RVs and CPAPs

[EricTheRead]

Hi Kiralynx. I'm an RVer in a Newmar, too. I see the choices for powering it up this way:

1) Use 110v - If you are at a RV campground and hooked to shore power, this is no big deal. If you are dry-camping, you'll want to turn the inverter on and pull power from the coach batteries. First thing in the morning, fire up the generator and recharge the batteries, make coffee, etc;

2) Run a 12v line from the coach batteries back to the sleeping area and buy a special power supply from your CPAP manufacturer. Electrically speaking, these power supplies will be more efficient than an inverter, as they won't be converting AC to DC and dealing with all the wasted energy that comes with that.
An example of one of these special power supplies for a ResMed would be: https://www.1800cpap.com/resmed-dc-conv ... DoQAvD_BwE. . (I'm not advocating the websites, just showing example products). Sorry, I have forgotten which CPAP you have. I'm showing what is available for Resmed. You'll want to look for a manual like this: https://www.resmed.com/us/dam/documents ... lo_eng.pdf from your manufacturer;

3) If you want to use a generic inverter, generally speaking, you'll want at least 300w continuous, 500w peak output like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078YHJM9H/re ... XDbH89YXE9 I am showing you a 600w continuous model because I think you'll be running two devices off the same box. You might want to put the battery and inverter someplace, like the basement, and run 110v lines from the basement under the bed to a special outlet on the side of the bed. You don't want the battery or inverter in the bedroom. Let's call this the McGyver Solution. You'll also want to find a way to recharge that battery. Yeah, it is getting complicated. Of course you could power the custom power supply for your CPAP (Option 2, above) off the dedicated battery if you wanted.

4) Get a battery pack with a built in inverter for each CPAP like this: https://www.cpap.com/productpage/portab ... 3oQAvD_BwE (I'm not advocating this website, just showing the product). You'll have to recharge the battery pack each day, but it saves cycles on your coach batteries. It is, in my opinion, a bit on the expensive side. Compare the price of two of these to the price of the coach batteries you have installed in your Baystar. You'll see what I mean.

Regarding where to mount your device, only you can look at your coach and see where to mount it. My coach has a little nightstand sort of thing on the edge of the slideout. Before I bring the slideout in, I empty the water chamber and just set the device on the bed and put the covers over it. I've heard of Velcro on the wall and putting it in the overhead cabinet. It really depends on where your power source is and how comfortable you are making modifications to your coach.

My coach inverter is always on. I run my APAP on 110v coach batteries overnight and charge them straight away the next day when I'm not on shore power.

Do let me know if you have any specific questions.

[EricTheRead]

Are you using a Respironics DreamStation ASV?

Look at this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0182J3LW4/re ... XDbRBP34RF

and this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IABD1SS/re ... XDbKZ6FSTQ

I didn't find a Battery usage guide like ResMed has. The Respironics Tech Manual for the DreamStation line doesn't have anything in it about using it on batteries.

[Kiralynx]

Hi Kiralynx. I'm an RVer in a Newmar, too.

Ah, which Newmar do you have?

I see the choices for powering it up this way:

1) Use 110v - If you are at a RV campground and hooked to shore power, this is no big deal. If you are dry-camping, you'll want to turn the inverter on and pull power from the coach batteries. First thing in the morning, fire up the generator and recharge the batteries, make coffee, etc;

Our first jaunt, next weekend, will be to an RV park just a few miles from the Barn Hunt we are attending. We don't yet have a smaller vehicle to tow so it will mean packing it up each morning and then setting it up at night to get to the Hunt. Good practice, I guess.

One of the toughest things is going to be getting the slide locks disengaged with my torn rotator cuff,

2) Run a 12v line from the coach batteries back to the sleeping area and buy a special power supply from your CPAP manufacturer. Electrically speaking, these power supplies will be more efficient than an inverter, as they won't be converting AC to DC and dealing with all the wasted energy that comes with that.
An example of one of these special power supplies for a ResMed would be: https://www.1800cpap.com/resmed-dc-conv ... DoQAvD_BwE. . (I'm not advocating the websites, just showing example products). Sorry, I have forgotten which CPAP you have. I'm showing what is available for Resmed. You'll want to look for a manual like this: https://www.resmed.com/us/dam/documents ... lo_eng.pdf from your manufacturer;

3) If you want to use a generic inverter, generally speaking, you'll want at least 300w continuous, 500w peak output like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078YHJM9H/re ... XDbH89YXE9 I am showing you a 600w continuous model because I think you'll be running two devices off the same box. You might want to put the battery and inverter someplace, like the basement, and run 110v lines from the basement under the bed to a special outlet on the side of the bed. You don't want the battery or inverter in the bedroom. Let's call this the McGyver Solution. You'll also want to find a way to recharge that battery. Yeah, it is getting complicated. Of course you could power the custom power supply for your CPAP (Option 2, above) off the dedicated battery if you wanted.

4) Get a battery pack with a built in inverter for each CPAP like this: https://www.cpap.com/productpage/portab ... 3oQAvD_BwE (I'm not advocating this website, just showing the product). You'll have to recharge the battery pack each day, but it saves cycles on your coach batteries. It is, in my opinion, a bit on the expensive side. Compare the price of two of these to the price of the coach batteries you have installed in your Baystar. You'll see what I mean.

My husband and I are both on Respironics. His new machine is an auto-CPAP; mine is an ASV.

And you just lost me with all that talk of running lines. NOT an electrician. My ASV eats batteries alive.

Regarding where to mount your device, only you can look at your coach and see where to mount it. My coach has a little nightstand sort of thing on the edge of the slideout. Before I bring the slideout in, I empty the water chamber and just set the device on the bed and put the covers over it. I've heard of Velcro on the wall and putting it in the overhead cabinet. It really depends on where your power source is and how comfortable you are making modifications to your coach.

I just brought it home. I don't know half of what I have on it because I haven't even gotten the manuals out to read yet.

My coach inverter is always on. I run my APAP on 110v coach batteries overnight and charge them straight away the next day when I'm not on shore power.

Your APA runs from an electrical socket in the coach. You're not running your generator. You're running off coach batteries. Then you turn on the generator in the morning to recharge the batteries? Do I have that straight?

Do let me know if you have any specific questions.

Lots. I have too many questions about questions.

[palerider]

Are you using a Respironics DreamStation ASV?

Look at this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0182J3LW4/re ... XDbRBP34RF

and this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IABD1SS/re ... XDbKZ6FSTQ

Seriously????

[EricTheRead]

Seriously????

Tell me more about your incredulity. These things are available for most CPAP/APAP machines.

I, for one, suffer chronic sticker shock when I look at them. Therein lies my incredulity.

[EricTheRead]

Hi:

I struggled with quotes within quotes and putting my responses within all that, so I'm going to do it differently. This post will cover a little about RVs, but it all leads up to how to get a CPAP machine to run in an RV when there is no shore power.

Ah, which Newmar do you have?
--> I drive and largely live in a 2016 Newmar Canyon Star 3712. I had it modified to put 800 watts of solar panels on top and six AGM coach batteries underneath. That gives me plenty of unhooked, dry-camping 110v power as long as the sun shines. When it doesn't, I run the generator for a while. It isn't enough to run air conditioning, but I'm a tough old bird. I have a residential-style refrigerator - it doesn't have dual-or-triple power (my old Newmar did). It only runs on 110v. While I can leave it off for a number of hours, since I tend to live in this RV, I have food in it most of the time and don't want to risk it going bad. Those batteries will run the fridge and my very modest 110vac and 12vdc needs nicely. Again, I only need that juice going down the road and when I'm dry camping. The sun keeps things topped off and when there is no sun, I've got the generator.

Our first jaunt, next weekend, will be to an RV park just a few miles from the Barn Hunt we are attending. We don't yet have a smaller vehicle to tow so it will mean packing it up each morning and then setting it up at night to get to the Hunt. Good practice, I guess.
--> I think that is a wise thing. Don't go far, practice setting it up. Use every feature to figure it out. Private message me if you want to post questions to a really good Newmar forum, btw. I'll send you a link.

One of the toughest things is going to be getting the slide locks disengaged with my torn rotator cuff,
--> Your RV should have come with a tool that makes it very easy to lock and unlock those slide locks. My wife (torn rotator cuff, too) can do it easily with the tool.

And you just lost me with all that talk of running lines. NOT an electrician. My ASV eats batteries alive.
--> Let's discard the MyGyver Solution, then.

I just brought it home. I don't know half of what I have on it because I haven't even gotten the manuals out to read yet.
--> You can't beat using it for a couple of days. Reading the manuals will only get you so far because they are so generic.

Your APA runs from an electrical socket in the coach. You're not running your generator. You're running off coach batteries. Then you turn on the generator in the morning to recharge the batteries? Do I have that straight?
--> Correct. I have 110vac in the RV all the time because of the six batteries and the inverter. The APAP doesn't really draw that much juice. In the morning, if the sun comes up, I don't run the generator because the solar panels will charge the batteries back up. If its overcast, I run the generator. Your Baystar has two coach batteries, if I'm not mistaken. Some Baystars have a Xantrex Inverter installed that converts the power from those two coach batteries to 110v.

So your choices are probably:
1) If you have shore power to hook up to - you're all set, you'll have 110vac power all night, no problems;
2) If you have an inverter installed, and no shore power, you can probably turn on the inverter and run the CPAP machines overnight, then run the generator in the morning;
3) If you don't have an inverter installed and you don't have shore power, well, gosh, let me think about that.....it can get expensive at this point.

Lots. I have too many questions about questions.
--> Private message me about the RV stuff. Its okay. You'll really like RVing. Using your CPAP in the RV will ensure you sleep well all the while you are on the road. I never leave home without it.

[palerider]

Seriously????

Tell me more about your incredulity. These things are available for most CPAP/APAP machines.

I, for one, suffer chronic sticker shock when I look at them. Therein lies my incredulity.

My incredulity is the fact that I posted links to the *proper* DC cords, at lower prices, than what you did, earlier in the thread.

Perhaps it's your failure to Read.

[EricTheRead]

Perhaps it's your failure to Read.

Ah, yes, it is my failure to read. I apologize. Don't take it personally. You certainly suggested it first.

I stand corrected.