Hi all... I just learned today the my heater works without the use of A/C power. What I don't know is... how long can I expect my two 6v batteries to last while running heat at night, limited LED light use and running the water for dishes and showers?

Outside temp would need to be estimated.In south Florida 2 to 3 days In Upper Peninsula of Michigan 4-5 hours.and this depends on age and condition of batteries.You need to give more info

I'm pretty sure the correct answer is "it depends" :) Depends on how long the furnace runs, how many Amp Hours your batteries have, how cold it is outside and a dozen other issues.That said - the general consensus is that if you turn the thermostat down (62* or so) and it's not sub-zero temps outside, that your batteries should keep the furnace running for the night.

darsben1 wrote:Outside temp would need to be estimated.In south Florida 2 to 3 days In Upper Peninsula of Michigan 4-5 hours.and this depends on age and condition of batteries.You need to give more infoOkeedokee.. Fall camping.. let's say mid 40s at night.. want to bring temp to 68 for sleeping. Batteries are new this year.. good shape. Thanks!

My furnace (Suburban NT-20SEQ) draws a measured 2.1 amps when running steady (a bit more when first starting up). Suburban specs it at 2.7 A. So, 10 hours overnight running full time would only be 21 AH.If you have GC2 batteries, you should have ~200 AH to work with, which would give you about a week of use for furnace only. For best battery life, it's suggested to not draw lead acid batteries down below 50%, and you've got some small lighting and pump loads (fridge? that will draw ~0.5 A, even when on propane), so you should be able to get 2-3 days. And, that's for constant overnight use, so at mid-40's (guessing furnace is actually running ~3 hours/night ~= 7 AH), you may be able to go a week.YMMV. You really need to measure how much current your camper draws with different things on.

My furnace measured at 6.7 amps, so I can figure out the rest with my set up.

furnace/heater question | Good Sam Community

30 Replies

mike-s
Explorer
Oct 20, 2016
trail-explorer wrote:
THe only true way to know "how long your batteries will last" is to install an amp hour meter such as a Xantrex Link Lite or Link Pro
No, that's just an educated guess. The only way to tell is to actually go through the real world experience.
mdprowash
Explorer
Oct 20, 2016
trail-explorer wrote:
pconroy328 wrote:
I'm pretty sure the correct answer is "it depends" :) Depends on how long the furnace runs, how many Amp Hours your batteries have, how cold it is outside and a dozen other issues.

That sums it up pretty well.

There are so many variables involved, it's impossible to answer the question.

THe only true way to know "how long your batteries will last" is to install an amp hour meter such as a Xantrex Link Lite or Link Pro

Yes.. too many variables and conditions. I did pick up a generator today.. so I will monitor and use when necessary. Next step is to pick up a meter. I do have a Buddy heater and have used it in the past.. I haven't experienced any ill effects. Thanks again everyone!
trail-explorer
Explorer
Oct 20, 2016
pconroy328 wrote:
I'm pretty sure the correct answer is "it depends" :) Depends on how long the furnace runs, how many Amp Hours your batteries have, how cold it is outside and a dozen other issues.

That sums it up pretty well.

There are so many variables involved, it's impossible to answer the question.

THe only true way to know "how long your batteries will last" is to install an amp hour meter such as a Xantrex Link Lite or Link Pro
Clockman
Explorer
Oct 19, 2016
I can answer this for you, I tested this on my trailer in real world conditions so I know! I camped at below zero temps as cold at -15 in mammoth two years ago, I have have 2 6 v interstate batteries, in my lance 1685 with 25,000 btu heater. I had it set at 60 degrees and the Heater was on and off cycling quite a bit through the night.. I had 12v tv on all night too, lasted through to the morning no problem, but they were low and needed a recharge...Hope that helps!
azrving
Explorer
Oct 19, 2016
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ExxWhy
Explorer
Oct 19, 2016
mdprowash wrote:
Thanks again! I replaced the converter last year with a Progressive Dynamics 45A smart charger.. so it probably does a good job. The Genius on 6v mode does 7.25v - 3.5A

My next question.. If I bought a "blue or red" 2000 series generator.. I would need to use an adapter for the 30 amp cord to plug into one of these generators.. is that okay? If I brought my batteries down to close to 50 percent... how long would it take for one of these generators to charge them to near full capacity?

I have a similar setup in mine. 2 6 volt 208 AH batteries and a PD4045 converter. I also have a trimetrics battery monitor system, so I have a pretty good idea of what's going in and out. We were just in the Black Hills last month for a couple weeks without shore power.

Mine draws .6 amps with the fridge on gas and everything else off. The furnace draws 6 amps when running. We keep it cool inside, 58-60 at night with it around 30-40 outside. We will typically use around 15% of the battery power each day. I ran my Honda EU1000 for 1 1/2-2 hours each day to keep the batteries close to 90%.

The converter won't go into boost mode until the battery voltage gets below 12. In normal mode, it would start out charging at around 20 amps and slowly drop to around 8-10 amps by the time I shut down the generator. I called PD to verify that is normal, and they said it is. No way to force boost mode.

Yes, I use a 30 to 15 amp adapter to plug into the generator.
pianotuna
Nomad III
Oct 18, 2016
Hi,

No answer possible without knowing the size of the battery bank in amp-hours.

No one in their right mind attempts to charge past 90% while running a generator, unless they have no choice.

I would look at the Champion inverter generators rather than Honda or Yamaha.

"The chart above shows the amount of time it took a PD9155 (55-amp) converter set to three different output voltages to recharge a 125 AH (Amp Hour) battery after it was fully discharged to 10.5-volts.

mdprowash wrote:
Thanks again! I replaced the converter last year with a Progressive Dynamics 45A smart charger.. so it probably does a good job. The Genius on 6v mode does 7.25v - 3.5A

My next question.. If I bought a "blue or red" 2000 series generator.. I would need to use an adapter for the 30 amp cord to plug into one of these generators.. is that okay? If I brought my batteries down to close to 50 percent... how long would it take for one of these generators to charge them to near full capacity?
mdprowash
Explorer
Oct 18, 2016
Thanks again! I replaced the converter last year with a Progressive Dynamics 45A smart charger.. so it probably does a good job. The Genius on 6v mode does 7.25v - 3.5A

My next question.. If I bought a "blue or red" 2000 series generator.. I would need to use an adapter for the 30 amp cord to plug into one of these generators.. is that okay? If I brought my batteries down to close to 50 percent... how long would it take for one of these generators to charge them to near full capacity?
pianotuna
Nomad III
Oct 18, 2016
The genius may or may not do a better job than the OEM converter.
azrving
Explorer
Oct 18, 2016
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