Recent content by SoCal Tom

  1. SoCal Tom

    Propane or DC air conditioner for hard shell rooftop tent?

    1000btu/hour of cooling requires about 300watt/hours of power . A 100 amp hour battery has about 1250 watt hours. So if you completely drain the battery you get about 4 hours of cooling, but lead acid batteries shouldn’t be run below 50% power. So really you get 2 hours of run time for every...
  2. SoCal Tom

    Upgrade recommendations for Tear Drop & TV

    It’s been another 5 years, so another update. The galley has been pretty stable for a while. Camp chef oven twists out and the Waeco CF 35 pulls out. The water cans now sit on the fenders. The PS can has a gravity drain that primes the pump, the DS can uses a dip tube once the pump is primed...
  3. SoCal Tom

    Trailer Hot Water Shower Box

    I used this thread as inspiration, I used an old military box I was given years ago.
  4. SoCal Tom

    Budget 2000w Generators?

    The HF predator has gotten a lot of positive reviews. It appears to be a rebadged wen.
  5. SoCal Tom

    Is a transfer switch needed if I don't have a generator on my camper?

    I don’t have a transfer switch, just an electric plug. If I want gen power I plug into a generator, if I want city power I plug in there. You only need a transfer switch if you have a generator hard wired.
  6. SoCal Tom

    Upgrading Alternator to charge house batteries faster

    You also have to look carefully at the upgraded alternators. Often they produce less power at idle than stock.
  7. SoCal Tom

    12v plug & socket

    I’ve been using one similar to that for about 20 years. It’s rewired at least two cars and done hundreds of misc jobs.
  8. SoCal Tom

    Best Battery (Generator) for Fridge (Dometic CFX50)

    Search amazon tor solar generator. Lots of options on there. If you find a few you like post them for opinions.
  9. SoCal Tom

    Combining Somewhat Dissimilar [12v] Panels in Parallel

    Fwiw I run 2 different 50w panels. I run them in parallel with a PWM controller. Works fine. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  10. SoCal Tom

    Filling Cooler Walls with Spray Foam

    Another thing to keep in mind is that even Yeti requires the cooler be filled with about 50% ice to stay for more than a couple of days. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  11. SoCal Tom

    School me on towing a small trailer off-highway?

    The only thing I will add is, as much as possible turn to the Drivers side. It’s easier to see the trailer out your window.
  12. SoCal Tom

    Questions about trailer solar systems and charging off the tow vehicle, and shore power

    FWIW, I’ve monitored charging with a 7 pin connection to my tear drop. As stated above the charge rate is low, it seems to be enough to replenish what my fridge uses, but not enough to recharge the battery from a low level. iIRC last trip I took about 500 watt hours out of the battery, on the 3...
  13. SoCal Tom

    Small/light off road trailers.

    George, I tend to agree, the home built off-road trailers are generally over built. It is important that the frame is well constructed and capable of carrying the required weight and then some for the reasons stated above. Where home builders go wrong IMO is that they continue to add weight...
  14. SoCal Tom

    1989 Bronco

    A former co-worker recently lost her husband and she is selling his Bronco. https://offerup.com/item/detail/475057739/?ref=MyOffersSelling
  15. SoCal Tom

    DIY 12v Low Voltage Cutoff with battery monitor

    For 15$ you can get a 20A solar charge controller and wire it up to do the same thing. https://smile.amazon.com/Controller-soled-Battery-Intelligent-Regulator/dp/B06ZY6ZPWQ/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1520276248&sr=8-9&keywords=20a+solar+charge+controller+12v
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