Hi, I am having 19 yold Lance truck camper and when I could not sell it for reasonable price (50% of NADA) I decided to use good interior for new conversion and dispose faded body. Pictures will be coming as I already have rear dinette and shower stall installed, but would love to hear opinions about few technical dilemmas.So I don't want propane on board, meaning all appliances will run on electricity. With bus version I have 250 amp alternator and dual AC, so I don't anticipate any power issues while on the road, when on hot days I can run the engine for some time, I have following dilemmas:1- did anybody tried to keep refrigerator running overnight on 2 battery power?2-how long 150W electric element takes to heat water in standard w/h? I've been using electricity for water heating in my previous RVs, but having campground hookup, I never actually timed it. 3-I plan to use camper transfer switch where inverter would be default and once I plug shore power, the relay will switch4- no toilet on the conversion, so I am putting porta-potty inside the shower. So far a try shows that I need to lose some weight to make it working. How guys having porta-potty in van manage its use while having other people?5-with gray water tank only I don't want to make 3" water dump. What are the smaller options?Click For Full-Size Image.Click For Full-Size Image.

"1- did anybody tried to keep refrigerator running overnight on 2 battery power?"How many battery amp hours? What does the fridge manufacturer say about power use?"2-how long 150W electric element takes to heat water in standard w/h?" How many gallons? If six, it will take a bunch of power. I've heard RVers talk about heating water with excess solar power, but not from batteries. Why are you anti-propane? Every other RV in the campground will have propane onboard.

All electric I would put about 400 watts of solar on roof with at least 200 amp hours of batteries.

Where I camp, most of the time I need AC 20 hr a day. Solar doesn't do anything for me. As I indicated in the title, I plan to make it stealth RV. It is design for fast trips with dogs, to destination (our sons spread in 2500 miles circle) and parking in front of the house without triggering too much attention.The only outside indication of RV use will be vent on the roof and gray water tank hidden under floor. It is registered as limo and I plan to have 10 seat belts in it to use it for daily trips with friends as well.

In today’s neighborhoods with Ring or Ring type cameras everywhere, it’ll take one night for a neighbor to figure out you’re camping in front of a child’s home...with video evidence. Not an RV storage yard and not a campground.

Lwiddis wrote:"1- did anybody tried to keep refrigerator running overnight on 2 battery power?"How many battery amp hours? What does the fridge manufacturer say about power use?"2-how long 150W electric element takes to heat water in standard w/h?" How many gallons? If six, it will take a bunch of power. I've heard RVers talk about heating water with excess solar power, but not from batteries. Why are you anti-propane? Every other RV in the campground will have propane onboard.Propane would not only be additional hassle, but also would require obvious side covers. The fridge takes 180W on 12V element, or 240W on 120V element. It is not the power use I can't figure out, but what % of time fridge has to run in let's say 80F night?The standard W/H is 5 gallons and that is always way more than we need for evening showers. The idea is to have the water heated during driving, when power supply is huge and than use it at night. I added insulation to the unit, so it should hold temperature for several hr.Why your reply was invisible for 1/2 day?

My Sprinter stealth ClasB | Good Sam Community

Kayteg1
Explorer II
May 03, 2020
pasusan wrote:

And - look at that nice, big refrigerator!

YEAH !!! we like to pamper ourselves to good food and that thing makes ice even with 110F outside.
So "Margarita here I come"
pasusan
Explorer
May 03, 2020
Thanks Kayteg1 - I did run into the problem with membership... Can see them now! How splendid that you get to reuse the guts from your truck camper. Great job!

And - look at that nice, big refrigerator!
Kayteg1
Explorer II
May 02, 2020
Did you try right click and "open image in new tab"?
I hot linked the pictures from Sprinter forum and maybe they require membership.
Can do imgur hotlinking if that is not working.
pasusan
Explorer
May 01, 2020
Kayteg1 wrote:
Kitchenette.

Had lot of leftover doors from camper, what made nice cargo covers.
Bus had factory 12V outlets on rear pillars, where I rewired left one for house batteries. Now since engine was not started for long time, I run visible jump wire between the outlets, to use house converter to keep chassis battery at top charge.

Argh! Can't see your pictures...
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Apr 30, 2020
zcookiemonstar wrote:
If you want to heat your water while driving you can also look into a heat exchanger using the engine to heat your water.

I was thinking about it, but tapping into engine heating system is not that easy, while bringing higher risk of something failing.
My plan is to use shore power to heat the water before morning departure and with extra insulation I put, WH should hold the temperature till the night.
So using alternator for water heating will be used on rare occasions only.
I was also thinking about getting Webasto coolant heater for the purpose, but that would bring high complication and high cost as well.
Keep it simple.
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Apr 30, 2020
Kitchenette.

Had lot of leftover doors from camper, what made nice cargo covers.
Bus had factory 12V outlets on rear pillars, where I rewired left one for house batteries. Now since engine was not started for long time, I run visible jump wire between the outlets, to use house converter to keep chassis battery at top charge.
pianotuna
Nomad III
Apr 16, 2020
Keytag,

This is going to be a marvelous RV.
zcookiemonstar
Explorer
Apr 16, 2020
If you want to heat your water while driving you can also look into a heat exchanger using the engine to heat your water.
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Apr 10, 2020
Thanks for the tips about induction cooker.
I had induction cooktop in my rental years ago and it did not work with tenants too well, so did hesitate, but now single burner is cheap enough, so I bought 1 on amazon.
I am a bit confused. Cooktop manual says I need steel pot, when aluminium pots have label on them that I could use them?
Will have to make some experiments, but now, I am getting exited when projects start showing what it is going to be.
qtla9111
Nomad
Mar 15, 2020
230W panel, two 6V batteries. We use the crockpot as we are going down the road. Lunch or dinner is ready by 2 p.m. Electric blanket comes on at night on low under the fitted top sheet. Works great, little to no power.

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