First time boondocking report

[rvshrinker]

Took family for four days and three nights of dry camping. Really happy with how it went. Everyone got one shower, and we were able to carefully do our dishes and dump that in the black tank. At the end of the weekend we'd barely touched the propane, had used 1/3 of fresh, 1/3 of grey, 1/3 of black, and 1/3 of battery, all according to sensors which of course are just guesstimates. We only ran the heat a few minutes every morning as we had highs in 60s and lows in 40s. Now we feel confident we could go five to six days in a pinch, and certainly 2-3 days of skiing this winter.

[LazzzyCat]

2oldman wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:
The success to boondocking is camping like you would in a tent,

Yah, that's one way of looking at it. Another is to expend some effort to get water and electricity.

Haha, yes, that's really perfect. The nature around is changing, the attitude towards it, when you are completely consumed by it and aren't in the city!

[rvshrinker]

we don’t mind it cold at night and have tent camped and backpacked in subfreezing temps. we would turn off the furnace at night and keep it at 55 during the day to prevent freezing water. we don’t usually get very cold temps here like in the rockies, lows in the teens or twenties is pretty typical.

thanks for the input.

[Boon_Docker]

RedRocket204 wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:
There, I said it again. Now .. go ahead... beat me up!

Anyone who can properly reason can understand and agree with what you've said.

There is zero difference in doing what you are saying and actually using the stove or oven to cook.

X2

I do that with my stove quite often in the morning to warm up the place quickly.

[RedRocket204]

DutchmenSport wrote:
There, I said it again. Now .. go ahead... beat me up!

Anyone who can properly reason can understand and agree with what you've said.

There is zero difference in doing what you are saying and actually using the stove or oven to cook.

[2gypsies1]

I also agree... a ski trip for one night (or even two) would work just fine with 2 batteries.... IF..... you didn't run the furnace all night long.

Before the trip drain your water lines. Bring gallon jugs of water for your use. You can pee in the toilet without having water. The ski facility will have bathrooms. If emergency for #2, line the toilet with a plastic bag & then dispose of it properly.

Bring down sleeping bags or lots of blankets. Flannel sheets help.

Set alarm & start furnace at 4am or if you can wait until the stovetop coffee pot is finished brewing your RV will be toasty warm.

In lieu of the noisy inefficient furnace get a propane heater but I still wouldn't use it overnight. We used a propane heater for 16 full-timing years. Highly recommended.

You can do this!

[azrving]

DutchmenSport wrote:
I have been criticized and beaten to death over by folks on these forums because of the next thing I'm going to say here. But, here goes again anyway!

A fast way to SUPPLEMENT the heat in your camper, to heat the living space up VERY quick, and VERY efficient, without draining the battery, especially if boondocking.....

Is to turn the burners on, on your gas stove top and let it heat the coach up. ONCE WARMED UP, TURN THEM OFF.

Now... they nay-sayers are going to jump all over me (again) and swear up and down the fumes and exhaust from the burners are going kill you, are going to burn the camper down, is a bad idea, won't work, and put too much moisture in the air or anything else. But.... if this is such a bad idea, then why have a stove in the camper to begin with. If it was so dangerous, you'd burn the camper down, put too much moisture in the air, or poison yourself boiling water for your morning coffee then too!

No, don't sleep with the burners on. No, don't leave the burners on and you are not right there to monitor them. But... to take the initial chill out of the air, or to help heat things up quick ... ok ... put a pot of water on the stove and fire it up!

There, I said it again. Now .. go ahead... beat me up!

I would never ever do that. I put the coffee pot on the stove and that seems to help warm things up 😉

[DutchmenSport]

I have been criticized and beaten to death over by folks on these forums because of the next thing I'm going to say here. But, here goes again anyway!

A fast way to SUPPLEMENT the heat in your camper, to heat the living space up VERY quick, and VERY efficient, without draining the battery, especially if boondocking.....

Is to turn the burners on, on your gas stove top and let it heat the coach up. ONCE WARMED UP, TURN THEM OFF.

Now... they nay-sayers are going to jump all over me (again) and swear up and down the fumes and exhaust from the burners are going kill you, are going to burn the camper down, is a bad idea, won't work, and put too much moisture in the air or anything else. But.... if this is such a bad idea, then why have a stove in the camper to begin with. If it was so dangerous, you'd burn the camper down, put too much moisture in the air, or poison yourself boiling water for your morning coffee then too!

No, don't sleep with the burners on. No, don't leave the burners on and you are not right there to monitor them. But... to take the initial chill out of the air, or to help heat things up quick ... ok ... put a pot of water on the stove and fire it up!

There, I said it again. Now .. go ahead... beat me up!

[Boon_Docker]

troubledwaters wrote:


You asked for opinions and got lots of experienced opinions; but won't believe them. There are two ways to learn something. The easy way and the hard way. Looks to me like you want to learn the hard way - further discussion seems pointless.

???

I think you will do just fine for one night with 2 GC-2 (6 volt) batteries.

[crosscheck]

BizmarksMom wrote:
When I boondock in cold temps, I set the thermostat to 40* over night and pile on the covers. In the morning, I heat water for coffee, and the trailer is comfy in just a few minutes.

My solar panels keep my batteries happy, so my limitations are tank storage and propane.

The thermometers in our last and present rv's could not be set lower than 55F so just turned off the furnace and snuggled under the thick, down duvet when in cold temps over night. (not more than 10F below freezing). Never got lower than 40F inside. 10 minutes of furnace and hot water for coffee in the morning gets the TT toastie. If up at ski area and the daytime temps were around freezing, nighttime temps 20F, set furnace at 55F to keep waterlines from freezing.

I carry an extra 30lb propane tank in truck box. With 490W solar, 4 6V GC-2 batts, 80gal fresh, 80gal grey, 40gal black, 2000W genny (which we never use), 2000W inverter, 3x30lb propane tanks and conservation, our limitation is just tank storage which would be offset by using shower facilities at the ski hill.

Our system is more than what the OP has but I think they are on the right track for longer dry camping experiences with just a few more modifications.

To conserve the limited resources you have on board is probably the most important part of dry/boondock camping if you want to camp for an extended time and there are no local services to replenish these resources.

Dave

[troubledwaters]

rvshrinker wrote:

bikendan wrote:

rvshrinker wrote:
i’d like to be able to go one night skiing. seems if the battery dies the worst that can happen is i start up the truck to get battery power to the trailer.

you'd probably need 8 hours easily, to recharge a dead battery that way. most inefficient way to recharge a battery since most tow vehicles only provide a trickle charge.

wouldn’t be looking to recharge the battery, just get the trailer led lights working again.

so you don’t think with 2 6v batteries i can ski camp even one night? just keeping the furnace at 55 or so, then ski the next day, then head home that evening?

Your on the fourth page of people telling you it ain't going to workout for you (most of these people have solar systems that probably cost more then a generator, and no what to expect out of them). You asked for opinions and got lots of experienced opinions; but won't believe them. There are two ways to learn something. The easy way and the hard way. Looks to me like you want to learn the hard way - further discussion seems pointless.

[BizmarksMom]

When I boondock in cold temps, I set the thermostat to 40* over night and pile on the covers. In the morning, I heat water for coffee, and the trailer is comfy in just a few minutes.

My solar panels keep my batteries happy, so my limitations are tank storage and propane.

[Tvov]

memtb wrote:
rvshrinker, Your doing it the right way....baby steps! It takes a little experience, especially with kids, to get the “hang of it”! Extended boondocking, especially when cold, can be a challenge! If your planning on ski trip boondocking, assuming that you will see some single digit temperatures, will test the wintering capabilities of your RV with water in the system! Winter rv’ing, can be the best rv’ing! Enjoy!

This. We don't camp in winter temps, but in the fall we rarely use the heater - making a pot of coffee on the stove warms up the camper nicely.

And VENT! Seems counter intuitive, but crack open a window or two and a roof vent. You need that fresh air!

[bikendan]

rvshrinker wrote:

bikendan wrote:

rvshrinker wrote:
i’d like to be able to go one night skiing. seems if the battery dies the worst that can happen is i start up the truck to get battery power to the trailer.

you'd probably need 8 hours easily, to recharge a dead battery that way. most inefficient way to recharge a battery since most tow vehicles only provide a trickle charge.

wouldn’t be looking to recharge the battery, just get the trailer led lights working again.

so you don’t think with 2 6v batteries i can ski camp even one night? just keeping the furnace at 55 or so, then ski the next day, then head home that evening?

you've never mentioned two 6v batteries, you've only said "battery".
so i think with two 6v golf cart batteries you should be fine.

[rvshrinker]

bikendan wrote:

rvshrinker wrote:
i’d like to be able to go one night skiing. seems if the battery dies the worst that can happen is i start up the truck to get battery power to the trailer.

you'd probably need 8 hours easily, to recharge a dead battery that way. most inefficient way to recharge a battery since most tow vehicles only provide a trickle charge.

wouldn’t be looking to recharge the battery, just get the trailer led lights working again.

so you don’t think with 2 6v batteries i can ski camp even one night? just keeping the furnace at 55 or so, then ski the next day, then head home that evening?