Daytona 500 and Residential Fridge

[CZNEDY]

Next month, we will be on the Infield for the Daytona 500 weekend. We will only have Generator Power and I want to make sure we don't discharge our house batteries over the course of the weekend, we arrive Saturday morning and leave on Monday morning. I know we can set the AGS so the generator comes on when the house battery voltage drops (11 volts ?), but in case I have trouble getting it set up properly I am trying to get an idea of how often I should run the generator to keep the house batteries fresh.

Our last three years there, we had a propane/electric fridge and didn't have to worry about the battery. This year will be a new experience with our new 34QS. Any opinions and/or advise is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[tomkatb]

Depends on the refrigerator and the number of batteries.

500 watts ac is about 38 amp hours. So on an RV with 2 6 volt GC batteries the fridge will run about 3 hours continuously before needing recharging. I suspect most use less. We opted for a large gas electric model. Cost a lot more.

A 1000 watt inverter could drain a battery set in less than 2 hours.

Look up the fridge usage.

You might need extra propane tanks. Generators use a lot of it.

[CZNEDY]

We have a Magnum inverter, 2000 watt and the generator runs on diesel fuel the house batteries are 6v wry of 4 standard set up with the 34QS.

[tomkatb]

That is the size inverter I have ordered.

It can draw 200 amps per hour(the fuze size). You can run a microwave if the manufacturer wired it correctly. .

But, running full out the batteries will only last a little over an hour.

A diesel generator is a good plan. My guess if you run it twice a day for 2-3 hours you will be good. Since you will need it anyway for ac no big deal.

[aceinspp]

Being your infield with all the other noise of gen I'd just run the gen when ever You need to. Later RJD

[formerFR]

people ask questions like this all the time on this and other forums, but there's really no way any of us, even seasoned full-time off-gridders, can tell you want you want to know... it is ALL dependent on your fridge's amperage needs when the compressor runs, the outside temperature, how full your fridge is and the temp of the items within it, how often you open the fridge door(s), etc., etc.,... not to mention that your fridge is NOT the only thing the Inverter will be powering, but also all other devices plugged into any of the outlets, and 12v lights and items that run directly off the batteries themselves, such as c02 detector, 12v bedroom tv, etc...

but, your AGS is your lifeline and can EASILY provide you all the power you need, and in a timely matter... as long as you have fuel, of course. When you arrive, make sure you have a full tank, or close to it. The generator won't run when the tank reaches 1/4.

heres' some suggestions:

- set AGS to 'Enable' (activates it to come on when the batteries/air conditioners need it)
- set the AGS setting 'VOLTS' to 12.0 (cranks the generator when the battery bank drops within this level for over two minutes)
- [secondarily, if needed] set the AGS setting 'TEMP' to 80, and turn your AC Thermostat(s) ON, with the Temp at 79 or slightly lower (also cranks the generator if your interior temperature reaches this level, providing power to your AC unit(s))
- set the AGS setting 'RUN TIME' to 1 Hour (this is how long you want the generator to run to recharge the batteries and/or provide air conditioning before it automatically shuts down)
- set the SHORE button[Shore Max] to 40 or 50 (this is how much amperage you allow the CHARGER to use to recharge the batteries when the generator is running... a lower number gives the Air Conditioner(s) enough amperage left over to run at the same time, if needed, or a higher number if the ACs are not needed)[this setting prevents the generator from being overloaded while the batteries are recharging, tripping the generator breaker]
- set the LBCO[lowBatteryCutOut] setting, probably found in the 'Tech' settings, to 11.5 ( this provides a backstop to the batteries being depleted too far if the generator fails to start, especially if you have overnight 'Quiet hours' when the generator cannot be used)[ set the AGS 'Enable, with Quiet Time' hours if this is the case, and update your Inverter's CLOCK]


all these settings will provide you easy power to keep you comfortable, happy, and worry free while you enjoy the outdoors, and overnights without concern of the batteries! You'll find how the works for you and you can change any of the settings to best meet your needs......enjoy !

[dan-nickie]

I haven't camped in field, but if it's lick the outside camping there are no quiet hours. Set the AGS for 12.0 volts, 2 hours run time and let it do its thing all weekend. I have the same battery setup and inverter in my Berkshire. An important note is that if you ever start the generator manually, it cuts off the AGS.

My advice is to learn how to use the AGS before you get to the races.

that said, you will need to run your generator at least a couple hours in the morning and a couple hours in the evening. Remember you'll be using more than just the refrigerator. And don't worry about how much it runs. You could run it all weekend non-stop as long as you check the oil occasionally.

[NMWildcat]

Most folks in motorhomes at NASCAR carry a 2000 inverter generator just to charge batteries. That way they don't have to waste fuel running their rigs large, loud generator.

[planopat]

FormerFR & dan-nickle...Great information that answers questions that I had about same on my 38A. Thanks!

[CZNEDY]

Thank you. I'll spend some time time next week setting up the AGS
I appreciate the answers, good info.

[ckabrahamson]

Just thought I'd chime in here... I don't have a Berkshire, but I have a 2015 Charleston - they have a lot of similar systems.

I have a 3000-watt inverter with a bank of 4 6-volt batteries. I don't boondock much, but I recall getting about 12 hours of refrigerator runtime (from a full charge) on battery.

Don't get too hung up on how much your inverter may draw. The current drain on the batteries will be directly proportional to how much AC power you are using. The residential fridge isn't a massive load (like an A/C).

The Magnum EMS with AGS works great. It doesn't take too long to charge the bank, and frankly, the generator isn't that loud.

[CZNEDY]

Thank you ck!

[Steveboe]

Keeping the fridge closed as much as possible is key. Use a cooler and ice, espessilly if your a beer drinker.

[CZNEDY]

Yep, I will be bringing a cooler for the beer. That is primarily why I asked the original question, since there will be beer drinking going on before the slides are even out. And, the last thing I want to do it try programming the AGS while drinking said beer. I won't have time to play with the programming before we get to the track, and may try programming the AGS when we arrive but if I get distracted by the beer, I will just let the generator run and keep on drinking.

[dan-nickie]

That'll work. You won't even hear your generator over all the others.

[Mnflyboy]

Use a Genturi for your exhaust.....your neighbors will most likely appreciate it. Jaye(Mn)

[Kevin & Judy]

A Genturi is required in the Daytona infield , May want to check on that ahead of time and have one on hand. You are also limited to what hours you can run a generator. They will provide you with all that info when you go in.

[NMWildcat]

And watch out for Danica.... You never know when 'Princess Crash-a-lot' will strike

[RKNOLA]

At the 12 Hours of Sebring Race we usually just run generator for a couple of hours in the morning (usually during morning practice, believe me, no one can hear your genny over the cars!). Then we run it for a couple of hours in the evening time. If it is really hot we run the generator at night so we can run the A/C but since the race is in March most of the time we are fine with just the windows open.
Yes, a Gen-Turi is a must have! Your neighbors will really appreciate it! Most race tracks require the use of the Gen-Turi while dry camping.
Have fun at the race!
Karen