Hello Class B Folks

[Dee Jsaan]

Delighted to find this Forum. I'm building out a 90 Ford E-350 extended high top at this time. It will be used for week end camp-outs and trips, so it won't have to be too elaborate for what I'll use it for. It has low mileage and runs great so I'm not afraid to trust it for several more years.

I'm going to use a house battery for interior power using LED lighting and a few 12 volt appliances. There will be an exterior plug for shore power in campgrounds so I'll have the option of 110 VAC. Spare tire mounted to rear door. I have water tanks to install to the frame when I get around to it. Kitchenette will have two basins and an electric pump for water supply. Hose hook up for waste water. Propane two burner for cooking. Basic bed across the back end.

That's where I am with it now.

 

[RizeMaster]

Welcome to the group!

Have you planned to add a refrigerator? Having that would be one of my essentials for any camper.

 

[Dee Jsaan]

Thanks for your reply

Yes, I've considered it. But I need to learn more about what is available and the power it would require. with my high top (stands at 9 ft tall already) I may have to consider a couple of golf cart batteries for my house power source set up as a 12 volt supply. I'm using a continuous duty selenoid now to charge the starter battery & house battery.

I refer to my area as an "RV Desert" as the most RV's I see anywhere around me is when I go to a State Park to fish and see them all at the campground or if I drive by a RV sales center. I think they mostly live at people's homes or at RV storage facilities thru the week and only leave for weekends and vacations. On occasion I see one at a Walmart on the outer edge of the parking lot.

So that's what brings me to message boards. I'm thinking that if I can take my "home built" on the road to get started I may run onto a deal on a Class B in another region where there are many of them. Right now I'm constantly being asked if I would sell my rig by tradesmen such as carpet layers, plumbers, siding & gutter guys, and the like. So for right now it's how I'm rolling.

 

[RizeMaster]

The 12V Vitrifrigo fridge in my Thor eats about 50W when the compressor is running. Depending on how often the door is opened and how hot it is inside it cycles on and off.

There are two 100Ah AGM batteries to power the coach. If it is sunny, they are charged by a 200W solar panel, which (in favorable conditions) keeps up with the energy use of the 12V components.

Really nice for off-grid camping, which is what we do 90% of the time.

Sounds like you may get into the RV converting business.

 

[Dee Jsaan]

Thanks,

East of the Mississippi, Elkhart, Indiana is the big RV center. West of the river is California, the other leading center as I'm told. I don't know that city there however.

Closest RV wrecking yard to me that I know of is "Visone RV parts" south of Lexington, KY. There is a video of their operation in Youtube titled, "where rv's go to die". I had been thinking of looking for a used refrigeration unit there if I could find an efficient one like you describe.

For now my trips are week end events and the occasional road trip of several hundred miles which has me using a 36 quart ice chest.

I was offered a job cooking on a River Boat where I would be a month on and a month off. If I do that and it works out I'll sell my house and most of my belongings and full time. Probably set up a remail in South Dakota where I won't have to own land to be a resident and can take care of business from anywhere. (a lot of Truckers, Military, and Expatriate folks do this)