TxGregory
Explorer
Joined 9 years ago
User Profile
User Widgets
All Activity
walls of travel trailer
Hello I have a 30' thor wanderer travel trailer. I went to hang something on the wall and I figured it would have metal studs. But I used my magnet stud finder and It found nothing except at the corner of the walls. Can someone tell me what kind of studs are in the walls, and what is the best way to locate them. thanks, Greg Hall3.9KViews0likes10Commentsroof of my trailer, how to paint?
Hello, I was up on the roof of my 2006 30' thor wanderer and it looks like it has had too much sun. The surface is dry and crusty. How do you remedy this? Do you sand and paint? Is there a special paint you used? Or should I not worry about it. thanks, Greg Hall1.5KViews0likes6CommentsRe: solar power for dry camping & cpap machine
SoundGuy wrote: TxGregory wrote: Right now I am planning on a solar panel starter kit that includes a controller, a separate battery, a 3000W true sine wave inverter connected to the separate battery, and an extension cord plugged into the shore power outlet when I am parked. WHY such a large inverter when just one battery won't be anywhere near enough to power it to it's full capacity? :h Keep in mind also that while powering the trailer "whole house" can work it does mean you have to be careful to always first turn off the converter and ensure anything that may otherwise be set to run on 120 vac is either switched off or switched to run on gas mode only. Also, whenever running on battery power alone make sure the fridge climate control is turned off, otherwise you'll be wasting valuable battery reserve. Unfortunately, some fridges don't offer this option, in which case it would be wise to add your own switch just as I did. I am planning to have one battery for the controller, inverter... and another battery for the stock connection to the trailer. That way I would not have to turn off the converter to use the inverter. Where did you put your inverter? I am having a hard time finding a spot for mine.575Views0likes0CommentsRe: solar power for dry camping & cpap machine
12thgenusa wrote: You need to ditch the idea of a 3k inverter. There is no way to power its capacity from a single battery. If you really need 3k watts you need a much larger battery bank, many more solar panels and a knowledgeable person to install it all properly for you. A 600w inverter will power cpaps and computers. 12gen, I am with you. I would like to go with a smaller inverter, then I could stow it in its own battery box with the controller. But If I did that, I would have to be really careful about what I plugged into my abundance of AC outlets in my trailer. And for that matter if someone turned on the Air conditioner, it would trip the inverter. Oh, and there is the microwave. Whereas, if I go with something that will put out close to 30 Amp, 120 volt, then I would not have to be so careful. (my controller supports 4X100W panels). I plan to add a couple of more batteries and panels in the future. So I am thinking that making everything capable of supporting 30 Amp 12 Volt will be a better solution long term. I used to design and build IT, and we always had to be careful about bottlenecks. I don't want my inverter to be a bottleneck. Now my assumption has been that if I had the 3000W inverter plugged into a 12v 100amp/hour deep cycle rv battery ... and I ran the Air Conditioner, that it would drain the battery and do no harm. I saw a post from someone with a configuration similar to mine and that is what they said their did. If I am wrong, I would sure like to find out before hand! :)393Views0likes0CommentsRe: solar power for dry camping & cpap machine
MEXICOWANDERER wrote: ANY ANY ANY 12 volt light fixture can be tapped to run a duplex wire to feed a CPAP 12 volt machine. Running an inverter is not quite up to minimum intelligence specifications. So you are suggesting I cannibalize the light fixture over my bed to run two 5A 12V CPAP machines? I just peeked at my dc fuses, and it is 15 amp for lights. So maybe that would work. But then I would either have to try to install two DC outlets, or have the wires hanging over my head when I sleep. I really hate to mess with my trailer, as I have very limited electrical skills, and I don't want to do damage do it. Right now I am planning on a solar panel starter kit that includes a controller, a separate battery, a 3000W true sine wave inverter connected to the separate battery, and an extension cord plugged into the shore power outlet when I am parked. This would all be separate from the trailer, and the only connection would be through the 30 amp shore power cord, and I can use my existing AC outlets throughout the trailer. Yes I will waste lots of power in the inverter and the converter for that matter. But it will be KISS What I am trying to figure out now is where to put the 24 inch long inverter!393Views0likes0CommentsRe: solar power for dry camping & cpap machine
allen8106 wrote: For what it's worth I am installing a solar system on my 5ver at about $1,811 in cost. 4 - 130 watt panels used from Craigslist. ($65 ea., total $260) 2 - Crown 240 ah 6v batteries ($135 ea., total $270) 1 - Magnum Energy MMS1012 inverter ($737) 1 - Morningstar TS-45 Charge Controller ($143) 1 - Bogart Engineering TM-2030-RV Battery Monitor ($158) 1 - Morningstar battery temp sensor ($25) 1 - Magnum Energy inverter remote ($47) 1 - GE 60 amp disconnect w/fuses ($21) 1 - Generac 60 amp manual transfer switch ($100) 1 - 500amp shunt ($34) 1 - 200 amp DC fuse ($16) So far I have installed the batteries and the battery monitor. I have purchased everything else and am just formulating my install plan and panel locations. I am fabricating my own panel mounts, I have developed my own wiring schematic and am doing all the install myself. I expect to be able to run everything except the microwave and the AC without ever running a generator or being hooked up to shore power, my wife also uses a CPAP. So why all this. To show you that a good solar system install can be done for considerably less than you think and to let you know that what you wish to run in your rig can be done within reason. You'll never run the AC on solar and you'll not likely run the microwave unless you have a really big battery bank and inverter but should be able to run everything else. Allen, this looks very similar to what I have ended up with. 4 panels, a solar starter kit, 3000W true sine wave inverter (power tech-on brand from amazon for $271), 3m VHB tape for mounting. Can you share your wiring diagram and where you are putting the fuses and shutoff switch. I am debating two different wiring diagrams. I tried to post them to my original post, but I don't seem to be doing something right. Also, where do you plan to mount your inverter? Thanks, Greg288Views0likes0CommentsRe: solar power for dry camping & cpap machine
Sam Spade wrote: TxGregory wrote: But I don't want to spend that kind of money if I can avoid it. Not sure about the cost of this but I think you would be better off in the long run to get CPAP machines that run directly off 12 V and then just increase your battery capacity if needed. Or check the wattage of your present machines and get a small inverter to power just IT from an existing 12 V outlet. Feeding an inverter into the whole RV is probably not a good idea; too easy to overload it. Thanks for the reply Sam, I have no DC outlets anywhere in my 30' thor wanderer that I can find. I have lots of nice AC outlets just where I need them. And those pretty little AC outlets only work when the trailer is plugged into a 30 power source. Getting a DC plug for my CPAP is pretty easy to do, but it won't help me unless I pay an electrician to run DC outlets.338Views0likes0CommentsRe: solar power for dry camping & cpap machine
12thgenusa wrote: First of all, welcome to the forum. You can probably do as others have suggested and power the CPAP off 12v if you have a 12v receptacle near by and can adapt the machine to take 12v directly. However, that doesn't help you with powering laptops. Your picture doesn't come through BTW. If powering those items is all you really want and not "everything", two 100w panels, two batteries connected in parallel and a 1000w or even a 600w PSW inverter will do nicely. Connecting the shore power cord to the inverter directly is a simple way to do it, but if you do it that way you must remember several things. 1. Make sure your converter is unplugged or breaker off or it will deplete your battery bank quickly. If your converter breaker also powers some of the outlets as mine did you will have to separate the wires and add another breaker or tripping the breaker for the converter will also turn off the outlets you probably want to use. 2. Make sure the fridge is set to gas not auto or the inverter will try to power the heat element. 3. Make sure the water heater is set to gas for the same reason. 4. Don't even try to turn on the air conditioner. 5. Remember that even though all the outlets are live, you cannot power "everything". I have my inverter wired to "whole house" through a manual transfer switch that simultaneously interrupts the circuits for the converter, fridge, water heater and air conditioner so I don't have to remember to turn things off or back on. I run a 2k PSW inverter that I leave on at night to power a CPAP. With the humidifier on it takes about 24Ah per night including inverter losses. Thank you for your reply 12Gen, I tried to edit my original post to get my google doc images to show. I can't see images in anyone's posts. I am not proficient enough in electronics to do the things you suggest. And I really can't afford to pay an electrician. I had no idea running my cpap in the travel trailer was going to be so difficult. I was so happy when I saw those AC outlets with a little table to put my machine on!338Views0likes0CommentsRe: solar power for dry camping & cpap machine
time2roll wrote: Really need six+ batteries to properly drive a 3000 watt inverter anywhere near the max. I think 300 watts would be fine for what you describe as your camping needs. Maybe 200 to 400 watts solar. If you want microwave, electric coffee, toaster, hair dryer etc you are looking at 2000 watt inverter, four+ batteries and 500+ watts solar. Or just add a Honda 2000 to the above. If you want air conditioning and the rest you need 4000 watt inverter, 3000 watts solar, and a large lithium battery. All running at 24 or 48 volts. Or add a second Honda 2000 to the above. ***Link Removed*** Dear Time2Roll, I am ashamed to admit that I took two semesters of electronics in college, but I do not remember anything from them! I think I now see that I would need to generate around 3600 watts to power my 30 am cord/plug if I was to mimic what the power company provides using my solar panels. So my 200 or 300 watts of solar power is only going to give me around 2 or 3 amps of current, unless I save it up in the batteries. But panel/batteries they should power my cpap and laptops and I would only need a 800 watt inverter for that. If I want A/C I will need a generator. I can't tolerate the noise very long due to my chronic medical problems. Thanks again for your help.338Views0likes0CommentsRe: solar power for dry camping & cpap machine
MEXICOWANDERER wrote: Examine the plug in brick carefully. By law the brick must display the power voltage range admitted from the AC plug in inlet to the brick (this cord is usually disconnectable just like a laptop power brick cord) And then the brick's info with continue on and then list the output voltage and amperage potential of the brick. Aha! This is what you are after. Write down the voltage (12 volts)? and write down the amperage (5 amps)? Does the brick say 12 volts and 5 amps (very common)? If yes, you can purchase a power cord that plugs into a cigarette lighter socket, then purchase a long extension (I have encountered ads for 12 feet) cigarette light plus an socket extension cords. This is a far more practical way than using a PURE SINE WAVE inverter that wastes power converting 10 volts to 120 volts AC then back to 12 volts. The power waste going to inverter is expensive and is sort of nuts...if tour CPAP is indeed 12 volts. But with a battery conversion the CPAP must be unplugged from the cigarette lighter before starting the engine. Dear Mexico Wanderer. I also did some wandering in Mexico in my younger years, Yucatan and Oaxaca. Drove my van down there and brought back a load of zapotec rugs and black pottery from Dona Maria. Regarding my cpap and laptops. The problem I have is that my Thor Wanderer does not have a DC plug inside of it. I have searched and searched. I looked near the TV hoping to find it there, but no suerte! I have lots of AC outlets, and they are in all the right places. I have them on either side of the queen sized bed with nice little table tops to put your CPAP machine. I was devastated the first time I dry camped and the AC outlets had no power (they work just fine when you are plugged into electrical power). Paying an electrician to install USB outlets is an option I suppose, but money is very scarce for me so I am trying to do things on the cheap!338Views0likes0Comments
Groups
Travel Trailer Group
Prefer to camp in a travel trailer? You're not alone.Mar 03, 202544,026 Posts
