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**pasdad1** · 07-19-2013, 12:22 PM

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**pasdad1** · 07-19-2013, 12:23 PM

[QUOTE="pasdad1;1649175"]

iwasdon · 07-19-2013, 01:07 PM

All LED lighting. Panels are two connected together pos to pos, then three wires going into the controller pos to pos, I think it is parallel. I appear to be charging at around absorb-15.2, and float-13.4. the batteries at the end of the day are usually around the 13.4volts mark and the SOC is 100% on the meter. I have been in various situations of sunlight, the results on the monitor is very similar at the end of the day. Seems like there isn't enough battery to maintain over a longer period. Probably due to microwave, tv, computer, and other draws, most at night. Not in the coach much during the day so we shut off the inverter, but the separate one for the fridge stays on.

Pigman1 · 07-19-2013, 01:17 PM

pasdad1, sounds like have the keys. You might look at the sconces and reading lights in the bedroom and the dining table lights as Tiffin had been using incandescent bulbs in them. We replaced them with LED's. In addition, when we're in for a long boondock stretch, we do not use the water heater unless we need it for Navy showers, choosing to heat a small kettle of water on the stove for dishes or a quick wash up. Since our refrigerator and a small freezer we put in the basement when needed, use the dedicated inverter we keep the main inverter shut down when it is not needed. It sounds like you're doing the same thing. Although not perfect, this system works great for us, and the few hours we need the generator for, is a good investment. By the way, our four 140W solar panels run through an MPPT controller and we do have a way to manually raise them on any of the 4 bus axes. When we have a choice and are on open land such as western BLM lands we try to orient the Bus on a prime compass heading.

Kyles Kastle · 07-20-2013, 09:30 AM

We bought a used 2011 Tiffin Phaeton 40QBH last February with a residential fridge. When we went to Discount Solar in Quartzsite to assess how many panels and batteries we would need to keep the fridge running, we were told as many as we could! We now have 10 sealed interstate 6 v batteries for the house and 7 solar panels on the roof. We changed all of the lights that we use to LED's. We live in the coach as if we were in a house with tv's computers etc. To keep up on the batteries to reach 100% once every day we usually run the generator for 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour at night while making dinner. (need it for the microwave anyway). I am sure that if we were more energy conscious by unplugging a whole bunch of stuff we would not need the generator but this is our home and we treat it as such. Good luck

iwasdon · 07-21-2013, 05:22 PM

Not sure where to put any more batteries. I will look on the tech forum for some better ones. I will have to find some better LED bulbs than the ones I have changed out, they are too dim, or my eyes are getting bad, maybe a bit of both. Guess I am stuck running the genny to top up. Never had to on my last coach, but that is another story.

Ocletti · 07-22-2013, 06:00 AM

When I replaced my 4 door Norcold 1200 gas/electric ridge in my '04 bus, it had already had 2 recalls. When we were in Texas the previous winter, we witnessed a RV burning to the ground because of the refrigerator. While in Michigan last year, I had an got another recall. We had be smelling ammonia, and noticed the fridge slowly not cooling. So, we headed back to Mo. Removed the gas Norcold (POJ), and installed a 23 cf whirlpool side by side all electric for under $800. , Everything's always cold, the freezer 0., no recalls, or fire worrys. When in transit, we turn it off, and don't open the doors. We don't dri-camp. If we did, several times a day, I would run the generator. Works great for us.

Bug512 · 07-24-2013, 06:14 AM

See if you can disable the defrost mode while drycamping / overnight. On some this can be accomplished by turing on the vacation mode on the refrigerator. Also some residential refrigerators have heated door seals, you can find the wiring where the door hinges mount.

djbmsu · 07-24-2013, 08:36 AM

I never read why a problem with running the generator 4 hrs a day ? Using less than a gallon of fuel ( way less without the a/c running) and that might cost $10 a day. With the cost of the extra batteries , the solar panals, the labor, you would need to do a whole bunch of boondocking to ever recover the expense.

TwelveVolt · 07-24-2013, 09:23 AM

A good point about running the generator. At anchor on the boat, we usually run the the generator for a couple of hours in the morning to make breakfast, heat shower water, and recharge the batteries from a night of fridge/freezer, lights, pumps, etc. Another two or three hours in the evening to enjoy air conditioning during dinner and a movie. It would be difficult to justify the cost of additional batteries and solar panels against the cost of diesel unless you were cruising full time.

I did install a relay in the fridge & freezer thermostat circuits to ensure that the compressors are running while the generator is on. This avoids having them sit idle while the generator is running, and then decide to kick in and consume battery power immediately afterward. A more sophisticated circuit would have been to install a lower set point thermostat that gets switched in when the generator is running. This would avoid over cooling if the generator should be run for an extended period.

When calculating the cost of operating a 'cost saving' hybrid car, the spreadsheet showed that it would take five years just to break even on cost given my driving pattern.

Sometimes it is difficult to cost justify high tech 'savings'.

kketterling · 07-24-2013, 09:38 AM

iwasdon: To come up with more space for house batteries I relocated the engine batteries to the engine compartment which then freed up a tray above the house batteries and allowed me to add 4 more. Now run with 8 house and 6 - 135 watt solar panels.

Not sure if you can do this but just a thought. Seldom run generator when dry camping but have combo fridge but planning to convert to residential fridge.

gemini5362 · 08-07-2013, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ocletti

When I replaced my 4 door Norcold 1200 gas/electric ridge in my '04 bus, it had already had 2 recalls. When we were in Texas the previous winter, we witnessed a RV burning to the ground because of the refrigerator. While in Michigan last year, I had an got another recall. We had be smelling ammonia, and noticed the fridge slowly not cooling. So, we headed back to Mo. Removed the gas Norcold (POJ), and installed a 23 cf whirlpool side by side all electric for under $800. , Everything's always cold, the freezer 0., no recalls, or fire worrys. When in transit, we turn it off, and don't open the doors. We don't dri-camp. If we did, several times a day, I would run the generator. Works great for us.

On my coach the alternator recharges the batteries for the coach. We leave our refrigerator on and run off the inverter. The batteries are recharged by the alternator on the engine. You might want to see if your coach does the same thing. If it does you would not have to turn it off when travelling.

Ocletti · 08-08-2013, 05:13 AM

I tried that. What I found was the fridge will run off the inverter for about 4 hours before I start to see a voltage drop on the batteries,while on the highway. for long trips, I will run the 4 hour on inverter from time to time, or run the generator from time to time. I still have the 4 original battery bank. Some people add 2 extra batteries. That might be in my future.

Pigman1 · 08-08-2013, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ocletti

I tried that. What I found was the fridge will run off the inverter for about 4 hours before I start to see a voltage drop on the batteries,while on the highway. for long trips, I will run the 4 hour on inverter from time to time, or run the generator from time to time. I still have the 4 original battery bank. Some people add 2 extra batteries. That might be in my future.

A lot of the drain you're seeing is not from the refer, but is from all the other "stuff" that turns on when you run the house inverter. For example, all the little transformers that power laptops, smart phones, GPS's satellite receivers, DirecTV or DISH boxes, TV's quick-start features, refer icemaker and auto speed defrost, and whatever other parasite loads are connected to the house batteries etc. A lot of us have installed a dedicated inverter just for the household refrigerator and find the batteries last MUCH longer. The 2 additional batteries will definitely help but are not strictly a necessity. Be careful with your lighting loads too as halogen lights will eat you alive and standard incandescent ones aren't too much better. We have ALL LED's and can light the place up like a Christmas tree without a worry.