Generator vs Battery/Inverter/Solar
We have just purchased our first truck camper - a used 2007 Lance 845 and have a couple questions that I hope you can help us out with. The camper is still at the dealer and we're considering having a...
Forum Discussion
If you want to run AC without plugging in you'll need the generator-- but as a potential co-resident of campgrounds I'd ask you not to-- quiet is one of the things we go camping for!
If you're driving every day your batteries should always be fully charged even without a solar panel (check that you've got a heavy enough wire from your truck to the camper to support charging, 8 AWG is recommended).
I've always gotten by fine for many days boondocking on one battery, but I use power very lightly, the CO and gas detectors are almost certainly my heaviest draws. I recently got a new (to me) camper with two batteries and a 150 watt solar panel, so I'm expecting to be able to go indefinitely without mechanical recharging.
You probably want to add up the draws from the things you anticipate using and see how that compares to your battery capacity to inform your decision. You may find that something as simple as swapping your conventional light bulbs for LEDs will eliminate the need for a generator with its added weight, noise, and storage requirement.
If you're driving every day your batteries should always be fully charged even without a solar panel (check that you've got a heavy enough wire from your truck to the camper to support charging, 8 AWG is recommended).
I've always gotten by fine for many days boondocking on one battery, but I use power very lightly, the CO and gas detectors are almost certainly my heaviest draws. I recently got a new (to me) camper with two batteries and a 150 watt solar panel, so I'm expecting to be able to go indefinitely without mechanical recharging.
You probably want to add up the draws from the things you anticipate using and see how that compares to your battery capacity to inform your decision. You may find that something as simple as swapping your conventional light bulbs for LEDs will eliminate the need for a generator with its added weight, noise, and storage requirement.
