|
|
03-25-2013, 01:56 PM
|
#15
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 368
|
I recently put a heavy load on my house batteries and drew them down to where the charge controller's meter showed the batteries were discharged by 22%. The battery metering panel with its red/yellow/green LEDs showed roughly 100% charge level and so is worthless.
No way to know what your draw down will be without accurate metering of the state of the batteries and the amount of discharge that has taken place overnight and the time required to recharge using a generator or solar panels or driving (and using the alternator). A TriMetric with a shunt and wiring costs less than $175 and adding one is the first order of business. Then you can monitor your RV yourself and know exactly what is going on.
|
|
|
|
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
03-25-2013, 09:14 PM
|
#16
|
Registered User
Damon Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: May 2008
Location: N. Palm Springs CA (in winter)
Posts: 2,420
|
Never had a problem exactly knowing what the state of charge is with my bank of batteries and monitoring usage and rate of discharge. I have a HPV-30DR Solar Charge Controller and Monitor, Magnum ME-RC Remote Control
Magnum Energy MS 200 Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter Charger, with 4 solar panels. If I am away or sleeping and power drops, an alarm goes off, lights display, and the inverter is automatically turned off.
|
|
|
03-25-2013, 09:21 PM
|
#17
|
Senior Member
Country Coach Owners Club Solo Rvers Club iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Vancouver, WA
Posts: 37,725
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by John Hilley
You probably wouldn't have to replace the fixture, there are LED replacements for virtually all incandescent and halogen lamps. Cost from under a dollar to over twenty dollars each. Depends on what you consider an investment, it is definitely an investment in power saving.
|
I tried that, my wife HATED the brighter/whiter light and I ended up taking the one out. Luckily I only bought one though! I need to try "sneaking" in a few more though.
__________________
2009 45' Magna 630 w/Cummins ISX 650 HP/1950 Lbs Ft, HWH Active Air
Charter Good Sam Lifetime Member, FMCA,
RV'ing since 1957, NRA Benefactor Life, towing '21 Jeep JLU Rubicon Ecodiesel
|
|
|
03-26-2013, 09:53 PM
|
#18
|
Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Spicewood Texas (West of Austin)
Posts: 4,514
|
I just installed 2 - 6V batteries to replace my 1 -12V that came in the rig. I am headed to Big Bend NP in 10 days and will be boondocking for a few days. I have a generator but will try not to use it any more than necessary. How can I run a few simple things like a coffe maker, w/o running the gen? I have no built-in inverter.
__________________
Scotty and Kristen, Airedales Dagny and Wyatt
2007 Newmar Mountain Aire 4528, 450 HP ISM, Allison 4000, 8 Lifeline AGM's
2019 F250 King Ranch 4x4 Powerstroke - SOLD
2022 F350 DRW King Ranch 4 x 4
|
|
|
03-26-2013, 10:04 PM
|
#19
|
Senior Member
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Buxton, North Dakota
Posts: 3,940
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scottybdivin
I just installed 2 - 6V batteries to replace my 1 -12V that came in the rig. I am headed to Big Bend NP in 10 days and will be boondocking for a few days. I have a generator but will try not to use it any more than necessary. How can I run a few simple things like a coffe maker, w/o running the gen? I have no built-in inverter.
|
A percolator or French press are your only real options. There are some 12 VDC coffee pots, but they aren't worth purchasing.
__________________
2003 Winnebago Adventurer 38G F53/ V10 605 watts of Solar
1999 Winnebago Brave 35C F53V10 Handicap Equipped
1999 Jeep Cherokee, 1991 Jeep Wrangler Renegade and 2018 Chevrolet Equinox Diesel
|
|
|
03-26-2013, 10:30 PM
|
#20
|
Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Rainbow Riding
Posts: 18,574
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by John Hilley
A percolator or French press are your only real options. There are some 12 VDC coffee pots, but they aren't worth purchasing.
|
X2 and while either will work - my money is on the French Press. Best cup a Joe. Dump coffee in press - Boil water and pour in press - wait 5 minutes - push the plunger and Bobs your uncle.
__________________
Steve & Annie (RVM2)
2008 Fleetwood Bounder 38F ~ 325 ISB Turbo ~ Freightliner XC 2014 CR-V ~ Invisibrake / Sterling All Terrain
Sioux Falls, SD (FullTime Since Nov 5th 2014)
|
|
|
03-26-2013, 10:46 PM
|
#21
|
Senior Member
Country Coach Owners Club Solo Rvers Club iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Vancouver, WA
Posts: 37,725
|
We have 4 Interstate GC-2 6 volt batteries. We run anything we want even the storage bay freezer, my CPAP, maybe both TV's, the satellite box, the electric ice maker etc. and easily get through the night. I usually run the gen set a couple hours (maybe till 10:00 pm) and then again in the morning unless we're headed out on the road, then I let the alternator do it.
__________________
2009 45' Magna 630 w/Cummins ISX 650 HP/1950 Lbs Ft, HWH Active Air
Charter Good Sam Lifetime Member, FMCA,
RV'ing since 1957, NRA Benefactor Life, towing '21 Jeep JLU Rubicon Ecodiesel
|
|
|
03-29-2013, 02:09 PM
|
#22
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 368
|
I found when I installed a TriMetric type of charge meter that when my batteries were at 80% the LED panel provided by the RV manufacturer still showed the top LED as green or nearly 100%. We had been relying on the installed LED panel to evaluate how much we had been using and how fast the batteries were being recharged and yet the RV's panel was way off.
|
|
|
04-16-2013, 06:39 AM
|
#23
|
Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Spicewood Texas (West of Austin)
Posts: 4,514
|
I just returned from Big Bend. 1st 3 nights were boondocking with daytime temps of 100+. My 2 6V batteries and El cheapo 2500 watt inverter are not going to do what I want. I will add 2 more 6 V batteries before the next trip as well as some type of monitoring device. At some point I will have to decide if I want to take the next step to a quality charger/inverter and possibly some solar charging. I suppose you just have to determine at what price point you want to become independent from generator power. I already have a 5500 Onan onboard.
__________________
Scotty and Kristen, Airedales Dagny and Wyatt
2007 Newmar Mountain Aire 4528, 450 HP ISM, Allison 4000, 8 Lifeline AGM's
2019 F250 King Ranch 4x4 Powerstroke - SOLD
2022 F350 DRW King Ranch 4 x 4
|
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|