Here is a list of problems you may run into but I don't think anybody knows for sure if your particular vehicle, converter, and lithium battery will have them:

1. The high current draw of the lithium charging from your vehicle may damage your vehicle alternator, or blow the fuse in the bargman power circuit.

2. Not fully charging a lithium by using a lead acid converter won't balance the cells in the lithium, and may damage the lithium.

3. If your converter doesn't put out 14.4 volts very readily, it may be very poor at charging your lithium.

4. Your lithium battery will make the car "see" 13.5 volts (instead of 12.6), so the car alternator may not come on, so you drain the lithium for the duration of the time you tow.

Just my guess, but I think you won't have problem #1 because 200 ah won't draw too much current (maybe 800 would?), and problems 2 through 4 will only degrade your lithium lifespan somewhat.

One other thought for getting 200 ah is that I'd get 2 100 ah and wire them in parallel.? Lithium batteries essentially have computers inside them and when a chip goes bad the lithium dies.? But if you have 2 batteries you'll still have power because just one battery will go at a time (hopefully), so you don't have to abort your trip.

I got this one, it's only $20. Worked fine for a replacement?

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Don DeRyke
Sunrise, Florida

2009 Classic, 2020 Ford Escape, 2.0 liter EcoBoost, AWD.?
Previous TV 2015 Ford Escape 1.6 ltr EcoBoost engine.

I followed Carl's lead and installed these on the walls of my Aliner.? I wrote an article on the process (in the group files) with the help of another forum member (see article) to perhaps make it easier for others to make this upgrade:

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Microsoft Word - A-frame Side Wall Wind Latches (groups.io)

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I would think every Aliner should have this upgrade to protect the side walls from blowing inward.? It happened to me twice -- but never again after adding the wind latches.

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Hello Jonathan:

I only used one screw, the rest are nuts and bolts.

The hook in the roof flange has two nuts and bolts, I used a low profile head on the inside and the nuts on the outside. After tightening I filed off the excess thread to the top of the nuts.

The latch on the inside has one screw into the thin plywood. It is really there to fill the hole in the latch, I don't expect it to hold anything. I drove it in and then removed it to add Elmer's Glue to the hole before replacing the screw.

The other hole is a bolt and nut. The hole goes through both layers of the aluminum edge then the bolt has a slim head on the outside and the nut is under the clamp.

Since the walls and roof sections can shift, I would suggest making the hook narrower. This makes latching easier.

Put these on 8 years ago. One that was the most out of line failed, but was easy to replace.

They really tighten up the camper where it needs help.

Take care, Carl.

Hello!

I tried installing thus clamp and the screws aren’t catching and the clamp keeps slipping out. ?Would appreciate any tips or ideas, thanks in advance.

Everyone with a door that has the handle on the left side as you enter should carry a special key along to get into the Aliner in an emergency.? I was locked out at a 2009 AOC national rally and learned the next day how to make this amazing key.? I carry three of these keys along on all adventures.? When you carry this emergency key you won't likely need it.

You can search Amazon for "white rv door lock" and see a bunch of sellers.? The model # appears to be 43610. But all the sellers I looked at had a small percent of 1 star reviews that said the lock failed or locked them out.? Here's a sample:



I got one of these locks with less than perfect reviews and so far its been ok.? That seller is no longer around though.? It looks like the odds of a new lock being ok are 95% or so.? Best I could do.


?

It happened to me twice. The solution was to ask one of my child to go through the cargo door and unlock it from inside.? Both time, it was the deadbolt mechanism that was stuck/jammed/broken.? Replacing it twice was enough for me. Now I never use the deadbolt because A) you can get in through the cargo space with a well known ch751 key. B)Somebody who really wants to get inside will pry the wall off, causing much more damage.? So if somebody wants to work enough to break the handle lock, they have caused enough damage already and can go in, without causing more damage.

jf

On Sun, Apr 21, 2024 at 01:42 PM, Steve T wrote:

That's a known failure.? They had a recall of the door locks at one point.? I'd highly recommend you get a new door lock.? Just curious, was this the door lock that came from the factory, or one you put on?

It came from the factor in 2020.

Do you know of a replacement?

That's a known failure.? They had a recall of the door locks at one point.? I'd highly recommend you get a new door lock.? Just curious, was this the door lock that came from the factory, or one you put on?

I have recently started my second can of 3 in 1 lock dry lube.? I have used it on the stabilizer threads occasionally also.? It did an amazing job on my Dutch door latch too!

The dead bolt lock on our Ranger 12 failed today, locking us out. The key was stuck halfway between to open and locked positions, and would not turn. We were considering looking for someone small enough to crawl through a cargo door. The solution turned out to be spraying some lubricant into the key slot. I suspect one of the tumblers in the lock was just stuck. It would probably be a good idea to periodically spray some silicon lubricant into the lock. Either that, or be sure? to bring along a small person.

Scott Ellington

On Fri, Apr 19, 2024 at 10:26 AM, Bruce Beford N1RX wrote:

If the battery is floating up 20 volts, the battery is toast.

That is the case - reading 20 volts on the battery terminals. And that is my conclusion as well. I'm lugging it out for testing.
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Alex Sproul
'05 Classic
'02 Suburban

I have dealt with this issue since 2004 because I camp off grid a lot in the high sierras and cascades and a variety of other locales.? I bought the Honda 12-volt charge cable for my EU2000i Honda generator years ago.? ?It was deemed worthless due to NOT outputting the proclaimed amperage.? ?So, I would recommend NEVER buying it based on my experience.

I have been using a 35-amp battery charger (for going on 20 years) that is connected to one of the two outlets on the generator to rapidly and efficiently charge the battery via a direct large hot wire to it (in spurts while running 120-volt items).? During the minutes that the microwave, hair dryer, etc. are operated, I simultaneously turn on the charger.? Both the charger and the generator are mounted on the rear bumper.? I have an analog voltmeter and ammeter mounted inside the trailer.? I can monitor the charge entering the (interior) lead-acid battery.? These let me know when the charge rate is dropping (in addition to reading the output on the 35-amp charger--the battery charger has a readout on the charge at the time).? Usually when I am thru with a microwave, etc. I watch for the output to drop to 8 amps and then shut off the generator.? I use less than a gallon of gasoline a week.? It would be nice to switch to propane but at a high altitude there would be additional loss of power and propane.

The big upgrade to cut battery drain was when I trashed the factory installed 10-watt refrigerator vent cooling fan and installed two computer fans so with a DPDT switch I can run them on either 6 or 12 volts.? In mild weather I can cut battery drain by 94% over the noisy factory fan.

The big issue is siphoning ALL the gas out of the generator at the end of the week and running it until it is dry.? Today's gas is a disaster and cannot be left stored in the engine.? Fresh gas is important (unless you can get alcohol-free gas).? I also add a treatment compound to the fuel called Sea Foam.? Also, I found it to be critical to always turn the lever on the generator gas cap to the closed position when turning off the generator (paint white and red on the two positions) so that the fuel doesn't cool and suck in moist air which adversely affects generator operation.

Eventually the tiny idle jet for the Honda generator will clog up.? the Carb can be removed carefully (I wrote an article) and rodded out with a tiny wire from a wooden handled wire brush (very strong and fine).? This is a very easy and simple 10-minute job needed every few years depending on how much the generator is used.? The generator will surge up and down when idling if only the main jet is available.

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Determining when your battery is "topped off" will be difficult.? Lead acid batteries take forever to charge the last 10%, and the surface charge left on a battery after charging makes determining full charge difficult.? I'd just measure the current going into the battery while charging, and be aware that current tapers as charging progresses.

It looks like that Hutch Mountain propane conversion has a very nice mounting feature.? They appear to put a quick connect on the propane line where it come out of the generator, so you can store that big "pie plate" regulator separately.? The Hutch stuff is about $90 more than motor snorkel, so motor snorkel is attractive pricewise, but I wouldn't know what special fittings Hutch uses to install that quick connect.? One thing I'd clarify, though, is exactly how the install is done, to save you a trip to an RV place.

For the install, what you want to do is connect the generator to your trailer propane lines after the propane goes through the trailer mounted propane regulator.? That will allow you to pull from either tank, and only the current tank.? No need to partially deplete both tanks, and no need for an extra regulator.

So here's what looks like a good install option:

Put a T connector just below the propane regulator on your trailer.? Connect a short propane hose to the side of that T (15" long on my trailer)..? Put a ball valve shutoff, and a female quick connect fitting, on the other end of the 15 inch hose.? I think it's code to put a ball valve next to a quick connect that has pressurized propane behind it.? On mine they had to use a male to male stubs to get the fittings connected.? You also have to tell them about each hose you need, because they have to use a special crimper tool to put the ends on the propane hoses.??

Get an 8 ft propane hose with female quick connect on one end and a male quick connect on the other end.??

Install the propane plumbing in the generator, with a male quick connect on the generator handle, as seen in the Hutch kit picture.? Have the pie plate thing attached to a short piece of propane hose for the input, and another short piece of hose for the output.? Each piece of hose has a quick connect on the end.? That way you can store the pie plate separate from the generator or the hose. You will probably want an elbow in there somewhere too so you can "hang" the pie plate in front of the propane tanks.? You can't lay the pie plate on the ground because that would let it stuck dirt into the air vents.

Get dust covers for all the quick connects.? They sell dust covers made explicitly for quick connects.? But I found a chair leg cover from ace hardware exactly fits a female quick connect, and an eye dropper bulb from ace fits a male quick connect.??

Get two stubby bolts to fill the two air input ports on the pie plate.? Another trip to Ace.

You may also want to buy another propane hose about 3 or 4 ft with a regulator on the end, just like the regulator in the Hutch pick on the propane tank, so you can use the generator to power your house fridge if you have a blackout.? ?

In the Hutch writeup they also mention converting a 1/4" to 3/8" quick connect.? My thoughts on that are the 1/4" is plenty big enough for our little generators.? Thats all mine has.

The folks at motor snorkel were emphatic that I use pipe dope for the screw on fittings.? No Teflon tape.? They said several propane kits were sent back for failure due to slivers of Teflon tape getting stick in the regulator.

Anyways, good luck with your conversion.? I assume you'll have followon questions.? Its hard to explain this stuff in writing.? You might find a YouTube video that's more clear.

The "T" below the regulator, looking from between the batteries and propane tanks.? That white "cylinder" is the chair leg cap i have covering the female quick connect on my propane line:

--
Don DeRyke
Sunrise, Florida

2009 Classic, 2020 Ford Escape, 2.0 liter EcoBoost, AWD.?
Previous TV 2015 Ford Escape 1.6 ltr EcoBoost engine.

--
Don DeRyke
Sunrise, Florida

2009 Classic, 2020 Ford Escape, 2.0 liter EcoBoost, AWD.?
Previous TV 2015 Ford Escape 1.6 ltr EcoBoost engine.