Community Forums

rarebear.nm · 03-01-2018, 07:23 PM

Some people seem to forget that not all RVs are Class A rigs. The smaller lighter rigs still will use propane for a variety of energy requirements. I known that more Class As are going total electric and that's fine for them. There's a whole world of travel trailers and 5th wheelers where there is a weight issue of of the electric support found in the Class A rigs. Propane frigs are used in many remote parts of the world as every day solutions, they do make solid ice and don't burn up every day.

saddlesore · 03-01-2018, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CountryFit

$2000... so you think sammy is the only game in town?
i spent only $400 to change over... does non-sammy count?

Of course!, the 1492 was a french double door, 36" wide, nearly 70" tall, counter depth. So had to get one that would "fill up the hole"...

**CountryFit** · 03-01-2018, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saddlesore

Of course!, the 1492 was a french double door, 36" wide, nearly 70" tall, counter depth. So had to get one that would "fill up the hole"...

my old one was a 1292, 70 in x 36 in x counter depth, double door. i thought they had the same size.
i filled up that hole with a magic chef, a little trick at the side pics are here.

saddlesore · 03-01-2018, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CountryFit

my old one was a 1292, 70 in x 36 in x counter depth, double door. i thought they had the same size.
i filled up that hole with a magic chef, a little trick at the side pics are here.

THAT I LIKE!!!...WELL DONE!
I hope you went with a full sine wave inverter as well?

Steve Kiemele · 03-01-2018, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowryc50

Thank you for your input. IF I were to upgrade to 6v true deep cycle is there a brand, model, number of batteries, etc. that you might suggest. I realize cost is a factor too just looking for options if you know of any.

Sams club, east of the Mississippi, sells a DuraCell 6 volt AGM for $180. I like them.

**CountryFit** · 03-01-2018, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saddlesore

THAT I LIKE!!!...WELL DONE!
I hope you went with a full sine wave inverter as well?

yep my inverter is magnum 2800w psw

smeg99 · 03-02-2018, 01:22 AM

When dry camping, I like quiet. Generators disturb the peace. RRs use more electricity and therefore require longer generator times. If you need to run your generators for a few hours, please consider adding enough solar for your needs or go to places you can plug in. The great out door experience should not include generator racket.

At the very least, get all the generator users to coordinate their timing so that are the generators run at the same time and get the noise over with.

CountryB · 03-02-2018, 06:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cruzbill

Just thinkin', Nothing about RV's "Pencils out". Its entertainment, or a lifestyle, and in no way is it cheap; not cheap on your wallet, investments, or is it in any way, "Green". My choice (and yours) to spend your money as we wish. I spend a significant part of my income on RVing, again, my choice.

X10

OLYLEN · 03-02-2018, 07:07 AM

Now that everyone has had their say because of what "THEY" have and have an opinion about what's best, can we get back to the OP's question.
The arguably best batteries for an RV are true deep cycle batteries, be they 6 volt in series parallel or 12 volt in parallel. 6-6volt GC2 type in wet or gel are the most cost effective and the wet take the prize with the Costco at $85 each and have seen the Gel at $130. They all give between 210 and 230 AH so you have a bank of 630-690 AH with 315- 345 AH usable before degrading the cycles. This gives somewhere around 100 AH for the Refer and 100 AH for the furnace with a 100 AH reserve for the rest of the coach utilities. In cool weather the furnace will use more and the Refer less. In hot the Refer will use a bit more and the furnace less, kind of a balance. In whatever RV I have boondocked in I have run the Gen for between 4-6 hours a day to keep comfortable. If you like or need the quiet solar comes into play. With the larger coach's needs without AC, 600-1000 watts could/should keep 4-6 batteries happy depending on sun hours and sun angle.
Now all that said budget for a Res-Refer, for the OP, can be adding a couple of the same batteries you have and run the Gen 4-6 hours a day for a little over $200 plus a bit and running the Gen for 2-3 gallons of fuel a day. Or if you can install your self, add 2 batteries and solar at 600-1000 watts for under $2000. Or go with 6 6volt for $550 to $700 for Gel and maybe solar. These are just three, say frugal options. And of course having someone do the install would add a bunch of $$.

LEN

Steve70605 · 03-02-2018, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rarebear.nm

Some people seem to forget that not all RVs are Class A rigs. The smaller lighter rigs still will use propane for a variety of energy requirements. I known that more Class As are going total electric and that's fine for them. There's a whole world of travel trailers and 5th wheelers where there is a weight issue of of the electric support found in the Class A rigs. Propane frigs are used in many remote parts of the world as every day solutions, they do make solid ice and don't burn up every day.

Since this thread is in the Class A forum... Most people are discussing Class A options....

micd · 03-02-2018, 07:55 AM

I am dismayed by all the residential refrigerators and can only hope those with them confine themselves to powered campgrounds or invest in solar. When camping it is nice to sit outside without exhaust or noise from a generator disturbing the peace and fouling the fresh air.

In addition, when boondocking there are a variety of campers. Tents are among them and it is very unfair to subject them to generators.

Not to mention that your 2 hours right before bed may be after someone else's bedtime or your 2 hours right after you get up might be before someone else has gotten up. Consider that the time you are running your generator could be during someones morning outdoor breakfast or evening star gazing. You may think you are far enough away but the wind can carry your exhaust right into someone else's campsite and the noise does travel.

I also don't quite get how much trouble people have with their propane refrigerators. We have never had soft ice cream, milk go bad or frozen lettuce. The only thing we do special is keep some ice packs in the freezer to move down if we have to park for hours on an unlevel surface but the fridge has never gotten warm. It is well insulated. Better than a cooler. It must be a fault with the newer designs because our is original 1994.

Peace.

SlaterDoc · 03-02-2018, 08:09 AM

I just have to throw another question into the mix! One that seems simpler than a number of the suggestions.
If the RV fridge is functioning fine, why not just turn off the propane an run on AC 24/7?
BTW, I notice the OP keeps mentioning he has "four 12 volts connected as two 12 volts". I assume you mean they are wired in 2 separate parrallel banks? For the experts in here, this question: is there any effect to charging or use between wiring the four 12 volts in 2 banks or 1 four battery bank?

twinboat · 03-02-2018, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlaterDoc

BTW, I notice the OP keeps mentioning he has "four 12 volts connected as two 12 volts". I assume you mean they are wired in 2 separate parrallel banks? For the experts in here, this question: is there any effect to charging or use between wiring the four 12 volts in 2 banks or 1 four battery bank?

There is more benefit to keeping them as a single larger bank.

First, Evertime you discharge a battery it uses up some if its life. The deeper you discharge it, the more life you use up.

Second, The faster you discharge a battery, the less capacity it has. It may have 200 AH at the 20 hour rating but only 170 AH at the 10 hour rating.

So, creating a single large bank gives you a larger capacity bank. You are using less of it between charges, giving you a longer life and you are discharging it at a lower rate, giving you more capacity.

Plus, you don't have to worry about tracking which, and when, to switch between battery banks for discharging or charging.

cruzbill · 03-02-2018, 09:29 AM

SlaterDoc, On running an absorption refer on 120v 24/7, you will need an inverter (2000w) and will run thru your batteries much faster (like in hours) than when using propane. The 120ac side of an absorption refer uses 2x160w (someone correct me here) AC heating elements. If your question is fire safety, no difference in AC vs DC operation 'cause both modes use 'heat' to circulate the refrigerant.

Batteries will only fail when you need them most (1st morning after 1st night boondocking!) and your wife said she wasn't getting out of bed unless you ran the furnace in the morning. Guess what, dead batteries, no furnace, wife unhappy! Time to sell the RV!
Only one solution; Spend money, either on more batteries, Lithium batteries, or a lot of solar. OK, you could run your gen. A small Honda 2000i will recharge your batteries.