Community Forums

buck58 · 11-04-2021, 02:52 PM

Do I need the generator running at night, if I’m going to use electric heat and of course the refrigerator freezer & TV? Or for that matter going down the road???

Butte64 · 11-04-2021, 02:58 PM

Definitely need it for electric heat at night. Don’t need it driving unless you use the heat pumps.

wolfe10 · 11-04-2021, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buck58

Do I need the generator running at night, if I’m going to use electric heat and of course the refrigerator freezer & TV? Or for that matter going down the road???

We will need more information to be able to give reasonable advice.

What RV do you have?

Battery bank size (in amp-hrs)?

followingsea · 11-04-2021, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buck58

Do I need the generator running at night, if I’m going to use electric heat and of course the refrigerator freezer & TV? Or for that matter going down the road???

You have to tell us more about your rig to get a good answer.

I have a DP. Before heading south this fall I tested a electric heater running on the generator in case heat from the engine heat was not enough.

I do not like running somethings when sleeping. I pulled into a rest stop when I expected it get close to freezing and conditions were right for black ice.

My batteries (charged going down the road) ran the TV, residential fridge, propane furnace, and electric blanket.

Gary.Jones · 11-04-2021, 04:01 PM

His personal data section says he owns an 18 Aspire.

Yes, you will definitely need to be running the genny if you are planning on using heat. Not sure what electric heat you are talking about however.

If you are talking about heating the coach inside area with the heat pumps in the two or three roof air conditioners, then yes, you will definitely need to have the generator running for the heat pumps. This is assuming that you are not connected to commercial 50A power. If you are, then you dont need the generator to power the roof heat pumps. The heat pumps are good down to about 40 degrees outside.... below about 40, the heat pumps will not keep you warm.

If you mean electric "space heaters" such as stand alone electric heaters such as you might buy at WalMart or Lowes, again definitely (again if you are not connected to commercial power). And you will only be able to run a total of about 1800 watts of electric heaters on all of the interior regular power duplex sockets. The duplex sockets in the coach all pass through a bypass circuit breaker that bypasses the Magnum inverters, but if you go beyond about 2,000 watts total, you will blow the circuit breaker for all the duplex plugs in the coach even if you are connected to 50A commercial power and you will have no heaters.

Now, the least power consuming method of heating in the coach is to heat with the AquaHot. The AquaHot heats with diesel fuel rather than electric heaters and electric power so it consumes much less electric power as you are only powering the fans blowing across the warm/hot "radiators" mounted under your cabinets and the pumps pumping the boiler fluid around the coach. If your house batteries are reasonable, then you should be able to power the whole AquaHot system all night even if not connected to commercial power.

Now going down the road, again, if you are talking about really any source other than dash vents, then yes, you will need the generator running to support space heaters, roof AC units doing air conditioning, roof AC units doing heat pump mode. When you are running down the road, you are only making power with the engine driven alternator which is a 12 volt system and it is used most importantly to recharge the engine start batteries and only secondarily to recharge the house batteries. It is a really big alternator, but it cannot supply the power you will need to roof ACs or HPs or space heaters.

If that doesn't answer your question be more specific in what you want to know.

Gary

Tim Fox · 11-04-2021, 04:03 PM

As no info given, I’ll assume you have an Entegra. Aquahot will probably get you through the night with a few ifs. Outside temperature, status of batteries, amount of hours expected without generator. You shouldn’t need generator while engine is running, as it will supply Aquahot

buck58 · 11-04-2021, 06:56 PM

2018 aspire, and I won’t be plugged in…. In the past I’ve always had electric and gas heat going I just thought I would ask a question. Now, in the past when I have been plugged in I’ve used electric only with temperature getting in the mid to high 20s and I’ve been fine. Unplugged I’ve always used both, and I assume I’ll continue.

Hpozzuoli · 11-04-2021, 08:28 PM

If my rig isn’t plugged in then the generator is on. The only exception is a short drive to the mechanic, but that is rare and I don’t run the gen for that. If I am boondocked for multiple days then the gen is running.

777 Driver · 11-04-2021, 08:46 PM

You can heat off of 12v using only the AquaHot. The heat exchanger fans (front, mid and bedroom) and the various boiler fluid circulation fans all run off of 12v.

How long that will work off the batteries depends on a variety of things, including the batteries and how cold it is outside. I really don't know how long you'll be able to run the AquaHot only heating, just that you can do that.

Take care,
Stu

Butte64 · 11-04-2021, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Fox

As no info given, I’ll assume you have an Entegra. Aquahot will probably get you through the night with a few ifs. Outside temperature, status of batteries, amount of hours expected without generator. You shouldn’t need generator while engine is running, as it will supply Aquahot

Aspire has 400D AquaHot which does not have the engine heat loop. His profile says 2018 Aspire