Resource for learning about power options?

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
The way to initiate a FEASIBILITY study is to describe What It Is You Wish, then read answers and permutations thereof. God how I hate that word :(

hmm,

Permutations: Shuffle-combinations of the deck, I'm travel warn and dirty, used up, trying to come up with the Ace high Royal Flush every time.

The short version.. Generators can be fueled by Diesel, Gasoline or Propane. Many installed generators in trailers are propane powered, but they suck a LOT of propane so that might not be the best option. I have seen some gasoline installed.

A portable (most are gasoline) is likely your best choice, The INVERTER types are very quite. in fact at a rally I was standing close enough to a Yahama running no-load to feel the exhaust against my leg and the 1200 watt I could not h ear, the 2400 I could, but I had to listen close for it (Trained to do that king of thing) I did not have to raise my voice over the noise till the thing topped 66% load. (800 watts in this case)

Honda is also good, then there are some made in china brands, Most are good but finding service may be harder to obtain if needed.

If you do not use air conditioning, SOLAR can provide a lot of 12vdc, and is absolutely silent.

Finally we have the open frame "Contractor" generators.. Low cost but .. They really need to include ear plugs with the generator.

The way to initiate a FEASIBILITY study is to describe What It Is You Wish, then read answers and permutations thereof. God how I hate that word :(

I really appreciate the advice to start with a used RV - it's definitely advice I plan to pay attention to.

Most everyone buys the "wrong" (for them) RV the first time, so seriously consider used.
With used, not only who built it, but who maintained it, and how well, is really important.
Lastly, run, don't walk, away from any used rig with unrepaired water damage, soft spots, stains, etc.

Some used rigs that might full-fill Fred's list: anything by Northwood (Nash, Fox, etc), Sunnybrook, Excel by Peterson and anything by NuWa

I would have to say that if there is any one source that answers all those questions it is right here at RV.net. Everything you want and need to know is right here.

Spend lots of time reading the postings made by others. When you have specific questions, ask them and someone will know.

Wow - thanks for all the replies! I'm going to read and digest them next...

I've always been partial to the Ram Cummins pickups, so that's what I'll be using. I think I'll be able to swing a '14 Dually by the end of the year (assuming they're building them by then), so that's what I'm planning on as the tow vehicle. One of the options for it is supposedly going to be dual 220-amp alternators, and that kind of made me decide to go ahead and start looking into what would make sense. Obviously, that's a lot of power, but it would require additional connectors, as was said, and it's got to go somewhere. You could charge a lot of batteries with that much power, but then you have to carry them. Etc., etc. etc. Decisions, decisions, decisions. Which is why I decided to start kicking it around with some experts before I spend/waste any money!

Thanks again!

Mac

You did mention powering things in the RV from 12 volts, via the alternator or batteries. The typical truck has a 20 amp fuse protecting a #12 gauge wire (at best) going to the trailer wiring harness. With a 13.5 volt source in the truck, and a 12.6 volt battery to charge some 25' away, not much amperage is going to flow through such small wire. My suggestion is installing some #8 wire, then a "Anderson connector" - forklift battery connector, to recharge the trailer battery with minimal voltage loss, and able to move more than 30 amps all the time the truck engine is running.

I also recommend a 100 - 500 watt portable inverter to run the TV set, DVD, recharge phones, laptops, ect. Then you can run the inverter at night, and not have to listen to the generator.

If you plan on going from one campground to another, then you will not have a need for solar panels, or more than one battery. If you plan on spending 3 nights in a forest service campground without hookups, or longer, then solar panels, at least 2 batteries, and other improvements would make the stay much more enjoyable.
SunElec.com

Look for a "12 volt" solar panel, that has a open circuit voltage of around 19 - 22 volts. This is high enough to recharge a battery while it is at 13.5 volts. Then you can use a PWM solar controller, they are a lot less expensive than the MPPT type.

What else to look for? Some like a 4 seasons trailer, they are easier to heat and cool, usually including more insulation, and a enclosed tank area, with a furnace air duct to keep the tanks above 32F while it can be as low as 10F outside. Also dual pane windows cut down on the vibration, making it quietier inside, as well as not getting condensation on the glass, and less heat loss to the glass.

Many posts are out there about the "China Bomb" tires, they tend to blow out to soon. I suggest getting better quality tires, made someplace else.

Many trailers come with 'Barely adequate' axles and brakes. Electric drum brakes are not all that great, and have somewhat limited stopping capacity. Now you can buy disk brakes in RV's. The dealers that do not sell them will tell you you never need the extra braking. Enough said. There is a post this morning about a trailer with a 6,800 GVWR, while the GVW is close to 6,400 pounds with "Barely" anything in it (according to the owner) and the frame is seeing signs of stress, and spring bushings worn out on a trailer that is only a few weeks old. Quality counts.

Feel free to write back with any other questions. And also before signing on that bottom line, write back with the "Deal" you got. Someone might say "that is a brand that might fall apart soon" or might say "You can normally get 25% off the retail price on that brand." or some other useful information.

One common post that I see is "I bought a 2500 pickup that will tow 'Anything' but find that I can not tow the trailer that the wife and I fell in love with. What do I do now? The pin weight is 2,850, while my truck cargo capacity is only 3,000 pounds, leaving no weight capacity for the passengers"

I know that your years of commercial truck service, you will know to research enough and read the brochures about trucks before buying one, and might pick out the truck and trailer at the same time, so they are matched capacity. Or find a dually truck that really does tow most everything.

Fred.

Hi,

There is a section on tow vehicles, fifth wheels, travel trailers, and other sections.

Most travel trailers and fifth wheels do not include a generator or prep location for one, unless they are a toy hauler, where it has a rear garage, and access to load motorcycles or small ATV's. In Toy haulers, it is more common to see a generator, built in, along with a gas tank, and perhaps a optional fueling station to refill the toys. It is a gas pump, putting out about 4 gallons per minute from the onboard 18 - 36 gallon fuel supply, that also feeds the built in generator.

Most people use gas generators, they are lightweight, and use fuel that is easy to get. Also there is about 115,000 Btu's per gallon of fuel. Propane is about 95,000 Btu's per gallon, and would take more fuel per hour, in addition to being in a smaller tank, and can use it up fairly quickly on a 3 day weekend in the desert while dry camping.

In Diesel pusher motorhomes, the most common generator is a diesel generator in the 5 KW - 10 KW size, that can power 2-3 A/C units and lots of other things. Because diesel is 135,000 Btu's per gallon, they are the most fuel efficient, and draw from the upper 3/4 of the main 100 gallon fuel tank, so it seems like nothing it used to run the generator a few days while out camping.

I mention "Dry Camping" or Boondocking (further out in the woods) are without hookups, no water, electric, or sewer connections. Full hookups are just that, sewer, water and 30 to 50 amp electrical service.

Options to power a air conditioner include mating two of the Honda 2000 watt inverter generators (actual rating is only 1,600 watts, but it can put out 2,000 watts for 30 minutes at a time) for a total of about 3,200 - 4,000 watt surge. They sell a kit that includes a 30 amp RV plug in it, and also lets the two generators talk to each other, and decide what voltage regulator and frequency to work from (so one does not try to run faster than the other).

Have fun camping!

Fred.

Best to use the existing systems as designed.

Here is a resource on battery charging and usage:
The 12 Volt Side of Life