FF1063 wrote: Took some current readings today as I was curious about the current draw of my Norcold while running on gas, I went a little further so I thought this might be useful to others:
Current measured with battery at 12.68 volts.
- CO & LPG detectors together draw .061 amps (0.77 watts)
- Norcold 6 CF running on LPG = .609 amps (8.5 watts)
- Forced air heater running = 3.49 amps (44.25 watts)
- Dual bulb florescent fixture = 2.15 amps (27.25 watts)
- One overhead incandescent bulb = 1.45 amps (18.38 watts)
- Northern Breeze Fan on max speed = 3.99 amps (50.6 watts)
- Northern Breeze Fan on 1/2 speed = 1.15 amps (14.57 watts)
- Northern Breeze Fan OFF = 0.049 amps (0.62 watts)
- Cheapo Bathroom ceiling vent fan = 1.24 amps (15.71 watts)
- TV Antenna Amplifier = .041 amps (0.52 watts)
- Ventline range hood exhaust fan on HI = 1.32 amps (16.73 watts)
- Ventline range hood exhaust fan on LOW = .622 amps (7.89 watts)
- Ventline range hood exhaust fan light = 1.38 amps (17.49 watts)
- Stereo/DVD player with power off = .057 amps (0.72 watts)
- Stero on FM at mid volume = 1.1 amps (14.94 watts)
- 'Go Power' 300 watt PSW inverter 'ON' mode = .23 amps (2.9 watts)
Hope this can answer a few general questions about power draw in our campers.
ff1063,
Very useful information!! When dry camping we seem to use up about 60 AH a day. I guess the laptop, cell phone and walkie talkie chargers draw som power as well. I forgot the TV and the sat receiver. Even then I don't see where all the power goes.
Larry.
ff1063,
Very useful information!! When dry camping we seem to use up about 60 AH a day. I guess the laptop, cell phone and walkie talkie chargers draw som power as well. I forgot the TV and the sat receiver. Even then I don't see where all the power goes.
Larry.
With the TriMetric or similar device, you will see where all the power goes.
My bet is that your laptop uses 4 to 6 AH. At 5-AH, you would use 20-AH in four hours. Depending on your TV, it is probably the same as your laptop usage. The cell phone does not draw much. I do not remember how hungry the walkie talkie charger is, and I do not have a sat receiver.
Not using AH is probably more important as making it. I usually have a light on over the dinning table, and turn the others on only when I need them. I seldom have both the laptop and TV on at the same time. Those two things alone really save AH. I realize kids really change things.
On a typical day, non-severe weather, my solar will provide 30 to 40 AH for my battery. For charging my battery, I have not needed to run the generator over 5 or 6 times a year, then it is only winter months, with really bad weather. Gotta appreciate the San Francisco bay area weather.
My Atwood furnace pulls 6.5 amps when heating. I believe it is the 30K Btu unit. I wish we had the dual speed fan that they have now...
The readings ff1063 has are right on with my readings
The fridge is the item that will surprise you. In hot weather it will be running nearly constant. On propane you will find that it pulls .6 amps constantly. When the fridge isn't in the cooling mode the current will be .1 or less.
If the fridge runs nearly constantly 24 hrs X .6 =14.4 amps. One group 27 battery gives about 100 ah. If your battery is fully charged and you decide to charge at 60% state of charge that gives you 40 amps to play with....You can now do the math to see how long you can go without charging. 2 group 27's give you about 80 amps to play with.
1 lamp is usually 1.2 amps so if you use the lamp for 3 hrs that 3.6 is added to the fridge's 14.4 so now that's 18 amps in 24 hrs.
When boondocking during the summer we use 17-20 amps/day.
Jim
* This post was
edited 03/16/08 10:58am by bigfootford *
94 F-250 ex cab,460, E40D tranny,airbags w/pump,bilstein shocks, 2000 Bigfoot 9.6 2500 camper, Progressive Dynamics 9260, Trimetric monitor and an eu2000i honda genny.
Wife and Molly- Ausie,Queensland healer
When we go snowmobiling in the mountains we have to re-charge daily. Our 30K furnace draws around 7 amps, (we have a TriMetric) and runs a lot in temps. ranging from plus 10 to 35. I don't worry about the lights, fridge, etc. as their power use pales when compared to the furnace. Love our EU2000.
Chuck
2006 F-350, 4X4, Crew Cab, V-10, Torqshift, Dually. 2008 Okanagan 106UDB. Both 4-wheelers and snowmobiles. KL7AY Our website
Good job! No surprise but the incandescent bulbs are serious power hogs too. For comparison sake, has anyone measured a similar output fluorescent fixture? I know they are a good deal more efficient, just wondering how much. The fan motor for the furnace is the monster hog. When my dealership sends a rental motorhome out in the cold season, we tell the customer that the coach battery will only provide heat for approx. 2-4 hrs depending on conditions.
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Beach Bum wrote: No surprise but the incandescent bulbs are serious power hogs too. For comparison sake, has anyone measured a similar output fluorescent fixture?
bigfootford wrote: My Atwood furnace pulls 6.5 amps when heating. I believe it is the 30K Btu unit. I wish we had the dual speed fan that they have now...
The readings ff1063 has are right on with my readings
The fridge is the item that will surprise you. In hot weather it will be running nearly constant. On propane you will find that it pulls .6 amps constantly. When the fridge isn't in the cooling mode the current will be .1 or less.
If the fridge runs nearly constantly 24 hrs X .6 =14.4 amps. One group 27 battery gives about 100 ah. If your battery is fully charged and you decide to charge at 60% state of charge that gives you 40 amps to play with....You can now do the math to see how long you can go without charging. 2 group 27's give you about 80 amps to play with.
1 lamp is usually 1.2 amps so if you use the lamp for 3 hrs that 3.6 is added to the fridge's 14.4 so now that's 18 amps in 24 hrs.
When boondocking during the summer we use 17-20 amps/day.
Jim
Up until this year we have had a maximum useage of 22 Amps/day during the 3 seasons... the 4th (winter) season is it's own catagory. Most days we use less.
Our 6 cuft fridge doesn't take quite as much... we have the whole bottom of the freezer covered with one layer of frozen water bottles... do you think that they might be moderating the temps in the fridge during the hot of the day? Allowing it to cycle less.
- Northern Breeze Fan OFF = 0.049 amps (0.62 watts)
Why would the fan draw 49mA when it's turned off?
It might be just with the Ventline Northern Breeze fan setup, or just with Arctic Fox as I have a separate on/off 12vdc switch that powers the cabover section (fan, numerous overhead lights, and reading lights)
I believe there is some sort of relay in the fan assembly that is held closed whenever the switch is ON, I hear a 'Bong' type noise that comes from the fan housing each time the switch is put into the 'ON' position. The amount of power used up in the cabover could not pass this single switch, way too much current.
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