Chad Heiser

I have Good Sam Premium and have for 10 years. They have towed my rig once when the ECU failed. My HDT is registered as a motorhome.

I have an N14 and did a complete in frame on it 4 years ago. I also replaced the turbo and clutch and a couple other small items at the same time. The total bill was about $25k.

First, what type of batteries do you have? Most batteries bulk charge in the 14 volt range without issue. It really is dependent on what your battery manufacturer recommends though. The charging voltage going to your batteries while the generator is running is coming from your converter (or inverter/charger if you have one). If the device is programmable then you can manually set the charge level by changing the programming. Not all chargers are programmable though. Some have preset charge algorithms that can be selected. If this is the case, there may be a different algorithm you could select. If you don’t have either of these options, then the only way to up your charging voltage is to replace your existing charger (either converter or inverter/charger) with a new one that charges at the proper voltage or is programmable so you can set the desired voltage. Another option is to add a standalone battery charger that charges at the desired voltage when it is plugged in and receiving power from the generator or shore power.

We are always up for a RZR riding trip. Although my last foray to the ECR was an expensive trip. I don’t want that to happen again. 😮

Others will be able to answer this better than me since I have a short wheelbase, short rear overhang truck, but I have seen people go out as far as 6 feet behind the rear axle with a fifth wheel kingpin. My truck has the 5th wheel kingpin approximately 2.5’ behind the center of my single rear axle.

AMT = Automated Manual Transmission

The Hughes autoformer works by using some of the current from the pedestal to boost the voltage when it says in the park. The autoformer can only boost the voltage so much, I want to say 5%, but that is strictly from long ago memory. Regardless, the most current that can be used at the site is still limited by the breaker at the pedestal. The current used to boost the voltage is current your RV would loose, not other RV’s elsewhere. Say the autoformer uses 5 amps of the available current at your 30 amp site to boost the voltage to an acceptable level, that would mean you now only have 25 amps of available current for your RV to use.

Your welcome. Let me know if you have any specific questions.

Do you have a battery monitor to give you good information about how much energy you use from your batteries? Can you tell us what size your battery bank is? My typical recommendation for basic battery maintenance while in storage is between 100 and 200 watts of solar. Storage is obviously different than actually using the RV. For using the RV with lead acid or AGM batteries, I typically recommend double the solar wattage to the amount of battery amp hours. So if you have a 200 amp hour battery bank, I would recommend 400 watts of solar. This is a general rule of thumb, but it usually works pretty well. As to what equipment is needed, that is fairly simple. You need solar panels and solar panel mounts, wiring between the solar panels (if more than one), then wiring from the roof down to wherever the solar controller will be mounted. The solar controller should be a quality MPPT style controller. You should have circuit protection between the panels and solar controller and then also between the solar controller and battery bank. Finally, you need wiring between the solar controller and the batteries. This will be a heavier gauge wire than that coming down from the roof. Mounting the panels to the roof is dependent on the type of roof you have. Most RV’s have rubber membrane roofs. This type of roof requires Dicor or a similar sealer, stainless steel screws and typically aluminum mounting brackets. Put a bead of sealer down, set the mount in the bead, screw the mount down and then cover it all in sealer. I have a lot more information about solar on my website listed below under the Learn section. Feel free to ask any specific questions you might have.

Yes there is a way to calculate the amperage the charge controller will produce. With the solar panels specified and the configuration I mentioned with the 250/100 charge controller and six series pairs of panels, you will have a maximum wattage potential of 5100 watts. At 5800 watts, the 250/100 charge controller will put out 100 amps to your 48 volt battery bank [5800 W / 57.6 V (charge voltage) = 100.69 Amps]. Your 5100 watts (assuming your panels produce at their maximum potential, which they won't flat mounted on an RV roof), would give about 88 amps to the batteries (5100 W / 57.6 V = 88.54 Amps). More realistic production in mid summer with cool temperatures is 85 to 90% of ratings with flat mounted panels. With this in mind figure 4335 W (85% of rating) / 57.6 V = 75 Amps to the batteries (approximately). In winter time, a more realistic production number with flat mounted panels is about 65% of rating. Now you have 3315 W (65% of rating) / 57.6 V = 57.55 Amps (approximately).

Running three of those panels in series to a Victron 250 volt charge controller is too much. You are way too close to the 250 volt limit of the charge controller. You should leave a minimum of 15% headroom under the 250 volt hard limit of the controller (I prefer 20%). If you exceed the 250 volt hard limit, you will let the magic smoke out of the controller (it will fry itself). Victron has a calculator on there website that allows you to enter your panel specifications and the panel configuration and it will recommend the proper controller. Solar panels can actually produce higher voltage than they are rated for in cool temperatures and bright sun (which is rare, but it can happen). If you were to run three of these panels in series, they could easily produce more than 250 volts under the right conditions. With a 48 volt battery bank, the Victron 250/100 and 150/100 charge controllers will handle up to 5800 watts of solar panels. You could put all 12 of your 425 watt panels (5100 watts) on a single controller. I would run them in series pairs on the 250/100 controller and all in parallel on the 150/100 controller. Either controller will work, but I think I would prefer the higher voltage capabilities of the 250/100 and the series pairs configuration. It would allow for smaller gauge wire coming down from the panels and less wiring between the panels and the combiner box. The controller output to the batteries would be running at slightly less than max capacity (100 amps) if all the panels were producing at peak ratings, which is good for the longevity of the controller.

I’m excited to see the Sea Level and Mopeka integration. I’m looking forward to trying that out.

We’re in Flagstaff, Arizona at a Luxe rally. There are several other HDTers here and we are having a nice time even though we have an SOB trailer. We head home from here for a few days and then head out to the coast north of Fort Bragg, California for a couple of weeks.

I am interested in adding a Visible plan to enhance our travel connectivity. My primary phones and internet are on ATT and I'd like a Verizon network back up. It would pretty much strictly be used for data when ATT is weak or has no signal. Has anyone taken the sim out of a Visible phone and put it in an LTE router? Is this even allowed or possible? I have a dual sim cellular router with only one SIM in it currently (ATT) and would like to add a Verizon network sim to it for fail over when ATT doesn't work or has week signal. The original party plan or one of the new plans would be nice. I like the fact there is unlimited roaming in Canada with the upgraded plans.

The ones I am personally aware of are in south western North Dakota (not really helpful for you). They were built during the oil boom when housing was very scarce and oil workers were living in RV’s in the area because they could find any permanent structures to rent. I haven’t been back that way in a few years and with the recent down turns in the oil industry, I don’t know if they are still a thing in that area but they were big business for a while there.

Mine is in getting an RV Flex Armor spray on roof. The work started this morning and should be completed Friday. I helped with the removal of the solar panels and wiring this morning and then let them get at the rest of the prep work needed before the spraying starts. Anyone looking for a Flex Armor roof, I highly recommend Rolling Retreats in Elk City, Ok. They have a dedicated crew that does nothing but Flex Armor roofing. They are very good at what they do. I also added a second 50 amp power hook up at the front of the trailer. I had an open spot in my OEM transfer switch, so I added the additional hook up just in case. There are a couple of places we go, where it will simplify setting up in the site if I can hook up at the front of the rig rather than the rear.

Currently Battle Born sources their cells from China like everyone else. This, however, may change in the not too distant future. Things are in the works.

My personal preference is Battle Born. It is what I have in my personal rig and what I deal with most with other installations. I probably have to deal with different issues than most in that I use a lot of batteries in many different systems and I need to be able to stand behind what I do and know my supplier will stand with me and make things right if necessary. I have also worked with Lion Energy and Relion. Lion Energy are prismatic cell based batteries. Relion are cylindrical cell based batteries, like Battle Born. I am aware of many other brands, but these are the only three I have personal experience with. I am not opposed to using some of the less expensive batteries like SOK or Ampertime and others, I simply prefer the bigger company standing behind the more mainstream (bigger name) batteries for my circumstances.

Pouch cells are basically prismatic cells in a soft sided covering rather than a hard case cover.

There are big differences in lithium battery construction and components. The biggest things to look for, in my experience, are cell type (cylindrical cell vs prismatic cell), BMS features (built in protections, charge/discharge rate) and warranty/customer service. Cell type is a big factor. Very few drop in replacement lithium batteries are built out of individual cylindrical cells. Most of them are built with prismatic cells. Both cell types use the same battery chemistry, but prismatic cell based batteries have four large prismatic cells inside the 12 volt battery. If any one of those cells fails, the entire battery is now an expensive brick. There is no way around this. Cylindrical cell based batteries are made up of a much larger number of small cylindrical batteries (slightly larger than AA batteries) wired together to produce a 12 volt battery. If one or even several of these cylindrical cells fail, the battery can still produce enough voltage to still function. Obviously if enough of them fail, the battery will eventually become another expensive brick. This, however, is less likely to cause a complete battery failure than the single point failure of a prismatic cell based battery. Lithium battery BMS’s are not all the same. Some are very robust and provide a lot of features. Some are very basic and do little more than keep individual cells balanced to produce 12 volts overall. A BMS that can’t handle large charge or discharge rates is also a red flag. There are many batteries that have a 100, 200, or even 300 amp hour rating to store energy, but can only discharge or accept a charge at a fraction of their power rating. When running several batteries in a battery bank, this becomes less of an issue because the overall battery bank charge/discharge rating will usually be sufficient. When running a single battery or a small number of batteries in a bank, this could cause problems with high draw equipment like an inverter. Temperature controls/protections are also very important for a BMS to have. Trying to charge a lithium battery at or below freezing temperatures can kill the lithium cells and turn that battery into an expensive brick again. Internal heating capabilities may also be important to people who have to deal with freezing temperatures on a regular basis. Very few manufacturers offer this feature. Warranty or customer support is also very important. Very few “inexpensive” lithium battery companies offer decent customer support. How do you deal with a battery warranty issue. How do you exchange or return a bad battery? Etc., etc. There are some other factors, but these are the big three I look at when rating or considering a lithium battery. How long have the batteries/company been around is another consideration that can allow for more data to examine when trying to decide on a battery. I am typically looking at higher end, high power systems that need to be supported by my battery banks so I want a battery that is high quality and has a proven track record of performance and support.

There are two versions of the Truma tankless water heater. The plus version is designed to operate in below freezing temperatures. The below information is from Truma’s website. This is the only on demand tankless water heater I have experience with and both of the ones I have used were OEM equipment in my DRV 5th wheels. AquaGo Models Truma AquaGo comfort Truma Hybrid Technology keeps temperature constant - no scalding Continuous supply of consistent hot water Simple open "Easy Drain Lever" - Winterization done Exclusive decalcification technology - extends life and maintains performance Ability to install the optional antifreeze kit Truma AquaGo comfort plus Truma Hybrid Technology keeps temperature constant - no scalding Continuous supply of consistent hot water Simple open "Easy Drain Lever" - Winterization done Exclusive decalcification technology - extends life and maintains performance Ability to install the optional antifreeze kit The industry's only true instant water heater ensuring hot water at every tap, any time can be used even during freezing temperatures

The tankless Truma water heater works very well. I wouldn’t own an RV without it based on our experiences. So far the coldest temps we have seen in a rig with the Truma were right around freezing. We had no issues. The trailer was nice and toasty with the forced air furnace and the Truma performed with no issues. I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t perform in colder temperatures as long as there is a sufficient water supply available.

Never heard of that brand before. We are on our second RV with an on demand water heater. Both were/are Truma tankless water heaters. We have been very happy with that brand over the last 5+ years.

Yes you can change your converter. Some travel trailers have the converter as an integral part of the RV power panel. If this is the case, you will have to disconnect the integral wiring and ad a plug somewhere near where you install your new stand alone converter. You will also obviously have to move the 12 volt wire leads from the old converter to the new converter. If your OEM converter is already a stand alone converter, then it is a simple swap. Unplug the old converter from where it is plugged in, disconnect the 12 volt wire leads, install the new converter, connect it to the 12 volt leads and plug it in. There may also be a chassis ground wire connected to the converter box and the RV frame. Simple disconnect this from the old converter and reconnect it to the new one as well. As to what size converter you need, I would stick with one the same or close in amperage rating to your OEM converter. This is what the existing wiring will support. If you go too much bigger than the OEM converter, you may have to replace both the AC wiring (15 amp to possible 20 amp) and the DC wiring (proper gauge to support the amperage output) . Edit to add: You can use any manufacturers converter. Some are of better quality than others though. I would stick with a name brand.

I have Good Sam. Used them recently to get a couple of new tires for my trailer after an incident. They were prompt and easy to work with.