Solar and 12V Refrigerator

 

Partly Cloudy - Rain Expected

We are preparing for a trip and I'm checking the systems of the Roadtrek.  One of the things I test is the 3-way refrigerator (AC-DC-Propane) model RM2554. For the test the refrigerator and freezer are empty. I then place a sensor in the freezer.  

Why empty? I wanted to see the performance of the refrigerator. Had I put frozen stuff in the freezer, the temperature of the freezer would have decreased or increased because of the temperature of the contents. 

I plugged the 210P into shore power and set the refrigerator to AC with a cooling setting of "5". I began this test at 4:30pm.  The freezer gradually reached a low of -15F with the outside temperature at 8am of 56F.

I then switched to DC to see how well the refrigerator can function on that power source. This would be the method used when traveling in the vehicle. According to Dometic "The DC mode is a holding mode not a full cooling mode. DC should be used once the unit is cooled down on gas or AC and driving (constant supply of DC) down the road." 

Refrigerator selected for 12V DC, maximum cooling

I'm curious about the apparent difference when on DC cooling as opposed to AC cooling.  According to Dometic the energy sources, both AC and DC are identical. The DC cartridge heater  supposedly provides the same energy for cooling as the 120VAC cartridge heater provides:

• 12 VDC cartridge: 175W (30A Fuse)
  

• 120VAC cartridge: 175W

12VDC Issue

With the Roadrek running on coach battery power and the refrigerator "OFF" the power meter indicated only 0.11A of DC battery power being consumed. At the time the roof vent fan and interior lights were off.

Battery System Status while on Solar and Overcast

I allowed the refrigerator to chill overnight on 120VAC power.  The freezer temperature gradually reduced to minus 15F.  At 8am I disconnected the Roadtrek from shore power. 

I then switched the refrigerator to 12VDC.  The power meter indicated a problem.  The RT was consuming only 0.41A.  That implies the cartridge heater of the Dometic was not getting 12VDC power. By noon the freezer had warmed to about 33F.

12VDC Battery running the refrigerator

Troubleshooting the Problem

The 12VDC power to the cartridge heater is controlled by a relay. I readily determined that the 12VDC cartridge heater was not hot. Using a DC Voltmeter I checked the 30A fuse.  It was okay. I then determined that the relay coil was getting power. I surmised that the relay had failed.

Existing relay, unscrewed from aluminum mounting

I went online and began looking for a replacement relay. The relay is a standard automotive DC relay, similar to a horn relay.  I didn't have much luck with online Dometic suppliers, who seemed to want to sell me a new circuit board and relay.  I did more research and found a generic supplier. I purchased two relays for about $4 each; I'll keep one as a spare.

I installed the relay and put the refrigerator on DC mode.  I checked the power at the heater and it was getting 12VDC. Success!

Rerunning the Test by chilling on AC Mode and then switching to 12VDC Mode

I followed the Dometic manual and chilled the refrigerator on AC mode. Normally I'd then fill the refrigerator with cold food and then switch to DC while travelling. For this test the refrigerator was empty.

A little morning haze turned to bright sun

On this day we had bright sun. The Roadtrek was parked mostly in the shade. At 4pm with the ambient temperature at 87F and the freezer interior about 80F I  plugged the Roadtrek into 120VAC shore power. I allowed the refrigerator to run overnight on AC and a cooling setting of "5".   It took 2 hours for the freezer to cool to 32F. At 6:00pm the freezer had cooled to 32F. At 7:00pm it had cooled to 20F and at 8:00pm it had cooled to 11F.  At that time the ambient temperature was about 76F.

Nighttime ambient dropped to a low of about 67F at 6am.  

The freezer temperature continued to decrease throughout the night. By 8am the freezer was about minus 10F.  I then selected DC mode on the refrigerator with maximum cooling setting of "5".  I let the refrigerator run on 12VDC from 8am to until 4pm.  At 4pm the freezer temperature was about minus 2F.  I assume the gradual rise in temperature was because of the increasing exterior temperature.  The interior of the Roadtrek was 94F at 4pm. It had been in mostly shade during the day. 

Refrigerator on AC and later on DC power

The Refrigerator was consuming about 3A DC according to the power meter. I have an in-line Ammeter I could use to confirm this.  However, if this is the DC consumption running on my solar system should not be an issue.

The temperature in the vicinity of the 12V cartridge heater was 145F:

General Refrigerator Information

According to the service manual, the refrigerator consumes:

• 12V Controls: 3 A.(That's the fuse size, too!).
  

• 12V Heater: 15A (175W).
  

Based on my power meter it seems the DC mode requires less Amperes than the manual indicates. That is a possibility. It would explain why Dometic describes the DC mode as a "holding mode".  If the DC cartridge heater was the same watts as the AC cartridge, I would expect the refrigerator to cool identically on DC and AC mode.

According to Dometic the refrigerator will function down to 9.6 VDC.  However, I am curious to see if decreasing battery voltage at night when there is no solar will impact the DC cartridge heater and if there is a lower voltage limit. It is also possible that the DC relay won't function properly at such a low voltage.  Relays of this type have a minimum "pick-up" voltage and also have a "drop-out" voltage. If the DC holding the relay "in" falls below the "drop-out" voltage the relay will de-energize. If this occurs the relay will disconnect the cartridge and the heater will no longer have 12VDC power.

Here's the circuit board in my refrigerator.  The photo indicates the part number. Yours may be different. Both the relay and the 30A DC fuse are mounted externally to the circuit board.

 Original material http://roadtrek210.blogspot.com/

Enjoying the warm weather

 

Well, Spring has sprung they say.  Currently in Tucson the daytime highs are in the range 80-90F and the nighttime lows are 50-60F.  I'm in no hurry to move on, and because the snowbirds have moved on, it is really pleasant. 

Here at the resort, the three pools and two hot tubs are a place to be.

The cacti have been blooming for a month, and now with the arrival of warm weather the saguaro cacti are blooming, too.

The central courtyard is a pleasant place to relax.

There are beautiful sunsets, too.

I'm in no hurry to leave.....

Original material http://roadtrek210.blogspot.com/

12V Refrigerator issue

 

Temperature of Refrigerator (freezer) on 120VAC 

I'm checking out the systems of the 210P.  The refrigerator has been "OFF" and so prior to a trip I powered up the 3-way Dometic refrigerator.  It worked fine on AC. The sensor I put in the freezer registered minus 15F and then I switched to DC.

As you can see in the graph above, the cooling stopped on DC.  I've done some trouble-shooting and I ordered a part.  After installation I'll try again and post the results.

 Original material http://roadtrek210.blogspot.com/

Trekking 2021

 

With the arrival of Spring, winter campers are living our winter resort location.  

We have been discussing our 2021 trekking ideas. I'm in no hurry to leave.  I'll let the snowbirds depart and give them some time to get home.  It does seem that the camping season may be more normal in 2021 than it was in 2020.  However, I suspect there is a lot of "pent up demand" as newbies and those who were locked down in 2020 seek to use their RVs.  I understand a lot of RVs were sold in recent months.

Houseless in 2021

I think we'll be houseless in 2021.  I have no burning interest in being a landlord and I can't move forward until I dispose of the "house" we never live in.  G and I have discussed this at length.  Neither of us are attached to the sticks and bricks.  

This does create a need to determine where to legally domicile. There are a couple of services which can assist us in making a decision.  We are Escapees members and we do use their mail forwarding service. Escapees does provide some data on several states. However, a lack of a permanent. legal address will need to be corrected.

"The only constant is change" is an old expression.  This does apply to US States, which are changing. Some recent possibilities are being over-run by escapees from nearby mis-managed States.  Californians are leaving the paradise they ruined and are moving to Arizona and Texas.  Illinois residents have been escaping for a decade, moving to Indiana and Wisconsin, and now farther to Michigan and Tennessee.  The east cost is migrating to Florida.

Frankly, if I wanted to live in California or New York I would move there. Nor do I want to domicile in a state that the escapees will ruin as they did their home states. As a consequence, Texas and Florida are not as desirable to me as they were only a few years ago. 

To the Plains?  

We have never trekked to South Dakota or visited Yellowstone.  This may be the year, On the other hand, we are concerned about a crush of RVers in 2021.  We have the option of driving to Yellowstone and going elsewhere if we note that the place is over-run. We'll have contingency plans.

A friend in the southeast is wanting to leave Florida and the recent onslaught of New Yorkers for a while. We're discussing linking up in a nearby state.  That is a work in progress.

One of the few states I have not visited is Idaho.  A Idahoan suggested recently "Buy 5 acres on a stream and at least a tank of gas distant from the cities".  I suppose that should also be at least a full charge away for electric cars. LOL.

Back to Michigan

We'll spend a lot of time in MI this summer.  I'm looking forward to kayaking, hiking and bicycling. Also to return to some of our favorite spots.  

 Original material http://roadtrek210.blogspot.com/

Cold Weather - Reducing RV Condensation

Reflectix in the windows

 

 

With the departure of Winter and arrival of Spring we will continue to experience cool to cold nights.  To reduce heat loss at night and improve comfort there are some things we can do. A side effect of cold outdoors is condensation on windows. We have trekked and camped overnight down to near 0 F with minimal or no condensation issues. Here's how we avoided or minimized condensation.

Most condensation in our Roadtrek occurs on the glass surfaces. Class B RVs have a lot of single pane glass windows, which have almost no insulating properties. I understand the R-value is about 0.1.  For comparison, the R-value of a sticks and bricks house with 3-1/2" fiberglass batting in the walls is about 14 if the total wall construction is included in the rating.

Without getting into all of the science, the condensation occurs when the humidity in the interior of the RV is above the dew point temperature of the glass windows or other cool-cold surfaces. Normal comfort humidity in winter and cold spring nights will be above the temperature of single pane glass window and condensation will occur. That condensation may freeze on the windows, or just drip.....

In the winter the problem we have is adding moisture to the air inside the RV.  Cold surfaces condense moisture that is in the air. IMHO the solution is:

1. Reduce the moisture released into the air in the RV,
2. Improve the insulation on cold surfaces and the primary offender is glass windows which have almost no insulating properties,
3. Vent excess moisture via a fan, but that also vents heat, so it is my approach of last resort. 

Where does that moisture come from? When we exhale our breath adds moisture. So does cooking if steam is released, and burning propane on that stovetop does the same (a byproduct of burning propane is water vapor).

To reduce moisture release into the interior of the Roadtrek I don't use the stove top which uses propane. There is an added bonus as I then conserve propane for the hot water heater and the furnace.  

I use alternative electrical resources for cooking and avoid using propane; I add insulation:

1. For cooking, I use the convection/microwave and an induction portable electric burner with cast iron skillets, etc. When cooking I keep a lid on it to reduce moisture release into the RV.
2. For boiling water we prefer the microwave.  It heats faster and releases less water vapor into the air. 
3. I add insulation to the windows. I use pre-cut sheets of "Reflectix" on all of the windows. This not only reduces condensation it makes the van more comfortable. It is possible to use two thicknesses of Reflectix in the sleeping area. When travelling in winter we roll up the cut sheets and store under the bed. 
4. As a last resort I use the rooftop vent fan to vent moisture laden air. However, I avoid that because it not only vents moisture, it sends that warm air into the outside. That warmed air is replaced by cold outside air which gets in via door seals, etc.  That cold air needs to be heated with energy.

We have done the above at temperatures near zero F and we generally don't have winter condensation issues....

  Original material http://roadtrek210.blogspot.com/

Resort or Campground - Recent Budgets, etc.

 

Sunset at a Mega-Resort

This post is primarily about some pre- and during covid expenses, finding longer stay opportunities, tools, etc.  For finding short-stay locations we use Good Sam's, FMCA & the Roadtrek International Chapter, KOA, Allstays, etc.  We also have some older, printed Woodall Guides from AAA (we are AAA RV members), G marks these with our experiences about campgrounds, resorts and so on. 

The Allstay people abandoned the Android platform a few years a ago, so it is no longer our first choice.  However, it does get good reviews and if you are an Apple user it might be a good choice.

Social Media - Fakebook, etc.

I'm not a fan of social media for a variety of reasons.  However, there are a number of groups which are focused and are not public; i.e., to post questions or replies one has to be a member and the administrators screen the membership. That type of group keeps the trolls at bay and may also reduce the number of voyeurs and casual, bored internet surfers.  I do like the Roadtrek International Chapter-FMCA.  One has to pay a small annual fee to join and one has to own a Roadtrek.  The cyber-rally email system is very helpful to Roadtrekkers. One can post an email and all sorts of Roadtrek owners will quickly reply.  May not be the best choice during real emergencies.

Reservations

I should add that we always make reservations, even the morning of, if our itinerary changes. We have been doing that since we began RVing in 2013.  It is surprising how many think they can just drive up and get a spot.  Based upon our discussions with  other RVers and personal experience, the larger the rig the more difficult it may be to find a campsite.  With the 21 ft. Roadtrek we have called for a reservation, been told that there are no openings. But, after explaining the small size of the RT (no slides, etc.) we were told, "Oh, we can accommodate that" and were given a small pie-shaped site, or whatever. 

Our Approach to RVing - longer stays with in-between treks - Costs

Our approach to RVing is to stay at a few sites for longer periods, and connect those stays with shorter treks of a week or a month.  In this way we are, for all practical purposes "full time RVers". Doing this requires a financial commitment to a resort or campground, or several. We get the same site each year. This approach may not be the cheapest; we seldom boondock. However, we reduce our daily costs because most campgrounds and RV resorts offer discounts for long-term campers. Check the quarterly or semi-annual and annual prices to the daily or weekly rates and you can make  a cost comparison.

For example, our annual lease at a "mega-resort" which includes a covered site, shed, etc. is about $15.60 a day. We do pay an additional amount for electricity consumed at about $0.1329 per kW including taxes. 

Our other long-term location is about $14.75 a day.  It includes a large deck and a pond location.  Electricity is extra at about $0.14 per kW including taxes.

Doing a little arithmetic, using this approach and $16 a day which includes an allowance for electricity,  our annual cost for a nice site throughout the year is about $5,840.  For a six month stay in one of our campgrounds the cost would be about $2,900 plus electricity. In other words, the rents are about $490 a month.

Of course, most campgrounds do include electricity in the daily or weekly rate for short stays.

We do pay additional for in-between treks.  This is in the budget.  I'm not sure what the actual daily amounts will be in 2021.  I budget $40 a night.  Some campgrounds have been less, and some more.  As KOA members we get a discount and a few free nights each year. As Good Sams members we also get discounts.

CCP Covid Experience

We began doing this "long-term base" approach in 2014.  It was really nice to be in a full-service resort when the CCP Covid occurred in 2020.  We were prepared and we could stay for as long as we liked.  The summer site in Michigan experienced issues with their demagogue of a Governor "Whitmer" or "Witless" as I  prefer.  In campgrounds in which everyone lives in a completely self-contained rig I considered Gov. Witless' onerous rules to have been completely and utterly stupid. The campground owner petitioned and was finally "granted" the ability to open.  Oh, and it was reported that Gov. Whitmer did send her husband to get the boat at the "closed" Marina.  Closed to the rest of us, that is! 

We normally head to the North in April or May.  But in 2020 we simply stayed at the annual site for another month or so.  We didn't have to travel until the CCP Pandemic had begun to wane.  The issues were primarily confusion with a myriad of rules in states and the "fear factor" of other travelers.  Some campgrounds delayed opening until June 2020. We simply stayed put, took more bicycle rides, hikes in the nearby National Park and so on.  

We missed the museums and live entertainment opportunies.

We have internet wherever we go so we were in great shape.  We're both good cooks and bakers so we did a lot more of that, and restricted our restaurant visits to a few which had stable customers and staff. In other words we took the approach that:"the higher the number of transients, the greater the covid risk".

We both did a lot more writing.  G got her book published and I doubled my "creative writing" work which is related to finance.  So, we had a lot to do.  What's that old expression?  "When life gives you lemons make Lemonade". 

On the other hand, I reduced my blogging because there simply wasn't anything new going on because of the closure of various venues and our reduced trekking.  I don't think it is all that useful to post a sunset photo each day.  LOL.  I did spend more time at a social media site I administer.  This was in part a consequence of Roadtrek's bankruptcy, closure, re-opening and the termination of the Chevy based 170, 190 and 210. We had all been cast adrift.  I gathered a lot of PDF files and uploaded them for the group.  For a time, Roadtrek's website was down and there was limited support.

Summer in MI was pleasant but the beaches were over-run with escapees from Illinois.  Chicago was a mess.  We avoided weekends at the beach and frequented some of our favorite restaurants.  They call it the "Michigan Wine Trail" for a reason and the beer and wine flowed freely. 

Dining and Grocery Expenses - 2019 versus 2020

As would be expected, comparing 2019, a pre-covid "normal" year to the 2020 covid year, our dining out budget was reduced but the grocery bill increased. I've compared 2019 to 2020.  Here is the difference in our out-of pocket expenses for those categories:

Total Dining + Grocery (includes some household): 2020 is 0.46% greater than 2019, no real change..

Dining:  2020 is  40% less than 2019. 

Groceries: 2020 is 50.30% greater than 2019.

Gasoline Expenses - 2019 versus 2020

The total of all gasoline expenses, comparing 2019 to 2020 was less in 2020 than it was in 2019. This is attributable to the average price of gasoline and fewer miles traveled via RV in 2020,

2020 was 23.4% less than 2019. 

Budgeting and Finance Tools

I'm a Quicken Premium user.  We use it to track all of our finances and to construct our budgets.  I've got data going back to 1994.   The Quicken data was the source for the Dining, Groceries and Gasoline expenditures for 2019 and 2020, above.

I suppose I could expand the budgeting into a long post. 

 Original material http://roadtrek210.blogspot.com/

Covid Cookery

 

 

That's an "Ugly Steak" from Dickman's Deli in Tucson, AZ.  I'm not sure what cut of meat it is, but it seems to be the equivalent to a marbled flank steak.  Great with fajitas, or marinated and then grilled, cut into thin slices and served with Fettuccine Alfredo. 

Short RV cooking video:

With Limited Dining Choices, we Cook

This post includes some cooking we have done. With the CCP covid lockdown in most blue states, travel has been difficult.  Certainly, going to a restaurant has been impossible in certain locations such as NYC, Chicago and so on.

We decided to spend time in a resort in a state with less onerous rules.  It isn't perfect because local politicians can ruin everything and seem inclined to do so. Nevertheless, we have been able to dine in the resort restaurant or on the restaurant patio throughout the season.

With reduced restaurant choices cooking becomes more important. We enjoy cooking and our site is set up for that.  It is true that the Roadtrek is small for certain types of cooking.  But we do a lot of outdoor grilling and we use cast iron on a portable inductive cooktop.  Baking or oven cooking in the Roadtrek is determined by the dimensions of the convection microwave. However, our AZ site includes an air conditioned shed with hot and cold running water.  Cooking within is definitely okay.

We did visit nearby restaurants which remained open despite the best efforts of some Pima County Demagogues. We did our best to support smaller, local businesses. And, we did a lot of cooking. We are currently in a city which was named by UNESCO as the first city of gastronomy in 2015.  That's a good place to be for good and varied food and a variety of grocers.

UNESCO - creative cities - Tucson

 “Located in the Sonoran Desert, Tucson has the longest agricultural history of any city in the United States of America. It has a 300-year tradition of vineyards, orchards, and livestock ranching that have forged the wide array of the local heritage foods, a source of identity and vitality for the local population of 1 million inhabitants. The distinctive cuisine of Tucson has developed from a culturally layered history, a variety of heritage food ingredients, and a continuity of traditional food preparation techniques. To maintain its thriving culinary sector, the city focuses particularly on innovative programmes and regulations for food security and sustainable local food production and distribution.“

Don’t take my word for it, Fodor’s Travel agrees.

fodors - Tucon UNESCO city

This was but one reason why, after purchasing a Roadtrek 210P in December 2013 we visited Tucson in and spent some time there in early 2014.  It is also why we made an annual commitment at a resort and have a spot waiting for us throughout the year in this wonderful city.  In that manner we can come and go as we please and stay here for a few weeks, or months each winter, or throughout the year.  This became essential in 2020 when the CCP covid-19 shut down large portions of the U.S. economy.

One of the advantages of staying planted in a location for a few months is the opportunity to really get to know the neighborhood.  That also means we can find good places to purchase all manner of things to cook.

The Tucson site includes a 10 ft x 10 ft air conditioned "shed" with running hot and cold water.  It can accommodate a larger refrigerator, a washer-dryer etc. That means we can cook inside using electric cook top, inductive cooktop, crock pot or whatever (we use them all).  A shelter even allows grilling in inclement weather, and the resort has a central area with gas BBQs.  

However, baking is limited by the size of the convection oven in the Roadtrek, G recently made Eggplant Parmesan, which would not be possible but in very small quantities in the Roadtrek convection oven.  The issue is not simply the size of the oven.  It takes as much time to make a 9x15 inch pan of this dish as a 10x10 inch pan.

 With a little cool weather, an opportunity was created to use the 15 inch wide x 15 inch deep oven in the larger RV.  But first, G had to make the sauce.  Crushed tomatoes, mild and hot Italian sausage, homemade meatballs and spare ribs, all seasoned and cooked in three different skillets and then combined.  Several days later she made the Eggplant Parmesan.  Really good!  Here it is fresh from the oven.

For  fun, G bakes all kinds of cookies. 

Being good neighbors, we share all of the above.

Of course, there is the day-to-day cooking of shrimp & rice, steak fajitas, BBQ chicken, BBQ steak, baked ham, roasted potatoes, roasted asparagus, roasted sweet potato, grilled sausage, mac-n-cheese with chili, grilled cheese sandwiches, fried rice, baked ham, roasted chicken and so on.

We cook using cast iron on a portable inductive top, or over propane.  We cook outside the rig for most meals, from bacon and eggs to BBQ. Outdoor BBQ is a frequent approach. We like the convection oven in the Roadtrek, but can't cook the larger quantities we prefer. For pasta, etc. we boil water in a pot on a resistance electric two-burner range-top we purchased for about $29.  We like propane cooking, but in the Roadtrek we conserve it to heat hot water or for that occasional use of the furnace.

This year I have not yet made my famous cinnamon buns.

It has gotten so ridiculous that over breakfast we discuss what to cook for dinner. LOL.

We recently went to the Viva Cars and Coffee and we like to support local businesses.

 https://www.facebook.com/VivaCoffeeHouse

 A few things cooked recently

Marinated Steelhead Trout, ready for the grill:

Ham ready for the electric roaster:

Grilled steak with rapini, grilled squash and baked potato:

Crock pot chicken soup:

French Toast:

 Original material http://roadtrek210.blogspot.com/