managing battery usage
We picked up our A122S at the end of March and camped three nights in Oregon before returning to San Francisco. We had shore power the whole time and really enjoyed how warm and cozy it was. Now we have to learn the best way for us to dry camp in California. We understand that we need to stay within our "electrical budget" while still being comfortable. I've read all the forum posts on the subject but still have some questions.
We have two 6-volt batteries in series for a total of 232 amp-hours when fully charged. Any appliances we run will obviously subtract amp-hours from the batteries. We need to know how much current (amps) is being drawn from the batteries under different conditions of appliance use so we can maximize our battery usage. After reading "Managing 12 Volts" by Harold Barr, I understand the maximum current we should be drawing is 232 amp-hours divided by 20 hours is 11.6 amps. Do I have this right?
1. Is there any way to directly measure the number of amps being drawn from the batteries? Right now, the only thing I know how to measure directly is the battery voltage.
2. Where can I find the number of amps that appliances like the furnace fan and the fantastic fan draw? I could use the information to get a rough estimate of the number of amps we're drawing.
Thanks!
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Laurel & Lynn (amateur radio W6JAE)
Felix & Cleo (retired greyhounds)
2006 Toyota RAV4
2013 Rockwood A122S
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