help this is my first trailer 😭

[szorn824]

Hi! I just bought and renovated my first trailer! However, I’ve never owned a home, so I’m lacking a lot of knowledge in that arena.

Something I’m really clueless about and that’s probably is important is electric stuff - like which electric source powers which appliances/lights/etc.

From my understanding there is propane, battery, and shore power? How do generators play into that mix? Which sources do you use when?

Really I’m open to any information on electricity in fifth wheels. Just be sure to dumb it down for me 😅

[NB Canada]

What are you looking to do?

Some more info would be helpful on what you have

As far as power “shore power” ,a generator or an inverter supply 110 volts which power anything that has a plug and plugs in. Also your Air conditioners are hard wired in to 110 volt power. The converter is also supplied 110 volts which then converts that down to 12 volts

Lights and control boards in heaters,fridge etc and slides and awnings etc are 12 volt which is supplied by either the battery or the converter

Propane is used with 12 volt to operate heaters and possibly your fridge depending on what you have

[trailrydr]

Although it may be a big undertaking to renovate an RV, it will definitely be a great way to do things "right" and know how it was done as well. Good luck!

You might start with looking at some courses on RV maintenance and training.

https://info.nrvta.com/contact-us/?u...RoCagYQAvD_BwE

[Conner58]

YouTube is your best friend ton of good info .

[Riverbug]

A few basics here, but YouTube is a great resource...
- When you plug your shore power cord into an outlet (whether generator or pedestal), it powers all 120v appliances including your converter/charger. The converter/charger is what converts 120v to 12v to power 12v appliances and charge your battery while plugged in.
- The easiest way to determine which appliances are 120v vs 12v is to unplug your shore power cord then try each appliance. You will notice your air conditioner, microwave, and outlets likely will not work. I say likely because I don't know if your rig has an aftermarket inverter, solar panels, etc. If your battery is charged and nothing works, then you know it doesn't have an inverter to invert 12v to 120v.
- Your fridge is likely 2 or 3 way. When shore power is present it should run off 120v. Without shore power it should switch to propane which still requires 12v for ignition. It may also have a 12v option to run off the battery, but those tend to be older units. Newer units are typically either 2-way (electric/gas) or 12v only which typically also incorporates a solar panel and charge controller.
- Without shore power you should notice that your furnace (which needs 12v for fan and flame ignition but heats with propane), lights, water pump, water heater (if set to propane and not electric), will run. That's because it is drawing from the battery. If nothing works, check to make sure your battery is holding a charge as that is likely the problem.
- It's a deep rabbit hole as you begin to learn more about your battery and how to extend the amount of time you can run without shore power. For now, just start to understand what you have and how it all works.

Congrats and have fun!

[Second Chance]

Which make/model of RV did you buy?

Rob