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bghouse's avatar
bghouse
Explorer
Jun 04, 2017

Need some help finalizing equipment

I need a little assistance understanding exactly what I need to concentrate on for my rig's equipment - and I'm sending myself in circles reading other threads :-)

Context: I plan to full time and will be solo. I anticipate staying in campgrounds a lot in the beginning, and working up to some boondocking. I also anticipate needing to do the Walmart or Casino parking from time to time. I still work, and I'm a computer programmer / web developer. I need to be able to run the laptop, especially in the evenings. And I don't want to be "that guy" with the annoying generator or anything..

The biggest thing I'm trying to wrap my head around is whether I need an inverter or not, and whether I need a 2nd battery or not.

I'm currently looking at both the Cruise America Majestic 23A and the comparable models at El Monte RV. The CA models are around $10k less for the equivalent year model, and that's a serious amount of cash that can be put toward upgrades, gear I need, etc.

But I need to determine if I can keep the CA on the short list - and that comes down to whether I can have what I need to keep the lights on and the laptop running....

I don't have endless funds to cycle through rigs - so I really need to get as close as I can up front that will give me what I need. I know there are options for portable solar if I can't put anything up there in the future, but I don't understand the inverter enough to know whether the CA can support it in the future.

The single battery also confuses me - and I can't figure out if I can / should have a second one. If I can't, will that be a problem in the future?

I'm also struggling to know whether I can reasonably put other options on a CA unit - such as adding a backup camera, or maybe a leveling system, or a tire pressure monitoring system.

I'd really appreciate feedback from any owners of the Cruise America Majestic 23A or 28A so that I can figure out if they can be on my list, or if I have to just focus on El Monte RV's units and expect to have to spend more.

Thanks in advance!

15 Replies

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  • bghouse's avatar
    bghouse
    Explorer
    Jun 05, 2017
    BizmarksMom wrote:

    Think about what you really need to run, and see if there is a 12v version.


    I definitely will :-)
  • BizmarksMom's avatar
    BizmarksMom
    Explorer
    Jun 05, 2017
    I don't have an inverter and don't miss it. I use a 12v charger for my phone, tablet, and laptop. I use an Aeropress for my coffee (heat water on the propane stove). I don't use the microwave. If I think I might need AC, I bring the generator. Otherwise I charge the batteries via solar panels.

    Think about what you really need to run, and see if there is a 12v version.
  • JimK-NY's avatar
    JimK-NY
    Explorer II
    Jun 05, 2017
    bghouse wrote:
    ......

    I am much more the type that finds better weather than just sitting in the heat (or cold).

    .......


    Sometimes that does not work that well. I have had temperatures well into the 80s at Glacier NP and in the Canadian Rockies. It was cool at night but it can still take a long time to cool an RV. This Fall I plan to visit southern Utah. Even late in the Fall there will be locations where the temps reach the upper 80s. A few miles away at higher elevations it is likely to be well below freezing at night.
  • 2oldman's avatar
    2oldman
    Explorer II
    Jun 05, 2017
    bghouse wrote:
    The inverter just confuses me if I need it or not.
    Your laptop will run just fine - until it needs recharging. Then what? Run your huge generator to do that? A small inverter will do that quite nicely.
  • bghouse's avatar
    bghouse
    Explorer
    Jun 05, 2017
    The Majestic 23A from Cruise America says it has a 4KW Onan Microlite generator. I cannot find information online about the battery, although someone on another forum said they didn't think there was room for 2 batteries. There is no inverter from what I've been told.

    I'm not opposed to adding these things, BUT I am opposed to buying a rig that can't handle what I need in the future - hence trying to really understand what I need.

    I am much more the type that finds better weather than just sitting in the heat (or cold).

    The inverter just confuses me if I need it or not. I keep reading, and I'm a tech geek with the computer - but this is just not clicking in my head yet :-)
  • JimK-NY's avatar
    JimK-NY
    Explorer II
    Jun 05, 2017
    theoldwizard1 wrote:
    Batteries, inverter, generator. You are going to need them all !

    .....

    Why?? I traveled full time for 2 years without an inverter, except for a mini unit only suitable for charging small batteries.

    I rarely use my generator except to run my AC. I usually moved to a different location when the temperatures got too high. Rather than just spout your opinions it can be helpful if you also provide some explanations.
  • theoldwizard1's avatar
    theoldwizard1
    Explorer II
    Jun 05, 2017
    Batteries, inverter, generator. You are going to need them all !

    At a MINIMUM you will need 2 golf cart batteries. 4 would be better, or you can go with a couple of solar/renewable energy batteries like Trojan J200-RE or L16RE-B. Key to long battery life is a good multi-stage charger, either stand alone or built in to your converter.

    You can probably go with a smaller pure sine wave inverter, say 1,000-1,500 watt peak.

    The Honda EU2000i is the "gold standard", but it may or may not be enough to run your A/C. A Champion 3400 is bigger, heavier, but it costs less and will run pretty much any A/C.

    Long term, you can think about solar power.
  • JimK-NY's avatar
    JimK-NY
    Explorer II
    Jun 04, 2017
    Sorry, I don't know anything about those units. My wife and I full timed in a smallish truck camper.
  • jplante4's avatar
    jplante4
    Explorer II
    Jun 04, 2017
    If you get 2 - 6v golf cart batteries wired in series you can get 225 amp hours of 12v power, running them down to 50 percent will get you 125 ah before you need to charge. You can estimate the usage of your electronics and see if that will be enough. If you decide to get an inverter, get at least a 2000 watt one so you can up the batteries later.

    Even with double that battery storage, I don't use the inverter or the coffee maker on battery. I have a Melita for coffee, and if I need the m'wave, the generator comes on.

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