Lisa,

It sounds like you would benefit from reading Howard's write-up on electrical, you can find it here: http://www.rv-dreams.com/rv-electrical.html.

The short answer to your question, is you will not be able to operate that much on 15 amps -- at least simultaneously. If your furnace runs on propane, you will be able to operate the furnace.

Enjoy and happy travels.

Welcome Lisa,

I used to have a 2005 Challenger 32TKB.  Originally came with 1 12 volt battery and I added another.  I'm sure there are folks more ingenious than me on here on how they deal with such things.

I have a Honda EU3000 generator which has been great.  I'd still invest in one if I were you but you don't necessarily need one that big.  They, as well as a couple other brands, have a 1000 and 2000.  New ones are a bit pricey.  But, the more power you have, the more toys you can power.  If you're plugged into even 15 amps, that should be re-charging your batteries.  Over a period of time, I also gathered a couple different kinds of battery operated LED lights that put out quite a bit.  One other thing of note on generators, some places will have quiet times where you can't run your generator, particularly at night.  So, just be aware.

As Lynn and Ed have indicated, on 15 amps you can power some things individually, but would be hard pressed running say the AC and the micro-wave, or a hair dryer at the same time.  And ditto on the furnace running on propane.  But hey, laptops have batteries!

Just my ramblings and opinions.

Have a great adventure and happy trails.

Hello,
I would not recommend using the AC with 15amp service. If the AC started it would pull the voltage down to dangerous levels and could a failure of the a/c and other electric devices.
You could run your heater and many other lights without problems. The microwave maybe ok to run also.
Your battery should charge any time your on shore power.
I would suggest buying a plug-in volt meter, use this to monitor voltage.
Anything under 110v AC is getting close to alarm, much below that could be a real problem because as you turn on more devices the voltage may drop more.
Hope this helps.
Jim

Lisa wrote:

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My partner and I are living in Alberta Canada right now.  We just sold our house and bought a 2010 F350 6.4L Diesel, along with a 2009 34SAQ Keystone Challenger 5th wheel.  I'm quitting my job and picking up the trailer on the weekend.  We are leaving for BC next week and will be volunteering on farms.

My questions are these!  When we stay on people's farms, all we are going to have is probably 15 amp service.  What will we be able to run?  We don't have a generator or solar panels.  I believe the trailer has 2 6 volt batteries and 2 30lb propane tanks.  It has a 15000 BTU furnace which I know we definitely can't run.  Will we be sitting in the dark every night, unable to use any appliances, laptops, etc?

How long do the batteries last?  What is the best way to charge them?

Should we consider a generator or try to rough it?

ANY advice would be so greatly appreciated!!!

 

Lisa

 

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 Oops!  I just saw that I wrote it has a 15000 BTU furnace.  That should read AIR CONDITIONER!  

Lisa, I admire your enthusiasm. Pushing off into the great unknown of this lifestyle at the pace you appear to be going at, would be too daunting a prospect for us though I suppose if we had to....

My advice, FWIW, would be to work out your finances, not just a budget, but the cost of all those "outlays" that you appear to need.  Having control and knowledge of your financial picture will go a long way to making the experience as enjoyable as you want it to be. If you are only going to have 15AMP service, you'll probably need a decent sized genny, think about solar options (not cheap BTW). After you have the basics covered, then address other lifestyle "options" with an eye toward the method you will fund them. The important thing is to figure a plan that will cover and fund your unplanned events... and you will have plenty of those. 

It's really hard for the rest of us to give concrete advice as to what you'll need, without understanding the whole picture. For instance, if you are very minimalistic you may well get by with 15AMPS. If you  want more modern conveniences, well, they come at a cost and the need for additional power to run the gear.

Now, if you have plenty of loot to begin with or you love flying by the seat of your pants........ never mind.

Good luck with your adventure!

-- Edited by biggaRView on Thursday 26th of March 2015 11:00:31 AM