What works when on Battery

[sfretts]

Hi,

We are boondocking this weekend for the first time. I know the fridge, stove and believe the heat will all work off 12 volt as they use propane. I have a generator to run in the morning and afternoon but I happened to think about my CPAP machine(breathing. Are any circuits in the Mountaineer converted grom 12 volt to 120? What do others do that have to have some power at night?

Thanks

[H. John Kohl]

quote:Originally posted by sfretts

Hi,
-snip- Are any circuits in the Mountaineer converted grom 12 volt to 120? What do others do that have to have some power at night?

Thanks

You need an inverter to convert 12VDC to 120VAC. Normally the Montana/Mountaineer do not have them installed. Also using an Inverter has the potential of uses up the battery a lot faster; it all depends on the power draw of the device like your CPAP.
Your heater fan will draw down the battery the quickest on a normal trailer.
I recommend you run the inverter off a separate battery for your CPAP machine. If the trailer battery voltage gets too low the heater and refrigerator will not work. Their controlling circuits run off 12 VDC.
I recommend, if you buy an inverter make sure it is rated for twice the power (wattage) needed to run your CPAP.
Good luck,

[ols1932]

quote:Originally posted by sfretts

Hi,

We are boondocking this weekend for the first time. I know the fridge, stove and believe the heat will all work off 12 volt as they use propane. I have a generator to run in the morning and afternoon but I happened to think about my CPAP machine(breathing. Are any circuits in the Mountaineer converted grom 12 volt to 120? What do others do that have to have some power at night?

Thanks

The only way 12 volts is converted to 120 volts is with an inverter. Unless your Mountaineer came with an inverter as part of your order, you don't have one. Normally, inverters are an add-on item.

The refrigerator operates on propane, controlled by 12 volts.

You have some lights, most of them probably, that run on 12 volts. In our rig, a Montana, we have 12 lights that are 12 volts and only four that are 120 volts. Your 12-volt lights are sufficient for boondocking.

Orv

[bsmeaton]

You'll be pleasantly surprised what actually runs without AC power. In addition to what you mentioned; you'll have the water pump and hot water; fantastic and bathroom fans; stove fan and light, but no entertainment systems.

If you still have the factory battery, I wouldn't expect to get through the night running an inverter and the furnace. The furnace fan really pulls it down. Depending on how critical your CPAP use is, you might add a battery just for that as John discussed.

[DONnANNIE]

sfretts, my CPAP runs on 120 VAC or 12 VDC. I haven't used it on 12 VDC, so I can't say how long it runs on 12 VDC.

[jpbcny]

Some Technical Information:

Battery Operation of CPAP Devices for Sleep Apnea Treatment

[Driftwoodgal]

Bsmeaton,

Are you saying you can run the Fantastic Fan on the batteries? We are here in Bacliff Texas running on a generator. Worried about the cat when we leave for hours each day. We open the windows and it has stayed in the 90's, but still worry. Can you run the Fantastic Fan on the battery? We have two of them, and have turned off the generator and just used the battery power for lights at times.

Different world learning what will and what won't work without 120 volt power from a pole.

What is really sad is that we are in an RV park that told us we would have power by Monday, now it is by Thursday. Watching the news we might not have power until November. The campgroud charged us for extra for 50 Amp power,and we are on our generator with 30 amp and we are buying the gas. The good news is that we have a spot in the area, and our house is not on Galveston or the other places that we are looking at.

Colleen

[Ozz]

Colleen,
Sorry to hear about the lack of power for you guys. I am glad you went ahead and got the large generator with the big fuel tank. Any of the devices listed on your small 12 volt fuse panel are battery powered items. I suggest you guys get two 6 volt golf cart batteries, you could buy them from a Sam's Wholesale location down there. Any auto parts store will have the cables needed to hook two of them together.
I just don't feel comfortable with a single 12 volt battery if you are 'off the grid'.
Take care down there.

[ols1932]

Colleen,
All the fans, regardless of make, run on 12 volts. The Fantastic Fan draws about one amp on low, two amps on medium and three amps on high. Our three Fantastic Fans work wonderful and we have to tie things down in the rig when we turn on all three with a window open on the cool side (or end) of the rig.

Orv

[bsmeaton]

Colleen,

Yep on what Orv said. It's nice because you can use them on the road.