Oscar_P
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Starcraft Starmate
I just came across a ‘94 Starcraft Starmate at a local equipment auction. From the outside it looked in great shape, but the curtains were drawn on all but one window. From the one place I could see in, it looked to be in good shape. Has anyone had experience with these? Can’t get inside until the day of the sale, I don’t think. I know the owner of the auction and might be able to pull some strings. Can anyone share their experiences, give me details, anything like that to help me decide if I want to be more serious about it?736Views0likes1CommentRe: Day tank
mellow wrote: Kayteg1 wrote: -will TC roof support the weight? -how to haul water from the lake up on the roof? -the gravity pressure is not that high - how to use that water at campfire. I built mine on supports to spread the weight on the roof. 12v transfer pump and garden hoses Pressure is fine, I use it hose off and put out campfires all the time. You can see the hose I have hanging off the back, it is plenty long enough to reach a campfire near the TC. ***Off topic, sorry*** I clicked on the picture you posted to get a better look at your setup. Then not sure how to get back, and thinking it was a short cut I clicked on "Next Post" at the top of the picture. I can't unread what I read. HAHAHA515Views0likes0CommentsRe: How to hang a clothes bar across the back seat?
I've had the headliner out of the quad cab Dodge's a couple of times (I have an '07). Honestly, there isn't a simple solution for installing hooks the way you are suggesting. You would almost have to cut holes into the headliner itself so that you can access the body under it. There is a 2" or so cavity between the headliner and the cab in that area, so simply putting a screw through will only catch on the thin fiberglass of the headliner. With that said, I hope someone has a solution to this. This could solve some stuff for me as well and like a dope, I never even considered using the back seat for a closet.1.7KViews0likes0CommentsRe: Solar assistance
hedge wrote: You still have your terms mixed up. - Converter changes 120v to 12v, It also usually serves as the 12v and 120v distribution point having breakers for the 120v AC and fuses for the 12v DC side. Never seen a converter that doesn't charge the batteries. - Charge controller is the piece that sits between solar panels and the batteries. - Inverter takes 12v DC and inverts it to 120V AC, this is not usually an OEM installed piece. Now I'm really confused. I am following you on your explanation, the reading I have done on the BW 6406 says that it will allow you to run on either 12v or 120v by flipping a switch, but does not charge the batteries when hooked to shore power. Before I get too involved in this things, y'all please correct me in this. ***Tried to attach a picture to help out, but can't figure it out.***608Views0likes0CommentsRe: Solar assistance
Wow, a flood of information since I last checked on this. Thank y'all very much for coming through. Yes, I mixed up my terminology and apologize for that. I said converter simply because that's what it says on the front of the unit, "Power Converter". However research on that model shows that it does convert from 12v to 120v, but does not have the ability to charge batteries. When I said "inverter", I was referring to the unit that goes between the solar panel and the batteries to charge them. I'm going to look into the buddy heaters. No more than I expect the run lights and such, I could get away with using the pickup batteries for running the lights and use the buddy heater for heating if need be. For that matter, I only really need the heat in the evening and morning when changing clothes and prepping food, so the buddy heater might allow me to forget the solar system completely at this time. I'm going to read back through all the posts more carefully now and start doing more research. I just wanted to take a minute to say thanks for the help so far.608Views0likes0CommentsRe: Solar assistance
I'm thinking I have room for two batteries in the system, but not sure if they should be 12v or 6v for my application. 6v seems to have the greater Ah ratings, but there has to be an advantage to running the 12v since that seems to be standard for most people's setups.151Views0likes0CommentsSolar assistance
I have a solar panel that is rated at 315w@9a. My converter in the camper is a BW Model 6406, which apparently means it will allow me to run off of batteries for my electrical needs, but will not charge the batteries. I'm trying to set up a solar system, but am over my head with the information I've been gathering and I know I will run out of time before I get it all narrowed down and installed, so could y'all lend a little assistance? I'm trying to figure out a decent set of batteries to run and which inverter to get to charge the batteries. My electrical needs are not huge, 3 lights that will have LED bulbs soon and one furnace fan. Electrical will not be used during the day, lights will only be used for about 1-2 hours max and furnace ran as long through the night as possible. I'll be boon-dock camping in the Colorado mountains, so no option of shore power for recharge and wanting to fight off the sub 32* nights. Can anyone help guide me to the proper size batteries and inverter needed to be a close to self sustaining system working with what I already have? I'm not asking for anyone to do the shopping for me, just getting confused on the exact specs I need for this.3.7KViews0likes19CommentsRe: Viking Pop-up
So, where to go from here? My guess is, its time to look at what batteries to use that will power my electrical needs for the trip, then I can find what components are needed to charge those batteries from the solar panel I mentioned before. Any insight or personal experience on the converter itself would be great. I'm also looking for recommendations on batteries. I was looking at the Group 31 automotive batteries due to being familiar with them and knowing they can handle our large equipment on the ranch and or diesel pickups, however, over the weekend I got turned on to the Trojan T105 (or replacement versions of it). I need the battery budget to stay sub $120 per battery in order to keep everything on track, and obviously the less I HAVE to spend the more I can turn that savings around for other parts of the preparation process. Any advice is good advice. Thanks everyone who is walking me through this.494Views0likes0CommentsRe: Viking Pop-up
I return from the weekend one camper richer and with a little more information to share. I want to first say thanks to those that are following me with this and helping me work out the details. So it appears the converter in the camper is a BW Series 6400 Model 6406. There is a switch on in showing Conv.-Off-Batt., and I have no reason at the moment to suspect the converter is not working properly. What little research I have been able to do has shown that this converter WILL NOT charge the batteries. The furnace is a very basic setup. There were not any markings on the front and I did not have the time to dig into the cabinets to get make/model on it. However, I was able to determine that it is propane/electric. Propane for the heat and of course electric for the fan.493Views0likes0CommentsRe: Viking Pop-up
I'll bump this back up when I get it home and able to dig deeper into it. Like I said, I appreciate all the help to this point. One more quick question to occupy my mind until then. I did some looking at my solar panel last night. It shows to be rated at 315w@9A. From what I have read, this should be adequate to charge two batteries in a day's time. Does this sound accurate to others? Would be nice if I could cut the truck electrical out of the equation all together and run only on solar.493Views0likes0Comments
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Travel Trailer Group
Prefer to camp in a travel trailer? You're not alone.Mar 05, 202544,027 Posts
