Nobo 10.6 ???

[JenniferW]

We just got a 2021 NOBO 10.6 and are having a hard time finding information specific to our model. We have power questions.

1. The outlets do not work when we are unplugged and using the battery...is it a true statement that they only work with shore power?

2. What is your suggested work around for off the grid camping?


3. Will the freezer run off the battery?

[DES-1]

1. Statement is correct - house style 110v outlets do no work off the battery, only on shore power. To make them work when not connected to shore power, you need to: a) determine how much 110v power you need (measured in watts or amps) and for how long (watt-hours or amp-hours).
b) determine if the battery bank can deliver the need calculated in step a. It likely won't so you'll need a battery upgrade.
c) modify the wiring to incorporate an inverter, which converts 12 volts direct current to 110 volts alternating current. Many people just add a simple inverter that has 110v outlets. Others modify the trailer wiring to feed the built-in outlets. Others occasionally add a transfer switch to automatically cut over from shore power to the inverter power. there are as many variations of this as there are d-i-y campers.

2. The simple work around for off-grid is to add a generator. IF you can calculate your power needs in advance, you might consider a solar system...which can work well except for air conditioning (it can be made to work for A/C but will end up costing half
of the price of a new 10.6)

3. if you have a 3 way freezer (propane, 110v, 12v) it'll work off battery for some time period, but the smart money runs them off propane. When on propane, they use a small amount of electricity to run the fridge electronics. The larger fridges seem to be 2-way only, no 12v option.

[SeaDog]

Welcome to the forum its a great place to get your questions answered. Your trailer is like your house the receptacles you plug appliance into only work with 110V (supplied by shore power or generator) Is your frig a 110v only or a propane/electric model.

[JenniferW]

Thanks for the info!

[awd.nv]

Welcome to the club, I am a few weeks into owning my 10.6 and sure wish documentation was better to come by. I tried to get a hold of Forest River by email no luck, called in and was transferred to the sales rep for my area, left a message, no luck. So I have had to figure some things here in this forum as well as my own inspecting of the unit.

1: That is correct, they only work when plugged in. I think some units came with an inverter as an option? Not sure or they were installed by RV dealers but in youtube videos you can see some of them have an inverter and a specific outlet near the interior storage bin for use when the inverter is on.

2: Off grid camping will require a generator to work the AC/Heater. If you do not need that then you can just get an inverter. Solar panels are also an option to charge the batter but will require the inverter as well. The problem with the inverter is that you will be limited to the capacity of your battery so if you are using something like a rice cooker or space heater, it could drain the battery rather quickly. If you do not want a generator or solar, you can always add a second battery. Which can help depending on what you want to run and for how many days off shore power.

I am in the process of looking into a generator for the AC since I live in Vegas. The AC unit we have is from Coleman-Mach (not Dometic like in every video). The dealer had two 10.6 units and both had Truma fridges and Coleman-Mach AC units. I was concerned at first but power draw is pretty good.

It seems the AC draws between 900-1100watts at low setting (I thin fan only is 200watts?). The heater does 1700watts. That is measured while plugged into my garage and the battery full. These values would be higher if the battery was getting a charge too.

Long story made less long, if you get a generator you should get a 3000watt unit to be safe but MIGHT squeak by with one of the 2000watt range units. I am currently looking to get a Firman or Harbor Freight Predator generator. Another one I am interested in is from Craftsman 3000watt unit sold at Lowes which is a rebranded Generac unit. All of these seem to be good units.

3: The cooler will run with the cigarette lighter plug in that compartment. The outlets in there will not work on battery power but the cigarette lighter will.

Here is where I mounted my 2000watt inverter, see photos. I also added some wood cross braces to make the floor of the interior storage bin super solid. I didnt like how it flexed between the beams. I honestly love the unit though. So far only one camping trip but was super fun with my wife and twin boys (5yo).

[JenniferW]

Thanks for your help. We talked to someone at Forest River and what we keep getting is the same generic owners manual through the app. We found a YouTube video to show us how we very thing sets up. We also have a separate brochure for each part of the camper just nothing about the electric/battery.

Right now, we are just figuring out how to stay warm. I think a generator is the way we will go for now. I also found some small space heaters that use very little volts and we may try to run it off of our battery pack we have. Will test this weekend. We got so hot in the trailer last weekend we did not need a heat source at all and the temps got in the 30s. If it’s too cold the 4 of us will pile into the trailer and stay toasty I’m sure

The panel in the closet is also very thin and warped. We plan on redoing it. And, when we leaned against the back wall under the storage area it also moved as if it is very thin. Maybe some extra braces there will not hurt.

Good idea about the floor. My temporary fix was to store some boxes and things in there to help keep it from bowing

This forum is great to find other owners of this rare camper. We love it though and once we get it all figured out I know it’s going to be great.

[JenniferW]

And.nv

Thanks for the very helpful information!

[awd.nv]

Originally Posted by JenniferW

And.nv

Thanks for the very helpful information!

No worries, you may have found this YouTube channel already but he is putting out great content on the 10.6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc1G0YXCDXo

I plan to add some bracing behind the interior back wall as well. It is thin but having a look, it will be easy to brace. Once you remove the panel near the cooler you will see a lovely mess of cables lol I want to rewire it but am going to wait till work slows down. Nothing technically unsafe but just messy and unacceptable to me but probably normal for the RV world.

Keep in mind, the panel to remove is held in place by staples, pull them out carefully. I reinstalled with some wood screws to make it easier to access.