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Old 11-04-2014, 01:16 PM   #1
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General Q&A about my new Sunseeker 2860DS

I'm new to the RV game, and I bought my RV recently but I really don't understand some basic 101 items so I figured I would ask here.

1) When I'm driving does the alternator in the Ford E450 charge the DC batteries too?

2) When I plug into a a RV camp site, does that electric power provide my heat and water heater, or is that still off my propane tank?

3) When I'm plugged into Shore Power / RV Camp site, does that electric charge my DC batteries? Or do I need to run my generator as well?

Thanks everyone,

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Old 11-04-2014, 01:56 PM   #2
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1) No idea.

2) For the water heater- it can. Most RV water heaters use either electric and/or propane. If it supports both, you'll have 2 switches - one for electric and one for propane.

For the heat, that is almost always propane only. There are some fancy systems (CheapHeat, for instance) that can run on electric only. They're generally considered expensive for what they are. And, you can supplement the heat with electric heaters. If you're staying places less than monthly, usually you don't pay separate for electric so this can be the most cost effective way of heating your RV.

3) Yes, it should.
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Old 11-04-2014, 01:58 PM   #3
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Thanks, so I gather bringing a small space heater probably is best and to use the electric...
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Old 11-04-2014, 02:04 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by synergist View Post
Thanks, so I gather bringing a small space heater probably is best and to use the electric...
That's what we do. Without it, we go through a significant amount of propane. With them (we use 2 because of our camper's size), the furnace barely runs.
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Old 11-04-2014, 02:13 PM   #5
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I can add... The batteries do charge while driving. You should have the propane/electric water heater. You can use either or both....
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Old 11-04-2014, 02:18 PM   #6
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We use a small space heater also instead of the gas heater. We figure the
electricity is paid for in your nightly campsite fee.
We bought the Vornado AVH2 and it works great in our Mini-Lite 2104.
The Vornado does not get hot so the base and sides are not hot so we can set it
almost anywhere in the RV.
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