Converters and generators

ZZSPIRAL1 wrote:
Thanks for all the replies. I've been gone a while. I always enjoy smkettner's input. He seems to know a lot. Many of you do. To answer one question, I haven't dry camped enough to know how long it takes to charge the batteries, and I just recently purchased a battery meter, so we'll see. Smkettner is right, I prefer the 1000w, if I can get away with it. Seems the converter he recommends, in addition to a 100 W panel might do the trick. But I see some other solid recommendations as well.

I know, I'll get the converter, the panel and a 1000w generator and try it. I can keep the 2000w just in case. Heck, it's only money...............Ha!.

By chance do you know how many watts are required to run this converter? http://www.bestconverter.com/DLS-30-30-Amp-Power-Converter-wIQ4_p_335.html

This is currently probably the best entry price controllers and panel kit set going. Might be worth your time and effort.

120 watt portable folding panels

I already own the Whatda F* Charger Org 8955 fifty five watt model in my travel trailer, and ran the Honda Eu1000i at 9500 feet for 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the evening for 10 days up in Breckenridge this summer. That will pretty much stay on top of keeping my single Group 24 charged up. I fire the genny up in the morning, in eco mode, let it waram up, then plug in the 15-30 amp pigtail in. The little Honda will grunt a bit for 5 to 15 minutes, but it gets back to regular eco mode almost always inside of 30 minutes. No idea what the amp out put is during that time, or what the battery is getting, but warming up the motor first is damn important on these Honda's before putting them under a good charging load, got to get the piston/bore tolerances warmed up and tight before putting that little motor to work hard.

I too prefer the EU1000i, but have a couple of 2000's too, for when I might want to run the A/C or the microwave. Sometimes it's nice to do a TV dinner so I have more time to tie some flies for fishing the next day.

I am in experiment mode with the 120W folding panel now... one thing for certain, that panel, with pulse charging, will really refresh your battery... my 10 month old WalMart special 24 DC seems to hold more charge now than it did when new? I know it sounds crazy, but I am certain that it's not my imagination. Of course I know more about proper battery charging now than I did when I first bought my travel trailer last December. May even breakdown, and chuck the stock PWM controller on the panel and get the good stuff, like a Morningstar PWM 12v 10 amp job to replace the Chinesium on there, but on the other hand, if it works, don't fix it.

Ordered some LED's for the panel lights the T-10's up top, and a volt amp meter too for RC's, trying to get consumption down and keep battery charge up... for boon docking next summer. Learning all this has been fun, an exercise in efficiency.