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01-13-2016, 11:36 AM
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#21
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: allentown
Posts: 245
New Jersey
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Ok,
I know good advice when I hear it.. Its pretty much a foregone conclusion that I'm gonna get the 6V battery pair, just a matter of when.
So I'll be checking prices online and Sams and Costco, for LED's and batteries.
The www.superbrightleds.com site is awesome for LED selection, It will definitely give me something to compare the show prices to.
A generator is on my list, with a pair of 2000 watt Powerhorse inverter type hooked up in parallel looking pretty good. Think I'm gonna hold off on that until we have a few trips under our belts.
After running the entire house on generator power for 11 days after "Sandy", I'm in no hurry to listen to a running generator again.
Th good news is that I have a few months to do my homework and a couple of RV shows, to help put things in perspective, set a budget, and get it installed.
My next mod is to install an overhead curtain track to divide the bed section from the rest of the RV.. I'm and early riser, wife likes to sleep in...
Making wife happy by installing about $50 worth of hardware.. is one of those Good "bang for the buck" projects.
Thanks for the good advice.. It really helps.
All the best.
__________________
__________________
Pat & Barb
2019 5.3L ECOTEC3 V8 Chevy Silverado 1500
2016 Aspen Trail 1900RB
Allentown, NJ
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01-13-2016, 05:52 PM
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#22
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: kamloops
Posts: 2,152
British Columbia
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Firstime RVer
Ok,
I know good advice when I hear it.. Its pretty much a foregone conclusion that I'm gonna get the 6V battery pair, just a matter of when.
So I'll be checking prices online and Sams and Costco, for LED's and batteries.
The www.superbrightleds.com site is awesome for LED selection, It will definitely give me something to compare the show prices to.
A generator is on my list, with a pair of 2000 watt Powerhorse inverter type hooked up in parallel looking pretty good. Think I'm gonna hold off on that until we have a few trips under our belts.
After running the entire house on generator power for 11 days after "Sandy", I'm in no hurry to listen to a running generator again.
Th good news is that I have a few months to do my homework and a couple of RV shows, to help put things in perspective, set a budget, and get it installed.
My next mod is to install an overhead curtain track to divide the bed section from the rest of the RV.. I'm and early riser, wife likes to sleep in...
Making wife happy by installing about $50 worth of hardware.. is one of those Good "bang for the buck" projects.
Thanks for the good advice.. It really helps.
All the best.
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Pat,
While your checking batteries at Costco you should look at their generators. Costco has a 2000W Champion the can be stacked, with the parallel kit mounted in between the stack. It looks like it would omake a nice neat install. A lot of folks here have Champion gensets and I haven't heard any negative stories about them.
You might want to assess how much power you really need out of a generator, we have a 3000W generator, it handles everything we ask of it, we just can't run 2 high draw appliances at the same time. There have been very few times when we would want or need to run the A/C and some other big draw appliance at the same time.
I think you will find that the inverter generators are not as noisey as what you ran your house on. Most of them are running around 60db.
Jim
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01-13-2016, 07:26 PM
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#23
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: allentown
Posts: 245
New Jersey
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Hi Jim,
I saw some photos of the Champion generators and the way that they stack is pretty neat... I did look them over. If I remember right they also have a 12V outlet that I really like, which Powerhorse doesn't have..
the ratings are so close that I have to wonder if they're not the same gen sets in different packages... Champ @1,700 watts vs Powhrse @1,800 continuous, with both having the same 2,000 watt surge rating.. I have a hard time believing that a difference of 100 W single or 200 W parallel difference would even be noticeable, in the overall scheme of things.
I have an open frame Powerhorse 9,000 surge watt generator that ran my house for 11 days, wasn't bad with fuel consumption and used less than a pint of oil. It has a battery start capability but It starts so easily on first or second pull (I always use fuel stabilizer) I rarely bother with the battery pack. The battery is one of those emergency jump start gadgets.. with the attached cables.
It was also quieter than the 10 year old Coleman 6,000 watt that I replaced... Since Northern Tool sells the Powerhorse that's also a big plus for me since they have been nothing less that the best at warranty and after order service that I have ever dealt with..
So, with that kind of experience it is not an easy decision.
I hope to see things at the show... like user serviceability, connector types, fuel & oil consumption rates, sound levels, service locations etc. and get enough of an education to help in the decision making process. I just don't want one built on a Friday afternoon
Heck it may just come down to price..
Decisions, Decisions
PS: I almost forgot, Two things I like about paralleling the smaller generators is that you only have to lift 50 lbs at a time and you can save a bit of fuel running just one when you can get away with it..
__________________
Pat & Barb
2019 5.3L ECOTEC3 V8 Chevy Silverado 1500
2016 Aspen Trail 1900RB
Allentown, NJ
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01-13-2016, 08:21 PM
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#24
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Desert Hot Springs
Posts: 1,761
California
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For the cost I bought a 3100 Champion. Has a 30 amp plug, handle so you can pull it around & weights only 80 lbs. This baby boomer can still lift it into my RV compartment. Now into the back of my 4x4.................. well
__________________
Mike
2002 42' Monaco Signature Triple Crown tow 2014 F-150
2014 Voltage V3605 Sold 5/3/17
2012 F-350 6.7l CC 4X4, Sold 10/10/17
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01-13-2016, 08:39 PM
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#25
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: allentown
Posts: 245
New Jersey
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Hey there DR, I know exactly what your talking about.
I might still be able to heft an 80 pound gadget into my truck bed, but if the alternative would be hefting two 50 pound gadgets, one at a time.... well you know
__________________
Pat & Barb
2019 5.3L ECOTEC3 V8 Chevy Silverado 1500
2016 Aspen Trail 1900RB
Allentown, NJ
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01-13-2016, 08:47 PM
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#26
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: allentown
Posts: 245
New Jersey
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hddecker
Pat,
While your checking batteries at Costco you should look at their generators. Costco has a 2000W Champion the can be stacked, with the parallel kit mounted in between the stack. It looks like it would omake a nice neat install. A lot of folks here have Champion gensets and I haven't heard any negative stories about them.
Jim
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As a follow-on to my last post.. The Champion gen sets are looking better, they use an 80 cc engine vs a 79 cc powhrs, and to correct myself they deliver 1700 watts vs powhrs 1600 watts continuous, and they're about the same price!!
But for now I gotta focus on batteries
__________________
Pat & Barb
2019 5.3L ECOTEC3 V8 Chevy Silverado 1500
2016 Aspen Trail 1900RB
Allentown, NJ
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01-13-2016, 10:19 PM
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#27
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: kamloops
Posts: 2,152
British Columbia
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Firstime RVer
As a follow-on to my last post.. The Champion gen sets are looking better, they use an 80 cc engine vs a 79 cc powhrs, and to correct myself they deliver 1700 watts vs powhrs 1600 watts continuous, and they're about the same price!!
But for now I gotta focus on batteries
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I suspect that many of the generators on the market today are coming out the same factory in China.
I have seen a few "house brands" that look exactly like the Powerhorse. In fact I have seen a house brand and a Powerhorse side by side on display. The only difference is the color of the case and the name on the side of it, otherwise the specs were exactly the same.
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02-26-2016, 01:49 AM
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#28
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Oxnard
Posts: 257
California
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Our 3800 already had 4 12V Deep Cycles on it when we got it last June (2 i had just bought that i added to 2 that came with it) and i added solar also, but we still had to rely on the gen too often.
So, i built a mobile quad 4x6V auxilliary battery box to roll up and plug in in parallel to the mains, to add 400AH capacity. I am going to test it out on our next trip. I realize the differences in AH capacity between the 12Vs and the 2x6Vs, which is why i chose this thread to ask..
Has anyone tried this, and what do you think i can actually expect to realize in terms of increased run hours this way? When i do have excess capacity from the solar, which does happen on bright days, this also allows for "BatZilla" (i will post pics) to charge back. I am building a monitor box to watch the net flow each way.
__________________
2015 Voltage 3800 w/ Epic IV, Int&Ext, Garage Pkgs; 8x100W Solar, 2x Xantrex C35 Charge Controllers, SW2000 Inverter & Monitor; 2005 Chevy Duramax Dually 3500 w/Banks; Kawi KFX700 & Polaris Scrambler 500 ATVs.
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02-26-2016, 02:20 AM
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#29
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Chardon
Posts: 79
Ohio
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I would like to add more batteries to my rig as well. How do you guys secure them? My TT has 2 batteries up front. I'm probably a little over paranoid about people stealin stuff.
I would like to make my bank of batteries bigger, but not sure where to put them and how to lock them.
__________________
2016 Dutchman Denali 287RE
2008 Toyota Tundra Limited
https://s244.photobucket.com/user/Lilkinsly/slideshow/Trailer
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02-26-2016, 02:22 AM
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#30
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Oxnard
Posts: 257
California
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Here is a pic... My Auxiliary Battery Bank, almost finished. A quad box, hosting 4x6V ‘golf cart’ sized batteries. Remote controlled winch pulls itself into the trailer. Pneumatic offroad casters. 12 aux ‘cig lighter’ jack & 120VAC charger.
Heavy duty ‘winch’ type quick disconnect attaches to add 400AH 12V in parallel to the existing bank of 4x12V deep cycle marine type batteries on the trailer. Next is the monitoring box, showing Volts/Amps/Watts current and total in/out between BatZilla and the trailer.
With Solar charging, and one 12V dedicated, I never want to worry about starting MY generator again!
__________________
2015 Voltage 3800 w/ Epic IV, Int&Ext, Garage Pkgs; 8x100W Solar, 2x Xantrex C35 Charge Controllers, SW2000 Inverter & Monitor; 2005 Chevy Duramax Dually 3500 w/Banks; Kawi KFX700 & Polaris Scrambler 500 ATVs.
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02-26-2016, 08:19 AM
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#31
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Memphis
Posts: 1,616
Michigan
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At least you went all the way and made it right! The winch is a great touch!
__________________
__________________
2019 Ram 3500 Limited w/ Max Tow pkg
2005 Cardinal 33LX
2014-3950, Full Paint, 17.5" tires, 370W solar, 3100W Magnum inverter w/ AGS, 7500w diesel generator, Micro-Air Easy Start 364 (x3) SOLD!
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