Amp usage

[Ronn]

Originally Posted by davidmurphy02

I haven't had the chance to weigh our 5.0TA yet but the specs for a basic 5.0TA show a 600 pound pin weight. My total dry weight is 4,300 pounds vs. the basic book weight of 3,885 (options like AC and dual batteries add to the weight) so I figure my pin weight is around 700 pounds. Our truck has an 1,800 pound payload, so with a 700 pound pin weight and 100 pound hitch that still leaves 1,000 pounds for me, Mary, and gear in the truck.

We picked up our 5.0 Friday and stayed at the Lynden KOA until Monday. We figured if we needed to go back to Chilliwack we could do that Monday. So far the only issue has been our water pump runs continually. Reace did address that issue on the orientation video as it can be common with new pumps We need to adjust the pump cut off BUT we need a 5/64th allen wrench to do that. At this point we will just shut it off between uses (we were hooked up for water at Lynden and had no leaks).
David, I am wondering where you got the 4300 lbs dry weight, I find the GVWR and the GAWR, but no manufactured gross weight listed. Am I missing that or is it not weighed by the manufacturer?
Also, if anyone can lend some light on battery usage. I have the inverter and dual batteries (225 amps). I believe they were completely charged 24 hrs ago (GoPower read 90% but according to the orientation video that could be interpreted as fully charged). We have now been without hookups for 24 hrsand our GoPower is reading 60% - 12.2 Volts. We have not used the fan, heater, or much other than 2 laptops, 1 extra monitor, charged a couple phones, maybe 12 hrs of 2 or 3 ceiling lights. Most of the time when I check the GoPower we are using less than 1 amp, the extreme I saw was 2.1 amps and that was only once. My thoughts are If I were even averaging 2 amps an hour that would only be 48 amps and yet 40% of 225amps would be 90 amps. We are in Washing with very very heavy cover and a just a sprinkling of sunlight between lots of cloud cover, so I am not that concerned about the solar output. Am I doing my math wrong or do I have a potential problem? Thanks

[cpaharley2008]

You have to turn off the inverter when it is not being used, used meaning operating an appliance. The inverter draws amps while doing nothing, so that maybe your culprit. It is an expensive battery drain option.

[davidmurphy02]

Originally Posted by Ronn

David, I am wondering where you got the 4300 lbs dry weight, I find the GVWR and the GAWR, but no manufactured gross weight listed. Am I missing that or is it not weighed by the manufacturer?
Also, if anyone can lend some light on battery usage. I have the inverter and dual batteries (225 amps). I believe they were completely charged 24 hrs ago (GoPower read 90% but according to the orientation video that could be interpreted as fully charged). We have now been without hookups for 24 hrsand our GoPower is reading 60% - 12.2 Volts. We have not used the fan, heater, or much other than 2 laptops, 1 extra monitor, charged a couple phones, maybe 12 hrs of 2 or 3 ceiling lights. Most of the time when I check the GoPower we are using less than 1 amp, the extreme I saw was 2.1 amps and that was only once. My thoughts are If I were even averaging 2 amps an hour that would only be 48 amps and yet 40% of 225amps would be 90 amps. We are in Washing with very very heavy cover and a just a sprinkling of sunlight between lots of cloud cover, so I am not that concerned about the solar output. Am I doing my math wrong or do I have a potential problem? Thanks

One of your documents from ETI should be titled Certificate of Origin for a Trailer. Near the top on the right side it will list a shipping weight, this is the dry weight of your trailer.

The GoPower solar controller display is not telling you how many amps are being used, it is telling you how many amps are going from the solar panels into the batteries - and if you are in heavy cover with lots of clouds, those are probably normal readings for solar output. The GoPower display should cycle between three readings - the percentage of charge in the batteries, the current voltage of the batteries, and the number of amps that the solar panel is putting into the batteries. In full sunlight when your batteries are fully charged up, that amp reading will be very low because the batteries don't need any additional charge. Otherwise it will be the max that the solar panels can generate at that moment.

[Ronn]

Originally Posted by davidmurphy02

One of your documents from ETI should be titled Certificate of Origin for a Trailer. Near the top on the right side it will list a shipping weight, this is the dry weight of your trailer.

The GoPower solar controller display is not telling you how many amps are being used, it is telling you how many amps are going from the solar panels into the batteries - and if you are in heavy cover with lots of clouds, those are probably normal readings for solar output. The GoPower display should cycle between three readings - the percentage of charge in the batteries, the current voltage of the batteries, and the number of amps that the solar panel is putting into the batteries. In full sunlight when your batteries are fully charged up, that amp reading will be very low because the batteries don't need any additional charge. Otherwise it will be the max that the solar panels can generate at that moment.

Thanks David for enlightening me on both items, I found the weight as 4365 lbs I added a Lagun table mount - 11 pounds including hardware and added a convection microwave 43 lbs. for a total of 4419 lbs. Plan to do hitch weight once we get home. My F150 payload is 1733 lbs.

[Ronn]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

You have to turn off the inverter when it is not being used, used meaning operating an appliance. The inverter draws amps while doing nothing, so that maybe your culprit. It is an expensive battery drain option.

Thanks Jim, we actually turned on the inverter about 10 hours ago. We have been using the computers steadily since (Colleen is still working and will be on the computer 3 days a week). It was probably good that we had very little solar today as I now have a good idea of what the drain will be. Thanks again for the reminder on turning the inverter off, I knew it but wouldn't have recalled it enough to have turned it off when we were finished.

[davidmurphy02]

Originally Posted by Ronn

Thanks David for enlightening me on both items, I found the weight as 4365 lbs I added a Lagun table mount - 11 pounds including hardware and added a convection microwave 43 lbs. for a total of 4419 lbs. Plan to do hitch weight once we get home. My F150 payload is 1733 lbs.

What convection microwave did you install, and did you install it in the spot where the microwave would normally go? I'll be curious to hear how it does - was looking into that possibility but concerned about having very little clearance on the sides and top and having enough space for the heat to dissipate.

[Ronn]

Originally Posted by davidmurphy02

What convection microwave did you install, and did you install it in the spot where the microwave would normally go? I'll be curious to hear how it does - was looking into that possibility but concerned about having very little clearance on the sides and top and having enough space for the heat to dissipate.

It is a Contoure, Escape told me which one to order as they will do a custom cabinet - it is mounted below the 2 burner range with a trim kit. Escape does not install them, but it was an easy install. I liked Contoure's customer service, the first one sent from RVupgrades.com was destroyed due to rough handling and the second one had a problem with the door opening, i contacted the manufacturer for warranty and they were great. They said it the latch pin comes off due to rough handling. They had me ship it to them and they shipped the new one before I even sent that one to them. I will look into their products when we need to upgrade home appliances. We used both the microwave and convection quite a few times at home and it worked great. Looks great in the 5.0 as well.

[cpaharley2008]

Ronn,
You do realize your computers are 12v appliances and that you are converting 12v to 120v which the computers then change back to 12v for their operation? Very inefficient use of 12v. See if you can find 12v USB charging cords, then you can just plug them into one of your USB outlets and bypass the inverter. Your batteries will last you a lot longer and you will only need the inverter when using the convection appliance.

[davidmurphy02]

Would love to have a big convection microwave, but we boondock a lot and like to be able to run the regular oven on propane - sigh, guess you can't have everything! That looks really nice!

[Islandpeople]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Ronn,
You do realize your computers are 12v appliances and that you are converting 12v to 120v which the computers then change back to 12v for their operation? Very inefficient use of 12v. See if you can find 12v USB charging cords, then you can just plug them into one of your USB outlets and bypass the inverter. Your batteries will last you a lot longer and you will only need the inverter when using the convection appliance.

I would be very interested in getting a 12v USB charging cord for my laptops. Do you know where to find such a thing?

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by Islandpeople

I would be very interested in getting a 12v USB charging cord for my laptops. Do you know where to find such a thing?

Try google or amazon or even the manufacturer of the computer, if Apple- try B&H in NY

[Islandpeople]

I have tried. The only thing I could find is it is possible if you have USB-C on a new laptop.

[Donna D.]

Try at a truck stop store. Those places are loaded with 12volt products.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by Islandpeople

I have tried. The only thing I could find is it is possible if you have USB-C on a new laptop.

What laptop are you talking about? That would be a start.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Islandpeople

I would be very interested in getting a 12v USB charging cord for my laptops. Do you know where to find such a thing?

Even if you don't have an inverter installed, you can run a laptop and TV at the same time with a very portable one.

I did install a 1500W inverter and use it all the time to power my laptop and have never had an issue.

[Islandpeople]

We have an Acer Aspire & Toshiba Satellite laptops as well as cellphones that we charge through our portable 300w inverter. We have been very successful but Jim said that is not efficient use of power so was trying to follow his suggestion.

[citabria90]

Originally Posted by Islandpeople

I have tried. The only thing I could find is it is possible if you have USB-C on a new laptop.

The USB cables are very common. One most likely came with your computer.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=usb+charg...f=nb_sb_noss_1

Chuck

[Islandpeople]

I have lots of USB cables, but the USB outlets on the laptops are for giving power not receiving power.

[davidmurphy02]

Many laptops may not be able to be charged through a USB cable. But running your laptops on battery until their batteries get low, and then running your inverter for just long enough to charge them back up would be more efficient than running your inverter nonstop just to power your laptop chargers.

[padlin]

Here's a 12v charger for the Aspire.
https://www.amazon.com/CAR-Charger-4.../dp/B002TOFK2S

And here's one for a Satellite.
https://www.amazon.com/PA3516U-1ACA-.../dp/B002VANJ4Q

These are NOT usb, you need to use a lighter style 12v socket, if they still put them on the trailers, and I believe they connect to the regular charge port on the computers. Do verify these are correct, there are many styles of Aspire and Satellites, connectors may vary.

Being as how you are a fairly heavy power user I'd suggest you get a decent battery monitor and learn what's really going on.