Judge64
Senior Member
RV LIFE Pro
Well…… as the title says..... it was a short.... but sweet ride in our 2024 Isata 3 24FW Freedom Edition.
About 9 months after downsizing from a Super C we have come to the conclusion downsizing is more challenging than we thought it would be. Losing the amount of storage space inside and outside going from ~35’ to ~25’ was a bit too much for how we like to camp and travel.
Had we gone from our old 29’ toy hauler Class C to the Isata 3 24FW, we probably would have thought we died and went to heaven with the I3 storage and living space……. but after spending 4 years in a 35’ Super C we just got too used to the flexibility that size offered.
So we have decided to go back to something a little bigger again even though there was a lot to like with the Isata 3. Sometimes you never really know until you can spend some time in a rig to really know if it will meet your needs. I'd call this a learning experience vs a mistake for sure.
I thought I would write a review that may help others trying to downsize to the Isata 3 24FSFX Freedom Edition or just considering it as a regular purchase.
I also wanted to make a few suggestions for the Dynamax team to consider in their future development of the product line from our experience.
First the good stuff…..
This was our third motorhome and the Dynamax quality, fit and finish has been the best of them all.
Dynamax Customer Service has also been very good….. as well as support from Xantrex on the eGen side. My visit to Camp Dynamax for some warranty service last August was also a very good experience. The Service Team listens to your concerns and does a very nice job trying to address them all.
I also can’t over emphasize the importance of Brian Clemen’s participation in this forum. It was a significant reason why I chose Dynamax. His knowledge, experience, support and proactive approach is unparalleled based on my experience in these types of forums over the years. It is rare for any manufacturer to be so hands-on with its customer base. Brian listens to what we have to say. We may not always be right….. but he is respectful of our thoughts and opinions and never discourages constructive commentary.
It's a shame we couldn’t’ make the Isata 3 workout for us because I really like the ride quality, handling and nimble maneuverability of the Isata 3. The Sprinter does very well in terms of fuel economy and power…… even towing a 4-door Jeep Wrangle the few times we hauled it with us. Loosing all of these qualities of the Sprinter chassis is what hurts the most that it did not work out for us.
I also really like the Freedom Edition concept. I built my own “Freedom Edition” doing a lithium conversion and rewiring my old Super C so finding one that was as good or even better than my own creation out of the box was great. The Freedom Edition may not be for everyone but a lot of people do like this concept and Brian and his team did a nice job designing and building it.
There have been a few very minor issues with the eGen System but Xantrex has listened to our feedback and updated system firmware to help resolve them. Xantrex has some excellent support guys in Alex Lung and Brian Werblo. I worked with Brian W a few times and he is outstanding and very responsive! The eGen system will only continue to get better with time.
I highly recommend the Freedom Edition for anyone wanting to ditch the generator and propane. Being able to run the A/C or use the oven / stove without having to start a noisy generator or being plugged into shore power offers excellent flexibility and convenience.
The 620Ah batteries are sufficient but I do think the sweet spot would be the 820Ah option (granted the price would go up). I installed 850Ah in my Super C and that worked very well when we didn’t have shore power and didn’t want to run the generator.
The Norcold 12V Compressor Fridge is also very efficient and works extremely well. I think it has the performance of residential fridge without having to burn more battery power running through the Inverter.
The new style Thomas Payne theater seats are excellent as well! They are the most comfortable we have found out all the ones we have sat on over the years. I was a little worried about the lighter color showing more dirt and wear but they have held up well and clean up easily.
The Tochta mattress was also very comfortable. I was concerned going from a full king to a queen but it was not as bad as I thought and the comfort of the Tochta mattress was a pleasant surprise.
The floor plan design is very good with a separate sleeping and living space. What truly amazed us the first time we stepped into a 24FW was the amount of space with the slide closed and open for a coach this size. The 24FW has more living space than our old 35' Super C.
In our old Super C we couldn't even walk past each other with the slide closed. We couldn't fully open the fridge door. We couldn't access some cabinets. In the 24FW, we can walk past each other with the slide closed. We can get into the fridge easily and access every cabinet and can also get into the bathroom. When the slide is open the living space is truly huge! The 24FW floor plan design is very well done.
The ergonomics of the shore power, city water, black tank flush and outside shower are excellent. Many times they are down low and you either have to bend over or get on your knees to access them. Being able to stand up to access everything is a great design!
The Isata 3 full body paint makes for a very sharp looking rig as well. I've had a lot of positive comments about how it looks. A good coat of wax and it cleans up easily and looks great.
For anyone looking at a Sprinter class motorhome, I think Dynamax is at the top of a very short list of the best manufacturers in this class. I would encourage people to seriously consider the Isata 3 24FW and Freedom Edition model if you want a Sprinter chassis RV.
Now the stuff we struggled with…. but your mileage may vary…..
My wife struggled a bit with the kitchen. One of her biggest concerns was the placement of the oven. She’s 5’6” and the oven is placed at a point where she has to reach above her head to get things in and out of the oven. She has some neck and shoulder issues but the placement level made her worry she could end up spilling something hot on top of herself pulling it out of the oven.
We also wish the counter extension was L-Shape. When you use the counter extension it blocks most of the entry door so going in and out of the coach can be a challenge when things are placed on the extension.... not impossible but not easy either. But there is only so much you can do with a coach this size without compromising other storage to move the extension to an L-shaped position.
She also ended up placing some kitchen stuff in a tote since it wouldn’t all fit in the kitchen cabinets. Having the Freedom Edition means she can put a small crock pot in the sink that can be cooking dinner while we are driving as an example. We stored some larger kitchen stuff in a tote in the cab-over bunk..... but again it meant lifting some weight well above her head to get things in and out when she needed them if I wasn't inside to help.
The wardrobe was also challenging. If you only spend your time in warmer areas where t-shirts and shorts is all you need, it's not too bad. But we tend to pack clothes to deal with both warmer and cooler weather depending on where we are heading, which may mean the need for two seasons of clothing. So we had to pack some cloths in totes and store them in the cab-or bunk as well.... so again.... more lifting totes in and out of the cab-over.
The bathroom size was actually not too bad….. although the wife had some issues shaving her legs in the shower. Fortunately I don’t have to worry about that problem
The last thing we struggled with was ample hot water. My wife struggled more than I did because she has a lot of hair to wash and I’m follicly challenged It takes her a while to get it washed and rinsed and she often ran out of hot water. I could do a navy shower and not have any issues.
There are a lot of things to like about the Truma Combi. It is the quietest and most efficient furnace I have seen. But the lack of on demand hot water was tougher for my wife. We had on demand hot water in our last two rigs so it was an adjustment for us. I managed to make a few tweaks to the system to squeeze out 5 - 7 minutes of continuous hot water. She eventually got used to it but she really missed the on demand hot water. Again…. there's always trade-offs.
The outside storage wasn’t too bad once we decided what would fit but I learned quickly that I had to get anything that I needed out of the driver side compartments before I extended the slide. Once the slide is out, you had to crawl on your hands and knees to access things in those compartments. I bumped my head and back a few times to learn that lesson the hard way.
Food for Dynamax thought……
1) I think adding an extra foot of length similar to the Grand Design Lineage 25FW could help in a lot of ways….. but I know that means more weight…. and that means less CCC and less towing capacity for those who want to tow...... it means a higher MSRP. So like most things in life, there are always trade-offs and you can’t please everyone.
But..... hear me out....... sticking with the 60 x 75 mattress and adding a foot of length would allow for a rear wall wardrobe and much better storage with a wider closet across the back wall and four decent size drawers. The 60 x 75 mattress would also help with the weight gain slightly over a king mattress and platform. Then you could replace the current ward on the slide with just a small pantry. That would actually lower the weight on the slide, which never hurts. You could potentially even shorten the slide a bit. Then I would add some storage cabinets above the bed and / or above the recliners.... but that would likely negate most the weight loss from losing the ward.
I think those changes could make a big difference.... even with the challenges that go with them. It might have been enough for us to stick with the I3 a little longer to try and make it work out.
2) It would also be helpful to have some type of shelf on each side of the bed for reading glasses, phones or a bottle of water. Again…. tough to do with the space you have to work with but even something mounted higher up so it doesn’t impact the width of the mattress would be helpful.
3) Even though it would add a $500 - $750 cost to the coach, I would like to see Dynamax add power gate valves for the black and gray tank drains. I find the long cables makes them very stiff and difficult to open and close at times with the valves on one side of the rig and the valve handles on the other side. I suppose the valve handles could be moved over to the other side next to the tanks to shorten the cable run…. but than can be a bit inconvenient….. especially if the dump connection is not threaded and you need to hold the sewer hose fitting down with your foot.
4) It would also be nice if they made the sink cover in two pieces. Kitchen counter real estate is a premium. Many times RV's have a split sink cover so you can still access some of the sink while keeping a little extra counter space available with the other half of the cover in place. Having someone cut the sink cover was on my upgrade list but I never got around to that one.
5) As I mentioned previously, the 620Ah is “ok” but I think going with the two 410Ah batteries from Xantrex for 820Ah is a better choice. People in the warmer climates tend to use the A/C more in the summer months. I found that 850Ah worked very well for me when you have a lot of appliances hungry for 110V power like the induction cooktop, oven and A/C, Heat Pump. Perhaps the 820Ah could be an option for those willing to pay the up-charge.
6) I added a powered ventilation system to the battery compartment. It helped some but I don't think it is enough. Based on my testing and temperature measurements in the summer months temps with my powered ventilator can reach 110F. The Freedom X/C Pro starts to derate at 104F. The Xantrex Batteries are ok up to 131F and I didn't see temps ever get that high but the batteries prefer to be closer to 80F.
The Freedom X/C Pro generate serious heat when running the A/C or when in Bulk Charging mode. I had the Inverter shut down on a few occasions running the A/C while driving and temps were getting too hot in the battery compartment. I had to pull over and reset the Inverter and let it cool off before starting the A/C again. When summer temps are 85F and up, you really want the A/C running to keep the house cool before you get to your destination.
Something needs to be done for better cooling and air circulation in the battery compartment. I think the goal should be to keep temps from going over 100F. I'm just not sure how to accomplish that easily and cost effectively.
7) The other recent topic…. and I know Brian told us he has been talking with Xantrex….. is I recommend a Victron Orion XS DC-to-DC Charger. The “Freedom Edition” concept implies freedom to cut the cord and be off the grid. Solar is nice for maintaining the batteries and proving some power but you can’t have enough solar for it to fully charge batteries when they are down to 20 - 30% SOC.
The 280A alternator can…. and should be able to fully charge the batteries without having to think about it. I was able to fully charge the batteries from 20% SOC driving about 3 - 4 hours several times.
Now there are ways around not having a DC-to-DC Charger like running the A/C or turning on the electric mode for the Truma Combi hot water to force the alternator to charge the batteries. But doing so means slightly longer charging time because the Inverter is consuming battery power at the same time the alternator is trying to charging them. That's counter intuitive in my thinking. To me the ~$325 for the Victron Orion XS DC-to-DC Charger is a no-brainer and easy change for the Freedom Edition
You have to be careful idling a diesel below 1000RPM for any length of time because it can damage the DPF and cause wet-stacking, which can lead to lubrication breakdown and premature engine wear from unburned diesel at idle but I installed the MidCity Engineering High-Idle Kit since Mercedes dropped it because of pressure from the EPA. The Xantrex smart alternator can easily boost and fully charge the batteries idling at 1500RPM. If you are off the grid and not planning to drive anytime soon, 1500RPM's can charge batteries pretty quickly and you don't have to worry about the issues of low idling the diesel engine.
But even if you don’t want to install the High-Idle Kit you should be able to have batteries at 100% SOC when you drive a couple hours to your next destination without the A/C or Combi running. Just my $0.02 FWIW.
Good-Bye and Thanks….. but I’ll still be lurking about……
I was lucky enough to find some first-time retiree RV’ers to purchase my Freedom Edition before we move onto the next one and they picked it up yesterday.
They had been actively looking and were leaning towards a Freedom Edition. When they took a 2+ hour drive to see our coach last week they realized they would be getting an excellent rig and a better buying experience than they could get buying from any dealer.
I had already worked out all the typical minor bugs and done a lot of very nice upgrades they weren’t going to find anywhere else. Plus the training and experience I offered them would be far better than any dealer could ever offer.
I even created a couple documents to help them (I posted them here since they might help some people buying an Isata 3 Freedom Edition….. especially newbies). I covered all of the systems in the Freedom Edition in some detail and created a camping check-list for them.
They asked me if I got these documents from Dynamax or the Dealer.... but I told them it was my own creation from a weekend mind-dump that I did for them because I wanted them to have a good experience (I'm a retired sales guy who always cared about the customer experience so some habits die hard). They could not have been more appreciative of my effort to help them get off to a good start in their first RV.
My wife also had a great idea….. we remember what it was like when we were newbies many years ago. It can be a bit intimidating your first time or two out. My wife suggested the new owners camp near our home for one night before they make the 2+ hour drive back north to Tampa. There is a relatively nice and new campground about 30 minutes from us with large, level and open spaces and very easy to navigate as a newbie. So they booked a night there.
So after the title transfer yesterday, I followed them to the campground to help them setup for their first night of glamping. I did a ~3-hour detailed training session for them using the documentation and check-list that I created. Then this morning tomorrow they will let me know if they would like me to head back to the campground to help them breakdown and answer any questions they have after their first night.
I'm happy the rig is going to a nice home.......
I wanted to thank everyone on this Forum for their contributions. I prefer Forums like this one to Social Media…. but I know I’m a dying breed. I appreciate all of the ideas…. solutions to problems….. sharing of experiences..... and banter over the past 9 months.... even if we sometimes disagreed with each other. I’ll still be around to help and answer questions about the Freedom Edition. Feel free to PM me anytime. I’m always happy to help if I can.
I also want to thank Brian Clemens again for what he does. I'll dub him the hardest working man in the RV Industry. I don’t know how he finds the time to lead Dynamax and stay on top of this Forum and even the FB Group…… and somehow he even manages to stay married at the same time!
His knowledge, experience and regular contributions have been extremely valuable…… and besides that he’s just a nice guy. Executive management at Forest River should do whatever it takes to make sure he’s a lifetime employee. Very good people are hard to find and Brian is certainly a key piece to the success of Dynamax and FR. If I was reincarnated and came back as a sales guy again, I think it would be great to be one of his regional sales reps.
Brian listens to owner feedback and then uses it to improve current models if he can…… or uses the feedback to design new models. I think it's exciting to see the Isata 6 on the F-600 coming…… and also expanding the Super C line to the Cascadia chassis as well. He also uses the rigs with his own family to get a real world perspective. There are lots of products designed by people who have never used them.... and you can tell the difference for sure.
I would not hesitate recommending Dynamax based on my experience with the Isata 3, Dynamax Customer Service and the support we get from Brian.
Happy trails and safe travels to everyone!
Chris
About 9 months after downsizing from a Super C we have come to the conclusion downsizing is more challenging than we thought it would be. Losing the amount of storage space inside and outside going from ~35’ to ~25’ was a bit too much for how we like to camp and travel.
Had we gone from our old 29’ toy hauler Class C to the Isata 3 24FW, we probably would have thought we died and went to heaven with the I3 storage and living space……. but after spending 4 years in a 35’ Super C we just got too used to the flexibility that size offered.
So we have decided to go back to something a little bigger again even though there was a lot to like with the Isata 3. Sometimes you never really know until you can spend some time in a rig to really know if it will meet your needs. I'd call this a learning experience vs a mistake for sure.
I thought I would write a review that may help others trying to downsize to the Isata 3 24FSFX Freedom Edition or just considering it as a regular purchase.
I also wanted to make a few suggestions for the Dynamax team to consider in their future development of the product line from our experience.
First the good stuff…..
This was our third motorhome and the Dynamax quality, fit and finish has been the best of them all.
Dynamax Customer Service has also been very good….. as well as support from Xantrex on the eGen side. My visit to Camp Dynamax for some warranty service last August was also a very good experience. The Service Team listens to your concerns and does a very nice job trying to address them all.
I also can’t over emphasize the importance of Brian Clemen’s participation in this forum. It was a significant reason why I chose Dynamax. His knowledge, experience, support and proactive approach is unparalleled based on my experience in these types of forums over the years. It is rare for any manufacturer to be so hands-on with its customer base. Brian listens to what we have to say. We may not always be right….. but he is respectful of our thoughts and opinions and never discourages constructive commentary.
It's a shame we couldn’t’ make the Isata 3 workout for us because I really like the ride quality, handling and nimble maneuverability of the Isata 3. The Sprinter does very well in terms of fuel economy and power…… even towing a 4-door Jeep Wrangle the few times we hauled it with us. Loosing all of these qualities of the Sprinter chassis is what hurts the most that it did not work out for us.
I also really like the Freedom Edition concept. I built my own “Freedom Edition” doing a lithium conversion and rewiring my old Super C so finding one that was as good or even better than my own creation out of the box was great. The Freedom Edition may not be for everyone but a lot of people do like this concept and Brian and his team did a nice job designing and building it.
There have been a few very minor issues with the eGen System but Xantrex has listened to our feedback and updated system firmware to help resolve them. Xantrex has some excellent support guys in Alex Lung and Brian Werblo. I worked with Brian W a few times and he is outstanding and very responsive! The eGen system will only continue to get better with time.
I highly recommend the Freedom Edition for anyone wanting to ditch the generator and propane. Being able to run the A/C or use the oven / stove without having to start a noisy generator or being plugged into shore power offers excellent flexibility and convenience.
The 620Ah batteries are sufficient but I do think the sweet spot would be the 820Ah option (granted the price would go up). I installed 850Ah in my Super C and that worked very well when we didn’t have shore power and didn’t want to run the generator.
The Norcold 12V Compressor Fridge is also very efficient and works extremely well. I think it has the performance of residential fridge without having to burn more battery power running through the Inverter.
The new style Thomas Payne theater seats are excellent as well! They are the most comfortable we have found out all the ones we have sat on over the years. I was a little worried about the lighter color showing more dirt and wear but they have held up well and clean up easily.
The Tochta mattress was also very comfortable. I was concerned going from a full king to a queen but it was not as bad as I thought and the comfort of the Tochta mattress was a pleasant surprise.
The floor plan design is very good with a separate sleeping and living space. What truly amazed us the first time we stepped into a 24FW was the amount of space with the slide closed and open for a coach this size. The 24FW has more living space than our old 35' Super C.
In our old Super C we couldn't even walk past each other with the slide closed. We couldn't fully open the fridge door. We couldn't access some cabinets. In the 24FW, we can walk past each other with the slide closed. We can get into the fridge easily and access every cabinet and can also get into the bathroom. When the slide is open the living space is truly huge! The 24FW floor plan design is very well done.
The ergonomics of the shore power, city water, black tank flush and outside shower are excellent. Many times they are down low and you either have to bend over or get on your knees to access them. Being able to stand up to access everything is a great design!
The Isata 3 full body paint makes for a very sharp looking rig as well. I've had a lot of positive comments about how it looks. A good coat of wax and it cleans up easily and looks great.
For anyone looking at a Sprinter class motorhome, I think Dynamax is at the top of a very short list of the best manufacturers in this class. I would encourage people to seriously consider the Isata 3 24FW and Freedom Edition model if you want a Sprinter chassis RV.
Now the stuff we struggled with…. but your mileage may vary…..
My wife struggled a bit with the kitchen. One of her biggest concerns was the placement of the oven. She’s 5’6” and the oven is placed at a point where she has to reach above her head to get things in and out of the oven. She has some neck and shoulder issues but the placement level made her worry she could end up spilling something hot on top of herself pulling it out of the oven.
We also wish the counter extension was L-Shape. When you use the counter extension it blocks most of the entry door so going in and out of the coach can be a challenge when things are placed on the extension.... not impossible but not easy either. But there is only so much you can do with a coach this size without compromising other storage to move the extension to an L-shaped position.
She also ended up placing some kitchen stuff in a tote since it wouldn’t all fit in the kitchen cabinets. Having the Freedom Edition means she can put a small crock pot in the sink that can be cooking dinner while we are driving as an example. We stored some larger kitchen stuff in a tote in the cab-over bunk..... but again it meant lifting some weight well above her head to get things in and out when she needed them if I wasn't inside to help.
The wardrobe was also challenging. If you only spend your time in warmer areas where t-shirts and shorts is all you need, it's not too bad. But we tend to pack clothes to deal with both warmer and cooler weather depending on where we are heading, which may mean the need for two seasons of clothing. So we had to pack some cloths in totes and store them in the cab-or bunk as well.... so again.... more lifting totes in and out of the cab-over.
The bathroom size was actually not too bad….. although the wife had some issues shaving her legs in the shower. Fortunately I don’t have to worry about that problem
The last thing we struggled with was ample hot water. My wife struggled more than I did because she has a lot of hair to wash and I’m follicly challenged
It takes her a while to get it washed and rinsed and she often ran out of hot water. I could do a navy shower and not have any issues.There are a lot of things to like about the Truma Combi. It is the quietest and most efficient furnace I have seen. But the lack of on demand hot water was tougher for my wife. We had on demand hot water in our last two rigs so it was an adjustment for us. I managed to make a few tweaks to the system to squeeze out 5 - 7 minutes of continuous hot water. She eventually got used to it but she really missed the on demand hot water. Again…. there's always trade-offs.
The outside storage wasn’t too bad once we decided what would fit but I learned quickly that I had to get anything that I needed out of the driver side compartments before I extended the slide. Once the slide is out, you had to crawl on your hands and knees to access things in those compartments. I bumped my head and back a few times to learn that lesson the hard way.
Food for Dynamax thought……
1) I think adding an extra foot of length similar to the Grand Design Lineage 25FW could help in a lot of ways….. but I know that means more weight…. and that means less CCC and less towing capacity for those who want to tow...... it means a higher MSRP. So like most things in life, there are always trade-offs and you can’t please everyone.
But..... hear me out....... sticking with the 60 x 75 mattress and adding a foot of length would allow for a rear wall wardrobe and much better storage with a wider closet across the back wall and four decent size drawers. The 60 x 75 mattress would also help with the weight gain slightly over a king mattress and platform. Then you could replace the current ward on the slide with just a small pantry. That would actually lower the weight on the slide, which never hurts. You could potentially even shorten the slide a bit. Then I would add some storage cabinets above the bed and / or above the recliners.... but that would likely negate most the weight loss from losing the ward.
I think those changes could make a big difference.... even with the challenges that go with them. It might have been enough for us to stick with the I3 a little longer to try and make it work out.
2) It would also be helpful to have some type of shelf on each side of the bed for reading glasses, phones or a bottle of water. Again…. tough to do with the space you have to work with but even something mounted higher up so it doesn’t impact the width of the mattress would be helpful.
3) Even though it would add a $500 - $750 cost to the coach, I would like to see Dynamax add power gate valves for the black and gray tank drains. I find the long cables makes them very stiff and difficult to open and close at times with the valves on one side of the rig and the valve handles on the other side. I suppose the valve handles could be moved over to the other side next to the tanks to shorten the cable run…. but than can be a bit inconvenient….. especially if the dump connection is not threaded and you need to hold the sewer hose fitting down with your foot.
4) It would also be nice if they made the sink cover in two pieces. Kitchen counter real estate is a premium. Many times RV's have a split sink cover so you can still access some of the sink while keeping a little extra counter space available with the other half of the cover in place. Having someone cut the sink cover was on my upgrade list but I never got around to that one.
5) As I mentioned previously, the 620Ah is “ok” but I think going with the two 410Ah batteries from Xantrex for 820Ah is a better choice. People in the warmer climates tend to use the A/C more in the summer months. I found that 850Ah worked very well for me when you have a lot of appliances hungry for 110V power like the induction cooktop, oven and A/C, Heat Pump. Perhaps the 820Ah could be an option for those willing to pay the up-charge.
6) I added a powered ventilation system to the battery compartment. It helped some but I don't think it is enough. Based on my testing and temperature measurements in the summer months temps with my powered ventilator can reach 110F. The Freedom X/C Pro starts to derate at 104F. The Xantrex Batteries are ok up to 131F and I didn't see temps ever get that high but the batteries prefer to be closer to 80F.
The Freedom X/C Pro generate serious heat when running the A/C or when in Bulk Charging mode. I had the Inverter shut down on a few occasions running the A/C while driving and temps were getting too hot in the battery compartment. I had to pull over and reset the Inverter and let it cool off before starting the A/C again. When summer temps are 85F and up, you really want the A/C running to keep the house cool before you get to your destination.
Something needs to be done for better cooling and air circulation in the battery compartment. I think the goal should be to keep temps from going over 100F. I'm just not sure how to accomplish that easily and cost effectively.
7) The other recent topic…. and I know Brian told us he has been talking with Xantrex….. is I recommend a Victron Orion XS DC-to-DC Charger. The “Freedom Edition” concept implies freedom to cut the cord and be off the grid. Solar is nice for maintaining the batteries and proving some power but you can’t have enough solar for it to fully charge batteries when they are down to 20 - 30% SOC.
The 280A alternator can…. and should be able to fully charge the batteries without having to think about it. I was able to fully charge the batteries from 20% SOC driving about 3 - 4 hours several times.
Now there are ways around not having a DC-to-DC Charger like running the A/C or turning on the electric mode for the Truma Combi hot water to force the alternator to charge the batteries. But doing so means slightly longer charging time because the Inverter is consuming battery power at the same time the alternator is trying to charging them. That's counter intuitive in my thinking. To me the ~$325 for the Victron Orion XS DC-to-DC Charger is a no-brainer and easy change for the Freedom Edition
You have to be careful idling a diesel below 1000RPM for any length of time because it can damage the DPF and cause wet-stacking, which can lead to lubrication breakdown and premature engine wear from unburned diesel at idle but I installed the MidCity Engineering High-Idle Kit since Mercedes dropped it because of pressure from the EPA. The Xantrex smart alternator can easily boost and fully charge the batteries idling at 1500RPM. If you are off the grid and not planning to drive anytime soon, 1500RPM's can charge batteries pretty quickly and you don't have to worry about the issues of low idling the diesel engine.
But even if you don’t want to install the High-Idle Kit you should be able to have batteries at 100% SOC when you drive a couple hours to your next destination without the A/C or Combi running. Just my $0.02 FWIW.
Good-Bye and Thanks….. but I’ll still be lurking about……
I was lucky enough to find some first-time retiree RV’ers to purchase my Freedom Edition before we move onto the next one and they picked it up yesterday.
They had been actively looking and were leaning towards a Freedom Edition. When they took a 2+ hour drive to see our coach last week they realized they would be getting an excellent rig and a better buying experience than they could get buying from any dealer.
I had already worked out all the typical minor bugs and done a lot of very nice upgrades they weren’t going to find anywhere else. Plus the training and experience I offered them would be far better than any dealer could ever offer.
I even created a couple documents to help them (I posted them here since they might help some people buying an Isata 3 Freedom Edition….. especially newbies). I covered all of the systems in the Freedom Edition in some detail and created a camping check-list for them.
They asked me if I got these documents from Dynamax or the Dealer.... but I told them it was my own creation from a weekend mind-dump that I did for them because I wanted them to have a good experience (I'm a retired sales guy who always cared about the customer experience so some habits die hard). They could not have been more appreciative of my effort to help them get off to a good start in their first RV.
My wife also had a great idea….. we remember what it was like when we were newbies many years ago. It can be a bit intimidating your first time or two out. My wife suggested the new owners camp near our home for one night before they make the 2+ hour drive back north to Tampa. There is a relatively nice and new campground about 30 minutes from us with large, level and open spaces and very easy to navigate as a newbie. So they booked a night there.
So after the title transfer yesterday, I followed them to the campground to help them setup for their first night of glamping. I did a ~3-hour detailed training session for them using the documentation and check-list that I created. Then this morning tomorrow they will let me know if they would like me to head back to the campground to help them breakdown and answer any questions they have after their first night.
I'm happy the rig is going to a nice home.......
I wanted to thank everyone on this Forum for their contributions. I prefer Forums like this one to Social Media…. but I know I’m a dying breed. I appreciate all of the ideas…. solutions to problems….. sharing of experiences..... and banter over the past 9 months.... even if we sometimes disagreed with each other. I’ll still be around to help and answer questions about the Freedom Edition. Feel free to PM me anytime. I’m always happy to help if I can.
I also want to thank Brian Clemens again for what he does. I'll dub him the hardest working man in the RV Industry. I don’t know how he finds the time to lead Dynamax and stay on top of this Forum and even the FB Group…… and somehow he even manages to stay married at the same time!
His knowledge, experience and regular contributions have been extremely valuable…… and besides that he’s just a nice guy. Executive management at Forest River should do whatever it takes to make sure he’s a lifetime employee. Very good people are hard to find and Brian is certainly a key piece to the success of Dynamax and FR. If I was reincarnated and came back as a sales guy again, I think it would be great to be one of his regional sales reps.
Brian listens to owner feedback and then uses it to improve current models if he can…… or uses the feedback to design new models. I think it's exciting to see the Isata 6 on the F-600 coming…… and also expanding the Super C line to the Cascadia chassis as well. He also uses the rigs with his own family to get a real world perspective. There are lots of products designed by people who have never used them.... and you can tell the difference for sure.
I would not hesitate recommending Dynamax based on my experience with the Isata 3, Dynamax Customer Service and the support we get from Brian.
Happy trails and safe travels to everyone!
Chris
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