Electrical items found inside the RV
Charge/Discharge/Capacity Tests + Build Quality In this video, I first perform a max discharge amperage test on the Xantrex 240Ah lithium battery. Then, I recharge it fully and do a capacity test using a 600-watt sustained load. Once depleted, I pop off the cover and give you a look inside at the build quality and … Read more
Part one of my in-depth review of the Bluetti AC300 portable power station and its B300 battery. I’m breaking my review into several videos to keep the videos relatively short. In this video, I introduce the AC300 + B300 and review its main features, specs, and what is included regarding hookup cables. I discuss all … Read more
I picked up a demo of an inexpensive clamp-on amp meter with Bluetooth capabilities for monitoring our new boat’s electrical systems. It’s a model BT7200APP BTMeter that I bought off Amazon. In this video, I give you a demo of it in action, monitoring our boat’s alternator amperage output. It should also help troubleshoot problems … Read more
I continue my electrical upgrades to our 1976 CHB trawler by installing an all-in-one AC surge protector, power monitor, and soft starter device from Active Controls. The ActiveStart device gets installed directly in line with our incoming 30 amp shore power connection. It can help reduce inrush current up to 50% when high amperage loads like … Read more
In this video, I upgrade my boat’s old 30 amp twist lock shore power plug and outlet to a safer type called a Smart Plug. I am happy with the product quality and the peace of mind it will bring when hooked up to marina shore power. The installation was straightforward, taking about 1/2 hour … Read more
In this video, I look at an upcoming product from Aolithium. The Aolithum Power Kit is an inverter/charger box that can hook up to 8 Aolithium 12V batteries. It can charge those batteries via solar or shore power. Power outputs include a 2000W pure sine wave inverter, 8 amp 12VDC power socket, and USB outlets. … Read more
In this video, I install a 16 amp ActiveStart soft starter module into my Furrion Chill 14.5K BTU RV air conditioner. A soft starter reduces and smooths the heavy in-rush current that developers when the AC compressor first starts up. This enables you to run the AC using less powerful/smaller inverters and gas generators. I … Read more
In this video, I demo and give my take on a new battery monitor series KH-F from Junctek. My main interest in the latest version is the low-temperature protection functionality. A big plus for people using lithium batteries in the cold. So a good portion of the video is testing that specific feature. Other welcome … Read more
I’m reviewing an interesting lithium battery from a company called Lvgoo. Unlike many 128V 100 amp hours, this one (model LV12V130) is 130 amp hours. The construction is also a little different, using a metal case and stepped-down terminals. In this video, I tested its charging and discharging performance, then took it apart to look … Read more
The Tornado 30000 charger charges 6/12/24 volt led acid and lithium batteries. It also includes 12V and 24V constant power supply modes. It’s an intelligent charger with nine stages and a lead acid battery repair mode. In this part one video, I review the main features of this versatile battery charger from TOPDON. Then perform … Read more
In this video, I review a self-heating 100 amp-hour lithium battery from BougeRV. Over the years, I reviewed several products from BougeRV and found them to be a pretty good value for the money. I’m still using a pair of their solar panels and two controllers I reviewed. Tests performed on the BougeRV battery included … Read more
Demo and review of an OTA (Over the Air) TV antenna from a company in Ontario, California, called ANTOP. In the video, I test the ANTOP AT415B in two locations. One is a very fringe reception area, and another is a place with numerous OTA TV stations. I compare the ANTOP’s performance to my existing … Read more
In this video, I test, teardown, and review a pair of economically priced off-grid power products sold through Amazon. A 200Ah LiFePO battery from Chins and a 1500W pure sine wave inverter from ALFFAA. Fair Disclosure: Review samples were sent free of charge, but I didn’t receive any monetary compensation for the video. Overall they … Read more
In this video, I review an Ampere Time 200Ah 12V lithium battery with self-heating capability. Low temperature charging down to -4F/-18C. I also test out one of their 20-amp lithium battery chargers. Overall I found the battery to be pretty well built and performed well, given the comparatively low cost. See my Pros & Cons … Read more
Today I found myself staying in an older RV park campsite with relatively low voltage on the AC power pedestal feed. If I ran anything more than about 1500 watts, the AC voltage began to drop dramatically. For example, if I attempted 3000 watts, the voltage sagged to around 101 VAC. I thought this would … Read more