Need advice,
Has anyone noted any electrical challenges when dry camping with an all electric coach - including the refrigerator battery drain in the 2010 or newer coaches? How often do you have to run the generator?
Thanks,
Jim,
Sounds like you talked yourself into a new coach. All electric, 650 horse. Yo da man... How long will it take the factory to build your new coach? :)) :)) :))
Hi Jeff,
Well, not exactly buying yet. I'm researching only. A new coach sure sounds like a good idea doesn't it..
I have no direct experience but I did ask a couple all electric coach owners and they said they run their genset for a few hours a day and it works fine the rest of the time. They had huge numbers of batteries like 6 or 8 AGMs though.
Jim, my coach is all electric and the times we have dry camped (very few) there is plenty of battery reserve for most of the appliances,and TV usage. I have 6 4D Lifeline batteries that last a very long time. The electric fridge uses the most electricity by the compressor but is cycles only a few times an hour. If I don't charge the batteries with the generator at all I can get about a day and a half before the batteries are gone. With a 1-2 hour charge each morning you can go a very long time without problems. If I were to order a new coach and did a lot of dry camping, then I would order the solar option and your issues are over. I hope this helps.
Jim,
I can't wait to see it next year at Quartzsite. ;D
Harvey
Harvey,
Oh I was just asking for a friend who is interested in an all electric coach. Wishful thinking for me.
Jim
A month ago I had AM SOLAR in Springfield Oregon put 300watts of panel on the roof and 3-8D Lifeline AGMs to replace my MK Gels. I am also putting in another (extra) inverter which uses a lot less standby power for the tv/stereo circuit (as per Barries Modification link again) on a seperate switch so it can be run by either system. Hopefully these changes will extend the life of battery power and make hooking up or running the genset to dry camp something that we will have to do a lot less.
John haygarth
2000 36 U295
If you will be dry camping in the wintertime I suggest that you double the amount of solar to be able to keep the batteries at full charge. Especially, if you are not set up to tilt your panels. We run 480watts and tilt. We have to supplement with an extra 150 on the trailer. FWIW,
Regards,
Jon Twork
I agree. 300 Watts will not do a whole lot, if you are running anything.
Eric
I can tilt the panel and in the last 13 yrs have spent the winters (Nov till March) in Mexico just up from PV, so lots of sun for these panels, but I agree that 300 is not great just a lot better than 0watts. I will be getting more once I have taken off the TV antenna and the auto sat' dish as it and the equipt is set up for Direct TV and being Canadian do not use it as Star Choice is the only way to go that far south. I set that up on a tripod. Once all this junk is off the roof I have a ton of space there.
Thanks for your input.