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Family RVing Magazine

Tech & Travel Tips: September 2015

September 1, 2015

Inverter Addition

 
Sometimes we dry camp, and typically the campground generator hours are 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. My wife sleeps with a CPAP machine to treat sleep apnea, so I installed a 375-watt inverter to supply power from the coach batteries.
 
I split an existing 110-v0lt-AC receptacle in half by breaking the plug’s tabs, which isolated the input and output power on the plug. I painted the upper part of the plug red and labeled it “CPAP.” I placed the inverter in a closet, opposite the output plug. I installed a 12-volt-DC socket inside the closet. An extension cord was shortened and wired to the back side of the upper part of the red plug. This extension plugs in to the output side of the inverter; the 12-volt-DC socket supplies power from the coach batteries to the inverter. In the closet, the inverter is safe and any minor noise is muffled when the door is closed. 
 
While the red portion of the plug is for CPAP use, the white portion still supplies 110 volts AC on shore power or generator power.
 
Ralph Fullenwider, F248513
Duncan, Oklahoma
 
Editor’s note: Inverters generate heat and should be placed in a ventilated compartment; read and comply with inverter installation instructions. Also, be sure to use the proper-gauge wire and a fuse on the 12-volt-DC side.


 
Dog Lift
 
My elderly yellow Labrador retriever, Brody, could no longer climb the steps into my Type A motorhome, and he is too heavy for me to carry. I knew I couldn’t leave him behind, so I was determined to find a way. I tried a ramp, but the incline was too steep. A salesman at my local RV dealership suggested a human RV chair lift be converted to accommodate a dog. The lift was installed and the chair was removed. In its place, a platform with a small railing was bolted to the lift. After some initial coaxing and a few alterations to the platform, Brody now readily steps onto the platform and up he goes! The lift is a new lease on life for the dog and for me.  
 
John Herbst, F207525
Sun City Center, Florida
 
previous post
The Value Of Inverters
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Foretravel Realm for 2016

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