Electricity Use Skyrockets when MH Plugged In

[Madrona]

We have a new to us 99 Windsor. I'm not at home so don't know/remember all the brands of my components, but thought I would ask anyway.
When the power bill showed up for June, it showed we are using waaaay more electricity than last June. Nothing has changed in the house or on the property. Last June we had a Bounder plugged in 24/7, this year it is the Windsor. Now we have received the bill for July and it also shows a huge increase in amount of usage. Don't ask me exactly, I don't remember, but the bill has a graph and the difference is dramatic, as is the cost.
So, is it THAT much more to plug in a Monaco than a Bounder? We have nothing running in the coach but the frig with nothing in it. Keep hoping we'll be going somewhere soon, so keep it cold, but the Bounder frig was always on, too. We have the 2000 watt inverter but it's turned off. We have 4 deep cell batts always being charged, the Bounder had two. Nothing else is on, no lights burning, no heat, no AC, nothing. What could it be? Do I have a leak??

Thanks, Phil
'99 Windsor in Bonney Lake, WA

[idenphones]

Hey Phil,

We have a similar arrangement with the 2000 watt inverter and four batteries.

One of my upcoming projects is to first find my amprobe, (someone borrowed it) and then do a few checks as we noticed the same thing with this new to us coach versus the traded in coach.

The traded in coach had a 600 watt inverter and two batteries versus the 2000 watt but both are on workhorse chassis.

Currently, I have the coach in the driveway and it is not plugged in but is connected to a 10 amp automatic charger.

When the coach is plugged in to my home 50 amp service, the batteries are always charging and never seem to get fully charged. All new batteries too!

When I use the charger, the batteries get fully charged in a normal lenght of time based on the usage.

The inverter charger is a Magnum 2012 and according to all of the tests and specs it is working A-OK so like I said, I am looking for the amprobe first!

So far, just by checking my power usage via our power companies web site, I seem to be on track. We have Smart Meters here to enable our power company to find new and creative ways to increase our bill!!

Over this weekend I will beg, borrow, steal, or find my own amprobe and let you know the results if you like.

Ray

[dajudge]

If you have everything off but the fridge, your bill should not go up much. I leave mine plugged in all the time and the bill for the storage building is less than $30 monthly. If you would run the airconditioners, it would be much higher.

[Pusherpilot]

Another little power hog is the electric element in the water heater. We notice a big difference in the bill when the MH is plugged in at our place too. When I have the a/c running while working in the rig it really jumps up.
Ron

[Madrona]

Yes, Ray, please let me know your results, thanks!
Phil

Quote:

Originally Posted by idenphones Hey Phil, We have a similar arrangement with the 2000 watt inverter and four batteries. One of my upcoming projects is to first find my amprobe, (someone borrowed it) and then do a few checks as we noticed the same thing with this new to us coach versus the traded in coach. <snip> Currently, I have the coach in the driveway and it is not plugged in but is connected to a 10 amp automatic charger. <snip> The inverter charger is a Magnum 2012 and according to all of the tests and specs it is working A-OK so like I said, I am looking for the amprobe first! So far, just by checking my power usage via our power companies web site, I seem to be on track. We have Smart Meters here to enable our power company to find new and creative ways to increase our bill!! Over this weekend I will beg, borrow, steal, or find my own amprobe and let you know the results if you like. Ray

[Cottons]

The engine block heater is probably on. Even though it is warm outside, the heater will still cycle on and off. If your Bounder had a gas engine, it didn't have a block heater.

[glennb100]

Our coach has a display that shows the AC amp load when the coach is plugged into a 30 amp power source. When everything is off except for the inverter/battery charger, this display shows one amp. When the refrigerator is on and cooling, the display shows six amps.

As mentioned in other posts, sneaky power users are the electric water heater element and the engine block heater. Make sure the water heater element is switched off and the engine block heater is unplugged from the AC electrical receptacle located in the engine compartment.

If you know the amps being used, multiply amps times 120 V to get watts. Multiply watts times 24 hours to get amp hours used per day. Divide that number by 1000 to get kilowatt hours used per day. Multiply that number by your utility's cost per kilowatt hour to find out what your coach's per day electric cost is.

[RVhauler]

If you are keeping the frig empty while keeping it cool then frig has to work harder to cool. Keep 2-3 milk jugs of water in frig to provide a mass to hold cool air

[Superslif]

Make sure your engine block heater is not on. My parent's last pusher had a switch hidden in a cabinet for the block heater. It was on for a few years, and they didn't know it.....It was the reason the genny was always always kicking out......

[denochs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RVhauler If you are keeping the frig empty while keeping it cool then frig has to work harder to cool. Keep 2-3 milk jugs of water in frig to provide a mass to hold cool air

RV Hauler,

You are probably closer to putting a finger on his real problem. Our frig runs continuously if there is nothing in it. We fill ours with water jugs. It cut the power consumption in half.

Dave

[BobGed]

Unless you have a residential refrigerator I wouldn't suggest running it all the time. It only takes a few hours prior to a trip to get a standard RV reefer to cooling temp, and the unit will last longer.

[a k]

When I have mine plugged in it draws 32 amps on one leg and 48 amps on the leg that has the hydro-hot heater on it. Thats running all three AC's. I can't see how a RV park charging only $25 a day makes it.

[BigSkyBob]

Could someone provide some proof that running an RV fridge reduces it's longevity. I've always been told the opposite so I keep my on 24/7 when it's plugged into shore power at the house.

[KIX]

Yep, me too, BigSkyBob.
If you have a 4 door refer it will have 2 heaters of 225 watts each. A 2 door refer only has one heater. (Norcold)
Good idea about the water jugs in the refer.