Hello All,We seem to be dry camping more and more over the past 2 years. Mostly in state forrest land with dedicated sites but the sites are roughly 1/4-1/2 mile between each site. This spring I upgraded from a single 12v to dual 6V batteries. Now when camping in 40 degree nights my furnace makes it well into the morning and even into the afternoon vs 3 or 4am with the old 12v. So our current routine is running generator for about 2 hours in the morning while we make coffee and breakfast, and then about 2 hours in the evening as my kids are winding down and watching a movie before bed. The rest of the day and all night I prefer to leave generators off and 4 hours seems to be enough to charge the batteries enough to hold over another night.Anyway,I'd love to cut that back even further and give the ability to run a coffee maker, TV, and other devices off 12v. Please point me in a direction of where to start looking at inverters. Are there good posts explaining how and where to install them? Also, what size solar kit is fairly affordable and makes enough power to maybe cut an hour or two off my generator running?Thanks!

For most of all your questions you can find all the information you are looking for on You Tube. I would have you look up, Renogy is a good starter but there are many others to chose from. From a 100 watt starter package for less than $200 to a 400 watt system for around $600.

Unless you are full time, the payback on solar is never and you can forget making coffee off your 2 batteries... run the generator. Without adding more batteries, adding solar will only help a little. A 500W inverter will power the TV. The cheapest way to decrease generator time is add a bigger battery charger.

I have two Interstate GC2 batteries and charge them using a Windy City 200 Watt 2 panel solar setup for right at $225.. We can go for several days up to at least 10 and only use the Generator for making toast in the morning and occasionally use it for running the microwave.A 500 watt inverter is way more than you need to run an average 32" Class TV. My older 120 VAC Sharp TV uses 45 amps of power. The 32" Class Insignia I had in our Bounder was 12 VDC and used 35 Watts. The Winnie has a 100 Watt inverter and runs the Blu-Ray and TV with ease.The best way to power a coffee maker is use a percolator. If you like K-Cups, use a Cup-A-Joe for 15 bucks from Walmart. While I may never get my money back on these things, I don't use the genny very often and thereby avoid the ire of the self-righteous Generator Police.The best power savers are LED lights and I converted 5 fluorescent ceiling lights to two power level LED lights for les than 20 bucks for a 15 foot strip from eBay.

“Anyway,I'd love to cut that back even further and give the ability to run a coffee maker, TV, and other devices off 12v.”Four batteries and 600 watts of solar will accomplish all of the above 98 days out of a hundred without any generator use. Depending on how late you sleep solar will be recharging your batteries before you wake up. The “payback” is you don’t worry about electricity, gasoline, oil level or changes. I’m at 75 days with no generator use.

The very FIRST thing you need is a GOOD battery monitor. Victron makes several from basic to ones with lots of "wiz bangs". Even the basic one, BMV-700, is good !Once installed you will know how much energy you really ARE using !

Solar & Inverter starting point advice | Good Sam Community

afidel
Explorer II
Jun 16, 2021
The solution to coffee is either a stovetop unit, french press, or freeze dried (instant). Then all you need is to power the TV, easily accomplished with a $25 car inverter and a cigarette outlet added to an existing 12V high drain line or directly to the 12V distribution panel in your converter (mine has 4 unpopulated slots, just add wiring and a 12V fuse)
allen8106
Explorer
Jun 14, 2021
kfp673 wrote:
Hello All,

We seem to be dry camping more and more over the past 2 years. Mostly in state forrest land with dedicated sites but the sites are roughly 1/4-1/2 mile between each site. This spring I upgraded from a single 12v to dual 6V batteries. Now when camping in 40 degree nights my furnace makes it well into the morning and even into the afternoon vs 3 or 4am with the old 12v. So our current routine is running generator for about 2 hours in the morning while we make coffee and breakfast, and then about 2 hours in the evening as my kids are winding down and watching a movie before bed. The rest of the day and all night I prefer to leave generators off and 4 hours seems to be enough to charge the batteries enough to hold over another night.

Anyway,I'd love to cut that back even further and give the ability to run a coffee maker, TV, and other devices off 12v. Please point me in a direction of where to start looking at inverters. Are there good posts explaining how and where to install them? Also, what size solar kit is fairly affordable and makes enough power to maybe cut an hour or two off my generator running?

Thanks!

So here's what i did. This isn't the only way but I'm all in for about $2300 total.

4-130 watt Kyocera used panels from Craigslist. $260
1-Magnum 1000 watt MMS1012 inverter/charger. $737
1-Magnum MM-RC50 inverter remote. $172
2 Crown 240 ah CR-240 batteries. $270
1-Bogart TM-2030-RV battery monitor.$158
1-Morningstar TS-45 charge controller. $143
1- 500 amp shunt. $34
Misc hardware & wiring $500.

The only this I wish i had done differently would be to get a larger inverter. I installed a 1000 watt and wish it was at least a 2000 watt.

We watch TV, run the furnace over night, charge the laptop, charge two phones and run my wifes CPAP machine. Batteries are at about 65%-70% by morning and back to 100% by 1:00-2:00. Basically the system works flawlessly for us.
ReneeG
Explorer
Jun 05, 2021
We have 300 watts of solar and 4 6v deep cycle Trojan batteries. We can easily run our TV and a computer, but we have a stove top percolator for coffee and don't use anything else off the batteries and inverter other than a Cpap which can run all night without the heated hose and barely draw any power. We don't have kids that camp with us so in 40 degree weather, we don't run the furnace. In fact, if it is going to be mid 30's, we don't run the furnace. The first person up starts the furnace and the Buddy heater if necessary. If we have hookups at a forest service campground, then we also run our fireplace (hey, I know that wasn't part of your question, but it's so nice to have the fireplace).
Lwiddis
Explorer II
Jun 05, 2021
Whatever wire size you are considering to connect your inverter, go bigger.
pianotuna
Nomad III
Jun 05, 2021
Install the inverter as close to the battery bank as humanly possible but not in the same compartment.
dieseltruckdriv
Explorer II
Jun 05, 2021
As far as where to place the inverter, it will depend on your rig. I placed my current one behind my fuse/breaker box since 12 volts was easily accessible there. When I change to the larger inverter, I will mount it next to the batteries so I will have a very short run for 12 volts. My 5er came with a generator prep so I can tie 120 volts in to that. That powers an outlet that my 30 amp cord will plug in to, so no further switching will be required.

I am still debating reusing the relays to turn off the converter, or just using a light switch to shut it off.
dieseltruckdriv
Explorer II
Jun 05, 2021
kfp673 wrote:
Thanks all! So if I was to get a 500w inverter, where would that be installed in a travel trailer? Is it installed behind the breaker/fuse panel? Per recommendations,I will search google and youtube for inverter installation. I'd be fine adding it just to our primary TV location as that is also where we recharge laptops and phones in our camper, but just trying to wrap my head around the wiring and mounting location of the inverter itself. Thanks again!

If you can route the wiring, you could use one of these.That would give you a dedicated outlet. To make things easier, I added a couple relays to switch between shore power and inverter power at that outlet. That way we don't have to unplug from one outlet and plug in to the other when we want to watch tv.
kfp673
Explorer II
Jun 05, 2021
Thanks all! So if I was to get a 500w inverter, where would that be installed in a travel trailer? Is it installed behind the breaker/fuse panel? Per recommendations,I will search google and youtube for inverter installation. I'd be fine adding it just to our primary TV location as that is also where we recharge laptops and phones in our camper, but just trying to wrap my head around the wiring and mounting location of the inverter itself. Thanks again!
obiwancanoli
Explorer
Jun 05, 2021
It's pricey in the short term, but Lithium batteries will give you more juice. Add solar, say, 500 watts, perhaps even a portable panel, and you should be good to go... if not, genny will help fill in the shortage
pianotuna
Nomad III
Jun 05, 2021
Hi,

This website may help design a good system:

https://freecampsites.net/adding-solar/