Plugging into 110 while stored

Topic: Plugging into 110 while stored (Read 626 times) previous topic - next topic

Plugging into 110 while stored

October 24, 2021, 06:25:25 pm

I can plug into 110 when my 1996 U295 is being stored. Anything I should be aware of? Bought a 50amp to 110 adopter and plan to use that. Everything is currently off, but think I will turn on my frig a few days before heading out in it.

Re: Plugging into 110 while stored

Reply #1 – October 24, 2021, 06:29:13 pm

How are your batteries charged? I'll let someone with knowledge of your year and model chime in.

Re: Plugging into 110 while stored

Reply #2 – October 24, 2021, 06:38:37 pm

I currently have our coach plugged into a 15-amp 120 volt outlet. Runs the house and starting battery chargers fine, along with the refrigerator.

If I need the ACs or an electric heater, I will plug into the 50 amp.

Re: Plugging into 110 while stored

Reply #3 – October 24, 2021, 06:43:16 pm

I have my 98 U 320 plugged into a 15 amp 120. The inverter stays on charge to keep the house batteries charged and have a separate charger on the start batteries to keep them charged. There are also 4 small heaters plugged into the coach for the wet bays. No issues last winter at all. I also leave the salesman switch on ( which draws a parasite amount). Again...no issues. All plugged into the same circuit extension cord. My fridge is turned off
I have used the 5 amp setting and the inverts is set for 15 amp input

Re: Plugging into 110 while stored

Reply #4 – October 24, 2021, 07:05:01 pm

The only "got-ya" is if the battery bank is deeply discharged and you have not limited the amps your inverter/charger can use and ANYTHING else is on.

The secret (OK, shouldn't be a secret) is to use the "power share" or "power save" feature of your inverter/charger to set the amps that it can use for charging. 5 amp setting is just fine. That is 5 amps of 120 VAC, so you are only limiting battery charge amps to around 50. PLENTY.

Re: Plugging into 110 while stored

Reply #5 – October 24, 2021, 07:12:15 pm

No issues with mine. I plug it in at the house after pulling from our storage location and let the inverter/charger maintain the house batteries. If as Brett says, The house batteries are drained (like mine were because of leaving the bathroom thermostat & salesman switch on

) I leave everything else off until the charger goes into float. The day before a trip I turn on the fridge. The night before our trip I will (not applicable to your coach) fire up the Aqua hot on diesel and preheat the engine. This is on a 20 amp circuit with a GFCI and it has yet to trip. I do use a very heavy gauge extension cord.

Re: Plugging into 110 while stored

Reply #6 – October 24, 2021, 07:27:45 pm

Thank you guys for shedding some light on this! What is the salesman switch?

Re: Plugging into 110 while stored

Reply #7 – October 24, 2021, 07:31:16 pm

The salesman switch is the ON-OFF switch by the entrance door that controls MOST of the 12 VDC to the coach.

Re: Plugging into 110 while stored

Reply #8 – October 24, 2021, 07:35:39 pm

Quote from: dicksop – October 24, 2021, 06:43:16 pm

I have my 98 U 320 plugged into a 15 amp 120. The inverter stays on charge to keep the house batteries charged and have a separate charger on the start batteries to keep them charged.

I am doing exactly this for the winter except I have 20 amps. I did turn off the stair disconnect.

Re: Plugging into 110 while stored

Reply #9 – October 24, 2021, 07:38:48 pm

Our new Progressive Dynamics converter keeps the house batteries (and engine batteries) right at their advertised 13.2 volts with equalization done every 20 hours. I keep the salesperson switch on all the time and the propane furnace turned down to minimum. The lighter plug to lighter plug jumper also keeps the engine batteries the same as the house batteries so to leave, I just unplug the shore power, pull the lighter plug jumper and away we go. I also have the solar option and if we have a power outage, I switch to it.

With solar, you can go down the road without an engine alternator or house generator if needed.

Our PowerMax converter was not as voltage stable so this was the reason for switching it out. I use it now in the garage for a regular battery charger.

Pierce

Re: Plugging into 110 while stored

Reply #10 – October 24, 2021, 09:12:05 pm

So big dog
Shud I be turning the salesman switch off? Having that switch off does affect the inverter while plugged in

Re: Plugging into 110 while stored

Reply #11 – October 24, 2021, 09:51:00 pm

The salesman switch won't involve your inverter.

Re: Plugging into 110 while stored

Reply #12 – October 24, 2021, 09:52:03 pm

Any service to the salesman switch or associated wiring?
May not be used much but could really throw troubleshooting into a twist.
Dum question, but had to ask!.

Re: Plugging into 110 while stored

Reply #13 – October 24, 2021, 10:33:10 pm

If you are plugging your coach in while it is in storage you need to have some means of charging both the house batteries and the start batteries. I leave the big inverter off on purpose and have a smart charger that connects to both the house and start batteries. I would rather not have any unmanaged connections between the house and start batteries.

If your batteries are fully charged then the maintenance charge required for all of the batteries is small. 20 amps should be enough and even a 15 amp 120v source would be plenty. You could use more. I have a 40 amp charger and most of the time it is only charging at 3 amps for all of the batteries.

Sterling ProCharge Ultra Battery Charger

Lots of other ways to do this.

Re: Plugging into 110 while stored

Reply #14 – October 24, 2021, 10:36:14 pm

Quote from: dicksop – October 24, 2021, 09:12:05 pm

So big dog
Shud I be turning the salesman switch off? Having that switch off does affect the inverter while plugged in

If you are storing away from power like me. You need to turn it to "off" unless you pull the cable off the house battery. I pull the chassis battery cables and turn the salesman switch off. Where I screwed up was we had a recent cold snap where it got into the 20's over night. Likely not an issue as it was just one night. But I went to the coach and ran the AH through a cycle and ran the bathroom and water pump AH zones. Then I turned off the AH and forgot to also turn off that salesman switch as I left. Which then had the bathroom AH fan running for a long time. The house batteries were well drained but not dead.

Re: Plugging into 110 while stored

Reply #15 – October 24, 2021, 10:41:38 pm

Roger,

That's where the lighter to lighter jumper comes in. No need for two chargers.

An amp or so should keep both banks charged if you do it that way but our converter does a great job without any fuss and keeps the voltage perfect along with equalization. I don't get anyone's need for another charger.

You meant house to engine didn't you? "both the start batteries and the start batteries"

Pierce

Re: Plugging into 110 while stored

Reply #16 – October 24, 2021, 10:42:42 pm

On the hot battery bus there are several items that can run the batteries down. Disconnecting the ground will isolate any unknown users from zapping the batteries. The hot battery bus is always on regardless of the salesman's switch position.
Scott

Re: Plugging into 110 while stored

Reply #17 – October 25, 2021, 06:31:47 am

Good advice so far.

You do need some means of charging the chassis batteries. If you don't already have one, the simplest is to make a 1" jumper with "eyes" at both ends and install it at any place you have both battery banks near each other. Good locations for this jumper are either the battery isolator or boost solenoid.

Also, if storing over 4 months, a good idea to add a BIOCIDE such as BiobarJF and completely fill the diesel fuel tank to minimize condensation. If expecting below freezing temperatures, add an ANTI-GEL as well. Walmart carries the PS brand.

Michelin (and others, I suspect) recommend storing tires inflated to sidewall PSI for storage.

Re: Plugging into 110 while stored

Reply #18 – October 25, 2021, 08:51:21 am

Quote from: wolfe10 – October 24, 2021, 07:05:01 pm

The only "got-ya" is if the battery bank is deeply discharged and you have not limited the amps your inverter/charger can use and ANYTHING else is on.

The secret (OK, shouldn't be a secret) is to use the "power share" or "power save" feature of your inverter/charger to set the amps that it can use for charging. 5 amp setting is just fine. That is 5 amps of 120 VAC, so you are only limiting battery charge amps to around 50. PLENTY.

Brett can you explain what you mean by using the the power save feature on the inverter for charging last winter I just plug in to 110 and used an battery charge on the coach batteries with a trickle charge
Rick

Re: Plugging into 110 while stored

Reply #19 – October 25, 2021, 09:35:34 am

Quote from: Cape Bretoner – October 25, 2021, 08:51:21 am

...can you explain what you mean by using the the power save feature...

When in doubt, read the manual. See pages 5, 31 and 34:

http://www.xantrex.com/documents/discontinued-products/freedom_combie_owner_manual.pdf

Re: Plugging into 110 while stored

Reply #20 – October 25, 2021, 10:31:24 am

I have the same coach. Plug it into 110v all winter with the switch on and I start it once a month and the genny. Never had an issue yet. Did the same with my gasser Bounder

Re: Plugging into 110 while stored

Reply #21 – October 25, 2021, 01:00:26 pm

I've gotten several PMs about my lighter plug to lighter plug jumper so will attach what I have written and include a couple of photos.

Our U300 has two lighter plugs, one on the HWH panel that is house battery powered and one on the dash that is engine battery powered. I took a hand spotlight coiled 12V cable with a plug and 5 amp fuse at one end and added another plug with 5 amp fuse to the other end. This protects the jumper cable from any shorts, etc. I have twin LED voltmeters (one house, one engine battery) where our old Audit CRT was and am able to watch both banks all the time. I keep the voltmeters powered all the time as they use very little juice. I can just look in the coach from the door and see if the converter is working and the voltages for both sets of batteries. Driving, I can watch the alternators, battery condition, etc, etc. It's one of the most important gauges we have.

I do unplug the jumper when running the engine. When I do plug it in, I plug them both in at the same time as once one end has been plugged in, the other end is hot so to avoid blowing one of the fuses, I start inserting both at the same time. I have blown a fuse when I first tried the jumper. No big deal and only a barely detectable spark.

If the voltages are not the same when the jumper is plugged in, it may take a day to equalize them as the jumper is not intended as a charger but only an equalizer.

Both ends must be fused with nothing over 5 amps.

Pierce

Affiliate Notice