 |
|
|
| |
Subject |
Author |
Date Posted |
Forum
|
 |
RE: Biltmore
I agree that visiting the Biltmore is pricey. It is also beautiful and worth seeing. It is a rival to the palace at Versailles in many ways, but smaller. Be sure to do both the house and gardens.
|
naturist
|
01/17/21 04:26pm |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
|
|
RE: Group 27 deep cycle battery + 2000W inverter
Not enough information to hazard a guess.
That being said, I have run a ten year old (not very efficient compared to new ones), 14 cubic foot (smallish “full size”), refrigerator for several days in 75-85 degree ambient temperatures and measured electricity consumption to be 2.0 kilowatt hours per day. Newer, more efficient refrigerators, larger/smaller ones, warmer/cooler environments, all make a difference. Oh, add 10% to cover the inverter.
That’s my beer fridge down in my man cave. 2.2 kWh translates to 183.33 Amp-hours, requiring 4.3 (that is, actually 5) of the common group 27 “marine deep cycle” batteries most travel trailers come with. Your mileage will vary, depending on factors noted above.
|
naturist
|
01/17/21 04:13pm |
Tech Issues
|
|
RE: solar
Not enough information to hazard a guess, IMHO.
|
naturist
|
01/17/21 03:48pm |
Tech Issues
|
|
RE: Calling on Solar Techies
Of course I want the best system for the least amount of money.
I was thinking of going with a 3000 watt pure sine inverter they tend to be on the expensive side. That said We do not do a lot of winter camping but I wanted to build the solar system with that option open and reduce the consumption of propane and the need to frequently refill the tanks.
The heater has 3 settings with the lowest setting being under 600 watts.
Typically when we do use a heater it's during the day at night we switch to furnace which keep a things from freezing.
On it’s lowest 600 watt setting, that heater will draw at least 660 watts counting the power the inverter uses. To make it simple, call it 700 watts. A 400 watt solar array will reliably produce at best 350 watts for about two hours around noon, but only on a clear sunny day. To run that heater and inverter straight off the solar array, you will need 800 watts of panels, and if you want to do so longer than 2 hours a day, plan on more. Say at least double to 1600 watts.
Throw in a cloudy or rainy day, now you will need to at least double that, to 3200 watts.
What we are trying to tell you is that heating (and cooling) with electricity is EXTREMELY power hungry. You might want to rethink what you want to do.
A 400 watt array can reliably get you 1500 watt-hours a day, given a reasonably sunny climate. That’s plenty to run your lights, furnace on propane, refrigerator on propane, make a pot of coffee, charge your phone, etc. Provided you use it to charge batteries rather run things directly. But both an air conditioner and electric space heaters are not practical.
|
naturist
|
01/17/21 07:35am |
Tech Issues
|
|
RE: Towing Advice
Another thing to check is tire pressures. Close to gross vehicle comnination would need tires maxed out on air.
X2
|
naturist
|
01/14/21 01:33pm |
Towing
|
|
RE: August cammping
We had been planning a big trip out west before the Plague struck, and wound up staying home. We did go camping a couple times close to home, midweek only, and had no trouble finding spots. We did use reservations, which we rarely did before, and found the campgrounds much more full midweek than usual, but there were still sites open, even with the restrictions.
We're hoping that we can get vaccinated sooner rather than later, and would love to (finally) make that Western swing. We will definitely make reservations ahead this year, and probably only move during the week, hunkering down wherever we are over weekends. I, too, don't expect any big dumping of that pesky RV for at least another year or two, which may be just about right for us to consider a new (to us) unit.
Our Darling Daughter and Handsome Son in Law live in LA, and we're thinking -- ok, **I'm** thinking -- about the possibility of some late fall/early winter in SoCal. We didn't get to see them this year, Christmas got cancelled due to that Plague, so maybe . . . .
Anyway, DD & HSiL are staying sequestered and safe in the Plague Hot Spot that is SoCal.
|
naturist
|
01/03/21 04:27pm |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
|
|
RE: question about service
I guess if it is still under warranty you could take it in, I never did take our rig in for service during the first year. Rather than leave it for who knows how long, dealer provided parts under warranty and I fixed it myself. It could simply be toilet valve or one of the hose connections that is leaking, I do all my own work over the last 3 decades on several RVs we owned, knowing full well the work I do is going to be better than what any RV dealer will provide. Good luck!!!
I agree, no sense to leave it at CW, and after a year has passed, you likely won't get any warranty. A mobile repairman, or plumber, maybe just a handy friend should be able to locate/fix a water leak. This would also give you an opportunity to learn how to do some repairs yourself, by watching, asking questions.
Jerry
I can highly recommend the mobile tech. Any mobile tech. Oh, hell, any plumber. Ain't nothing magical about RV plumbing, except perhaps that the guys who put it together expect magic to keep it water tight.
After finding puddles on the floor after the first couple times we used they shower (bought it new, btw), being the handy guy I am, I opened the access door under the shower to do a little exploring. Found that whoever put the shower drain together didn't bother to tighten anything. All those connections need only be hand tight, so it was easy to fix.
Your problem might be the toilet bowl to floor/black tank seal. Or it might be a fitting on the water line to the toilet. Either one should be easy enough to find and fix. Anybody who couldn't find the leak didn't try very hard, IMHO. Ten bucks tops for the parts and a service call to the mobile tech should solve the matter.
|
naturist
|
01/03/21 04:14pm |
General RVing Issues
|
|
RE: Starting engine with dead key fob
My BMW has a fob and keyless system too. The fob rarely comes out of my pocket, and the car will alert you when the fob battery needs to be replaced. But there is also a slot on the dash into which you can insert the fob to start & run the car. The fob also has an old fashioned key hidden inside to open the driver’s door the old fashioned way in case either the fob battery or the car’s battery totally dies.
|
naturist
|
12/27/20 08:15am |
Tech Issues
|
|
RE: Steering wheel vibration
Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers, always insisted that a vibrating steering wheel on any vehicle required immediate investigation, and if you HAD to drive it in to the shop, do so no faster than 30 mph, because some of the possible causes could result in a wheel falling off.
Besides those causes mentioned above, add ball joints about to separate and loose/broken lug nuts.
|
naturist
|
12/24/20 07:55pm |
Class A Motorhomes
|
|
RE: LED Interior Bulbs
Agreed about warm white, not daylight white. I did it and glad I did.
|
naturist
|
12/11/20 07:15pm |
Class A Motorhomes
|
|
RE: Sepsis
Ow! Heal up fast. Sorry to hear of your illness, but wishing you good health.
|
naturist
|
12/07/20 04:10pm |
RVing with Disabilities and General Health Issues
|
|
RE: Anybody run Lithium battery bank with solar
May I suggest going to the mobile-solarpower.com web site? Will Prowse has developed a LOT of expertise in the solar power field.
I'm not running lithium batteries, but I am fairly certain that your 360 watt array is not adequate for the task. That certainly won't get you 200 AH of power reliably. This is pretty much certain given your max voltage of 12.6 volts on your existing battery pack.
I am running with a pair of 125 AH AGM batteries, and they aren't fully charged until up to 13.0 volts. But this depends on how you are measuring that voltage. Is it via a VOM when they are disconnected from any load? Or is it by use of a battery monitor of some sort? If the latter, does your system contain a shunt? Or is it just the display from that MPPT controller?
|
naturist
|
12/01/20 01:21pm |
Tech Issues
|
|
RE: Strange advice
Driving a huge trailer too fast on cheap Chinese tires of unknown age, carrying unknown weight, what could possibly go wrong?
X2
|
naturist
|
11/28/20 03:29pm |
General RVing Issues
|
|
RE: Water Filtration
I wouldn’t.
|
naturist
|
11/28/20 06:58am |
General RVing Issues
|
|
RE: Long trips
Welcome to the right coast, have a great visit. As long as your truck is well suited to the load, you should have no problems.
I have dragged our trailer on 4,000 to 6,000 mile journeys four times around this wonderful country and had a fifth such planned before the current plague messed everything up. Wonderful experiences all four times. Our rig suits us well, and if money were no object, maybe we’d upgrade to newer versions of what we already have. YMMV of course.
|
naturist
|
11/26/20 06:42am |
Class A Motorhomes
|
|
RE: DEF Math
The composition of DEF is spelled out in federal regulations. There is no allowance for any “secret sauce” and the allowed two components are among the cheapest compounds known to mankind. The only difference between brands is profit margin, packaging, and age/storage conditions (which are more a function of where you buy it). The $2 a gallon stuff at truck stops is your best bet on all counts and is plenty profitable for all involved.
|
naturist
|
11/26/20 06:32am |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: Battery failure puzzle: voltage good, little power
May I suggest springing for one of These instead of two of the batteries you have been buying? It will have almost the same usable capacity as the pair and not need replacing for more like ten years, making it actually cheaper than the lead acid batteries.
|
naturist
|
11/26/20 06:02am |
Tech Issues
|
|
RE: Very Frustrated
Bad ground. A common problem that comes and goes just as your issue seems to do. Could be corroded/loose connection or a broken wire/ground strap.
|
naturist
|
11/21/20 02:58pm |
Tech Issues
|
|
RE: What's a good battery level monitor?
Victrons are spendy. Try this: Clicky
|
naturist
|
11/17/20 07:16pm |
Tech Issues
|
|
RE: I now hav e AC power in my driveway...
Good on you, OP, and congrats for finding Paradise.
Here on the right coast, we found our patch of heaven 26 years ago. We bought 27 acres zoned agricultural just outside the city limits with a bold spring and creek and after building our house, we turned the shack out back into our full hookup campsite. It’s great to have room for all the toys along with enough privacy to be able to run laps around the house stark naked screaming at the top of our lungs without disturbing neighbors, should we have the urge.
|
naturist
|
11/17/20 05:52am |
Class C Motorhomes
|
|
|
|
|
|
