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Old 05-18-2017, 01:08 PM   #1
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Model: Vegas 24.1
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Rookie Battery Question

We will be overnighting at a Walmart in Georgia on our way to Disney Sunday night.
If it's hot I'll run the generator and the a/c , if not then I was thinking I'd open the bedroom windows and run the roof fan.

Here's the question , will my fully charged Harris batteries run that fan for 8 hours and still start the generator in the morning ?

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Old 05-18-2017, 01:44 PM   #2
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With the Harris batteries it is luck of the draw. It is starting to get warm and humid over night in south Ga. now. That is unless a cooler front moves thru. IMO, I would see how the temps are when you get to S. Ga. and if it is humid you may want to duck into a campground or state park for the night. There are lot of choices on the I-95 corridor if that is where you are headed.
Hope you have a great trip.
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Old 05-18-2017, 03:04 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by petew View Post
....cut.....

Here's the question , will my fully charged Harris batteries run that fan for 8 hours and still start the generator in the morning ?
Fans use very little power; in the range of 2 or 3 Amps being typical, but exact rating depends on model. Some may go a little higher. Therefore, in 8 hours you should use less than about 30 Amp-hours or so, which should be well within the capacity of two batteries unless they are in really bad shape.

Also, if your house batteries run down too much to start the generator, you should be able to start the motorhome with the chassis battery, and after a while the alternator should charge the house batteries enough to then start the generator.
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Old 05-18-2017, 03:21 PM   #4
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I have run fan overnight like that on several occasions with no problem. In the scenario you are describing, it would usually only be a relatively short time of lights, water pump use, etc.. before lights out...just to stop and sleep, so the batter if in good shape would be charged form the engine's alternator furring the drive and will have more than enough power to get you through...

Also what i have done is to run the genny for a few hours in the evening while watching TV and such. get the house really chilly with the AC, then shut everything down for bed. The residual cold might last till it gets cool enough outside...might crack the window open in the early hours if I wake up...so there's often no need in running the genny and Ac all night
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Old 05-18-2017, 03:46 PM   #5
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Thanks guys for the input and thank you Chance for the technical input.
We plan to at least run the genny until bedtime for tv and such so I'll get it as chilled as possible and we will go from there.
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Old 05-18-2017, 05:53 PM   #6
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hey, I have no idea your route and so on...and I doubt you'd need it this time of year, but we stopped here once off I-95 as an overnight mid summer when it was hot enough to want AC all night
New Green Acres RV park - Walterboro, South Carolina
It was a really great place for an overnight...easy on and off the highway, plenty of space, easy after hours self registration
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Old 05-18-2017, 06:26 PM   #7
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Brunswick Georgia is where we will stop for the night. There is a great rv park in the area but it doesn't make sense to pay for a night when we can do the Walmart thing.
Plus we have never tried "Wally docking " before so we need to see what that's all about .
I figure we will pull in by 7 pm do some shopping have some dinner watch a little tv and go to sleep.
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Old 05-18-2017, 06:36 PM   #8
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Rookie Battery Question

Quote:
Originally Posted by petew View Post
Brunswick Georgia is where we will stop for the night. There is a great rv park in the area but it doesn't make sense to pay for a night when we can do the Walmart thing.

Plus we have never tried "Wally docking " before so we need to see what that's all about .

I figure we will pull in by 7 pm do some shopping have some dinner watch a little tv and go to sleep.


We Wallydock all the time while traveling enroute...some locations safer than others. You can also RON (rest overnight) at Love's, Pilot, & Cracker Barrel (my favorite)...just pull around back in the Bus/RV lanes. We've been RONing at CBS for years. Dump station at Love's & Pilot. I like rest stops along the interstate too. Have fun!
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Old 05-18-2017, 06:48 PM   #9
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Seems funny to say it but this Walmart has very high ratings from those that have overnighted there.
As a retired cop I tend to do my research before even considering closing my eyes in a strange location.

I agree with the Cracker Barrel overnight as well . Dinner , sleep and breakfast all in the same spot !
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Old 05-18-2017, 07:48 PM   #10
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Nearby in Saint Simons, I had some of the best onion rings I've ever had at Brogens South
and some really great pizza at CJ's
I wish I knew of a place on St Simons to "RON"

Anyway....Have a great trip. Disney's Fort is great!
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Old 05-18-2017, 07:56 PM   #11
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Put a Beware of Dog sign on your dog. Adds to the deterrent factor.
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Old 05-18-2017, 08:29 PM   #12
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Ha, ha, she is less than 3 pounds and only 10 weeks old !
I'm a 200 lb retired cop with a bad attitude
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Old 06-04-2017, 09:12 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by petew View Post
Seems funny to say it but this Walmart has very high ratings from those that have overnighted there.

As a retired cop I tend to do my research before even considering closing my eyes in a strange location.



I agree with the Cracker Barrel overnight as well . Dinner , sleep and breakfast all in the same spot !


Google St Simons RV
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Old 06-04-2017, 09:42 PM   #14
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- running your generator, even all night, will be a fraction of the cost of an overnight RV park stay this time of year... use the generator, that's what it's there for.

- if you only want to use the roof fan, it should be able to be run all night with no problem. In the morning, you should still have plenty of voltage to start the generator, but even so, most coaches have a 'AUX' switch on the dash that allows you to make use of BOTH your engine battery AND your house battery to start either the generator OR the engine if one happens to be low...

- if you have any 'live' outlets that run off your inverter(if you have one), you can also run any type of 120v fan, which is what I do near my bed. I like blowing air on me at night, especially when it's humid or warm. My wife, on the other hand, at the same time will be under several covers!

- if you don't have an inverter, you can still make use of a 120v personal fan by purchasing a simple and inexpensive inverter from Wmt(when you arrive!) that connects directly to your house battery(s) with alligator style clips(especially convenient if your house battery(s) are under your interior step)... if your fan won't reach as far as you'd like, you can always use an extension cord.
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Old 06-05-2017, 12:25 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by petew View Post
Seems funny to say it but this Walmart has very high ratings from those that have overnighted there. As a retired cop I tend to do my research before even considering closing my eyes in a strange location. I agree with the Cracker Barrel overnight as well . Dinner , sleep and breakfast all in the same spot !


If you are planning on staying at rest areas, WMts, Cr Barrels, etc, I highly recommend www.overnightRVparking.com There's an app, too. The annual subscription is $25 but it not only tells you which locations allow, and which don't, it also gives crowd sourced reviews.
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Old 06-12-2017, 09:11 PM   #16
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They have USB fans now that work very well $5 at the dollar store
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Old 06-12-2017, 09:48 PM   #17
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We got two 10" O2 battery-powered fans as gifts last year that work well too.

They don't replace A/C but feel nice when blowing right on you.
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