Cooking while boondocked

[Smokingem]

Dear Entegra Anthem owners,

It seems that neither the cooktop nor the microwave can be used on the batteries. Are there ways to set up the system otherwise? I don’t want to turn on the generator every time we cook.

Thank you.

- Ethan
2020 Entegra Anthem

[777 Driver]

Hi Ethan,

You might confirm that your Inverter Settings show a Low Battery Cutoff = 10.7v. I believe that's the generally accepted limit. Also, try to limit all other electrical loads while you're using the microwave or cooktop.

Take care,
Stu

[Gary.Jones]

Ethan

Our rule on my 2015 Anthem and now my 2019 Cornerstone is if you are going to run the microwave for more than maybe 30 seconds, we do it with the Onan generator running. I do a reasonable amount of boondocking while traveling and longer periods of boondocking (10 - 14) days at Quartzsite in January and there is no way to get away from running the generator. I run mine 2 hours when I get up first thing in the morning and then again 2 hours just before we go to bed at night, and every time the DW is running the microwave or induction cooktop. No way around it unless you go to the expense of installing solar panels on the roof and a new energy controller.

The primary way to get around the need to run the genny is to carry a propane Coleman type grill and cook outside or spend half your vacation getting charcoal to fire and get ready!!

Gary

[DoggieDaddy]

Originally Posted by Smokingem

Dear Entegra Anthem owners,

It seems that neither the cooktop nor the microwave can be used on the batteries. Are there ways to set up the system otherwise? I don’t want to turn on the generator every time we cook.

Thank you.

- Ethan
2020 Entegra Anthem

Why would you not want to turn on the generator? How often do you cook?
That's why they installed generators in the coach and that is what you paid for.

[Smokingem]

Originally Posted by DoggieDaddy

Why would you not want to turn on the generator? How often do you cook?
That's why they installed generators in the coach and that is what you paid for.

Why do some camp sites prohibit the use of generator? Isn’t it obvious?

[vsheetz]

Dry camping locations you would take your coach that don't allow generators? Maybe some, but I would think few.

Originally Posted by Smokingem

Why do some camp sites prohibit the use of generator? Isn’t it obvious?

[Smokingem]

Originally Posted by Gary.Jones

Ethan

Our rule on my 2015 Anthem and now my 2019 Cornerstone is if you are going to run the microwave for more than maybe 30 seconds, we do it with the Onan generator running. I do a reasonable amount of boondocking while traveling and longer periods of boondocking (10 - 14) days at Quartzsite in January and there is no way to get away from running the generator. I run mine 2 hours when I get up first thing in the morning and then again 2 hours just before we go to bed at night, and every time the DW is running the microwave or induction cooktop. No way around it unless you go to the expense of installing solar panels on the roof and a new energy controller.

The primary way to get around the need to run the genny is to carry a propane Coleman type grill and cook outside or spend half your vacation getting charcoal to fire and get ready!!

Gary

So you can use the cooktop or microwave on batteries but you chose not to, right? That is completely different from my situation. By some reason, I cannot even turn on the cooktop when on batteries as if Vegatouch automatically disables them when not on AC. This is super annoying. I don’t mind using Gen during the day and early evening, but don’t want to do so after dark unless we are alone. I don’t need the microwave but the cooktop? In fact, we were seriously thinking to carry a Coleman stove.

But, sounds like I should be able to use the cooktop while on the batteries. Something is wrong in our system setup, then. I am upgrading the original AGM battery with 390 AH capacity to LFP with 2240 AH, which should allow me to cook without Gen running no problem once I can find what is wrong in the setup, which actually is a good news.

Thanks.
- Ethan

[vsheetz]

Typically the microwave is on a inverter circuit, but not the cooktop due to its large power draw.

Extended use of microwave or convection oven will consume a lot of battery power. Even if you have a lot of battery, those batteries then need to be recharged if deeply discharged - generator or a really big solar setup.

So - generator or gas grill.

[Smokingem]

Originally Posted by 777 Driver

Hi Ethan,

You might confirm that your Inverter Settings show a Low Battery Cutoff = 10.7v. I believe that's the generally accepted limit. Also, try to limit all other electrical loads while you're using the microwave or cooktop.

Take care,
Stu

Stu,

So, you are saying I should be able to turn on the cooktop while on batteries, right? What you said makes sense to me. There might be a logic in the system that disables use of cooktop and microwave based on the battery voltage. I remember AGS voltage was set high at 12.4V in my coach. Don’t know about the Cutoff. I will see if lowering those parameters can allow me to turn on the cooktop while on Batteries.

Thanks.

- Ethan

[roger8070]

If you look at the circuit breakers above the driver seat you will see that the microwave is on an inverter circuit and the cooktop is not. You will need the generator or AC to use the cooktop.

[R.Wold]

Originally Posted by roger8070

If you look at the circuit breakers above the driver seat you will see that the microwave is on an inverter circuit and the cooktop is not. You will need the generator or AC to use the cooktop.

Or put the cook top breaker on the inverter side (sub panel on Newmar) depending on the capacity of your inverter. This is easy to do - you just have to watch your power consumption, but with the battery bank you’re planning, it should be very manageable.

According to the website brochure, your coach is equipped as follows:
Inverter (2) 3,000 watt pure sine wave inverters
Batteries (4) L16 AGM batteries (6V/390 amp hrs. ea.)

If so, you have plenty to work with, and if the cook top is not on the inverter side of your electrical panels, I’d just change it so it makes sense. But with 6kw of inverter power, I would think it is intended to power the cook top and something else is wrong, perhaps inverter settings as you surmised above.

[MRUSA14]

Originally Posted by R.Wold

Or put the cook top breaker on the inverter side (sub panel on Newmar) depending on the capacity of your inverter. This is easy to do - you just have to watch your power consumption, but with the battery bank you’re planning, it should be very manageable.

According to the website brochure, your coach is equipped as follows:
Inverter (2) 3,000 watt pure sine wave inverters
Batteries (4) L16 AGM batteries (6V/390 amp hrs. ea.)

If so, you have plenty to work with, and if the cook top is not on the inverter side of your electrical panels, I’d just change it so it makes sense. But with 6kw of inverter power, I would think it is intended to power the cook top and something else is wrong, perhaps inverter settings as you surmised above.

I beg to differ. If you try to make your batteries do what they were not designed to do, you will not like the result.

There is a good reason that the cooktop is wired not to run off the batteries. That is because it will kill your batteries dead before your food is cooked. Or if not, it will strain the batteries severely and sharply reduce their longevity. Just like you can’t drive your coach at 200 mph, you can’t run your cooktop off your batteries. Same reason in both cases: not enough power.

[DoggieDaddy]

Buy a propane camp stove from Camp Chef. Save yourself a lot of headaches.

[brobox]

Originally Posted by R.Wold

Or put the cook top breaker on the inverter side (sub panel on Newmar) depending on the capacity of your inverter. This is easy to do - you just have to watch your power consumption, but with the battery bank you’re planning, it should be very manageable.

That is not easy on an Entegra. I tried to move the basement circuit to the inverter panel on a new Entegra. The panel would require rewiring to get it to fit. It is not plug and play to move from one panel to another on the newer Entegras.
Much easier to start and run the generator as Entegra wired it.