PrivatePilot wrote:
Hybridhunter wrote:
If you want to have 12volts / charging at the same time as you run your A/C, you could pick up an efficient 15amp speed charger. I sometimes run that off my truck's built in 400 watt inverter, so it is low amp draw, and a decent unit all around. Less than half the amp draw of a converter with a bad PF.
What you suggest is an incrediby lossy way of charging a 12 battery from a truck. You're taking 12v, stepping it up to 120, and then back down to 12 again, all via a method that looses a lot of it's effeciency to heat, and will only output a few amps at the end.
You'd be a LOT better served turning your truck around and hooking some booster cables between your trucks alternator and your house batteries - mere minutes will yield much better results.
FWIW, we just boondocked through Hurricane Irene (at the CT/MA line) and my two little champs performed admirably, running for about 48 hours straight powering the 5'er. As the wind and rain howled we sat in AC comfort watching movies.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that even without a hard start on my 13.5kbtu roof air the paralleled Champs were able to start the AC even from eco mode, WITH the converter on! It was nice having the genny's idle down for the periods of time the AC cycled off - I gassed them up at 11PM before hunkering down for the worst of the storm and they were both still running at 7AM when I woke up. Took advantage of a break in the rain around 7:45 to run out and refuel and they ran the rest of the day as the storm passed.
Finally shut them down around 7PM as the hurricane moved on, leaving cool dry air behind it - no need for AC anymore, and with fully charged house batteries we switched to inverter power for the evening.
I experienced hurricanes Ike and Rita, as well as Tropical Storm Alicia. Not sure I would want to be in the path of a hurricane or tropical storm while in a recreational vehicle. In that area, you had to experience tropical storm winds (39-73mph) while boondocking. Were you in a protected area where the wind was blocked? What was the wind speed at your location?
