| Author |
Message |
LUisa Utset-Ward (216.78.192.197)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, February 01, 2001 - 8:20 am: | |
I have just purchased a 1985 Bluebird Wanderlodge. We need to update it. We are thinking of replacing the refrigerator with a regular 11 cu ft. refrigerator. We have 6 6v batteries and a 12.5kw generator. We have just purchased a 2500w inverter. Would it be possible to place a regular refrigerator in this coach and what steps should we take. Thanks |
Dwight (208.32.172.21)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, February 01, 2001 - 4:38 pm: | |
we have an 18 cu. ft. refridge/freezer with icemaker in our coach, the best thing we ever did !!!!!!! plenty space for food and the icemaker is great, the RV refridges we have had in the past have run all the time and things are not really cold in them, we have a 1500 watt inverter to run it with if we dry park (have not used it yet).....we do not dry park much but do have solar panels to keep up the batteries if we ever do dry park, this fridge runs about 15 minutes and is off for 15 minutes...
Hope this helps, |
John Jewett (Jayjay) (152.163.204.181)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, February 01, 2001 - 11:16 pm: | |
My Frigidaire brand uses 3.2 amps, 12 cubic foot model and does quite well thank you, in my 4905, and it gets real cold, real fast. 3.2A @110V. is 320 watts,(approx.) which leaves you 2100 watts (approx.)of reserve on your Inverter. I just saw a lovely little GE 9 c.u. ft model at Sam's Club that I covet greatly. Under $300.00 bucks, and only 2.9A. DO it, and Cheers...JJ |
FAST FRED (63.36.132.74)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 02, 2001 - 2:57 pm: | |
The big question is if you regularly boondock for long periods , with out running a gen set.
IF you need air cond , no problem , lots of gen time.
IF you usually hit a campsite every night , again no problem,
BUT if you want to be able to go many days of no electric in a row , it takes mighty big , expensive batterys , and a monitoring and charging system to have the batt set last long.
Figure you get 60A of 12v to use ,from a 200A rated battery,thats 720 Watts of power that can work for you.
Take more power out and the service life of the batts goes WAY down.
IF the 320W fridge runs only 25% of the time {cool weather} you will need 8 hours times 320 or 2560 W , for each 24 hour day.
3 200A rated batts will make 3 X 720 or 2160 W of useable power, almost enough.
Easy enough for 24 hours ,, but the package gets very large and very expensive if you need a week of camping,, GOOD LUCK
Charging and maintaining a large batt set takes work , knowledge and $$$$ of instrumentation and charging equipment.
That cheap home Depot stuff doesnt look cheap ,,IF you want a week in the woods.
FAST FRED |
LUisa Utset-Ward (216.78.192.197)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 02, 2001 - 6:49 pm: | |
Thanks for the information. We are going to try it. We do not full time and usually run our generator for the AC. We are planing on installing solar panels as well. |
John Jewett (Jayjay) (152.163.204.182)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 02, 2001 - 9:12 pm: | |
Fred's right, if you want to boondock then propane is the only way to go. 320 watts @ 120V would also have some additional power loss in the conversion to 12 VDC.I don't boondock, so I bought the residential unit. When on the road a bag of ice keeps the soda cool for the day,(or run the genset on the highway) then tie up to a post at night for water,sewer,and elect. There are those that don't want to hit an RV spot every night, but it suits me fine. G'luck...JJ |
Dave-CA (64.20.169.215)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 04, 2001 - 5:15 am: | |
Fast Fred, Can you send me a short overview of the battery status monitoring and charging instrumentation? |
FAST FRED (209.26.87.103)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 05, 2001 - 4:32 am: | |
THE basic info is in Home Power Magasine , which has a web site you can download for free.
A great device called the E-meter
installs in the batt circuit and LEARNS your batterys capacity.
IT watched the batt bank get discharged and charged , and will give you a % of charge remaining.
Really easy to watch the meter, and when you get down to the 50% discharged , go foir a long ride , or crank up the noisemaker.
When 90 to 95% recharged, your all set for another cycle.
For advanced info on charge rates , equalizing., 3 stage regulators and pulse de sulfators, I'll send some URL's to this board.
WEst Marine has some good basic stuff in there free catalog 800-no in CA.
FAST FRED |
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