pauldub wrote:
I use a little cigarette lighter plug in volt meter in the 12V power receptacle near my dinette.
I set up a slightly different arrangement in order to keep on eye on how the alternator and coach 12 volt system are playing together when going down the road.
I have a digital voltmeter mounted right on the dash so I can read the voltage on our coach batteries while traveling. The voltmeter plugs into a cigarette lighter plug in the coach by the dinette so it is monitoring the coach's 12 volt system all the time. If this voltage reads from 13.5 volts on up into the 14.XX volt range whenever the engine is running, then I know the alternator is doing it's thing to the coach batteries.
This voltmeter on the dash powered from the coach has another good use. I shut off the 12 volt system whenever gasing up at stations so that a cycling refrigerator on propane can't ignite gas pump fumes. If I forget to turn the 12 volt system back ON after starting down the road - the refrigerator is no longer cooling. With a meter right on the dash, I can see if I have turned 12 volt power back ON in the coach so that the refrig is again operating. That has proved useful more than once!
