DAWg134
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Re: Check List
Here is a site that allows you to create a custom checklist from a very comprehensive list of RV-related checklist items. It's very easy to use, and you only select those items that are pertinent to your particular circumstances. Once you are done, it provides you with a digital version that you can either print out or use on a iPad, computer, etc. Custom RV Checklist Generator387Views0likes0CommentsRe: Attaching Solar Trickle Charge to RV Cover
Sam Spade wrote: Another potential downside is that you may not have ANY magnetic material in the shell of your RV. Mine is all aluminum and fiberglass except for the front fenders and the bumpers. Yeah, in that case you'd have to attach some steel discs to your RV's shell, using VHB tape or simply screwing them in place. Alternatively, in the past I've also attached my panels by placing additional magnets on the inside of the windshield. That actually worked well, but proved to be unnecessary as placement of the panel on the hood was more than adequate to keep the batteries charged, even during periods of sustained inclement weather. Since the magnets on the panel would automatically be attracted to the steel plates, the size of the plates wouldn't have to be very large - 1-inch diameter ought to be sufficient. If that wasn't inconspicuous enough, the plates could be painted to match the RV's exterior. Placement of the metal discs is easy enough - just place them on the panel's magnets, remove the backing from the VHB, then hang the panel on the selected surface(s) of the RV. As far as procuring circular plates, steel washers would work just fine. For something without a hole in the middle, you could saw off the appropriate thickness of round steel bar stock or simply Google "steel circular plates" for numerous pre-fabricated discs of various sizes. If none of those approaches suit you, try contacting Mexicowanderer and see whether he might be willing to sell you a few of his aluminum magnets. :W794Views0likes0CommentsRe: Oil Change interval based on time
The reason for oil changes based upon a specified time interval in lieu of driving the maximum number of miles during that same period is the presumption that you are driving the vehicle on short-haul trips that never allow you to reach the specified mileage interval. If you are driving only short distances, the engine never has an opportunity to heat sufficiently to boil off moisture that has accumulated in the crankcase. Moisture contamination in in-service lube oils is perhaps one of the most destructive forms of engine corrosion second only to particle contamination. Water contamination in oil can be categorized into three forms of water; Free, emulsified, and dissolved. All forms of water have direct consequences to the oil and gears of the engine, but indirect consequences as well. Direct consequences include changes in pH and viscosity which can be problematic in themselves. Other factors that affect engine corrosion are contamination of glycol, soot, and particle corrosion. The presence of water exacerbates each of these factors and can cause irreparable damage to the engine. If you are frequently driving short-haul distances, then you should probably change the oil more frequently. However, if you are only driving long distance on an infrequent basis, chances are that your engine oil is just fine and you should therefore change it on a mileage basis due to particle contamination concerns. An engine oil analysis can certainly alleviate your concerns.803Views0likes0CommentsRe: Attaching Solar Trickle Charge to RV Cover
I attach my temporary-mount solar panels to the RV using powerful neodymium magnets. Simply use 3M VHB tape to permanently attach the magnets to the panel, then use another piece of VHB tape to mount a piece of thin rubber to the opposite side of the magnet. This allows you to attach the solar panel directly to the body as well as on top of the cover without marring the paint. I attach one solar panel on the hood, facing west, and a second identical panel on the side of the RV, facing south. The number of magnets required will depend upon the weight of your panel(s) and the type of magnet you select. I use six 1" diameter x 1/4" thick N42 disc magnets I purchased online from K&J Magnetics. I see that they now carry N52 magnets as well. N52 Magnets are $7.70 apiece, but each one is capable of "lifting" 33 pounds axially. The only downside is that you may have to periodically clean off an inexplicable accumulation of iron particles from the magnet to prevent them from rusting and discoloring either your cover or the vehicle's paint. Apparently, there is an infinitesimal amount of iron suspended in the air - possibly from brake discs or drums.794Views0likes0CommentsRe: Want advice on series/parallel battery cables size
racer4 wrote: 2oldman wrote: racer4 wrote: Does anyone know of a good AGM that fits in a GC-2 foot print, has about 240AH capacity (4 batts total ~480AH @ 12V), and is easy to buy at a price that won't scare most people away. Lifeline GPL-4CT batteries will give you 440 AH at 12 Vdc, but they're not cheap at $299 apiece. Still, the best decision I ever made was to substitute Concord batteries (Mil-Std version of Lifeline AGMs) for the OEM Gill flooded cell batteries on my helicopters. Instead of replacing every 12-14 months, I was getting 5 years per battery. Even though the Concords cost nearly twice as much ($840 vs 475), I was coming out way ahead... not to mention eliminating maintenance downtime. When it came time to replace the two OEM Trojans on my Roadtrek, I didn't hesitate a second. Powerstride had the best prices last year when I purchased my GPL-4CT-6s at $250 each (free S&H), but other sellers may be more competitive today.667Views0likes0CommentsRe: Want advice on series/parallel battery cables size
racer4 wrote: My primary objective is to finish a daily battery charge with the generators and the 100 amp converter in the shortest time practical. When boondocking, the residential refrigerator will use about 150AH (estimate) daily of battery capacity. With respect to the solar panel supply side of your power distribution system, your objective could easily be satisfied simply with cabling as small as 4 AWG... depending upon length. Assuming a worst-case peak current of 33A at 12 Vdc during the mid-afternoon period of maximum sunshine, your power loss over a 10 foot length of cable would be approximately 5 watts out of 400 W - a little over 1%. It would be twice that for a 20-foot run. Keep in mind that your power distribution system is undoubtedly equipped with multiple self-resettable circuit breakers, ranging in capacity from 10A to 50A. In the overwhelming majority of RVs, these will be the inexpensive thermal-actuated variety that generally retail for around $7.50 each online. OEMs probably pay a buck apiece. Typically, you would have a separate breaker located at each end of a long cable run. These circuit breakers are simple, fairly reliable devices that operate by routing the current through a low-impedance bi-metal strip contact that expands as the resistance causes the metal to heat up and expand in a non-uniform manner that results in one metal to expand greater than the other, causing the contacts to open. With no current running through it any longer, the metals gradually cool and contract, re-closing the contacts and permitting current to flow once again.... self resetting. Although cheap and reliable, these circuit breakers are hardly efficient, typically requiring from 10W to 15W or more to operate. More power is required to actuate a high rated breaker because of the heavier metal strips. This means that if you are running 30A through a 50A thermal breaker, you are losing approximately 9W to each of your breakers alone at peak current. NOTE: Yes, I realize it is somewhat non-linear due to thermal conductivity considerations resulting in varying resistance within the breaker over time, but close enough for this discussion. Bottom line, if losing 5W of solar power output due to use of 4 AWG cable is a concern for you, then you need to take a real hard look at the rest of your system and eliminate the more serious parasitic losses. High-efficiency circuit breakers that require only 1 to 2W to operate are available, but be prepared to spend $45 to $75 apiece, depending upon how you source them and the quantity that you're willing to purchase. My advice is to concentrate instead upon achieving a balanced power distribution system that utilizes components matched to your real needs. Go back to the voltage drop calculator and see whether smaller cables will do. Seriously, I think you would be fine with 4 AWG or even 6 AWG cables on the solar side for runs of up to 20 feet and 2 AWG would be more than sufficient for the high-power applications. You'd be better off focusing your attention upon achieving high-quality, low-impedance connections for your terminal lugs to eliminate potential losses at the ends of your cables. These are particularly bad because they tend to worsen over time and can eventually lead to problems. As I mentioned previously, also take a hard look at component such as battery separators, as the 1.5 to 2.0 A required to hold the relays in the "connected" state to charge both sets of batteries is continuous, and remains long after the sun has gone down on your solar panels and/or you've turned off your generator. In fact, this parasite will persist until it has literally drained your batteries down to the lower switching voltage.666Views0likes0CommentsRe: Want advice on series/parallel battery cables size
I realize I will be in the minority, but I believe too many people commit cable overkill when designing their vehicle power systems. In many cases, it turns out to be a case of “penny-wise, pound-foolish” as they fail to take into consideration the total system performance and the impact of relatively high-impedance interconnections and components. A little practical knowledge regarding basic electronics will help immensely. You are definitely on the right track by using online voltage drop calculators, as suggested by Question #2. The key is to understand precisely what you are trying to achieve and/or avoid. Are you concerned that undersized cabling will heat up under load and lead to a fire? Are you attempting to minimize power loss because you want to maximize your power system’s efficiency? Question 1 - “What size cable?” See Question 2 - use a voltage drop calculator to appropriately size the wire for the intended amperage and the length of the run, based upon the minimum acceptable criteria you establish… plus a little bit extra for margin. Question 2 - “What is an acceptable voltage drop?” You’ve already calculated your maximum load to be 100 Amperes. At 13.6 Vdc, a 1.5% voltage drop would be 0.204 Vdc. Would less than a quarter volt decrease likely affect any of your appliances? No. Your power (P=I*V) loss would be approximately 20 watts. Is that enough to heat up a cable to the point that nearby objects would combust or plastic melt? Unlikely, especially if the 20W are distributed over a substantial length of wire. Question 3 - “Copper or tin?” This is almost a “plastic or paper” question… there is no “right” answer. However, unless everything else to which you’re connecting your cables are exclusively copper, I’d recommend tinned copper for corrosion resistance and dielectric compatibility. Additional Consideration #1: The cost of higher capacity cables and/or connections increases disproportionately to the derived benefits. Despite some of the other comments on this thread, my experience has been that there is a HUGE difference in the cost of 4 GA and 4/0 GA cable and lugs. Additional Consideration #2: Availability of higher capacity cables and components. Guess what? That 4/0 GA lug only comes with a 1/2” hole and you want to connect it to a 1/4” lug on your battery separator. Yeah, you can probably make it fit by grinding down the edges, but… Additional Consideration #3: Heavier cables and connectors are more difficult to handle. Not only are the cables themselves difficult to bend, route through firewalls and such, they are also more difficult to terminate. Prepare to invest in several different flavors of heavy-duty connector crimpers and/or heavy-duty soldering equipment to ensure you aren’t creating high-impedance connections that will totally overwhelm any power savings from the heavier cable. Additional Consideration #4: Take a look at all of the components in your proposed design and make certain that they are properly matched for your requirements. Keep in mind that every time you route power through a set of relay contacts or circuit breaker, there is a set of metal contacts with a small, yet perceptible resistance, that is going to rob a finite percent of your electrical power. Quite frankly, if maximizing your overall power efficiency is your goal, I’d be more worried about the 1.5 A of power that is typically consumed by the energizing coil of your typical battery separator relay than the relatively insignificant line loss of your cable - scrap your SurePower 1315-200 for a Blue Sea 7622 magnetic switch. Anyway, these are just my thoughts on your topic. I thought that at the very least, I would attempt to respond to each of your three questions.666Views0likes0CommentsRe: Realistic mileage for Sprinter based diesels?
Because of the high-profile body, fuel mileage for a Sprinter diesel is highly dependent upon vehicle speed. If you like to speed along at 70-75 mph, then don't expect much more than 19 MPG on mostly flat long hauls. On the other hand, if you're not in a hurry and are comfortable lolling along in the slow lane at 60 mph, then you can easily see 24 MPG in the flats. I tried this experiment on two 1,000-mile round trips, keeping it as steady as possible at 60 mph, 65 mph, 70 mph, and 75 mph on each respective 500-mile leg.876Views0likes0CommentsRe: Clicking sound with trickle charger
If you have a dual battery setup (i.e., vehicle battery and coach battery), then it is possibly your battery separator cycling on/off. As the battery you are charging reaches around 13.6 V, it'll come on, thereby connecting the two batteries together. As the second battery (at a lower voltage) drains the current from the first battery, the separator will switch off somewhere around 12.6 V. The clicking noise is the relay contacts either making or breaking the circuit.337Views0likes0Comments
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