First time boondocking report
Took family for four days and three nights of dry camping. Really happy with how it went. Everyone got one shower, and we were able to carefully do our dishes and dump that in the black tank. At the e...
Forum Discussion
Our very first trip in our very first class A motorhome was in fall temperature in the mountains of Central Montana. The temperature overnight was 35 to 40 degrees. The coach battery was one 8D unit, a huge thing.
At 3 in the morning, I was awakened by a strange noise; the furnace fan was groaning due to low voltage. That huge battery was nearly dead! I had to get up and start the chassis engine to get enough power to start the generator. It was COLD in that rolling house!
From then on, we made sure the battery(s) were fully charged before going to bed.
As for solar power, keep in mind that 100 watts of solar panels will only deliver about 8 amps to your batteries. Even if you have no load on the batteries, it will take several hours to charge them at that rate. Any useage of 12VDC power extends that charging time.
If you plan on doing a lot of boondocking, I see a generator in your future...
At 3 in the morning, I was awakened by a strange noise; the furnace fan was groaning due to low voltage. That huge battery was nearly dead! I had to get up and start the chassis engine to get enough power to start the generator. It was COLD in that rolling house!
From then on, we made sure the battery(s) were fully charged before going to bed.
As for solar power, keep in mind that 100 watts of solar panels will only deliver about 8 amps to your batteries. Even if you have no load on the batteries, it will take several hours to charge them at that rate. Any useage of 12VDC power extends that charging time.
If you plan on doing a lot of boondocking, I see a generator in your future...
