Community Forums

WheelingIt · 01-10-2013, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoastieSCPO

Great information! I love it when you post Nina, because then the link to you and your husband's blog is there. Just enjoy reading about your boon docking adventures.

Bob

Well thanks for the compliment

we're getting back out in the boonies tomorrow...can't wait!

mgscott4 · 01-10-2013, 08:10 PM

One of the best things I purchased for my MH is this battery monitor. Cost about $200 with the shunt and wiring. It will continually tell you the state of charge of your batteries. You watch the current draw of any appliance you turn on. It will tell you how much "juice" is going in the battery too. It is nice to know your DC system is working properly. Highly recommend it.

Bogart Engineering TM-2025-RV - TriMetric 2025 12/24/48 Volt Battery System Monitor - RV Version

papaw.1 · 01-10-2013, 09:07 PM

I have a 2011 Damon Daybreak and like you I have read the manuels from cover to cover and still find things that just kinda pop-up so just as

k all your questions here and someone will try their best to help you.Good Luck and many Safe TRAVELS.

Walter5555 · 01-11-2013, 12:07 AM

I will add my two cents,

I added two more 6v Batteries to my already two 6V which gave me 4-6 volt batteries and to be on the Safe side I had added 114 watt soler panels on top.

With all that I don't have to be too concerned about my batteries as long as I keep water in them.

Just a thought.

ralphie · 01-11-2013, 07:41 AM

Wait a minute everyone, the residential fridge shouldn't be part of the problem at all. It's running off 120v, which is not operating unless the genset was running at the time, because the OP was dry camping, right? So, removing the fridge from the equation, the OP's battery(ies) were drained by the 12v load(s) such as the furnace, assuming it was operating as it's now cold in most places.

So to the OP, unless I'm missing something important, your battery bank is either bad or undercharged, or good and at proper charge and you simply ran the battery bank down with whatever 12v loads were in use at the time. Best thing I can think of is to take out the batteries and have them tested and if bad, replaced. Or, if good, you need to apply power management techniques while you're dry camping.

Papa_Jim · 01-11-2013, 07:54 AM

I find it hard to believe that your residential fridge had anything to do with the drain on the batteries. Yes, the fridge draws power, but with the fridge door closed, it is doubtful that the fridge was running for any more than a few minutes during the entire night. I'll bet it didn't use any more than, at most, 1 amp of power on 120Volts. Through an inverter, that would be about 11 amps on 12 volt. That will not drain the batteries.

I suspect something wrong within the battery bank itself. Bad battery, bad connection, etc. Unless a high draw appliance was left turned on by mistake.

WheelingIt · 01-11-2013, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ralphie

Wait a minute everyone, the residential fridge shouldn't be part of the problem at all. It's running off 120v, which is not operating unless the genset was running at the time, because the OP was dry camping, right? So, removing the fridge from the equation, the OP's battery(ies) were drained by the 12v load(s) such as the furnace, assuming it was operating as it's now cold in most places.

I guess I was assuming the OP had the inverter on and was running the fridge through that? But that is another good question. He did mention he was *not* running the furnace.

I agree w/ everyone that a residential fridge should not drain 4 fully charged deep-cycle batteries overnight, even when running off the inverter. So either something is wrong w/ the charger (batteries aren't being charged correctly/fully on the generator) or the batteries have a problem.

az bound · 01-11-2013, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ralphie

Wait a minute everyone, the residential fridge shouldn't be part of the problem at all. It's running off 120v, which is not operating unless the genset was running at the time, because the OP was dry camping, right? So, removing the fridge from the equation, the OP's battery(ies) were drained by the 12v load(s) such as the furnace, assuming it was operating as it's now cold in most places.

So to the OP, unless I'm missing something important, your battery bank is either bad or undercharged, or good and at proper charge and you simply ran the battery bank down with whatever 12v loads were in use at the time. Best thing I can think of is to take out the batteries and have them tested and if bad, replaced. Or, if good, you need to apply power management techniques while you're dry camping.

A residential will run off the battery bank thru the inverter without running the genny.
There is something causing the the draw down, just about anyones guess without doing some testing.

dwaynedmonnett · 01-11-2013, 11:09 AM

When I have the inverter on for extended periods, I unplug the MW. Mine draws about 6 Amps from the battery side. Over nite, that could be close to 50 Amp Hours of wasted energy. The TV, even off has a small amount of power draw as well.. Some one needs to invent moon panels for the night time.

Dwayne

pcurt23 · 01-11-2013, 02:09 PM

My refrigerator (50 amp hours) will only run about 4 hours on the inverter without killing the batteries (460 amp hours). I learned it the same way you did. You can turn the inverter off at night and then the fridg will run on propane. There is also a setting on your energy control panel that you can adjust the inverter cutoff point to 12.0 volts. That will automatically force the fridg to propane. You will learn to manage your batteries. I can start the genny by using the Aux bat start switch which hooks the house and engine batteries together.

az bound · 01-11-2013, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pcurt23

My refrigerator (50 amp hours) will only run about 4 hours on the inverter without killing the batteries (460 amp hours). I learned it the same way you did. You can turn the inverter off at night and then the fridg will run on propane. There is also a setting on your energy control panel that you can adjust the inverter cutoff point to 12.0 volts. That will automatically force the fridg to propane. You will learn to manage your batteries. I can start the genny by using the Aux bat start switch which hooks the house and engine batteries together.

The OP is referring to a residential refrigerator without an PL option. Runs on 110V only.

Dennis_K · 01-11-2013, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DWMOONEY

First I have to state that I have had my new Holiday Rambler 36 PFT for two days. Thought I had read the book cover to cover and understood enough to NOT screw up too bad. First night we dry camped. had generator on until about nine, turned everything off. It has a residential refrigerator. I was told during my walk around that it should run easy all night on battery power. The next morning the coach batteries wouldn't start the generator. Got it started with the Bat Boost. What did I do wrong???? Thanks Dan

I have a 2012 Monaco Knight 36 PFT with the residential refrigerator. Should be the same setup as you have. I have no problems dry camping. There is plenty of battery power to run the fridge for 12 hours, probably 24 but I haven't tried. I run the gen a few hours in the morning and at night. If the batteries were fully charged to start with then check of other 120v items that may have been on. You should have 4 L-16 batteries which is about twice the capacity of the usual 6v RV house battery.

Papa_Jim · 01-12-2013, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pcurt23

My refrigerator (50 amp hours) will only run about 4 hours on the inverter without killing the batteries (460 amp hours). I learned it the same way you did. You can turn the inverter off at night and then the fridg will run on propane. There is also a setting on your energy control panel that you can adjust the inverter cutoff point to 12.0 volts. That will automatically force the fridg to propane. You will learn to manage your batteries. I can start the genny by using the Aux bat start switch which hooks the house and engine batteries together.

Because our old Norcold fridge was an absolute power hog when running on electric, we did not use it on electric unless the coach was hooked up to shore power. It used a lot of power and ran too much. Our residential fridge by comparison uses almost no power at all when it is running, and it hardly runs at all. I find the amount of current it draws out of the batteries to be miniscule.

Gorlininc · 01-12-2013, 06:05 AM

Is a residential refrig the same as a house frige? Doesn't it have a compressor? In a house, a frige has its own 20 amp circuit. The start up of the compressor is a huge draw. Around 12 to 15 amps at 110v. The draw after compressor startup at 110v is about 7 amps after start up. All depending how often and how long you open the doors for, will dictate how much it comes on. I can see the frige easily depleting the batteries if it turns on too often. You also may want to check the temperature settings on the frige.