Electricity in your Motor Home for Dummies

[r4dent]

Electricity in your Motor Home for Dummies new version

I belong to an owners group and am amazed at how many basic 12v & 240v questions are raised.

My personal favourite was from a guy who asked why his 240v Micro wave and Electric kettle didn’t work when he stopped for a brew up in a layby. He was planning to demand the dealer fix this under warranty, but luckily someone posted the answer in time to stop him.

So with a little time on my hands, and for various domestic reasons unable to get away, I produced a word document on the subject to add to the "files" section of the group.

It occurred to me that some people in this group would be interested by some of the bits in it, hence this post.

It is not intended for the many experts in the group who know far more than I about such things, just to help any newbies (or oldies) who have electrical questions. Please treat it as such and be gentle with your comments.

 

[st3v3]

Loads of useful info in there, a great idea

I haven't read it all fully, but this did jump out at me:

Some sites have the positive and negative supply swapped

Live and Neutral

Thanks for posting, can it be made a sticky perhaps?

 

[wildebus]

some good plain old-fashioned advice in there :dog:


how dare you post it! :mad2:



:angel:

 

[QFour]

That sounds like a really good idea but whats a

.PDF

and how do I open it using my steam powered puter its got 128k of memory and it says I need a lot more.

 

[molly 2]

Tried on my zx spectrum that don't work either,

 

[r4dent]

That sounds like a really good idea but whats a .PDF

Sorry about that. I did it as a word document but this site wouldn't let me upload it (too large) !
So I had to convert it.

and how do I open it using my steam powered puter its got 128k of memory and it says I need a lot more.

. 128k! wow. Maybe you can sell it to a museum.

I think I had 128k on an IBM XT back in 1983. I 'm using an old laptop and that has 8gb (128k x 62,500) of memory.

Here is a precis just for you
"Divide the wattage by 12 to get the amps;
Multiple the capacity by 6 and divide by watts to find out how many hours the battery will last;
Don't plug 12v items into 240v sockets;
Solar works better in summer than winter, and better in Marbella than Aberdeen"

 

[Deleted member 74361]

I belong to an owners group and am amazed at how many basic 12v & 240v questions are raised.

My personal favourite was from a guy who asked why his 240v Micro wave and Electric kettle didn’t work when he stopped for a brew up in a layby. He was planning to demand the dealer fix this under warranty, but luckily someone posted the answer in time to stop him.

So with a little time on my hands, and for various domestic reasons unable to get away, I produced a word document on the subject to add to the "files" section of the group.

It occurred to me that some people in this group would be interested by some of the bits in it, hence this post.

It is not intended for the many experts in the group who know far more than I about such things, just to help any newbies (or oldies) who have electrical questions. Please treat it as such and be gentle with your comments.

Well done. Looks good.

I did not read to the end as I do know most of it from schooldays.

Just a couple of suggestions:-

Instead of just Watts being Volts X Amps, would it have been too complex for readers to explain V/I = R ?

I did not see an explanation of the fact that most of the 12v supply relies not on a positive cable feed and an negative cable return to complete a circuit, but on the -ve of the circuit being through the vehicle chassis. That therefore the negative connections must be kept in good order. This being a frequent cause of malfunction.

[Small point but current EU voltage is nominal 230v - but that allows from 220v to 240v I believe. I mention it in case someone thinks their equipment will not work]

These are not criticisms of an excellent paper, just possible adjustments, but up to Editor's discretion as to being to complex.[Wink]

Geoff

 

[r4dent]

Tried on my zx spectrum that don't work either,

Got my son's Dragon 32 out of the attic. that doesn't work either.

 

[Minisorella]

For those who can't open a.pdf file, you need to download a free PDF reader program/app, like Adobe Reader.
I'm still not sure if you're kidding or not but I figured some people might not know

 

[harrow]

Portable Document Format, means you get a friend to print it out for you.

 

[harrow]

I have just got to find a friend now ?

 

[mariesnowgoose]

Well done. Looks good.

I did not read to the end as I do know most of it from schooldays.

Just a couple of suggestions:-

Instead of just Watts being Volts X Amps, would it have been too complex for readers to explain V/I = R ?

I did not see an explanation of the fact that most of the 12v supply relies not on a positive cable feed and an negative cable return to complete a circuit, but on the -ve of the circuit being through the vehicle chassis. That therefore the negative connections must be kept in good order. This being a frequent cause of malfunction.

[Small point but current EU voltage is nominal 230v - but that allows from 220v to 240v I believe. I mention it in case someone thinks their equipment will not work]

These are not criticisms of an excellent paper, just possible adjustments, but up to Editor's discretion as to being to complex.[Wink]

Geoff

Geoff ... er.... huh..... ?!
Your schooldays were obviously more educationally elevated than mine were!

Thanks for taking the time to put the doc together, Pete, electrical dummies like me appreciate it

Printed it off already...

 

[r4dent]

I have just got to find a friend now ?

I get lots of emails from young ladies offering to be my friend. They even offer to send my pictures but most of them can't afford many clothes. Would you like me to send them your email address?

 

[harrow]

I get lots of emails from young ladies offering to be my friend. They even offer to send my pictures but most of them can't afford many clothes. Would you like me to send them your email address?

Can they print out your document for me ?

 

[Herman]

"240v Micro wave and Electric kettle didn’t work."

Our 240v microwave works perfectly well off grid, as a bread bin.

 

[Borders2]

I have been using Foxit for many years now. Nice and simple.Oh and free.

Free PDF Reader & PDF Viewer Download | Foxit Software

B2

 

[QFour]

For those who can't open a.pdf file, you need to download a free PDF reader program/app, like Adobe Reader.
I'm still not sure if you're kidding or not but I figured some people might not know

:king:

Well spotted .. Preview works on my IMac .. :wave:

 

[trevskoda]

Sorry about that. I did it as a word document but this site wouldn't let me upload it (too large) !
So I had to convert it.




. 128k! wow. Maybe you can sell it to a museum.

I think I had 128k on an IBM XT back in 1983. I 'm using an old laptop and that has 8gb (128k x 62,500) of memory.

Here is a precis just for you
"Divide the wattage by 12 to get the amps;
Multiple the capacity by 6 and divide by watts to find out how many hours the battery will last;
Don't plug 12v items into 240v sockets;
Solar works better in summer than winter, and better in Marbella than Aberdeen"

Me on linux use ODF,but still able to open,and thanks.

 

[rockape]

I have just got to find a friend now ?

Chris Tarrant was always looking for a friend, even when he travelled worldwide by train he was still out of luck, perhaps his reputation preceded him??

 

[wildebus]

nothing like keeping a fairly important subject on topic is there :rolleyes2:

I bet the OP wonders why he bothered to post the guide.