Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
Jayco RV Owners Forum
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 09-23-2015, 09:28 AM   #21
Senior Member
 
mike837go's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Campbell Hall
Posts: 2,835
Quote:
Originally Posted by octane View Post
gotta admit my wood burning fireplace at the cottage is a lot nicer to look at than the propane furnace in the TT!
Try cooking Thanksgiving supper for your girlfriend of 10 weeks on a woodburning stove in cabin without running water or electricity.

It was Heaven!

We celebrated 10 years together last week.
__________________
TT 2015 19RD "TheJayco"
TV 2003 F-350 "Montblanc" - Housebroken chore truck


Sitting in The Cheap Seats.
And proud of it!
mike837go is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2015, 09:50 AM   #22
Junior Member
 
wwachsman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Southeast Michigan
Posts: 25
I've just joined this group. But I was an automotive electrical engineer and 12 volt power was a daily concern for my career. I'm in the process of trading a Bighorn in on a Greyhawk 29MV. My Bighorn frig was a dometic and we ran on 12 volts quite a bit. We didn't find a high amount of drain with the frig, the furnace could discharge a battery overnight. The lights were another power hog.

Have you considered an additional 12volt marine/deep discharge battery in parallel with your current house battery? The cost is usually reasonable.
wwachsman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2015, 09:51 AM   #23
Site Team
 
norty1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: James Island, SC
Posts: 22,772
I have read a thread on a rv forum, this one I think years ago where a guy installed a wood burning stove in a rv.

Have not heard from him in a while, I hope he didn't burn up!
__________________
Moderator
2011- 351RLTS Eagle, MorRyde suspension/pin box,
2017- F350 6.7 PSD Lariat FX4,SRW, SB,CC
Hughes PWD SP-50A, TST TPMS
Gator roll-up bed cover
B&W Turnover ball, Companion Std hitch
Can't find what you're looking on JOF? Try Jayco Owners Forum Custom Google Search
norty1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2015, 10:17 AM   #24
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: SE Wisconsin
Posts: 3,430
I'd consider each system separately. First, convert to two 6 volt batteries. Far better for boon docking. Next thing to look at is all the devices that are a constant draw. If you don't need the current time on the entertainment system, install an off switch for it to completely shut it off. Not much you can do about the other appliances unless you want to swap your water heater for an old style one with a pilot light. Other appliances you may also be able to control with cut off switches so they only operate when you need them.

When we used to boon dock, propane was the only way to do it. I never relied solely on the battery.
__________________
Chuck
2013 Jayco Jayfeather X20 E (sold)
2016 Chevy Silverado LTZ 2 Z71 Crew Cab (sold, and dearly missed)
DocBrown is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2015, 01:43 PM   #25
Senior Member
 
mike837go's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Campbell Hall
Posts: 2,835
Quote:
Originally Posted by wwachsman View Post
...snip...Have you considered an additional 12volt marine/deep discharge battery in parallel with your current house battery? The cost is usually reasonable.
As stated earlier in this thread a pair of proper 6V deep-cycle batteries will replace the OEM group 27 dual-purpose when the OEM battery is no longer serviceable.

And as an electrical engineer you should be aware of the downside of connecting mismatched batteries to a single charger. It ain't good.

My problem isn't having enough electricity, I have a variety of gensets at my disposal.

I'm railing against the change in resource loading. In the early RV's, propane powered almost everything (gas mantle lighting, anyone?). Check out the really early Airstreams. The water supply was pressurized by a hand operated air pump (the tank was pressurized too).

Then a car battery was added. 12VDC lighting is MUCH safer than the gas lamps! Oh, and a 12VDC demand pump works the same way as a well pump in any rural home! Worked great for many years...

Then the electronics crept in... The fridge actively hunts for the 'best' power supply. When needed, ignites the propane supplied by a solenoid operated valve. The water heater is just as bad; electronic ignition & solenoid.

Adding a 1.5A load to burn the fuel when you are already running a 7-10A motor for heat? I mention it only in passing.

What good is switching to LED lighting to save energy when the water heater uses more DC power in an hour that it took to run the incandescent lighting all evening?

It burns my noodle that all this has been foisted on the unsuspecting RV buyer under the guise of "saving energy". Just like nuclear fission doesn't pollute, like other fossil fuels.
__________________
TT 2015 19RD "TheJayco"
TV 2003 F-350 "Montblanc" - Housebroken chore truck


Sitting in The Cheap Seats.
And proud of it!
mike837go is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2015, 01:49 PM   #26
Senior Member
 
mike837go's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Campbell Hall
Posts: 2,835
Quote:
Originally Posted by norty1 View Post
I have read a thread on a rv forum, this one I think years ago where a guy installed a wood burning stove in a rv.

Have not heard from him in a while, I hope he didn't burn up!
The fools on the BBC version of "Top Gear" installed one in a Mercedes...

As nice as it would be, the realities (clearances to flammable surfaces, the weight, chimney, fresh air supply...) make it impractical for any RV I'd want to own.
__________________
TT 2015 19RD "TheJayco"
TV 2003 F-350 "Montblanc" - Housebroken chore truck


Sitting in The Cheap Seats.
And proud of it!
mike837go is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2015, 02:04 PM   #27
Senior Member
 
mike837go's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Campbell Hall
Posts: 2,835
Quote:
Originally Posted by DocBrown View Post
I'd consider each system separately. First, convert to two 6 volt batteries. Far better for boon docking. Next thing to look at is all the devices that are a constant draw. If you don't need the current time on the entertainment system, install an off switch for it to completely shut it off. Not much you can do about the other appliances unless you want to swap your water heater for an old style one with a pilot light. Other appliances you may also be able to control with cut off switches so they only operate when you need them.

When we used to boon dock, propane was the only way to do it. I never relied solely on the battery.
Interesting Ideas!

A cutoff switch for the radio. The USB charger gets one too

I have a 1-year-old standing pilot water heater for an RV installed in my self-contained portable wash station in my barn/shop. Swap those for each other after the warrantee on the trailer is up.

The proper batteries will be done when the OEM one is shot. (On second thought, I may move the trailer's battery to the wash station in the spring and install the deep cycle batteries in the trailer as part of bringing it up for the 2016 season. )

The last troublemaker is the fridge. I don't see myself shelling out $1,200.00 just to switch over to an all manual model (like I had in my old trailer). I think I can live with the .7 to 1.5A draw from that. Plus, I've gotten to like the little light that comes on when you open the fridge door.
__________________
TT 2015 19RD "TheJayco"
TV 2003 F-350 "Montblanc" - Housebroken chore truck


Sitting in The Cheap Seats.
And proud of it!
mike837go is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2015, 03:25 PM   #28
Site Team
 
Mustang65's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Clearwater, FL area
Posts: 5,196
Ok Mike,
You got my curiosity going. If you would not mind, disconnect your shore power. Turn off your fridge and your propane. Take your Volt/Ohm meter and if it has a 10 amp setting on it, pull your main 30 amp fuse by the battery and plug in the VOM leads in the fuse holder.
That reading should include your radio, CO alarm, water heater circuit board and your fridge circuit board (and maybe your USB charger). You can pull the (+) power lead off the water heater board and the fridge board if you want . You can then add the circuit boards one at a time to get an actual reading. You should now have all your parasitic loads, not sure if you said you have the DC or AC USB option, if DC add that to the total.
You should have an actual number to look at, with little or no testing time.
You can have your significant other turn on the water pump to give you an actual number, but turn off the fridge first. Probably would not turn on the furnace, as that may have a startup draw of more than 10 amps.
Have a GOOD night and Thanks
Don
__________________
2013 Jayco Eagle 284BHS
2012 Ford F150XLT, EcoBoost w/3.73,Max Tow Pkg.
Our Solar Album https://www.jaycoowners.com/album.php?albumid=329
Mustang65 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2015, 05:32 PM   #29
Junior Member
 
wwachsman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Southeast Michigan
Posts: 25
mike837go, my GM duramax diesel has two 12 volt batteries in parallel and this has been done since the start of production in 2000.

As far as reverting back for a few dry campers I'm sure you know what the answer is. Most of us want full hook ups.
wwachsman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2015, 07:27 PM   #30
Junior Member
 
Doncom's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Marble Falls
Posts: 25
Here's how I addressed the very same problem:

I installed a Trimetric meter and ran a complete inventory of everything electric in the RV.

I was very surprised that some things like the water pump that was labeled at 7amp only used slightly over 3 and that some things like the C0 monitor with no label would deplete a deep cycle marine battery in just a few days. The auto-ignite devices use almost no electricity at all....and I should have known that since they run on a watch battery on my home gas grill.

I also learned that the 12 volt control board on the refrigerator used almost no electricity at all and that I could run the fridg almost exactly a month under normal usage on one 30 pound lp gas container.

We boondock frequently and here's how we addressed the problem:

I replaced every light in the rv with led bulbs.

I installed 2 6 volt GC2 batteries.

I installed 560 watts of solar panels permanently on the roof and have an additional 140 watt panel that is portable to move into the sun when we're parked in the shade.

I installed a 2000 watt PWS Inverter with a transfer switch so that everything in the rv will run off the batteries. The AC won't run on 2000 watts, but the microwave, coffee makers and everything else will.

This past summer we spent almost three weeks in WY, ID, MT, and CO and spent three nights in rv campgrounds. The rest of the time we were on BLM or National Forest with no hookups. We watched movies every night, popped popcorn in the microwave, ran the heater as needed, (one night it was 31 degrees at 9,000 feet) and never once got the batteries below 12.4 volts and never cranked the generator.

Now, I understand that what I've done might not be the ideal solution to what you are trying to address, and I'm not trying to suggest that you should do what I did. I simply wanted to give this background to provide some credence to my suggestion that what you are implying is causing a problem with electrical usage (auto ignite devices and backlight on the radio) are generally not the culprits that eat your battery.

Get a real monitor and test everything. The solution will be much simpler after you know exactly what is using electricity and how much.

Good luck.

Don
__________________
Don & Nene
2013 Jayco Eagle 284BHS
Doncom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-24-2015, 07:31 PM   #31
Senior Member
 
ctbailey's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 609
Quote:
Originally Posted by mike837go View Post

Why is everyone so complacent about putting more load on the thing that can least afford it?
Mike, my guess is because most of us are just happy to be "camping" at full hookup sites. While "camping" with SWMBO and the two DD's, there is no hope I can ever boondock.

But, nor would I want to. I kinda like backing in, plugging in, and 15 minutes later drinking a bud lite. 😃

Boondocking sounds like too much work for my recreation.... In fact, it sorta sounds like work to me.
__________________
Craig T. Bailey
Hudson, NH
2015 Jayflight 32BHDS
2018 Chevy 3500HD Crew 4x4 Duramax
ctbailey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-24-2015, 08:45 PM   #32
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: MD
Posts: 3,856
I prefer how it is now... No standing pilot.
__________________
2017 JayFlight 28BHBE
2014 JayFlight Swift 264BH (Sold)
2007 GMC 2500 Sierra Classic Crew Cab LBZ Duramax / 6spd Allison
SouthCo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-24-2015, 09:19 PM   #33
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Havre
Posts: 148
Add a second battery, a small automatic transfer switch, 12 volt LCD low battery alarm, and replace the converter that came with your RV with something like the Progressive Dynamics PD9280V Converter, which will rapidly charge your battery when hooked up to shore power + condition the batteries once fully charged. Problem solved.
__________________
Todd Klassy
https://www.toddklassy.com
Todd Klassy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2015, 01:32 PM   #34
Senior Member
 
mike837go's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Campbell Hall
Posts: 2,835
I really love the idea of yanking the 30A fuse to the converter and replacing it with my DVM and seeing EXACLTY which devices are drawing how much power.


The radio and the 12V powered USB charger are definitely getting cutoff switches. It's easy enough for me to undo some screws and/or yank a wire (pull the fuse?) to disconnect then reconnect a device to see what it's idle and active current draws are.


------------


I got some bad news for you, Mr. ctbailey I spend just as little time from arrival to kicking back with a Bud as you do. The only difference is that I don't have to run a hose to the hydrant, pull the power cable out and plug in and run the sewer hose.


Backing, leveling/unhitching, deploy the stabilizers, turn the fridge on, roll out the awning, set up the lawn chairs, grab a beer and relax. Absolutely the same whether in a campground or the middle of nowhere.


----------


This past weekend (Thurs-Mon) we did the Festival of The Arts in Remsen, NY and the Annual Homeowner's association meeting for Wild River Properties.


Everything on the trailer worked great until it ran out of electricity at 3:30 AM Monday morning. The OEM battery drops to 2/3 charged (on the panel) within minutes of recharging.


One or more of the following is true:
A) The OEM battery is faulty
B) My gas powered battery charger is faulty
C) The guy running the battery charger is faulty


(The smart money is on C)


Real deep cycle batteries with a solar panel and a good monitor are looking much more interesting every day...
__________________
TT 2015 19RD "TheJayco"
TV 2003 F-350 "Montblanc" - Housebroken chore truck


Sitting in The Cheap Seats.
And proud of it!
mike837go is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-15-2021, 08:27 PM   #35
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Clarence
Posts: 236
Old thread but.....
https://www.amazon.com/Stove%EF%BC%8...59640777&psc=1
__________________
2018 octane SL 222.
2021 4x4 5.3 silverado
Jeffp60 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-04-2021, 09:21 AM   #36
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: Bluefield
Posts: 41
Mike,
You might try spraying some frosting onto the inside of the light fixture lenses. Cuts down on how harsh the light is.

Charles in WV.
Charles in WV is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2021, 09:08 AM   #37
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 1,588
I find it way easier to monitor my DC electrical levels than my propane levels. One quick glance at my digital DC voltmeter and I can see exactly where the battery is at. Propane is more of a guess or an open up the trap door on the cover and look at the regulator. DSI is 100X better for me than pilot light!

Also, you can generate electricity while out in the middle of nowhere several different ways. You can't generate propane. A pair of 6V deep cycle batteries can give 3-4 days before falling below 50% charge, parasitic draws included. Then, hook up a windmill, solar panel, generator, exercise bike with some magnets, turbine in a river, boom you've got electricity! Unless you eat a bunch of beans and rig up some fancy vacuum, no usable flammable gasses for you!
__________________
2013 F-150 EcoBoost MaxTow, Roush tuned (415hp 506tq), lifted on 33s, R.A.S.
2013 Jay Flight 28BHS Elite (Equalizer 10K hitch)
SkyBound is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2021, 10:46 AM   #38
Senior Member
 
gypsmjim's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Wheatfield
Posts: 1,091
Quote:
Originally Posted by SkyBound View Post
I find it way easier to monitor my DC electrical levels than my propane levels.
This year I installed a Mopeka propane gauge. To say it is awesome would be an understatement. Its magnetic and thus is movable from tank to tank. The app is on my phone and it reads down to 1% accuracy.

A full tank shows 100%, plus it has a visual image. I played with it and the tank was usable down to 1%. Then I weighed the tank and it only had a fraction of a pound left.

I got a kick out of monitoring my usage this Summer. 24 hours with the hot water tank on and it uses 2 % (2 showers and 2 dish washes). I bought a second unit and put it on my barbeque grill at home.
gypsmjim is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Jayco, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:09 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2002-2016 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.