Thanks so much for the kind comment. Glad you found our video useful.

Thanks!

Yeah there are lots of videos to choose from on this topic. So glad our video helped. Happy camping!

Thank you so much for your kind message, it means a lot to hear that people appreciate the hard work we put into our videos. Have an amazing time with your new rig! There is a learning curve, as there is with anything new, but it's so fun and worth the effort. Enjoy!

Do you know why our house batteries aren't charging when we are hooked up to shore power? All new batteries, 1994 pace arrow.

Thanks for your insight ☺️ RVs are such a great way for traveling around the continent. They're your hotel, vehicle, and pit stop all in one!

The mother of a friend of a friend of mine passed away about a month ago. She lived out of state. When his dad died, he left a whole bunch of "toys" behind. So when his mother died, those toys passed to him. He spent two weeks selling off all the fancy stuff for practically nothing and listing the home. He just wanted to get it over with, so he sold everything hella cheap. One of the toys that she left behind was a 2001 Winnebago brave 30w. Once everything was settled, he loaded the rv up with a few keepsakes and drove it back home. A week later, he told my friend it made him feel sick every time he looked at it, and he just wanted it gone. As a joke, my friend said he'd give him $2500 for it. Dude said yes. My friend didn't have the cash, but I did. So now I have an rv, and I know nothing about rvs. Neither did the guy who sold it to me. This thing has so many switches and levers on the dash. I have no idea how any of it works. All figured out so far is how to start the thing, release the parking brake, and drive it. I can't even figure out how to turn on the radio because the radio has a switch to use either "aux" power or "main." When I switch it to main, it does nothing. When I switch it to aux, the rv starts playing one long continuous "beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-" tone, and it still doesn't come on. Like I said, I know nothing about rvs. I know the engine battery is good, but from this video I'm guessing there's a second battery cache for the coach that I have yet to locate. The engine battery has a 2023 sticker, so the guy obviously replaced that before he drove back home. But now I know there's probably a second set of batteries, which the aftermarket head unit is probably wired to.

We just started our journey and wouldn't turn back for anything! 🎉

Glad to hear it helped out!

Thanks!

Thanks! Hope it helps someone one day ☺️

Thanks! It was so confusing when we started out that we thought it would be helpful if we shared what we learned.

Thanks, after building out our entire lithium and solar system himself, Jay learned a lot about RV electrical systems and wanted to help save others time figuring things out, too.

Thanks! Hope it covered all your questions.

Thank you so very much this was by far the best advice and information video on generating for solar and in general . Understanding electricity. Ty

Thanks, hope you found it helpful and useful 😀

That's a good analogy as well, I like that.

Thanks, glad we could help!

Hope it helps!

Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts 😀

Always good to have some sort of surge protector. 👍

Hi, we aren't sure if that would work or not, sorry. What is a trolling motor?

Typically, being plugged into shore power means that everything is running off that. Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you. Don't worry though, you'll get the hang of things soon enough.

@@HomeARoam thanks very much for the info (that clears it up) and the encourage to go forth and enjoy:)

Hello! Yeah, running out of power is definitely a pain in the butt. We've been there, which is what prompted us to change our system to LiFePo4 batteries, too. Jay did the work himself and made a couple of videos about it too. He even shares a list of all the equipment needed. Since making the change we can boondock (almost) indefinitely. It is worth the money and effort, but you're right, not as easy as just switching out the battery. Maybe we'll see you around BC next summer! Happy camping!

If your rig is that old you'll probably have to upgrade you charger controller to a newer one that will charge lipo 4 batteries. Battlefborn batteries are xlnt and they can also provide the right charger controller for your rig. You'll probably need 200-300amp batteries. That will cost you probably $2,000 or less to upgrade. Another $1,000 or so to install 400-600w solar. So for about $3k you can be of grid indefinitely. You can save a lot of your handy, not that hard to do. I highly recommend it, it will change your adventure and save you money in the long run.

Hi there, you need a charge controller to hook up solar to your batteries. I recommend an MPPT charge controller as they're the most efficient. They cost a bit more, but it will be well worth the added output.

👍 That's a good way to think of it.

That sounds like the converter fan, and ours is loud too when it's running. Most of them are loud because they have a lot of heat to dissipate. You may be able to find a quieter replacement.

Hi there, yes unfortunately your AC 110v sockets will only work when you're plugged into "shore power" at a campground or if you're running a generator. The only way to get them to work otherwise is to install a large lithium battery bank and run an inverter. And even then you'll still need a way to charge the batteries using either a large solar array or with your generator. Typical lead acid batteries don't have enough power to run your AC sockets.

@@HomeARoam thanks! I'm still a bit stumped though. When I first bought my rv, I recall the outlets worked even without the generator on. Then a few days later, they stopped working .

Sounds like a converter issue, sorry to say. That's what converts your 110v AC shore power into 12v DC power that charges your battery. Check the breaker that powers your converter. If it's on, you'll need to do a bit more electrical diagnosis or try replacing it. Hope you're able to get it sorted!

Hmm.. I bought all my fuses in a "variety pack" on Amazon. That might be worth a try. Otherwise maybe a small auto/electronics shop with a knowledgeable employee might be able to pin it down.

@@HomeARoam I bought the variety pack but most if not all only contain micro, mini and standard sizes. I checked with a reputable sound/electronics place and they never saw the fuse before. go figure. Like all of us RV'ers, we're always investigating and fixing issues ourselves! happy rv'ing!

Yes, you're right. If have you a trailer plugged into shore power all the time, there's really no need for the battery. The converter supplies 12v power. But, if the power gets cut for any reason, that's when the battery takes over and continues to power those essential items until you're able to get shore power again. So I wouldn't recommend using a trailer with just the converter and no battery.

@@HomeARoam I actually just found out last night when my main breaker in the garage popped for the second time (I have a 30A camper on a 20A breaker(it's been fine 99% of the time)) that even when there's no shore power the battery still powers the lights. I thought once you unplug the shore power you had zero anything. No 12v lights, no 120v outlets, etc. the only other time I popped a breaker was this summer when I turned on the microwave while my AC was on high and there was nothing. No lights, no anything. But it was during the day so I might not have had the lights on. Can't remember tbh. But up till last night I was under the impression when there's no shore power there was no power at all. That's why I was confused about the battery.

12v system doesn't have enough current for long enough to power the 120 system

It sounds like maybe a breaker was popping and you were resetting it? If it's stuck now it's likely the breaker itself has broken and needs to be replaced. Hope that helps!

Hi there, so if your converter isn't working, you won't be able to charge your DC system or battery, which will affect your lighting, water pump, propane detectors, etc. It's pretty important that you get your battery charging again. However, your fridge and water heater should both work off 120v AC power, but you often need to use a different switch to switch it from propane to AC. You may want to check out our other video about replacing your converter: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/bsyXabZmtdfccWw.html or you may need to contact a repair person.

@@HomeARoam thank you. I'm a electrician. But never messed with a converter. My fridge is plugged in to a 120 volt plug. I plugged it in to a extension cord. Nothing. I will watch the video you left. Thanks again

That's a great question that we wish we knew the answer to. Definitely not a design with ergonomics in mind.

Hi there Audrey, have you tried our step-by-step RV furnace troubleshooting video at kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fdOPq8WH1aqzd6c.html ? We also have a printable quick reference PDF on our website at homearoam.com/how-to/rv-furnace-troubleshooting/ -- Please let us know if that helps. Usually no indication of power at all means a burnt fuse somewhere, or a problem with the thermostat.

@@HomeARoam Hi! Turns out one of the pins on the circuit board (rectangular block w/row of pins) was slightly bent and was enough to not turn on the furnace! I must have done that putting in the circuit board myself. I will look on your website for more info! Thank you for the timely reply

@@audreybarka5893 Wow! Glad you were able to find the cause and sounds like it should be a somewhat easy repair? Good luck with the repairs 😀

Hahah, yeah good old Chuck. You never know what you're going to get with KZfaq comments. 😁 Yes, we have two videos on our solar install: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/Z6yDhLNqrM6rYKs.html and kzfaq.info/get/bejne/n9aXiMSAzMvRZGQ.html -- Our solar has been amazing! The only thing I would say is always get more than you need. We have 400W which was great before we got Starlink. That plus our laptops can easily draw 300W+ which we only get with full sun. Keep in mind on a cloudy day you might only get 5-10% of your total capacity, if that. Thanks for dropping us a line!

Well, electricity behaves nothing like water really, but I think the different analogies can help people visualize. Everyone has their favorite one I'm sure!

​@HomeARoam electricity behaves EXACTLY like water. Where did your degree come from? Mines from the US coast guard school of engineering. Dont talk if you havent a clue.

The analogy seems to work. 😀💦