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Short answer… a lot.
We don’t nearly cover it all – but we picked our favorites and made this video when we were visiting Advanced RV last month to have them work on our own RV, Lance.
A visit to Advanced RV is always interesting. As a custom Class B manufacturer, they’re free to explore new technologies and new approaches in a more accelerated way than a traditional RV maker. Since they design each motorhome by working with their customers, each one of them is unique. Many of these unique ideas are good, and the good ones tend to stick around to be incorporated into their base offering. Since it’s been a couple years since we visited them – they had a bunch of new stuff to show us.
Besides what you see in the video, there were a bunch of “Honorable Mention” innovations that we liked, but just didn’t have time to include. Here’s a quick list of some of them that were on the “Escape” motorhome you see in the video:
- Indoor plumbing: All plumbing in Escape is run inside the chassis for colder weather capability. The water pump, valves, and winterization access are installed in accessible insulated space that was previously unused, creating about one cubic foot of additional internal storage space.
- Rear heater: The second built-in heater/fan provides additional cabin heat for winter travel and sleep stops. The fan has separate control.
- Outside shower shut off valves: They’re now using valves that – based on their testing – aren’t damaged by freezing. But they’ve also included shut off valves for the outside shower for more carefree winter camping.
- Louder horn: When needed, it is nice to have an air horn.
- Rozie: Provides clients with remote monitoring and control of the coach when away. This function provides peace of mind when pets are left in the motor home.
- Recaro: Comfortable, highly adjustable, heated, vented racing seats with fur upholstery inserts.
- Hairy arm rests: Mostly for fun!
- Front and rear JL audio amps, speakers and subwoofers front and rear for awesome sound.
- Ram mount: Entertainment is through IPad Pro with Ram mounts for multiple, adjustable viewing points and angles and USB connection to awesome sound system.
- Flat mounted no-light-leak curtains: Takes no extra space in the motor home and blocks all light outside in and inside out.
- Side by side fridge: Larger, compressor fridge with easy access to the freezer and fridge. Creates room for large “shoe drawer” below.
- Stand up desk: The top of the wardrobe is designed to be a stand-up lap top desk. Standing to catch-up on emails is a nice break after a long drive.
- Cross planked floor: Installed the floor with planking perpendicular to the hall. We think it is a good look.
- Extra deep kitchen sink from high quality stainless steel: Much easier for dishwashing and other sink functions. Sink metal quality much better than others. No rusting.
- 40 gallon fresh, 27 gal grey and 18.5 gal black: huge tanks for extended time between fill and dump events. (Standard on all ARV motor homes)
A Note About the Battery Capacity
The battery capacity comments at about 8:40 in the video are generating quite a few questions, both here, and at Advanced RV. I’ve cleared this up with them, and here’s the deal. The air conditioner/battery test was indeed done as Mike describes. However, immediately after the test, the battery capacity was more like 12-13%. Between then and Mike showing us the SOC, the van had been driven and/or plugged in. So the 94% was just what the charge happened to be at the time we shot the video. Hope that clears things up.
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But besides all the super cool new RV innovations… the folks at Advanced RV are just so dang nice! They’re fun to hang out with. If you have any doubt about that, just sign up for their annual Advanced-Fest and you’ll see what we mean.
(Oh. And if you’re wondering what they did to Lance… we had VB Air Suspension installed. We also installed a leveling jack system from E&P Hydraulics.)
Great video. Love the work that Mike and his team do. It’s good to see someone really innovating in the industry. I’m in the UK looking to get a custom build, so the work Mike is doing, as well as the mods that James has done to Lance, really help. You have some really nice Class B’s over there, much nicer than the European ones IMO, ours have some really naff cloth seats that I’m sure someone would appreciate who’s stuck in the 70’s. No-one is really getting into electric only either, would love to not bother with LPG. Can’t find anyone here doing what Mike or James has done with the electrics. Keep up the good work.
Thanks! Both Mike and I will be at Caravan Salon this year. I’m sure there will be a few new ideas to take back home!
(Just maybe not the cloth seats…) 🙂
I’d really like to find out more detail about that 360 camera system. I’ve been looking hard at them for my DIY build, and finding something that is: 1) cloud/remote viewing friendly, 2) hardwired for accurate “mirror” use (wifi can be too laggy), and offers DVR and PC integration for multiple cameras… haven’t had any luck yet. OEM probably has lot more options…wonder if it’s in-house design.
You’d have to call Advanced RV for more detail about their cameras, but I believe the brand of the camera system was Mito?
Steve and I met Mike and Brittany ( the office manager ), several years ago. They were super nice; even met with us on a weekend; we’d interrupted his Maple Tree Sap running/boiling project! We would have liked to have them build us a Sprinter but we could not swing it at the time and now we have a Promaster.
I’ve often wondered if Mike has ever considered taking on the Promaster Chassis.
So far, only ours! (Well, as far as I know…)
I wonder if Advanced RV would ever take an empty Promaster van and create one of their Advanced RV’s on that platform….
I know they’re open to doing work like the VB Air Suspension, and the E&P jacks for ProMaster owners.
Never discussed a whole ProMaster build with them. THAT would be interesting.
James – Both of us can fit in the bathroom
Stef – We’re using the campground showers!
Lol, Ted!
We can always count on you for a laugh!
I know a lot of people complain about Advanced RV’s prices, but honestly you can just tell the quality of the units in the videos. This is a perfect example of you get what you pay for.
48V alternator must make the wiring back to the battery a piece of cake! Did they have a DC to DC converter for 12V applications in the van like lights, fridge, ect?
Ya know, I didn’t specifically ask them, but they must have had a something there to bring the voltage back down to 12v for those appliances/lights/etc.
(Or come to think of it… maybe they don’t. And they just use 120v throughout the coach…)
They use a DC converter to go from 48V DC to 12V DC for lights etc and they use of corse an inverter to go from 48V DC to 120V AC for the AV outlets.https://voltapowersystems.com/industry-solutions/lithium-ion-energy-storage-rv/
Advanced RV Excellent quality ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love those guys, but my absolute favorite thing about them is their power management innovation. Now, 7 hours of full blast air conditioning taking 6% of battery? That has to mean the rig started up a couple of times so that the alternators could charge the batteries back up right? Right?
I didn’t get into that with him. I’d guess that – at a minimum – they had to at least drive the rig home! Those second alternators can charge a battery very rapidly, so that may have been all they needed.
I had seen the bathroom set up in a video but that security system and 48 volt battery is the bees knees.
How is the leveling system doing? I have inquired about this and may have this installed over the winter. Waiting to see how others feel about its value
So far, we’re loving the E&P leveling system.
Video will be up in the next week!
Mike is great CEO because I inquired about an Advanced RV motor-home on their website and he called twice to discuss their options. I was impressed he called me and not one of his salesperson.
Hee’s great on the phone, but he’s just as cool in person. One of our RV industry favorites!