RE: How to run everything on one EU2000.
RE the power cord: I never thought of that angle. Thanks for idea. I will think it through. It's sure to come in handy when staying in front of relatives' houses.
Hurricaner: Doesn't the depth of the discharge enter into the picture? Wouldn't several shallow discharges count less than a few down to 30% discharges? Or no?
RE: How to run everything on one EU2000.
I already have a second Honda. After a sufficient testing period (like next year) I will hope to unload the second Honda. As for why... it's a question of convenience. At 2,500 watts, the whole TT is powered all the time. Hit the microwave, it works. Wanna watch the tube? Just turn it on. Surely, there are a gazillion other inverters on the market, some very close to this one, but not the same. But the ability to drift back and forth from no generator coffee in the morning to generator powered AC and some charging in the heat of the day to microwave dinner with or without the generator on to charging the computer and watching a movie with no generator while the electric blankets are taking the chill off the bed... all without changing a plug or wire... it's nice. I am aware that several campers have just keeled over at our RV lifestyle, but I never claimed to be Daniel Boone. I have never been able to get pictures to work on this forum, but I would be happy to post if I figure it out.
P.S. Green: No, it doesn't have to be a Honda or even an inverter style generator. It normally will look at the incoming waveform and if it is bad, the inverter will not fire up. However, the "look" function can be disabled if incoming power is ratty. It also has an input for shore power (I said boats) that has a separate power setting so if you have a boat that sometimes pulls 30 amps but the shore power is only 15, the inverter is set to start boosting at 15 amps. Ditto the generator input, I have it set for 1,600 watts, but can set it lower if I choose to. From reading the EU manual, I was under the impression that the EU2Ks have a max continuous power of 1,600 watts but are capable of more.
RE: How to run everything on one EU2000.
My AC is a 1996 15K Dometic. As for running into problems, I haven't so far. I really like having AC at all outlets, just like being on shore power. When the AC is running, the EU ramps up to 1,600 watts output and the rest is handled by the inverter. The inverter has been programmed to allow the generator to supply the first 1,600 watts by itself. This is not enough to start the compressor but is less than the AC fan alone draws. When the compressor kicks in, the inverter supplies the startup surge. Once the compressor is running, the generator is supplying the majority of the power. When the compressor isn't running, the batts get charging. Certainly, at high outside temps, there are times when I will be running at a small deficit as far as the house batts go as the compressor will run almost continuously. However, the AC is rarely needed after around 5-6Pm here. The microwave and the hair dryer certainly dip into the battery supply, but only run a few minutes a day. TV and such don't take enough to even affect the batt. charging.
The loads on the generator are a mixed bag. Using one EU is "noisier" as it ramps up higher than the twins do. On the flip side, it may be that it is healthier for the engine to get a workout occasionally rather than spending its life putting away.
How to run everything on one EU2000.
OK... maybe not the electric HW heater, but a 15KBTU AC and sundry other junk.
The "secret" is a Victron inverter. AFAIK, it's the only inverter on the market that watches the AC output from shore power or the generator and at a preset point, the inverter parallels itself with the generator and boosts the output, up to 2,500 watts additional. Once the peak demand is over, the inverter looks to see how much power is left over from the generator's current load and uses that power to charge the batts. The Yamaha boost model will sort of do this feature, but not to the tune of 2,500 extra watts and it won't seamlessly transition back to charger function after the peak.
The unit is sine wave, 2,500 watt AC, 120 Amp DC temp. comp. charger. The charger will not trip the breaker as it will ramp down if there are large loads on the generator. There are some Xantrex units that do this too. But none that lock parallel to the generator output.
The Victron has been mentioned in a couple of threads before, but other than a person with one on his utility truck, nobody had tried one. The downside, is the cost. I have seen them at $2,500. I have been running twin Hondas, but came across a marine parts supplier that was unloading the Victrons cheap because boat sales (they are used on higher end boats) have gone into the tank. Got one for $840 with free shipping. No need to tell the store as I got the last one. But, it could pay to ask around at marine places who might be having the same problems. If one can be found at that good a price, the power of twins can be had for less $ than buying another generator and there'd be way more flexibility. It is a marvelous device that integrates power in a way nothing else does. Now I no longer need the second Honda. It has an autostart function, but I'd have to wire it to my arm. :-).
RE: Brake controler?
I had that symptom once. The inner wheel seal had leaked grease onto the shoes and they would grab. Sorta counterintuitive that a lubricant could make the brake lock, but that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. I replaced the shoes and puck (they can't be cleaned) and problem was solved.
RE: Brake Controllers?
I would have to be in a serious research mode to find that out. The only way I can think of would be to hook up to the TT, cancel any IBC and then chart the amps at a fixed number of test pressures. Then go back and program in an amp of IBC and then try to hit the exact same pressures and record the output. Each point should be one amp higher across the board if the tech was right. Hmm. I'll take a shot at it this weekend sometime.
RE: Boondocking-ever get stuck/broke down in a isolated spot ?
I went to a 4x4 after a couple of "incidents." I still got stuck once in the sand. But I've learned to carry spare cell batteries, chains (even in the summer) and a complement of spares. The Ford diesel only has one belt and two main hoses. Whenever I change them, I keep the old ones for spares. I replace TV batteries on a time schedule rather than waiting for them to show signs of dying. Just common sense sorts of things. Oh, and I have a road service that will come get me no matter where I am. I've been so far out that I had to use an ATV to go up a mountain to get coverage, but the ERS finally got a truck out there to pull me out. None of these stories should dissuade anyone from boondocking. I've put a 34' TT into places you would have to see to believe. We've seen sights while boondocking that you'd never see from a campground. IMHO, boondocking is what RVs are for.
RE: Changing brake fluid
I use a suction device that pumps up like a tire pump (don't ask me) and then you hook the tubing to the brake fitting, open the bleeder and then open a valve on the suction. The tubing is clear and you can see when the fresh fluid appears. Easy one person operation. Comes with a bottle to keep the master full, but I've never been able to make that part work. Griots has them and other auto parts places as well. I've heard the Mity Vac thing also works well and they've been around a long time. I use my style unit to change hydraulic clutch fluid, suck out diff. lubricant etc. I change brake fluid every other year (at least that is the goal) and have 6 vehicles that need changing, so I've used it a lot.
RE: Brake Controllers?
Flybaby_3: The odds of a controller going belly up are very, very small. However, it is a "mission critical" device. I may be somewhat biased as mine died recently, so the experience is fresh. I was faced with a problem with no good solutions. I travel typically with wife and 3 cats. Towing a TT (esp a heavy one) without TT brakes is both illegal and downright unpleasant. The illegal is not a big deal to me in an emergency. However, being unsafe is a big deal. Trying to control 18K lbs with just the truck brakes is bad news. It will do it, but I don't recommend it. So, if you are at a campground and somebody else is waiting to take your site, what do you do? You can't move, you can't go home, you can't leave the family on the side of the road somewhere while you go looking for a controller. The controller you find may not be set up to use the same wiring you have in place. Beggars and all that. Even if you find an RV store, is it open at 8 PM on a Sunday? The bottom line is that losing a controller is a major bummer. So, one can live with the tiny risk of a controller kicking the bucket and the attendant problems, OR spend $100 for the insurance of having a known controller that will plug in and be up/running in about 10 minutes or so. Having gone through it recently, it is not a hard decision for me. If you have lots of time and such, perhaps it won't be worth it. I carry a spare serpentine belt for the engine and spare hoses. I change all that every few years and rotate the replaced ones into my emergency kit. I also carry a new wheel bearing and race packed in grease with seals, spare tires (of course) and fuses/lightbulbs. If this makes me nuts, then OK. My old truck was a gasser and I used to bring an old distributor and coil set up. I used it once too. Makes you look like a wizard to your SO. :-).
RE: Towing ball lubrication - Yes or No ?
Do I know anyone who had a problem from not greasing? Sure, me. I bought my HRC new and listened to my father who never lubed. (It worked for him because he never kept a TT very long.) I had always lubed, but decided to try the "no lube thing." The ball has some wonderful gouges in it and I have an appt. with a mobile certified welder to cut off and replace the coupler. It got worn enough to get sloppy. No repair possible. Needless to say, I will be a luber from now on. I could have bought a lot of pants for what this repair is costing. How long? From 1996 to now.
RE: New to RV'ing/Looking at airstreams
Having had three Airstreams I think I know something of them. The comment about them being the poorest quality of the silver trailers is the personal opinion of the poster, not fact. An opinion I firmly disagree with. You'll find a lot of "sour grapes" posted by folks who have never owned an AS. As for the AC, why would anyone need ducted AC in a 16'-19' TT? They are pricey, but nothing comes close to the towing manners of an Airstream. They are not for everyone. Even within the AS product lines are some difficult to explain interior finishes that seem kinda like a cross between Art Deco, the Jetsons and a TV dinner. :-). They still make the classic line.
RE: break away cable
Surprise! Nobody who tows with a PullRite TT hitch can ever attach the breakaway cable anywhere but the hitch. The ballmount can travel completely from one side of the truck to the other while in operation. No fixed point on the TV can ever be used for chains or breakaway cable.
RE: Sway Control Brands
Wayne_tw: Hensley is not the only system that prevents sway. Propride works using the same principles as the Hensley. The PullRite is the only other one that is a preventer. Everything else is a sway controller, not preventer. I towed with the Dual Cam for many years and thought it was great. Then I got a PR and there is no comparison. All sway controllers work great, right up until they don't.
RE: Towing OVER capacity..... too many doing this....
Barney: Chevrolet never made a Ranchero. Ford did. The Chev version was an El Camino. We towed our race car all over the NW with a 260 CI 4 spd. Ranchero.
The folks who take the position that this issue is for the owner of the rig and nobody else's business either have no feelings or haven't throught this through or both. I'm not talking about the theoretical overloaded folks, there are rigs, and you've seen them, that are obviously dangerous in anybody's book. If it's just one person, the driver, then fine. More often than not there is a wife and kids along for the ride. The kids certainly don't know and won't have any say-so over the rig. So, when the idiot starts to sway and ends up upside down in the ditch, don't you feel sorry that the kids were in a vehicle with an idiot behind the wheel? If I see such a rig and there are children, it's clear the owner doesn't give a hoot about the kids, so somebody ought to try to do something to protect them from the idiot.
More directly, I may be on the freeway passing or close behind said idiot when he finally loses it. If someone was driving down the road shooting a rifle out one of the side windows, is it still not my business? Or is it my business to inform the shooter that such activity puts a lot of people at risk? If I have to stop for some reason, will the overloaded rig be able to stop in time not to clobber me in the back end? How about sufficient braking and control not to run over somebody? We are all interconnected. It is a narrow view of life to think that it is nobody else's business. In today's nutsy world, I would not approach someone and start an argument with them, but if the opportunity presented itself, along the lines of, "Gee, I've never seen a Vespa pulling a fiver before," then I would take a shot at giving the owner some data. There is almost no chance anything would change, but at least I would have tried. It's like the old starfish story....
RE: Generator
One EU 2000 will not run the built in micro in my TT. Won't run the 15KBTU AC either. I run twin EU 2000 units wired in parallel. You'll find that there are lots of folks on here using twins. Some like the EU3000 but it is too heavy for me and not as much starting power as the twins. I can boost the EU2000 into the truck one handed.
RE: Fresh Water Tank Safety
I hope that folks worried about cooties in the FW don't consider the setup of nearly all FW systems. It'll keep them up at nite. No matter how pure the water is that you put into the tank, things will get in. All FW tanks (non-pressurized ones) have a vent somewhere to allow air in when water is taken out. The tank would collapse without one. This vent is not filtered in any way. So, as you pump water out, regular ol' microbe laden air is coming in. Also, the tanks breathe through that vent. When they heat up in the daytime, air goes out. When the tank cools at nite, outside air comes in. Then there are the altitude changes......
There is at least some mold and bacteria in all outside air. That's one reason our bodies have immune systems. We've been drinking FW from the tank on 5 different TTs over 35 years of RVing and haven't died yet. Not even a sickness from the water. We follow the usual "bleach at the beginning of the season" routine in the TT tank and the FW tank in the truck. I suppose if someone had a compromised immune system due to a disease, things might be different. But if your body is "normal," drink and be happy!
