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Old 05-19-2020, 12:58 PM   #4
Bill
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Location: The mountains of Scottsdale, AZ, and the beaches of Maine
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Originally Posted by Randy Green View Post
When I plug-in using 110 V how do I know if the trailer is operating with 110v or whether it’s using the battery.
You may have a fundamental misunderstanding. You asked if the trailer is operating on "plug-in OR battery", as if the trailer is one single device. It is not. It is really a collection of devices, some of which operate on 110VAC, and some of which operate on 12VDC. So there is really isn't an "...or..."

Some parts of the trailer's systems operate on 110volts AC. The most obvious part is the air conditioner. It operates on 110VAC, never from 12volts DC, and if you don't have a source of 110VAC (in other words, you are not plugged in), it won't operate. There are a few other parts that operate solely on 110VAC, such as the outlets that Shane mentions, and the situation is the same. If you don't have 110VAC, they won't operate. The trailer does not have its own internal source of 110VAC.

Many other parts of the trailer operate on 12 volts DC. The best example is the lights. The lights operate only from 12VDC, and never from 110VAC. Fortunately, the trailer has its own internal short-term source of 12VDC - the battery. The lights will operate normally even if the trailer is not plugged in, because they are drawing power from the battery. However, the battery will discharge after a while, and the lights will go out unless you have a way to recharge it

If you are plugged into 110VAC, then the trailer has a 110VAC device that will recharge the battery as fast as the lights (for example) discharge it. That device is called a converter or a charger. As long as you are plugged into 110VAC, the converter will keep the battery charged. But the lights are still operating on 12VDC only.

So ... some parts of the trailer operate on 110VAC only, and some operate on 12VDC only. But for any device, there is no either/or.

In Part 2 of this lesson (!), we will examine devices which have both a 110VAC half, and a 12VDC half. The only one I can think of is the refrigerator. The refrig actually contains a 110VAC cooling unit, and a 12VDC cooling unit. You get to choose which one you want to use. But the rule is the same. If you aren't plugged in, the 110VAC part won't work. If you choose the 12VDC unit, it will work by drawing power from the battery until the battery is exhausted (not long, it is a power hog).

Hope that made sense.

Bill
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