Results for "12v air conditioner"

Installed 400 watts of solar panels on the roof last month but my battery monitor barely shows 2 amps coming in even at peak sun. Wiring looks solid, connections are tight, and the panels tested fine individually. Something between the panels and the battery bank is killing my charge rate. …more

I'm planning my weekend getaway when I spotted water dripping from my Coleman Mach air conditioner model 49003A879 that definitely wasn't there yesterday. I'm in Myrtle Beach, with super humid conditions (90s with crazy humidity) and getting pea-sized water drops falling from the ceiling vents at maybe 2 drops per minute, which doesn't sound like much but it's making puddles on my floor.

I've been keeping the main ceiling vents mostly closed to push more air to the back of the coach. Climbed up on the roof expecting to find some fancy drain pump or tubing system, but honestly don't see much of anything obvious.

Is this just how these Coleman units work, or am I missing something? Really hoping this isn't a 'deal with it' situation, but wondering if my closed vents are screwing up the airflow or if there's actually a drainage problem I need to fix. …more

Pulled the same wire swap trick that fixed my old analog RV thermostat's voltage drop, but this new Coleman 9420-381 digital replacement is behaving completely different. Everything worked great all summer with the AC, but now that heating season is here, I'm having major problems.

The furnace keeps short-cycling terribly - the burner fires for maybe 3-20 seconds, shuts off, then the whole cycle repeats. I've already ruled out the furnace itself (replaced the board, checked sail switch and limit switch). Through testing, I discovered the furnace is steady at 13.4V, but when the thermostat calls for heat, the voltage it sends back slowly drops from 13V down to around 10V, then the burner shuts down.

If I short the two furnace wires directly, the furnace runs perfectly. I suspect the thermostat's solid state components are failing. I'm wondering:
1 Has anyone else seen this issue?
2 Are others using this 9420-381 thermostat without problems?

I really like the digital features, but need a reliable solution. …more

Spent the weekend camping next to a couple with whisper-quiet AC while my wife kept complaining our Dometic Penguin 2 sounds like a freight train. I've been reading about the newer Fresh Jet 5 and wondering if it would be worth upgrading.

I'm mainly concerned about three things: Is the Fresh Jet 5 actually that much quieter than the existing Penguin 2 model? Will it use more power from my electrical system? And honestly, I'm not super handy with installations - would this be a straightforward replacement where I can swap out the Penguin 2 without extensive rewiring?

Any advice would be really helpful since this is a pretty big purchase for me and I want to make sure I understand what I'm getting into before I commit to the upgrade. …more

Noticed my Grand Design's warranty paperwork doesn't mention inverter installations — would installing a 2000W inverter void my coverage completely? except my dream apparently involves wanting to run actual appliances without firing up the generator at 6 AM and becoming "that neighbor" at the campground! 😅

My TT came with the prewired inverter loop (thank goodness, because my electrical skills peak at changing light bulbs), and I know it's wired with 10/2 Romex that can handle up to 2000 watts. Now I'm drowning in inverter options and getting analysis paralysis.

I'm looking for recommendations on the best 2000W pure sine wave inverters that'll play nice with my Grand Design's setup. Also completely confused about whether to go with an internal ATS for simplicity or bite the bullet and install an external transfer switch. Help a fellow glamper out - what are the top models you'd recommend, and what's the real difference between internal vs external switching options? …more

Tried upgrading my RV's electrical system but I'm standing in the supply store staring at 12V versus 48V components with zero clue what I actually need. The Bluetti RV5 caught my eye as an all-in-one solution that might make the jump easier.

But honestly, I'm still on the fence. What are the real benefits of going 48V? Is it actually that much better than sticking with 12V lithium? And are there any gotchas I should know about, especially with solar integration and getting everything certified for RV use? …more

Turned on the weather this morning and saw another storm system rolling in, which has me panicking since I still don't have a 50 amp surge protector for my RV. I've been looking at units ranging from basic portable models to high-end hardwired systems, particularly needing a 50 amp solution that provides at least 6000 watts of surge protection.

I'm torn between getting a portable unit versus installing a hardwired unit directly into my electrical system. The portable units seem more flexible, but I'm concerned about theft since they'd be hanging outside at campgrounds.

What are the real-world advantages and disadvantages of each approach? Is the protection quality different between hardwired and portable surge protectors, or is it mainly about security and convenience?

I want to make sure I'm getting the best protection without overspending on unnecessary features. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance,
Bill …more

Around day three of running my 12V DC air conditioner, my RV's battery bank is getting absolutely demolished way faster than it should. I'm replacing my dead 110V AC unit with a 12V DC air conditioner that draws up to 52A on turbo mode. My plan uses an AC to DC 12V 125A 1500W power supply for shore power, and house batteries as backup power.

I'm particularly worried about my 20A changeover switch - is that going to handle the load safely? What about wire sizing and fusing? I know I need proper isolation between the two power sources but I'm scared I'm missing something critical. Can someone please review if this dual power approach is even safe, and what I absolutely need to fix before connecting anything? …more

Noticed our RV inverter only dies when it hits 85+ degrees outside — ran flawlessly all winter until we swapped out the batteries. We have a 2012 RV and recently upgraded from two 12-volt batteries to four 6-volt batteries wired in series for more capacity. Now I'm concerned our inverter might not be compatible or safe with this new configuration. The inverter appears dead - no lights, no response when I flip the switch. Everything works perfectly on shore power and with our generator running. Our Norcold fridge can run on propane, and we have standard household 120V appliances. I want to make sure we can safely run our TV and maybe a few small devices without constantly running the generator, but I'm honestly not sure what the inverter should even be powering or if our battery change created a safety issue. Really want to get this sorted before we head out with the kids. …more