First Time Boondocking Plan - Tech Question
I am trying to learn & prepare to Boondock for 12 days in Oct. I have a standard 5er setup (two 6 volt batteries) and a 2000w Honda generator. For convenience I purchased a battery level indicator at ...
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RLGETMAN - When you get all stuff ready to go then make a dry run at your house... I have done what you are wanting to do many times camping off the power grid. Watching the DC VOLTMETER is what makes mine successful...
We do just about the same as we do camping at regular camp sites except high wattage thing like the air conditioner, microwave, and furnace blower. Our battery bank is only 255AHs (Three each 85AH standard issue 12VDC Interstate deep cycle batteries)...
About the only difference with your OCT time frame is you may run into some cold nights and be forced to run the propane heater. I always managed to use mine as a backup and the goal was to make it until we went to bed and then just curl up in some heavy blankets.
Try all of this out in your backyard just like you would be camping and if you can survive the first day/night and end up with 12.0VDC at 8AM the next morning the recharge the batteries in about three hours time using the 2KW generator running your smart mode converter/charger. I haven't checked the input power requirements of the PD9180 and it may be more than the usable 1800WATTs the 2KW generator puts out... You may have to play some games here until you get you initial charge current down to something the generator will handle.
If you can do all of this for two days in your back yard and end up with around 12.0VDC still in the battery bank at 8AM each morning then you should be successful for your 12-day trip. There is a limit however on doing these 50% to 90% battery re-charges. I also have found my battery bank needs to get a full charge after 12-14 days which will takes around 12 hours or so of generator run time other wise I will start doing harm to my batteries... Where we always camped we was not allowed to run our generator that long of time so this was usually when we came back home.
Just takes some planning
Roy Ken
We do just about the same as we do camping at regular camp sites except high wattage thing like the air conditioner, microwave, and furnace blower. Our battery bank is only 255AHs (Three each 85AH standard issue 12VDC Interstate deep cycle batteries)...
About the only difference with your OCT time frame is you may run into some cold nights and be forced to run the propane heater. I always managed to use mine as a backup and the goal was to make it until we went to bed and then just curl up in some heavy blankets.
Try all of this out in your backyard just like you would be camping and if you can survive the first day/night and end up with 12.0VDC at 8AM the next morning the recharge the batteries in about three hours time using the 2KW generator running your smart mode converter/charger. I haven't checked the input power requirements of the PD9180 and it may be more than the usable 1800WATTs the 2KW generator puts out... You may have to play some games here until you get you initial charge current down to something the generator will handle.
If you can do all of this for two days in your back yard and end up with around 12.0VDC still in the battery bank at 8AM each morning then you should be successful for your 12-day trip. There is a limit however on doing these 50% to 90% battery re-charges. I also have found my battery bank needs to get a full charge after 12-14 days which will takes around 12 hours or so of generator run time other wise I will start doing harm to my batteries... Where we always camped we was not allowed to run our generator that long of time so this was usually when we came back home.
Just takes some planning
Roy Ken
