This article is just a side dish for RV novices, veterans please take a detour. If there is something wrong, please criticize. Many friends start thinking about where to play and how to play high enough since they are planning to buy a RV. After getting the caravan, I found that due to the limited space, the caravan carries very little water, electricity and other resources. RV novice players who are accustomed to using water and electricity at home feel “baby is very wronged”. Today, I will talk to you about the reasons and solutions for the lack of power in the RV.
Why does the RV run out of power?
As a necessity for homes and cars, electricity is naturally indispensable in RVs. However, the RV is a combination of a house and a car. The electric energy on the RV is different from that in the house. It is divided into two modes: 12V DC (24V for some RVs) and 220V AC. Among them, 12V electricity is stored in the battery of the RV, and 220V is not stored and can only be connected externally (the vehicle-mounted 220V generator is also classified as external connection here). The battery capacity is usually 80AH~100AH per piece, and the RV is usually equipped with 1~2 pieces of battery to store electricity. Note that the battery of the RV and the engine start battery are not a system, and the towed RV will also have a separate battery.
When the RV is in use, the car engine is usually not running all the time (trailer RV is a tractor) to charge the battery, and this charging method is slow and only suitable for driving. The inverter, refrigerator, water pump, exhaust fan and other equipment are almost at full load when the RV is camping, while equipment such as heaters, electric water heaters, range hoods, and special exhaust fans for toilets are large power consumers although they are not always on. In addition, although lighting, satellite antennas, vehicle monitoring boards, gas water heaters, etc. do not consume a lot of power, the power consumption is not small when calculated for a long time. However, the RV itself is limited by the capacity of the battery, so the power of the RV will often be insufficient when camping.
plan 1
Add battery. Since the storage capacity is small, increase the capacity, change one battery into two, and change 80AH into 200AH. It should be noted that the batteries used in ordinary cars are starter batteries, while the batteries used in RVs are deep cycle batteries. Deep-cycle batteries can discharge the battery to zero without affecting the lifespan, and the number of charge and discharge times is much higher than that of ordinary car batteries. In addition, the weight ratio of the car body has been considered at the beginning of the RV design, so special attention should be paid to the weight balance of the RV when adding batteries to the RV.
Scenario 2
solar energy generation. As the vanguard of the photovoltaic industry in solving energy problems, the RV must not be left behind. Many RVs are equipped with solar power panels at the beginning of their manufacture, and the effect can basically meet the lighting, exhaust fans and other equipment of the RV. However, solar energy itself is greatly affected by external forces such as latitude, weather, and terrain, and can only be used as an alternative to other charging modes in actual use.
Option 3
dynamo. Simple, direct and effective, it is the most direct and reliable way to make a 220V power supply without a 220V power supply. However, when choosing a generator brand, you should try to choose a brand that has been tested by the market for a long time, such as Honda and Yamaha. In terms of power, generally around 3Kw is enough to be practical for common RVs, and there is no problem with using a 2Kw generator for off-peak use of electrical appliances in the car. In terms of fuel, fuel generators are generally used in China. It is recommended to choose a generator with the same fuel as the RV (trailer RV is a tractor) to facilitate outdoor use.
Summary: After reading these, do you have any new ideas on upgrading your RV? In fact, while everyone is playing with the RV, they are also constantly getting to know the RV, and make some small changes according to their own understanding. In addition to the methods we mentioned above, there are also adding inverters, wind power generation, etc., so I won’t introduce them here. As a comprehensive product of travel and outdoors, the RV has many similarities with home life, but there are also quite a few differences. The use of electricity is one of them. Because the ability to store supplies is much smaller than that at home, saving electricity is not just a slogan, but also a “necessity” of life. In addition, if you are not a professional, please do not try to modify the RV by yourself.
