Using power generated by an alternator seems to be pretty common while in transit. How do you equip your truck - a single high output, dual alternators, or stock?Basic needs are pre-heating, or pre-cooling the living space and the fridge while driving. Having a 2nd alternator presumably would allow one to do it all at a fairly low initial price and some sacrifice of mileage.

My 2006 Tiger CX on a nearly stock Chevy 2500HD 4x4 chassis uses its one heavy-duty alternator (from the snow plow package) to run the engine and other chassis stuff and to charge the coach batteries and to charge whatever else I plug in while the engine is running. It has done a fantastic job at this since the day I bought it new. A couple of years ago, at about 90K miles, I replaced this alternator and the serpentine belt as preventive maintenance. There was nothing wrong with either, but 90K miles... I kept the old belt and alternator as spare parts just in case of disaster somewhere in the backwoods country I love to explore.My Tiger has neither generator nor solar. Don't compare it to whatever Tiger you see next, because almost no two Tigers are alike.

cptqueeg stock alternators only have a 1/3 duty cycle.But let's examine a high output--say 150 amps? Well 150 x 14 volts only equals 2100 watts. But there's more! Once the starter battery is recharged the ECM will lower the voltage which lowers the output.Dual you might have a chance--but that isn't going to be cheap.My stock alternator is 130 amps. I'll be using a dc to DC charger with it soon--to get adequate charging for my house bank. But I'm only doing a 20 amp unit--because I don't wish to burn out the alternator.

You can have 1000 amp alternator and be lucky to get 20 amps through the oem wire fused at 40 amps.My oem alternator does just fine. Some solar on the roof helps too.

Need a new truck anyway $380 for a dual alternator - 220A and 170A.

cptqueeg wrote:Using power generated by an alternator seems to be pretty common while in transit. How do you equip your truck - a single high output, dual alternators, or stock?Basic needs are pre-heating, or pre-cooling the living space and the fridge while driving. Having a 2nd alternator presumably would allow one to do it all at a fairly low initial price and some sacrifice of mileage.I don't think it's pretty common.Almost never hear of people running heat or air/con off the trucks 12v system. While operating, the air/con is going to be pulling somewhere around 120amps @ 12v. The wiring and inverter to generate and then get that power back to the trailer and converted to 120v AC is possible but highly impractical.The furnace is propane powered with just a small amount of 12v power to run the controls and the fan but the fan doesn't consume a lot. Problem is at 60mph, you will have a horrible wind chill effect meaning you will likely burn a ton of propane.You can run the fridge but usually not a big issue. Most travel in propane mode. If you even have a 12v option (most RV fridges don't), a decent battery with trickle charging from the hitch plug will generally handle the needs for a few hours of driving.If you have a true 12v fridge, it's only pulling 2-3 amps, so no need to upgrade anything.

Alternators - what are your thoughts? | Good Sam Community

JRscooby
Explorer II
Aug 30, 2021
dedmiston wrote:

Do you think you need enough cooling to keep a 53 X 8 box below 0* on your RV?
I was more comparing the sound of a genset and the AC to the sound of a APU mounted for climate control for driver.

YES PLEASE!!!

That sounds amazing. :C

I'm sure Thermo King could set you up. But might need another axle to carry it and what is needed to hold it in place.
deltabravo
Nomad
Aug 30, 2021
I have factory dual alternators, massive charging cable upgrade and a Victron DC to DC Charger

Here's my high amp charging cable upgrade

Here's my Victron DC to DC Charger
dedmiston
Moderator
Aug 29, 2021

Do you think you need enough cooling to keep a 53 X 8 box below 0* on your RV?
I was more comparing the sound of a genset and the AC to the sound of a APU mounted for climate control for driver.

YES PLEASE!!!

That sounds amazing. :C
JRscooby
Explorer II
Aug 29, 2021
jaycocamprs wrote:
JRscooby wrote:
Tvov wrote:

So you are talking about a gasoline powered air conditioner?

Or propane. As a matter of fact, diesel powered have been on the market for a couple of decades.

I don't want a "Reefer unit" on my RV. And after spending some weeks in a hotel that had a restaurant supply driver stop 2 nights a week. I know I don't want to listen to it. But yes it would work.

Do you think you need enough cooling to keep a 53 X 8 box below 0* on your RV?
I was more comparing the sound of a genset and the AC to the sound of a APU mounted for climate control for driver.
jaycocamprs
Explorer
Aug 29, 2021
JRscooby wrote:
Tvov wrote:

So you are talking about a gasoline powered air conditioner?

Or propane. As a matter of fact, diesel powered have been on the market for a couple of decades.

I don't want a "Reefer unit" on my RV. And after spending some weeks in a hotel that had a restaurant supply driver stop 2 nights a week. I know I don't want to listen to it. But yes it would work.
time2roll
Nomad
Aug 28, 2021
JRscooby wrote:
Just trumping out here. If everything can be run on 12V except the Air Conditioning, ......
No trouble really. Just need 120 to 140 amps continuous.
Matt_Colie
Explorer II
Aug 27, 2021
Back to Cptn with his new information.

As far as only maintaining the reefer in a TC, you can do that. I know this for a fact because we have had a dorm reefer in our coach for about 10 years now. Yes, it eats house bank when we are dry camping, but it was also about 1K$us to install than the nearest choice. I managed to repair the DC NOcold, but DW loves the new little reefer. Our coach is not that different than the TC we did have, so I do know the situation.

You do have a very different situation than a TV/TT. But, if you go with a dorm or small domestic, you can fire it underway with cheap MSW inverter and it won't mind.

Matt
S_Davis
Explorer
Aug 27, 2021
https://imgur.com/gallery/EoSXEF7

I have a system with 50amp Redarc and four Trojan T-105s, I run a portable compressor fridge and battery charging for work tools. The Redarc is my only charge source at this point. This is installed on my truck not camper.

I ran 1/0 DLO cable for the charging circuit, I am in the process of upgrading it to run a Outback 2800 inverter with six Lifeline GPL-30HTs. This will give me two 450ah battery banks. I plan on using it to power the a/c when needed.
JRscooby
Explorer II
Aug 27, 2021
Tvov wrote:

So you are talking about a gasoline powered air conditioner?

Or propane. As a matter of fact, diesel powered have been on the market for a couple of decades.
Tvov
Explorer II
Aug 27, 2021
JRscooby wrote:
Just trumping out here. If everything can be run on 12V except the Air Conditioning, most say you got to run a generator to have AC. How does that work; Engine spins a generator which makes electricity used to power a motor which spins a compressor. Have I got that right? I read somewhere, (think it was in some kind of science book, so may not be generally accepted nowadays, but lets assume it's true) that every time energy is forced to change forms some is lost.
Why not Engine spins a compressor. Maybe add a alternator driven by that little engine.

So you are talking about a gasoline powered air conditioner?