MontanaChinook

Yeah that porch is really cool

You're lucky. I don't really have anywhere to attach an awning to the Chinook. I'm thinking of getting an "ez-up" type shelter to work as my front porch.

Interesting stuff! Thanks everyone. I do like the britta idea. That would take up less space and yes, no extra faucet needed. Space is a premium in all small motorhomes, but a Chinook...a 5 gallon jug will take up a lot of needed space! I just need to decide if it's worth it to me. Thanks for the ideas and input. I have a few more weeks before the cabinets go in. Wiring right now, walls next. Things will start moving fast very soon, but I still have a couple weeks to decide on cabinet stuff, so I can think over drinking water ideas until then. I'll admit, it's nice to at least trust the tank water for drinking. I hate going into someone's rv and being scared of the water...or having someone new in my rv, and forgetting to warn them not to drink the water! Whether I do a separate drinking water system or not, I should clean my tank and make sure it's suitable for drinking out of, whether or not I actually do it.

I don't know if Chinooks came stock with powered water pumps. Mine has one. The faucet is just like what you posted, except its a "three way". Hand pump, electric pump, city water hookup. The pump is a tiny little thing attached to the outlet of my water tank, and is activated by what I have to assume is an aftermarket toggle switch installed in the bench seat near the sink...flip that switch and the water starts flowing. Otherwise you have to pump. I like having the choice to use the battery or not. But yes, when I thought about doing something just for drinking water, I figured a regular hand pump faucet would be good. Only reason I even bought the three way faucet when I replaced the leaking one is for cleaning...kind of annoying to have dirty hands and be trying to wash them while I'm pumping with one hand...won't matter for drinking water though.

I actually already have one of these. http://www.adventurerv.net/chrome-rocket-pop-fold-down-camper-hand-pump-water-faucet-pi-8776.html?osCsid=gum69euumso7q71j7maiog29j4

Good to know! Thanks

Thanks. One on each side so far! I was kind of thinking of one of those five gallon refillable drinking water jugs you see in water coolers. I could pull the whole thing and bring it into a store for filtered or reverse osmosis or spring water, including the actual mountain springs along some roadsides with spring water flowing out of a pipe. Just build a little base that holds it in place at the bottom, probably just 1"x1" fir, and maybe a ratcheting strap attached to the side of the camper, or the cabinet frame or something. Would be hidden from view, but easily accessible, and I'd have a lid with a tube going through it, connected to a counter top pump faucet... That is good to know, John! This is why it's probably not a big deal...all the chemicals we've all been exposed to and, well...most of us haven't died from cancer...

Do most of you drink the water out of your fresh tanks, or just use it for washing? I don't know how I feel about my tank. I can clean it, but I also don't know how I feel about the plastic it's made from. Does anyone worry about this, especially those who spend a lot of time boondocking, or even living out of their RV? I may be a bit of a greeny, but I'm pretty careful what I put into my body, for the most part. I'm ok with meat and grease and all that, just not chemically fueled, antibiotic filled, irradiated because they can't slaughter it sanitarily type meat... You get where I'm going. So if I were to possibly spend months at a time living in the RV, would the water from the tank be healthy? I don't know the kind of plastic it's made from, and don't see any option when replacing them. They're just "plastic". I've actually considered building a place under a counter, on the floor, for a large water jug, and putting a pump faucet in the counter above it, and having that be my drinking water. Everything is torn out right now so this is the time to do things like this. I'll be doing all new counter tops. I'm sure opinions will vary...but am I worrying too much? Completely unnecessary, or a reasonable idea?

Thanks! On this rv, there is the fridge, one AC outlet, and the main breaker. Nothing else. I checked it out yesterday and saw all the wires the guy ran for AC. I'm running new wires for everything DC, so I'll know what's going on with everything, luckily. I am glad that I decided to rewire it, instead of just hooking things back up. It's been frustrating, not knowing anything about wiring and converters, but its been a good learning experience... Even though I still don't understand it too well, I feel like ive asked enough questions and i understand enough to be confident that I'm not doing anything wrong; nothing will be dangerous. Even though I could probably do some cool, thoughtful, custom stuff if I understood things better, it's good enough for now that I'm not doing a hack job, or setting up something that's going to fail or be dangerous.

Who knows... As long as the guy wired the AC correctly, and I can go about wiring the DC, I'm happy! Thanks

I have a lot to say on this issue but won't, since its mostly opinion. I agree that dogs are dogs, but all breeds were bred for specific traits. Pitt bulls have those strong jaws for a reason. My border collie has inherent traits that I did not train into him. No dog would do those things except a herding dog, and they are instinct specific to...well wolves first, but herding dogs second, and no other. The key to being a responsible dog owner is to KNOW YOUR BREED. Know what it was bred for, its tendencies and capabilities, and cater your care of the dog to that knowledge. The bulldogs I've known have all been sweethearts, but I've seen what can happen when theyre allowed to think THEY'RE the boss. But for people saying pittbulls should be banned...by that logic, a lot of other breeds should be banned, too, and most of them are worse than pittbulls. So different breed have tendencies and body/muscle traits bred into them that lend them to certain jobs and behaviors. From there it's up to the owner to lead them on the correct path, and if you choose a breed like pittbull, shephard, pincer etc, youd better be in tune with your animal. Theres a reason pittbulls are capable of so much damage. They were bred for it.

One more question, just to be sure the AC side is all correct. If you look at the 6th post in this thread, you'll see photos I posted of the converter and diagram. On the far right, in the side of the case, is "120V Hot". Four screws. When the unit showed up, the black AC wire was in there. But now I think it's going into the 30 breaker. That IS how the wiring diagram shows it. I just want to make sure, since when it came in the mail, there was a wire there, and why is it there if its not going to be used?

Ok, after a slightly frustrated email back to them, they responded, and I've got the ground-neutral issue figured out. Makes perfect sense of course, now that I know. Everything seems right side up, except the words molded into the plastic..."neu on top", "gnd on bot". Apparently some people install this thing upside down, on purpose. So if you flip it over, ground and neutral correspond correctly to how the electrician wired them. The ground bar is the one set farther back, with the large solid copper wire in it. Why they do it this way, I have no idea....everything is oriented one way, EXCEPT the ground and neutral hints molded into the plastic. Either way, I bought myself a bus bar for my negative wires, so that they each have a separate connection, and I can personally run a thick wire to a clean spot on the frame from there. Hopefully now you'll just be seeing progress instead of answering questions. Thanks!

Well, progressive dynamics is a huge help..."we don't give wiring advice because we don't expect the end user to do the installation. It should be done by a professional." I have a call in to the people I bought it from, since they do claim to offer tech help.

Oh yeah. Happened to me a few times already. I've been doing this stuff long enough that I ought to know more than i do...but there are a few areas I know pretty well, and I'm always learning in the others. Electricity is not one I've spent any time with till now... I definitley didn't grow up with any exposure to any of this stuff.

Good idea! In other news, after simply watching a couple YouTube videos on soldering, I got what I feel are acceptable joints between the new LEDs and the switch in my light fixture. Should have just done a little research in the first place....

Nah....let them suffer! No, that's a good idea. Even if just for myself. It will be very basic, though. That's the nice thing about this rv. Four sets of wires for lights, one for the furnace, one for the water pump. I'll add one more set for a fan and that's it for wires.

Ok, no fusible links! That's easy then. Still waiting for a response from both PD and bestrvconverter....I guess a phone call would be better. If I can get some info on this converter, this weekend should be a pretty constructive one! Will be ready for walls once the wiring is done, and once I know what I'm doing, the wiring should only take an afternoon.

Bring one in to them. Napa found them just fine for me, right in the store.

While I'm waiting for a response from PD and best converter, can someone tell me in what situation I would want to add a fusible link? Rather than a fuse? I rewiring from the battery back into the coach, and all coach wiring. Would I use a fusible link anywhere?

I see where some of the confusion is. The wiring diagram you posted is the one that comes with the instructions. But on the wiring diagram I posted a few posts back, which is attached to the door of the actual converter, it shows the ground going to the top bar and neutral going to the bottom bar, even though its molded right into the plastic that its the other way around. You can also see that in your diagram, the AC Hot is attached to the AC Hot lug on the side of the case. Which is how the converter was wired when it came out of the box. But in the diagram I posted, it shows the AC hot going to a breaker...which is all how the electrician wired it. He did it the way the diagram I posted shows, not the way the other diagram shows. I will be contacting PD!

Yeah, you're right. An electrician wired the AC, so I don't know. I'll look and make sure they did it right. This is why in the link I posted, they contacted PD support. Unless you really know how to wire, the grounding on this thing is not obvious... I'll check into into it.

Great! Someone swapped a 5 speed into my Chinook. I was in 5th anytime the speed limit was over 55mph, and even used it on moderate inclines. I've only taken it on one real trip so far.

Oh...I thought the gnd/wht was where the other battery wire connected to. So...it doesn't make sense to splice all - wires down to one wire and connect it there? I guess I still don't see where I'm going to attach the - wires for all 7 of my electric appliances. That's just one lug on the converter that says gnd/wht. The LED lights I bought don't fit my current bulbs. So that's part of the problem. But I was expecting to do it like waiter did and solder them in, so I wasn't worried about that when I bought them... I'll need to do more searching to see what will fit my Chinook. The LED SMD Warm White 36-1210s are not direct replacements for my bulbs..

Here are some close ups. I know the large bare wire goes to the frame. Is this bar that the bare wire is coming out of what I can ground my DC wires to?