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Old 04-19-2016, 02:39 PM   #1
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Does Anyone....

have their 110v AC running while driving their bus?

I want to be able to run a mini split system if possible on a 915 Ah battery bank through a 2000 watt inverter. I planned on upping my alternator to a 220 HO from it's stock 160.

Is this a possibility?

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Old 04-19-2016, 03:15 PM   #2
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I do at times, but with a generator.
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Old 04-19-2016, 03:52 PM   #3
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About the only options I know for running 110v over the road are...

1. A generator
2. Large Alternator, inverter & battery bank
3. Reeeeeeaaaly long extension cord.
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Old 04-19-2016, 04:11 PM   #4
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3. Reeeeeeaaaly long extension cord.
I dunno how your bus does accelerating from a stop, but I think just a mile of cord would keep the A/C going in mine for a few minutes at least! What wire gauge do I need to use for that cord?
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Old 04-19-2016, 04:11 PM   #5
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i have an underbelly generator try to run the gen when driving. its hooked to a battery charger and i'd prefer to stop with a full charge, rather than listen to the gen once stopped.

on my last outing, the last piece of food left in the freezer on the way home was a frozen lasagna. i turned on the generator, stuck the lasagna in the oven and drove for the hour that it needed to cook. we stopped at a rest stop, ate and were back on the road in no time.

the generator runs the rooftop air, so if its hot, its running.

my generator is also pretty loud. Seems my neighbors prefer i use it on the road as well.

running the generator.... i get about 7mpg on the highway, without it, 9ish.
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Old 04-19-2016, 04:31 PM   #6
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I haven't done anything other than to test to see if it works. It does. Inverter mini split,3000W sine inverter running off of my small house bank, charged from bus alternator.
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Old 04-19-2016, 05:54 PM   #7
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Turf, why does running a separate generator while driving decrease your fuel mileage in your bus? Are they both drawing from the same fuel tank? Sorry if you already pointed that out.

Somewhere, that sounds pretty cool (no pun intended). How long will your small house bank run your split system when you're not running your bus?

I need a battery bank for the fridge but don't understand how much power I need to power my fridge and lights for a day or two. I'm not sure I want to add that much weight to the rig with a bunch of batteries. I passed on the idea of solar panels basically because I live in Oregon. It would work well today because it's sunny, but I'm wondering if it would be worth the investment. That's a pretty expensive way to get electricity.
I should have a hill climber but I have a highway bus that drags its butt up steep hills very slowly. Trans temp gauge is present and it doesn't seem to overheat the transmission or the engine.
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Old 04-19-2016, 06:15 PM   #8
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sorry, i was not clear.

i have a 12KW generator (3 cylinder diesel) plumbed into the fuel tank. the bus was a bookmobile prior to my conversion. its got lots of AC power! 50Amp split phase power, just like at home.

on board i have 2 air conditioners, 2 electric heaters, and a full size kitchen stove. it also charges my battery bank with an 80 amp charger/converter, which runs everything else 12v, the water pump, fridge, lights, tv.

the generator hangs on the driver side in between the battery box and the rear tire.

the battery bank is 4 x 110AH batteries, hanging behind the rear tire.

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Old 04-19-2016, 06:36 PM   #9
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Oh you're clear. I was probably having a brain fart or something. I remember reading your thread now. I didn't recall how many batteries you had. That doesn't sound to heavy.
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Old 04-19-2016, 06:51 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tango View Post
About the only options I know for running 110v over the road are...

1. A generator
2. Large Alternator, inverter & battery bank
3. Reeeeeeaaaly long extension cord.
Tango, how big of a bat bank and alternator are you suggesting?
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Old 04-19-2016, 08:06 PM   #11
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Tango, how big of a bat bank and alternator are you suggesting?
a 220 amp alternator should do fine for a 12000 BTU minisplit.. ive never seen mine pull any more than 1100 watts or so and thats when it blasts.. most times it is around 750 or less...

if you are going to idle alot then maybe an 8D battery? install a battery isolater so that your main batteries wont discharge if you are running your A/C with the engine off..

-Christopher
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Old 04-19-2016, 08:27 PM   #12
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Thanks CK. I think I will do that with the alternator, my battery bank changed, I have 6-6v 305 Ah crown batteries on order. I do have a little hyundai inverter/generator however, think that would power it ok while I drove? I could always get an external tank for it.
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Old 04-19-2016, 09:16 PM   #13
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I have an 250 amp alt I am installing, with a yet to be determined inverter and three 150 AH batteries. I still need to do a load analysis before I commit to the inverter but whatever the combo, it should be enough for my 12 volt fridge/freezer and 8000 BTU A/C......I hope.
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Old 04-20-2016, 01:11 AM   #14
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If you get a chance, could you provide some details about the size and setup of your batteries, and the amp draw/duty cycle of the air conditioner? What kind of run times are you expecting maybe?


Quote:
Originally Posted by somewhereinusa View Post
I haven't done anything other than to test to see if it works. It does. Inverter mini split,3000W sine inverter running off of my small house bank, charged from bus alternator.
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Old 04-20-2016, 05:47 AM   #15
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"reeeeeeeeealy long cord"

i called the factory that makes the cord you speak of. turns out its the same cord that powers up my teleporter..... i've had one on back order for years, horrible customer service!
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Old 04-20-2016, 12:25 PM   #16
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Our setup will be very simple:
underbelly inverter generator while driving to run A/C, fridge, and a couple of outlets for tablet/phone charging. Then, once we reach our destination, plugin to park power. We're only planning to travel to parks that have RV outlets, and shower facilities, anyway ;)
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Old 04-20-2016, 12:51 PM   #17
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Ha, everybody knows teleporting takes two cords.

You're talking about a special duty cord when you're using the time machine.
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Old 04-20-2016, 02:02 PM   #18
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Ha, everybody knows teleporting takes two cords.

You're talking about a special duty cord when you're using the time machine.
Pfft!
My frequency fluid activated warp-driven space-time machine (copyright/patent pending) is DA BOMB!
Also, no cables required...
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Old 04-20-2016, 04:00 PM   #19
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Okay, get back on topic please. Take your Star Trek fun to a Star Trek forum......
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Old 04-20-2016, 04:12 PM   #20
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Okay, get back on topic please. Take your Star Trek fun to a Star Trek forum......
You're no fun! Right, but no fun.
So we mentioned generators, alternators and battery banks. Question: would you upgrade the alt., or custom mount a second one?

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