RV Electrical Systems: A Basic Guide to Troubleshooting, Repairing and Improvement [Paperback]

Bill Moeller (Author), Jan Moeller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1994

This problem-solving reference answers questions such as, "Why do interior lights dim or burn out rapidly" and "Why won't the batteries recharge after a night without electricity?"

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

For RVers who remain mystified by their RV's electrical systems--120-volt alternating current (AC) and 12-volt direct current (DC)--this book is a godsend. It provides a better understanding of what electricity is and what it does.

This problem-solving reference answers questions such as: "Why do interior lights dim or burn out rapidly?" and, "Why won't the batteries recharge after a night without electricity?" It tells you how to repair and improve electrical systems; how to troubleshoot faulty brakes, taillights, and "house" circuits; how to detect dangerous shorts, faulty grounds, inadequate connections, malfunctioning switches, dead battery cells, or current leakage; and much more.

This book could save your vacation, or even your life.

All you need to know about RV electricity, including:

• How to safely use a campground hookup.
• How to increase battery charging efficiency.
• How to take the pulse of your AC and DC electrical systems.
• How to recognize and correct dangerous wiring practices.
• How to troubleshoot electrical problems of all types.
• How to upgrade your RV from fuses to circuit breakers.
• How to calculate your electrical needs and upgrade your system to meet them.
• How to select the most effective components--batteries, alternator, regulator, coverter, charger, generator, solar panels.
• How to recognize phantom electrical loads that can drain your batteries.

About the Author

Bill and Jan Moeller have lived a mobile lifestyle for more than 20 years, during which they have had much experience overcoming problems with and upgrading their 12- and 120-volt electrical systems. At present, as they have done for many years, the Moellers live fulltime in their fifth-wheel trailer and travel the year round. In addition to writing books, including RVing Basics (Ragged Mountain Press, 1995), the Moellers also write a nationally syndicated newspaper column about RVing.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press; 1 edition (October 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 007042778X
• ISBN-13: 978-0070427785
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #239,429 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #66 in Books > Professional & Technical > Automotive > Mechanics

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful! Basic hand tool skills and abilities required, December 23, 2001

By 

"dawgon" (Cairo, Egypt) - See all my reviews

This review is from: RV Electrical Systems: A Basic Guide to Troubleshooting, Repairing and Improvement (Paperback)

This book descibes electricity, batteries, control circuits et al in the right level of detail to allow the person with basic hand eye coordination to troubleshoot if not fix almost any electrical problem the RV'er might encounter. Many simple diagrams to aid in the understanding of concepts and tracing of problems. The book does assume the reader will have a knowledge of basic hand tools, the skill to use them and an ability to convert the porvided knowledge into action. One must be able to look at the drawings in the book and locate the item on the RV. Highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know what makes the electrical system tick in their RV.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical and Understandable Guide to RV Electrical Systems, August 23, 2001

By 

Louis S Leopold (Camarillo, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: RV Electrical Systems: A Basic Guide to Troubleshooting, Repairing and Improvement (Paperback)

The first thing that struck me about this book was that it explained things in plain, everyday English! Sure there were a couple of sections in the DC half of the book that started to get technical, but the many examples of the real-life problems and the solutions used helped bring these sections into perspective and helped with the understanding of why the technical things exist.

There were a great many tips and hints that were also very practical for those who cannot afford the expensive test equipment and many of the tools could be purchased or built from parts found at the neighborhood hardware store.

This book should be in every RVer's library.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Easy-to-understand information for do-it-yourselfers, February 18, 2006

By 

E. Gibson (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: RV Electrical Systems: A Basic Guide to Troubleshooting, Repairing and Improvement (Paperback)

Bought book to help plan an RV electrical system upgrade and it more than met my expectations. Found the book fairly easy to understand with a wealth of specific information about the "whys" and "wherefores" of wire, fuses, circuits, batteries, battery charging, electrical loads, etc. Author also includes a wealth of technical info for tech types who want greater detail.