Would you purchase an "All Appliances Electric RV?

markopolo · 02-19-2009, 04:54 PM

Would you purchase an "All Appliances Electric RV with no propane?

(I'm not talking about the motor.)

pete · 08-12-2009, 09:58 PM

This is an interesting thought. Before I settled on a Class B I was looking at class A GMC motorhomes and some of them were all electric. Being a Class A the generator was larger and would run the stove, water heater and other appliances and you could get away from the generator running easier in a Class A. This would be quite helpful as there are a few tunnels with propane restrictions around me. I was thinking that I could hang a propane bottle on it to run a furnace in the winter but keep it all electric in the other seasons. I do not think this would be practical in a Class B so I am answering NO to the poll but I would consider it in a larger coach.
Pete

israndy · 01-21-2012, 05:38 PM

Odd, actually my current class b is mostly electric, electric demand water heater, electric fridge, and there is a diesel heat booster on board. I do run the generator on propane but they make diesel generators. But the propane furnace is awfully convenient. So I would probably say no, not for the Sprinter based RVs. I was looking originally at the Vixen RVs, those have motor assist water heat and the same heat booster to heat the home and the water when the engine isn't running, and a heavy duty inverter to run the microwave. I guess am not opposed to no propane. Of course the stove in the Vixen is driven by alcohol, that's not gonna be easy to support...

-Randy

AZ ADVenturist · 01-21-2012, 06:52 PM

Looks like a pretty old survey, but I wasn't on here then - So, I'll Vote YES to all elect. in a class 'B', anyway. Because I don't like propane, I've seen & heard of fires caused either by leaks &/or impact. I actually saw & rode past (on motorcycle) a small class C ablaze at the top of Monarch Pass in Colorado. Had to be a propane fire as it was burning the coach & not engine compart.
Also know 1st hand of a LARGE semi-based 'A' completely destroyed by a propane fire last summer while on the road.
So I vote for & use all elect. in our RoadTrek 190V with generator, 3 12v house batteries & of course 30 amp service when we do plug in. Ric.

Mike · 01-30-2012, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZ ADVenturist

Looks like a pretty old survey, but I wasn't on here then - So, I'll Vote YES to all elect. in a class 'B', anyway. Because I don't like propane, I've seen & heard of fires caused either by leaks &/or impact. I actually saw & rode past (on motorcycle) a small class C ablaze at the top of Monarch Pass in Colorado. Had to be a propane fire as it was burning the coach & not engine compart.
Also know 1st hand of a LARGE semi-based 'A' completely destroyed by a propane fire last summer while on the road.
So I vote for & use all elect. in our RoadTrek 190V with generator, 3 12v house batteries & of course 30 amp service when we do plug in. Ric.

Be careful in gas stations and refueling centres. You'd be amazed at how many RV-ers drive with some active pilot or open flame, or with the igniters fully charged and ready, while they refuel, either accidentally or consciously. It's absolutely insane, IMO.
I always look at the pump islands before I pull up to a vacant one If there's an RV at another one already, I wait until they finish and move on.

markopolo · 10-21-2012, 02:54 PM

Just bumping this up to try to get more votes in the poll.
Looks like 62% would NOT buy and all appliances electric RV and 38% WOULD so far. (mid October 2012)

The Roadtrek RS E-Trek is the first all electric appliance small RV I think. Are perceptions changing? Is the technology there?

Vote if you haven't already.

g1g · 10-23-2012, 02:09 AM

I was thinking if I should go all electric if I bought a new one, It would need a genny though. From what I understand the electric frige can go for days on 1 battery. so if there was a bank of 2-4 batteries things would hold out good. it wouldn't be anything to run the genny for water so the only thing would be heat. to run the genny at night would cost about $10 at today's prices. still cheaper than a campground. From what I understand the blower motor on a propane furnace will kill a battery overnight.

wabbit · 10-23-2012, 03:01 AM

The technology isn't there yet, or at least not optimized. I'm not sure that the tech will be ready until there is the big breakthrough in battery tech that everyone from cell phone mfrs to motorhome users have been waiting for. I love it that people are pushing the envelope a bit, but right now it is more economical to have propane for at least heat and stove. One can dream though...

booster · 10-23-2012, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wabbit

The technology isn't there yet, or at least not optimized. I'm not sure that the tech will be ready until there is the big breakthrough in battery tech that everyone from cell phone mfrs to motorhome users have been waiting for. I love it that people are pushing the envelope a bit, but right now it is more economical to have propane for at least heat and stove. One can dream though...

I agree that the parts just aren't there yet. My guess, though, is that the breakthrough will come in the form of a better power generation source, like a fuel cell, but bigger and able to run on common fuel that is the same as the van. At that point, you don't need much for batteries.

Mike · 10-24-2012, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by g1g

I was thinking if I should go all electric if I bought a new one, It would need a genny though. From what I understand the electric frige can go for days on 1 battery. so if there was a bank of 2-4 batteries things would hold out good. it wouldn't be anything to run the genny for water so the only thing would be heat. to run the genny at night would cost about $10 at today's prices. still cheaper than a campground. From what I understand the blower motor on a propane furnace will kill a battery overnight.

it has been my experience that the fridge (Dometic 3-way evaporative) left on DC (if that's what you mean?), will suck 2 AGMs dry pretty fast. i've had the furnace run overnight pretty steadily (in 10F-15F temps) and had no battery power problems. as always, ymmv.

Ron J. Moore · 10-25-2012, 04:58 AM

I can't see me with the all electric, puts a real kink into boondocking. I like the LP Gas, combo 12/AC that we currently enjoy. Safe travels, Ron.

Mike · 10-25-2012, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron J. Moore

I can't see me with the all electric, puts a real kink into boondocking. I like the LP Gas, combo 12/AC that we currently enjoy. Safe travels, Ron.

Just wish my generator was quieter. If it failed completely, I could probably get a newer, quieter model.
I agree about the boondocking. A couple hundred watts of solar isn't going to cut it, on an extended off grid camping adventure. Need gas and propane.

g1g · 10-26-2012, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike

Quote:

Originally Posted by g1g

I was thinking if I should go all electric if I bought a new one, It would need a genny though. From what I understand the electric frige can go for days on 1 battery. so if there was a bank of 2-4 batteries things would hold out good. it wouldn't be anything to run the genny for water so the only thing would be heat. to run the genny at night would cost about $10 at today's prices. still cheaper than a campground. From what I understand the blower motor on a propane furnace will kill a battery overnight.

it has been my experience that the fridge (Dometic 3-way evaporative) left on DC (if that's what you mean?), will suck 2 AGMs dry pretty fast. i've had the furnace run overnight pretty steadily (in 10F-15F temps) and had no battery power problems. as always, ymmv.

I have no personal experiance but from a number of post that I read some 2 way ac/dc or maybe just dc are the ones that can go for a few days on one battery. It was never stated what the state of charge is after a few days though and my guess is about dead. The post were refering to a fridge that had a compresser not absorption. Like I said I just read it on some post on other forums. I couldn't say it is 100% true but they all had the same story. if anyone knows for sure if this is true I'd like to know.

Mike · 10-26-2012, 01:38 AM

Sorry, thought you were referring to a 3-way running on DC.
I have also heard some compressor models use a lot less battery.

booster · 10-26-2012, 03:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike

Sorry, thought you were referring to a 3-way running on DC.
I have also heard some compressor models use a lot less battery.

We have a compressor frig in our 07 C190P Roadtrek. It uses between 14 and 45 amp hours per day, depending on the weather. We have about 360 amp hours of battery (usable), so we can go quite a while without power.

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