hello... Wife and I are going to the South Fork Area last of Aug for a week. I would like to get out away from the crowds and cramped rv parks. Looking at the Beaver Creek area or Big Meadows.We have been to the area a few times and stayed in a rented cabin. I have a 21 foot travel trailer That I use for for hunting and decided to get more us out of it than it just setting at hunting camp all the time. I don't run any ac items microwave tv or anything. Just refrigerator on LP lights and water pump. I have a class 31 MCST battery. Am I dreaming for thinking I can run for a week on the battery? Just running a light at night sparingly. We spend most of the time outdoors, have lanterns for light out there when needed. If I cant go for that long of time..will a solar charger keep the battery charged during the day? I don't want to have to purchase a generator or spend a fortune on solar.If a solar charger would work. What would some of you recommend? Thank you Mark

I have two group 31 batteries -- we do a lot of extreme boondocking --very low electricity usage. And I would not go more than 4 or 5 days on one battery -- I switch them when they get down to 12.1 volts, or 50 percent state of charge. If you go lower than that, they say you can shorten the battery life. A solar charger will help a little -- but usually they produce only about 5 watts, not enough to matter much. With two fresh group 31 batteries, you should be good for a week, no problem.

I doubt that you can make it, but here is a little test.- Unplug your rig and let the battery rest for a few hours.- Measure your battery voltage. It should be about 12.7 to 12.8 volts.- Turn on ref, h2o heater and anything else you expect to use constantly and let it run for a week.- Guestimate how much water you plan to use and turn on the water pump and pump that amount of water out of your tank (obviously, you will need to first put water in the tank).- Guestimate how long you plan to leave which lights on total and turn them on and let them run for that amount of time.- Radio or small inverter to charge cell phone batteries, same thing.- Turn everything off and let your battery rest for a few hours and then measure your battery voltage.If you are at 12.2 volts (or greater), then you should be good to go without doing any harm to your battery.If lower than 12.1 volts, your battery life will be diminished over time....assuming you make a habit of doing this.Have fun experimenting,Steve

If you are only going to do this the one time...maybe rent a generator? You are right, not spending a whole chunk of cash for one week. However,I don't think you can get a week out of one battery. Your fridge does consume power, as well as the other items you noted.A question..is that a 5 day work week, or a 7 day actual week? You 'might' squeeze 5..maybe, but not 7.Gary Haupt

I first tested my 12v juice users and got an understanding of what uses what. My wife and I in conserve mode can enjoy dry camping on about 25ah per day. With our setup I can last about 4 or 5 days - and that puts our batteries at about 50%.

With 4 batteries and an inverter, and my wife in charge of electrical usage we can last about 2 hours. LOLDave

Boondocking Questions. | Good Sam Community

48 Replies

rick42wood
Explorer
Aug 25, 2013
I go hunting in my 18Ft "hunting" trailer for 12-14 days at a time and use 2 6V golf cart batteries and a 40W solar panel. Just running lights and the water pump occasionally, I'm usually good for about 6 days, but allot depends how bright and for how long the sun shines each day. A solar panel in Texas should work fine and it is way quieter than a generator. Don't skimp on the panel size and use a controller for sure.
br549redneck
Explorer
Aug 22, 2013
darsben wrote:
Sad Sad day for sure...

Roy Ken

Roy I didn't know that. I haven't talked to Jimmy or Jackie I bet its been Christmas when we last talked. Sad times for sure. This leadership were under as a country well is in bad shape.

We have a great leader. It is the obstructionists in congress causing the problem. Thank god for universal health insurance otherwise known as Obamacare and for a president who has tried to get us out of the fix we were put in before he took office. The trouble is we have short memories

(Now aren't you glad you made the comment about leadership)

Damn right I am. You have your ideas on what you think is right for our country I have mine. By the way you need to see your Dr with your Obamacare they have patches to help with your memory problems, but no fix for your Yankee way of thinking....
br549redneck
Explorer
Aug 22, 2013
......
profdant139
Explorer II
Aug 21, 2013
C'mon folks -- we know what happens when we start talking politics back and forth. There are discussion groups elsewhere for that -- let's stick to camping. I know I sound like a grumpy old fogey -- but the threads on rv.net are usually very useful, and I would hate to see them infected by unproductive acrimony. This is not censorship -- this is compartmentalization.

I happen to have very strong political views -- but I try not to reveal them here. The same is true in my "real world" neighborhood -- I have some very good friends whose political views are radically different from mine. We don't let that get in our way -- we just stay away from those sorts of controversies.
darsben
Explorer II
Aug 21, 2013
Sad Sad day for sure...

Roy Ken
Roy I didn't know that. I haven't talked to Jimmy or Jackie I bet its been Christmas when we last talked. Sad times for sure. This leadership were under as a country well is in bad shape.

We have a great leader. It is the obstructionists in congress causing the problem. Thank god for universal health insurance otherwise known as Obamacare and for a president who has tried to get us out of the fix we were put in before he took office. The trouble is we have short memories

(Now aren't you glad you made the comment about leadership)
br549redneck
Explorer
Aug 20, 2013
RoyB wrote:
Mark - Just now hearing the Lake Kickapoo transmitter site where Jimmie and Jackie work in Archer may be closing down... Sad days for us old timers that has made those Surveillance sites our way of life over the years...

They suppose to shut down operations on 1 SEP and then do all of the required cleanup to close the doors on 1 OCT...

They other sites in the system are all affected... I'm sure folks will be let go immediately after 1 Sep and a small crew left to clean up things until 1 Oct...

I started working at that site in 1966. The South Array was built in 1962 I think it was... Been going back there working on the Electronic systems ever since then until I retired in 2010.

Sad Sad day for sure...

Roy Ken

Roy I didn't know that. I haven't talked to Jimmy or Jackie I bet its been Christmas when we last talked. Sad times for sure. This leadership were under as a country well is in bad shape.
tmm2good
Explorer
Aug 18, 2013
byronlj wrote:
With 4 batteries and an inverter, and my wife in charge of electrical usage we can last about 2 hours. LOL
Dave

LOL, sounds like my wife.
Eurocamper
Explorer
Aug 18, 2013
garyhaupt wrote:
br549redneck wrote:

Gary I looked at our Lowes website and didn't find the solar panels.
http://www.lowes.com/

And you are right...I was on the Canadian site, without realizing that and the US does not stock this item.

It looks like the same solar panel that Amazon is selling.
Coleman 36 Watt Folding Solar Panel
RoyB
Explorer II
Aug 18, 2013
Mark - Just now hearing the Lake Kickapoo transmitter site where Jimmie and Jackie work in Archer may be closing down... Sad days for us old timers that has made those Surveillance sites our way of life over the years...

They suppose to shut down operations on 1 SEP and then do all of the required cleanup to close the doors on 1 OCT...

They other sites in the system are all affected... I'm sure folks will be let go immediately after 1 Sep and a small crew left to clean up things until 1 Oct...

I started working at that site in 1966. The South Array was built in 1962 I think it was... Been going back there working on the Electronic systems ever since then until I retired in 2010.

Sad Sad day for sure...

Roy Ken
Roy_Lynne
Explorer
Aug 16, 2013
What about just not using your refrigerator and plan for meals accordingly. Eggs don't need refrigeration if you buy them fresh so scrambled eggs with toast. That pre-cooked bacon doesn't come refrigerated. Lunch could be PB&J or tuna fish and tomato sands.
Dinners, right out of a can, beans and fresh corn cooked over the grill. Those packaged meals you find on a shelf might make a good dinners, Mac and Cheese. There is nothing better than baked potatoes or onions or veggies cooked in foil in the fire. Everything tastes better outside anyway. I'll bet if you go to the cooking section you would get tons of ideas. Even if you took a cooler with ice and used that food first.
You have to be careful and if you don't eat it you need to toss it as in the summer heat food spoils quickly but it could be done.