Measuring 12v power consumption

ependydad wrote:
The above all works, but since you're considering dry camping- why not get a proper battery monitor? Something like the Victron BMV?

http://learntorv.com/victron-battery-monitor/

Even better get a Bogart Engineering TM-2030-RV. Monitor your usage for a while then you will know exactly what your power draws are.

My solution is probably overkill for your question, but it sure does work for me. I use the Thornwave Bluetooth Battery Monitor for real time Battery Amps, Volts and Power that I see on my smartphone when I am in the RV. And I got it with the RV Whisper system that logs the Thornwave Bluetooth data and makes it available over the internet.

Ed

Amp Hour meters are around 200 bucks. They measure amps in and out of the battery bank. Voltage. And Amp hours consumed.

https://www.hodgesmarine.com/Xantrex-Linklite-Battery-Monitor-p/xan84-2030-00.htm?gclid=CjwKCAiAwJTjBRBhEiwA56V7q38FXL2pb9DfGITauYyA-5VFjzcKq0KSPFgzokldtWjMndRo5wlWeRoC-kMQAvD_BwE&click=19

I built up one of these inside a PVC electrical box. Two DC VOLTMETER for each of my two battery banks and one DC AMP meter for the total draw of DC amps... The meter face are glued to the back of the three switch panel...

Roy's image...

I mounted this three meter panel on the cabinet wall where you walkin into my POPUP trailer...


Roy's image

I can judge pretty good my 50% charge state by watching the DC meter panels showing the DC VOLTS level. If it approaches 12.0VDC this tells me my battery banks are down to around the 50% charge state level. This is when I will stop using my batteries until I get them charged up again to at least their 90% charge state... Otherwise I will start doing damage to my batteries...

There are a couple of neat DC POWER PANELS out there that will give a lot of info of your battery status... Some are expensive however...

My meters came from BLUE SEA sales on AMAZON. They are pretty bright when being used so I added a master ON-OFF switch to turn them off. Too bright to be used for nite light...

Roy Ken

dockmasterdave wrote:
I use one of these.

That's fine but it won't work with 12 volts, only for 120 volt AC.

My trailer idles at about 500 milliamps to run the fridge and detectors.

A second battery and 150+ watts solar will go a long way.

Biggest power hogs are incandescent lights (change them to LED) and the furnace blower.

The above all works, but since you're considering dry camping- why not get a proper battery monitor? Something like the Victron BMV?

http://learntorv.com/victron-battery-monitor/

Any multi-meter (with the proper ranges) will do that. Pull the fuse out, put your test lead on each pole of the fuse holder, measure the amp draw.

A DC amp probe similar to this one.
DC amp meter