Furnace/Battery Question |
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podwerkz
Senior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2019 Location: Texas Online Status: Offline Posts: 966 |
Topic: Furnace/Battery Question Posted: 31 Oct 2020 at 10:03pm |
offgrid, you try repeatedly to draw me into these repetitive debates: vehicle brands, WD hitches, trailer wiring, brake controllers, solar power systems, batteries, heating solutions, generators, tires, boondocking methods, preferred camping style and areas, etc etc. What you really need to do is focus on providing answers, and accepting that others will also provide answers, and even if an answer or suggestion is different than yours, unless it is totally wrong or dangerous, then it is a valid answer. Period.
It gets tiring responding to your contradictions. I guess that's all you have going on. But whenever I indulge you, and I type out my answers, then it comes up weeks later and you would have me to do it all over again...explaining or defending my statements again and again and again. I only have so much time on here, and I spend a good amount of it arguing with you after I have provided help to a member here. If I toss a suggestion out there, no matter what it is, you try to shoot it down. Tell you what, when the OP asks (in any thread or subject) I will direct my help that way, but I wont waste my time and try the patience of these readers, arguing the same subject matter with you again, over and over, ad nauseum. It just gets old. Apologies to the OP....but this annoying behavior has been happening for quite awhile now. |
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r・pod 171 gone but not forgotten!
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offgrid
Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 01 Nov 2020 at 12:30pm |
podwerks, I think in most areas you mention we are probably in agreement, others are simply a matter of personal opinion or preference.
But if you state something as a recommendation to someone that is asking for help, like steering someone away from a vehicle brand that they prefer without explaining why, or suggesting that a heating system is more efficient without data, then you can expect to be questioned, its a forum. I certainly expect to be. In this case if you have data to support that catalytic heaters are more efficient in actual use, please share it. Nothing unusual about debate on that topic, it is the subject of plenty of discussion on other RV forums as well.
We all have different things that annoy us, that doesn't make it the other person's problem. If you find it annoying when people disagree with your statements, that's fine, I find it annoying when folks make statements that are not based on data, that's fine too. |
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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Dirt Sifter
Senior Member Joined: 30 Dec 2018 Location: Right side OR Online Status: Offline Posts: 170 |
Posted: 02 Nov 2020 at 9:30am |
I prefer the cat heater. More quiet certainly, more efficient - I don't know or care in the middle of the night. More condensation - yup - but I don't care in the middle of the night; I do prep for it and accept it. Offgrid can get on your nerves if you let him, but makes some good ponder points, if they are important to you. Others make good points to consider and balance our decisions. That's why I like this forum. Think I'll leave it right here.
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Greg n Deb 2020 195 HRE
'07 Tundra 5.7L., '17 Tacoma 3.5L. Both with tow packages 1 Puggle, 1 Chihuahua support staff |
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BMJ
Newbie Joined: 25 May 2020 Location: Virginia Online Status: Offline Posts: 24 |
Posted: 28 Dec 2020 at 9:54am |
Wanting to boondock a couple days in our 195 Need to run the heater at night. Isn’t this going to wipe out the battery and would a small (2000-2500) inverter generator be best to invest in? We have a portable solar panel (100 watt) however this will only get our battery up to full charge... any advice from folks as to how best to be prepared?... which inverter generator do folks recommend? Thanks!
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jato
Senior Member Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Location: Kewadin, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 3255 |
Posted: 28 Dec 2020 at 10:59am |
BMJ I can't respond to your inverter question as I have neither generator or solar to supplant my batteries when boondocking but I can state this from 10 years experience with our two 12v group size 24 Interstate batteries that are now 10 years and 9.7 years old: we get 3 days out of each battery when night temps are in the 40's or less, the furnace runs a lot (yes it is loud but in my book noise Trumps over being cold) and usually the battery will read around 60% S.O.C. or 12.2v after 3 days or going into day 4. At that point the one battery is unhooked and the other one is attached. Works for us and we are good for 6+ days without all the fussing of hooking up/taking down solar panels, or carrying around a generator and gas can(s) and don't have to have all the extra room needed to store all this 'stuff' like solar panels, controllers, generators, gas cans. I like simple and as a result have a fair amount of extra room while traveling (and a lot less weight).
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God's pod
'11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
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mjlrpod
Senior Member Joined: 27 Sep 2016 Location: Massachusetts Online Status: Offline Posts: 1215 |
Posted: 28 Dec 2020 at 11:07am |
Battery draw Really depends on weather. If it's cold, like below 30, day and night, the battery will probably last 2 days max. If it's on at night only, maybe 3 days. You might be able to recharge by hooking up to the tow vehicle (if it's set up to charge battery), but it takes a long time. You only need a small genny if all you want to do is recharge the battery. A 1000 watt is more than capable. I would say honda, but theres many good choices, yamaha, champion, etc.
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2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195 2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl I'll be rpodding |
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offgrid
Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 29 Dec 2020 at 7:57am |
The furnace uses about 2 amps when running it’s fan so if it ran continuously it would consume about 50 amp hours a day, which is about all you’d want to take from a single battery. You also have other electrical loads you will be using so that would shorten the time further.
But the furnace won’t be running continuously unless it’s really cold, a more typical duty cycle would about 50%, for about 25 amp hours a day. So if you have dual batteries (recommended for boon docking) you ought to be able to go two days at least as long as you’re conservative on other electric use. Consider a second propane cylinder as well. The furnace when running uses 20000 btu per hour, or about 480000 btu over 2 days at 50% duty cycle. A full single 20 lb cylinder contains about 430000 btu so you will probably run through a cylinder operating the furnace before you run through a dual battery setup. Be careful about tongue weight though, dual batteries and cylinders will add well over 100 lbs. You can keep the 2nd propane cylinder in your tow vehicle to reduce tongue weight if necessary, that’s what I do. Re generators, a 1kw would be plenty for recharging the batteries but if you also want to run either the microwave or the a/c then you will need at least a 2kw plus an Easystart soft starter on the a/c or around a 3kw without the soft starter. |
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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geewizard
Senior Member Joined: 16 Apr 2017 Location: Spokane Online Status: Offline Posts: 347 |
Posted: 30 Dec 2020 at 9:08am |
I use a Wave 3 catalytic heater. It works great for boondocking. If you search on my username, you'll find pics of my installation.
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2021 Winnebago Micro Minnie 1708FB
2017 R-Pod 177 (Blue) HRE SOLD 2004 Outfitter Apex 8 camper 2014 Toyota Tundra DC |
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geewizard
Senior Member Joined: 16 Apr 2017 Location: Spokane Online Status: Offline Posts: 347 |
Posted: 30 Dec 2020 at 9:11am |
+1
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2021 Winnebago Micro Minnie 1708FB
2017 R-Pod 177 (Blue) HRE SOLD 2004 Outfitter Apex 8 camper 2014 Toyota Tundra DC |
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