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  1. #1
    ThruHauler
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    Full timing while full time employed: power draw?

    Howdy folks. I'll be full timing it in my 369rl come Friday. I'm 41 so I'll also be full time employed for about the usable life of my home/office FW, I'd guess

    I've added all the comforts of home: washer/dryer, dishwasher... and the work related bells and whistles: 5500w generator w/auto start, wifi ranger, weboost cellular booster, Magnum hybrid 3000w inverter/booster, precision circuits automatic EMS, 4x6v batteries for 210 usable amp hours and a 240 watt sunbee solar kit. ( i can't find that but dealer/installer says it's gonna charge at 20a max so 20a x 12v = 240w?)

    Anyway, I'm concerned my battery bank and solar kit may be undersized. I've done some of these solar sizing calculators and my estimated usage seems to come back really high - like 3 times Solar EXTREME! I'm sure that indicates I'm going to need to learn to conserve so I wonder about you full timers who are either working or active inside the RV (tv's on, computer going, on the phone, cooking, etc.) for the bulk of the day: what kind of power do you draw? How large are your battery packs and how big is the solar system? How often are you running the generator? How frequently do you find yourself connected to AC so the batteries and generator aren't even coming into it? Does a connectivity requirement tend to rule out dry camp boondocking?

    And what else haven't i even thought of that i need to know? Can I take the interest deduction on my home and the home office deduction? I did pick up one of those valves today to effectively combine the two grey tanks into one. Still deliberating over satellite internet and TV. Wanna get out there and see if it seems like I'm gonna need them or if cellular and streaming meet the need.

    Thanks in advance. No idea what I've gotten into here. Hope I don't have to learn the hard way!
    ThruHauler

  2. #2
    Big Traveler RamGunner's Avatar
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    Those are some good questions. We have the washer/dryer, etc. but most of our time has been spent at full hookup sites. The TV's are all LED and draw very little power, as do the radio/amplifier, and other components. I replaced the few incandescent bulbs in the closets, pass-through fixtures, and external lights with LED's to minimize power consumption.

    We use laptops, so the power consumption there is minimal as well. If you have a conventional desktop machine, that will take more power. We run two 12V deep-cycle batteries at this point, the Cummins-Onan 5500 Watt generator, and with a 3000W inverter we have plenty of auxiliary power.

    The need for Internet connectivity will be the biggest issue you will find. If you are in one place for an extended period, you can get cable-based or DSL service. If you plan to be mobile, then a cellular broadband solution will be your best bet. Satellite is very expensive and comparably slow. Unless you work a lot during non-peak hours (at night, in other words) it's cost prohibitive. Then again, getting enough data from a cellular provider at a reasonable cost is difficult as well.

    Right now, T-Mobile has about the best deal out there. We have two phones for $100/month including unlimited data on the phone and 7G of tethering on each (14G total). They have a mobile hotspot device plan that gives you 22G on the hotspot device for $85/month. They also offer another plan for about $140/month that gives you unlimited data on the phone and 14G tethering per phone (28G total + $85 for 22G on the hotspot device for 50G total tethering). That plan is only available before September 6th. They are changing to a terrible deal after that.

    There is a company that's offering some unlimited plans for between $5 a month for 3G and $85/month for 4G/LTE. I was really enthusiastic, but he hasn't communicated with me in a few days and I'm getting a little concerned. I'll keep you posted on what I find.
    Editor - www.RamGunner.com and www.MomentumGunner.com
    2014 Ram 3500 Tradesman/CTD/AISIN/4.10/4WD/CC/LB/DRW/VHF/UHF/APRS/CB/SCANNER
    B&W RVK3600 5th Wheel Hitch/Reese 30140 Gooseneck Ball/Gen-Y HDGH-604 Receiver
    2016 Momentum 385TH (Internal LAN/AV Distribution/Polaris RZR 800 EPS/CB/SCANNER/VHF/UHF/APRS and HF for World-Wide Communications)

  3. #3
    Big Traveler RamGunner's Avatar
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    It looks like T-Mobile will ending those other plans on the 1st of September now.
    Editor - www.RamGunner.com and www.MomentumGunner.com
    2014 Ram 3500 Tradesman/CTD/AISIN/4.10/4WD/CC/LB/DRW/VHF/UHF/APRS/CB/SCANNER
    B&W RVK3600 5th Wheel Hitch/Reese 30140 Gooseneck Ball/Gen-Y HDGH-604 Receiver
    2016 Momentum 385TH (Internal LAN/AV Distribution/Polaris RZR 800 EPS/CB/SCANNER/VHF/UHF/APRS and HF for World-Wide Communications)

  4. #4
    Big Traveler RamGunner's Avatar
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    I heard back from the source on the Unlimited Verizon 4G/LTE. He's been a little busy, but he's a source for some good access options - both 3G and 4G. I have his info at http://rvgunner.com/rvintnet.htm, as well as some info on our LAN setup.
    Editor - www.RamGunner.com and www.MomentumGunner.com
    2014 Ram 3500 Tradesman/CTD/AISIN/4.10/4WD/CC/LB/DRW/VHF/UHF/APRS/CB/SCANNER
    B&W RVK3600 5th Wheel Hitch/Reese 30140 Gooseneck Ball/Gen-Y HDGH-604 Receiver
    2016 Momentum 385TH (Internal LAN/AV Distribution/Polaris RZR 800 EPS/CB/SCANNER/VHF/UHF/APRS and HF for World-Wide Communications)

  5. #5
    ThruHauler
    Guest
    Thanks Gunner! I just picked up one of the unlimited jetpacks from vzwmifi.com!

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