Older AC unit size
 

I folks...Fisrt post for me,and I expect there will be more.
Am new owner of a very cool HiLo 19,1982.
Had it about a month now,and have pretty much discovered everything about it,with all systems now working.Not alot of work really..last owner did a good job.
First question is about the size(BTU's) of the air conditioner unit.
Any one know what size these things are?Looked everywhere for a tag,but nadda.No manual either,none online that I can find.
I expected,due to size of trailer,just 19',that it would be 5000btu are there abouts.
But in trying out generators,I suspect it is bigger.My boys won't use the thing during summer if the AC don't work,and I am not shopping for any more generators.Started with a 2000 Watt,no go.Borrowed a 2800 noisy old beast,and it rans it,but I need something quiet.
Anyone chime in on what size genny will power up the AC?
Actually,any genny advice would be appreciated!
THanx.

Welcome! I think you've answered your own question. Sounds like you need a 3000 W generator or something similar. Actually, you MIGHT get by with 2400 W, but I don't think you'll find anything like that.

So, unless you buy a new generator or can couple another 2000 W generator to the one you have, I think you're stuck with camping where there's shore power.

But really, why not camp at higher elevations where there's no need for AC? It's what we do.

- Jack

HiLo manual
 

Look in the library section for the model year closest to yours. The manuals are very "generic and don't change much from year to year. Welcome to the forum. We will answer any questions for you.

I think our 2009 25-foot Hi-Lo has a 13,500 BTU. You said your Hi-Lo is 19 feet; therefore, I think you are running a lot larger AC than 5,000. If that is the case and if you want to run other additional things at the same time, you would need a lot larger generator to handle those needs.

Dee Tillotson
Summerville, SC

Thanx for the quick replies guys.
Not that they neede to be...first snow last nite here!
I suspect that they used the same AC units for most,if not all,sizes of trailers.
Would make sense from a cost standpoint.
I have seen posts referring to a start-up diode,capacitor or some such.
Any details on that?
Going strictly by the numbers,a 2800 watt genny should fire up 13,500 btu's.
As for as I know,compressors of this age didn't draw more than that on start-up.Running nothing more than a couple lights at the same time,all off the batteries(yes,have doubled-up) so souldn't require more juice than that.
Am a tad confused about the need for an inverter type genny too,aside from the noise issue.
Am I right(tho I could investigate further) that everything going into the electrical system gets put thru an inverter on board?Sure looks like it....but what do I know?
New to all of this...first trailer;)

An "inverter type" generator puts out alternating current power similar to normal 110V house power. (It's actually square wave I think, but the difference is of no consequence.) Without the inverter, it would generate DC power that is similar to what your car's alternator puts out. In fact, my Honda generator has an output port that allows just that - 8 Amps of DC power that can be used to directly charge batteries.

The "noise" is mostly a function of how well the generator is muffled. It's not something the inverter function supplies.

There are items in your trailer that must have alternating current "house power" to run. The AC unit is one of these. In my trailer, the microwave is another. The lighting, water pump, motor that raises the top, and some other things that can be used when boondocking all take their power from the trailer battery, and if you disconnect it, those items may not work (even if you are connected to shore power). But, the battery can be charged while it is being "drained" in use, which is what the "converter" in the trailer does. The converter changes some of the shore power energy to DC voltage that can be used to charge the battery. Any "unconverted" electrical energy is available for those appliances that need it.

I hope I haven't confused you with this and if I've said anything wrong, there will be plenty of folks who will correct me. :)

And, I got my 2400 W figure by assuming the power cord to the AC is rated at 20 Amps. 20 x 120V = 2400 Watts. But, there is always a starting "surge" which could momentarily exceed that value, so you need something a bit bigger.

- Jack

Thanx Jack..
Explains why the connection and 'box' at the fuses didn't make alot of sense to me.I think some wiring needs sorting under there;)
One question tho....
With the trailer being supplied by shore power,does this mean the battery charger I bought for this is not required?That is,the converter is charging the batteries whenever it's plugged in to 120v ac? Remember,this is a 1982 model...tho I am told that not much changed over the years.The wiring(connection to batteries) is not obvious to me...but as I say...further investigation with a meter required.
Am confused also why the water pump and furnace would be on the same fuse...seems like 2 fairly high load items to be piggy-backed like that.
After clearing the furnace fan from mud nests,I was still blowing the fuse periodically...then realized it was going when the water pump was turned on.
I may not be quick,but I do figger it out eventually!
It's kinda funny...am very adept at most stuff,but when thrown into a whole new thing,like this trailer,it's odd how lost we can feel.Manual woulda been nice,but from the others I've seen,they aren;t alot of help whe it comes to the nitty gritty stuff.Need more of a service manual than an owners manual, really.

Mac, I can't tell you if the converter charges the battery on your trailer without a wiring diagram, but I suspect it does and there's an easy way to check:

1. With a voltmeter, read the battery voltage at the battery terminals with no power connected to the trailer and nothing in the trailer ON. If the battery is new and fully charged, the voltage should be about 12.6-12.7.
2. Plug in the shore power, and take another reading across the battery terminals. If it now reads higher (something in the 13.5-14.0V range), the converter is charging the battery and you don't really need a separate battery charger.

But, even if you don't need it, you can always use it.

If the motors in the water pump and furnace are anything like the ones in my trailer, they really aren't that much load on the battery. I base this opinion on the sound of my generator when it's connected and the water pump comes on and how little battery power each of these items seem to use overnight. Having said that, they are on separate 15 Amp circuit breakers in my trailer. And, if they both start together, there would be a momentary high draw.

With the age of your trailer, I suspect one or both of the motors has deteriorated to the point (worn bearings, etc.) that it needs more current just to run. You could probably find replacements that would pull less power and work better. And, do you know if the fuse you are replacing is the correct capacity?

I agree with you 100% about the wiring diagrams in the owner's manual. They're not great.

- Jack

Mac,
You can find manuals for the individual appliances, furnace, pump, fridge, etc. in the library. Or, you can look them up by going to the the manufacturer's websites and download the manuals for the particular models.

Just did the cord-on/cord-off voltage test.
Same voltage,13.1.
Put my charger on it....14.3.
So there's something missing there.
I also suspect the line from the truck is not getting to the battery either.
After a ong day's tow with the fridge on,battery level was way down.
Not a big deal,but possibly all connected.Inline fuse perhaps?Broken wire?
None of this is a big deal really.Plan on genny,and have a decent sized solar panel.Batteries are now doubled up too.
The only big deal is finding the right genny without spending large.Without AC,my boys won't use it.
Prissy little things they are!
Main objective is to spend a couple weeks next year in the far north where I worked for many years as a young'un...serious boondocking!Also a run into the far north of Quebec to find some long lost family.The distances are huge.
Will travel 1000 miles or more without any civilization to get to some of these places.In some spots we have to use ice roads and can only get there in winter....hence the smaller Hilo.Holds heat very well!But,gets dang hot too.
Thanx for the help
m

Mac, I bought a Champion 3500 watt 4000 peak generator, yeah it's louder than a Honda but a 1/4 of the price, I only use it at the race track to run the air during the day, nothing at night, I got mine from Cabelas, it was $353 shipped to my door

13.1 V sounds like a battery that is still holding a "surface charge" from a previous charging session. And, it sounds VERY close to the voltage that a converter would apply after it determined the battery was fully charged and had entered the "float" (maintenance) phase. You have to disconnect the charging source for several hours (overnight would be good) to allow the surface charge to dissipate. Then, check the voltage across the terminals, this gives you an accurate "resting state".

Our modern converters apply a reduced voltage as the battery becomes charged to prevent overcharging. Perhaps your converter has that feature.

A voltage of 14.1 from a standard battery charger is fairly standard too.

Now, the charging circuit from the tow vehicle is a whole different animal. It is VERY easy to blow that fuse in the tow vehicle (one way is to raise the top of the trailer with a weak battery and with the tow vehicle charging circuit supplying power). I always "pull the trailer plug" before raising the top. So, I'd check the fuse in the tow vehicle and if that is good, check the voltage at the 7-pin plug between the +12V and Gnd pins (with the engine running). This will tell you if charging current is getting that far or not.

Then, if the TV charging circuit is good, try the voltage test at the battery terminals again with the TV connected and the engine running. It should be higher than the "resting battery state".

These tests should narrow down any problem and help you find its location.

- Jack

Mac139 -- You said "After one day's tow with the fridge on, battery level was way down." Do you have a three-way refrigerator in this Hi-Lo? If so, did you switch the frig to DC and then plug in the trailer to the truck when you were ready to tow so that the truck can keep the trailer battery charged while enroute? If the wiring to the truck is in good shape, that trailer battery should not have been low.

Dee
Summerville, SC

I have all winter to find a deal on a genny,and really want a Honda type,58db or there abouts,if only for my own sanity.At least I now know what I be looking for.
Will do those tests if the rains let up.
ANd yes,is a 3-way fridge,was set to DC.....but was our first run,so childlike excitement may have precluded any accurate hook-up,readings,or other pertinent facts.
Thanx folks;)

A point of clarity.....
I did the battery tests way too quickly.
Youngest son has decided he hates the rest of us,and is living in the trailer,so shore power was connected.
Will unplug the little bugger now and test when home this evening.
I was getting surface reading yesterday.
It seems he has all kinds of stuff plugged in too...game console,TV,and anything else that supports life in a 14 yearold.So readings were skewed by that too I guess.Is time he was evicted anyways....been 3 days out there...I'd be tiring of PB+J by now'))

Mac139 -- ah! I remember the days when my son was that age and the hormones were raging, struggling for adulthood while being a child at the same time.

Dee
Summerville, SC

Dee.....
I have 4 boys,14-23.
This one is the loner of the bunch,as the youngest of the brood often are.
He has returned to the fold today,claiming the cold drove him in.
I think it's the roast in the oven.
;)
Anyways....have done some tracing,only to find that Ford,in all their glory,decided not to install the relay for the 12v DC charge line.
When asked why they do this,leave a great open gap in the fusebox...just to save $18?....I got indignation.
Am used to that(see above;))

I'm still there myself-except for the hormone part. Another option is that once HE moves back inside- YOU move out to the trailer. I find they make good little man caves. :) Don't worry- the boys are "by " it by `17. DAughters tend to stretch it out another ten years. ;)

All my lads have been late bloomers,so it will go on for while yet.
And I agree with the man-cave thing...Discovered that within the first week I had it.
Is parked down by the lake on the lane next door(vacant cottage area this time of year) and have escaped to it a few times myself.
My freinds think I'm nuts.
I don't challenge them on that opinion;)

SO...Newly installed relay($52 from Ford,$18 from NAPA;)...brings power to the trailer 12v pin.All trailer connector pins test good.
Yay!
Only now,brake controller is showing short or overload.Probly short,probly due to massive rains today.As said,all pins on 7-way truck end test good.
Am not hooked up to trailer,and wiring is pretty new and in good nick.Hoping this is just a result of rain,and may not do any damage....but water and wires don't mix so good.Rain and installation of relay,and fault a coincidence?
Hmmmm.