Electrical Questions

[joinco70]

Please forgive me for rambling and repeating frequently asked questions, but I've been reading everything I can find, and I'm still a little confused. I'm driving 2600 miles (round trip) without my husband to pick up my 23WS on the 27th. He will happily join the kids and I camping, but this is my project to figure out.

We will primarily be dry camping, but I'm planning on getting a surge protector anyway. Many recommend the Progressive, but it's a lot more than the Camco, which resets itself. I guess if I had the Progressive hard wired, that wouldn't be an issue, but I would have to pay someone to do that. What are the advantages to the Progressive and hard wiring?

Is it recommended to use a surge protector with a generator? If not, maybe I don't need the surge protector until I book a trip with hookups, which I'm not planning on this year.

Do I need to buy a charger to go from the generator to the battery? Or is that something that's included in the generator? I'm getting the Champion 3100wt.

How big is the drain of a 400w inverter on the battery, and would I need a second battery to get through a night if I wanted to run the tv for a movie, the furnace a little bit, and the normal draws?

I am considering switching to the two 6 volt batteries. Does anyone have a specific brand/model recommendation? Is there any problem with fitting them it the 23WS without modification?

I've read about the Trimetric 2030 to measure battery usage. It sounds like a good idea, but I would have to pay to have it installed, and I'm not sure how much I want to obsess about the batteries...maybe because I've never had to replace them yet! Is it really worth it?

Is there any reason to buy a battery charger? Do you remove the batteries in the winter and bring them inside where you would use a charger periodically? And does it give you a better charge than plugging into the house? I guess it still is plugging into to the house...

Thanks you for reading all this and for the advise. It's a lot to figure out for someone who, up until now, knew nothing about electrical systems other than how to flip a breaker!

[B and B]

Originally Posted by joinco70

Please forgive me for rambling and repeating frequently asked questions, but I've been reading everything I can find, and I'm still a little confused. I'm driving 2600 miles (round trip) without my husband to pick up my 23WS on the 27th. He will happily join the kids and I camping, but this is my project to figure out.

We will primarily be dry camping, but I'm planning on getting a surge protector anyway. Many recommend the Progressive, but it's a lot more than the Camco, which resets itself. I guess if I had the Progressive hard wired, that wouldn't be an issue, but I would have to pay someone to do that. What are the advantages to the Progressive and hard wiring?

I use the Camco, as half the price and it works

Is it recommended to use a surge protector with a generator? If not, maybe I don't need the surge protector until I book a trip with hookups, which I'm not planning on this year.

I would use surge supresser with a Non Invertor generator, Invertor I would not use it

Do I need to buy a charger to go from the generator to the battery? Or is that something that's included in the generator? I'm getting the Champion 3100wt.

No, us the power converter to charge the batteries

How big is the drain of a 400w inverter on the battery, and would I need a second battery to get through a night if I wanted to run the tv for a movie, the furnace a little bit, and the normal draws?

a 400 watt inverter will draw a lot of power, you can use your Champion to watch TV and the Furnace will certainly run overnight on a good 12v battery

I am considering switching to the two 6 volt batteries. Does anyone have a specific brand/model recommendation? Is there any problem with fitting them it the 23WS without modification?

I dont know, Dealer question maybe, what ever you do the batteries need to be vented

I've read about the Trimetric 2030 to measure battery usage. It sounds like a good idea, but I would have to pay to have it installed, and I'm not sure how much I want to obsess about the batteries...maybe because I've never had to replace them yet! Is it really worth it?

use a Digital Meter to measure voltage and when you reach 11 volts an example recharge

Is there any reason to buy a battery charger? Do you remove the batteries in the winter and bring them inside where you would use a charger periodically? And does it give you a better charge than plugging into the house? I guess it still is plugging into to the house...

Yes, remove in winter, you can use a low amp trickle charger, i run a 2 amp charger every couple months and they are ok with this, on season 3

Thanks you for reading all this and for the advise. It's a lot to figure out for someone who, up until now, knew nothing about electrical systems other than how to flip a breaker!

Have Fun and ask any question you have, we can help and don't worry, it will work out

[Flybob]

Lots of questions, but good to ask here before you go. A 400W inverter will draw about 10 amps from the battery. So running a full 400W for 1hr will draw an 80Ahr battery to 50% which is about as far as you want to go. As for the Generator, plug the RV in to the generator ( AC side). The generator will run things in the RV and charge the battery via the on board converter. Do not use the battery charge feature on the generator if it has one. You do not need to remove the batteries but I would put a battery tender on them. The fan on the furnace uses quite a bit of power, If you use it much during the night, you will need to recharge every day. I would definitely go with the Progressive Industries Circuit protector. It does more than just protect from surges, and it has a lifetime warranty. A major surge can kill it ( designed that way) but it will protect your investment. I would not skimp here. If you are running only on battery or the Champion Gen ( not connected to shore power) on this trip, you can probably wait until you get back. Good Luck you will do fine.

[joinco70]

Thanks, Flybob, that is very helpful, and I appreciate the vote of confidence!

[OK3wire]

@joinco70

I started this thread http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ad.php?t=90442 a while back when I had similar questions. I highly recommend the Progressive Industries model for reasons stated in the thread. I hardwired the unit almost exactly like TURBS suggested in the space underneath the refrigerator behind the fuze box. Took about an hour and I am completely happy with it. I installed the digital display underneath the bathroom sink on my Roo19 on the inside of the cabinet to keep my curious little people in the family from messing with it. Using the 30 amp plugs (as shown in TURBS's photos) gives me the peace of mind knowing I can bypass the surge unit if it ever fails while camping, or remove my investment if/when I sell my Roo19. Hope this info helps. Fly Navy!!!

[joinco70]

OK3wire, thanks for the link to the thread. It definitely helps. So you don't have to bypass the PI with the Champion 3100 running?

[bikendan]

Surge protectors aren't needed with inverter generators.

Don't need a separate charger. The trailer's converter will do the charging, whether you have electric hookups or from the generator.

[Drenjoey]

I'm a little curious as to why you didn't have it delivered ! We bought our 23ws in Michigan, and we live in Maine. Mileage: 1900 miles return.

Haylett RV charged me $1800.00 to deliver it. I thought of the mileage on my truck, nights in motel , restaurants, gas, etc etc........It was well worth the $1800.00 they were charging !

Just curious !
Dre

[Mainframe]

What are your start and finish locations? Can you share that with us?
Will you already have the generator/inverter with you when you pick up the camper?

I don't think you need to worry about a surge protector on your "bring home" trip
Sounds like a lot of fun, driving 1,300 miles, camping your way back home!

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by joinco70

How big is the drain of a 400w inverter on the battery, and would I need a second battery to get through a night if I wanted to run the tv for a movie, the furnace a little bit, and the normal draws?

I am considering switching to the two 6 volt batteries. Does anyone have a specific brand/model recommendation? Is there any problem with fitting them it the 23WS without modification?

Is there any reason to buy a battery charger? Do you remove the batteries in the winter and bring them inside where you would use a charger periodically? And does it give you a better charge than plugging into the house? I guess it still is plugging into to the house...

Who's installing the 400w inverter, since they don't come with one?
DEFINITELY get two batteries. I installed a 400w inverter and connected it to my two batteries.

Trojan 6v golf cart batteries are the tpo choice for RVs.
Costco and Sam's also have their own 6vs for a lower price.

You don't NEED to buy a battery charger. The trailer's converter does that. Modern converters are very good at charging and maintaining batteries.
Of course you have to hooked to shore power.
NEVER have removed batteries in the winter, as long as they stay charged up.

But having a battery charger is always a good thing to have at home. So it's a choice, not a requirement.

[joinco70]

Originally Posted by Drenjoey

I'm a little curious as to why you didn't have it delivered ! We bought our 23ws in Michigan, and we live in Maine. Mileage: 1900 miles return.

Haylett RV charged me $1800.00 to deliver it. I thought of the mileage on my truck, nights in motel , restaurants, gas, etc etc........It was well worth the $1800.00 they were charging !

Just curious !
Dre

It will probably save $800 to pick it up, I have the time available, and it sounds like an adventure! More importantly, I wanted the PDI to occur at the dealership in case there are issues (they have another one I could switch to), and I know I'm going to have a TON of questions!

[joinco70]

Originally Posted by Mainframe

What are your start and finish locations? Can you share that with us?
Will you already have the generator/inverter with you when you pick up the camper?

I don't think you need to worry about a surge protector on your "bring home" trip
Sounds like a lot of fun, driving 1,300 miles, camping your way back home!

Colorado to Ohio. I was going to have the generator and inverter, but now I'm seriously cosidering solar and if I could get by without a generator. It seems possible. I guess I just need to get it home on the alternator charge (it's not like I won't be driving all day!), and then figure it out from there.

[joinco70]

Originally Posted by joinco70

It will probably save $800 to pick it up, I have the time available, and it sounds like an adventure! More importantly, I wanted the PDI to occur at the dealership in case there are issues (they have another one I could switch to), and I know I'm going to have a TON of questions!

Even with the reasons above, I have repeatedly wondered if I'm crazy! I might have to give it a little more thought...

[Mainframe]

Originally Posted by joinco70

Colorado to Ohio. I was going to have the generator and inverter, but now I'm seriously cosidering solar and if I could get by without a generator. It seems possible. I guess I just need to get it home on the alternator charge (it's not like I won't be driving all day!), and then figure it out from there.

Well I am with you on the adventure, I would take a generator if I could, if you have a Pick up bed to put it in it would be perfect, if you run into any kind of trouble and have to stay in one place a couple of days, it would guarantee you could charge batteries, run a heater, or pump water, and microwave etc. You need good strong power to work the slides etc and you may need to run the heater all night at times. Are you sure you couldn't squeeze in a couple of nights of full hook ups at a couple of campgrounds?
Good luck!

[rbq]

As far as using 6 volt batteries the only difference is that you will need battery boxes for 6 volts as they are a taller battery & will not fit in a 12 volt box. They will fit side by side easily on the battery rails of the Roo. Mine do. These two batteries are wired in series, meaning you have the trailer ground attached to the negative post on one battery and the positive wire attached to the positive post of the other battery. There is a jumper cable that goes from the positive of the first battery to the negative on the other battery. 6 + 6=12 volts. The 6 volt batts have a longer life if properly maintained and give a little advantage with more power. I have always done much better using the 2 6 volt than when I used 2 12 volt batteries.

[joinco70]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Who's installing the 400w inverter, since they don't come with one?
DEFINITELY get two batteries. I installed a 400w inverter and connected it to my two batteries.

Trojan 6v golf cart batteries are the tpo choice for RVs.
Costco and Sam's also have their own 6vs for a lower price.

You don't NEED to buy a battery charger. The trailer's converter does that. Modern converters are very good at charging and maintaining batteries.
Of course you have to hooked to shore power.
NEVER have removed batteries in the winter, as long as they stay charged up.

But having a battery charger is always a good thing to have at home. So it's a choice, not a requirement.

Thanks, bikendan! Yes, I'm going to get two Trojan T105's this week if I can find them locally. As far as the inverter...we have an electrician that I might call. I might be able to talk my husband into it if I find some good installation instructions. He's extremely handy but usually avoids electrical work, except for the basics. Thus might not be that hard, but the RV systems are totally foreign to us.

[joinco70]

Originally Posted by Mainframe

Well I am with you on the adventure, I would take a generator if I could, if you have a Pick up bed to put it in it would be perfect, if you run into any kind of trouble and have to stay in one place a couple of days, it would guarantee you could charge batteries, run a heater, or pump water, and microwave etc. You need good strong power to work the slides etc and you may need to run the heater all night at times. Are you sure you couldn't squeeze in a couple of nights of full hook ups at a couple of campgrounds?
Good luck!

You bring up a good point about hookups. I haven't planned my trip home yet, but that would be safest and it would give me time to figure out the generator/solar issue. I would prefer to do one or the other since they are $1000 or more each. Thanks for the advice!

[Ford Idaho]

Originally Posted by joinco70

Even with the reasons above, I have repeatedly wondered if I'm crazy! I might have to give it a little more thought...

With out a doubt Doing the PDI at the dealers is the best way to go IMO and for just the reason you posted.

Much easier to get a dealer to fix stuff before they get the money and before you pull it off the lot.

Take a camera and record the PDI so you can refer to it later if need be.

Run every appliance to ensure they work, take a bag of pop corn for the microwave.

Furnace and A/C no matter the temp.

Water faucets, all of them in and outside.

Make them show you how and sofa bed sets up.

[joinco70]

Originally Posted by rbq

As far as using 6 volt batteries the only difference is that you will need battery boxes for 6 volts as they are a taller battery & will not fit in a 12 volt box. They will fit side by side easily on the battery rails of the Roo. Mine do. These two batteries are wired in series, meaning you have the trailer ground attached to the negative post on one battery and the positive wire attached to the positive post of the other battery. There is a jumper cable that goes from the positive of the first battery to the negative on the other battery. 6 + 6=12 volts. The 6 volt batts have a longer life if properly maintained and give a little advantage with more power. I have always done much better using the 2 6 volt than when I used 2 12 volt batteries.

Thanks, rbq, I was wondering if they would fit. I will call the dealership and see if they have a battery box or it'll I need to bring one since they are going to install the batteries I will have with me. Good tip!

[Drenjoey]

Originally Posted by joinco70

It will probably save $800 to pick it up, I have the time available, and it sounds like an adventure! More importantly, I wanted the PDI to occur at the dealership in case there are issues (they have another one I could switch to), and I know I'm going to have a TON of questions!

I'm sure it will be an adventure......which brings me to my next question. If the PDI doesn't go your way, and if they don't have another 23ws......What will be your next step: Wait for the repairs to be done, or come back home with no camper !
I had mine delivered, and I did the PDI at home. Haylett RV people who brought it to Maine were in no hurry to leave and wanted to make sure I was totally satisfied before going back to Michigan.