The End All/Be All of Non-Slide Rigs - Or No?
Hi folks. New to the truck camper world. Will be retiring late next year and have a very specific question regarding truck campers. Here's the setup to the question: I need the most rugged, inde...
Forum Discussion
I think you have a very capable rig picked out that will give you years of enjoyment. One thing to consider is try to find a camper two - three years old. You will still get years and years out of it and save lots of money. Realize it isn't an issue, but it will let you get a second unit in 15 years from now to finish out your years. The model you have choosen should be easy to find. Odds are one camper is not going to last you from retirement until you can't travel any more (at least that's what I'm hoping).
Generator has been covered. Even if I had to have two Honda's for the seldom occasions of running the AC, that would still be much better since you can just run one once in a while. And to be honest, I really think you will find you hardly have to run one.
The 160 watts solar will more than meet you power needs, even in the winter. I have a single 100 watt panel and it meets similar needs even in the winter in temps down to about 20*. Amazing how quick and comfortable a camper sitting at 65* is and easy to sleep when letting it drop to 50* at night. While I don't have as many electric devices as you, I do routinely charge a pair of laptops and it takes a lot less than you think.
Plan on adding a battery monitor such as a TriMetric so you really know the charge state. A voltage indicator isn't good enough, instead you need one that tracks the A/hr state. It will pay for itself by reducing generator run time when the battery is really basically topped off.
In regards to propane, a 20# tank will run a fridge on LP for about two months. Cooking a couple of meals will use much less than that. Biggest consumption of propane will be the hot water heater, so figure on turning that on only when you plan on taking a shower, then off afterwards. You don't need hot water for dishes as it is the soap that kills the bacterial, not the water. With twin tanks, taking 3 showers/week, fridge, and some cooking, I bet you won't use a 20# tank in a month. Now the furnace will use more, but you should be able to get two weeks from a 20# tank if you keep the temps down in the camper or stay where the temps stay above freezing.
In regards to the gasser engine choice, I think you are making a good choice. I moved from a diesel w/manual to a gasser w/auto and have been well pleased. I do miss the exhaust brake and will definitely be wearing out the brake pads a lot quicker. However, only on one occasion have I really missed the old truck. It was a very steep 10-14% grade, single lane very curvy paved road where the speed needed to be held down to under 15mph. I don't think the diesel w/auto would have been able to provide much exhaust braking, but the diesel w/manual would have been fantastic making it so I didn't require touching the brakes. With the gasser, I could tell after 3 miles the brakes were starting to get warm, but they never began to fade and would have been fine for another mile at least. On roads where highway speeds have been maintainable (>30mph), I've never wished for the diesel and exhaust brake.
Enjoy your reitirement and travels.
Generator has been covered. Even if I had to have two Honda's for the seldom occasions of running the AC, that would still be much better since you can just run one once in a while. And to be honest, I really think you will find you hardly have to run one.
The 160 watts solar will more than meet you power needs, even in the winter. I have a single 100 watt panel and it meets similar needs even in the winter in temps down to about 20*. Amazing how quick and comfortable a camper sitting at 65* is and easy to sleep when letting it drop to 50* at night. While I don't have as many electric devices as you, I do routinely charge a pair of laptops and it takes a lot less than you think.
Plan on adding a battery monitor such as a TriMetric so you really know the charge state. A voltage indicator isn't good enough, instead you need one that tracks the A/hr state. It will pay for itself by reducing generator run time when the battery is really basically topped off.
In regards to propane, a 20# tank will run a fridge on LP for about two months. Cooking a couple of meals will use much less than that. Biggest consumption of propane will be the hot water heater, so figure on turning that on only when you plan on taking a shower, then off afterwards. You don't need hot water for dishes as it is the soap that kills the bacterial, not the water. With twin tanks, taking 3 showers/week, fridge, and some cooking, I bet you won't use a 20# tank in a month. Now the furnace will use more, but you should be able to get two weeks from a 20# tank if you keep the temps down in the camper or stay where the temps stay above freezing.
In regards to the gasser engine choice, I think you are making a good choice. I moved from a diesel w/manual to a gasser w/auto and have been well pleased. I do miss the exhaust brake and will definitely be wearing out the brake pads a lot quicker. However, only on one occasion have I really missed the old truck. It was a very steep 10-14% grade, single lane very curvy paved road where the speed needed to be held down to under 15mph. I don't think the diesel w/auto would have been able to provide much exhaust braking, but the diesel w/manual would have been fantastic making it so I didn't require touching the brakes. With the gasser, I could tell after 3 miles the brakes were starting to get warm, but they never began to fade and would have been fine for another mile at least. On roads where highway speeds have been maintainable (>30mph), I've never wished for the diesel and exhaust brake.
Enjoy your reitirement and travels.
