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Inland RV Center, In · 07-13-2007, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Alan

I do know the rest - snooring in the recliner - may be aren't as old as me

David.

I was working in my dads diner in Buffalo NY, before you were born.

But, no snoring for me, until maybe after.

That is the "BIG" question??

After what??

Hey, just so I wake up the next morning...................with a smile.

Andy

Poprivet · 07-13-2007, 05:15 PM

yup - thats it

Ganglin · 07-13-2007, 06:10 PM

Something about the calculations don't look right - maybe I'm totally wrong. But, I ran this thru a voltage drop calculator. If his feed line is 12 gauge - 200 feet and the power draw is a full 15 amps - the voltage drop is only 9.7 volts. Still acceptable.

He was advised not to try running the air off this line.

thecatsandi · 07-13-2007, 06:14 PM

200 feet? what size and how much load are you putting on the cords?
if they are "standard" size they are 16 guage. that would be good for about 4 amp at that distance.
In order to keep the full 15 AMPs you need to be running 6 guage or larger.

'Streamer · 07-15-2007, 10:36 PM

well, I put in a 250' 10-2 cable and things seem, well - different.

The fuse doesn't blow - that's good.
When I turn off the switch that says "Battery Charger" the power still goes out -that's bad
When we left today (I had turned on the solar charger and the battery charger the night before) I turned off the campground power and the power stayed on!!!

I wonder if the 10-2 at 250 feet will be the answer. I plan on getting a new intellivolt as well, but the whole thing's still a mystery to me.

questions remain:
1) why won't this bird run on only shore power (the battery charger has to be on as of now to keep the power on)
2) why does the fridge keep shutting off, even though I'm leaving the propane on while i'm gone for the week? is this tied to the power?
3) who makes a plug-in propane detector? All the dealers here sell only hard-wired ones.

Thanks guys -you have been a wealth of information. Almost all of it useful!

josh

lewster · 07-16-2007, 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 'Streamer

well, I put in a 250' 10-2 cable and things seem, well - different.

The fuse doesn't blow - that's good.
When I turn off the switch that says "Battery Charger" the power still goes out -that's bad
When we left today (I had turned on the solar charger and the battery charger the night before) I turned off the campground power and the power stayed on!!!

I wonder if the 10-2 at 250 feet will be the answer. I plan on getting a new intellivolt as well, but the whole thing's still a mystery to me.

questions remain:
1) why won't this bird run on only shore power (the battery charger has to be on as of now to keep the power on)
2) why does the fridge keep shutting off, even though I'm leaving the propane on while i'm gone for the week? is this tied to the power?
3) who makes a plug-in propane detector? All the dealers here sell only hard-wired ones.

Thanks guys -you have been a wealth of information. Almost all of it useful!

josh

Josh,

While some RV appliances run 120 VAC, they still need a good supply of 12VDC to operate the control boards......refer included. This is why you should have the converter on to provide the 12 VDC for these controls. Even your roof air will not work without this 12 VDC control voltage.

Hope this helps.

'Streamer · 07-16-2007, 05:54 AM

very interesting. I couldv'e sworn I was running everyhting on shore power at one point. I could be mistaken.

Either way, the intellivolt 9200 seems to be in my future.

Now, do you know anything about solar power? I have panels on the roof, and I'm not afraid to use 'em! (wel, sort of afraid...)

Thanks,
Josh

Poprivet · 07-16-2007, 06:27 AM

My roof air conditioner has no 12 control voltage. I think that only applies if there is external monitor panel or thermostate connections.

HiHoAgRV · 07-16-2007, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ganglin

Something about the calculations don't look right - maybe I'm totally wrong. But, I ran this thru a voltage drop calculator. If his feed line is 12 gauge - 200 feet and the power draw is a full 15 amps - the voltage drop is only 9.7 volts. Still acceptable.

He was advised not to try running the air off this line.

Mine shows 12 ga at a 200 foot with 7.5 amps has 10V drop. Could you be using 200' as the complete loop (down and back) which equals 100' of distance?

'Streamer · 07-16-2007, 06:39 PM

Thanks -

I knoe that something's different, as I no longer seem to be blowing that 20A fuse. Will keep the forum posted.

Josh

richinny · 07-19-2007, 12:19 AM

i'm a newbie myself but maybe i can help.
could the lights not work because the batteries be dead? the shore line powers the univolt, which charges the batteries, which supply your 12v power. if you're turning off the power to the univolt/charger, the batteries die. guess how i found out? lol

am i thinking ok? anyone want to talk about shock dangers if the line gets wet?

'Streamer · 10-07-2007, 08:41 PM

Been a while, and it seems like the (now old) electrical problenms are finally waning. full power this weekend and even ran the microwave! Splicing a 10 guage extension made quite a difference - even on the 200ft run.

This time around, the fuse connections were loose and when i rotated one, voila! All the power went on and stayed on! Voiltage up in the 16 range at one point. I'd never seen that before, but we had lights on, speakers playing and even the vent blowing - not a problem. If anyone has any advice on scoring the fuse connections or some way to keep them live, that would be nice.

Since then, we've conquered our ant invasion (exterminator) and the nasty stink in the bathroom (just a clog), but I was wondering about that intellivolt. It's buzzing like mad in there and I'd like to use the stereo without all the fuzz presently involved. can you give me your price on that (I have the '84 International) and let me know if you think it'll solve the problem?

Also, and this is an open question, is there any decent alternative to those darn flexsteeel sofabeds? I have the unique displeasure of sleeping right on the bar and even on a thick piece of memory foam, all I remember is the lousy night sleep I had...

Thanks,

Josh aka 'streamer

richinny · 10-08-2007, 04:14 AM

16v is very high and not good for the battery or bulb life. there are spray electrical contact cleaners and steel wool but i'll let some of the others say what works best. a poor contact might be the cause of the high charge rate. disconnect the shore power, clean the battery connections and check the battery water levels. the 'buzz' varies by the load on the 'univolt'.

'Streamer · 10-12-2007, 09:56 PM

I'm going to check it out this weekend, but i think a new univolt is in order and i'll definitely investigate the contact cleaners. Thanks!

doglickfarms · 10-20-2007, 07:14 PM

I have a '72 Overlander. I am planning on taking all the wiring out and strictly running AC. Can anyone explain the pros and cons of going in this direction? THANKS

richinny · 10-20-2007, 08:35 PM

no brakes in a breakaway situation.
no lights before hooking up to a landline.
a few control panels use 12v (heat, a/c, fridge)
i'm sure there are more things.

edgeman · 10-20-2007, 10:23 PM

In May of 2006 we bought a 81 Excella II. When we brought it home and got set up we turned on the stereo and all we got was a buzz. Since it had set in a barn for 10 years I thought that there was a bad connection with the stereo. We changed the batteries after about three weeks of ownership and the buzz in the stereo went away. About a year later the buzz came back about the same time the univolt decided to cook both batteries and commit suicide. At that point we installed an intellipower 9200 and two new batteries. Since then the 12v has been at a top level and we have had no issues.

doglickfarms · 10-21-2007, 07:20 AM

Hey Richinny; Are you saying that the trailer brakes would not work if you went to AC ? I was told that I want to consider going to stricly AC. Any more advice would be greatly appreciated. THANKS

richinny · 10-21-2007, 07:57 AM

when you're towing along the road, if your trailer takes a different route, the electric brakes should activate. The brakes will need the battery power in the trailer to work.

you should start a seperate post to go into more detail as to what you want to do and how you will be using the trailer.

doglickfarms · 10-21-2007, 09:30 AM

I am new to the Aistream forums. I am completely remodeling a '72 Overlander and I am doing away with the gas and going straight electical, since I am not going to be boondocking. Can I do everything in AC and get rid of all those wires that are in the camper or do I need DC as well? Any and all adive would be welcome.

Bob