[Paul]

I know what the battery manufacturers say, but i don’t feel comfortable leaving my bus plugged in charging the House and Chassis batteries for long periods of time. I have a 110 VAC 20 amp plug on the side of my house that i turn on once a week or so, or before i take a trip. With everything off in the Bus, i have very little battery drain.

[Dick]

You’re right, Mike. I would just like to keep the fridge running. Letting 50 amp would cost me $2,600. Will probably do it.

[Jerry]

If all you want to do is run refrigerator I used to short extension cords ,to start plug one cord into fridge cord it runs down into bay now second cord plugs into first cord which now goes to outlet that fridge original plugged in.If you want just fridge supply power to cord in bay at union of the two extension cords an now fridge is only thing running.

[Jon]

Thanks, Paul, I’ll try that.

[Erik]

Not exactly a suitable topic for Emergencies, but as long as it is here I will offer a concern.

I do not know who did the conversion or where the bus is stored relative to where you live or work, but if a coach is remotely stored and if it must have power on 24/7 a risk assessment is necessary. Storing a coach that has been put to “sleep” has minimal risk, but if it is not put to sleep and needs power for whatever reason the first concern has to be about what happens in the event of a power disruption? I’m not talking about a storm related power outage in which it will return after a few hours, but a tripped breaker, a tripped GFCI, or some other permanent loss of power.

Inverters if not provided input power will eventually shut down, allowing the batteries to be depleted. Refrigerators with food in them when power is lost result in loss of food and some nasty odors.

I’m sure almost all the time the coach and power is OK, but there is a risk versus reward scenario here possible dangerous depending on conditions not described here.

[Tom]

Anyone wanting help or advice on a electrical system must give the year and converter of your bus or it is nothing but a WAG.

Later

bv

[Steve]

Keep in mind that plugging into a 15 amp plug, 20 amp plug or 30 amp plug are all 110 V circuits so saying you are plugging into 110 V does not give the full picture. While there is 220 V available with a 50 amp plug some coaches use only 2 110 V legs and never utilize 220 V anywhere in the coach.

[Bernie]

Looks like I need to educate myself on the electrical side of things. I have a 2006 Legendary that I plugged into me storage outlet using my dog bone. Before my last trip I left the Frogen 12v control panel on. When I went to leave my one inverter crashed, then the second one. I drove the bus for about an hour to let the alternator do its thing and they came back up. This time, I just shut everything down. I’m experimenting with the right procedure for storing about 60 days at a time.

sorry for the scant detail and initial incorrect placement of the initial post. Still learning, and not that bright to begin with!

[Steve]

Well its a start. Power reducers or adaptors for lower voltage are available for in the pinch moments not a storage solution.

Inverter mfg and wattage please.

Inverters crashed, what do you mean? After getting batteries back up how did they get back on line? The problems your having are from bad power and just wait a while the damage you’ll do to your bus will be much greater than what it costs to run 50 amp in.

A man spends half a million on a bus you own a Prevost threat it accordingly.

Later

bv

[Jon]

Installing 50 amp in the storage facility. Thanks for the input.

[Dick]

Unless a coach is stored within a few paces of my home there is no way in hell I would store it for 60 days without checking on it daily unless the entire coach was shut down.

I never store my coach without it being powered up, but that is because it is 15 paces from the house in a garage I am in almost daily. But the risk of a power outage while it is in a remote location is great enough I am not willing to risk the damage to a set of batteries, or the nasty smells from a refrigerator that has been closed up for 60 days without power.

[joel]

Sraffio where are you located? Is the coach in risk of freezing in the winter?

It sounds like you store in a rented facility, is that correct? If so, $2,600 to put in 50amp sounds like allot, but to most of us that’s a reasonable fee. In ten years on the PC Forum you might be the second or third Prevost owner who was in rented storage and could install 50amp at your own expense. Most of the time the rented storage doesn’t have a big enough service to the building to support a 50amp RV outlet or the landlord just doesn’t want to do it.

With a coach of that vintage, I presume you have AGM house batteries. Everytime they drop below about 12.2 volts the batteries are damaged and their life is likely shortened. If you fully discharge them, they have been abused and life shortened. Ask me how I know.

Glad to hear you’ve opted for a dedicated 50amp/240 RV shore power for your coach!

This is the shore power outlet I put in at my former race shop where the coach was kept. I’ll be installing a similar one at our new location when the coach pad gets built out.

https://www.jamestownadvanced.com/t/category/rv-power-outlets/access-door-lighted

Good luck with your coach and enjoy it!

---

1999 XLV X-6872,  liberty #440

[Loc]

My coach has now been sitting for 5 months (and has been stored for 16 years in this manner for up to 5 months at a stretch) on 110v, 15 amp.

My procedure is to set the inverter charging to max 5 amp each and turn on the gen auto start on case of power loss, water pump off. As far as I know, the gen has never had to come on. Whenever I visit, I check voltages and cycle the water pump, sometimes as long as a month goes bye.

Obviously, I am not in freezing temps, the refrigerator stays on and I have never tripped the 15 amp breaker except by accident in one case where an a/c unit was on when I plugged in.