My family of four lives in our TC full time and it is my opinion that having a battery SOC meter is an indispensable tool... I wouldn't be without one! The model I have chosen is the TriMetric 2025-RV.
i don't much care about your example of the energy used to operate the jacks to load the TC into the truck (no offense intended!). This is because shortly after the loading the TC I would most likely be starting the truck's engine... and my alternator replenishes the energy used very very quickly.
However, I do pay attention to the power we use at night while the solar panels are sleeping; My DC fridge consumes 40-50 Amp-hours between sunset and sunrise, and I usually make water for my coffee and the kids' oatmeal in the microwave early in the morning which is another 10A/h. Then I watch the battery SOC slowly creep back up to 100%... or not, depending upon weather conditions.
I have used the TriMetric's data output to log some specific discharge and charge characteristics, but for me battery monitoring isn't about tracking how much power any individual appliance is using, rather it gives me a general idea of my total energy sue and the status of my battery bank. Most importantly, it provides me with a good indicator of if I can simply let the solar do it job... or if I need to think about firing up the generator or starting the truck.
Hope this helps.
Cheers
-Mark
