Do I need an on board generator?
So the new Arctic Fox truck campers now offer a 3000 watt inverter and a 400 ah lithium battery package, you can also get up to 600 watts of solar on the roof. The refrigerator is now a 12 volt comp...
Forum Discussion
Flip a coin….
Personally, had one in a toyhauler, convenient but annoying (noise and vibe). I would not want one I’d rather strap a Honda 2200 on a hitch carrier and use it as needed either enroute if you “had” to charge. Or away from the camper when parked so no noise and vibration.
Not to mention far cheaper of an option. Easier to maintain, more versatile and no risk of difficulty working on it, stuffed in the camper. Also assuming it LP powered for the built in Onan. Thats just WRONG. They drink LP pretty fast like the furnace. And on principle….wtf?? You have LP to run a generator to charge your batteries to run the fridge on electricity when you could just sip LP for days or weeks with that battery setup and a LP fridge.
My answer is a solid NO. I’d get a tag along generator.
**bleep**, can’t even buy a TC with a LP fridge anymore?
**bleep**, can’t even buy a TC with a LP fridge anymore?
yes you can haha, not all brands have gone stupid
Well that’s good to hear. Too bad because I really like AF campers.
Although I’d be buying one old enough to have a LP fridge.
Even though I think it would be super cool to build up a big battery bank like you’ve done. I’d want that just so I could run the AC without a genny, say if it was too warm at night.I am still trying to wrap my head around using the AC while camping haha.. we have used it in the 5th wheel, but mainly for the dog while we were out doing something to make sure it never got to hot. we were also using the 5th as a hotel substitute, not camping. usually it might be hot during the day but I am in the mountains so it cools right off in the evening so in that situation I can only remember one weekend in the last 35 years when I wished I had a genny and that was during the heat domes we got a few years back, it was getting to 48C during the day. I switch sites the second day so the morning sun was on the awning side and it was a lot better. so I constantly an reminding myself that gennys are the norm for those who camp in the southern US.
I don't know how long I could run a AC with that battery. maybe when I finish the other three and get them in the 5th wheel I could do something there. that will be 912AH. my original Idea was to build it so I could easily add it to the 5th wheel and take that up to 1216AH when I figured I might need it. but the intention was never to run the AC, but rather the bar fridge in the outside kitchen, the ice maker and the ninja slushy machine or the Margaritaville 😁 I switch from scotch to frozen drinks when it gets hot haha.
a 13.6ac will use about 1800 watts at full blast, so that's about 150A DC when you take the inefficiency's into account and round up. so with my battery you could run it for about 2 hours at night then your done, assuming 100% run time.
Haha funny you talk about the AC while camping.
We tent camped for years n years. Lots of summer camping with the boat, hot as hell out. NM, AZ summertime. Always was like it would be so nice to have a camper and AC….Fast forward to moving to AK in 2013. Bought the first TC. Nice AF 860 with…..air conditioning! Never used it in AK….obviously. Moved back, sold the camper in AK, bought another one, same camper basically, with AC. Never used it here in the mountains. 2016 we take a big family trip, MT, Yellowstone, etc out to the Midwest and back. Didn’t need AC the first week in the Northern Rockies.
Dropped down heading thru WY. First hot night but we got a hotel to do laundry etc. No AC needed.
Next day heading east, about 90 deg outside and 2 more weeks of scorching hot July weather in front of us, we stop to wash the truck and camper. Was grungy from miles of forest roads etc and now a couple weeks of on road only ahead.
Pull in to a big self serve car wash in Billings. Wife is directing me in to the wash bay checking clearance just like always when things get tight.
“You’re good you’re good….”CRUNCH! Cleared the opening but the bar joists were about a ft lower than the opening! Smashed the **bleep** out of the AC! Ripped it half off the roof, inoperable! FCK!
Back out of the bay and turn to leave and see an outside wash station on the the end of the bldg with no overhead structure!!
older boy, about 12 at the time, headphones on in the back seat seen it on the way in apparently.
Says “why didn’t you just use that one instead dad?”
Fck it. Got that smashed one reattached enough to not fly off across the Great Plains and kept a bucket under it when it rained for the rest of the trip.
I took it as a sign. Got home, took the AC off, threw it in the garbage and replaced it with a vent. Apparently was not meant to use AC in a truck camper!
