Get Control of Your RV Electrical Systems

The Latest News from Camping World by Mark J. Polk
I have always been an advocate for monitoring the AC line voltage coming into your RV. Campground electricity can fluctuate a great deal. If you don't know what the voltage is coming into your RV, you risk damaging thousands of dollars' worth of electrical appliances and electronic equipment. I have always recommended that RVers use some type of portable digital meter to measure AC line voltage, frequency and test polarity. You should test the AC voltage at the campground to make sure it is in an acceptable range before using any appliances or electronic equipment, and you should monitor the voltage throughout your stay at the campground. Likewise, if you are using a generator you should monitor the AC frequency output of the generator. Frequency is the number of times that electricity alternates per second. Appliances in the U.S. are designed to operate at 60 cycles per second, or 60 hertz. Most people assume that when you start the generator everything will work just fine. But what happens if it is not adjusted properly? When you use your generator, the governor in the generator must hold the speed constant at, or close to, 60 hertz from no load on the generator to a full load. Depending on the load placed on the generator, AC voltage can range from 105 to 130 volts and the frequency can range from 58 to 63 hertz. If the generator is not operating properly, less than 58 hertz or more than 63 hertz, you can damage electronic equipment and appliances in your RV. These portable monitoring devices work okay, but many of them don't warn you if there are problems with the voltage or frequency, and depending on where you plug the meter in, it can be difficult to monitor your RV electrical systems. What about the DC voltage in your RV? How are you supposed to monitor the condition and voltage output of your battery(s)? You can check the battery condition at the monitor panel, but really, how accurate is that? I want to actually see what the battery voltage is at any given time. I want to know if something was accidentally left turned on in the RV when I'm getting ready to put it in storage. I want to know when it's time to charge the battery(s), or if they are overcharging. I want to be warned if a high or low voltage or frequency problem exists, and I want to know this on the AC and DC side of the electrical systems. Is this asking for too much? Not anymore! I recently discovered an AC/DC Monitor System at Camping World that does everything I want, and more! With the AC/DC Monitor System you can constantly monitor your RV electrical system's status, on an easy-to-read, backlit display. The monitor can display four different readings simultaneously and it has user-selectable minimum/maximum alarms. It shows the DC voltage for two batteries, positive terminal DC current, true AC voltage and AC frequency. If you purchase the optional AC current sensor it will monitor AC current too. On top of all of this it displays the room temperature and time, and it uses less than 6 milliamps (mA) when the backlight is turned off, so it won't run your battery(s) down. Installing the AC/DC monitor is not that difficult. Before you start drilling holes in the wall, you need to select a suitable location where it will be easy to monitor the display; and where cabling can be routed through a wall or cabinet to the battery, shunt and AC transformer locations. The monitor comes with a cutout template, the screws to mount the display, and easy to follow installation instructions. If you don't feel comfortable installing the monitor yourself, you can have any Camping World SuperCenter install it for you. Voltage below 105 volts or above 130 volts can damage electronic equipment and some RV appliances. I mentioned earlier that campground electricity varies depending on the demand placed on it. If everybody at the campground is running their air conditioners, the voltage can easily drop below an acceptable level. With the AC/DC Monitor System you will be warned when a condition like this exists, saving yourself the untimely and costly repairs to your RV appliances and electronic equipment. There are numerous electronic devices and equipment in your RV that can drain the coach battery(s) when you're not using the RV. Some examples are the TV antenna booster, the propane gas leak detector, clocks in radios, or accidentally leaving a 12-volt light on. Now when you're getting ready to leave your RV, or put the RV in storage, you can glance at the AC/DC monitor display and you'll know if something was left turned on. Monitoring the AC/DC electrical systems of your RV has never been easier. Just think: no more dead batteries because of under- or over-charging, or leaving something on. No more wondering about the voltage that's coming into your RV, or the frequency range of the generator. No more risking damage to your electrical appliances and electronic equipment. Finally, you control the destiny of your RV electrical system rather than it controlling you. Happy Camping!Mark J. Polk Mark Polk is the owner of RV Education 101. He also hosts the RV Savvy segments for RVTV, which airs on the Outdoor Channel. RV Education 101 is a North Carolina-based company that produces professional training videos, DVDs and e-books on how to use and maintain your RV so all of your RV experiences are safe, fun and stress-free.Mark's videos and DVDs are now available at any Camping World Supercenters and at CampingWorld.com.