We have 5 group 31 flooded 12V batteries in our 5th wheel and 2 more in the back of the LB truck on the driver's side between the rear wheel inside front and the front of the bed box kept charged with both + & - #2 ga fine strand welder cable. That's 1575 minutes reserve at a 23 amp draw and we've never even drawn them down to 50% yet. The batteries clear the Lance TC when we put it on and they are also used/connected to the Lance same group 31 to supplement battery for the TC and the 1500 watt inverter mounted inside on the lower bulkhead. 675 minutes of reserve for the TC and everything can be powered using simple 9' max 15 amp extension cords. Perfect for boondocking or the many functions/venues/festivals we go to each year where it's dry camping only.
A/C isn't something we like anyway as it's noisy and if we needed it, we'd start the 3400 watt PP generator built in the Lance for a short time. Our RV's have wheels under them and we avoid the ambient heat areas by using those wheels because we both dislike hot temps over 80 or 85 max and then being cooped inside in A/C. That's not camping or enjoyable at all to us! Needing heat in cold areas is just the opposite as it's cheap and very quiet and 60 lbs of PP lasts a very long time even with the fridge and HW heater using PP.
The 5th wheel has a 2500 watt inverter installed with 2 totally separate 15 amp circuits I added with a neon light indicator on each circuit on one duplex outlet to show if the remote controlled push switch to the inverter is on or off. Because the inverter is in the front lower storage compartment next to the boxed and vented thru the floor enclosed battery box so the high amp wire cables are only 18" long. We're just too darn lazy to go outside to turn it on or off and it's so simple to make it so you don't have to.
There's a duplex outlet in the bedroom and one in the bath room on one circuit. The other circuit powers the living room and kitchen area added duplexes. Open the top cupboard and move the microwave plug from the shorepower circuit to the inverter circuit which are right next to each other on the front inside wall. Wow, that's hard!
Recharging the batteries if needed is fast using the diesel truck's dual alternators (260 amps total) which gives 47 amps at idle or the Honda EU2000 gas generator with a 25 amp automatic charger for 2 batteries and a 40 amp automatic charger for the other 3 as I have a guillotine blade separator between the 2&3. On the front outside of the 5th wheel lower is a marine battery barrel switch to connect the #2 ga fine strand welder cables going to the junction box next to the 2 batteries in the back of the truck. Both + & - for full amps.
Less than $150 spent plus the extra group 31 flooded deepcycle batteries which last from a min of 6 years to over 9 years. The Deepcycle batteries used to be Approx $75 each here in year 2000 and are now were $89.17 each + 6% sales tax on sale with our 15% retirees credit card discount as I just purchased 2 new ones 2 weeks ago. Yes, I do have to check the battery water level and top them off each year but big deal!
Been doing this with all our RV's since 1988 and it's so simple, cheap, and extremely reliable and is movable when buying a new RV so why would we waste thousands of dollars on each RV as we have from 2 to 4 RV's at any time? Solar doesn't even appeal to us because we like shade and that's where we'll camp. Note that with the shade, you very seldom will need A/C as a fan or the powered roof vent is plenty sufficient. Yes, proper insulation is where it's at but so few realize it and therefore throw money and bandaids to help with the problems their lack of forethought, real research, or unwillingness to spend a few more bucks on their RV purchase had created! We find it very hard to understand why people camp in the hot bright Sun and then complain that it's hot and they must run their A/C and if boondocking, their noisey fuel gobbling generator too. O'well!
