Camping off-grid & batteries/propane/solar

westend wrote:
For the average guy taking a weekend off for camping, the generator is an unneeded burden, IMO. A camper should arrive at destination with a fully charged battery bank. The battery bank, if sized correctly, would offer enough 12V power to complete the weekend. IF that isn't possible and power is needed to recharge, using jumper cables from the tow vehicle is a back up solution.

As an "average guy" who these days typically camps a few days at a time and who has owned two different Honda EU2000i gensets but later sold them due to lack of use I couldn't agree more. In his original post the OP said he was intending to immediately upgrade from a single G27 to dual G24s, to which I suggested he instead upgrade to dual GC-2s as the footprint is essentially the same but total AH rating will increase substantially from ~ 150 AH to ~ 220 AH. With that much reserve there's no reason one can't make it through a weekend of camping without shore power. That alone is certainly enough to start and as he gains experience he'll then be in a much better position to judge whether for his particular needs the expense of solar or a genset could be justified.

As for propane, anyone who takes the time to examine the Lance 1575 tongue will realize immediately that as currently configured there's just no room for a second tank, in which case the OP has several alternative options. 1) Replace that single 20 lb tank with a 30 lb, 2) remove that single tank & hardware, replace it with a dual tank tray, and install two 20 lb or 30 lb tanks, or 3) leave the trailer as it is and carry a spare tank in the TV. Many trailers, my own included, come with a factory installed dual tank tray mounted just aft of the tongue jack (choice #2) so if it can be done with mine it should be possible with his. This will leave plenty of room between the tanks and the trailer's front wall for at least dual GC-2s.



Regarding the recommendation to go with AGMs instead of flooded I'd only do so if I knew for a fact the converter / charger I was intending to use to maintain those batteries met all the requirements, otherwise there's nothing wrong with good ol' (cheaper) flooded GC-2s.

As for rexlion's post saying that because the unloaded tongue weight of this trailer is just 225 lbs it's gross tongue weight fully loaded & ready to camp would be ~ 300 to 350 lbs, I disagree completely. This trailer's GVWR is 3700 lbs and even with careful loading the OP is sure to use most of that rating. Let's say he's really conservative in what he carries in this trailer as cargo and assume a GVW loaded & ready to camp of 3500 lbs ... even 13% of that is 455 lbs. However, if the OP runs with dual GC-2s and two 20 lb tanks as I suggested gross tongue weight could be even greater. A 600 / 6000 lb Equal-i-zer would be perfect for this application. :B

To the OP - there's no need at this stage to simply throw your wallet at perceived "problems" until you've been out a few times and will then truly understand what may best serve your needs for your particular style of camping. A pair of GC-2s and a couple of 20 lb tanks are plenty to get you going, no need for anything more right now. Baby steps. ;)