Siletzspey
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Re: 8 Gauge Wire
Depending on the calculator or table you use, distance is measured as one-way (as a crow flies) or two-way (round trip). If your battery and alternator are 25' apart, that would be 25' one-way or 50' two-way (25' POS + 25' NEG). The ever popular BlueSea voltage drop table is TWO-WAY based. As for voltage drop, the 3% and 10% rules apply to most device types, but not necessarily to DC-to-DC converters which are designed boost voltage, aka counter voltage drop. Sterling has a video where they compare straight alternator-to-battery wiring where the wire has to be "huge" to counter voltage drop, but then with a DC-to-DC converter, the wire can be much smaller and cheaper and still get the job done. For the alternator to DC-to-DC wire, see the manufacturers length to AWG recommendations rather than needlessly oversizing/overspending on AWG based on a 3% or 10% voltage drop rule. At least for Sterling, they support down to 11.0VDC, or roughly a 23% voltage drop off at 14.4VDC alternator. To counter voltage drop on the output side, the DC-to-DC will have to pull a few more amps, and Sterling specs the 60A output could require up to 80A of input from the alternator. I don't recommend pushing the 20%+ limit however.932Views0likes0CommentsRe: Anyone with 12v Air Conditioning Experience?
stevenal wrote: Have you checked the RVIA electrical codes? I took a pass at trying to understand the relevant industry "codes / standards" and wire gauge x amperage tables, and my debrief WITH LINKS TO THOSE CODES is here. http://www.barbless.com/share/lifepo4/TJG-Wire-Fuse-Sizing.pdf Many codes that are stereotyped as "housing" codes do cover low voltage DC systems, and in fact are what the boating and RV standards build off of! IMHO the boating industry with its ABYC standard is the most comprehensive, mature and utilized standard for low voltage DC systems, not only for boats, but for RVs. The RVIA standard is sparse in comparison, and I've seen multiple comments that utilization of the RVIA standard is voluntary and sparse. IMHO the biggest misunderstandings on various forums are: 1) confusing VOLTAGE DROP tables with THERMAL CURRENT-LIMIT tables and 2) arguing that you only fuse to protect the wire, which means all RVs with 10AWG DC wiring rated at 105C should be fused at 60A. I'm not an expert, but I am putting my work WITH CITATIONS out for critical inspection and feedback. --tg1.2KViews0likes0CommentsRe: 18" tire question - ANOTHER UPDATE
Grit dog wrote: Are the Oregun snow cops that ambitious for this actually to be a thing? I care about my and everyone else's safety when going over snowy passes, and that the M+S and SnowPeak ratings are helpful. To date I have pulled 3 vehicles out of snowy ditches in the Oregon Cascades, and none had even M+S rated tires. During extreme snow events, especially on I5's Siskiyou Pass, the snow cops often check because it's typically people without the right tires that cause the passes to close down for a few hours each season.439Views0likes0CommentsRe: 18" tire question - ANOTHER UPDATE
mbloof wrote: While the selection of available 19.5" tires is not as good as consumer sizes, there are a number of "MT+Snowflake" winter rated tires available. You caused me to look again, and finally found a 19.5" tire that is officially rated for snow. Thanks. https://www.toyotires.com/commercial-truck/tire/pattern/m920-regional-and-urban-drive-tire522Views0likes0CommentsRe: 18" tire question - ANOTHER UPDATE
Google "Ford super duty truck source book". Long ago I found a PDF of the "source book" for my 2015 F350, which is where I got the 3590-lb wheel rating and 3640-lb tire rating. While talking with a local Les Schwab tire center, they said Ford/Dodge/etc "OEM" wheels tend to be honestly rated and robust, and most of the wheel failures they see are with 3rd party wheels where the ratings are suspect. When telling them I was at ~95% of wheel and tire capacity, they said I was fine, but if I was still inclined to worry and upgrade something, I should focus on the tires first. As NRALIFR notes, Ford seems to under-spec the axle ratings, so I don't worry about being at 7K on 7K rated axles.522Views0likes0CommentsRe: 18" tire question - ANOTHER UPDATE
My 2015 F350 SRW 4x4 came with LT275/70R18 tires rated at 3640-lbs, and the wheels (rims) are rated for 3590-lbs. Ford publishes a spec book, and if you can find it via Googling, it has all the specs you could ever want (e.g. tail gate weight). I pondered going to 19.5", but the jump in total tire/wheel weight can be substantial and complicate DIY roadside repairs, and my friend at a Ford dealership warned the additional weight can cause problems with the spare tire cable hoist. 19.5" tires are also narrower, which I don't find favorable for my light off-road driving on soft/wet roads. 19.5" tires also have harder rubber, and while some are marketed as "mud and snow", I haven't found one yet that is formally rated M+S, which in some states is the minimum standard for avoiding chain-up on snowy passes/roads.257Views0likes0CommentsRe: Custom truck camper tie down mounts?
Great replies. And if I think about my tall NorthernLite truck camper and side to side rocking alone, the current tie-downs have a side-to-side stance of ~8 feet wide, while a floor-based stance would be at best ~4 feet wide. The tugging and leveraging forces on any tie downs set at 4 feet apart would be *many times greater* than with an 8 foot stance. Truck beds also flex, and I suspect the truck camper companies and Torklift also take that into account, and have decades worth of failed setups they've learned from.1.2KViews0likes0CommentsRe: Full hook up?
When not boondocking in our truck camper, we usually plug-in and then connect to fresh/black/gray/CableTV as needed or if we're not going to be using the camper for short drives nearby for awhile. When black/gray are connected, I keep the valves CLOSED most of the time. When I dump, I want a rush of water, and in some RV Parks it seems like there is positive air flow out of the sewer system which just fans up the black/gray smells if the valves are left OPEN. We often use the RV Park's shower since our TC's shower is cramped and I like to keep it dry as much as possible.429Views0likes0CommentsRe: Alaska advice
valhalla360 wrote: Actually since the OP is asking on the truck camper section, price might not be too bad. It's for a big RV where the ferry prices get kind of crazy. Following up on valhalla360's comment... Do the ferries charge extra for an "RV", and is a truck camper considered an "RV"? The web-site for the Bellingham WA > Valdez AK ferry among others makes it hard to find the answer and costs :-( --tg591Views0likes0CommentsRe: Battery charging concerns.
Siakzar wrote: Does Closed AGM Weize 100 Ah battery requires ventilation? An AGM battery is a type of "Valve Regulated Lead Acid (VRLA)" battery. If you have a "good" charger properly regulating the volts and amps for AGM, then any generated gasses "should be" continually trapped and reabsorbed within the battery. If you're not careful, gasses can build up and the safety valves can vent the gasses. Having ventilation or at least being careful where you put the AGMs is not a bad idea! --tg766Views0likes0Comments
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