Re: RC: generators

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/11/00 6:21:16 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
penelope_75647@yahoo.com writes:

<<  I thought I pretty much had to get a generator. I
 didn't realize the battery would power everything for
 a weekend. What do you use just working off the
 battery?  I agree with the noise issue but figured
 since I put all this money into fixing up the
 dressingroom I want to get full use out of it. It's
 gonna be so nice to have a cool place to get out of
 this Texas heat. >>

Well, our problem is heating, not cooling, for the most part.  <g>  We heat 
and cook with propane.  And one can get fridges that will work off of 
propane, 12-volt, or 110.  (Ours does, but we have rarely used the 110--we 
run it off the 12-volt when traveling, and then off of propane when we get 
there.)  You need a deep-cycle RV battery that will charge while you drive 
for your 12-volt source--you can't do it just off of your truck battery, or 
your truck won't start!  (And a word of caution here--if you are using a lot 
of power, unhook your plug to your truck, even if you don't demate--or your 
truck battery will trickle charge into your RV battery, and your truck may 
not start, even though all your RV systems are still up and running fine!  I 
don't worry about it for a quick overnighter with a few lights on for a 
little bit, but it will darn sure get you over a weekend with any sort of 
regular use!)  We run lights and 12-volt fans, and as long as the battery is 
charged up and I don't try to run all the lights all night, I've not had any 
problem with charge for a ride weekend.  I've run a fan continuously for 3-4 
days at a time.  You can get 12-volt water pumps as well--we don't have 
one--ours is manual.  You CAN run a shower with a 12-volt pump (and of 
course, can heat the water with propane), but I don't know how much "juice" 
that takes.  (We still use our sun shower bag.)  If you had a 12-volt pump 
for your water needs, you might need to go to two RV batteries--I'm not sure. 
 I think the only thing I've never seen in a 12-volt version is a 
microwave... 

Heidi