All electric? - RV-Dreams Community Forum

The Restless Youngs · RV-Dreams Family Member

All electric?

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

I guess I need to emphasis that "all electric" with a diesel motorhome means "electric and diesel" instead of "electric, propane and diesel". There are many diesel motorhomes out there, like most all Foretravel ones, that use "hydronic heating" or a diesel furnace/hot water system like Aquahot or Oasis. That leave the fridge and stove using propane. Move to a residential fridge and only the stove is using propane. Change the stove to electric and you can eliminate the propane tank, now you are "all electric" in RV jargon. You still have a furnace, it uses some battery power for controls and fans but it heats with diesel from the same tank as the engine. You still have hot water, when hooked up it can use electricity for the first few gallons, but it can always heat with diesel. You can boondock without running the generator all night, these motorhomes normally come with enough batteries to keep everything running at least overnight. If you can get diesel into the tank, you can boondock indefinitely by running your generator daily for a few hours to charge the batteries and keep you in hot water and warmth. Assuming you have a water supply and sewer.

-- Edited by bjoyce on Saturday 14th of September 2013 10:37:41 PM

RonaldNC · RV-Dreams Family Member

I'm not sure that I have all the pros and cons, but I think I will look strongly at an all electric coach if I buy another. Most coaches are already going to residential refrigerators, so all that's left is the stove (although we also use our microwave), furnace (although we usually use our electric heat pump) and water heater (which is currently gas or electric). If you mostly stay in RV parks with electricity, then it seems like a "no-brainer". If you have reasonable solar capability and battery storage, then I would think it also looks pretty good. My guess is that the only downside might be if you are a boon-docker in cold weather... electric heat might just not cut it.

Regardless, it's an interesting idea... would love to hear others chime in. I certainly wouldn't miss carrying around that heavy propane tank!

Ron

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

All electric for a diesel pusher means a diesel furnace/hot water heater like Aquahot or Oasis, not electric heat. Though they normally come with heat pumps instead of standard air conditioners, so you can use electric heat as long as it does not get too cold. These also allow you do some hot water heating via electricity and many will also heat the water using the engine heat while going down the road.

The main downsides are they design these for 50AMP electric since so much of the coach needs electricity, they can be tricky on 30AMP. In many areas 30AMP is the most common, so you are limiting where you can camp and probably increasing your average camping cost. Boondocking for more than one night requires a lot of generator time with an all electric coach. Aquahot, at least, requires yearly service with expensive parts. Make sure the unit is easy to get to, but I think that was more of a Monaco problem than Tiffin. You also want more batteries, added weight and every few years they need replacement. A friend who stayed the winter by Seattle with his Foretravel, which had an Aquahot, had to add 10 to 12 gallons of diesel a week to his fuel tank.

I would hope they go with inductive stovetops instead of calrod, they are much nicer and easier to clean. You might need new pots and pans.

No propane tank, which should be a pro. Not having the propane tank can provide a place for the extra batteries.

Knowing Tiffin, I would get individual wheel weights for the all electric. Tiffin has had problems with weight distribution in the past.

Remember all new diesels now have a DEF tank, which requires filling about every 3rd fillup. I treat this as a con.

GENECOP · RV-Dreams Family Member

I like the FLEXIBILTY that LP gives us......at least with a 45' MH. If I where to downsize one day, (24') or so, I would consider all electric.....

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

I think going all electric would kinda remove the phrase....Off the beaten path....from rving or camping.....I kinda like the idea of being able to refrigerate and cook without the mechanical need of a generator or inverter to sustain these systems.

just a simple cooktop burner is around 1500 watts of power being used , and domestic refrigeration compressors and there components dont do very well with fluctuations in power that generators and solar inverters hand out.

I feel easier when leaving my coach with the fridge running on propane(not to mention colder and cheaper)and cooking on propane......

if I wanted all the convienieces of home better than I had when I left it to travel, I would have bought a bigger recliner and a 90 inch big screen to watch the travel channel in a bigger house

kb0zke · RV-Dreams Family Member

Put me down with those who question the all-electric. We have taken only one trip in our coach since we got it, and only one or two nights had 30A service. All the rest were 50A. However, one of the reasons we decided on a DP was being able to leave at a moment's notice due to weather. Yes, I've run the generator most of the time while on the road, but I'm not sure that I'd want to run it all night while camped. Also, I like to leave the furnaces on low during the winter.

One other reason that probably applies in this area more than other parts of the country: ice storms. A few years ago EVERYONE in the county lost electricity for anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of weeks. We survived because our house has a propane stove and a real fireplace. We had another family stay with us for a week. With the motor home we could run the generator some for lights, and the propane furnaces would keep us nice and warm. Couldn't do that if the coach was all-electric other than running the generator constantly.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

I'll throw this one out, even though it doesn't completely apply to RV's. Jo and I have lived many years in the Panhandle of Oklahoma and have experienced those periods of time when electric was out for quite a while. There is no way that we would ever have another all-electric abode. Even if one had gas for heat in our homes, it still required electricity to run the fans on central heat and air conditioning systems to move that air around. At least with RV's, most run the central heat fans on 12V, so an overnight or two without electricity is no big deal.

I remember a farmer up in the Panhandle that came to my place of business and said that they were going to build a new home. I asked him if he was going to have central heat, and he replied in the affirmative. So, I advised him that he might also want a wall furnace or two, just in case the electric went out. He left immediately to go looking for his builder. The very first winter after they moved into their new home, we were out of electric for 10 days. Man! Was he appreciative of me mentioning the fan in the central heat.

And then, without electric, one would be forced to cook on a grill or eat cold foods.

Terry