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Randyretired

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Everything posted by Randyretired

  1. It was generator prepared. If your breaker panel is in the front maybe you could tap in there?
  2. Our Teton had a transfer switch just behind the front storage. Tapped into that and put a 50amp plug in it. Also put a 50amp receptacle on the cable coming from the back. The trailer can be plugged into the inverter, original rear receptacle or a cable from the front storage. For power through the inverter the inverter can be plugged into the original rear location or a cable from the front storage area.
  3. The NEC has requirements for the wire to the controller or inverter that I follow. Basically it says if the wire is designed to support 156% of the load then only a disconnect is required. For that disconnect I ofte use a large breaker because it it cheaper and easier. As long as it is bigger than than the load any breaker will work.
  4. Whenever I do solar I leave the panels unplugged until all of the wiring is done. That voltage, especially DC 😱. Don't take chances and be very careful. My choice is to wire everything and then plug the panels in after dark. Then switch things on one at a time.
  5. There should be a permanent ground connection from the AC service to the frame of the RV. When connected to the grid the ground from the panel is also connected to service ground. Your inverters should also be grounded to the RV frame. As John said everything grounded together so that everything is at the same potential. This is a safety feature for shock protection. Even in a Stix and bricks every ground should be connected and every electrical appliance should be grounded. The ground wire going to the earth is to dissipate surges and static electricity. That wire alone doesn't provide shock protection.
  6. The AC is also using the frame as a ground. In order to complete a circuit the power must return to the source. Meaning 240v. AC or 48v or 12v are all separate circuits just using one leg as a ground to keep all metal appliances at the same potential for shock hazard protection. If any of the positives or nongrounded conductors come in contact with the ground the overcurrent (fuses or breakers) will trip for that power source. Nothing will happen to the other sources using the ground. Grounding solar panels on my ground mount arrays I doubt I will follow the NEC. This doesn't pertain to your situation but grounding panels is complex.
  7. Hi Glenn, I will add my $.02 to this. First I can't think of any reason not to ground the panel frames. The next thing that comes to mind is 250v is dangerous and it is DC which has additional dangers. Possibly deadly if you come in contact with it. If you ground the frames to the RV frame that would ensure that all metal is at the same potential and would reduce the chance of a shock hazard. So that is a good thing. I haven't been around high voltage solar, especially on an RV to know how likely a problem is but of course at that voltage once could be the last time. My panels on the RV are currently working around 40v so I didn't bother.
  8. Like others here have stated we have used our Advantage plan in 5 different hospitals in AZ, a couple in CA and a few here in CO. Our plan is different than some but we have never been turned away. Many want to lump all Medicare Advantage plans together without understanding there are significant differences in the plans. Our Advantage is better than any supplement plan I know of. Our maximum Medicare covered health care is $150 a year. Plus like many Advantage plans it has some eye and hearing coverage and a few other things. The stigma against Medicare Advantage is wide spread and I believe it is caused by some poor plans leaving a bad taste for some patients and medical providers. Not all Medicare Advantage plans are the same! I don't recommend them for everyone but for some they are a viable cost effective plan.
  9. I think there are a number of different ways to unhitch. I usually don't drop the air in the truck. I raise the trailer enough to see it move up slightly. Then release the hitch air and make sure the hitch doesn't bottom out. Then release and pull away. I pull other equipment trailers and some have significant tongue weight and it works for me. Whatever way works for you is what I would do. Just don't have the hitch spring up. If the angles are such that the trailer needs to be raised a lot I will dump the truck air bags but usually not. I also don't fill the hitch bags before hitching. I just use the trailer legs and the hitch air to get everything aligned before final backing. I like the hitch to be slightly higher so than the trailer pushes it down when backing under. My DW can't guide me and I don't have a camera so I have to pop out of the seat usually a couple of times to get hitched. Your methods may be different.
  10. I had a problem that sounds like the problem described here with a 2001 Volvo. The problem turned out to be a bad battery cable. Not the where the cable connects but inside the cable. I suspect it was where the wire was connected to the lug. To find it I used jumper cables to parallel the existing cables. Replaced both battery cables and that fixed it. Before we found it I had cleaned all of the battery connections. Even removing all of the wires on the starter. A volt meter would show voltage at the battery and the dash would light but as soon as I tried to start it the dash went blank and nothing.
  11. Nearly half of the people on Medicare use Medicare Advantage plans and that number is expected to be more than half soon. The plans are all different and it takes considerable research to see if one is right. The ability to change back to regular Medicare after a year could be in jeopardy.
  12. I tend agree with Jay but when there is a directional connecting order I wonder what this switch is intended for. On many solar applications the charging current can be substantial and not easily stopped. The discharge current may even be larger. Why would a switch designed for a battery disconnect be directional as this appears to be? Which way does the manufacturer recommend?
  13. Disconnecting only when there isn't a load may work for everyday but if something happens and the switch isn't up to it expect welding inside the switch. Mostly that will just ruin the switch but it could also weld it closed. For lithium batteries it might also be helpful to have a Bluetooth enabled BMS that can be instructed to disconnect if time allows. I am also wondering if there are quality switches made for bidirectional loads.
  14. Basic was probably a poor choice of words. What I was trying to point out is that many want to put all Medicare Advantage plans together. They are as different as the supplement plans. Just because it is an advantage plan doesn't mean it is good or bad.
  15. Disconnecting high powered DC circuits is complicated. In a temporary solar array with 1800 watts I used a cheap DC rated breaker, rated for 63amps at 1000v. The wire was large enough it didn't need protection.The first time I switched it off under load (120v around 10 amps) it made a sound similar to a welder. That was the end of it.
  16. There are different Medicare Advantage plans! The zero cost plans can be rather basic but there are plans that pay for nearly everything. Ours is an employer provided plan that doesn't have a deductible and a maximum out of pocket of $150. The prescription benefits have also treated us well. We can go anywhere that accepts Medicare in network or out of network. There aren't additional costs for out of network.
  17. North out of Salt Lake is the worst we have seen. Most of the traffic was crawling along, maybe 30mph. An 18 wheeler passed and when he came back into our lane the trailer tires lifted about 8" and slowly drifted back down. We took the next exit.
  18. Many with oxygen sensors are rated for lower elevations only. Our blue flame and the brick style heater before that were rated up to 5,000ft and at our property which is around 7,400ft it would only operate for 20 minutes or so then shut down even with 2 windows open. For example this one is rated for 4,500ft. https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Heater-Corporation-Vent-Free-Radiant/dp/B01DPZ5B2I/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?crid=2F8ENZ7A35DC0&keywords=blueflame+propane+heaters&qid=1668124140&sprefix=blueflam%2Caps%2C560&sr=8-8
  19. At high altitude those with oxygen sensors will often shut off. Many have altitude specs that limit the altitude where these van be used.
  20. When my DW was guiding me sometimes someone would step in to guide me often times trying to take over. The first time that happened my DW stopped rather than cause a confrontation. Afterwards we talked about it and agreed she is who I watch, period. Often when boarding a ferry the one guiding will tell you to watch them. They will guide you. While I watch them I check myself. If something goes wrong I have a problem. I will help guide if someone asks but I don't volunteer.
  21. As you may already know most panels have the numbers on them to calculate the voltage at a given temperature. Most panels start at around 75C and add or subtract voltage by whatever the temperature diffence is. The cooler the panel runs the higher the voltage.
  22. RV parks have a few that are new or maybe not as good at backing as others but what I have seen at boat ramps will stick with me for a long time. Seems there are a lot of inexperienced backers there. Many are new at boating also. The combination is ripe for a bad day. One time I watched 2 men trying to back a boat and neither seemed to have a clue. There conversation went like turn that way a see what happens. After an hour or so they left. I have seen a truck in the water, deep in the water. I have seen motor homes launching boats and when they pulled out the storage compartments were draining. An argument between boaters at the ramp was also pretty common.
  23. I have back problems so lifting panels was not going to happen. I used a backhoe. Hopefully with your knees you have a plan.
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