rvcityblog posted on September 15, 2011 07:28
When purchasing an RV there are choices to make in your power requirements. Firstly you need to determine what your uses are going to be with your new RV; are you going to be camping for a day or two at a time or longer periods of time 3 or more days out. Knowing this in advance will help to determine which power requirements best fit your lifestyle and camping needs. Other considerations are different seasons you may be using your RV in. There are many different choices to consider for your power needs and we will discuss this briefly to help you to decide what you need. In upcoming segments we will discuss these different power supplies in more detail.
1) BATTERIES:
Batteries are storage devices for storing electricity.
All units require a battery and there are a number of different sizes and power ratings. When determining your needs in batteries it is extremely important to know how your planning on using your unit. If you are a weekend person that typically goes to a campground with powered sites then a standard Deep cycle RV24 battery will suffice because your RV is equipped with a power converter and this will be producing all the power your RV needs and the battery is essentially there for a filter for the appliances and in cases of power failures or stops along the road. It will give you a few hours of use before you are plugged back into 110 volt power. If you are the camper that likes to camp in non powered sites and also for longer periods of time, then larger and additional batteries are a certain requirement for your needs such has RV 27 or 31 batteries, these batteries have a lot more storage capacity than a standard RV24 battery. Has an example the RV24 battery has approx 40-60 amp hours of service where a RV has approx 90-110 amp hours of service. Adding a second battery will double your amp hours of service.
2) SOLAR POWER
A solar panel converters the suns rays into a usable energy to charge your RV batteries.
To determine if Solar power fits your needs are again on what your power requirements are going to be and also where you store your RV. If your doing a lot of extended camping and or non powered camping, Solar may be a product that would fit into your power scheme. Solar is also great if you find you can’t leave your RV plugged into power and is stored away from a power source it will keep your batteries fully charged for your next camping trip. There a numerous styles, sizes and quality of panels to choose from anywhere from 10 watt panels all the way up to 120 watt panels.
3) GENERATORS
Generators produce 110 volt power and come in a number of different size ranges anywhere from 500 watts to 12000 watts. These are used by RV’ers to supply them 110 volt power to either power the complete unit up and run everything from toasters to Air conditioners. Sometimes their just used has a method to charge the batteries up for extended usage. There are also different grades of generators that offer very reliable sources of power and to some that are very loud and unreliable. Choosing the right generator for your power needs is also something that takes careful consideration in making sure you make the right choice.
4) NEW PRODUCT – FUEL CELLS
Fuel Cells are a new product just being introduced into the RV market. They are a very compact and light unit, They come with a digital monitor that displays the output and battery condition on your RV. The fuel cell uses a methanol fuel and converts the fuel into a usable electrical charge to charge your batteries. They come in a couple of different size ranges from 1600 watts to 2200 watts. RV City is pleased to offer the Efoy products – 1st in Canada. Efoy is well know and respected in the European market. The Efoy Fuel Cel provides a “Green” Fuel source that will compliment and support your batteries power replenishment.
In closing I would like to say that each one of these power sources have a place in the RV world and need to be tailored to your exact needs. If trying to determine which power source is right for you please discuss this the team at RV City.
In the upcoming months we will discuss each of these power sources in more detail to help you make a more informed decision.