Technical ArticlesTechnical
Residential Refrigerator Power Requirements
Monday, 29 March 2010 13:46
Since we boondock (dry-camp - no utility hook-ups) many times, sometimes for a month or two during the winter, we were concerned about getting a residential refrigerator in our new Tiffin Phaeton motorhome. This was a FREE option, compared to the standard 12cf RV fridge that can also use propane when there's no electric hook-ups. However, the thought of having a 21 cubic foot household fridge made the thought VERY tempting. With the order of a Phaeton equipped with the residential fridge, Tiffin also added two additional house batteries and an upgraded 3000 watt inverter - all at NO additional charge! This made the thought even more tempting.
We tried to get advice from other RV'ers who have a residential fridge. Specifically, I wanted to know how much power the fridge would consume running off the inverter and 12volt batteries. Since I was used to having a TriMetric battery meter in our old motorhome, I was used to measuring all power consumption in amp hours (AH). To me, it' simple math. We have 660AH of battery capacity. To prolong battery life, you don't want to deplete more than 50% of your battery capacity. Therefore, we have about 330AH of battery we can use before getting critical. Although almost all recommendations were "go for it", "you'll love it", "no problems on battery", or "wouldn't live without a residential fridge", I couldn't get the straight answer I was looking for. I simply wanted to be told "the residential fridge will use about "XX"AH at 12volts". If "XX"AH was very high, this would make using a residential fridge for dry-camping impractical. We don't want to be running the generator all day long, just to keep a fridge running. Since we have some solar panels, our biggest concern was overnight. Would a residential fridge use 300AH at 12volts in a 9 hour period? You can't (shouldn't) run a generator while others are sleeping nearby.
RV Solar System - Phaeton
Saturday, 20 March 2010 09:59
When we purchased our new 2010 Tiffin Phaeton motorhome, there was NO WAY I was going to leave most of the modifications I had made on the old Dolphin motorhome. Prior to picking up our new Phaeton from the dealer, I removed the solar panels, the solar charge controller, the Internet satellite system, the AGM batteries, and the toad brake control system. After owning the Phaeton for a couple months, I found time to reinstall the solar system. This system is the same as what was installed on the Dolphin motorhome. You can read about that install here.
The system installed on the Phaeton includes:
- Four Kyocera 120 watt solar panels, providing a maximum of 28.4 amp/hrs.
- A Blue Sky Solar Boost 50L solar charge controller with remote display. This controller handles 50ah, which will allow for expansion.
- Six LifeLine AGM 6-volt batteries, model GPL-4C. Cabled in series to provide 12 volts and in parallel to provide 660 amp/hrs.
- A TriMetric TM-2020 battery meter, with 500 amp shunt. This provides precise details on battery condition and usage. Specifically, details on actual amp/hr usage.
- The Phaeton already came standard with a Xantrex 3000watt inverter and 400amp catastrophe fuse.
Before I could reinstall the solar system, I needed to purchase a few items that I left on the old motorhome (wouldn't have been right to leave it with big holes). A replacement solar controller remote display, the TriMetric battery meter and 500 amp shunt, and wiring were ordered from Wind and Sun in Flagstaff, AZ.
RV Living Area Renovation
Tuesday, 15 July 2008 08:02
After owning our 2002 Dolphin motor home for over 6 years and living in it fulltime for almost 4 years, we were tired of the layout of the front living area. We like the entire layout of the motor home, but the living area could be improved for our style and comfort. Many people change RV's when they get tired of one, but that's not financially prudent. We plan to keep this motor home for many more years, so we'll just keep improving it. Much like you would a renovate or change a regular sticks and bricks house. In addition to not liking some of the layout, some of the upholstery was wearing out.
When we started planning this renovation, our goal was to repair or replace the worn upholstery, move the television to a more pleasnat viewing angle, create a more comfortable television viewing experience, and have a better computer work area. Like many class A motor homes, our TV is mounted high above the front windshield. Sitting on the couch, you need to twist your neck sideways to view the TV. Our computer station consisted of a recliner with a fold-up table. This heavily used recliner had HUGE wear holes in the upholstery, as did the passenger seat. Connie also never liked having carpet in the living area, as it was always dirty and worn. She preferred a wood floor with an area rug.
RV Solar System - Dolphin
Monday, 14 April 2008 17:49
Prior to August 2004, our motorhome didn't have an inverter or solar charging system. Without electrical hookups, we would have to run the generator even to watch TV. I did start using a small 300 watt inverter on the television, but this was very limiting. When we sold the house, I used some of the profits to install a complete photovoltaic electrical system, which includes:
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Our Homemade RV Bar
Monday, 14 April 2008 17:25
We use to carry a few large bottles in the cup cabinet above the sink. These are the large 1.75 liter bottles that Rum, Gin, etc. come in. They took up quite a bit of space in the cabinet and rattled around. So we designed and constructed a bar to securely hold the bottles. Luckily, we have a large counter in the kitchen and there was room behind the sink for the bar. We were able to move 4 large bottles out of the cabinet, and also include a pole to hold a roll of paper towels. With some non-slip material underneath, the bar stays in place while traveling.
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