Loss of shore power

[vegasmun]

We leave our dog in our motorhome on occasion to go to dinner or see a movie. Twice now we have come home to find that we lost shore power. Fortunately on both occasions the dog was with us, as it was summer and the air conditioners weren't running and the inside temperature was close to 90 degrees. We have a 2800 watt sine wave inverter that keeps the refrigerator running but apparently not the air conditioners when shore power is lost. We have three air conditioner units, each at 15,000 btu. Is there a way to have the generator (10k Onan) automatically come on if shore power is lost, or would a larger inverter keep one of the air conditioner units running? We are nervous now to leave the dog if it's warm out and the air conditioner is necessary to keep her comfortable. Thanks for any help.

[cowrv39]

Some rigs have AGS. Which is an automatic generator start based upon either low battery, loss of shore power or high temp. The high temp is mainly for when your boondocking but it also applies to when you loose shore power and high temp. Before they ask you should also post in youg signature the type of rig you have so you will get more responses. Welcome to IrV2.

-Brian

[wallacerm]

Of course you can have anything you are willing to pay for. The automatic generator start could probably be done for a couple thousand. Running the AC from an inverter would take a very large inverter and a bank of extra batteries - even after all that you would have limited running time.

For the problem you describe, the best (and much cheaper) solution would be a remote temperature alarm system. You should be able to locate past discussions of these, For a couple hundred dollars you can have something that calls or texts your smart phone if the temperature goes up.

[Okiedoke]

Haven't had it long, but this camera is working pretty well for us monitoring our dog. It has temp, noise and motion sensing with time-stamp ability, and also notification via Internet. It's nice to see and hear what's going on in the MH.

It connects via our mifi unit. What concerns me is that an Internet app depends on a website to connect the camera with your smartphone and/or pc. They offer an upgraded paid subscription, but so far the free service is working well. Of course that might change.

Amazon.com : Motorola FOCUS66 Wi-Fi HD Home Monitoring Camera : Camera & Photo

[MrsChilerick]

We have a wireless automatic generator starter. It was $500 from Onan Cummins. If you have a DP, it appears to be easy to install yourself. We have a gasser and had it installed by a local RV service shop. It senses when shore power is lost and turns on the generator when the temp inside reaches whatever temp you set it for. (It does other stuff too, this is just why we bought it.) We set ours for 78. We got it for exactly the reason you state, we leave the dog in the coach and want to be sure that if the power goes out, the genny will come on and the dog will be safe.

[McKTX]

Hmmm, this is thread makes me wonder how our whole house generator (generac) comes on to power the house when it senses a loss of power for more than 10 seconds, runs until it senses power is back online. That is what everyone is talking about here, right?

We plan to travel with our fur kids also. Food for thought on our RV also.

Thank you for this information.

[jfran304]

You can install an auto start on your generator that will start if the temperature inside gets too warm and shore power isn't available.

https://www.cumminsonan.com/autostart/faq/

https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/...tart-ec30w.htm

Jon

[MrsChilerick]

Originally Posted by jfran304

You can install an auto start on your generator that will start if the temperature inside gets too warm and shore power isn't available.

https://www.cumminsonan.com/autostart/faq/

https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/...tart-ec30w.htm

Jon

Yes, this is what we have.

[Lincolnboy2]

Originally Posted by vegasmun

We leave our dog in our motorhome on occasion to go to dinner or see a movie. Twice now we have come home to find that we lost shore power. Fortunately on both occasions the dog was with us, as it was summer and the air conditioners weren't running and the inside temperature was close to 90 degrees. We have a 2800 watt sine wave inverter that keeps the refrigerator running but apparently not the air conditioners when shore power is lost. We have three air conditioner units, each at 15,000 btu. Is there a way to have the generator (10k Onan) automatically come on if shore power is lost, or would a larger inverter keep one of the air conditioner units running? We are nervous now to leave the dog if it's warm out and the air conditioner is necessary to keep her comfortable. Thanks for any help.

http://www.amazon.com/Dropcam-Wi-Fi-.../dp/B006P88VSE

I use the Dropcam to monitor/check on the pups now.

There is an autostart function for the generator as well....

http://power.cummins.com/sites/defau...res/f-1824.pdf

https://www.cumminsonan.com/autostart/faq/

The auto gen start install should be less than 1200.00 including labor at Cummins/Onan

[wa8yxm]

Running the A/C off an inverter for more than a few minutes takes a whole lot of battereis,, On Inverter a standard A/C unit can draw over 100 amps off the batteires, at that current rate you get just a few mintues per six volt pair IF THAT MUCH.

You can also get some home alarm systems.. Some of these use cellular to call the monitor center (or to call you as an option) and some can sense loss of voltage and report it... Or high temp (Say 95) or .. Well many things.. and call either you or the monitoring center who can call you.

[Lincolnboy2]

Read this, I had the same issue.......

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f97/inter...ch-133022.html

[MrsChilerick]

Originally Posted by Lincolnboy2

http://www.amazon.com/Dropcam-Wi-Fi-.../dp/B006P88VSE

I use the Dropcam to monitor/check on the pups now.

There is an autostart function for the generator as well....

http://power.cummins.com/sites/defau...res/f-1824.pdf

https://www.cumminsonan.com/autostart/faq/

The auto gen start install should be less than 1200.00 including labor at Cummins/Onan

The wireless auto start is now $700, we had it installed locally for $150, it can be installed by the user if you have easy access to your generator and it's connections. Ours is way too tight. Anyway, $850 is a long way from $1200 and the peace of mind knowing that the generator (assuming you have enough fuel) and subsequent systems (assuming you turned them on) will continue in a power failure and the dog will be safe even if we are 100 miles away or in the middle of the ocean whale watching without any opportunity to respond to an alarm is priceless. For us, a Nanny-Cam system is great, with an alarm better, but if it doesn't also remedy the situation, it's value is limited.

Auto-start $700
Installation $0-$200
Peace of mind & safe dog $Priceless

[Lincolnboy2]

Nice to hear that.

I was quoting Cummins-Onan labor prices at 130/hour that I was quoted.

I so would love to have one. Even though I don't have an automatic transfer switch, if the shore power went out while I was away, the genny runs the front bigger A/C whenever it is running so it would still be a great investment for me too.

Will have to work on that.

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f53/smoke...ed-250317.html

In June I was about 5 miles from the coach with the family, showing the app to my sister, when we saw what she thought was just sunrays, (camera was aimed at the front of the coach and it was early evening) but as it turned out was actually thick smoke , and there was NOTHING I could have done had it been a fire. The camera had gone offline around that same time and came back online 5 minutes later and the smoke was completely gone. When I got back to the coach, I smelled this acrid, burning electrical smell, couldn't find what was causing it anywhere! Had it been a fire, 5 minutes OR LESS and the whole coach and the pups would have been gone. It turned out to be a capacitor on the rear A/C threw up and quit, spilling the smoke into the coach, then clearing up in about 15 minutes. So make sure you have an immediate phone number of someone at the park or a neighbor or someone you can call to get there FAST because, I thought as long as I could check on them and they were ok that I was ok. That event pulled my head out of the box and realized, what would I have done? Sat there and watched them die on the Dropcam?

So I'll not be leaving them without an emergency backup plan, a neighbor checking/the park watching, or someone sitting with them.

I share this story because I was very happy and complacent about my having a Dropcam to check on them until I realized what could happen in the event of an emergency. Don't get me wrong, I use it to check on them still, but I have an immediate backup if something were to go haywire again. Also, the Dropcam sends an immediate message there is a loud noise (hopefully a smoke or fire alarm) or movement (it picked up the smoke) in the coach, helps too.

I realize the odds are millions to one they will be okay, but that one chance with my kids is the one I'm not going to take. I too thought I had peace of mind my dogs were safe......boy was I blown out of the water.......

[MrsChilerick]

Originally Posted by Lincolnboy2

So I'll not be leaving them without an emergency backup plan, a neighbor checking/the park watching, or someone sitting with them.

I share this story because I was very happy and complacent about my having a Dropcam to check on them until I realized what could happen in the event of an emergency. Don't get me wrong, I use it to check on them still, but I have an immediate backup if something were to go haywire again. Also, the Dropcam sends an immediate message there is a loud noise (hopefully a smoke or fire alarm) or movement (it picked up the smoke) in the coach, helps too.

I realize the odds are millions to one they will be okay, but that one chance with my kids is the one I'm not going to take. I too thought I had peace of mind my dogs were safe......boy was I blown out of the water.......

Absolutely right, next on our list is a "nanny cam" type of thing. You just never know. We also never leave the park without letting folks know we are gone, the dog is in the coach and giving them our cell number.