Electric 1988 E-150 Okagagan Camper Van

You just haven't found the AC breaker panel yet. For everything to work correctly, you need to get a house battery in there. A lot of stuff needs 12 volts and your converter may not furnish it without having the load of a battery connected to it. I'd suggest 2 6 volt golf cart batteries in series as the most bang for the buck if you have the space. Every converter I've seen has had a built in battery charger although the new ones have much better chargers in them. If it is that old, a new converter would be a good investment as the old ones tend to fail without warning. The relay you speak of in the battery compartment is most likely the 'emergency start' relay that should have a switch somewhere on the dash. It lets you start the motorhome off the house batteries should you run the chassis battery dead. It may also be a battery cutoff relay. If it is that, it would be a 'latching' relay that will hold mechanically in both on and off position. They use those so when the coach is 'turned on' you do not have a energized relay coil draining your batteries. How does the propane tank look? You may need to get it recertified at a propane dealer in order to find someone who will fill it (someone generally always will but the time you REALLY need propane is when everyone will start telling you it needs recertification). The way to sail through that process is remove it, wire brush and give it a fresh coat of paint making sure the stamped in data is clearly legible. and reinstall it with shiny new bolts. Propane dealers like stuff that looks good. Since the fridge works on electric, the cooling unit is good. You just need to move forward with getting propane to it and make sure that function works. Same with the furnace. Both need a solid 12 volt supply so batteries are the first order.

3 way fridges are really nice as you can use the 12 volt setting to keep it cool while driving down the road (the engine's alternator doing the work). Very few new units come with 3 ways and because of that you have to use propane when driving unless you have an big enough 12 volt DC to 120 VAC inverter that can handle the load of the 120 volt setting.

On second read of your post, your mention of the furnace fan coming on shows the converter is working OK (providing 12 volts for the fan). Just need to get batteries!

garyemunson wrote:
You may need to get it recertified at a propane dealer in order to find someone who will fill it (someone generally always will but the time you REALLY need propane is when everyone will start telling you it needs recertification). The way to sail through that process is remove it, wire brush and give it a fresh coat of paint making sure the stamped in data is clearly legible. and reinstall it with shiny new bolts. Propane dealers like stuff that looks good. Since the fridge works on electric, the cooling unit is good. You just need to move forward with getting propane to it and make sure that function works. Same with the furnace. Both need a solid 12 volt supply so batteries are the first order.

I haven't been able to get a good look at the lpg tank there seems to be alot of loose rust but didn't appear to be extreme rust impregnated into the cylinder tank.

As far as rectification, horizontal rv tanks use ASME standards. I'm uncertain if a rectification is required or not. DOT upright tanks do require a re-certification every 12 years where there re-certification is only good for another 5.

I plan to pull it and clean it up or possibly have it sand blasted. I did one on my Class-C where I brought it into a shop to have it sand blasted. Or perhaps purchase a compressor with a abrasive blaster.

I have a couple of gallons of Chassis Saver of which I would need to install a top coat over as some rust preventive paints aren't designed to be used as a top coat paint.


ASME tanks aren't the same as DOT tanks with fill, supply and OPD all of which is one valve. ASME has separate fill, supply and reflief valve. Also AFAIK DOT standards use a lighter metal for their tanks than ASME.

One may need to look around as some of the gas companies such as Amerigas, at least the one in our area, no longer services or re-certifies lpg tanks.

Yes I need to eventually install some house batteries for lighting and to run the water pump and furnace fan. I'm uncertain if this frig requires DC to run on gas as my other frig in another RV.

How long will e.g. three batteries last without a generator? I'm not certain. I've camped in the mountain forests in a Class-C with three RV ~100+ ah batteries, a 115 watt solar panel and 4000 watt genny. Because of the 7 amp furnace fan, lighting water pump, frig and lack of sun. the batteries kept falling to a point they became useless where they required at at least 24 hours to recharge to full capacity.

garyemunson wrote:
3 way fridges are really nice as you can use the 12 volt setting to keep it cool while driving down the road (the engine's alternator doing the work). Very few new units come with 3 ways and because of that you have to use propane when driving unless you have an big enough 12 volt DC to 120 VAC inverter that can handle the load of the 120 volt setting.

Yes my other RV a class-c frig only has two ways, lpg or electric. This one apparently is a three-way according to it's dial.

It also has a small furnace of which I'm not certain the fan's amps. Some RV furnace fans drain batteries while off-grid. If so then it's better to have a convection heater that doesn't require any electric to operate. I have a Mr Heater I've used inside a RV in the past, supplies plenty of heat and doesn't drain the house batteries.

Pic of power center. There is a push/pull switch labled push ON pull OFF, below the AC plug so I suppose this is the AC breaker?

There are two dc 15 amp fuses. Two other dc fuse spots with plugs.

Pulled the power center and found some details.

System Monitors Inc. Model Number MSM 200 D.

120 VAC 20 amps AC
12 Volt (dc) output 20 amps total
with 5 amp battery charger

Has two DC 15 amp fuses and one internal 4 amp fuse (which was blown)

Anyway it appears when connected to AC it will charge the house battery with up to 5 amps.



I found a label with product numbers of equipment installed.

Hydroflame FA 7615 (gas)
Wedgewood W7103 (gas)
Dometic RM2301 (gas elec)
Jensen CP120 (elec)
Manchester 6102 (Gas)

Then when you stop you must enter the camper to cut off the 12 volt or your battery will drain quickly. This is why I ran on propane almost all the time when owning a TC.