Camping "off the grid"

Need to run generator to keep batteries up. Maybe twice a day.
Or install Solar.

I would be shocked if high-end rigs like those didn't bring their own electrical services with them (IE on-board generator) and a really big fuel tank.

There's three channels I watch on youtube with young couples boondocking in Class A's. The biggest concern they seem to have is burning propane too quickly, followed by water. The one group gave their borrowed RV back to the manufacturer and bought a boat, the other group keeps talking about trading down to a 5th wheel, and the last couple is selling their A and bought a tiny Airstream.

GordonThree, a Tiffin RED is not considered 'high-end'. It's an entry level diesel pusher. They are nice, my brother just traded his and moved two steps up to a Tiffin Allegro Bus (second from the top of the Tiffin line).

TeamNash, you will have to run the generator twice a day as mentioned previously. If you want to use the air conditioning, you will have to run the generator while the air is on.

Keep in mind, that the Tiffin RED has a 5,000 lb. towing capacity if that is of concern.

Wet cell batteries have to be checked at least once a month and will need to be topped off with distilled water as needed. I would switch to AGM's when the time came to replace the batteries. They are more expensive but you won't have to worry about 'watering the batteries'. Also, wet cell batteries sulfate too and will need cleaning monthly (from my experience).

To get more life 'off-grid' boondocking, you would need to add solar panels and possibly more batteries (if there is room). The Tiffin RED has a 100 gallon fuel tank so it will last a while running the generator.

Good luck,
MM.

While it may be rather obvious, how frequently you need to run the generator or otherwise charge the batteries is directly dependent on how much electricity you use and how large a capacity the battery bank is.

There are many RVs that can go for a lot longer than half a day (and not just high-end or fancy units). The water heater control board, and fridge control board (for an absorption fridge), and propane/CO detectors don't use that much power. If one is judicious about lights and entertainment power usage, it's not unreasonable to expect at least a few days from a fairly modest battery bank in good shape.

With two golf cart batteries and no solar, I can generally go two or three days in cool weather (where the furnace is used at least at night) and somewhat more in warmer weather where the furnace is not used. I definitely do not need to run the generator twice a day.

If one has a residential fridge, that uses a lot more electric power than an absorption fridge.

If you are only running a water pump, fridge, and detectors, plus LED lighting, a 2X 6V golf cart battery system in good condition will last 4-5 days. If you are boondocking, you are not likely to have over the air TV anyway. For entertainment, we read on an e-reader, surf the web, whatever, but that is done with portable devices that are easily charged in the tow vehicle (or toad for a class A.)

For microwave, hair dryer, coffee maker use, you will have to run the generator. For AC you will need the generator on all the time.

If I were planning on boondocking in a Class A for anymore than a couple of days, I would want a "toad" for running out and getting food, water, ice, fuel for the generator and LP (always carry a spare 20# tank and the means to connect it to your main supply).

Ten years ago when we had a office with Sat internet, a plasma TV, halogen lights and spent too much time inside working we had to run the generator two hours in the evening when cooking and one hour in the morning when making coffee. This was with a 750AH battery bank and a sorry inverter/changedr that would only charge at 70 amps, not the rated 100.

Today with all LED, no office and smart phones plus a residential refer with it's own 500AH battery bank and a 100 amp charger that actually works generator time is cut in half and only in the evening.

We seldom used the on board generator when boondocking more than an hour a day. We carried a small 2000 watt Honda inverter/generator (very quiet not a cheap contractor style) for those times wanting to run the microwave and small appliances. We found that 2 gallons of gas could go several days with the small Honda, plus we have a 4 battery 6 volt golf cart style deep cycle bank.

We primarily camp off grid all the time with OFF-ROAD POPUP trailer. Even with this smaller camper one has to plan accordingly. You just can't just show up and be successful... We mostly camp within a couple hundred miles of Northern neck Virginia and occasionally make a family trip to Myrtle Beach and Gatlinburg Smoky Mtns...

We updated our batteries and other power savings things to run all the things we want to use when camping off-grid. Then we camp with the idea we will run down our battery to its 50% charge by 8Am each morning and then use our 2KW Honda generator connected to the the trailer to power up our batteries to their 90% charge state with a good three hour run on the generator... You have to be in a area where the use of the generator is allowed to do this... Some places have generator run time restrictions so that has to be planned as well... Sometimes we stay out for a couple of weeks with no problems... Finding Ice is usually our biggest problem haha

Very seldom see any Motorhome type units camping off grid here on the East side of the US. It is mostly tents, Popups,small TTs, TCs, Class Bs...

It seems there is two style of RV's... Those for RV Camping and those for RV Traveling which includes stop overs along the way...

Our OFF-ROAD camping is usually down a Forest Service road in one of the many Natl Forest areas here on the East side of the US. We love camping off-grid along the Virginia/West Virginia public access wooded state line and up and down the Blue Ridge parkway. Virginia has many public wooded lake areas to use as well... Some of our greatest camping as been in the high country in VA-NC-SC-GA-AL-TN... Some of the coastal places along the East Coast and South along the bay are good places too. Myrtle Beach has some great Beach camping places...

Out west is full of what is called DISPERSED camping areas but there isn't too many of those here on the East side of the US...

I guess if you can get the bigger Class As Motorhomes back off-road somewhere go and enjoy yourselves... No rules against it...

This is what we love to do...


Finding a secluded place along side a creek somewhere waking up each morning to good bon-fire and hot coffee watching the early fish jump is what we live for haha...

This is where all of your PLAN Bs come into play...

Roy Ken

I found that starting the chassis engine and letting it "fast idle" for a short time, using my 180 amp alternator, charged the batteries quicker than running the generator and depending on the inverter/charger to charge my house battery bank.