You’ve probably seen pictures or heard stories of charred 30-amp plugs plugged into a campground pedestal. You’ve also heard a variety of explanations, most of them incorrect or incomplete, but you know that the problem is more likely during the peak of air conditioning season, and related to the load from your RV. You hear…
Tag: electrical
Electrical Myths, Part 5: Let’s Talk Toads and Diodes
There are lots of ways to tow a vehicle behind a motorhome, but flat towing is generally the most convenient and popular method. For vehicles with amicable drivetrains, most of the process is fairly straightforward. You pick out a base plate to match the vehicle, tow bar, braking system, and so on. But then you…
Electrical Myths, Part 4: AGM Batteries Don’t Need Venting
Ok, here’s one that comes up all the time. You’re looking to add to your battery bank, possibly in conjunction with a solar install, and are eyeing a non-vented space. AGM batteries to the rescue? Not so fast. AGM batteries must still be vented. Here’s why:
Electrical Myths, Part 3: Mixing Batteries of Different Ages/Capacities
We’ve all been there at some point–a battery in a multi-battery bank is in need of replacement, and the salesperson is telling us that they should all be replaced together. Is mixing batteries really a bad idea? Or is it just a ploy to sell more batteries?
Electrical Myths, Part 2: Showing Heater Current doesn’t go up when Supply Voltage Drops
Last time, we talked rather abstractly about why a space heater doesn’t draw more power when supply voltage drops. This time, we’re going to talk about it with a real space heater, current and voltage measurements, and a short, poorly produced video (I made it, so I can say so). More pictures and fewer formulas…
Electrical Myths, Part 1: My Space Heater’s Plug Gets Hot
Since it’s still winter time, let’s start with one dealing with using a space heater: My RV’s wiring isn’t big enough to handle a space heater. If I plug one in, the heater’s plug gets hot. I should blame the campground, then open the box and hose it down to cool it off. Ok, that…
Electrical Truths and Old Wives’ Tales Explained
As I approach 11 years of RVing, I’ve heard lots of things said about what you should or shouldn’t do, or explanations of a particular problem that have been passed along and accepted as truth. The problem is many of them aren’t much more than Old Wives’ Tales, or are so far removed from the…