richard5933

A cost, for sure. But, in the scope of this project not by any means the largest cost. Some of the newer batteries are designed to charge with the same charging parameters as flooded cell batteries and can use existing chargers. Not sure how well that works, but it's an option for the short term. We have a stand-alone battery charger, and the lithium-specific model to replace it is only about $250. Not free, but a relatively small piece of this puzzle. However, if you are using a combination inverter/charger and yours won't work with lithium batteries, then you're going to have to figure out a new plan.

Not all economics is about money. There are a few reasons we're considering lithium batteries for our next go around... Faster recharge time Ability to charge at higher rates when solar is performing at peak Much more capacity per pound Constant voltage level from fully charged to lowest usable point in SOC For some these things don't matter as much. For some the money aspect is the primary one. Since we tend to do quite a bit of dry camping/boondocking, having the ability to fully charge during a few hours on the road or with a few hours of peak solar is important. The lower weight is also important, as it will be the key to allowing us to carry the necessary solar to keep things recharged. (Yes, I can use the generator to recharge the batteries, but I truly hate having the listen to the generator when we're camping in an isolated lake front site.)

Just take the measurements to an appliance parts supplier near you and get the closest equivalent.

If you have an RV 50-amp receptacle like in the photo above, simplest way is to just use an adapter. Best way would be to have the pedestal box swapped out for one with both the 30-amp and 50-amp receptacles on it. Also would work to make the cable you're talking about.

Making a cord like that would work as long as you get the conductors attached to the proper terminals. Leaving the extra terminal in place will help the plug stay put in the socket better and make it less likely to pull out - I'd just leave it in place. It will do nothing since it won't be connected on the inside of the plug. Depending on the gauge wire you use though, it might be possible to have a cord plugged into a breaker which has a higher rating than the cord. You can either change the breaker to a double 30-amp breaker to prevent any problems, or you can use the proper gauge wire for the 50-amp breaker. Probably cheaper to swap the breaker, and the 30-amp cord will be much easier to handle. If you make the cord this way, it will be a good idea to permanently mark it at both ends somehow. After a few years you'll likely have a stack of cords & adapters, and it will always be possible to pull the wrong cord from the stack if not marked.

Functionally the same. Which to choose depends on the particulars of the application. I like the adapters without the cable between the ends, and they tend to be durable. However, they also make the cord stand out far from the outlet and can encourage the weight of the cord to pull it from the outlet. When I use the short adapters I will bungee the whole works to the pedestal to make sure things don't pull out over time.

Big difference in plugging in an RV at the pedestal and all the household devices your electrician was talking about. Usually, the household devices are turned off and not going to cause a problem. If (big 'if' for some, small 'if' for others) you have all the major power-using devices turned off in the coach when you plug, there shouldn't be a problem. The problem that comes from plugging in with the breaker turned on is damage done to the outlet/plug from the arcing. If you plug in with the breaker off there is no chance of arcing at the plug/outlet which is why many turn off the breaker first. All that said, I am not that familiar with newer hi-tech systems that automatically control things in the coach and switch power as soon as it's detected. For example, some people will pull into a campground with the generator powering the a/c units. When they plug into the pedestal and switch on the breaker the automatic transfer switch will automatically switch the loads to the shore power. I can see where in those cases it could potentially do some damage. My advice is to switch off the loads in the coach before plugging into the pedestal. Having the breaker turned off is extra insurance against damaging the plug on the shore power cord. When possible, I have things off at both ends before plugging in.

Lots of great suggestions made to the OP. Probably time for them to chime in and let us know which way they want to go so we can focus on that and help them further rather than going in circles.

Those will work with a properly-wired RV 50-amp receptacle, but they leave your cordset unprotected. Using an adapter like this means plugging a cord rated at 30 amps into a receptacle protected by a 50-amp breaker. Those extra 20 amps can do quite a bit of damage before the breaker does it's job.

A properly wired 50-amp RV receptacle will have two 50-amp breakers supplying it with power (not 25-amp). Each leg of the 50-amp receptacle provide up to 50-amps @ 120v, and combined can provide 240v. If you are unsure of how things work please have someone that does assist.

First, welcome to the FMCA forum. Glad to have you here. Be careful doing this - it's possible to successfully do what you want, but it's also possible to fry your coach's electrical system. A 30-amp RV is running a 120v system. As you said, one hot, one neutral, and a ground. Your hot tub receptacle has two hots, a neutral, and a ground. Their typically wired for 240v, and it's not always just plug-n-play to plug an RV adapter into it. It's possible to pull 240v out of that box if you're not careful. My suggestion would be to first replace the receptacle in the hot tub wall box with a properly wired RV receptacle box with both 30-amp and 50-amp receptacles. You can buy them at HD and Lowes. Once you have that, then you can just plug in your 30-amp cord. Should not cost all that much to get the supplies, and even if you have an electrician do the work it should take only an hour or so. It's also possible to just replace the hot tub receptacle with a properly wired 50-amp RV receptacle and then plug in your 30-amp cord using an adapter. The danger of using an adapter to plug the 30-amp cord into the 50-amp receptacle is that you have a breaker with a higher rating than the 30-amp cord can carry. That means that if you overload the circuit, the cord can overheat and have a catastrophic failure before the 50-amp breaker ever knows there's a problem.

Might not work everywhere, but one thing I've noticed with private campgrounds is the advantage to developing a relationship with the owner/management. There are a couple of places we've been to numerous times, and if I call on short notice they will do their best to accommodate. There often seems to be a way to find space - for example, one time they put us in a seasonal site for a weekend. (Sounded like they checked with the seasonal renter to know it was okay.) Things like this are not always possible, but having a relationship sometimes opens up a few doors which are otherwise closed.

I also carry a spare latching relay. Seems like a possible weak link.

We had a leak a few years ago which caused our pump to be on for hours. Got very hot, like yours. Repaired the leak and the pump magically still worked. I ordered a new one which I planned to install, keeping the old as a spare. As it happens, I didn't have time to r & r the pump. It's still pumping, almost three years later. I still carry the new one for when it quits. Did you figure out what is causing it to stay turned on?

If you have a Cummins engine, then I assume you have air brakes. If so, your initial post is still confusing. Even with no air in the tank, the e-brake should be able to hold your rig from rolling. Air brake systems set the e-brake any time the tank loses air - it's the default setting. Air is used to release the e-brakes. So, if you have air brakes and the rig rolls when it shouldn't, then you have a problem with your brakes. Most likely they are out of adjustment. Since they should self-adjust, it would be ideal to have the system inspected. Important side note: The self adjusting slack adjusters work do their adjusting when you do the pump-down air brake test. Just another reason that the brakes should be pumped down and test daily.

If you have multiple switches connecting to the relay, it's possible one of them has failed. I'd start by turning the pump off and unplugging all the switches, then check the status. If the pump doesn't turn back on by itself, plug the switches in one by one till you isolate which is the problem (if any). Good to eliminate this as a cause before moving forward.

Chocks should be 1/4 the height of the tire to be most effective. But that's not the important part of your question, from what I see. The bigger question is why your parking brake is not holding. Not sure what you mean about air in the tank for the e-brake. Most modern air brake systems set the parking brake by removing the air - the air in the tank is what keeps the brakes in the 'off' position. If your tank is empty, the parking brakes should be applied. Of course, if your parking brake is not on an air system this does not apply. If your parking brakes are not holding the rear wheels from spinning, then they need attention. Likely the brakes are out of adjustment if they won't keep the vehicle from moving. Even air brakes with auto slack adjusters will need periodic maintenance. Auto adjusters can stick, and other problems can crop up which keep them from fully engaging.

Getting the reservation is only part of the deal - knowing if there is anything open when you get there is another. Here at home most restaurants are open for dine-in service. We went an hour away north of Madison WI and found that many restaurants there were take-out only. Varies greatly from town to town. Travel in general seems to be safe if appropriate protocols are followed. Whether there is a purpose which makes the travel worthwhile is another question. In general, it seems to me that many people are somewhat skittish of being around others of unknown infection status, making for some very awkward interactions. Everyone is on edge to some degree. Not a deal breaker, but something to keep in mind. As a truck driver I have been to most states between MN and NY, and I have seen little to no affects from any protests. Again, common sense should keep you away from any problem areas. Watching the local news would probably help in this regard as well. When we travel, we mostly enjoy visiting little-known small towns. Their 'downtown' areas are generally cute and a great place to spend an afternoon. Unfortunately, covid-19 has meant that many of the places we'd normally visit are closed or have altered hours/business models. Many of the small-town festivals are cancelled, as are the small-town art fairs and craft fairs. However, if seeing the country without crowds is your thing, then this is the year to hit the road.

Different coach, but our camera has sound and it's useless. We use our cell phones with headsets if we need to communicate while parking. We also have a hard rule - if I can't see my spotter in my mirrors or in my direct view the coach stops moving. I never use the camera as the only way I can see my spotter - just too easy to suddenly lose sight that way.

The stuff from soundproofcow is commonly seen in bus conversions and high-end coaches. I've never seen the rigid board from HD used in anything other than DIY conversions or homebuilt rigs. Given the prices for shipping from down under, the stuff from soundproofcow is looking cheaper and cheaper.

I don't know what others are trying to say, but what I'm trying to say is that if someone wants to order the molded FMCA plates they should contact FMCA membership, NOT Kiley since they are no longer the supplier. Not trying to start an argument, just don't want to send people to the wrong place for them.

True - but they no longer have the FMCA contract.

Find a Maker Space (or a neighborhood tinkerer) with a 3D printer and make your own. Pretty basic stuff to do that way. At the time FMCA switched from Kiley to the new supplier, I was told by membership that it was still possible to order the molded plates. Not sure if it is still true today, but it's worth a call.

Unless things have changed back again, I believe that FMCA no longer uses Kiley for the plates.

I used the variety with the self-adhesive on the back. It won't hold it permanently, but it does hold things long enough for installation of fasteners. To hold things long term, mine has two types of fasteners. On the side walls there are large fender washers screwed to the walls - no enough to flatten the material, just tight enough to compress it slightly. On the ceiling of the bay, there is a piece of expanded aluminum sheet metal which is held on with the fender washers/screws. This is the same type of stuff you see used on the bottom of old screen doors. The concept here is to prevent any possibility of it sagging on the horizontal surface. I also think that the material itself also adds some additional sound insulation since it's an irregular surface.