Forum Discussion

concord_05's avatar
concord_05
Explorer
Aug 22, 2016

Newbie Question

Although we are not new to camping in our motorhome, we have only dry camped an occasional one night at a time. The second week in September we will be staying 3 nights at Moraine CG in RMNP. Have searched and read with interest the many tips on this site. Have a few questions. I have switched out all of the lighting to LEDs to lower use. Would it be beneficial when we are out running around in the day to flip the battery disconnect switch to conserve battery draw.( would the propane refrigerator continue to work if I did this?). We have 3 slides. One with the dinette needs a new seal at the bottom and probably lets in some cold air. (Planning on doing somethings to seal it better.) Considered closing it at night but figured it would be a large drain on the battery. Know we will need to run furnace at night and then run generator to recharge battery. I'm probably overthinking all of this but any advise would be greatly appreciated.
Boondocking
Dry Camping
Public Lands
  • profdant139's avatar
    profdant139
    Explorer II
    Aug 23, 2016
    By the way, have you ever been to RMNP in September? If not, you are in for a treat -- beautiful, cool, lots of fall foliage, and bugling elks! The hikes are world-class. If possible, do Tombstone Ridge in the high country -- it is almost flat, and the views are breathtaking.
  • Billinwoodland's avatar
    Billinwoodland
    Explorer
    Aug 22, 2016
    Boon Docker wrote:
    The instant you flip the disconnect your fridge will shut down.

    On my A, certainly if the main 12v switch is turned off and the engine 12v switch is turned off, the entire coach will not have 12v. But I have a kill switch inside the coach that turns off all the 12v except the refrigerator.
  • 4runnerguy's avatar
    4runnerguy
    Explorer
    Aug 22, 2016
    Assuming your battery is in good shape, if you have a generator you will be fine. Your fridge needs the power to operate. If your battery is older or has been too discharged in the past, maybe it's time for a new one.

    We can go three days without running the generator, although it's rare for us to run the furnace more than an hour or so in the morning to warm things up, (and we're in a PUP, so it reaches ambient temperature with the outside pretty quickly). We run our generator in the evening when we return from hiking or biking and are taking showers. The water pump is a pretty good load plus Allison can then dry her hair afterward. You can run your generator from 7:30 to 10 am and from 4 to 8:30 pm. at Moraine Park CG.
  • donn0128's avatar
    donn0128
    Explorer II
    Aug 22, 2016
    Three days is doable if......
    Good batteries,
    Conserve electricity,
    No furnace.
    If you run the furnace expect one day or less.
  • TheLostDutchman's avatar
    TheLostDutchman
    Explorer
    Aug 22, 2016
    While I don't know the specifics of your setup, just 3 days should be a piece of cake if your house batteries are in good shape. We don't have a motorhome (shopping now) we do have a 5th Wheel and regularly dry camp for up to two weeks at a time.

    We run our fridge and furnace as needed, and additionally RUN the DirecTV receiver, the TV, and my wife's bi-pap at night via an inverter. Most of my lights are still incandescent. It's never been a problem. I just top off the batteries in the morning and again in tne evening by running the gennie.
  • EV2's avatar
    EV2
    Explorer
    Aug 22, 2016
    Most likely your propane refrig requires 12 volts for the control panel, so using the disconnect will cut power and the refrig will shut down. You could add a small gel cell at the 12v connection inside the panel at the rear of the refrigerator which would maintain power to the control panel when the disconnect is used, but does require a diode to stop back flow from the gel cell. It is also a useful modification when precooling while the coach is in storage. Your plan to close a slide while gone would be helpful if you run the generator while opening and closing.
  • profdant139's avatar
    profdant139
    Explorer II
    Aug 22, 2016
    What is your battery setup? That will tell us if 3 days will be a problem or not. If you have one little battery, that is a problem. Two big ones, probably no problem. Do you have solar? Or a generator?

About Campground 101

Recommendations, reviews, and the inside scoop from fellow travelers.14,716 PostsLatest Activity: Feb 10, 2025