Alternator Charging ? Again
I need to use the truck to recharge the batteries for the truck camper when off grid because there is no room for a generator, and solar can't always keep up. I know you are supposed to upgrade to...
Forum Discussion
smkettner wrote:BFL13 wrote:I was going to mention conservation but this thing is killing you.
It is all because of the 1981 fridge that was in the TC going bad, so no propane fridge anymore. We have the little 120v 3.2 cuft fridge which is a killer on battery via inverter, using say 50AH or so per 24 hrs. If it were not for that thing, we could go a week off grid before needing a recharge. We could use that as an ice-box, but that is cheating!
Why not replace with another propane fridge? Probably less $$ than modifications and support of this 120v compressor.
Maybe someone knows of a more efficient electric or 12 volt fridge?
The little 120v fridge was low cost, propane fridge cost$. No new equipment needed to run it. Already have enough battery bank, inverters, chargers, wire, etc. Just a pain to actually install it all in various clever ways with limited space in a TC.
The 255w panel does great keeping the batts up high enough to get by for a week off grid at one place the TC goes, done that twice now. Solar takes care of the fridge draw plus the rest. Except it won't if go there again this winter.
The TC usually has shore power at another place it goes more often, (but it needs a converter that won't pop the 15a breaker up at their house--looks like moving the trailer's 7355 to the TC and put the new adjustable voltage PM3-55 I just got in the trailer)
So it is just the odd trip off grid in the "non-solar" part of the year I need to cover for. Besides the cost of a small inverter-gen "up here", just no room for even a small generator anywhere (three dogs and their crates, etc---the TC is for going to DW's dog events. Herding and agility)
Mex, thanks for the way to do it right, but it is all too complicated for me, although it really isn't. Way easier for me to just use the inverter and charger trick.
It is all so much easier with the 5er! Carry the Honda 3000 in the truck, lots of room, go off grid forever if need to. Except when you go to the Mainland on the ferry and they charge by the foot! Yipes. Hence the TC for that. Plus the 5er can be at our seasonal site while the TC runs around.
Thanks for the help everyone. I now know what is possible and can decide what is "worth it". I don't know my way around alternators and all that, so I am glad I don't now have to get into that like you MH and "real" TC guys do.
