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ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Your travel trailer is equipped with 2 electrical systems. The Bigfoot 12V house system and the
110V/120V Electrical System. They operate together to give you electrical power for many
different situations.
Bigfoot 12V House Electrical System
This system generally includes:
¾
All 12V interior lighting fixtures and outlets.
¾
Fresh water pump
¾
12V accessories
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Battery Disconnect
The 12V batteries will provide power for lighting and other living needs when 110V/120V AC is
not available. The house batteries are charged by the towing vehicle’s alternator or by the
converter when it is connected to a 100V/120V AC.
The 12V battery used must be an RV deep cycle battery. Although this appears the same as an
automotive-type battery, its design and capabilities are quite different. A deep cycle battery may
be fully discharged many times without serious damage providing it is properly recharged
immediately after use. For complete information on the use, care and maintenance of your
battery, consult the battery Manufacturer’s literature
.
NOTE: We are always learning. First, as
full-timers, we plan to change to two 6-volt batteries when our 12Vs need replacing. Every
source we have consulted has made this recommendation. Next, when we are not on “shore
power,” that is hooked up to the campground electrical grid, we are very conservative with
power. We have a “battery charge monitor” that was installed with our solar panel that tells us
our charge status. The heater blower is the biggest drain on the system, but refrigerator
humidity control (which we turned off), ceiling fans, lights and the water pump all drain the
system. We have learned to live with it.
110V/120V Electrical System
This system provides grounded 110V/120V AC electrical service for appliances such as air
conditioners, TV, microwave ovens, etc. Power sources are:
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The Generator, if equipped
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The Main Electrical Power Cord (“Shore Power
”) NOTE: After seeing damage from power
surge at RV parks, we purchased a surge device to protect our system. It was fried by a bad
connection a year after we began using it.
The RV is equipped with 25 feet of heavy-duty power cord, which is stored in an exterior
compartment. The connector and cord are moulded together to form a weatherproof cable
assembly and
should not be cut or altered in any way
.
To use, simply pull the cable from the storage compartment and plug in. To store, feed the cable
back in to the hatch and clip down the cover. [schematic diagram is here in manual]
¾
We installed an inverter, which connects directly to the battery. Mine is 1500 Watts, and I use
it to recharge the cell phones and other batteries and other low-power items, basically, those
that don’t have heat, like a convection oven or coffee-maker. It drains the battery, so we use it
on a very limited basis.
Summary of Contents for T2801
Page 2: ...BIGFOOT TRAILER MANUAL DRAFT 8 APRIL 3 2008 ...
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