First time dry camping this weekend
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Aug-15-2013 08:55 PM
2013 Thor Chateau 31L
- Labels:
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Boondocking
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Dry Camping
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Public Lands
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Sep-01-2013 02:35 PM
wbwood wrote:
45 watt would be enough? It wouldn't due much good this weekend though. Was overcast and rained a good bit.
Better value to buy individual components. I think you can have 100w panel and basic controller for the price of that HF kit.
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Sep-01-2013 02:29 PM
And here is why this glitch matters to me -- I try never to let my battery get below 12.1 volts. When it hits the magic number, it is time to run the generator (or to switch to my backup battery). But I find that I can go an extra day before recharging, if I wait an hour before checking voltage.
2013 Toyota Tacoma Off-Road (semi-beefy tires and components)
Our trips -- pix and text
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"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single list."
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Aug-31-2013 06:21 PM
2013 Thor Chateau 31L
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Aug-21-2013 02:48 PM
RoyB wrote:
Glad you did some planning before going. I keep preaching the planning part. I also like to use the word SUCCESSFUL.... They go together...
Otherwise if you just show up and expect it all to work it will most definitely get dark on you around 10PM hehe... Then what are you gonna do...
We do great with my 255AHs battery capacity - Run all the 120VAC toys from an 600WATT PSW Inverter and all the 12VDC toys direct connected to the battery bank. We have all of this planed out to run all we want to run and drop our battery bank to 12.0VDC around 8AM the next morning. You have to keep a watchful eye on the battery monito panel... Then we can run the generator for just three hours to recharge then bank back up to its 90% SOC. I always start off with a 90% SOC otherwise the batteries drop real quick performance wise. If I just charge for an hour you think it is helping but it really isn't charge wise. It gets worse and worse only charging an hour each day... Three hours generator run time is great at 8AM in the morning. Then you can make up your fresh ground bean coffee and do some other generator required things making breakfast etc. Then you are good for the next day/night run off the batteries starting out with a 90% fresh charge. Works very successful for us at any rate. Our camping off the power grid way back in the woods is almost the same as we do at regular electric camp sites. Don't do without anything we want to have on except air conditioning. We watch HDTV every night if we want to... My camp site is lit up like we don't any good sense hehe...
Having my front deck on the OFF-ROAD POPUP really is my savings grace. Between that and the pickup truck bed we come pretty well stocked up for all of the PLAN Bs that need to be addressed.
I'm still hoping to do some more camping in the NC high country... Got to get the BRADDY Sequestor out of the way and should be back on the road again soon...
When way back in the woods having a couple of 5-gallon water containers and those 7.5 Gallon AQUA-TAINER totes to carry off the gray water really helps out. I always spot out the water holes before going into the woods. There is usually a designated rest room somewhere near by... Can carry out 15GALS of gray water and bring back 10GALS of fresh water haha.. Having a two wheeled folding cart helps too...
Roy Ken
For the weekend (two nights) we found that our fresh water/gray water set up to be adequate. I bought two of those 6 gallon Jerry cans from Walmart and filled them up before leaving home. I also have a 35 gallon tote that I can carry with us if for longer period of time. But where needs to be a dump station near by. If we are going to be in an area where we basically need to haul it out, I will either have to crank up the mh and drive her or I would get a couple of those aqua trainers you mentioned. Just have to find a cheap solution of getting the gray water into them. From the large port hole to a smaller one. There's gotta be some sort of reducer out there.
As far as power, I just gotta get more comfortable with it. We are going to a state park that is literally 5 minutes from the house on Labor Day weekend. There are no hookups. I will feel more comfortable testing it out more fully then. And I remembered to leave voltmeter in the camper. Might even try the tv at night for a couple hours. Lol
2013 Thor Chateau 31L
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Aug-21-2013 08:10 AM
wbwood wrote:fireman93514 wrote:.
Glad you had a good time. We love dry camping and boondocking. If this is something you plan to do more of, we bought a 45 watt solar panel kit from harbor freight. It keeps our two group 27 batts at full charge. Cost was under $200.
45 watt would be enough? It wouldn't due much good this weekend though. Was overcast and rained a good bit.
So far this has worked for keeping the Batteries up. I have not had a cloudy day while we are out yet. We have just added this to our arsenal. They sell a hub to connect six of these units together. I need a to test these for longer than the four days we were out. If you were going to use multiple unit I would mount them on the roof. They are not light weight.
2007 Winnebago Access 31C
2008 Ford Focus
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Aug-21-2013 06:48 AM
Otherwise if you just show up and expect it all to work it will most definitely get dark on you around 10PM hehe... Then what are you gonna do...
We do great with my 255AHs battery capacity - Run all the 120VAC toys from an 600WATT PSW Inverter and all the 12VDC toys direct connected to the battery bank. We have all of this planed out to run all we want to run and drop our battery bank to 12.0VDC around 8AM the next morning. You have to keep a watchful eye on the battery monito panel... Then we can run the generator for just three hours to recharge then bank back up to its 90% SOC. I always start off with a 90% SOC otherwise the batteries drop real quick performance wise. If I just charge for an hour you think it is helping but it really isn't charge wise. It gets worse and worse only charging an hour each day... Three hours generator run time is great at 8AM in the morning. Then you can make up your fresh ground bean coffee and do some other generator required things making breakfast etc. Then you are good for the next day/night run off the batteries starting out with a 90% fresh charge. Works very successful for us at any rate. Our camping off the power grid way back in the woods is almost the same as we do at regular electric camp sites. Don't do without anything we want to have on except air conditioning. We watch HDTV every night if we want to... My camp site is lit up like we don't any good sense hehe...
Having my front deck on the OFF-ROAD POPUP really is my savings grace. Between that and the pickup truck bed we come pretty well stocked up for all of the PLAN Bs that need to be addressed.
I'm still hoping to do some more camping in the NC high country... Got to get the BRADDY Sequestor out of the way and should be back on the road again soon...
When way back in the woods having a couple of 5-gallon water containers and those 7.5 Gallon AQUA-TAINER totes to carry off the gray water really helps out. I always spot out the water holes before going into the woods. There is usually a designated rest room somewhere near by... Can carry out 15GALS of gray water and bring back 10GALS of fresh water haha.. Having a two wheeled folding cart helps too...
Roy Ken
Roy - Carolyn
RETIRED DOAF/DON/DOD/CONTR RADIO TECH (42yrs)
K9PHT (Since 1957) 146.52M
2010 F150, 5.4,3:73 Gears,SCab
2008 Starcraft 14RT EU2000i GEN
2005 Flagstaff 8528RESS
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Aug-20-2013 12:56 PM
Tvov wrote:
I wouldn't worry too much about the battery power level dropping immediately... that just means it is not at "full" charge. When you think about it, it makes sense. With a fully charged battery, just turning on one light will quickly bring the battery under full charge, even if a little bit. When we dry camp, the battery "drops" to 2/3 charge on the first night, but then stays there for 2-3 days under normal dry camping use.
With more dry camping experience, you will learn how long your particular electrical system will last on battery.
That's what I figured out about it and the whole panel including water and tank level.
Since we were able to run the generator, we did just about an hour or so the entire trip. Made us feel better at least. Lol.
I didn't have the battery chart with the percentage levels on it while camping. I couldn't remember exactly what they were and we had no cell phone reception for me to pull it up. Saturday evening we were in town and got a reception. I pulled it up on my iPhone and copied it to my photo album. So now I have it all the time. My wife suggested we print it out and laminate it and keep in the camper which we will do as well.
2013 Thor Chateau 31L
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Aug-20-2013 12:51 PM
profdant139 wrote:
You are right that the radio is a problem. We installed an in-line switch to our radio, so that we can completely cut off the power -- no parasitic drain.
I might look into that. I think for e time being I will find the fuse the next time.
2013 Thor Chateau 31L
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Aug-20-2013 12:50 PM
fireman93514 wrote:.
Glad you had a good time. We love dry camping and boondocking. If this is something you plan to do more of, we bought a 45 watt solar panel kit from harbor freight. It keeps our two group 27 batts at full charge. Cost was under $200.
45 watt would be enough? It wouldn't due much good this weekend though. Was overcast and rained a good bit.
2013 Thor Chateau 31L
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Aug-20-2013 03:56 AM
With more dry camping experience, you will learn how long your particular electrical system will last on battery.
2021 F150 2.7
2004 21' Forest River Surveyor
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Aug-19-2013 08:50 AM
2013 Toyota Tacoma Off-Road (semi-beefy tires and components)
Our trips -- pix and text
About our trailer
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single list."
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Aug-19-2013 08:38 AM
2007 Winnebago Access 31C
2008 Ford Focus
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Aug-19-2013 08:13 AM
Water wise, we were more than good. Had a full fresh water tank. Took 2 full 6 gallon jugs with us. Added one on Saturday and the other on Sunday morning before leaving. Gray tank was up to 2/3 full and had to add some to the black tank to get it sufficient enough to dump.
Oh yeah...ran the fantastic fans a total of 2 hours maybe. Cut them off at night. Was more than cool enough with the windows open. Think it got into the upper 50's or low 60's. Didn't spend much of the day on Saturday in the camper. Kayaked, went for a ride and then of course shopping for my wife and daughter.
2013 Thor Chateau 31L
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Aug-16-2013 05:54 AM