Born Free Leap'n Lions RV Club Info & Discussion Forum

This is a start of a new topic resulting from the transfer from the unrelated earlier topic BF 32-ft President Article in Dec 2006 Motorhome Magazine

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This is fine for most uses but some chargers may not work on them as well as some other items like microwave ovens, medical equipment (I have a CPAP that requires sine wave AC current), computers, some printers, etc.

NOTE: The above is part of a posting by SteveR (Steve and Donna - 2006 32' President RQ) made earlier 11 Dec 2006 on the BF 32' topic.

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I, too, have a CPAP machine and didn't realize there could be problems inverterwise. Out of curiosity, which machine and mask combo do you have? I'm using the Mirage Swift nasal pilllows and the REMstar Pro/CLFEX.

NOTE: The above is part of a posting by Judy Madnick (Judy Madnick - Albany, NY) made earlier 11 Dec 2006 on the BF 32' topic.

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I too use a CPAP breathing machine at night because I have sleep apnea. I have two such machines now, one being a new portable unit that I use when traveling in my Born Free. Both of my units are Respironics models that I selected because they both can be powered by either 120 VAC or 12 VDC. That way you don't need an inverter to power them if you are not connected to a shore line AC power source.

Note: the above post dated 31 Jan 2007 was transferred from the earlier 32' BF topic

_________________
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad

How do you like the "new portable unit"? I guess insurance won't cover both; is that correct (or don't you have insurance coverage for the CPAP machine)? Also, I've been told that the travel size isn't that much smaller. Is that incorrect information? Do your units have humidifiers? Also, mine is a C-Flex, and I don't know whether the smaller size is just a "straight" CPAP.

NOTE: The above post by Judy Madnick (Judy Madnick - Albany, NY) made earlier 31 Jan 2007 on the BF 32' topic was transferred to this new CPAP topic.

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udy,

My first CPAP machine was a Respironics Model Aria LX that is now 6 years old and still working fine. This unit has the ramp up feature and also auto starts within about 15 seconds after I install my mask and also auto stops within about 2 minutes after removing my mask. This auto start and stop feature I really like.

Last fall, I received a brochure for the new Respironics M-Series CPAP machines in the mail from my local medical supplies company. This machine is smaller and considered portable. So I found out from this company that since my existing machine was more than 5 years old, that Medicare and my Medicare Part F supplement insurance would cover a new machine and I could just keep my older machine.

I decided that would be just the ticket for me so that I could use this new & smaller M-Series machine in my Born Free without the need to always packup the older and larger machine and move it the the Born Free when traveling.

My M-Series machine is the basic Model 100 without either the Humidifier or the C-Flex features. It also does not have the auto start/stop feature which I miss (and don't think is available in this model). The humidifier feature is available but I didn't need or want that but I think now that I should have gotten the model with the C-Flex feature. I guess I did not understand the value of that feature when the sales lady called on me.

The M-Series is about 1/2 the size of my older model but the real value to me is having two units rather than just one.

Note: the above post dated 31 Jan 2007 was transferred from the earlier 32' BF topic

_________________
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad

Thanks for the explanation. I knew from the start that I needed the C-Flex, as I felt as though I was hyperventilating (or something!) when I tried to exhale against the CPAP pressure. And I like the humidifier, but I could probably live without it for short periods of time.
_________________
Judy Madnick
Albany, NY

NOTE: The above was posted earlier on 31 Jan 2007 by Judy Madnick on the BF 32' topic and was transferred to this new CPAP topic.

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I have the Fisher Paykel unit. An older one for the BF and a new one at home. Both have humification...here in the desert it is a real necessity. The humidification chamber might need pure sine wave AC if you run on an inverter because of how the humidifier works. Some units might work on modified sine wave but some need the pure sine to get the timing right and to keep the heater element from burning up. Check this before you run a humidifer unit on an inverter.
_________________
Steve and Donna
2006 32' President RQ

NOTE: The above was posted earlier on 3 Feb 2007 by SteveR on the BF 32' topic and was transferred to this new CPAP topic.

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bfadmin@bornfreervclub.org

My husband has a CPAP, and we are going to look at the BFT and and 24 foot at the factory next week. Just wondered where you store your CPAP during travels, where you plug it in at night, etc? If you were ordering would this be something they could set up at the factory, as a special cubby for storage and outlet?
Thanks!!

_________________
Guy, Connie, and Bogie the Basset
2007 "Built for Two"
Picked up BFT at factory on May 7, 2007, and we are "luvin it".

Bogiesmom,

When traveling and sleeping in my BF each night, I unplug my CPAP machine and store it in the cabover entertainment center storage area during the day. My machine will run on either 120 VAC or 12 VDC. Since I sleep on the Flexsteel sofa bed, if were are drycamping at night, then I power the CPAP with the 12 VDC power cable plugged into one of the two chassis cab cigarette light power sockets. If we are hooked up to shoreline power in a campground, then I use the 120 VAC power cable hooked into an AC socket located near the front of and under the kitchen cabinet top.

_________________
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad