New Model 680

Hi
Not been on the California scene for the last 5 yrs as our present van is a Hymer Grand Canyon S.
Thinking of changing but now require a longer van with AWD that must be winterized to cope with minus temperatures.
We off grid whenever possible and presently run a Lithium system with solar, from memory this was a weakness in the original Van?
Does anyone know if this has been addressed, we would require a minimum of 300 ah (lithium) plus a large inverter etc.
Insulation is also a must, by that I don't just mean heated water tanks but a properly lined van, our next stage of campervaning will involve extensive touring of Scandinavia.
Many thx

So you have a number of options:

Hymer Grand Canyon S 700
Adria Supertwin 700 SGX
MEGAMOBIL Re-Aktiv 700 Max
RP Rebellion

And others

I am looking for a similar van at the moment

Yes, plan to view at the NEC next month, 700s Cross trail looks interesting but not that keen on the interior materials.
Wood effect looks naff and carpet type material on the walls looks like a Thor cost cutting measure compared to my present vehicle.
To be honest I think the 680 interior is far more practical.
Another one to add to the list is the Malibu Genius, although I suspect the bathroom may be the compromise as we do want a useable shower area.

New 680 still has AGM batteries. This is by far the VW weakness, as we know from having a 2021 680.

Can't you upgrade to lithium?

Yes you can upgrade to Lithium; however, not with VW. We have a GC680 and we have upgraded the battery and charger. Our new lithium battery has been located in one of the rear cupboards and the new charger is in the cupboard next door that houses all the other electric/solar controls. This upgrade has been a game changer in terms of off grid camping. We used Off Grid Power Solutions, Wantage, Oxford. Nigel and his Father were brilliant, very knowledgeable and reasonably priced - Highly recommended.

How much battery capacity did they manage to install?

175 amp with a 50amp charger. No issue in fitting a larger capacity lithium battery if required. I may do this in the future if I feel necessary?

That's good to know, presently I'm running with 200ah which has been adequate but would like a little more to run a microwave/ coffee machine.

Wondering Star said:

That's good to know, presently I'm running with 200ah which has been adequate but would like a little more to run a microwave/ coffee machine.

Click to expand...

200aH should be plenty, certainly for a coffee machine. Microwave maybe a little different.

I had 150ah lithium in my BoxDrive600XL and was sufficient for 2-3days offgrid with compressor fridge & Nespresso machine run 3-4x per day.