Solar or Generator??
We are going to have some short boon-docking trips (3-4 days). I do not know my actual energy needs right now, but the DW and I are conservative when it comes to water and power. I really just want ...
Forum Discussion
What, you don't think it gets cloudy in Sunny Colorado? We had two monsoons last year and that meant weeks at a time without sun.
What is wrong with being able to handle a bit of cold and cloudy? We did four days of cloudy and colder than that with just a grp 27 and the panel. Tie in the inverters 8-D and a week is no sweat. BTW, we were not slumming it either. The stat was at 74*, we lite the rig from end to end at night and ran the TV/DVD player all the time to drown out the generators.
That's why my system is portable. I'm never on my roof and I can follow the sun for peak amps all day, even if the rig is in the shade. Both panels can do up to 30 amps all day with sun and 7 amps in the clouds.
Sleeping bag in an $$$ RV ... ridiculous, IMHO. I keep sleeping bags packed away where they belong with my other backpacking gear ... waiting for the next High Sierras trip.
Who cares how someone else camps? I prefer a nice down comforter.
My thought was always that if you can hear my generator while boondocking, you are too close. The dry CG was different though. We were packed in and could hear each of those generators inside our trailer. We would have heard yours too.
This is all in fun of course! (... until there's too many cloudy days in a row like we see all the time when we're visiting relatives in Washington ... then the fun stops)
There is a downside to everything and that's why a balanced system works best for us. Lock yourself into just batteries, just solar or even just generators and there will be a time when you are screwed.
We see post where the generator refuses to start, stay running or the MH gas tank is below a quarter tank. Sometimes the batteries are so low they can't even start the MH to charge off of the engine. What do you do in that situation? Wish you had your sleeping bag back?
What is wrong with being able to handle a bit of cold and cloudy? We did four days of cloudy and colder than that with just a grp 27 and the panel. Tie in the inverters 8-D and a week is no sweat. BTW, we were not slumming it either. The stat was at 74*, we lite the rig from end to end at night and ran the TV/DVD player all the time to drown out the generators.
That's why my system is portable. I'm never on my roof and I can follow the sun for peak amps all day, even if the rig is in the shade. Both panels can do up to 30 amps all day with sun and 7 amps in the clouds.
Sleeping bag in an $$$ RV ... ridiculous, IMHO. I keep sleeping bags packed away where they belong with my other backpacking gear ... waiting for the next High Sierras trip.
Who cares how someone else camps? I prefer a nice down comforter.
My thought was always that if you can hear my generator while boondocking, you are too close. The dry CG was different though. We were packed in and could hear each of those generators inside our trailer. We would have heard yours too.
This is all in fun of course! (... until there's too many cloudy days in a row like we see all the time when we're visiting relatives in Washington ... then the fun stops)
There is a downside to everything and that's why a balanced system works best for us. Lock yourself into just batteries, just solar or even just generators and there will be a time when you are screwed.
We see post where the generator refuses to start, stay running or the MH gas tank is below a quarter tank. Sometimes the batteries are so low they can't even start the MH to charge off of the engine. What do you do in that situation? Wish you had your sleeping bag back?
