Electrical Design: Opinions Wanted!

[H-Balm]

Ok, here we go...
my head is about to explode!


I have spent the last 2 weeks reading forum post after forum post, link after link, resource after resource. Of the best electric sites out there I have probably read them all five times each. This is tricky business!

So, perhaps I can make some headway, using your experiences and opinions. I feel as if I have been in the apprentice shop of so many of you, as I have seen dozens of you posts.

Here we go:

Right now I have ZERO electric setup.
This is the proverbial BLANK SLATE.
We are wide open to ideas, as we have committed no funding or modifications yet.
So help me do this the best way!

Visions

-cost is not really a severe issue (I am spreading out theses expenses... plus my wife doesn't see many posts like this one!)
-having a tongue box with a battery
-running LED lighting throughout via DC
-running a fantastic fan 4000r via DC
-AC usage... computer/ toaster oven (that's about it)
-have the ability to plug in to AC when possible
-have the ability to use the AC devices using battery
(this is the tricky part for me, as I want to be able to plug in when no hookup at site is available)


Needs/Questions

A)Battery: Deep Cycle, right?

B)Converter/charger: This would allow me to have AC breakers and DC fuses in the same panel area. Also could charge battery. Right?

C)Converter/Charge II: This does not allow me to use AC devices off the battery alone?

D)If C is true.... I would need an inverter as well?


Before I go on.... I'll let that soak in, and HOPE you kind people weigh in and give my swirling brain a life preserver!

[Cdash]

I'll do my best here to tide you over until someone with some first hand knowlege steps in. I haven't built a tear yet (still researching) but do have a camper and understand the electrical system. Answers below
[quote="Needs/Questions
A)Battery: Deep Cycle, right?

B)Converter/charger: This would allow me to have AC breakers and DC fuses in the same panel area. Also could charge battery. Right?

C)Converter/Charge II: This does not allow me to use AC devices off the battery alone?

D)If C is true.... I would need an inverter as well?
[/quote]
A - Yes - deep cycle battery
B - a converters purpose really is to reduce the 120v shore power to 12v DC power, but most have a battery charging feature to them as well. I read yesterday about someone using a sealed battery charger - 5 amp capacity. Sounds like a neat idea. Anything camper related is going to be minimum 30amp, which would be overkill in a tear.
C - Correct - you need an inverter to get 120V out of a battery
D- Yes, you'd need an inverter - you could get a 400 watt one like you would use in a car(just guessing at that size based off what you mentioned) at just about any store, hook it to the battery and be all set. Opps - just re-read - your toaster oven will require a BIG inverter and will be a batter killer - may want to revist that desire when shore power isn't availabe.

For what it is worth - I was curious yesterday and found that a Northern Breeze fan (like a fantastic fan) draws 51 watts or 4 amps on high, 15 watts or 1.2 amps on low. Led light draw would be way under an amp. Regular light fixtures from a camper draw nearly 1.5amps per bulb in comparision. That little 5 amp power source would be about right, but maybe a tad underpowered.

As far as the phone charger pluged into AC when shore power is not available - I think you may be better off wiring in a 12v power point to the battery and using a car adapter for phone charging. That way you aren't converting the 12v battery to 120v for the plug only to have the plug convert it back down to something like 5 volts for the phone.

[H-Balm]

Thanks. Good points.

Phone charger for car..... duh!

Yeah Toaster oven may be just for luxury camping after all!

[RonS]

You can also find 12V power adapters for laptop computers. Like this one. Again, why waste power converting from 12VDC to 120VAC and back to 15-24VDC when you can just do a DC to DC step up? Yes, you can probably get an inverter a little cheaper, but if battery life is important, the extra couple $ could be worth it.

[H-Balm]

Good continuing to get to more places....
I didn't know about those adapters.

[Shadow Catcher]

Think outside the RV box.
LED lights, good thing use little power you can adapt conventional RV fixtures to use LED lights, computer case fans in place of power-hungry RV fan, (our two three speed Antec computer case fans on high at more than 100 ft.³ per minute each use less than one half amp). avoid using an inverter unless you have something that requires AC and have it on a switch so that you can turn it off otherwise it is a vampire load even when not used.