RV FEATURE
PUTTING ALL OF THIS
TOGETHER
How does all of this information apply to a real
world situation? Acknowledging everyone is
different, we can look at a typical situation to
see just how much power we might consume.
You arrive at your campsite around midday
after a three-hour drive. Thanks to the
Anderson connection between your caravan
and tow vehicle, the RV’s batteries are fully
charged. As soon as you unhitch the van, your
batteries are starting to discharge.
The compressor fridge starts working
immediately. To keep everyone entertained
during set-up, you turn the stereo system on
and play the music through the external
speakers. Everyone is using their mobile phones,
calling family to say you’ve arrived safely,
checking social media feeds, taking photos, etc.
They’ll need charging later in the evening.
Before bed, everyone’s a bit dirty so everyone
has a shower. The pump is running again.
More lights in the ensuite are turned on. The
toilet gets a workout, which means flushing
and the water pump running.
Everyone goes to bed so the TV and lights are
now turned off. But someone turns on a
bedside lamp for an hour or two to read a
book. All the electronic devices need to be
charged so every available USB port is
powered. Dad has sleep apnoea so on goes
his CPAP machine.
Finally, all lights are turned off and everyone
is asleep. The only power use comes from the
fridge and dad’s CPAP machine, which will
operate for the next eight hours.
Later, the radio is off but you’re inside
watching TV. The dishes need washing so the
water pump runs to fill up the sink. It’s getting
dark so you turn on the LED lights.
After dinner, half the family sit outside so on
go the outdoor floodlights, while the other half
stay inside where it’s warm thanks to the gas
heater, and continue watching TV for the next
three hours.
Running all of these lights for three
or four hours will drain a lot of
power from the onboard battery.
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