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Forum
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RE: 2 weeks - from seattle area - any ideas?
This year we are considering: Glacier Nat Park, Olympic Peninsula, Yosemite Nat Park, Vancouver Island or?
Is that a serious question??? While you have some great suggestions, none compare to BC and Vancouver Island. Start Planning!
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CA Traveler
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02/08/12 07:54pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Technical Info for Slideout - Exploded View?
All 4 of my slides are different.
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CA Traveler
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02/08/12 05:39pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Time left from battery
From a practical RV point I don't get the desire to know KWH in the battery. And although I can set the 2025 to display AH left in the battery I'm quite satisfied with the % full display. If it says 50% it's time to recharge and it really doesn't bother me if the actual capacity is somewhat more or less.
I don't even care how many watts my coffee maker uses, I do know that it's about 6A AC and I consider that if I'm on a 30A pedestal with other AC loads. And I'm very much aware that it draws 66A from the inverter. I also know how much the inverter amp draw is for the TV, satellite receiver and MW because all of this is coming out of my batteries. Watts on the other hand come from my gen or utility company so of much less concern to me.
BTW I'm an electrical engineer and know and love watts. Maybe if I was a battery designer I'd know and love battery watts but would see that it's labeled in AH.
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CA Traveler
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02/08/12 11:17am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Time left from battery
Trimetric's website just told me that the 2025 can be set to reflect kWh transactions.Maybe, as you can display A or W, either one can be on the primary display with the other on the secondary display. The display in W is the product of volts and amps so it appears to have an accurate W representation.
However the battery full function is only displayed in AH (or %), so the W display is limited to live data. If one has a desire to know how many watts the battery contains this meter doesn't help.
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CA Traveler
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02/08/12 10:55am |
Tech Issues
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RE: LEVELING
I had the level where I could see if from the drivers seat. I quickly learned where to place the boards and was very successful leveling the first time.
But first level the refer (dead level) using a level. Then mount the bubble level.
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CA Traveler
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02/08/12 07:32am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: LEVELING
I had the level where I could see if from the drivers seat. I quickly learned where to place the boards and was very successful leveling the first time.
But first level the refer (dead level) using a level. Then mount the bubble level.
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CA Traveler
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02/08/12 07:31am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Time left from battery
Hi,
I got a surprize this week when I tried to use my Vector charger at -6 C (21 f). It immediately gave me a fault code. I guess it is temperature compensated and will not work at those (mild) temperatures?Ship it to me and I'll test it and make sure it's OK. :B:B:B
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CA Traveler
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02/08/12 07:10am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Battery Monitor Shunt Installation Plus Battery Disconnect
I should have added that the inverter is 2000W and can draw up to 166A steady state, not that I push those limits. It also regularly charges at 100A so I need a heavy duty disconnect switch. Perhaps the Blue Sea in the above link.
Unfortunately the design of this rig does not allow the the charger/inverter to be close to the batteries. I estimate that the negative lead is 20' and the positive lead 30' so anything that I introduce in the circuit has to be the lowest possible resistance.
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CA Traveler
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02/07/12 07:15pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Battery Monitor Shunt Installation Plus Battery Disconnect
Nice job on the Lifelines. Can you give me some idea on how high the shunt is? I've been considering a Trimetric. How about a manual turn type switch such as those used on a boat. A whole bunch here: http://www.iboats.com/Marine-Battery-Switches/dm/view_id.216621
JohnThe battery terminal is 1/2" high and the shunt 1 1/2" high resulting in a 1" rise for the bracket. While not apparent in the photo there is a horizontal offset in the bracket so that the shunt can clear a battery handle.
Thanks for the link, I'll check those switches and see what kind of clearance I have etc.
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CA Traveler
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02/07/12 06:40pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Battery Monitor Shunt Installation Plus Battery Disconnect
I actually installed a 6 conductor 22 gauge non twisted wire cable before I bought the meter, shunt, fuses and wire. So if there are any problems I can easily convert to the twisted pair cable.
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CA Traveler
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02/07/12 06:22pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Battery Monitor Shunt Installation Plus Battery Disconnect
Yeah, I'd run the disconnect on the (+), and if you have solar, connect the controller right to the Battery + bypassing the cut off switch. I'm considering solar so thanks for the reminder.
One question about your shunt. Why does the terminal on the left have one twisted pair sense wire, yet the other has only a single sense wire? The Trimetric 2025 RV uses 5 wires. Two of the wires sense the voltage drop across the shunt and have no other loads except for the voltage detection (and hence amp usage) of the shunt. The second pair which includes the second wire on the left side of the shunt and a connection to the positive battery terminal supply power to the meter/display and as such there may be some minor voltage drop on that set of wires. But that voltage drop is not a factor for the first pair of wires which is suppling an accurate represetanion of the amp usage. The fifth wire which is used for the 2025 RV unit is used to display the voltage of a second batterey bank which in my case is the statting batteries. Is that clear as mud?
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CA Traveler
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02/07/12 06:18pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Battery Monitor Shunt Installation Plus Battery Disconnect
Not an answer to your specific question, but where does the cable on the negative battery terminal go? To the negative of another battery bank?
Why do you need a negative battery disconnect switch?The batteries are 4 6V batteries in a series/parallel connection. The smaller 2/O cable connected directly to the battery post (along with the copper bracket) goes to the negative of the second pair of 6V batteries. The larger 4/O cable on the left side of the shunt goes to frame ground and from that location there are several ground cables one of which goes to the charger/inverter ground.
A battery disconnect switch could be located on either the positive or negative cable.
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CA Traveler
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02/07/12 05:59pm |
Tech Issues
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Battery Monitor Shunt Installation Plus Battery Disconnect
Here's a picture of my shunt installation which might provide ideas for others. The copper bracket is a piece of 3/4" copper pipe.
But now that the Trimetric 2025 RV battery monitor is operational it's identified a new problem. My rig has a house battery disconnect switch that disconnects everything except the Magnum 2012 converter/inverter. And that piece of equipment draws 0.3A which is enough to discharge the batteries to 50% in 30 days.
My guess is that Monaco wanted the batteries to stay charged even though the house was disconnected. Well OK but I have no power while the rig is stored.
So any suggestions for installation of a disconnect switch in the general area of the shunt?
http://i369.photobucket.com/albums/oo134/catraveler/ShuntDSCN1866-Small.jpg width=700
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CA Traveler
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02/07/12 03:24pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Battery Charging
An open cell would leave with the equivaent of 2 batteries. A shorted cell could have a significant impact on the life of the other 2 batteries. That's one reason why I suggested that you have the batteries load tested.
My rig has a switch for everything except the Magnum converter/inverter which draws 0.3A, ie it never shuts off. That alone means the batteries will be 50% discharged in 30 days. I'm still "thinking" about my options for a switch.
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CA Traveler
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02/07/12 12:59pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: “Gain” from a MPPT Solar Charge Controller
Looking forward to your results.
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CA Traveler
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02/07/12 09:22am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Hookups
In the electrical world the 50A label applies to the 240V capability of the circuit. Along with 240/120V, 4 wire, 3 pole and 60HZ to further define the circuit.
In the RV world there is only one type of 50A circuit used. Since very few RVs have 240V appliances we just need to know that we have 2 times 120V 50A capability. Or 2*120*50=12,000 watts which is a lot of available power.
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CA Traveler
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02/07/12 08:27am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Solar Power 101
Per Salvo post:
4. I would mention that more than 10% can occur in limited circumstances so that your writeup isn't dismissed due to some of the advertising.
5. You could mention that if panel space is limited then the MPPT cost could be justified for the additional gain.
How about a solar 201 article?
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CA Traveler
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02/06/12 12:50pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Montana LLC
One other item that might be a major consideration: medical.
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CA Traveler
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02/06/12 06:54am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Battery Charging
Now that you know the drain a 200W flat mounted panel and PWM controller should be adequate to keep the batteries charged in storage.
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CA Traveler
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02/05/12 06:44pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Battery Charging
Drive the rig to a good battery shop and have the batteries load tested. Forget an auto store for 8Ds. Next beg, borrow, buy or steal (not really) a DC clamp on ammeter and find out what the drain is when stored. A battery disconnect switch might be a good idea.
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CA Traveler
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02/05/12 06:33pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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