Boondocking/Tailgating

Red Eagle wrote:
Can you put your slides in and out while hooked up to the TV ...

Your slides require 12 vdc to operate and that 12 vdc power is normally supplied by the battery. Obviously how well a single battery may handle that task will depend on it's state of charge at the time so instead of asking for WAGs here on the forum why not just try it yourself at various SOC for your battery - then you'll know. You can also load support the trailer's 12 vdc system with your truck (running) by simply plugging the trailer's Bargman connector into the truck as you normally would do for towing. Better still would be to connect the truck battery directly to the trailer battery using heavy gauge booster cables as there'll be less voltage drop compared to just plugging the trailer into the truck. I do this myself - load support my trailer's single G27 with my truck at times I may want to use my inverter to power heavy draw appliances such as a toaster or coffee maker. It's not a solution for those who dry camp all the time but for occasional use it works just fine. :B Generator use may be justified by some for battery recharging or running A/C but certainly not just because you want to run the slides in and out. :R

Slides will usually work correctly from battery.

A #24 Battery will have 70 to 80 AH capacity #27 maybe 90 AH. If you have standard refrig and H/W heater (electronic ignition), water pump etc. you need to figure you're going to need about 25 AH a day. Either standard battery is going to go 2 days tops.

Depending on your converter you will need a 1000 to 2000 watt gen. 45 Amp converter will run on 1000 watt gen, anything bigger will need 1500 to 2000 watt gen (1500 watt are sorta odd-ball, so 2000 is probably better)

Good Luck,
Doug

We often camp without hook ups. A small generator 1500 watts will provide power for lights and TV/Computer plus satellite receiver. It will not power heavy draw small appliances like a microwave or Blender. It will help recharge batteries in the 5th wheel.

I would at least add another battery. We have four and can go two days using 12v lights and water pump when boondocking without having to worry about running down the batteries. With a 1500 watt generator we can stretch to a week or more as long as water and holding tanks keep up with demand.

The small generators are very quiet, inexpensive and make tailgating/boondocking a little easier.

The Public lands.. forum would be better for this topic.

Time for a little driveway camp out. Unplug and see what works.
Same can be done at FHU site. See how long you can go before you plug in.