Truck Camper Electricity 101/Questions From A nOOB

If you want to run the microwave (or another high demand item) while running the AC, start the AC first. Then set the thermostat to a very low (like all the way cold setting). This will prevent the AC from cycling on/off. It draws the most power at startup. This will improve your chances of not tripping the breaker by "running out" of power.

If necessary, you can also turn off your power converter (the thing that charges your batteries from the generator or shore power) temporarily to conserve available power. We used to have to do this while running the AC of the first crappy generator we had.

One other thing that I don't think anyone mentioned is that if you plan to do any high altitude travels, the generator output will be less. Of course outside temperatures are often less at higher elevations, so the AC won't be as necessary.

Do you have a Fantastic Fan (or similar) in one of the ceiling vents? These are large 12V fans that fit into one of the 14" roof vents. They move a lot of air, are fairly quiet, and don't draw much power. They can really help to reduce the need for AC, particularly if you are somewhere where it cools off when the sun goes down. The one I put in our old camper had a thermostat on the remote and a rain sensor, it was nice to be able to leave the camper all day and not worry about it raining inside. You can also get large covers/housing to keep the rain out, Maxxair is a popular brand.
 
CDA 455 II said:
What's this:
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That is your power converter. Converts 120V AC from shorepower or generator to 12V DC for charging the batteries and for 12V loads.
 
Here's the thing... You can pull damn near exact the amount of current that will melt your plugs WITHOUT tripping a breaker. It will just kept the plug. That's the reason I added the panel meter in the first place.
None of thesecplugscare rated for continuous duty at their nameplate rating.
Tesla and others learned this on car chargers, they will burn a 50amp outlet when used at 50amps continuous.
CDA 455 II said:
Wouldn't a 5,000 generator take care/deal with all that?🤷‍♂️
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No, the generator wasn't the restriction in this case.
 
CarterKraft said:
Here's the thing... You can pull damn near exact the amount of current that will melt your plugs WITHOUT tripping a breaker. It will just kept the plug. That's the reason I added the panel meter in the first place.
None of thesecplugscare rated for continuous duty at their nameplate rating.
Tesla and others learned this on car chargers, they will burn a 50amp outlet when used at 50amps continuous.

No, the generator wasn't the restriction in this case.
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CarterKraft said:
It only powers DC circuits as we previously discussed.
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I have no idea what any of this means....:shocked::shocked:
 
CDA 455 II said:
I have no idea what any of this means....:shocked::shocked:
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But can you read?

1. Circuit & Breaker Sizing (NEC 210.21 & 430.22)Continuous Load Rule (NEC 210.19): If your equipment will run for 3 hours or more continuously, the NEC requires the circuit conductors and overcurrent protection (breaker) to be rated at 125% of the load. For a 30-amp circuit, this limits continuous loads to 24 amps.
 
CDA 455 II said:
:confused:

So; when the generator is on, I can turn that off???:confused:
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When either the generator is ON OR the shore power is On AND the sun is shining you can turn off the charger to allow more available watts from the generator if shore power.

If these concepts are beyond your DESIRE to understand boon docking with minimal power is going to be a big challenge.

I don't believe you can't understand, I am not sure you want to just yet.
 
CDA 455 II said:
Wouldn't a 5,000 generator take care/deal with all that?🤷‍♂️
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Yes. A 5,000 watt generator would be enough power to run the Air conditioner while cooking popcorn with the Instant Pot on full blast while you push the slide out as you watch tv and your wife runs the electric jacks to unhook.

This is where you learn you cannot live in a trailer the way you lived in a condo/townhome/apartment. You're limited. Live moves slower. You literally have to slow down what you're doing and take it one step at a time.
CDA 455 II said:
Would I/do I also have an inverter? :confused:
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An inverter takes 12v battery power when you're not connected to shore power (30 amp electrical or generator).
 
It's all about the watts.
As has been said several times, stop thinking you can run everything at once.
The AC is probably the biggest issue. To make it simple, turn it off while you run the microwave.
A 50 amp camper connection is a 240v connection. It separates each leg so it is like 100 amps of 120v.
We ran our 50 amp fifth wheel with a 3800 watt generator for a year. Followed by a 6K for another 6 months before we got utility power installed.
You have to understand the watts you're using vs what you have available.
That's how it works to live off grid without a massive solar array also.
If you won't make yourself understand this, then you should give up the camper and stay home.
if you want to parts swap, look into the soft start kits for your AC or go all the way and replace your current unit with one of the the new inverter based AC units. They are more efficient than what you have. They might even have a soft start.
I just thought of this. Think of your shoreline or generator like your wallet. You only have so many dollars. Every electrical item uses $ to run. If you exceed what's in your wallet...
The cool thing about this train of thought is if you turn something off, it's like a refund back into your wallet.
 
CarterKraft said:
AC - DC converter. Make sure to turn that off/on as needed when running on generator/shore power. That will free up watts available on AC when running off solar.
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That's not a converter like the old ones. It's a multiple stage 60 amp battery charger.

Covers the same basic function but isn't a piece of **** converter that provides constant current and kills batteries.
 
Lincoln said:
That's not a converter like the old ones. It's a multiple stage 60 amp battery charger.

Covers the same basic function but isn't a piece of **** converter that provides constant current and kills batteries.
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That's semantics though.
If he's in the trailer and running 12v loads it will be powering the loads the battery is a buffer.

The solar will also power the loads but it is voltage based like a charger so it's pretty easy to have one power source over ride the other.

If he has sun and needs extra watts powering the "charger" off the generator, shore power etc. just uses up watts/amps available and the breaker can be flipped to disconnect it.

I've done all this testing, real time.
Once you understand how much power literally each item, bulb, propane monitor etc. uses you can formulate plans and methods to allow you to do more with less.
 
CarterKraft said:
That's semantics though.
If he's in the trailer and running 12v loads it will be powering the loads the battery is a buffer.

The solar will also power the loads but it is voltage based like a charger so it's pretty easy to have one power source over ride the other.

If he has sun and needs extra watts powering the "charger" off the generator, shore power etc. just uses up watts/amps available and the breaker can be flipped to disconnect it.

I've done all this testing, real time.
Once you understand how much power literally each item, bulb, propane monitor etc. uses you can formulate plans and methods to allow you to do more with less.
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True on all of that. I look at it more like seat time. plan and get and idea, then being there is the learning truth. Too many variables. His fridge is 12 volt only (I believe it is a compressor like an ARB, not emulsion) that load can vary wildly.

And I thought he was planning on doing more camping in his travels vs RV parks. That makes a bunch of this pointless. Shore power matters zero when you don't have it. Hauling stuff that requires 110 would be low on my priority list. I would pack extra bedding or a grill before a toaster oven. Pickup campers don't have storage.

On the flip side if he does spend a lot of time in RV parks those change. But that also makes just buying and adjusting as you go is way easier.

Like the shore power plug. When it gets hot and you have **** going. Give the cord a feel test for heat. If it's getting warm it's going to be a problem. Change what you are doing.
 
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