What would you do??

[Texas_Two_Stepp]

Here is the situation. My friend wanted to downsize and be able to boondock camp so he went to a dealer and was sold a new Cardinal with a residential refrigerator, a 5K generator and 1-12v battery. He's going to pick it up in a week. I know there are all sorts of issues here. He didn't ask me anything and I'm not volunteering anything but know I will eventually be involved and will want to help. He will not want to spend much money. How's the best way to modify the rig so he can dry camp without running the generator all night? Oh, he also has a CPAP machine.

[mena661]

MM49 wrote:
Your friend might be making the best move possible decision for dry camping. The most important feature is weight capacity for the battery bank. If you can carry the weight in the correct position on the rv the electrical design challenge can be solved. Every rv has its weight limits to how much battery bank can be carried. My rv is a TT and the most battery I can carry is two on the tongue. Any more and the vehicle stability is compromised. Motorhomes have it made with the weight carried between the axles.
MM49

Cardinal's are 5th wheels. There is no tongue. Also the shortest Cardinal is 35 ft and has a GVWR of 14,000 lbs. Weight is not an issue. If weight was an issue, wouldn't installing a big heavy house fridge and a 5kW generator be just as dumb? I had 400 lbs of batteries in my old 9500 lb GVWR 5th wheel. No stability issues or any issues of any sort. Why is there always someone here defending an obviously bad or uninformed decision?

[westend]

MM49 wrote:
Your friend might be making the best move possible decision for dry camping. The most important feature is weight capacity for the battery bank. If you can carry the weight in the correct position on the rv the electrical design challenge can be solved. Every rv has its weight limits to how much battery bank can be carried. My rv is a TT and the most battery I can carry is two on the tongue. Any more and the vehicle stability is compromised. Motorhomes have it made with the weight carried between the axles.
MM49

This assumes that batteries must always be carried on the tongue. With the advent of AGM, battery location isn't restricted to the outside of the TT, you can put them in any location.

I run a residential fridge (small dorm model) with 300AH and a single 235w panel. Average draw is about 40 AH/day. It can be done.

[MM49]

Your friend might be making the best move possible decision for dry camping. The most important feature is weight capacity for the battery bank. If you can carry the weight in the correct position on the rv the electrical design challenge can be solved. Every rv has its weight limits to how much battery bank can be carried. My rv is a TT and the most battery I can carry is two on the tongue. Any more and the vehicle stability is compromised. Motorhomes have it made with the weight carried between the axles.
MM49

[wa8yxm]

There is only one choice...

To run the Fridge w/o generator, He will need an inverter, Likely 1,000 watt or more, and LOTS of batteries, I'd say 3 pair of GC-2 at the very minmum, likely more.

To run the PAP machine,,, He needs to make sure it can run on battery power and install the needed connectors near the bed.

or, Same inverter

But why dual convert (12 volt to 120 volt to 12 volt) if you don't have to.

He will also need to test the system to insure the batteries will last the night cause folks who use a PAP. if it looses power, can easily wake up dead. and that is not a good thing.

(I got,, Well lucky is not necessarly the word, but I was examined by both a cardiologist, who worked long and hard to keep me alive (clearly successfully) and a pulmanologist if I've spelled it right (lung and resperation) who did nothing for me but schedule a sleep study he felt I did not need.

The cardiologist and my Primary care, both based on the heart problems were sure I had severe Apena.

The sleep study results: NO APENA... None, Zip, Nada, Don't have it.

I told the sleep doc that I felt that if I were to make a bet, I'd bet on the Lung& Resperationb doctor. After all, it's his specality.

He said he'd have bet with the other two.

But no matter.. I WON.

[Opie431]

Do everyone else a favor and give us the name and location of the dealer so we all know who to avoid.

[Francesca_Knowl]

Seems like it's a bit late to "advise" your friend... Too bad you didn't come on here looking for info to pass along BEFORE he made his choice.

If you want to keep him as a friend, don't rub it in that he didn't do his homework!

[jaycocamper6230]

Ummmm...Forest River is requiring 4- 6V batteries running an inverter on the Cedar Creek, I got one on order. Cardinal should be the same. I'd strongly question the dealer on that one

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

Buy him a very good ice chest for Christmas?

[2oldman]

IDman wrote:
Why is it always "a friend" who makes the mistakes?

LOL.. an apparently computer illiterate friend.

[donn0128]

UHHHH I think we are all missing something here. Forest River is not going to sell a RV with residential refer with only one battery. They will insist a minimum of two for a full hookup rig. I think the dealer is screwing your friend. Get him out of this deal. IT IS NOT A GOOD DEAL FOR HIM!!!!
To make that fiver ready to boon dock, he is going to want lots of solar panels, a decent charge controller and a very large battery bank.

[midnightsadie]

put him on to this site and let him read your post.

[IDman]

Why is it always "a friend" who makes the mistakes?

[2oldman]

household refer and inverter2009

residential fridge- boondocking 09
Residential refer Class A 2010

[Matt_Colie]

It sure sounds like he bought the wrong rig for real boondocking....
As others have said, if he changes out the house bank for at least a pair of GC-2s and fits a 750W inverter, he can run both the CPAP and the reefer over night, but it will still take 4~6 hours of generator time to recover the house bank.

Give him our regrets.

Matt