help decide on upgrades/mods for long term part time

[Searching_Ut]

We're now less than 18 months out of retiring, and purchased the retirement rig now, intending to work out the bugs, and upgrade as required for the heavier than we're used to usage we intend to put on the new setup.

In looking at our logs for the last five years, our normal usage is 6-8k miles of travel a year, a few longer trips of up to 2 weeks at a time, most are 3 or 4 day trips with one way travel of 400 miles or less. Most trips were to forest service off the paved road campgrounds, followed by most of the western state National parks or state parks for the more developed stuff. Maybe two or three RV parks a year. Future plans are to spend weeks or months at different locations in order to explore more in depth at a much more relaxed pace. Alaska, the east coast, and spending a lot of time in Canada are on the agenda. The new rig is also much larger which will result in our having to adapt new routines, and of course we'll be spending a lot of time in the RV vs it just being a place to sleep which will be a big change for us as well.

Given the changed use of the RV, what mods would we probably find most useful? How should I rack and stack what I should add this winter right away, and what I should take a wait and see approach to?

Old TT ran virtually everything of DC. New one needs AC for TV, Stove vent fan which is part of microwave etc. With the bigger rig will I find myself forced into spots with at least elec, or will I still find a lot of options for off grid stuff? For those running inverters are you running whole house or dedicated circuits, and are you happy with the choice you made, or do you wish you went the other way?

From the posts I've seen, if we're going to use hookups much we'll want a power management system. Are thefts of portable ones that common, or is the general consensus to go with a hardwired system?

Washer/Dryer or combo unit seems like a no brainer to me, but the wife seems to think she would be okay using campground laundry's on occasion. While she's thinking that would be fine, she hasn't ever had to do it due to the shorter length trips we normally take. Thoughts?

What am I missing? I'm sure spending months vs days in the RV will include us wishing we had a lot of stuff we don't currently have.

BTW, we have all the outside stuff, screen room, grills, stoves, dutch ovens, chairs and tables, portable ice maker and blender etc. so I think we're pretty good there.

[Searching_Ut]

The tires we have seem to have reasonable reviews, they're Sailun S637 G rated and appear to be much more heavy duty than most. We also already have the correct track system, auto adjusting brakes, 7k axles, and the shock mounts look to be secure enough. The spring packs look a little on the light side as I recall and I don't remember having a wet bolt setup so I'm adding those to the TO Do list. I had room to keep my old TT at the house but now have to store the new setup in a storage lot until I get a pad poured in the spring so I can't verify things easily. Of course in the storage lot there isn't room to put the slides out.

You guys pretty much have me sold on the Solar, and I'll probably go with 4 6vdc batteries, I just need to find a battery box that I like to go up front. I already have a 400 watt pure sine inverter, and will probably go with a configuration where I can use that, and maybe a larger whole house 2000 watt system if desired. The dual system to keep parasitic drain down makes sense to me. Now I need to get into the electrical panel and see how it's wired, and how much trouble it will be to isolate the desired circuits through transfer switches, and maybe sub panels.

[laknox]

Searching_Ut wrote:
I hadn't thought about adding water to the fresh water tank. I have a couple 15 gallon portable tanks, and several 5 to 7 gallon tanks as well as a water thief, but the new 5er doesn't have a gravity fill so I can't just dump a few extra gallons in like I'm used to doing. I'll have to figure out a pump setup, and I'll need to explore the waste hauling options. Great inputs, and I am making list.

The battery bank, possible solar thing I need to think through. We only got to use the new rig for 3 short trips, 7 days total, all hookup sites so I don't know what to expect battery life wise from the 2 group 24's I have. I don't anticipate they will last long though. Although most of the lighting is LED, the fridge, water heater etc seem to be more power thirsty than the stuff in my old Timber Ridge. I have 2 champion 2000 inverter generators currently so I can hopefully run at least 1 ac unit in a pinch, or the microwave if really needed. historically though I've only used a single generator to run the hair dryer in the morning, and a couple hours every few days in order to charge the batteries back up to 80 to 90 percent. (I won't even try to explain the hairdryer while at a remote site) We never were out long enough that I worried about not bringing the batteries up to full charge while on the trip. Thinking about it now, that's not a good idea for weeks or months on end.

For water, get a bladder and a 12v transfer pump. Put it in the truck bed, head out to fill it up, then pump it in. Can be had in just about any size you want; though you don't have to fill it if you don't want to. 🙂

I agree, 300-500w solar and 4 6v batteries will serve you well. I have a cheapo 45w solar setup and 2 6v golf cart batteries, and it gives me about an extra day without worrying about power with our normal use, when we boondock.

Lyle

[Veebyes]

With future longer trips in mind I'd start from the ground up.

Good quality tires. Upgrade springs, I went from 6 leaf to 7 leaf stack. Wet bolts. Correct Track system for alignment. Reinforce/upgrade springhanger area. Carry at least 1 spare brake plate & drum with new bearing. One of the better air bag pinboxes would be much appreciated by your backs.

If you are planning something like an Alaskan trip upgrading in advance is much cheaper than repairs if something breaks on the way.

Upgrade the electrical system. Can't have too much battery power. A pair of group 24 batterys are virtually useless. Amps are amps no matter how you get them. A pair of group 31s, a pair of 6V GC batterys, or a single 12V 4D battery are all going to give a similar amp availability.

A pure sinewave inverter of 1000W minimum will run everything except A/C & microwave. Get a 2000W inverter genny. Solar power will depend on how you like to camp.

If you are a camper who prefers to be in the shade solar power is not much use to you. Of course it does not work at night no matter where you are. You can buy an awful lot of gas to feed the genny for the price of a solar system.

To us, washers & dryers come under the heading of 'fluffy stuff'. Our washer dryer cabinet is in the galley area so it was converted into a huge pantry/ cupboard. Once every couple of weeks we hit a laundry, load up at least 3 machines & in less than a few hours everything is done & put away.

[alexleblanc]

seeing as your unit is new, I'd invest in a wet bolt kit for your suspension.

[CJW8]

It you boondock often you may want to upgrade from 2 group 24's. If you can find a way, I'd try to fit in 4 group 27's or 4 6V golf cart batteries. Complement them with 4-500 watts of solar properly installed and you'll be set.

[Joyce_in_NY]

I would rather use the campground laundry than give up the space for clothing and other essentials.

[time2roll]

Searching_Ut wrote:
What am I missing?

500+ watts of solar :B

[time2roll]

Searching_Ut wrote:
Old TT ran virtually everything of DC. New one needs AC for TV, Stove vent fan which is part of microwave etc. With the bigger rig will I find myself forced into spots with at least elec, or will I still find a lot of options for off grid stuff? For those running inverters are you running whole house or dedicated circuits, and are you happy with the choice you made, or do you wish you went the other way?

I installed 2000w for the microwave circuit and one added outlet.
Seemed to use a lot of power at idle if left on. And we started collecting gadgets so I added 300w inverter to the two convenience outlets strings. Works perfect for us to have low power 24/7 and full power as needed.
Whole house would not work well with my low tech crew.
Your needs are probably different.

[Searching_Ut]

JEBar wrote:
for campers that are moved often, I've found adding an auto leveling system to be more than worth the cost .... we went with Quadra Manufacturing's Bigfoot system .... if the camper is wired and plumbed for a washer/dryer, adding them isn't a necessity but would be well worth considering .... I can's speak for anyone else but I know just how much time we enjoy sitting in a laundromat .... depending on were you camp, having a fresh water filtration system can really come in handy .... we added an reverse osmosis drinking water filtration system and wouldn't want to be without it .... lastly, make sure you have a comfortable place to sit, rainy days happen

The Bighorn has the 6 point auto level which I put high on priority list priority list due to posts I'd seen on this forum. Seems just about everyone having them seem to love them. We also have the stadium type seats across from the television, which are nice, but they only recline on AC power. Heated and massage as well, but again not really set up for boondocking. More and more it's looking like a large battery bank and solar will be high on the priority list.

Our rig is plumbed for the washer and dryer, so for that I'll probably hold off and wait until we start doing the longer trips. I'm sure the DW will probably change her mind and adding that will become a priority at that time.

The water filter system is an idea I like. I'm adding that to the list to look into and more than likely add in.

[Searching_Ut]

The fridge does indeed run off Propane, or 110 but it's the new 18cf unit that has fans in both the freezer and main refrigerator section, it also has the anti condensation heater strip so it will probably be a big power drain. I'll have to play with it more to see. Right now I don't have a spot big enough at the house to run out the slides. We'll pour an RV pad in the spring. The water heater is AC/propane 12 gallon so hopefully the oxygenics shower head I installed will help keep us from getting too carried away with the hot water.

For coffee I'm covered, Duel K-cup/regular drip if on power, one huge enamel percolator, 12 cup stainless percolator, and a Coleman drip filter unit that you use on the stove. Seems I'm a Utah transplant, was stationed here while in the Air Force and became retirement eligible. Liked it so I stayed. I did live here for a couple of years as a youngster though and loved exploring the state as a kid.

As for 36 hours for hair to dry. I kept mine short after my AF years. Wash, quick comb through when still wet, it dries in just a few minutes. If it gets unruly, a hat works wonders. Guess I'll just have to keep smiling, and be happy for how good I have it when I get sent out in the mornings to start the gen.

Oh, the microwave does vent outside which is nice, provided I remember to unlatch the flap on the vent cover. We also have a fantastic vent fan in the kitchen. It has the rain sensor but doesn't have a vent cover. I'll have to put one on in the spring, and replace the vent in the bathroom with a max air, or fantastic fan. It's got one of those stupid little worthless fans now, and no cover so that I can leave it open if it rains, or if I forget while heading down the road.

[JEBar]

for campers that are moved often, I've found adding an auto leveling system to be more than worth the cost .... we went with Quadra Manufacturing's Bigfoot system .... if the camper is wired and plumbed for a washer/dryer, adding them isn't a necessity but would be well worth considering .... I can's speak for anyone else but I know just how much time we enjoy sitting in a laundromat .... depending on were you camp, having a fresh water filtration system can really come in handy .... we added an reverse osmosis drinking water filtration system and wouldn't want to be without it .... lastly, make sure you have a comfortable place to sit, rainy days happen

[rekoj71]

Since I haven't invested in a good solar/battery setup yet, my inverter is a smaller portable one as I don't want to have to remember to turn off/unplug all of the things that would be a parasitic drain. I do have a generator that like you I run occasionally if needed, usually around meal times for convenience, but that couple of hours a day seems to keep me topped off OK. I also only boondock occasionally. If I was going to make a larger habit of it I would definitely be looking more heavily into solar. Oh and that microwave vent fan is rarely vented outside so smells and humidity don't get taken care of very easily without the use of the roof vents anyway, which if it has a fan (Fantastic fan or MaxAir type) will be able to be used off of the battery. I never use the vent on the microwave, just the roof vent which happens to be right above the stove.

Washer and dryer? If you do intend to boondock a lot it would be barely useful as they tend to be smaller and need to run for several hours per load and suck lots of resources . I usually have FHU and wish I had a W/D just for convenience but a good laundry facility lets me get several loads done all at once by using multiple machines at the same time, so it's not that bad either. You will hear lots of debate on usefulness verses storage space.

Some people (me included) have figured out a way to refill their fresh water tanks by modifying their onboard water pumps and the winterizing system hose, and it can be easy depending on how accessible your plumbing is, but most bring an extra 12v pump just for that. For the stinky water it's funny how many people get a huge blue tote or tank so that they don't have to do the deed too often just to find out they have no good place to store something that big and can barely lift it or handle it when full.

When I got my new RV I spent most of my first modification time on organization. I was surprised at how many cabinets or compartments didn't have any shelves. Trying to make new shelves and brackets or figuring out the perfect size tote bins that would fit a space was a fun game. It seemed like there was so much wasted space. I will say that I have done a pretty good job at using the space and organizing ways to fit lots of stuff in places but now I'm easily fitting more stuff than originally designed and am pushing the weight limit. 🙂

[Naio]

Searching_Ut wrote:
(I won't even try to explain the hairdryer while at a remote site)

I dunno about your wife, but my hair takes 36 hours to dry in cool weather. That's a long time to be wet and cold. By the time it's almost dry, it's time to wash it again.

I don't travel with a hair dryer, but I can see how it might be smart to do so.

[agesilaus]

Hopefully the fridge and water heater will run off propane. The fridge might require minimal 12V power to run the controls. A furnace is also a major power user, for the blower.

Since you are from Utah you may not use one, but coffee makers are notorious power hogs.