Boondocking Questions.

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. I went on their chat window and asked about it. My apologies.

So then I went looking all over the place..and there is nothing out there that is cheap. I have no idea why the Lowes and other stores in Canada can sell these kits so cheaply...but it appears that they do. Even Canadian Tire is selling kits for 99 bux.

I found this at Harbour Freight.

http://www.harborfreight.com/solar-panel-kit-45-watt-68751.html


Gary Haupt

How much charging is that 45 watt solar panel going to give?

RoyB wrote:
MARK - Tell Jimmie and Jackie hey from Uncle Roy next time you get together... They don't come any better than Jimmie... My line was always "We are from Washington - we're here to help" then they threw us out of the bars on our ears haha...

Spent many days and nights working with the Kickapoo crew keeping the Radar going... I lived in the Wichita area between 66 and the mid 70s. Worked with all those guys back then. Then after I moved on for greener pastures I ended working in Virginia with the DOD command of the sites so that let me keep coming back... I am no stranger of your fine city... I also lived in Archer for a couple of years as well... Been through at least two major Tornadoes there..

I have known both those guys for years and years back... We always loved to show up at the sites on Saturdays as they always have their hugh Texas style breakfast feast out there haha..

My memory is failing me now but I think Jackie lives out on the Lake...

Have been retired here for a couple of years now and sort of lost touch with the SPASUR guys... It was better when the NAVY ran those sites - now the Air Force is running them.

Not so much a family thing anymore...

Roy Ken...

Uncle Roy eh lol I will tell them dont see Them very often anymore. Jimmie has had some health problems Other than the polio, he has had hip replacements and some heart problems. Now Jackie he is just fat and sassy lol just ask him he will tell you.

MARK - Tell Jimmie and Jackie hey from Uncle Roy next time you get together... They don't come any better than Jimmie... My line was always "We are from Washington - we're here to help" then they threw us out of the bars on our ears haha...

Spent many days and nights working with the Kickapoo crew keeping the Radar going... I lived in the Wichita area between 66 and the mid 70s. Worked with all those guys back then. Then after I moved on for greener pastures I ended working in Virginia with the DOD command of the sites so that let me keep coming back... I am no stranger of your fine city... I also lived in Archer for a couple of years as well... Been through at least two major Tornadoes there..

I have known both those guys for years and years back... We always loved to show up at the sites on Saturdays as they always have their hugh Texas style breakfast feast out there haha..

My memory is failing me now but I think Jackie lives out on the Lake...

Have been retired here for a couple of years now and sort of lost touch with the SPASUR guys... It was better when the NAVY ran those sites - now the Air Force is running them.

Not so much a family thing anymore...

Roy Ken...

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. I went on their chat window and asked about it. My apologies.

So then I went looking all over the place..and there is nothing out there that is cheap. I have no idea why the Lowes and other stores in Canada can sell these kits so cheaply...but it appears that they do. Even Canadian Tire is selling kits for 99 bux.

I found this at Harbour Freight.

http://www.harborfreight.com/solar-panel-kit-45-watt-68751.html


Gary Haupt

garyhaupt wrote:
How much is a new gr 31 battery? Because, if you take a battery down below 50% it is now damaged and will only deteriorate. So..for a 100 bux you can reslove this situation and now you have a way to go boondocking most anytime, without having to worry about it. Hell, if your wife hates it after a week, you can take the panels back to Lowes.

Maybe I am missing something here.



Gary Haupt

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

smkettner wrote:
Probably not going to go a week on a single group 31 battery. Unless you use almost no lights and no furnace. A battery powered LED lantern for inside use along with flashlights will be the way to go. If you do this often you will want to change most or all interior lamps to LED.

Yes you can charge the battery with the truck. Jumper cables direct is fine. If you will be driving around a couple hours you can just put the cables on for an hour and let the batteries equalize. Then go for your drive to charge the truck battery. If you want to do the inverter/portable I recommend ~800w inverter to drive a 20 amp portable. MSW should be fine. Truck needs to be running to avoid a dead battery.

If you will be in the sun then 100w to 200w of solar will go a long way. Panels connect to the controller and controller direct on the battery. You can leave them unmounted until you decide otherwise.

http://www.solarblvd.com/Solar-Panels-&-Systems-12-Volt-Solar-Kits/c1_272/index.html

Bring a voltmeter to better know where the battery charge level is.

The 12 Volt Side of Life

Think 12.6 volts on day one and .1 volt down each day (or less) to end the week at 11.9+ (12.2+ is better). This gives a game plan to get through the week.

Don't need the furnace we bake here in TX he cool air is a welcome relief. I Also have a led lantern if needed.

RoyB wrote:
Whiskey Tall Falls huh... Lived there back in the mid 60s to the early 70s and been going back there many weeks at a time working on the Space Surveillance system at Archer. The big then back then was trying to just have ONE BEER at each Honky Tonk from Frizzels to the DOve and survive it. I even go back to Silver Dollar days... More recently I used to park my OFF-ROAD POPUP CAMPER in the HAMPTON parking lot when it was on Maurine and now at Kemp when we was working at the Archer City site. Finally retired now - Miss my Wichita Falls trips big time... It was a homecoming on every trip... Wife is also from the North Texas area... Her mom is buried at GOBER, TX (Bonham area)- this town wasn't on the big maps until recently haha..

Your trip to Colo sure doesnt have alot of PLAN Bs in it. You will need to start beefing up your 21-footer sooner or later with smart mode converter/charger, LED lights, more batteries, and a 2kW generator. We used to stay out weeks on end tent camping with the Jeeps and utility trailers back in the 50s-60s in the high country of Arizona but even that took some planning to be successful.

We run 255AHs of Battery Capacity on our off-road POPUP and can run almost everything in the trailer except the Air Conditioner and the high Wattage Microwave and make it it thru the one day/night camping run off the batteries. Then re-charge back up with the trailer connected to the generator for a short three hour run when the batteries get down to around 12.0VDC (apprx 50% charge state). Doing it this way we can stay out for a good two weeks and still fit into most of the camp ground policies on running the generator but after two weeks we have to do a full 100% battery charge or start having harm done to the battery bank. This takes around 12 hours of generator run time which no one allows so thats when we head back for the house.

We love camping off the power grid alot. Went to Wichita Mtns Wildlife Refuge at Medicine Park many times. Was there at Camp Doris for a week just two years ago... My OFF-ROAD POPUP Camper with Virginia TAGS has blessed your area many time...

This is from our last visit at Camp Doris. Notice when we camp off the power grid and need 120VAC for a fan to blow away the mosquitoes we just plug in a couple of extension cords...


I'm assuming your name is from the HeeHAW days with the BR549 thing... That was always the phone number I wrote down when asked in my travel days


Roy Ken

Roy, I have some kin folk that work at the Archer station. J Carolton and J. McDonald. Yes Camp Doris in a nice place its close and good for a weekend trip. I go in Sept when the elk are rutting. I do have a plan "b" If we start running low on juice just go to a full hook up campground or resort. Just have to stay one night while the battery charges. I would like to avoid that if possible though. I have a smart converter should be here tomorrow 45 amp powermax.

Mark,

You mentioned wanting to get away from the crowds, so maybe you might want to check this Texas campsite out sometime. We've never been there, but the description sure reads nice. (BTW, for extended dry camping and boondocking in our Class C, we use a super quiet Honda EX650 generator for keeping the batteries topped up.)

This just might be an ideal remote spot in Texas for a popup camper (high enough to be out of the heat, too):

http://www.nps.gov/gumo/planyourvisit/dogcanyon.htm

Here's a little more info on the area:

http://prism.texarkanacollege.edu/bbvirtual/dogcanyon/dogcanyon.html

How much is a new gr 31 battery? Because, if you take a battery down below 50% it is now damaged and will only deteriorate. So..for a 100 bux you can reslove this situation and now you have a way to go boondocking most anytime, without having to worry about it. Hell, if your wife hates it after a week, you can take the panels back to Lowes.

Maybe I am missing something here.



Gary Haupt

Whiskey Tall Falls huh... Lived there back in the mid 60s to the early 70s and been going back there many weeks at a time working on the Space Surveillance system at Archer. The big then back then was trying to just have ONE BEER at each Honky Tonk from Frizzels to the DOve and survive it. I even go back to Silver Dollar days... More recently I used to park my OFF-ROAD POPUP CAMPER in the HAMPTON parking lot when it was on Maurine and now at Kemp when we was working at the Archer City site. Finally retired now - Miss my Wichita Falls trips big time... It was a homecoming on every trip... Wife is also from the North Texas area... Her mom is buried at GOBER, TX (Bonham area)- this town wasn't on the big maps until recently haha..

Your trip to Colo sure doesnt have alot of PLAN Bs in it. You will need to start beefing up your 21-footer sooner or later with smart mode converter/charger, LED lights, more batteries, and a 2kW generator. We used to stay out weeks on end tent camping with the Jeeps and utility trailers back in the 50s-60s in the high country of Arizona but even that took some planning to be successful.

We run 255AHs of Battery Capacity on our off-road POPUP and can run almost everything in the trailer except the Air Conditioner and the high Wattage Microwave and make it it thru the one day/night camping run off the batteries. Then re-charge back up with the trailer connected to the generator for a short three hour run when the batteries get down to around 12.0VDC (apprx 50% charge state). Doing it this way we can stay out for a good two weeks and still fit into most of the camp ground policies on running the generator but after two weeks we have to do a full 100% battery charge or start having harm done to the battery bank. This takes around 12 hours of generator run time which no one allows so thats when we head back for the house.

We love camping off the power grid alot. Went to Wichita Mtns Wildlife Refuge at Medicine Park many times. Was there at Camp Doris for a week just two years ago... My OFF-ROAD POPUP Camper with Virginia TAGS has blessed your area many time...

This is from our last visit at Camp Doris. Notice when we camp off the power grid and need 120VAC for a fan to blow away the mosquitoes we just plug in a couple of extension cords...


I'm assuming your name is from the HeeHAW days with the BR549 thing... That was always the phone number I wrote down when asked in my travel days


Roy Ken