Amp Hours - Are you Right Sized? Post your Charge Method

1 - Projected Amp Hrs for 24 hrs: 78 amps
2 - Current # of batteries: 2
3 - Current # Amp Hours your batteries have: 150AH
4 - Battery voltage: 12v Group24
5 - How long do your batteries last based on #1: 8 hours
6 - How long each day do you run your generator to get recharged: 2 hours/day in the evening to last throughout the night
7 - Additional Info: Running a 1.86 amp dc fan at night quickly discharges our batteries over the night. We need more AH/RC battery bank and looking at switching to 4 6v battery bank.

Just got back from a 5 day boondock outing. Here's what I noted:

2 adults
Conserve mode

Two 6-volt Trojan T105's
220 AH max
No generator or solar
Used 8% of batteries each 24hours
After 5 days, had 60% remaining in batteries

Water pump biggest user
LED lights used
Spent most of leisure time outside.

After 5 days, fresh water (60 gal) was low, black tank was close to full (40 gal), gray tank was OK. We were ready to do laundry and buy some groceries.

Normally the batteries are first to go, but this trip it was the water that got us up to leave.

#1 In 24 hours, hmm not sure, never timed it that far. In the summer, typically I use 160 amp hours between 9pm when I shut down generators and noon the next day, when I usually leave the trailer to explore locally. That's leaving the microwave clock on, fridge on propane, usually a few hours of TV for a movie or running the radio, maybe some microwave popcorn and always 1 or more smallish AC fans running.

#2 I have four batteries, #3 200aH, #4 4x group 31 AGM parallel at 12v, #5 see #1

#6 I now have dual generators, twin Yam 2000iS, I usually start them around 4-5pm and they run flat out until 7, that'll take me from 70% SOC to 95%, then I switch one to ECO and the other OFF to finish that last 5%

#7 The furnace is a big drain... boondocking in the winter I use 30% SOC or more over night, with the furnace running more or less constantly, plus more lights on, even though LED, they add up. Plus cold batteries are a lot less efficient.

MiRV wrote:
it's important to have the House Batteries "right sized" for a successful Boondock.

Please post the following:

1 - Projected Amp Hours for 24 hours (amp hour worksheet):
2 - Current # of batteries:
3 - Current # of Amp Hours [AH] your batteries have (or Reserve Capacity [RC]):
4 - Battery Voltage (6 or 12):
5 - How long do your batteries last based on #1:
6 - How long each day do you run your generator to get "recharged":
7 - Provide any other info like if you use solar and how you recharge, etc.:

I would say it is even more important to have energy needs "right sized" for your charging method.

1) 50 or less
2) 15 or less (correction - you got me confused with "current #". Current from the bank is 15A, number of batts is 3. Why the number of batts is even important?)
3) 300 AH total @12V
4) 12
5) Like how long until they drop below 50%? In location where it usually is - forever.
6) No generator run, no need.
7) Solar. Don't know what you mean by "how you recharge". It's just getting recharged by 11 am without my help. Or by 2pm next day if it was overcast.

1 - Projected Amp Hours for 24 hours (amp hour worksheet): 30-45, depending on how much TV I watch with the inverter running.
2 - Current # of batteries: 1
3 - Current # of Amp Hours [AH] your batteries have (or Reserve Capacity [RC]): 150 ah, although the batteries age makes it closer probably to 135 or 140.
4 - Battery Voltage (6 or 12): 12V... Trojan T-1275 sweeper battery.
5 - How long do your batteries last based on #1: 2 days.
6 - How long each day do you run your generator to get "recharged": With a 33 amp power supply unit set at 15.0v at the battery, usually 50 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes.
7 - Provide any other info like if you use solar and how you recharge, etc.:

If using my portable solar panel that I aim 3 or 4x a day at the sun, that charges at a 6.6 amp rate, 120W in June, I am charged by 11-12 noon, most days, in June. Again I use an adjustable charge controller and set the voltage for 15.0V at the battery terminal.

I always, when boondocking, use adjustable voltage chargers, and I almost always set for 15.0V, if day time temps are around no more than 75 or 80F.

1. 120
2. 8
3. 800
4. 12
5. 3 or 4 days
6. 0
7. 800w solar

1) Apparently 500
2) 4
3) 900
4) 12V AGM
5) About 12 hours
6) 6-8
7) No solar

1 - either ~1, 10 or 20 depending on weather
2 - 1
3 - 80
4 - 12
5 - many, 4 or 2, added solar, unlimited
6 - 0
7 - xantrex xpower 15 charger, 60 watt solar as maintainer in storage.

MiRV, are you close to drawing any useful conclusions yet? :)

The number of daily AH varies from ~0 to 500 AH.
The size of battery bank - from 80 to 800.
The number of days for battery - from ~0 to unlimited.
Enough said...

1. 80ish
2. 4
3. 740
4. 6V
5. 4-5 days
6. Only recharge at home on shore power.
7. No solar. 55amp converter or 40 amp portable.