Help with ideas about designing a system

SoundGuy wrote:

jrrichar wrote:
Maybe if I explain all the dry camping it might give a better picture.

I compete in retriever field trial events. The events are over 3 days and I prefer to stay on the grounds, which means dry camping. Sometimes towns are nearby and sometimes there is nothing close by. Water can be found readily but electricity not at all.

After working/competing in the event coming back to a hot shower, cold beer, and watch an hour of TV is the main idea. Sometimes there will be a doubleheader and it will be 10-14 days of dry camping. Again, water and fuel are not an issue but electricity certainly is.

Over the course of a year the trailer will see dry camping use of 90+ days a year.

Having an EU3000iS is a huge plus but it does bring up several questions -

Even if we assume you wouldn't be restricted as to when during the day or evening you can run a genset (as often is the case in a conventional campground) will you be around long enough each day or evening to run it to restore your depleted batteries? Does having dogs mean A/C is a necessity, not an option?

Draws such as lights, water pump, charging a phone, even powering your fridge, are easy on battery power alone but do you really want to suck so much out of your batteries just to run a heavy draw device like a microwave oven? Is it really necessary to run a power sucking elecric kettle to heat water when heating water by gas will work just as well but not require any electric power at all? Wouldn't it make more sense to just forget running the MW with a battery powered inverter and instead only run it if you have to when you can use your genset to supply power? For low draw devices a small 300 watt inverter would easily suffice and be a LOT simpler to deal with than a 2000 or 3000 watt model that would have to be permanently installed close to the batteries using heavy gauge cable.

Is this estimated 90+ days of dry camping primarily during hot or warm weather when the furnace is likely to not be required OR is the furnace (which will draw down your battery reserve) going to be used a lot?

Lots of issues to consider - this is just a start. ;)

No noise restriction almost all the trial grounds are privately owned and nobody cares.

Good questions: Chances are that I will not be back into the trailer until 6-7:00 pm possibly later. I can certainly run the generator at night (required in the summer) but am hoping to use Solar to decrease that possibility. The good news is that almost all the areas we dry camp in have very little natural shade and a good chance of decent sunlight.

A/C during the summer is a MUST, it certainly helps both dogs and us humans considering we can be out in the heat all day. It just wears us out! All of us (2 and 4 legged) want to be as cool as we can get it at night. I understand limitations of RV A/C so my expectations are low but something is better then nothing.

Refrigerator has an LP option, I will take out the electric kettle and just boil water, all lights are LED, and the ONLY time the microwave/TV/satellite are on is when the generator is on because I'm back at the trailer.

Phone and iPad are charged in my truck because that is what I'm near throughout the majority of the day.

A/C is likely much more of a possibility during the 90+ days of dry camping then the furnace. We have a Mr. Heater Big Buddy so the only time we would kick on the furnace is when we absolutely have to. By my estimates roughly 20 of those 90 days.

Thank you all really appreciate the information and help!

-Janell

Here's my setup:
No solar since most of our dry sites are shaded. 200W of portable panels may be in the future.
2-12V G29 batteries. When they die I'll go with 2-6V golf cart batteries.
Generator is a Honda 2000i. It runs the microwave and DW's hair dryer, but won't run the AC.
The factory WFCO is switched off and the charging is handled by the generator and IOTA 55A deck-mount converter located in the pass-through and wired to the batteries with 6ga welding cable.
I converted the previous TT to LED lighting, the new one had LED's from the factory. Unfortunately the new TT has a slide mounted fridge and electric fans, an added load.
An hour a day on the generator keeps the batteries topped off. We can easily go 2 days w/o being frugal with the power.

jrrichar wrote:
Maybe if I explain all the dry camping it might give a better picture.

I compete in retriever field trial events. The events are over 3 days and I prefer to stay on the grounds, which means dry camping. Sometimes towns are nearby and sometimes there is nothing close by. Water can be found readily but electricity not at all.

After working/competing in the event coming back to a hot shower, cold beer, and watch an hour of TV is the main idea. Sometimes there will be a doubleheader and it will be 10-14 days of dry camping. Again, water and fuel are not an issue but electricity certainly is.

Over the course of a year the trailer will see dry camping use of 90+ days a year.

Having an EU3000iS is a huge plus but it does bring up several questions -

Even if we assume you wouldn't be restricted as to when during the day or evening you can run a genset (as often is the case in a conventional campground) will you be around long enough each day or evening to run it to restore your depleted batteries? Does having dogs mean A/C is a necessity, not an option?

Draws such as lights, water pump, charging a phone, even powering your fridge, are easy on battery power alone but do you really want to suck so much out of your batteries just to run a heavy draw device like a microwave oven? Is it really necessary to run a power sucking elecric kettle to heat water when heating water by gas will work just as well but not require any electric power at all? Wouldn't it make more sense to just forget running the MW with a battery powered inverter and instead only run it if you have to when you can use your genset to supply power? For low draw devices a small 300 watt inverter would easily suffice and be a LOT simpler to deal with than a 2000 or 3000 watt model that would have to be permanently installed close to the batteries using heavy gauge cable.

Is this estimated 90+ days of dry camping primarily during hot or warm weather when the furnace is likely to not be required OR is the furnace (which will draw down your battery reserve) going to be used a lot?

Lots of issues to consider - this is just a start. ;)

I don't understand how you could fit four 6V (presumably golf cart) batteries but only have room for two 12V batteries. :h

I'm assuming the kettle is on the gas cooktop, so that uses no electricity. (If you're thinking of using an electric kettle, I'd strongly recommend the old-fashioned kind on the stove instead when dry camping. It's likely just as fast heating, quite possibly faster, and uses zero battery power instead of a lot of battery power.)

Aside from the microwave, your electric usage should be pretty modest assuming you aren't going to need to run the furnace much. I think I average somewhere in the vicinity of 20 Ah a day as a baseline for the fridge (on LP), lights, water heater, water pump, and a little bit of TV viewing, not making any great attempt at conservation.

Maybe if I explain all the dry camping it might give a better picture.

I compete in retriever field trial events. The events are over 3 days and I prefer to stay on the grounds, which means dry camping. Sometimes towns are nearby and sometimes there is nothing close by. Water can be found readily but electricity not at all.

After working/competing in the event coming back to a hot shower, cold beer, and watch an hour of TV is the main idea. Sometimes there will be a doubleheader and it will be 10-14 days of dry camping. Again, water and fuel are not an issue but electricity certainly is.

Over the course of a year the trailer will see dry camping use of 90+ days a year.

Thank you SoundGuy I meant the Honda EU3000iS. Don't think anyone wishes a generator was louder!

FWIW, We use 2-6volt batteries(225ah) without solar or a generator and can dry camp for up to about 7 days while discharging the batteries to about 50-percent. However, we have no need for the microwave or a satellite TV during that time. Just LED's, frig on LPG, and the water pump every so often.

This info is given for use as a baseline, if you want.

Well written, you're on the right track. :)

I'll offer that there is no Honda EU3000W, by which I presume you mean a Honda 3000 watt inverter genset. If so, there are 2 distinct models, the class leading EU3000iS and the MUCH louder EU3000i Handi. The former is much heavier but certainly about the quietest genset you could ever hope to own. :B