Let’s talk a little more about water pressure. I have found that most places I go to do not have enough pressure. So, what I do is fill my fresh water tank and use my water pump and the pressure is always perfect! Plus, you never have to worry about the pressure being to high or low anymore with all the things you mentioned in the video. If I’m at a place for a long period of time and my tank runs empty, then grab the hose and fill it back up. I have found this to be the best way for us.
Watt hours vs. Amp hours, yes, you are providing good information and I totally agree with the sentiment. After all, what you really want to know is how much power (Watts) you have, not how many electrons (Amps). Thanks for the video.
Jared. Wife and I gave up the RV hunt about a year ago. It was paralysis by analysis. We were both 70+ with no experience and were just overwhelmed . But about 4 months ago we were just randomly watching one of your videos and we said, “Why not, now?”. I will say this is inspired by the grandkids as well. So we are waiting on our ordered TT. I’ve ordered probably 40% of the stuff we need and it’s filling up the garage.Bought stuff on your list. There will be more. It would be great if you could do a video explaining the transition from the beginning RV (blue Camco) filter to the single larger filter and then double filter you showed in this video. Cost analysis, how long the filters last, pros of spending the extra $ etc. We’ve already have the beginners to start with. Anyways thanks for your experience. We have a short window still left but it’s not too late.
Congrats, use the wait time to read up on things, and make sure your dealer gives you a VERY thorough orientation, have them hook up the water with you, both city water and tank filling hook up the power, test EVERYTHING, the heat, the air conditioning, the stove, oven, microwave, the hot water, the fridge, the lights, the stabilizers, the waste dumping hose connection, the low point drain. Is there a fuse or breaker for the 12V system? Where is it? How do you reset it? Where are the batteries? Where is the low point drain? How do you operate the slides, the awning, the steps, the weight distributing hitch? Make sure they have a FEW HOURS dedicated to explaining this all to you. Before you leave the lot is the time to find out that the microwave doesn’t work when the hot water or electric fireplace is on (common issue people run into) or that there’s no power to the outlet in the bathroom, etc etc. I am active on a forum for our type of RV and we see questions by new owners every day that are very basic and should have been covered by the dealer. Come with a list of questions. I’ll say it again, do this before the last paper is signed and while you still have leverage over the dealership, while it is still in their interest that you are satisfied. Don’t let the excitement of your new toy blind your judgement and let them rush you. You’ll get off on the right foot and be set up for success. I hope this helped. Happy travels!
To add to Jeremy's comments... I took a video of my walk through so I would remember everything I was shown. So thankful that I did. I've been living full-time in my 5th wheel for a year now and these videos have helped me so much!
Another great video. Regarding the awning, we made a support with pvc pipe and fittings. Used two ratchet straps to anchor to stakes. Held up under 30-40 mph winds in Sturgis. Maybe sometime I’ll do a video on the contraption.
I’ve woken up more than a few times to a middle-of-the-night wind storm that sounded like it was going to rip our awning off the side of the camper. We have a pretty traditional style awning so our method is to swing the legs down to the ground and then ratchet strap to those large corkscrew anchors or, better yet, to the truck or a tree or something else solid.
I have the same awning as you. That awning is supposed to be self shedding. The arms will "buckle" on purpose to dump water. Pulling one side down works better, though. I always pull the back side down, so the excess water is going away from where people walk. Not only does it make it less likely to get soaked, but it means most of the mud is at the back of the campsite.
Yep, my understanding is that the whole shock absorber design was invented because people didn't know you had to tilt them, so they came up with the auto dumping design. Plus, most of the new awnings are so high off the ground that you need a step ladder to reach them to try and lower one side.
3:47 but wouldn't it be better to shed the water away from the entrance? Better to lower the rear end of the awning than the front imo, but this is still a great tip
My awning has a sensor that automatically rolls it in if it senses wind and has three settings for the wind, it’s great not having to worry about it and yes I have tested it to make sure it will retract. Don’t forget that just because all the hoses etc outside can handle the water pressure doesn’t mean the internal connections to the faucets can handle the pressure without leaking.
@@CozyQueenAdventures it’s called a Solera Smart Arm and has this sensor as one of its options that can be bought from Solera. I don’t think it would work with any other type of awning other Han the smart arm.
Great video! I like the Bottle Jack Buddy. It's a nifty 100% USA made bottle jack accessory (for like $60 bucks). Powder coated and goes right on your bottle jack piston and then hugs the axle. Probably the safest and easiest way to jack up an RV to change a tire quickly.
Pressure regulators - There is a lot of confusion among RV'ers with tankless water heaters. These new water heaters need to sense a flow rate to activate. Many people are having problems with using pressure regulators because they think it creates too low of pressure for the water heater to kick on. Many people stop using the regulators all together because they cannot get hot water with it installed. What these people are missing is that they need a high-flow pressure regulator. Lots of confusion between pressure and flow.
@@jimbeaver27 our tankless actually doesn't turn on at the kitchen sink with the standard (government mandated) flow regulator. Once the flow regulator is removed it activates the water heater. There are also problems with waterfall faucets used on higher end models, as they don't have enough flow either.
Jared I cannot begin to thank you enough. We decided a few months ago we wanted to take our kids on an adventure and start full time rving. Your videos have educated and inspired me, so thank you! See you on the road!
It would be SO COOL if the industry would talk watt hours...its not so much confusing IF you really get it...but the way they rate appliances and such, or battery/generators, its not consistent.
I enjoy your videos and learn lots. Hoping to expand how often and far we travel as we get closer to retirement. We have our longest trip (distance) planned for June. Normally we just go to one campground for 10-12 days. 1) No issues with Amp Hours over Watt Hours as we are on Shore Power nearly 100% of the time (Campground Power Outage!) 2) Awning. We always set our so that water can easily shed when we set it up. We even chose which way we want the water to go. One of these days we may get caught leaving our Awning out, as it is not easy to put In and Out, and we always have things below it (i.e. Toaster, Kettle ...) 3) We have only once had Water Hookup, but we do have a regulator. We almost always camp on Electricity Only camp sites. I know you are Full Time Campers. What percentage of your time do you spend on Full Hookups. Partial or Boondocking.
They make a wind sensor for awnings. Depending on the awning you have you may be able to add the sensor. I had to replace one of the arms to add the sensor but it's saved my awning more than once!
Watt hours is definitely the way to go. EV batteries are rated in kWh. I'm just starting in RVs and I've learned so much from your videos. Also spent a lot too! I noticed your water filter is laying in the bay. Any issues with it at that orientation vs standing upright and fixed? I built a 3 stage filter set up from similar components.
Until I learned the awnings were tilted for rain, I thought all the awnings were poorly made and all the tilted awnings in the campground were broken already. Then I learned!!!
If you have an "old fashioned" 6 gallon water heater in your Reflection, before turning on the water heater install a pressure meter anywhere in the cold water system (even attached to the low point drain for a short time for testing). Then turn on the hot water heater and monitor the pressure--I think you'll be shocked at high it increases due to the hot water expansion. Cracking open a hot water faucet for just a moment will drop the pressure back to the inlet pressure (which is controlled by the exterior pressure regulator). I installed a small expansion tank to alleviate the problem in the hopes of avoiding a water leak. (I've also replaced all the soft hose lines in my Reflection with Pex--except for the black tank lines.)
I’d like to see a campground with over 60 lbs water pressure? Most campgrounds atleast in Michigan are less than 40lbs. The awning tip was kinda strange also? Tip one end down so water runs off on this style awning doesn’t make sense with the gas piston struts? They release when the water weight overloads the pistons just like pulling down on a SUV back hatchback door?
I've often wondered if anyone ever developed a sensor that would automatically retract the awnings if the wind picked up and jostled the arms too much.
Thanks for the tips and recommendations. I have the regulator like you have, but will be getting one of the pressure dials to know what the pressure is at the source.
Here is a thought to consider- we love boondocking. I put my water filter in my RV after the tank and pump and city/Rv water selector as when I fill my tank I want chlorinated city water in my tank to prevent anything from growing. If you filter it in the line before it entered your RV of fills your tankfilling your tank then there is no chlorine to prevent things from growing in your tank and you could end up using less than totally clean and pure water. Any thoughts about this being another thing many RVers do wrong?
Jared, as usual, another fine video. Nice tip on your awning, we will adopt that for our rig. I do have to counter your idea for measuring everything in watts. Watts are a function of voltage and amperage, per Ohm's Law and Watt's Law (aka The Power Formula). The problem is that DVOMs don't measure in terms of wattage, they measure in volts, ohms, and amps. So if you are troubleshooting your system, trying to figure out if you have a parasitic draw issue or some such, you would have to know the wattage of every item in your rig. Bulbs, pumps, motors, TV's, inverter/chargers, the list goes on and on. Then you still have to do the math to figure out if you have a problem. However, if everything is still measured in terms of amps, the math for Ohm's Law is simple and universal. I struggle with the concept that people who use golf cart batteries don't know they are only 6-volt, and that you need 2 in order to make a 12-volt system work. I know Tesla owners will be up on arms over this, but since they are not in 12-volt systems, either, (at 350-375 VDC), wattage is easier for them since the voltage is so high. But we are talking RVs. The 12-volt side is easy math to do if you know your times tables.
How are you wiring the 2 6-volt batteries to make 12 volts? Is that series or parrellel? I've forgotten, one way yields 12 volts, the other allows more amps at 6 volts.
Another thing with amp hours is what an amp hour really is. Typically a lot of people believe a 115 amp hour battery will last 1 hour at 115 amps of draw or it will last 115 hours if only 1 amp is being drawn. However this is not so. The industry rates it like this: Its based on a 20 hour period. 115 divided by 20 will give you 5.75. So that means if you are drawing 5.75 amps, in 20 hours the battery will be dead. This being if you start at a full charge of 12.7 volts. Two 12 volt batteries wired parallel will double this equation.
The 6 volt battery rating are confusing. My 2 flooded 6 volts put out 220 amp hours. 110 amp hours usable since below 50% will lower the battery life and might shut down below 12 volts.
Hey great video. Awning. I take two yellow tent post tie down from Walmart has stake and yellow rope with adjuster. Put a 2 or 3 foot bundgy cord on it. Bend one of the hooks open more. When setting up awning. Simply slip the open end over the side support neck. Part that rolls up. Put the stake in the ground on an angle. Adjust the rod so it has some tension on the bundgy. Works amazing. Check out my rv playlist on RUclips. Bill’s Cool Projects. Feel free to do a video on this. Will save some awnings.
Just a heads up folks. Awning material has a really long lead time. Just had ours replaced. It was ordered beginning of February, material didn’t arrive until April 29. With those long lead times I’d error on the side of caution when leaving my awning out. And thanks for the link to the pressure regulator! Going to purchase one
Wow that’s nuts! I wonder if it’s supplier dependent? I just ordered two from an aftermarket supplier (still based in Elkhart Indiana where most rv manufacturers are) two weeks ago and I had them in 3 business days. Maybe because it wasn’t through the RV manufacturer?
I’m chicken, so I always just fill my water tank and run off the tank with the pump in the motorhome. I always have the same pressure. Thank you for the video.
Pressure in a campground can also fluctuate! I like the initial testing, though. That's a great idea. I have such a hard time "understanding" my pressure regulator (just like yours). There's a screw in there to adjust it, but... sometimes it has no effect, and I'm wondering, always, "the number went down, is that good? Should it go up, because I'm 'restricting' more?"
I agree with the Ah / Wh conversation, and the change will happen because of further electrification. If you make the change in your videos and posts, you will see the change in time. Perhaps a bit of work to update comments in older posts, but worth it in the long run. Awning lessons are hard to learn - it is annoying, but we just got used to closing them up (we have a rear door, so an additional awning there) even for a short hike, as wind comes up any time! The regulator issue is easily solved by boondocking. That said, this is one element that I find so many dealers are not prepared to facilitate.
Good tip on the awning. Over 12-years ago, when we first starting camping with a small 18-footer trailer, I forgot to bring in the awning at night and in the middle of the night a storm came through and the wind pushed it around and we woke up thinking a bear was pushing on the trailer! We never left it out after that! (And after rain, it's important to dry out your awning as soon as possible else mildew can grow in there.)
Another great video! Might want to mention that with awning arms like that you can retract the awning with the arm bent down on one side without try to push that arm straight.
I've always looked at the relation that Amp hours and Watt hours have in common with one other thing... The Metric vs Standard debate. One statement is true about both of them and that one of them are a lot easier to understand. 10.5mm is just that, 10.5mm. Now, if you convert it to standard we don't say .4134" well, I do because I'm a machinist but people would just say 13/32". Then we have weird fractions, when will you ever use 7/9ths? Fractions are idiotic when you think of it and metric is king.
Just would like to get your thoughts on anchoring the outer end away from the campers, awning to the ground are used to do it with my old style awning seem to work decent with a slight angle
Thank you for the information, I enjoy your posts. Is anyone looking for a full-time place to reside/park a nice RV? I am looking for one person/family to share private land in NW GA mountains and would like to speak with you.
Thanks for another great video. I watched it a few months ago, and during my last trip, we encountered a couple of rainy days. I pitched and slanted the awning as you demonstrated and it working perfectly. Thanks again. 😀
My awning won't work like yours...I pull one side down and it goes right back up. I miss the old style with a locking knob...far superior to this new system
Watts, volts, amps mean nothing to me. Yes, I’m ignorant. I have no idea what all this means. But am I correct that the only time I would need to know about the number of hours gobbledygook is if I am camping where there is no electric hookup?
No 1. thinking that ANY RV's are well built and not slapped together and sent out with flaws for the new owners to address through an horrendous warranty system!!
Hi Big Ben from 🇨🇦 , just watched video ,great info. Like awning topic ,question about water pressure, I know each trailers are different, what water pressure is ideal ?? 40-45 , cheap inline regulators set at 30psi ,also bought a Y with ball shut off . Good idea to shut off at water supply if connected to city connection, when leave camp site?🤔🐴 ,remember if anything fails when gone trailer full of water..😱 Something to think about. Also is there anything about how long does your 2500watt gen. vs 3500watt gen.take to charge back up on lead acid compared to lithium??🤔🐴🙂🤟🇨🇦👍
The awning arms are designed to spring down under rain weight to unload the sitting water. It is better to tilt the awning under constant rain so at least you know where the water is going. Would be funny to be standing in the wrong spot at the wrong time!
Any way you could walk us through your settings on the Multiplus 2? I have just installed the Multiplus 2 using your diagram. And I have 2 lion energy batteries. I am curious what your settings are set at? My set up seems to work pretty well but I’m having a little trouble with the shore power GCFI tripping g after about 10 minutes or so.
Thank you on the use of the awning arm adjust But i do have a question do you need to straighten that arm back out before you roll it back in or will it do that itself automaticly
It looks like you tilted the awning so that the water was draining right next to the steps to the entrance door. This makes for puddles and a mess inside the camper.
Coming from the old style awning that I could leave out in some wind, can these handle some wind if the outer edge is tied down (like with an awning sun shade)?
@@johnpalmer3848 mine like that shows the pressure on the output side of the regulator, not the set pressure. So right now, in the box, it is showing 0.
Power in a battery is volts (6, 12, etc.) and how many watts, and for how long the battery will last. It's REALLY easy not to "times things" or do long division, if you decide to compare everything in ONE voltage. For ease and convenience let's go with 12V. A 12V setup will deliver 1/10 the power of a 120V setup of similar wattage. A 6V setup will deliver 1/2 the power of a 12V setup of similar wattage. A 24V setup will deliver 2x the power of a 12V setup of similar wattage. Batteries connected in series (plus to minus, next plus to minus) - ADD the voltages. 2x6V=12V, etc. Batteries connected in parallel (plus to plus, minus to minus) - Add the wattage. 2x235W batteries in parallel=470W, You can either do that, or always express the energy as you suggest, in WH or KWH, but then you're ALWAYS doing the math, on the battery side AND on the load side. Save yourself the "effort" and settle on a standard voltage. Then you can just compare amps. 12V works for 12V systems. 24V works great for 24V systems. If you have an inverter to go to 120V then it's 1/10th the amps of 12V or 1/5 the amps of 24V. If you use an inverter, downconverter, MPPT, or transformer realize you will lose between 8-15% of the power, which will come out as heat. If the device (inverter, transformer, etc.) is INSIDE the RV you will lose an additional 10-20% because your cooling system will need to evac that hot air outside. I'm in Arizona. In an Alaskan or Michigan winter that might be considered "free heating." When siizing your cables, size them for amps. If they are not big enough (gauge wise) and you don't want to rewire, see about switching to a size up in Voltage. So if you have a 12V system and too many amps are running through your wire... switch it to a 24V system and your amps will go down 50% (and so will heat loss in cables)... but devices that don't work on 24V will need something to convert 24V-->12V. I've avoided adding "AC" or "DC" because it's all DC except for what comes out of the inverter (AC) and what some specific appliances need (microwave, residential fridge or freezer - AC). No need to bother with all that jargon and math for two appliances. Strings of batteries -- you put some number of batteries in series to get a higher voltage. That's a string of batteries. It's easy to wire, effective to use, until one fails. What you can do is have multiple strings of the same voltage, and wire them in parallel. That way you get the total voltage of one series, but double the amps (and wattage and KWH) of one string. That and a good BMS that alerts you is reliable, redundant, and easy to maintain. Before I hit that "submit" button... remember you need more Volts than a battery (or string) to charge it. So your typical car alternator floats at around 14-15V to charge a 12V battery. Your typical solar setup needs to generate a bit more than 24V to charge a 24V string of batteries, and same for 48V. If you anticipate traveling where 100% sunlight AND cool temps aren't a full-time thing, downsize your battery voltage and let your MPPT controller have an easier time charging 24V strings from 48V cells. Batteries derate in heat. Transformers derate in heat. Solar cells derate in heat. Circuit breakers derate in heat. What that means is if you need a certain number of watts every hour... ensure your system can provide that PLUS the amount it will lose to functioning in heat. See comment above "but if you put them inside you'll have to cool them." That can be a 15%-20% loss and most electricians suggest using the 20% number for safety. I hope that helps people understand how to (not) work the numbers:)
AGM/Sealed Wet batteries, you get 50% MAXIMUM rated AH useable to prevent sulfating and damage to the cells. So a 235AH 6V is actually 117 AH maximum Usable Ahs. You shouldnt go Below say 12.15V. And that Colored Meter in an RV is worthless. Digital Volt Gauage are a must to actually see if batteries are charged up properly.
You have your awning bent toward the front where the door and the entrance is. That means the water is going to shed and you're going to be walking through mud or getting dumped on if you're trying to get into the rig. You should have the opposite so it sheds toward the back of the rig where you never go. I learned my lesson the very first time right after I bought the thing it was raining like crazy and I noticed it was holding a lot of water so I figured out the bend the frame trick toward the back of the rig and gallons of water came dumping down almost on top of me. Also everybody's buying these fancy schmancy pressure regulators you could just get a cheaper one without a gauge because most places don't have that higher pressure. Never had a problem with hoses bursting.
Thank you for this video, especially the part about awnings and rain. I am relatively new to using a 5th Wheel, and the other evening, I was sitting inside enjoying some southern coastal summer rain in the Oregon forest with my awning fully extended, and boom, there was a thunderous sound. I thought it was thunder, but then, looking out, I saw the awning sag toward one side and then dumped a large amount of water onto the ground. I thought that somehow the awning couldn't drain the water due to some blockage and I had damaged the retracting arm. Still, I was able to reset it only to have it happen a week later again with another unusual summer downpour, which is why I searched for and found your video with your excellent advice about retracting it to a minimum when rain is in the forecast. Thanks to your viewers who shared information about the self-shedding quick-release dump feature. Many thanks, and from now on, I will retract more and release before it releases on its own, which seems to stress the hardware more than it should .
I have a 24V truck, should I have 24V solar and a 24V inverter? I am guessing there'd be less loss that way. I do have a 24-12 drop down for lights and things that need 12V, just talking about an inverter to get to 100V
got a 10kwh system and when asked to translate in amp hours so I did the reasonable thing and said I have about 200 Ah @ 48, they were adamant that it's basically useless for the stuff I'm trying to power. Well I believe it's useless to even try at this point. I simply started claiming I have 800Ah to make it easier.
One thing I didn’t realize is that when your rv batteries are low, don’t push the button to roll the awning in. I did and didn’t clue in that even though it took about 3 minutes to roll in u burned out the awning motor. Now it will cost Over $800 to replace that tiny motor. Lesson learned…. Hook up to a running truck before bringing in awning on low battery days! Love you videos. Always insightful!
Just had my Renator regulator go bad after 2 years and maybe 60 nights of camping. Disappointing. Bought the same one as the reviews on other brands on Amazon weren’t as good. Hoping I just got a bad product. Also the Renator regulator directions say to place the unit directly on the faucet. I’ve always used a 45 degree angle piece to help keep the regulator off the ground on facets that close to the ground.
Great video! Just curious though, why did you lower the awning near the door? Wouldn't it have been better to lower it toward the back so you wouldn't be collecting too much water on the ground right near your door?
Can you do a quick tip on HOW to set the Water Pressure Regulator? If it's not set PRIOR to hooking up to the rig, then damage can happen... so do you just run the water on the ground until you set it? Have not seen ONE channel address it...
Let’s talk a little more about water pressure. I have found that most places I go to do not have enough pressure. So, what I do is fill my fresh water tank and use my water pump and the pressure is always perfect! Plus, you never have to worry about the pressure being to high or low anymore with all the things you mentioned in the video. If I’m at a place for a long period of time and my tank runs empty, then grab the hose and fill it back up. I have found this to be the best way for us.
Watt hours vs. Amp hours, yes, you are providing good information and I totally agree with the sentiment. After all, what you really want to know is how much power (Watts) you have, not how many electrons (Amps). Thanks for the video.
Jared.
Wife and I gave up the RV hunt about a year ago. It was paralysis by analysis. We were both 70+ with no experience and were just overwhelmed . But about 4 months ago we were just randomly watching one of your videos and we said, “Why not, now?”. I will say this is inspired by the grandkids as well. So we are waiting on our ordered TT. I’ve ordered probably 40% of the stuff we need and it’s filling up the garage.Bought stuff on your list. There will be more. It would be great if you could do a video explaining the transition from the beginning RV (blue Camco) filter to the single larger filter and then double filter you showed in this video. Cost analysis, how long the filters last, pros of spending the extra $ etc. We’ve already have the beginners to start with. Anyways thanks for your experience. We have a short window still left but it’s not too late.
Congrats, use the wait time to read up on things, and make sure your dealer gives you a VERY thorough orientation, have them hook up the water with you, both city water and tank filling hook up the power, test EVERYTHING, the heat, the air conditioning, the stove, oven, microwave, the hot water, the fridge, the lights, the stabilizers, the waste dumping hose connection, the low point drain. Is there a fuse or breaker for the 12V system? Where is it? How do you reset it? Where are the batteries? Where is the low point drain? How do you operate the slides, the awning, the steps, the weight distributing hitch? Make sure they have a FEW HOURS dedicated to explaining this all to you. Before you leave the lot is the time to find out that the microwave doesn’t work when the hot water or electric fireplace is on (common issue people run into) or that there’s no power to the outlet in the bathroom, etc etc. I am active on a forum for our type of RV and we see questions by new owners every day that are very basic and should have been covered by the dealer. Come with a list of questions. I’ll say it again, do this before the last paper is signed and while you still have leverage over the dealership, while it is still in their interest that you are satisfied. Don’t let the excitement of your new toy blind your judgement and let them rush you. You’ll get off on the right foot and be set up for success. I hope this helped. Happy travels!
To add to Jeremy's comments... I took a video of my walk through so I would remember everything I was shown. So thankful that I did. I've been living full-time in my 5th wheel for a year now and these videos have helped me so much!
Another great video. Regarding the awning, we made a support with pvc pipe and fittings. Used two ratchet straps to anchor to stakes. Held up under 30-40 mph winds in Sturgis.
Maybe sometime I’ll do a video on the contraption.
I’ve woken up more than a few times to a middle-of-the-night wind storm that sounded like it was going to rip our awning off the side of the camper. We have a pretty traditional style awning so our method is to swing the legs down to the ground and then ratchet strap to those large corkscrew anchors or, better yet, to the truck or a tree or something else solid.
I am a seasonal camper, have my awning tied down with straps and a pair of spiral stakes. Has worked well for the past 3 years
Such a simple, great idea...the pressure-test gauge used before hooking to the water-system.
Thanks
Fantastic information and I totally agree with the battery amp hour standard.
About the awning....OR you could follow manufactures warning ☺(at least on my class A's awning) and "do NOT leaving awning out during rain"
I have the same awning as you. That awning is supposed to be self shedding. The arms will "buckle" on purpose to dump water. Pulling one side down works better, though. I always pull the back side down, so the excess water is going away from where people walk. Not only does it make it less likely to get soaked, but it means most of the mud is at the back of the campsite.
Bingo...
Came here to say this… both this’s actually.
I’ll cut slack on the direction he tilted it since the rear of the awning was up against a tree
Yep, my understanding is that the whole shock absorber design was invented because people didn't know you had to tilt them, so they came up with the auto dumping design. Plus, most of the new awnings are so high off the ground that you need a step ladder to reach them to try and lower one side.
One note about awnings. Be watchful of snow load since snow doesn’t shed no matter how much you lower one end
Don't forget to straighten out any slant you have put in the awning back to normal BEFORE YOU PULL IT BACK IN!
Thanks on the watt-hours!! My science geekiness was going off on that. So simple. Apple to apples
We like to lower our awning on the side away from the entrance. So puddles don’t form and so I don’t wack my head on the lowered bars.
3:47 but wouldn't it be better to shed the water away from the entrance? Better to lower the rear end of the awning than the front imo, but this is still a great tip
My awning has a sensor that automatically rolls it in if it senses wind and has three settings for the wind, it’s great not having to worry about it and yes I have tested it to make sure it will retract. Don’t forget that just because all the hoses etc outside can handle the water pressure doesn’t mean the internal connections to the faucets can handle the pressure without leaking.
Which is precisely why he's using a pressure regulator...
Where did you get the sensor for the awning?
@@CozyQueenAdventures it’s called a Solera Smart Arm and has this sensor as one of its options that can be bought from Solera. I don’t think it would work with any other type of awning other Han the smart arm.
Thank you @ Bud Lamy. We will check it out. We want to change our awning arms eventually. Having that sensor would be great!
Great video! I like the Bottle Jack Buddy. It's a nifty 100% USA made bottle jack accessory (for like $60 bucks). Powder coated and goes right on your bottle jack piston and then hugs the axle. Probably the safest and easiest way to jack up an RV to change a tire quickly.
Pressure regulators - There is a lot of confusion among RV'ers with tankless water heaters. These new water heaters need to sense a flow rate to activate. Many people are having problems with using pressure regulators because they think it creates too low of pressure for the water heater to kick on. Many people stop using the regulators all together because they cannot get hot water with it installed. What these people are missing is that they need a high-flow pressure regulator. Lots of confusion between pressure and flow.
geez it would have to be just a trickle of water to keep the water heater from working
@@jimbeaver27 our tankless actually doesn't turn on at the kitchen sink with the standard (government mandated) flow regulator. Once the flow regulator is removed it activates the water heater. There are also problems with waterfall faucets used on higher end models, as they don't have enough flow either.
Nice to see another Botkin out there !
What do you recommend for very low flow water from the source?
@@janetwisecarver7804 tank with pump?
Jared I cannot begin to thank you enough. We decided a few months ago we wanted to take our kids on an adventure and start full time rving. Your videos have educated and inspired me, so thank you! See you on the road!
I've got a restrictor that drops water pressure to 20lbs. I've got a gauge installed after the restrictor to make sure that's true.
I like the water pressure gauge. Good to know what is going into the water pressure regulator and upstream stuff.
It would be SO COOL if the industry would talk watt hours...its not so much confusing IF you really get it...but the way they rate appliances and such, or battery/generators, its not consistent.
I enjoy your videos and learn lots. Hoping to expand how often and far we travel as we get closer to retirement.
We have our longest trip (distance) planned for June. Normally we just go to one campground for 10-12 days.
1) No issues with Amp Hours over Watt Hours as we are on Shore Power nearly 100% of the time (Campground Power Outage!)
2) Awning. We always set our so that water can easily shed when we set it up. We even chose which way we want the water to go.
One of these days we may get caught leaving our Awning out, as it is not easy to put In and Out, and we always have things below it (i.e. Toaster, Kettle ...)
3) We have only once had Water Hookup, but we do have a regulator. We almost always camp on Electricity Only camp sites.
I know you are Full Time Campers. What percentage of your time do you spend on Full Hookups. Partial or Boondocking.
They make a wind sensor for awnings. Depending on the awning you have you may be able to add the sensor. I had to replace one of the arms to add the sensor but it's saved my awning more than once!
Watt hours is definitely the way to go. EV batteries are rated in kWh. I'm just starting in RVs and I've learned so much from your videos. Also spent a lot too! I noticed your water filter is laying in the bay. Any issues with it at that orientation vs standing upright and fixed? I built a 3 stage filter set up from similar components.
Love your videos. Keep up the good work brother!
Until I learned the awnings were tilted for rain, I thought all the awnings were poorly made and all the tilted awnings in the campground were broken already. Then I learned!!!
Ours won't stay down. What do we need to do that? Tighten it up?
Another tip...tilt the awning away from the door!!.😂😂😂
Great and informative video.
Great info!
If you have an "old fashioned" 6 gallon water heater in your Reflection, before turning on the water heater install a pressure meter anywhere in the cold water system (even attached to the low point drain for a short time for testing). Then turn on the hot water heater and monitor the pressure--I think you'll be shocked at high it increases due to the hot water expansion. Cracking open a hot water faucet for just a moment will drop the pressure back to the inlet pressure (which is controlled by the exterior pressure regulator). I installed a small expansion tank to alleviate the problem in the hopes of avoiding a water leak. (I've also replaced all the soft hose lines in my Reflection with Pex--except for the black tank lines.)
Beautiful park!
Id saying buying an RV is the first thing we get wrong.
I’d like to see a campground with over 60 lbs water pressure? Most campgrounds atleast in Michigan are less than 40lbs. The awning tip was kinda strange also? Tip one end down so water runs off on this style awning doesn’t make sense with the gas piston struts? They release when the water weight overloads the pistons just like pulling down on a SUV back hatchback door?
Love the video.
Great tips Jared
I've often wondered if anyone ever developed a sensor that would automatically retract the awnings if the wind picked up and jostled the arms too much.
They are available from Amazon. I have them on my Solera covers. Easy to wire in.
Project farm channel test hose great video
Thanks for the tips and recommendations. I have the regulator like you have, but will be getting one of the pressure dials to know what the pressure is at the source.
Here is a thought to consider- we love boondocking. I put my water filter in my RV after the tank and pump and city/Rv water selector as when I fill my tank I want chlorinated city water in my tank to prevent anything from growing. If you filter it in the line before it entered your RV of fills your tankfilling your tank then there is no chlorine to prevent things from growing in your tank and you could end up using less than totally clean and pure water. Any thoughts about this being another thing many RVers do wrong?
Jared, as usual, another fine video. Nice tip on your awning, we will adopt that for our rig. I do have to counter your idea for measuring everything in watts. Watts are a function of voltage and amperage, per Ohm's Law and Watt's Law (aka The Power Formula). The problem is that DVOMs don't measure in terms of wattage, they measure in volts, ohms, and amps. So if you are troubleshooting your system, trying to figure out if you have a parasitic draw issue or some such, you would have to know the wattage of every item in your rig. Bulbs, pumps, motors, TV's, inverter/chargers, the list goes on and on. Then you still have to do the math to figure out if you have a problem. However, if everything is still measured in terms of amps, the math for Ohm's Law is simple and universal. I struggle with the concept that people who use golf cart batteries don't know they are only 6-volt, and that you need 2 in order to make a 12-volt system work. I know Tesla owners will be up on arms over this, but since they are not in 12-volt systems, either, (at 350-375 VDC), wattage is easier for them since the voltage is so high. But we are talking RVs. The 12-volt side is easy math to do if you know your times tables.
Virtually all RVs will have some minimal parasitic draw from the CO/ smoke detector.
How are you wiring the 2 6-volt batteries to make 12 volts? Is that series or parrellel? I've forgotten, one way yields 12 volts, the other allows more amps at 6 volts.
@@Tsch6373 hi! It's a series connection to make 12 volts.
Another thing with amp hours is what an amp hour really is. Typically a lot of people believe a 115 amp hour battery will last 1 hour at 115 amps of draw or it will last 115 hours if only 1 amp is being drawn. However this is not so. The industry rates it like this: Its based on a 20 hour period. 115 divided by 20 will give you 5.75. So that means if you are drawing 5.75 amps, in 20 hours the battery will be dead. This being if you start at a full charge of 12.7 volts. Two 12 volt batteries wired parallel will double this equation.
Why would you slant the awning towards the door? Camp Shower???
He said they couldn't slant that side because of that tree (in an answer to another commenter).
I completely agree with you on Watt Hours, please make this the new standard.
Seems it would be a better idea to tilt the awning on the side opposite the door.
Yes we usually do but the arm would have hit the tree if we brought that side down.
Stopping by to say that you're pretty much the best at this. Great video.
Thanks Jason, you’re too kind.
Shouldn't you use RV hose?
Great video, thank you !!!
Also Project farm on youtube did a water hose test and did burst test the hoses including the zero g :)
The 6 volt battery rating are confusing. My 2 flooded 6 volts put out 220 amp hours. 110 amp hours usable since below 50% will lower the battery life and might shut down below 12 volts.
Thanks for getting rid of that annoying background music while you explain things. Loved the video!
Hey great video. Awning. I take two yellow tent post tie down from Walmart has stake and yellow rope with adjuster. Put a 2 or 3 foot bundgy cord on it. Bend one of the hooks open more. When setting up awning. Simply slip the open end over the side support neck. Part that rolls up. Put the stake in the ground on an angle. Adjust the rod so it has some tension on the bundgy. Works amazing. Check out my rv playlist on RUclips. Bill’s Cool Projects. Feel free to do a video on this. Will save some awnings.
Jared, Thank you for your videos. I just bought a new 5th wheel and your section on the canopy will help. Keep up the great work.
Just a heads up folks. Awning material has a really long lead time. Just had ours replaced. It was ordered beginning of February, material didn’t arrive until April 29. With those long lead times I’d error on the side of caution when leaving my awning out.
And thanks for the link to the pressure regulator! Going to purchase one
Wow that’s nuts! I wonder if it’s supplier dependent? I just ordered two from an aftermarket supplier (still based in Elkhart Indiana where most rv manufacturers are) two weeks ago and I had them in 3 business days. Maybe because it wasn’t through the RV manufacturer?
I’m chicken, so I always just fill my water tank and run off the tank with the pump in the motorhome. I always have the same pressure. Thank you for the video.
What is the purpose of the struts on the awning
Great job🎹🎤🎸🙂👍
Pressure in a campground can also fluctuate! I like the initial testing, though. That's a great idea. I have such a hard time "understanding" my pressure regulator (just like yours). There's a screw in there to adjust it, but... sometimes it has no effect, and I'm wondering, always, "the number went down, is that good? Should it go up, because I'm 'restricting' more?"
Thank you so much for the explanations. I can't tell you how often I get all the electrical stuff confused.
Hi, thanks much! Where is the information on your recommended water regulator?
Thank you so much for the awning instruction.....we finally got the tilt!!!!!!!!
I agree with the Ah / Wh conversation, and the change will happen because of further electrification. If you make the change in your videos and posts, you will see the change in time. Perhaps a bit of work to update comments in older posts, but worth it in the long run.
Awning lessons are hard to learn - it is annoying, but we just got used to closing them up (we have a rear door, so an additional awning there) even for a short hike, as wind comes up any time!
The regulator issue is easily solved by boondocking. That said, this is one element that I find so many dealers are not prepared to facilitate.
Good tip on the awning. Over 12-years ago, when we first starting camping with a small 18-footer trailer, I forgot to bring in the awning at night and in the middle of the night a storm came through and the wind pushed it around and we woke up thinking a bear was pushing on the trailer! We never left it out after that! (And after rain, it's important to dry out your awning as soon as possible else mildew can grow in there.)
Great
Another great video! Might want to mention that with awning arms like that you can retract the awning with the arm bent down on one side without try to push that arm straight.
I've always looked at the relation that Amp hours and Watt hours have in common with one other thing... The Metric vs Standard debate. One statement is true about both of them and that one of them are a lot easier to understand. 10.5mm is just that, 10.5mm. Now, if you convert it to standard we don't say .4134" well, I do because I'm a machinist but people would just say 13/32". Then we have weird fractions, when will you ever use 7/9ths? Fractions are idiotic when you think of it and metric is king.
I always tilt my awing if rain is expected or not. However I usually y pull down the end nearer to the e rear .
Just would like to get your thoughts on anchoring the outer end away from the campers, awning to the ground are used to do it with my old style awning seem to work decent with a slight angle
Looks like maybe bend the other way so all tha water don't run on you
Thank you for the information, I enjoy your posts. Is anyone looking for a full-time place to reside/park a nice RV? I am looking for one person/family to share private land in NW GA mountains and would like to speak with you.
Thanks for another great video. I watched it a few months ago, and during my last trip, we encountered a couple of rainy days. I pitched and slanted the awning as you demonstrated and it working perfectly. Thanks again. 😀
What awning do you have? I like it and need to change mine.
My awning won't work like yours...I pull one side down and it goes right back up. I miss the old style with a locking knob...far superior to this new system
Watts, volts, amps mean nothing to me. Yes, I’m ignorant. I have no idea what all this means. But am I correct that the only time I would need to know about the number of hours gobbledygook is if I am camping where there is no electric hookup?
So which has more usable energy,2x6v 235 ah lead vs 1x 12v 100ah lion?and what is the usable wh or ah difference ?
Here's a MAJOR mistake: NOT CHECKING TIRE PRESSURE!!!!
Is the pressure regulator adjustable? If do, what pressure do you recommend it be set to? Thanks
When storing camper for a few weeks should both battery terminals be disconnected or just taking off negative terminal.
No 1. thinking that ANY RV's are well built and not slapped together and sent out with flaws for the new owners to address through an horrendous warranty system!!
Thanks for all your videos...I m a newbie and have learned so much from you!!
Hi Big Ben from 🇨🇦 , just watched video ,great info. Like awning topic ,question about water pressure, I know each trailers are different, what water pressure is ideal ?? 40-45 , cheap inline regulators set at 30psi ,also bought a Y with ball shut off . Good idea to shut off at water supply if connected to city connection, when leave camp site?🤔🐴 ,remember if anything fails when gone trailer full of water..😱 Something to think about. Also is there anything about how long does your 2500watt gen. vs 3500watt gen.take to charge back up on lead acid compared to lithium??🤔🐴🙂🤟🇨🇦👍
Not to mention that lead acid batteries can only be discharged to 50% of their capacity.
True.
The awning arms are designed to spring down under rain weight to unload the sitting water. It is better to tilt the awning under constant rain so at least you know where the water is going. Would be funny to be standing in the wrong spot at the wrong time!
We bring our awning in whenever we leave the campsite and at night. Wind gusts can pop up when you’re gone an
@@philipgerry5228 yup. And with all the supply chain issues and price increases , replacement parts are harder to come by!
Any way you could walk us through your settings on the Multiplus 2? I have just installed the Multiplus 2 using your diagram. And I have 2 lion energy batteries. I am curious what your settings are set at? My set up seems to work pretty well but I’m having a little trouble with the shore power GCFI tripping g after about 10 minutes or so.
I have awning covers on my slide outs. I have noticed the one seems to be sagging a bit and collects water. Is there a way to tighten the canopy?
Thank you on the use of the awning arm adjust But i do have a question do you need to straighten that arm back out before you roll it back in or will it do that itself automaticly
Is your gauge broken on your regulator? I've had two of those kind so far and the gauge seems to keep getting stuck.
It looks like you tilted the awning so that the water was draining right next to the steps to the entrance door. This makes for puddles and a mess inside the camper.
Coming from the old style awning that I could leave out in some wind, can these handle some wind if the outer edge is tied down (like with an awning sun shade)?
Is your pressure regulator damaged? Looked like it was showing 40psi in your hand? How reliable is it when the gauge isn't reliable?
That gauge isn't indicating the supply water pressure. It's an adjustable regulator and it's indicating the pressure it's set to. See 7:43
@@johnpalmer3848 mine like that shows the pressure on the output side of the regulator, not the set pressure. So right now, in the box, it is showing 0.
ProjectFarm did a test of all the best hoses. The Zero G and the Flexzilla I believe both didn’t burst until about 650psi
Power in a battery is volts (6, 12, etc.) and how many watts, and for how long the battery will last.
It's REALLY easy not to "times things" or do long division, if you decide to compare everything in ONE voltage. For ease and convenience let's go with 12V.
A 12V setup will deliver 1/10 the power of a 120V setup of similar wattage.
A 6V setup will deliver 1/2 the power of a 12V setup of similar wattage.
A 24V setup will deliver 2x the power of a 12V setup of similar wattage.
Batteries connected in series (plus to minus, next plus to minus) - ADD the voltages. 2x6V=12V, etc.
Batteries connected in parallel (plus to plus, minus to minus) - Add the wattage. 2x235W batteries in parallel=470W,
You can either do that, or always express the energy as you suggest, in WH or KWH, but then you're ALWAYS doing the math, on the battery side AND on the load side. Save yourself the "effort" and settle on a standard voltage. Then you can just compare amps. 12V works for 12V systems. 24V works great for 24V systems. If you have an inverter to go to 120V then it's 1/10th the amps of 12V or 1/5 the amps of 24V.
If you use an inverter, downconverter, MPPT, or transformer realize you will lose between 8-15% of the power, which will come out as heat. If the device (inverter, transformer, etc.) is INSIDE the RV you will lose an additional 10-20% because your cooling system will need to evac that hot air outside. I'm in Arizona. In an Alaskan or Michigan winter that might be considered "free heating."
When siizing your cables, size them for amps. If they are not big enough (gauge wise) and you don't want to rewire, see about switching to a size up in Voltage. So if you have a 12V system and too many amps are running through your wire... switch it to a 24V system and your amps will go down 50% (and so will heat loss in cables)... but devices that don't work on 24V will need something to convert 24V-->12V.
I've avoided adding "AC" or "DC" because it's all DC except for what comes out of the inverter (AC) and what some specific appliances need (microwave, residential fridge or freezer - AC). No need to bother with all that jargon and math for two appliances.
Strings of batteries -- you put some number of batteries in series to get a higher voltage. That's a string of batteries. It's easy to wire, effective to use, until one fails. What you can do is have multiple strings of the same voltage, and wire them in parallel. That way you get the total voltage of one series, but double the amps (and wattage and KWH) of one string. That and a good BMS that alerts you is reliable, redundant, and easy to maintain.
Before I hit that "submit" button... remember you need more Volts than a battery (or string) to charge it. So your typical car alternator floats at around 14-15V to charge a 12V battery. Your typical solar setup needs to generate a bit more than 24V to charge a 24V string of batteries, and same for 48V. If you anticipate traveling where 100% sunlight AND cool temps aren't a full-time thing, downsize your battery voltage and let your MPPT controller have an easier time charging 24V strings from 48V cells.
Batteries derate in heat.
Transformers derate in heat.
Solar cells derate in heat.
Circuit breakers derate in heat.
What that means is if you need a certain number of watts every hour... ensure your system can provide that PLUS the amount it will lose to functioning in heat. See comment above "but if you put them inside you'll have to cool them." That can be a 15%-20% loss and most electricians suggest using the 20% number for safety.
I hope that helps people understand how to (not) work the numbers:)
AGM/Sealed Wet batteries, you get 50% MAXIMUM rated AH useable to prevent sulfating and damage to the cells.
So a 235AH 6V is actually 117 AH maximum Usable Ahs.
You shouldnt go Below say 12.15V. And that Colored Meter in an RV is worthless. Digital Volt Gauage are a must to actually see if batteries are charged up properly.
Whst PSI do you recommend on the regulator? I set mine around 55 psi. Thanks..
I have this same question. Would love to know.
Ditto
You should refer to the documentation that came with your RV. My Coachmen trailer documentation recommended 40 psi.
You have your awning bent toward the front where the door and the entrance is. That means the water is going to shed and you're going to be walking through mud or getting dumped on if you're trying to get into the rig. You should have the opposite so it sheds toward the back of the rig where you never go. I learned my lesson the very first time right after I bought the thing it was raining like crazy and I noticed it was holding a lot of water so I figured out the bend the frame trick toward the back of the rig and gallons of water came dumping down almost on top of me. Also everybody's buying these fancy schmancy pressure regulators you could just get a cheaper one without a gauge because most places don't have that higher pressure. Never had a problem with hoses bursting.
Are you and your wife into swapping? We would love to experience each other's camper while it's cleaned and reorganized... 😅😅🤣🤣🤣🤣
Thank you for this video, especially the part about awnings and rain. I am relatively new to using a 5th Wheel, and the other evening, I was sitting inside enjoying some southern coastal summer rain in the Oregon forest with my awning fully extended, and boom, there was a thunderous sound. I thought it was thunder, but then, looking out, I saw the awning sag toward one side and then dumped a large amount of water onto the ground. I thought that somehow the awning couldn't drain the water due to some blockage and I had damaged the retracting arm. Still, I was able to reset it only to have it happen a week later again with another unusual summer downpour, which is why I searched for and found your video with your excellent advice about retracting it to a minimum when rain is in the forecast. Thanks to your viewers who shared information about the self-shedding quick-release dump feature. Many thanks, and from now on, I will retract more and release before it releases on its own, which seems to stress the hardware more than it should .
How often do you need to replace a water pressure regulator? Or do you even have to.
I have a 24V truck, should I have 24V solar and a 24V inverter? I am guessing there'd be less loss that way. I do have a 24-12 drop down for lights and things that need 12V, just talking about an inverter to get to 100V
got a 10kwh system and when asked to translate in amp hours so I did the reasonable thing and said I have about 200 Ah @ 48, they were adamant that it's basically useless for the stuff I'm trying to power.
Well I believe it's useless to even try at this point. I simply started claiming I have 800Ah to make it easier.
One thing I didn’t realize is that when your rv batteries are low, don’t push the button to roll the awning in. I did and didn’t clue in that even though it took about 3 minutes to roll in u burned out the awning motor. Now it will cost Over $800 to replace that tiny motor. Lesson learned…. Hook up to a running truck before bringing in awning on low battery days! Love you videos. Always insightful!
Just had my Renator regulator go bad after 2 years and maybe 60 nights of camping. Disappointing. Bought the same one as the reviews on other brands on Amazon weren’t as good. Hoping I just got a bad product. Also the Renator regulator directions say to place the unit directly on the faucet. I’ve always used a 45 degree angle piece to help keep the regulator off the ground on facets that close to the ground.
Great video! Just curious though, why did you lower the awning near the door? Wouldn't it have been better to lower it toward the back so you wouldn't be collecting too much water on the ground right near your door?
He said that they normally do, but couldn't because of that tree. (I saw his answer to another commenter's question below.)
Can you do a quick tip on HOW to set the Water Pressure Regulator? If it's not set PRIOR to hooking up to the rig, then damage can happen... so do you just run the water on the ground until you set it? Have not seen ONE channel address it...