The nameplate data is what to go by for figuring what cable you need etc, breaker too. Can't go wrong with that info. Same for any motors appliances etc. Well that and understanding Ohm's Law. Easy enough to look that up.
The nameplate on the unit in question seems to be missing, or perhaps because it is an original Coleman Mach 1 (1983 vintage), maybe they didn't have them?
Thanks for all the replies, folks. I'm currently in an older RV with an (I think) original Coleman Mach 1 unit. Innards appear to be straight from a refrigerator of the era, believe it runs R-22, so the unit posted here might actually be a tad more efficient, methinks. This one has been pretty rock-solid with the exception of spitting out a blower motor a couple years ago. However, roof is getting soft on the RV and considering using it as a donor for a future build. The replies here will certainly come in handy when sizing a battery bank or solar system.
I am well aware that this unit will pretty much require a genset, which is not a problem, the RV is equipped with a 3.0 kW Onan, I also have another junker with a 4.0 kW Onan, which has an identical Mach unit.
I'm simply kicking around a few alternate setup ideas, also want to make sure total power needs are met when off-grid. Sounds like a 3.0 kW genset may or may not be up to the task. I am also trying to calculate how much an electric bill might be when I am able to get my own property and my own service.
Can anyone explain the split system referred to herein? I've heard of these and not sure what the difference is...
You sure know lots of other goodies though Cheese...
Jack of all trades, master of none. :biggrin:
I'm also good at improvising. Necessity is the mother of invention, I always say. "If it looks stupid, but it works, it ain't stupid."
Former member here as well, I owned a Ford-chassis Blue Bird back then. I learned a lot in my tenure, and boy, you should see some of my posts from back then! My previous account was wiped out by attempts to wipe out spammers and bots. I was on hiatus for about ten years and changed email addresses, missing the warnings of impending account deletion. Therefore, as with others whose accounts suffered the same fate, there are a number of older threads that may not make sense where someone responded to a post I made that is no longer there. But I digress...
My father was an industrial/commercial HVAC controls contractor until he retired, also knew the nuts and bolts of such systems (I made a brief foray into the parent company he contracted from, didn't work out), and taught me quite a bit. I also have driven tractor-trailers for a few years, and have a good working knowledge of commercial vehicles. Also dealt with enough vehicle breakdowns and such to understand engines and at least the basics of control systems. I've also tended to mesh better with older folks than those my own age group, so I learned a lot more, and faster, than most my age. Richard Pryor said it best (as Mudbone) "You don't get to be old, being a fool."
My old man always told me, there's no excuse for not knowing something or being able to learn it if you can read. Maybe not true in all cases, but a good point, methinks. I have this uncanny ability to read a great many materials on a great many subjects, and thus have a good general knowledge level on a lot of things. Alternating current, however, is one I'm not sure I'll ever understand fully.
Not claiming to be a know-it-all, by any stretch of the imagination. No one knows everything, and anyone can be blindsided by incorrect or outdated information. I've been wrong before.
However, I try to help others here where I feel I can.
Anyway, I guess you'd say some of my knowledge comes from experience, some of it comes from other's experience (I've learned that it's far easier and less expensive to learn from others' mistakes), and some of it comes from just knowing where to look for information.
