside the coach. However, the Turbo 2 A/C sounds like a taxing Lear Jet outside. It has a whine that is annoying and disturbing. The new quiet generators and A/Cs are much less disturbing. I have not seen this A/C noise addressed in any of the reviews, blogs or videos. Of course I’m sure I haven’t seen them all. This is no reflection on Coachmen, this A/C is used by a lot of manufacturers. It would be nice if they could come up with some retro fit fix for the noise problem. We’re looking forward to a 2 to 3 month trip starting in August. I will update as it goes. This is really a great little coach can’t wait to get it on the road. This is not intended to be a blog, I just want to inform some fellow FMCAers of some things they may not get elsewhere. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
