Consolidating controls in one location

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by sclifrickson

I like the idea of having all the controls in one location that isn’t at ground level.
most all of our controls are grouped together, they are on the floor.Attachment 33129

Originally Posted by Patandlinda

Me too ! Very nice and we wish monitors weren't down near the floor ! Pat

Originally Posted by MyronL

The WFCO is a total pain to access.

Couldn't agree more. I find the 19 set-up a total PITA. Maybe that's because I've been spoiled by many years of having everything conveniently located beside the nav table.

If I was to have the luxury of totally wiring a 19 the whole panel would be straight ahead from the door on the exterior wall of the bathroom. Every time I have to reach in to the WFCO it's mutter, curse.

Ron

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by MyronL

I installed my solar controller in the tongue box. It came with a remote display which I ran up to the shelf above the front window. Like that fine. I installed other display controls below the dinette seat as seen here. Having to look down at them is a mild pain but no biggie. The smaller surge protector display became annoying enough to rebuild its bracket plate so it is aimed up more. The WFCO is a total pain to access.

Right with you on that Myron ! Pat

[StillCampin]

Originally Posted by tdf-texas

http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f8...tml#post251916

Ah ha. So the internal space is adequate but the face frame needs trimmed. I can do that for my same model microwave.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Couldn't agree more. I find the 19 set-up a total PITA. Maybe that's because I've been spoiled by many years of having everything conveniently located beside the nav table.

If I was to have the luxury of totally wiring a 19 the whole panel would be straight ahead from the door on the exterior wall of the bathroom. Every time I have to reach in to the WFCO it's mutter, curse.

Ron

Hi Ron couldn't agree more ! Pat

[Moaboy]

I just wish Escape would have put the control for the refrigerator fan inside. It is a real inconvenience to have to go outside and take the refrigerator vent cover off. I don’t care where they would have mounted it...anyplace inside would be an improvement.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by Moaboy

I just wish Escape would have put the control for the refrigerator fan inside. It is a real inconvenience to have to go outside and take the refrigerator vent cover off. I don’t care where they would have mounted it...anyplace inside would be an improvement.

Bought and put our switch inside . I believe where it should be and not to hard to do .

[cpaharley2008]

Just a matter to snake 2 wires inside to a switch, that inside switch will then activate the outside switch...simple.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Just a matter to snake 2 wires inside to a switch, that inside switch will then activate the outside switch...simple.

Just a hole for back of switch too . Pat

[kfsmith]

I completely agree
-surge protector switch and be changed when getting in and out of the dinette.
-battery switch can be turned off when you move.
-can't easily read the solar controller panel
when I showed my 5.0 to a prospective buyer last week I recommended he talk about all this to ETI. I wish I had thought about this for my order.

[StillCampin]

Pursuing this idea ...

The ETI drawing for the 5.0 "Floorplan With Measurements" shows the fridge space at 24+" wide so that would also be close to the potential width of the panel above the fridge where the tank monitor display is installed.

What is the height of that space? Specifically, for those that have removed the fridge and changed the monitor panel or added a switch or whatever up there - the size of the potential opening if the panel was not present, inside any framing.

Also, if there is insulation in that space, is it installed such that some of it near the front can be removed?

My current idea is to recess any switch panel, controls & displays I might put up there and have a smoked acrylic door in place of the existing panel. This would essentially hide the mis-matched combination of face plates.

[rotateclockwise]

Originally Posted by StillCampin

What is the height of that space? Specifically, for those that have removed the fridge and changed the monitor panel or added a switch or whatever up there - the size of the potential opening if the panel was not present, inside any framing.

Also, if there is insulation in that space, is it installed such that some of it near the front can be removed?.

I can't help you with the height, but I pulled the monitor panel off in a 21 (similar to a 5.0TA) to run some wires above the fridge. There is no insulation that I saw and the void runs the dept of the fridge. There were some other electrical wires in that space, but overall, it's an open void back to the fiberglass.

I wouldn't recommend putting a solar charger in that space. The closer to the batteries, the better for the charger. Escape used to put it there, but moved it down for performance reasons.

[StillCampin]

Originally Posted by rotateclockwise

I wouldn't recommend putting a solar charger in that space. The closer to the batteries, the better for the charger. Escape used to put it there, but moved it down for performance reasons.

I would be supplying my own solar charger with a remote display, transfered from my Aframe.

[padlin]

You could put the solar there, just requires cables sized correctly to the batteries and panel/s for the distance involved. Some controllers have remote panels where even that isn't an issue.

[sclifrickson]

Originally Posted by StillCampin

I would be supplying my own solar charger with a remote display, transfered from my Aframe.

Which solar controller do you have?

[StillCampin]

Originally Posted by sclifrickson

Which solar controller do you have?

Renogy 40 Amp Commander MPPT with a Tracer Meter MT-50 remote.

[Vermilye]

While I can't speak for the 5.0TA, the space above the refrigerator in the 21 (with the large 6 cu ft 2 door refrigerator) is filled with fiberglass insulation. Of course it can be pushed out of the way enough to add meters, displays, etc. I added a remote for the inverter above mine.

[StillCampin]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

While I can't speak for the 5.0TA, the space above the refrigerator in the 21 (with the large 6 cu ft 2 door refrigerator) is filled with fiberglass insulation.

Thank you. I was concerned that it might be foam board and maybe glued in place or otherwise difficult to clear the front 6". Fiberglass batt insulation would be easy to remove & cut to make space.

Now I just need the height of that space as if it was a cupboard.