Sometimes small systems are plenty
Friday my wife suddenly got the urge to camp. Immediately. All the TT has is the original Group 24 battery, 5w solar to maintain it and a 700w/1500w inverter I've never even run under significant l...
Forum Discussion
12V TV - yes, a problem.
Mostly, my rant was aimed at oversized 120V inverter systems that so many campers consider crucial. Small 200W inverter will take care of 120V TV. Again... I don't consider TV a "necessary" item. Not something that you must have or would suffer enormously without it, like without AC in 105 weather. A short break from a week of watching news and stupid shows won't hurt.
120V fridges have made their way into hookup-only campers. Relying on it in offgrid situation would be a disaster. In theory, there shouldn't be that much difference in efficiency between 12V and 120V fridges, given same size and insulation, but in reality 120V frig is too much burden on battery. Partly because they are big (usually), partly because compressors made differently than in 12VDC. Plus, inverter losses. 12V or 48V bank - doesn't matter, you still have to invert from DC to AC.
Air compressor? Don't remember when I topped up my tires the last time, definitely not something to do every day, and small noisy 12V pump works well enough.
Mostly, my rant was aimed at oversized 120V inverter systems that so many campers consider crucial. Small 200W inverter will take care of 120V TV. Again... I don't consider TV a "necessary" item. Not something that you must have or would suffer enormously without it, like without AC in 105 weather. A short break from a week of watching news and stupid shows won't hurt.
120V fridges have made their way into hookup-only campers. Relying on it in offgrid situation would be a disaster. In theory, there shouldn't be that much difference in efficiency between 12V and 120V fridges, given same size and insulation, but in reality 120V frig is too much burden on battery. Partly because they are big (usually), partly because compressors made differently than in 12VDC. Plus, inverter losses. 12V or 48V bank - doesn't matter, you still have to invert from DC to AC.
Air compressor? Don't remember when I topped up my tires the last time, definitely not something to do every day, and small noisy 12V pump works well enough.
