Lenp

Five, All I am saying is there is more then the invertor connected to L1. I suspect at least one of your AC units (and maybe some other "appliance") also runs on L1 it is not going via the invertor. If/when your connected to 30 amp service, a whole new scenario presents when your EMS takes over and load shedding starts. But that is not the subject here. If yours is like mine, all of your invertor supplied circuits are run via a sub panel. But the main panel has a few other circuits such as a washer/dryer or ??? that is ran direct from shore power or generator. These would ADD to the 30 amps your invertor is drawing. Yours may be different than mine (and probably is) but I still suspect your capable of more like 45 on each leg but limited on the invertor controlled circuits. Lenp

Five, I think your 30 amp limit is due to your invertor. I have much the same with my rig. I DO get more than 30 amps (and I suspect you do also) from both L1 and L2. I have three outlet circuits in my coach each on its own breaker. All three of these are supplied by either shore power, invertor or generator via a sub-panel. ALL go through the inverter/charger which limits total draw for these three circuits to 30 amps. Do these three circuits come from L1 or L2 - I do not know and don't care. There are also other items items (hot water heater, frig, heat pump, etc.) that DO NOT go via the invertor and are not subject to the 30 amp limit. If/when all of these other items are drawing power I am sure I am drawing much more than 30 amps on both L1 and L2. Thus, I believe your statement "50 amps is not really 50 amps" is not true. I would guess your rig is capable of much closer to 45 and 45 on each leg. I do, however, feel your frustration. I have the same problem if I try to run too much. Not fun running outside to push a breaker button on the invertor when it is COLD outside and your trying to heat the coach AND brew a pot of coffee. This winter I had the need to run two portable heaters and all was fine until 7:00am when the coffee pot turned itself on. No more heat (or coffee). I solved the problem by switching one of the three outlet circuits to a breaker in the main panel (versus the sub-panel). I used the breaker for the washer/dryer which we never use at night so now I can run both heaters AND make coffee AND run the microwave at the same time. Lenp

My coach has the same unit as the OP and it WILL run fine with 30 amp service. There may be some load shed if I exceed 30 amps but it will run fine with only one compressor - it just does not heat (or cool) as well when only one compressor is running. Compressor #2 will shut down if the load shed kicks in but as long as you keep other loads to a minimum it will run both compressors fine on 30 amp service. Lenp

Perhaps this will help: http://manuals.adventurerv.net/Atwood-Water-Heater-Service.pdf Does your unit have a thermal cutoff device that looks like the photo between the circuit board and one of the thermostats? If so, it could be blown (it is really a thermal fuse that opens if it gets too hot). Best bet is to check for 12 volts on the two button (like) thermostats and then at the board itself. Lenp

Depends on the motorhome. Please tell us what brand, year, model of your coach and, hopefully, someone else has one and can tell you. On my rig the block heater cord and the wall outlet to plug it into are located in the same bay as the shore power connector and main transfer switch. There is also a wall switch in the kitchen area to energize the outlet. Lenp

Contact Airxcel at (316) 832-4357 They have been VERY helpful for me. Lenp

Where will we be when we get there?

The voltages you were reading when shore power was on (13-14 volts) is the output from your invertor/charger. When shore power is on it will always try to bring the batteries up to that range. However, a fully charged battery will only read 12.65 when all charging equipment is removed (or turned off or shore power removed) and that is with no load applied. It will read higher than 12.65 immediately after the charge source if turned off but it will soon drop to 12.65 or lower if any load is applied and your coach will ALWAYS have a small load applied. Thus, the 12.3 volts you were reading is probably normal. If your really concerned when it reads 12.3 the next time go to your battery bay and disconnect the battery(ies) negative lead and measure (with a multimeter) the voltage at the battery(ies). This will give you an accurate state of charge (SOC) reading. Here is a chart to show voltage versus SOC: Remove charger and turn on a light for five minutes to remove surface charge before measuring Voltage Charge Remaining 12.66 100% 12.61 95% 12.57 90% 12.53 85% 12.49 80% 12.45 75% 12.41 70% 12.37 65% 12.33 60% 12.29 55% 12.25 50% 12.21 45% 12.17 40% 12.13 35% 12.09 30% 12.05 25% 12.02 20% 11.99 15% 11.96 10% 11.93 5% 11.9 0%

Blue Ox tow hooks installed on my Ford Edge came to $1100 including the parts from Blue Ox. This did not include any wiring - only tow hooks which required replacing the Ford internal "bumper" behind the front facade. They would have wired the lights and the emergency breakaway for another $400. Don't forget you will need an auxiliary braking system in some states. Lenp

Sounds like the cooling unit is giving up. Do you see any yellow/green powder residue in the rear (outside) of the frig? If so, cooling unit is in need of replacement. Or just replace the frig with a residential unit. Lenp

I have been using the 770 for about six weeks now between Maine and Mississippi (on mostly secondary roads) and it has proven to work ok. I am a little concerned that it will occasionally display a message saying "Recreational vehicle restriction unknown ahead" (or something like that - not exactly sure of the wording) on a route it has recommended. Kind of makes me worry and wonder a little but, like I said, it has not failed me. Prior (non RV) Garmins got me into several problems with low clearance and weight limits that required turning around. Have not had that problem with the 770. Have I had to unhook the toad an turn around - YES but not the fault of the Garmin. Using it with BaseCamp does work but you will not always get the same route on the device that Basecamp did. Garmin tells me that is due to different parameters between the two - you cannot set weight, height and lengths in BaseCamp like you can on the device. Had a problem in northeast Mississippi where the device wanted to route me about ten miles out of the way on a narrow country road versus half a mile to a major road. Garmin turned the problem over to a "higher level" but admitted it should not have done that. Would I recommend the 770 to other motorhome owners? Not having tried other brands specific to RVs I cannot make a good comparison. Would I buy another? probably Lenp

Ever wonder why aviation gas contains NO ethanol???? There is a good reason! Lenp

While it might not seem to be the brightest idea, keeping a vent open helps to keep the humidity down some. Yes, you will loose some heat, you need to keep the air circulating. Your living in a tin can and we generate a lot of moisture by cooking, showering and breathing. If you are connected to shore power a dehumidifier will certainly help. As Bill said, keeping cabinets open will also help AND if your seeing freezing weather it may help keep the pipes from freezing. Lenp

In addition to mice discussed above, I have had problems with squirrels, chipmunks and pack rats getting in where they are certainly not wanted. This past spring the removed all of the insulation from the cowling on a friends RAM pickup. Another RAM had a nest built in the air intake for the heater. Truck the FS gave us to use had the wiring harness chewed up rendering the truck inoperative. When camp hosting at a Forest Service campground in Eastern Oregon there was (and still is) a problem with all of them. The pack rats and squirrels like to get into your engine compartment and build nests. We found that leaving the hood open a few inches discouraged them - did it let the heat out or let a little moonlight in? I don't know but since then I have seen many people place a light rope under their rigs - lighting up the underside also seems to discourage them. Current MH has LED lights in both the front (generator) and rear (engine) that stay on all the time. Have not had any issues. Lenp

Only times I have had to turn mine off was going on the ferry between Galveston Island and the Bolivar Peninsula. Lenp

Suspect the magnetic switch on the door. Lenp

I (sometimes) tow a 2012 F150 Ecoboost. Can confirm it DOES NOT add miles to the odometer. Only issues I have ever had were (1) switching the transfer case between 2H & 4L too fast when trying to put it in neutral (you have to do it fairly fast but not too fast) and (2) a faint burning smell after towing on occasion. Have the same issue with the 2013 Edge but it is not repeatable. Ford has not identified any issues. The burning smell does not occur all the time and only on the next drive AFTER towing. You didn't indicate what your motorhome is but make sure it is rated to two the F150. Mine weighs in at nearly 7600 pounds. Many motorhomes are only rated for 5000. Lenp

Could one of your rigs outlets got a little wet while you were on your trip? An outside outlet with a little moisture will trip a GFI. Lenp

Keep in mind that 70' is not legal in all states. And it does not matter where your registered - each state has it's own rules. Probably never be pulled over but if you are involved in an accident it could become a factor. The stacker may be a better choice. Lenp

Bill (and others), Sorry about the signature - it must have been lost with the latest system upgrade. Should now be there. If not, 2002 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom upgraded to include a Samsung residential, 750 watts of solar, Bogart Panametric battery monitor. Frig and small freezer are powered by a dedicated 2000 watt pure sine invertor. The "stock" invertor never did power the frig - frig only had 120 VAC when on shore power or generator. Lenp

I have a year newer version of this coach. Mine had 60,000 when I purchased it five years ago. It has been a great coach but I have put some money into it. First was a thorough third party inspection of the chassis (motor, transmission, suspension, etc.) prior to purchase for about $400. Second was new drive tires due to them being over 12 years old (dealer $1200, me $1200). Third was ALL fluids were replaced to include differential, front hubs, hydraulic coolant system fluid, and engine coolant immediately after purchase ($2500). I have NOT changed the fluid for the jacks and slides. Fourth was a complete front end suspension refurbishment and new shocks all around last year ($5,000). Fifth was a new set of steer tires due to them being eight years old and we were leaving on a 10,000 mile trip ($1200). Should note that it drives like a dream now! I have had other problems including (1) a hydraulic fluid leak to the bedroom slide system that required a hose replacement, (2) throttle position sensor issue that required replacement of the ECM wiring connector, (3) bedroom slide out issue that required replacement of some of the control wiring, and (4) a bad solenoid on the jack/slide hydraulic pump. Fortunately I have been able to troubleshoot and do most of my own repairs saving a ton of cash. When you buy an older coach you MUST expect to find a few problems. When I purchased the coach (from a dealer) I also purchased an extended warranty for five years because I was concerned about potential chassis problems (i.e., transmission, engine, etc,) and figured a transmission could easily cost $10,000 to repair or replace so figured the extra was worth it for peace of mind if nothing else. The warranty did cover part of the cost of the ECM connector and associated wiring issues but I actually came out on the short end of the deal on that. Would I jump on the coach your looking at? Probably if the price is right. Anything under $40,000 is probably not a bad deal. The low mileage really is a challenge. Please feel free to PM me if you have more questions. Can get a phone number to you if you want to talk more. Lenp

We don't know what coach you have but mine (and most others with a load management system) DO NOT supply 120 VAC power to the frig when running the inverter from the batteries. Lenp

Disconnect each of the cables at the solenoid (one at a time) and see which one is drawing the four amps then trace that one. Lenp

I have used Foremost for RVs in the past through USAA. I still have my home through Foremost/USAA. The coverage I had on the RV was full time for a fifth wheel and a RV Hauler - Foremost listed the hauler as a motorhome. Might be worth asking USAA if Foremost is an option. lenp

What is the engine RPM when climbing those hills? My ISL will get hot if I let the Allison do it's own shifting. I ALWAYS manually downshift to maintain 1900-2000 RPM and it will heat up to around 210 and the fan kicks on and cools to 190. If I let the Allison take control it will climb to 230-240 range. Get the boost up and push cool air into the engine will help keep it cool. Lenp