Holiday Rambler - Glossary of Terms

5
G e n e r a l I n f o r m a t I o n - 1
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and/or suggestion for ease of operation of
the motorhome or its components.
gLOssARY OF TERMs
AC Electricity - Alternating current also
known as household power.
Alternating Current (AC) - A current
that varies periodically in magnitude
and direction. A battery does not deliver
alternating current. Also referred to as
shore power, utility power, inverter power,
generator power, etc.
Ampere (Amp) - The unit of measure
of electron ow rate of current through a
circuit.
Ampere-hour (Amp-hr. AH) - A unit of
measure for a battery electrical storage
capacity, obtained by multiplying the
current in amperes by the time in hours
of discharge. Example: A battery which
delivers 5 amperes for 20 hours, delivers
5 amperes times 20 hours, or 100 Amp-
Hr. of capacity.
ANSI - American National Standards
Institute.
ASTM - American Society for Testing
and Materials.
Black Water - Term associated with the
sewage holding tank. The toilet drains
directly into this tank.
CCA - Cold Cranking Amperage is the
amount of current a battery can deliver for
30 seconds at 0° F without dropping below
a specied voltage, usually 10.5 Volts DC.
Chassis Battery - Powers chassis 12 Volt
accessories and starts engine.
Circuit - An electric circuit is the path of
an electric current. A closed circuit has
a complete path. An open circuit has a
broken or disconnected path.
City Water - A term associated with
the water supply used during hook-up
at campgrounds. It is called city water
because water is pulled from a central
source (like in a city) and not the fresh
water tank.
Curbside - This refers to the side of the
motorhome which faces the curb when it
is parked. Often called the door side or the
passenger side.
Current - The rate of ow of electricity
or the movement rate of electrons along a
conductor. It is comparable to the ow of
a stream of water. The unit of measure for
current is the ampere.
Cycle - In a battery, one discharge plus one
recharge equals one cycle.
DC Electricity - Direct current also
known as battery power.
Direct Current (DC) - Power that is
stored in a battery bank or supplied by
photovoltaics, alternator, chargers and DC
generators. Direct current is also known as
battery power. Current only ows one way.
Drain Trap - This is a curve that is in all
drains. Water is trapped in the curve and
this creates a barrier so tank odors cannot
escape through the drain.
Dry Camping - Camping in the
motorhome when there is no city water
hook-up or shore power. In other words,
using only the water and power that is
in the motorhome and not from another
source.
Dump Station - A site where the waste
(grey) and sewage (black) tanks can be
drained. In most states it is illegal to drain
waste tanks anywhere other than at a dump
station.
Dump Valve - Another name for the
T-handle valve used to drain the sewage
(black) and waste (grey) tanks.
Escape (Egress) Window - The formal
name for the emergency window located
in the rear of the motorhome. Egress
windows can be easily identied by their
red handles.
Full Hook-Up Site - A campground that
has city water, shore power and sewer
hook-ups or connections available.