Will B.

Agree with Kirk. It's water! If you'd drink it from a hose (like when we were all kids), then it's fine. Sanitizing the the tank is just like cleaning the iced tea pitcher. At least once in a while, but shouldn't be brown, and you can't see what you're doing! Heh.

I would say that if you can get the Onan installed (I'm sure it costs), there are advantages to having that. Auto-generator start, possibly integrated to your battery monitor is worth it, alone. (Yes, you'd have to have a battery monitory, but that's just a good idea anyway.) After our fiasco of having a dealer install all the solar, Victron, Battle Borns that our seller had included when we bought, do NOT use an RV dealer to do the install. Get a reputable electrician or vendor, preferably one recommended by the equipment providers. More detail on our situation at:

Let's hope it results in a better product! I have a great internet setup, but not completed yet, so I still have to go through the WifiRanger that our private seller had installed. It's ... okay, but drops my connections constantly (and shouldn't). Just have it in place until I get that new setup from MobileMustHave (Pepwave Max Transit Duo) up on the roof and a hard line run to my internal router. Have to say to anyone, if you're considering getting a WifiRanger, I'd recommend looking at the Pepwave products first. Having compared them side-by-side, I find that the Pepwave interface and quality is far superior. But glad WFR found a good buyer to take them to the next level.

Let me add that I'm not sure that the Polk County Tax Assessor's Office is open yet. CHECK FIRST! We drove down to Livingston from Dallas and they were closed! We had to do everything by mail, and that also meant no credit cards. For us, we had to pay the taxes since (probably like you) we bought out of state. Now, if you bought from a dealer, you probably paid state sales tax (if applicable). We bought private, so I had a lot of money to give to Polk County. I really wanted the points! But they will not, no how, no way, forget it... take credit cards over the phone or by mail. Only in person. So if they are not open, you'll have to do checks. We did certified checks from our credit union, but had to get additional ones because the math is hard. (I overrated the GVWR on the truck, so they wanted to add diesel emissions, etc. ) They tried to work with us via email, but I can only spam them so much. If you're in person, and they're open, you'll have much better luck. If you've paid that sales tax -- have proof of it! It can be an arduous process, at least I found it to be that way. Took me over two months by mail to get it done. All the while, the credit union is asking for the titles! I had to wait until I could get them registered in Texas! (And we were already Texas residents!) #CovidSucksForSoManyReasons

I'm really curious about these speed requirements. VOIP? Video conferencing? 20mpbs is pretty high (with any typically shared connection setups). If you're in a park or campground, getting that might be tricky. Also, very, very few CG's are going to invest in hard-wired connections, I would think, as a technology guy myself. You would likely have to have your own internet installed, almost as if you were a "mobile home" in a more permanent spot. Again, this assumes a lot about the infrastructure of the park / campground. With today's increasingly fast WiFi solutions, very few CG's are going to want to dig up to install (and maintain) ethernet or coax cable for this kind of connection. My wife is a cruise travel agent, and for years the company insisted on a "land line" (and still does) along with a fax number requirement. We decided they could keep us on if they chose, but we weren't going to maintain a land line (and how could we now as full-timers) and having a fax? No. Just no. I really hope you can find what you're looking for. My concern for you would be your limited ability to roam around in your RV. Good luck, y'all!

Just to clarify to others, the 4x4 neutral is NOT the same as the drive transmission neutral. This 4x4 neutral is the equivalent of disconnecting the transmission as I stated early. And Folivier is correct -- make sure the vehicle supports flat-towing. Many do not.

I do believe, if I recall correctly (though I'm a fifth wheeler) that the transmission has to be disengaged in some fashion? Not "putting it neutral" as I think that'll burn out the transmission. Again, no experience, but I file things away.

Assuming the direct 12v test works, it sounds like, yes, a relay. The behavior described is just like that of the slides where you need a bigger amp fuse/breaker. The "self-healing" aspect lets it run, then trips, then waits, then starts again... all while you're holding the button. On the older than... say 2019 Grand Design RV's.... they are recommending replacing the 40 amp self-healing fuse with an 80+ amp breaker. Which we did, and our slides do not hesitate anymore. Maybe this logic can be applied to your awning motor, maybe not.

These things, when they are ductless....where does the water go they pull out of the humidity?

Makes sense. As far as I know, that's not happening. I'm prepping a document to send to various companies, though. I am going to have a QUALIFIED (not an RV Dealer) company analyze, inspect, and potentially correct our installation. I know there are issues. I'm a little concerned that the old converter might not be lithium-battery compatible.

Well, it appears that my problems have been resolved. Indeed, as expected by myself and other posters, the original converter/charger was still here, behind a false wall that hides a lot of plumbing and the ATS and...another big electronics box. The tech, after I explained everything, and that my basic problem was "Shore power doesn't charge my batteries", he and I went looking. Tracing the power cables, it turns out that there was an empty breaker for it, to which it had been disconnected from. And that it wasn't "plugged in". (Weird that there's just a plug for it.) He reconnected the breaker, plugged it in, and now I have shore power battery charging capability. Flipping the breaker, we watched the voltage jump a bit on the DC circuits, as expected. (I had thought that ALL DC input only went to the battery, but he said that there's a cord going to the DC panel, but also to the battery. That still confuses me. Unless it's just all shared.) He only charged a little over an hour's labor. Most of that time was spent just trying to understand the existing system. (As a programmer, I get it, you can't just start diving in!) Repeatedly, he'd stop, shake his head and say "why'd they do it this way?" regarding the Victron installation. After the Victron sales guy said, basically, "if the Multiplus is off, it does nothing, not even passthrough", I knew that I am completely reliant on sunlight to power the batteries. Now, if I have shore power, I get what I needed. I'm ready to survive when the machines (and/or Skynet) darken the sky. Thanks SO much to everyone here who contributed to this discussion and offered so much help. We got no low voltage alarms last night, and we stayed on the 50 amp shore power. (We had been flipping over to the inverter, using only a single air conditioner to be safe. Unless I didn't remember to change soon enough, and started getting alarms before bedtime, in which case the inverter wouldn't WANT to turn on, like the night before, ugh.) WIthout everyone's help, I might not have really understood what I needed the tech to do. With this discussion thread, and getting the real info from Victron, I knew exactly what I needed. (And the tech fixed my sliding screen door on our little side patio, too, that I kept trying to put back on incorrectly after I knocked it off.) I'm very impressed with the fact that everyone tried to chip in, offered suggestions AND general knowledge. I have learned more about RV electrical systems, simply due to this problem, than I had expected. Thanks, everyone!

Exactly how I feel, @Randyretired. It's a GREAT system. The previous owner spent $10K installing it all, and we would've done it ourselves, eventually. I just gotta make it work for me. Having shade is great, until it isn't!

@Randyretired Well, based on some above comments, I probably still have my original converter somewhere "behind the curtain". Hopefully the tech, who I'd MUCH rather have deal with 50 amps of current than me, can put in a switch to make that work for us. There's simply no reason I should have 50 amp power and have to choose between air conditioning and charging the batteries. I shouldn't even have to monitor it that closely. Right now the AC's aren't running so....the battery should charging. But guess what? It's not. The only juice I'm getting right now is from the solar...and that's a measly 60 watts. In theory, and if not in the shade, I could have up to 760 watts coming in. When it gets dark tonight, I will flip over to the inverter, run a single AC and hope my batteries get charged.

Hey, everyone. Great info all around. I am SUPER appreciate of everyone's help. Last night, I reached out to Victron directly, after spending a night sweating with no air conditioner and no DC power for lights, etc. (More importantly, no DC to run the thermostats, which could've run my AC units because I have 50 amp shore power!). After swapping screen shots and more today with someone in Victron Sales, this was their conclusion: I can see it (the Multiplus -ed) connected to AC input and charging as one would expect when in Charger Only mode. Nothing will happen (including pass-through) if you have turned the unit to OFF with the CCGX. The Multi thinks you want it OFF, so it opens the input relay and shuts off. Therefore, my original assumption was correct: I can have 50 amps or I can have charged batteries, but not both. We are still "in the shade" and at 2:35pm only getting 95W. I'm keeping lights off to maximize charging. But you have to have DC to start the generator so I couldn't do that last night. Jumping it would get it started, but not keep it on, for whatever reason, whenever it wants to shut down. I am having a tech come out to where we are (middle of Kansas) either today or (more likely) tomorrow. I am going to determine what it will take to put the original charger/converter back into place so that if I have shore power, I can have batteries getting charged, too. If the Victron MultiPlus has to be on to charge the batteries and if it's on I only get 30 amps, then that is a DESIGN / PLANNING flaw. I'm a programmer, it would be like saying you have have your mouse work or your keyboard work, but not both at the same time. I just can't agree with this installation.

All I get is: Failed to sign up for updates

Best off just doing a speed test. Do the test several times, writing down the time and the speed. Maybe do 5 tests in the morning, 5 more in the afternoon and then 5 more in the evening, say 6PM plus when everyone gets home and starts streaming Netflix. Just take the averages for each time, then do the same thing again after you have your booster in play. Apps can be notoriously.... spammy and ad-filled and dangerous for your phone. (Think Malware.) Just go with a straight speed test (Ookla, or just Google "speed test" in a Chrome browser on your phone. Or any browser on your phone, really.)

Everyone is indeed different in their desires and needs. For the wife and the dog an I, we move every 3 or 4 weeks. We tap out the area, ride the motorcycle rides, see the sights and sites to see, then head out.

Our insurance dropped "moving" from Carrollton, TX (Dallas area) to Livingston.

@Chad Heiser I reached out to the owner, he got back to me, said he didn't have any schematic. He apparently had it installed by the RV dealer in California he bought the rig from. I suspect they won't be of much help. I sent an email to Victron this morning, asking for help in locating a tech, distributor, dealer, whatever that can assist us. Last night we had that whole weird thing happen again. I'm now 100% certain we're getting low voltage drops from the campground (this never happened before). The genny kicks on. But what's weird is, after a bit, it just shuts off! And the entire Victron system goes down. Like...off! (Which should NEVER have happened!) Until I put that battery jumper on the batteries, I'm dead. What's hilarious is that last night, I was watching it all when it happened. The BB battery bank was at 86%. After I "jumped" it enough to get the system to turn back on, the dang panel shows the battery bank at 100%. Which is a straight up lie! But with just a trickle from the jumper, all the house lights that were on come back on, and panels light up, etc. The entire thing is just sick. There's really TWO issues, I'm sure. There's the "not getting charged well" and this whole disaster scenario that occurs. Oh, well. Until I get a tech out here, I won't be able to resolve it. I truly appreciate all the help you've given me, and product suggestions. (Though I think an autoformer might be my next step.) I really have to have someone here who is a qualified electrician, preferably qualified for Victron equipment and makes house calls! I do NOT want to put my full time home in the shop; I'll never get it back.

Well, nevermind all this. One must include the GVWR sticker from the vehicle, but the County doesn't use it, at all. If you have an error on your form (which took over 20 emails to determine), they'll use THAT information, not the correct information, in determining your emissions requirement. Was like pulling teeth to get a proper explanation.

I would like to make an informal poll here. For those of you who have registered your towing vehicle with Polk County, Texas and have a 1997 or newer diesel 350/3500 or larger truck and (very important, regardless of vehicle) with a GVWR of exactly or less than 14,000 lbs, did you have to pay the 1% emissions fee upon registration.

The CCGX pic (multicolor) is while the generator is running, air conditioner running, whatever else.) Back to "Charger Only", but generator (Onan 5500), when running, has the other monitor panel showing 45 amps. (Always shows that when running.) Blue is phone screen capture after turning off the generator. "Infinite"! Implies, I would think, that the batteries are charging from the shore connection. (What I thought I had managed to change last night.) Funny, I just realize that when I was having difficulty starting the generator, I also turned off the two 30 amp breakers that are on it. Don't know what they do, but gotta remember to turn them back on, seems like it's important.

@Chad Heiser Thanks for that detailed information. You clearly know your stuff! I'm afraid that some of this is above my pay grade. Note the time I'm posting this. Came home tonight after being out...let's call it....10 hours. Left a little bit of lights on, but I think I was pulling very little DC, maybe 30 watts, when I left. When I got home, everything was dark. No DC anything. Air conditioners were off, but only, I think, because the DC thermostats were dead. All the AC electric stuff was fine! Bug zapper on, microwave clock, even our computers. But no lights, nothing on the DC side. Couldn't turn on any panels like the Victron, the One Control house system, nothing. I look out the window, showing correct green lights on the surge protector, clearly getting my 50 amps. Wife is distressed. "What's wrong?!" I can't explain it other than to say, "well, looks like our batteries are dead". I go out to start the genny, under the 5th wheel "hood". I pull the cover (Onan 5500) to get to the manual start button. I know it will charge the batteries. I can't start it! There's not even enough power to do so? Well, I have a jump starter I carry in my motorcycle. I connect it to one of the four Battle Borns, hit the "boost". I see the bedroom lights come on. (Love that little jumper, such juice!) I get the genny to prime, then start. Shuts right off. After the third time of doing this, I realize that the "quiet hours" are killing it. I have enough juice to access the phone app, bluetooth, etc. and disable quiet hours. Restart the genny, stays started. Close it all up. Sparse (at the moment) campground be damned, I gotta have air conditioning, it's hot! I check the panels inside. The batteries are showing 100%!!!! What? I don't know what the hell is wrong. The night before, about 2am, I heard the low voltage alarms going off. I clear the alarms, check the percentage, showing 61%. Turned on the system to Charger Only, batteries are back to 91% this morning. We only need one air conditioner at night, so 30 amp limitation is fine. It was about 7:15 am, sunrise (and possible solar charging) was at 6'ish. But, again, in the shade, and the angle would've been poor. I feel like some changes I made might've given juice back to the batteries. So right now, it's 3am, I'm running the generator. I'm afraid to turn it off and have plenty of fuel. (In fact, before parking here in the shade, I'd only run it to "exercise" it.) I have NO idea why there was no juice to the DC devices in the house if the batteries are truly at 100%. I made some changes last night via the phone app (Victron), but I couldn't tell you what they were or if they made any difference. Chad, if you're part of some installer network, I would love for you to make a recommendation or point someone to me in the Hutchinson (Wichita), Kansas area. I need an expert to come out here and look at this stuff, paid, of course. This is the first time in 3 months I've been in the shade, and that is revealing our issues I believe. Can you point me in a direction to help? I'm hesitant to just call just any mobile tech, as this is a configuration thing, clearly, on the Victron system. Not saying they don't know it, but it's pretty specific, I think. I can do my own checking to find someone qualified, but if you know how to get me in the right direction, it might save a lot of hassle. I really appreciate the help, everyone. I'm at wit's end. It's now 3:39 (I edit my posts heavily) and I guess I'll turn off the generator. <blink>.

Okay, I'll ask, for me and future readers: "What's a 'PUP'?"

As to "new or used" on the RV itself, you'll see many, many pieces of information online that lean towards "used". No RV rolls off the lot bug-free, there is ALWAYS something to fix. A used RV, that's been cared for, will have many of these kinks worked out. A new RV likely won't, and you'll read story after story after story after story about how someone's new RV has been in the shop as soon as they drove off the lot and could return back, and it's been in the shop from 1 to 10 months. For ANY RV you buy, new OR used, get an inspector. You'd never buy a sticks-n-bricks without one, don't skimp on this for the RV. You can find one here: https://nrvia.org/