Spare Propane Regulator
Dear RV Doctor:
I have a Type A motorhome with a bolted-on propane tank that uses a two-stage horizontal regulator. The 10-year-old regulator works fine, but I would like to carry a spare, as you suggest in your video on the FMCA YouTube channel (to view the video, visit goo.gl/oWjRv1).
I cannot find a two-stage horizontal regulator with two downward vents. Two-stage horizontal regulators are advertised online, but I see only one downward vent. I don’t believe this would be a good replacement. Can you help? Thanks!
Peter Ferguson, F408158
Strongsville, Ohio
Invert, Generate, Refrigerate
Dear RV Doctor:
We purchased a new 2016 Thor Four Winds motorhome on a Ford F-550 chassis. We used it for the first time at the FMCA convention in Perry, Georgia. Your seminars there were without a doubt the best and most informative that I attended. The motorhome came with two Group 27 house batteries. The coach is equipped with a Whirlpool electric refrigerator. My problem is that the house batteries would not hold a charge during the night. Besides the normal draw, the refrigerator was the only appliance needing power.
Luckily, at Perry we were allowed to run the generator during the night in our “full generator” parking area. But twice a year we go to a national park in Maryland that has quiet time between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., so the lack of power will be a problem. The motorhome has a Xantrex inverter and a Magnum generator auto start system. The inverter showed 11.8 volts when the alarm went off, but the generator didn’t start on its own. I think I fixed that problem by setting the auto start to 12.0 volts instead of 11.8.
The suggestion from our local battery dealer is to add a single Group 31 battery to the two existing Group 27s while we are dry camping. In one of your videos, you suggested switching from two Group 27s to two deep-cycle 6-volt batteries. Would that be a better fix? What should we do to ensure we have enough power to run the refrigerator during quiet times? Also, how long should the generator run to recharge the batteries? A Four Winds representative said two hours. I notice that after two hours, the inverter reads 13.8 volts, but as soon as the generator shuts off, it immediately drops to 12.3 volts. Any ideas?
Mike Rourke, F435478
Frederick, Maryland
Normally I like to see two inverters, one dedicated to the residential refrigerator and one to power the rest of the coach. In your case, it looks like the inverter is powering all the inverter loads by just those two deep-cycle Group 27 batteries. I’m not so sure I’d make the switch to 6-volt batteries unless you have room to install four of them. Adding just a single Group 31 battery, tied in parallel to the Group 27s, also is not recommended. Remember, to get the absolute most out of the battery bank, batteries should be the same age, the same type, and the same amp-hour rating.
If you’d prefer to stay with just one inverter for the entire coach, I’d rather you install three or possibly four Group 31s, or four 6-volt batteries wired in series/parallel as we discussed in the seminar. With the refrigerator swallowing up that much battery current via the inverter, I’d further suggest a 400-plus total amp-hour battery bank. You’ll still need to be judicious in its use, but it’s clear a 200 amp-hour system isn’t quite enough. The optimum would be a dedicated battery bank and an individual inverter just for the refrigerator, and another bank and inverter for the other house loads.
As for how long to run the generator, it depends on the battery bank state of charge at any given moment; a snapshot in time. And remember, the generator itself does not charge the batteries. The charging device, energized by the generator, actually charges the bank. I don’t see how anyone can state the total time required to charge any given battery bank without knowing certain facts. To determine approximately how long the charging cycle may take, factor the state of charge (how low the battery bank depth of discharge is at that specific moment) times the amp-hour rating of the charging device minus anything else being powered by the inverter.
I suggest that during the charging cycle you monitor the specific gravity of each battery every hour or so. Once the specific gravity stabilizes and stays constant for about two hours, the battery bank is considered fully charged. Even though it’s not typically easy or practical, this exercise will provide a good analysis and prove a fully charged condition. Also keep in mind that quickly discharging will deplete the bank faster and reduce its future ability to come back up to full charge in a timely manner. To charge properly, the battery voltage should top out close to the gassing stage (around 14.3 volts DC or 14.4 volts DC) during the bulk charge, but it will eventually stabilize at or near 12.9 volts DC (for AGM) or 12.6 volts DC (for lead acid) after four hours or so. I’m thinking your bank isn’t obtaining that full charge within the two hours you gave it. It just may take longer, again depending on the state of charge at the beginning of the charge cycle.
Electrolyte temperature also plays a big part in proper battery charging. You never want to boil the electrolyte.
Snap, Crackle, And Pop?
Dear RV Doctor:
We travel in a 2013 Thor Tuscany motorhome and have experienced a mysterious noise that can best be described as a loud snap that seems to come from the ceiling around midcoach. It is sudden and staccato. Nothing precedes or follows it. It doesn’t happen often, and we have not been able to relate it to anything specific that is going on in the coach. Any idea what could be causing it, and if so, what should be done about it?
Henry Ulrichs, F442864
Asheville, North Carolina
I have to say, you’ve stumped me on this one! I’ve not heard of this specific issue before. Have you tried positioning yourself near where you think the noise is coming from while someone else is driving? You might be able to pinpoint the source a little better. It sounds like something structural; perhaps a cabinet shifting, or a loose roof member? Maybe something with the air-conditioning vents? Has it been very hot outside when it happens? Is anything running besides the engine when it happens? Looks like I have more questions for you than you have for me!
I’d start by calling Thor customer service and asking whether the service department has documented cases of this noise. If it’s something that’s been reported before, they might have notified their service shops through a bulletin of some sort. Without actually hearing it, that’s the best suggestion I have, unless one of our readers has experienced this phenomenon previously.