What can I run on the battery

[Itsokimapilot]

I have a 2017 v3605. Everything works as expected on shore power or the generator. I'm planning to do some boondocking and want to hook up a couple solar panels . What should I expect to be able to run on the battery. I was hoping to just run the generator to brew a pot of coffee and let the battery and solar do the rest. TV and AC not needed.

Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks!
Dave

[sundancer 87]

Originally Posted by Itsokimapilot

I have a 2017 v3605. Everything works as expected on shore power or the generator. I'm planning to do some boondocking and want to hook up a couple solar panels . What should I expect to
be able to run on the battery. I was hoping to just run the generator to brew a pot of coffee and let the battery and solar do the rest. TV and AC not needed.

Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks!
Dave

Solar panels, think batteries! One OEM battery won't get you very far at all. Depending on how many panels depends on how many batteries.

[Itsokimapilot]

Originally Posted by sundancer 87

Solar panels, think batteries! One OEM battery won't get you very far at all. Depending on how many panels depends on how many batteries.

I'm hoping to charge a few iPhones and iPads, run a night light. That's about it. Do the 110 outlets work on the battery alone?

[MartyG]

Originally Posted by Itsokimapilot

I'm hoping to charge a few iPhones and iPads, run a night light. That's about it. Do the 110 outlets work on the battery alone?

No, 120 VAC outlets don't work on battery, unless you have an expensive inverter.
Here's what I'd do if I were you:
1. Buy a second 12volt battery, install it next to, and wired parallel to, you current battery.
2. Find a way to tap off a 12VDC outlet (cigarette lighter type) near your converter, preferably on it's own fuse.
3. Use those simple 12VDC to USB plugs (avail everywhere from convenience stores, auto parts stores, etc,) for your phones and pads.
4. There are lots of 12 VDC lights available.
5. Get a stove-top percolator from Camping World, Wal Mart, etc, and learn how to brew coffee that way, on your propane stove. (yes, it and your stovetop vent fan will work on battery). It's a lot more efficient than trying to heat a coffee pot with battery power.
6. Your fridge will automatically switch to propane. Manually use the propane side of your water heater.
7. If it gets cold, your heater will work fine on battery, but will consume a lot of power for the blower motor.
8. Neither the Air Conditioner nor the Microwave will work on battery.
9. Know how your propane auto switchover works, and check the tanks daily, so you can refill a tank if need be. You depend on them more when without Electricity.

[Itsokimapilot]

Thanks! I'm putting the voltage on some property I own. I was considering getting 6-12 6volt batteries and some solar panels. Do you know how I could tie that into the camper? To where I could use my outlets?

[MartyG]

Originally Posted by Itsokimapilot

Thanks! I'm putting the voltage on some property I own. I was considering getting 6-12 6volt batteries and some solar panels. Do you know how I could tie that into the camper? To where I could use my outlets?

Your first question was for simple needs. Now I'm reading that you want a battery array of as many as twelve 6 volt batteries plus solar. You must be thinking of a larger inverter, as you seem to still want 120 VAC. Way out of my league and experience! I'll bow out, and defer to the inverter/solar guys. I don't understand why you want to use outlets that provide 120 volt, just to step it down to 5 volts for the USB. Just for a coffee pot?

[Tanman]

Very interesting what runs but if I may ask a question related to an inverter. Most of our RV;s have inverters onboard. My Voltage has some form of an inverter. How big it is I have no idea.. What does my inverter power up??

[Itsokimapilot]

Originally Posted by MartyG

Your first question was for simple needs. Now I'm reading that you want a battery array of as many as twelve 6 volt batteries plus solar. You must be thinking of a larger inverter, as you seem to still want 120 VAC. Way out of my league and experience! I'll bow out, and defer to the inverter/solar guys. I don't understand why you want to use outlets that provide 120 volt, just to step it down to 5 volts for the USB. Just for a coffee pot?

Marty thank you for your input. I wasn't very clear. We plan to build a cabin on our property at some point. First in is a septic, then a solar power system, then water. I plan to put the utilities in this year. Enjoy the camper this season and next then build. There's more to it than a coffee pot. I don't know how to tie the camper to the solar generator. If someone is smart on that here I'd love to hear your ideas. Maybe even a portable system that I can take on the road.

[Evereddie]

Originally Posted by Itsokimapilot

Marty thank you for your input. I wasn't very clear. We plan to build a cabin on our property at some point. First in is a septic, then a solar power system, then water. I plan to put the utilities in this year. Enjoy the camper this season and next then build. There's more to it than a coffee pot. I don't know how to tie the camper to the solar generator. If someone is smart on that here I'd love to hear your ideas. Maybe even a portable system that I can take on the road.

In very basic terms you need to start by figuring out how much 110 volt power you need. How many watts. What do you want to run and how much of that at the same time. You need a television and satellite receiver at the most, or do you want to run the microwave, a hair dryer, several fans, etc. Running the Air Conditioner whether in a home or the RV off of a solar setup would be very, very, expensive. Then when you have the maximum draw of the 110 volt items you look for an inverter, or several that can handle the load. An inverter changes 12 volts DC to 110 volts AC. Being in a home you would want what is called a pure sine wave output on the inverter. A pure sine wave output is exactly like what the power company delivers to you and is much better for electronics. Once you have your power needs you get enough batteries to supply that power. Then you get enough solar panels to keep the batteries charged and if the sun doesn't come out for a day or two you will need a generator to supply your power and charge up the batteries. Your solar panels wire into a device called a solar battery charger and it monitors and maintains a charge on the batteries. Once this is all working you can run wires to your RV to the 12 volt system to have a 12 volts supply there. Then another inverter so you can have 110 volt supply in the RV. Add a solar panel to the RV and you now have a portable system.

[donzinger]

Originally Posted by Tanman

Very interesting what runs but if I may ask a question related to an inverter. Most of our RV;s have inverters onboard. My Voltage has some form of an inverter. How big it is I have no idea.. What does my inverter power up??

Actually they all have a converter to charge batteries and run the 12v items when pugged into shore power. The inverter takes the 12VDC your battery bank provides and produces 110/120VAC to run household appliances. This is why have a large enough battery bank is necessary. I have four 6 volt batteries, 370 watts in solar panels and a 3100 watt inverter. I can run anything in my camper off the batteries except for the AC units.

[Tanman]

Donzinger... thats my point and question.. in my voltage what does the inverter actually operate??? I understand all the dynamics of an inverter and pure sine wave etc.. but what does my inverter actually operate within my voltage???

The lighting is 12v..the slides are 12v..the refrigerator boils on 12 v i think or it at least operates on gas... what does the inverter power up??? what am I missing here..

[sundancer 87]

Originally Posted by Tanman

Donzinger... thats my point and question.. in my voltage what does the inverter actually operate??? I understand all the dynamics of an inverter and pure sine wave etc.. but what does my inverter actually operate within my voltage???

The lighting is 12v..the slides are 12v..the refrigerator boils on 12 v i think or it at least operates on gas... what does the inverter power up??? what am I missing here..

An inverter changes 12 volt DC to 110 AC. A converter changes 110 AC to 12 volt DC.

While on generator or shore power that voltage source is CONVERTED to 12 volts DC to power your 12 volt DC devices as well as charging the battery bank.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_inverter

As you energize more 12 volt DC devices the converter will work harder to produce the needed current for those devices causing the cooling fan to spin faster. That's the fan noise you may or may not hear when it's working hard.

[donzinger]

Originally Posted by Tanman

Donzinger... thats my point and question.. in my voltage what does the inverter actually operate??? I understand all the dynamics of an inverter and pure sine wave etc.. but what does my inverter actually operate within my voltage???

The lighting is 12v..the slides are 12v..the refrigerator boils on 12 v i think or it at least operates on gas... what does the inverter power up??? what am I missing here..

Gotcha, Tanman. I use my inverter/solar system more often than some might as we dry camp at NASCAR tracks. I can run my icemaker, garage fridge, TV, DirecTV and Sound system all day on the inverter and still have enough juice to make coffee in the morning before the sun goes to work charging my batteries again. This normally works very well in the spring. But as it gets hotter, I run the genny for the AC. My inverter system employs an AGS that monitors battery levels and coach temperature in order to start the genny automatically if the batteries need more than the solar provides or if the AC needs to come on.


I wired mine to power the entire coach so I made sure to have the AGS set up properly so that an AC unit doesn't kick on and drain my batteries in a matter of seconds.

[Itsokimapilot]

Originally Posted by donzinger

Gotcha, Tanman. I use my inverter/solar system more often than some might as we dry camp at NASCAR tracks. I can run my icemaker, garage fridge, TV, DirecTV and Sound system all day on the inverter and still have enough juice to make coffee in the morning before the sun goes to work charging my batteries again. This normally works very well in the spring. But as it gets hotter, I run the genny for the AC. My inverter system employs an AGS that monitors battery levels and coach temperature in order to start the genny automatically if the batteries need more than the solar provides or if the AC needs to come on.


I wired mine to power the entire coach so I made sure to have the AGS set up properly so that an AC unit doesn't kick on and drain my batteries in a matter of seconds.

This sounds like exactly what I'm hoping to accomplish initially. Any details you can share on your portable system would be great.

[Hoosier Daddy]

Originally Posted by Tanman

Very interesting what runs but if I may ask a question related to an inverter. Most of our RV;s have inverters onboard. My Voltage has some form of an inverter. How big it is I have no idea.. What does my inverter power up??

Most have a Converter... not inverter
Converter changes A/C to D/C
Inverters change D/C to A/C

Example. At you house plug a battery charger into a 120v A/C outlet to charge a 12v D/C battery... That is a Converter.

OR... At a worksite connect on INVERTER to your Trucks 12v D/C battery to run a 120v A/C saw.

Two different animals.
Getting 120v A/C out of a 12v D/C power supply is not efficient.

[ewarnerusa]

Originally Posted by Itsokimapilot

I have a 2017 v3605. Everything works as expected on shore power or the generator. I'm planning to do some boondocking and want to hook up a couple solar panels . What should I expect to be able to run on the battery. I was hoping to just run the generator to brew a pot of coffee and let the battery and solar do the rest. TV and AC not needed.

Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks!
Dave

Some good reading for your camper's 12V power system.
The 12volt Side of Life (Part 1)

It also discusses inverters.

What we do is run 2x6V batteries in series for an equivalent 12V that power the camper's 12V system. These are mounted on the trailer's tongue. 280 watts of solar panels mounted flat on the roof are wired to a charge controller and then to the batteries to keep them charged. There is an inverter wired to the battery. We strictly boondock off-grid at primitive sites and when we setup I plug the camper's shore power cord into the inverter outlet. I make sure the camper's onboard converter is switched off at the breaker panel and that the fridge and water heater are running off of propane. Then when I power up the inverter, it provides 120V AC to the camper just like I was plugged into shore power. Now the amount of 120V AC power is limited to the inverter and/or battery capacity; I cannot run the microwave or air conditioner even if the batteries are bursting full of charge. But all of the household-style outlets are live and I can watch TV and plug in whatever small load items I want.

[Tanman]

I really appreciate all that has jumped in trying to explain how their systems work but my basic question is....what do our OEM factory inverters that come installed on our Voltages run??? At least I was told we had inverters .. I may be wrong and they said converters which I am familiar with both..
Maybe I should rephrase the question and asks....do our Voltages come with an inverter and if so what does it power??

[pdonoghu]

Originally Posted by Tanman

I really appreciate all that has jumped in trying to explain how their systems work but my basic question is....what do our OEM factory inverters that come installed on our Voltages run??? At least I was told we had inverters .. I may be wrong and they said converters which I am familiar with both..
Maybe I should rephrase the question and asks....do our Voltages come with an inverter and if so what does it power??

My 2013 V 3105 has a converter, no inverter. Maybe some of the newer or higher end units now come with inverters. If you have a residential refrigerator that only runs off 120 V AC, then you likely have an inverter. As far as I know, most Voltages do not come with an inverter.

[sundancer 87]

Originally Posted by Tanman

I really appreciate all that has jumped in trying to explain how their systems work but my basic question is....what do our OEM factory inverters that come installed on our Voltages run??? At least I was told we had inverters .. I may be wrong and they said converters which I am familiar with both..
Maybe I should rephrase the question and asks....do our Voltages come with an inverter and if so what does it power??

I will say a firm NO, you do not have an inverter in your RV from the factory.
You have a converter that powers and does what it does as explained in the above posts.

[Tanman]

Well thank you for that info... I have never opened mine up to see what is behind the floor walls.. I was told by the salesman... it had an inverter and converter both.. but it makes sense i only have a converter..
thanks guys...