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Topic: Residential fridge on solar (split from Re: Armor coating, window seals, heater hoses...) (Read 455 times) previous topic - next topic

Residential fridge on solar (split from Re: Armor coating, window seals, heater hoses...)

Our original coach owners must have been experienced Foretravel rv'ers as it has a custom mid entry floor plan and the bath area is in vinyl tile.  Warm under foot.  No grout.

Fine 17 years later.  Easily replaced.

If I had tile I might heat it electrically. More power use although.  I would be very hesitant to replace the dometic refer with a household because of it.  We are sort of preppers and like dry camping in comfort. 

Maybe like to  add even more water capacity although we low on gvwr. 

If we were dry camped for extended times water would run out first.  Most here like most rv'ers want full hookups every night.  Love the freedom to not need that.

Bob
"Riding and rejoicing"
Bob
1997 U320 40' Mid entry, build 5132,  wtbi ce27, 4th owner
2007 Solara convertible
2 prodeco tech outlaw ss electric bikes

1095 watts solar
08 Ls 460 and a sc430
2000 Ford F-250 superduty 4x4

Re: Residential fridge on solar (split from Re: Armor coating, window seals, heater hoses...)

Reply #1 –
Bob if you have solar you do not need to "hook up" and you CAN run a residential fridge on it, we do it all the time, and very rarely use RV park hook up.. If we do stop in one we will go to dry camp section if we are on our own.
John H
Coachless, now use aircraft. 2003 Ford Travelair TC280 class C. Super shape. Just for 1 yr .
1994 Ford E350 ClassC,total renovation inside and out. Now sold.
2000 U295  36' Cummins 350 c/w Banks Stinger, Resonator upgrade,Solar, LED lites.Residential fridge with slide out pantry. Build 5674. Sold
ex 92 GV 022C ored Cummins. Sold
ex 95 GV240 cat 3116. Sold
2017 Mini cooper s & 2016 land Rover LR2 HSE  LUX.
jhaygarth@aol.com    SKP #130098
treat everyone as you would like to be.

Re: Residential fridge on solar (split from Re: Armor coating, window seals, heater hoses...)

Reply #2 –
Quote from: John Haygarth –
Bob if you have solar you do not need to "hook up" and you CAN run a residential fridge on it, we do it all the time, and very rarely use RV park hook up.. If we do stop in one we will go to dry camp section if we are on our own.
John H

The amp hours consumed seem to be an additional 100-125 overnight?  Instead of my 125 or so with the aqua hot on now I would be at around 250.

I have three new MK batteries with 225-250 amp hours each in them.  700 or so for a total.

That's a 35% percent discharge for one night.  I may be incorrect but I try not go go past 20% discharge. 

My storage area neighbors have six group 31 batteries with around 660 amp hours capacity and they mention the gen auto start comes on in less than one hour dry camped with large household refers and lots of lights.

250 amp hours consumption overnight.  Need double the batteries IMO.

The costs of installing that much solar and its controllers and a new magnum 2812 inverter and its control panel and the refer and its installation could easily be $6-7k. 

Cloudy days would require two to three hours bulk charge at 70 amp hours per hour so you add $6 worth of fuel per day to the mix.

My 97's gen is not in a quiet box.  Noisy.

We do use our external 100 pound slide out refer/freezer in the bays for additional capacity.

Very low power consumption. 

We are sort of preppers and probably weird enough to retain a dometic refer even with a new inverter and a roof full of solar panels.  The new ones are a cross freezer I think and are 14 cu ft.  Very expensive although at $3-4k.

Cm fore built the ultimate luxury dry camp Rv in my opinion with our mid door 97 u320.  Hard for me to change the basic idea. 

Three more 8d batteries would max  the gvwr on this coach.  With nothing in the holding tanks.  Full everything else.

Noisy gen is part reason why I would hesitate.

May try to box it in like the early intrigues we did as a dealer..

The entire coach is a perfectly designed system.  Lots of changes needed to have the pieces work together.

Bob



"Riding and rejoicing"
Bob
1997 U320 40' Mid entry, build 5132,  wtbi ce27, 4th owner
2007 Solara convertible
2 prodeco tech outlaw ss electric bikes

1095 watts solar
08 Ls 460 and a sc430
2000 Ford F-250 superduty 4x4

Re: Residential fridge on solar (split from Re: Armor coating, window seals, heater hoses...)

Reply #3 –
Bob I can go all night with my three batteries both before and after the residential fridge.  Real life with new batteries though as the old ones aged out and would only go to 4am prior to the residential fridge. 
2025 Wanderbox Outpost 32 on F600 Expedition Motorhome
2015 Born Free Royal Splendor on Ford 550 nonslide version  for sale
Former Coaches  covering. 360,000 miles
1999 34 U270
2000 36 U320
2001 42' double slide U320
2018 Jeep Rubicon

Re: Residential fridge on solar (split from Re: Armor coating, window seals, heater hoses...)

Reply #4 –
Quote from: John S –
Bob I can go all night with my three batteries both before and after the residential fridge.  Real life with new batteries though as the old ones aged out and would only go to 4am prior to the residential fridge.

30% or more discharge of the batteries?
"Riding and rejoicing"
Bob
1997 U320 40' Mid entry, build 5132,  wtbi ce27, 4th owner
2007 Solara convertible
2 prodeco tech outlaw ss electric bikes

1095 watts solar
08 Ls 460 and a sc430
2000 Ford F-250 superduty 4x4

Re: Residential fridge on solar (split from Re: Armor coating, window seals, heater hoses...)

Reply #5 –
The generator is set to come on at where FT set it. I do not know the percentage discharge but I do know it is not too deep.  I too have the extra battery and still have plenty of charge left after stopping at 6pm and I turned it on at 7 am to make coffee.  I also do not like to run the engine if the house is discharged that much so I run the genny for about 2 hours and it will charge right up.
2025 Wanderbox Outpost 32 on F600 Expedition Motorhome
2015 Born Free Royal Splendor on Ford 550 nonslide version  for sale
Former Coaches  covering. 360,000 miles
1999 34 U270
2000 36 U320
2001 42' double slide U320
2018 Jeep Rubicon

Re: Residential fridge on solar (split from Re: Armor coating, window seals, heater hoses...)

Reply #6 –
I run two cpaps all night too and they take a bunch of power as we are running them on AC.
2025 Wanderbox Outpost 32 on F600 Expedition Motorhome
2015 Born Free Royal Splendor on Ford 550 nonslide version  for sale
Former Coaches  covering. 360,000 miles
1999 34 U270
2000 36 U320
2001 42' double slide U320
2018 Jeep Rubicon

Re: Residential fridge on solar (split from Re: Armor coating, window seals, heater hoses...)

Reply #7 –
John,
Correct on running the genset for a few hours before starting the Cummins, I live on the 4 batteries all night, first thing in AM is start genset, voltage is about 12.8 VDC, the auto start is at 12.1 VDC, since the 4th battery, the genset has never started due to low battery since.
Reason I start the genset is to do the major charging and when the charge rate drops to about 20-30 amp charge, Start the Cummins.  I  do not  give the Leese Neville a heart attack, perfer it to lightly top off the batteries as I drive.
The starter/alternator folks tell you the alternator is a battery maintainer, not for battery recovery from a very low state.
Do what you like, I do  ;D
Dave M

Re: Residential fridge on solar (split from Re: Armor coating, window seals, heater hoses...)

Reply #8 –
Dave, that is the exact reason for starting up the generator prior to starting the engine. It did not matter gas fridge or residential.  I have been doing it this way since 2001.
2025 Wanderbox Outpost 32 on F600 Expedition Motorhome
2015 Born Free Royal Splendor on Ford 550 nonslide version  for sale
Former Coaches  covering. 360,000 miles
1999 34 U270
2000 36 U320
2001 42' double slide U320
2018 Jeep Rubicon

Re: Residential fridge on solar (split from Re: Armor coating, window seals, heater hoses...)

Reply #9 –
Quote from: John S –
Dave, that is the exact reason for starting up the generator prior to starting the engine. It did not matter gas fridge or residential.  I have been doing it this way since 2001.

Most cute ocean front dry camp state parks here restrict the gen to 10am start. 

I noticed the old link 2000r control panel can change the alternator output to three stage.  Does the magnum 2812 panel have that capability?  Or is it needed?

Bob
"Riding and rejoicing"
Bob
1997 U320 40' Mid entry, build 5132,  wtbi ce27, 4th owner
2007 Solara convertible
2 prodeco tech outlaw ss electric bikes

1095 watts solar
08 Ls 460 and a sc430
2000 Ford F-250 superduty 4x4

Re: Residential fridge on solar (split from Re: Armor coating, window seals, heater hoses...)

Reply #10 –
With the four batteries that would not be an issue. The lights take more power than the fridge so the halogens will be replaced with LEDs.  I understand each light is two amp hours and I have 54 in the coach. 
2025 Wanderbox Outpost 32 on F600 Expedition Motorhome
2015 Born Free Royal Splendor on Ford 550 nonslide version  for sale
Former Coaches  covering. 360,000 miles
1999 34 U270
2000 36 U320
2001 42' double slide U320
2018 Jeep Rubicon

Re: Residential fridge on solar (split from Re: Armor coating, window seals, heater hoses...)

Reply #11 –
 John, replacing those Halogens would be top of my list for both heat (nice in winter I guess-but lousy in summer) and power consumption. Many on internet at good prices or FOT at around $10 ea. if I remember right last time I was there.
John H
Coachless, now use aircraft. 2003 Ford Travelair TC280 class C. Super shape. Just for 1 yr .
1994 Ford E350 ClassC,total renovation inside and out. Now sold.
2000 U295  36' Cummins 350 c/w Banks Stinger, Resonator upgrade,Solar, LED lites.Residential fridge with slide out pantry. Build 5674. Sold
ex 92 GV 022C ored Cummins. Sold
ex 95 GV240 cat 3116. Sold
2017 Mini cooper s & 2016 land Rover LR2 HSE  LUX.
jhaygarth@aol.com    SKP #130098
treat everyone as you would like to be.

Re: Residential fridge on solar (split from Re: Armor coating, window seals, heater hoses...)

Reply #12 –
Yup. I got the lights and now have to get them off the ceiling. Stuck
2025 Wanderbox Outpost 32 on F600 Expedition Motorhome
2015 Born Free Royal Splendor on Ford 550 nonslide version  for sale
Former Coaches  covering. 360,000 miles
1999 34 U270
2000 36 U320
2001 42' double slide U320
2018 Jeep Rubicon

Re: Residential fridge on solar (split from Re: Armor coating, window seals, heater hoses...)

Reply #13 –
Quote from: John Haygarth –
John, replacing those Halogens would be top of my list for both heat (nice in winter I guess-but lousy in summer) and power consumption. Many on internet at good prices or FOT at around $10 ea. if I remember right last time I was there.
John H

Has anyone got a same color fix for the lights that fit the mount?  What does FOT furnish?
"Riding and rejoicing"
Bob
1997 U320 40' Mid entry, build 5132,  wtbi ce27, 4th owner
2007 Solara convertible
2 prodeco tech outlaw ss electric bikes

1095 watts solar
08 Ls 460 and a sc430
2000 Ford F-250 superduty 4x4