A wife that needs some electrical assistance

[GeeGee2]

I need to ask some questions. My husband has had brain surgery This is something he just cannot process so I am really needing some help. I am trying to figure out the simplest way to power our two cpap machines off electricity. My CPAP is a Resmed Pro and I am at a 14. Hubbies is older and he is at a 7. We love national parks but know that many will not have electricity so I am looking for more than and overnight fix. Remember I am not at all electrically inclined so treat me like the total novice that I am when answering. We only have a marine deep cell battery. I have tried watching Utube for answers but the terminology just confuses me and my husband.

Questions:

1.We need a generator to power the battery (batteries)? How many batteries?

2.If we buy one I think we should make the investment to get one big enough for the air conditioner. We have just one AC. What size generator do you suggest?

3. We need something to go from the generator to the batteries? If so, what do we need to purchase to make that connection?

4. What must be purchase to go from the battery to the CPAP's to power them?
Where do I purchase that kind of thing. Since Radio Shack is no longer available I don't know who might have what we need.

What have I forgotten to ask and or need to know? Remember to keep it simple for me and step by step would be helpful.

Thank you so very much. I trust the people who are actually campers and have dealt with this. You know what we need and what this kind of camping requires. I have discovered that people who do not camp just give you a blank look when you try to tell them what you need to accomplish.

[GeeGee2]

Lots of great advice. Will you see if I have this right?

1. Buy another battery

2. Buy a inverted generator 3000 either Honda or Yamaha.

3. Buy connectors that go from the battery to the cpap machines.

4. I am assuming that each cpap should be on a separate battery?

5. Buy the converter plugs that go from the cpap to the cigarette lighter. They will have a male plug on them. Mine is a 5V hubby is 2.5v

6. In most cases we will be in National Parks in the off season, (cooler weather) and will not be using the AC that much.

7. Here is the link to our trailer floor plans.

http://www.campersinn.com/product/new-2015-keystone-rv-passport-23rb-elite-287970-29

8. What am I missing and do I have things in the right sequence?

Thanks so much to all of you.

[PastorCharlie]

The real issue of concern is does your husband have the mental skill to work with AC current without hurting himself or endanger others?

Does he understand the difference between AC current and DC current?

Does he have the ability to proper wire the DC polarity to prevent damaging the CPAPS?

Does he have the ability to proper wire the AC polarity to prevent damaging the CPAPS?

There is a lot more involved than just pulling wires from point A to point B, and that difference can cause a fire or serious electrical shock.

Considering what you have shared about your and your husband's situation it is highly advisable that you discuss your needs with a certified and licensed electrician....what you do not know can kill you at the worse and destroy your equipment at the least.

This is one time when you need a professional and not some internet information.

I hope that you are not depending on an internet forum for your healthcare.

[Dakota98]

In my opinion, the OP has one of the very best set-ups with their Keystone model to accommodate & install power to two CPAP's


#1 - What is the make & model of both machines ?

#2 - Do either of you use a humidifier ?

#3 - What is the "group size" of the 12 volt battery you now have ?

#4 - A) Would you like to use an adapter directly to a 12 volt source ?
B) Would you consider using an "Inverter" in place of A

#5 - Yes, you are going to need a Generator, but would you also like to use the air conditioner dry camping? Would a "remote" start generator be an advantage in your situation ? Where would you store the generator while in transit?

I believe these questions & subsequent answers will lead you in making more informed decisions.

[Dakota98]

pianotuna wrote:

Finding such a dealer might well be impossible, and even if you can the price might be astronomical. The OP really needs to be able to specify the needs.

SO VERY TRUE !!!!

And at this point it's impossible for the OP to communicate their specific needs, until they understand exactly what step # 1 is. There are a few options to this situation & in that, decisions to be made.

The last thing I want to happen when dry camping is to lose power to my CPAP or destroy it.

As a few responders have eluded to, What is the exact make & model of BOTH machines?
It is possible that a solution for one may be different than the other.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

Finding such a dealer might well be impossible, and even if you can the price might be astronomical. The OP really needs to be able to specify the needs.

darbyjudy wrote:
You know considering you have very little knowledge about electrical systems don't you think it would be wise to just bite the bullet and go to a good RV dealer and tell them what you want to do & let them make it happen. Otherwise you might cause more problems that you solve.
Just my two cents worth.

[darbyjudy]

You know considering you have very little knowledge about electrical systems don't you think it would be wise to just bite the bullet and go to a good RV dealer and tell them what you want to do & let them make it happen. Otherwise you might cause more problems that you solve.
Just my two cents worth.

[westend]

There was a fellow that posted on the Forum that said he used one of the auto jump packs to power his CPAP. If that is accurate, it would be the easiest way to run the devices--no additional wiring needed, no battery upgrades involved and I'd bet a very small generator could be used to charge the jump packs back to full. A low budget solar system could do the charging too but this couple sounds like they have enough on their plate right now. The easiest would be best, I'm thinking.

[Dakota98]

GeeGee2 wrote:
OK everyone. This is what I think I have gathered from the group so far.:

Need to buy another 12V battery
Need an inverted generator 3000 . Name brands Honda, Yamaha,
Need to purchase a 12V 24V Battery Clip On Car Cigarette Lighter Socket Adapter


Our trailer is a 2015 Keystone Passport Elite 23RB.

http://www.campersinn.com/product/new-2015-keystone-rv-passport-23rb-elite-287970-29

Would we run the cord adapter from the battery into the trailer maybe thru the storage area then into the trailer beside each side of the bed? These things my husband could do if we had the sequence of things to do in the right order. He just can't figure out the point A to Point B to Point C etc.

You're on a track..... but it happens to be the wrong track.

I'm assuming since you're new members to the Forum as of January & the TT is a 2015 model & both of you have been using a CPAP for awhile in the home, that your knowledge of the RV power system is limited, correct ?

[ChiMom]

GeeGee2, my spouse and I also have been camping with CPAP machines for years. I have a Class B with one house battery and calculated at some point that the battery would take a serious hit if we used it every night for the CPAPs while dry camping. My decision was to always get electrical hook-ups. However, if you check Cpap.com and search for battery kits, you may find a portable battery pack exclusively for your CPAPs like I the ones I bought. Each lithium ion battery pack will power us through one night, at settings of 11 and 14, but NO humidifiers. The packs then have to be charged for 8 hours the next day to be prepared for another night, so multiple nights of dry camping are out for us. Hope you can create the best solution so you and your husband can keep on camping!

[Ron3rd]

GeeGee,
You're on the right track. The first thing you need to do is add a second battery if you only have one, like I mentioned above. For your generator, a 2000 watt generator is all you need to keep the batteries charged up, but IF you need air conditioning, you will need a 3000 watt INVERTOR generator with Honda, Yamaha, and Champion all being good reliable brands. The Champion will be a bit cheaper, with the Honda and Yamaha being the most expensive. All 3 will work fine for you. As to the 12v cigarette socket adapter socket, you may or may not need that, and you probably already have a 12v cigarette adapter plug in your trailer somewhere, but that also depends on how the cpap machine has to be powered so we need to know if it can run off 12 volts or needs to run off 120 volts.

[GeeGee2]

OK everyone. This is what I think I have gathered from the group so far.:

Need to buy another 12V battery
Need an inverted generator 3000 . Name brands Honda, Yamaha,
Need to purchase a 12V 24V Battery Clip On Car Cigarette Lighter Socket Adapter


Our trailer is a 2015 Keystone Passport Elite 23RB.

http://www.campersinn.com/product/new-2015-keystone-rv-passport-23rb-elite-287970-29

Would we run the cord adapter from the battery into the trailer maybe thru the storage area then into the trailer beside each side of the bed? These things my husband could do if we had the sequence of things to do in the right order. He just can't figure out the point A to Point B to Point C etc.

[hershey]

You've gotten a lot of good advice. I'll only add, don't even try to power an AC from battery power. You just can't carry enough batteries to power an AC. Two batteries will power you CPAP's. A small 2000 watt Honda will provide charging power to keep that charged during the day in a couple hours and battery power at night.

[tonymull]

First order a box of these and see if they work for you. They create resistance on the exhale using a barrier rather than air pressure. It works for most people. You might not want to use it every night, but when dry camping it's worth a shot. Allowed me to sleep well when backpacking again.

http://www.proventtherapy.com/index.php

This will let you run your cpap right off a deep cell battery and you can dedicate one to that purpose, assuming your cpap runs on DC. If it has a converter 'brick' in the cord, it does.

http://www.amazon.com/BESTEK%C2%AE-Battery-Cigarette-Lengthened-Extension/dp/B00JOY6U7U/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1433811368&sr=8-3-fkmr0&keywords=battery+to+dc+power+cord+for+cpap

I think you can get a splitter to run two machines.

Go with a honda or yamaha generator to keep things as quiet as possible.

I don't use air conditioning as all our travel is in the northwest and alaska so i'm no help there.

[time2roll]

Generally you will be limited to generator hours so running the CPAP or AC 24/7 on generator power is probably not going to happen.

Really need the CPAP model numbers for best options.

For AC you will need 3000 to 4000 watts. (quite heavy) Honestly I will suggest looking for hookups if you need AC.

There are multiple ways to keep the CPAP power on all night. Solar, more battery and inverter will work. Possibly you can pull 12 volt wire to power the machines direct.

Since you need assistance you probably need installation help and should also consult your local RV dealer. Although beware they don't all know what they are doing and charge a bundle.
Post what they suggest right here to get comments.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

The most efficient way is to have machines that will run on 12 volts. After that, the next thing needed is an energy audit, so you can calculate how many amp-hours of battery bank are needed.

Since you plan on being 'off the grid' a solar system may be in your future.