Dry camping and solar power

[Tinagtnp]

I have a 20ft keystones hideout 177hls. I will be dry camping for 6 months from may to October. The only major issue I'm running into is powering my a/c unit. I understand that my 12v battery won't power it and I don't like the noise of generators. I am wondering what my options are, an estimate of how much the mods would cost, and any revelent information I should take into account.

I'm new to RV life and appreciate any info.

[trail-explorer]

donn0128 wrote:
You simply cannot pack enough batteries into the trailer to run an AC unit. As for solar? Nope, not even enoigh room. Do yourself a favor and give the idea up.

Ditto.

Solar and batteries to power A/C is not practical, unless you tow a second trailer full of batteries and more solar.

[westend]

Also, could I just charge it with my car occasionally for the summer? Are the solar panels even necessary??

You're not going to be paying a lot to park but $300 over six months is too much? Id suggest to buy an additional battery and buy a 100W panel w/controller. You don't need A/C.

[mike-s]

campigloo wrote:
If you had a small generator it would help your solar setup a lot.

If you can/will run a generator, there's no need for solar.

[campigloo]

If you had a small generator it would help your solar setup a lot. The small ones are very quiet and if it’s still a little loud for you you can build a cheap light weight box to put it in. Styrofoam insulation and some tape can make a nice buffer, just don’t put a roof on it and it shouldn’t overheat. Put a big enough fuel tank on it and let her run.

[kerrlakeRoo]

Your refrigerator uses some electricity, even when its on propane, and with even a small solar setup you will be much more comfortable.
With a 100-200 watt system you will have lights and even a little tv in the evenings if you wish. Remember rain days/nights can be long and boring without something else to do.
Enjoy your solitude.

[Tinagtnp]

Tinagtnp wrote:

kerrlakeRoo wrote:
At that elevation, especially if you can position to get some afternoon shade, your dog should be fine with a fan running.
Earlier you asked about cost, If you only have one battery , and its relatively new, add a second of similar size, If its more than a year old, you would probably be better off canning it and replacing it with a matched pair.
6 volt golf cart batteries are best if you are replacing it, but 12 volt deep cycle will work too.
Solar panels work best in bright direct sun, kind of a standard rule of thumb is a watt of solar for each amp of storage, but you can go higher with no ill effects especially if they can or will be partially shaded. Two panels of 100 to 160 watts and an inexpensive charge controller will probably cover your needs on most days.
If its extremely overcast or heavy rain for a day you can hook your car to the batteries with jumper cables for a half hour or so to get some power back in or to boost the batteries a bit.
Solar kits of 200 watts with a controller from amazon, or a retailer like www.solarblvd.com should run you less than $300, A pair of golf cart batteries are about $90 each and if you only are adding a battery to an existing single 12 volt it should run between $60 and $110 depending on whats there.
Hope this helps,

This was the most helpful. After doing some further research in the area I'll be dry camping. Out of the 6 months there were only about 20 days last summer that reached 70 degrees, none jumped above 75 degrees. I think a fan would be enough to keep my pup cool. I love the idea of solar power,and thank you for the jumper idea for a quick fix. I won't be using too much power. Just enough to keep my fan running, I can charge my phone etc at work.

Also, could I just charge it with my car occasionally for the summer? Are the solar panels even necessary??

[Tinagtnp]

kerrlakeRoo wrote:
At that elevation, especially if you can position to get some afternoon shade, your dog should be fine with a fan running.
Earlier you asked about cost, If you only have one battery , and its relatively new, add a second of similar size, If its more than a year old, you would probably be better off canning it and replacing it with a matched pair.
6 volt golf cart batteries are best if you are replacing it, but 12 volt deep cycle will work too.
Solar panels work best in bright direct sun, kind of a standard rule of thumb is a watt of solar for each amp of storage, but you can go higher with no ill effects especially if they can or will be partially shaded. Two panels of 100 to 160 watts and an inexpensive charge controller will probably cover your needs on most days.
If its extremely overcast or heavy rain for a day you can hook your car to the batteries with jumper cables for a half hour or so to get some power back in or to boost the batteries a bit.
Solar kits of 200 watts with a controller from amazon, or a retailer like www.solarblvd.com should run you less than $300, A pair of golf cart batteries are about $90 each and if you only are adding a battery to an existing single 12 volt it should run between $60 and $110 depending on whats there.
Hope this helps,

This was the most helpful. After doing some further research in the area I'll be dry camping. Out of the 6 months there were only about 20 days last summer that reached 70 degrees, none jumped above 75 degrees. I think a fan would be enough to keep my pup cool. I love the idea of solar power,and thank you for the jumper idea for a quick fix. I won't be using too much power. Just enough to keep my fan running, I can charge my phone etc at work.

[kerrlakeRoo]

At that elevation, especially if you can position to get some afternoon shade, your dog should be fine with a fan running.
Earlier you asked about cost, If you only have one battery , and its relatively new, add a second of similar size, If its more than a year old, you would probably be better off canning it and replacing it with a matched pair.
6 volt golf cart batteries are best if you are replacing it, but 12 volt deep cycle will work too.
Solar panels work best in bright direct sun, kind of a standard rule of thumb is a watt of solar for each amp of storage, but you can go higher with no ill effects especially if they can or will be partially shaded. Two panels of 100 to 160 watts and an inexpensive charge controller will probably cover your needs on most days.
If its extremely overcast or heavy rain for a day you can hook your car to the batteries with jumper cables for a half hour or so to get some power back in or to boost the batteries a bit.
Solar kits of 200 watts with a controller from amazon, or a retailer like www.solarblvd.com should run you less than $300, A pair of golf cart batteries are about $90 each and if you only are adding a battery to an existing single 12 volt it should run between $60 and $110 depending on whats there.
Hope this helps,

[bobndot]

to the OP: You might want to read up on pets in vehicle laws. Research Wy. law regarding leaving pets inside a vehicle without ventilation, it can be a crime as it is in most states. In case of an A/C malfunctioning or power loss and the TT all locked is a bad idea. A travel trailer IS a vehicle.

[westend]

Alternatives: Chain dog to outside of trailer and toss doggy pad/bed underneath trailer in shade. The ground will be 58-60f and dogs cool off by digging a hole or laying on the ground.
Keep doggy inside and provide air movement. Sucking out a small amount of air or a fan circulating air inside uses some of the cooler night time air that is inside the trailer in the morning.
Research how to mount a window A/C or an A/C split system into your trailer. The draw and current total will be less than a roof mounted RV A/C. You'll still need a generator or massive solar and batteries.
At 8600 ft elevation, you're probably going to encounter weather swings at shorter intervals. Also, the Summer season is shorter. Temperatures will be lower than at lower elevations. Research your area.

From your post, it seems like the dog's condition is paramount and not so much, the owner. A dog can get along in a lot more severe weather conditions than a human. Your doggo will probably be just fine if left outside where he can seek shade and cover from rain and snow. Have you thought about building him a doghouse? Dogs seem to always be more relaxed if they can lay/hang out in their own space.

[coolmom42]

You could also get a remote temperature monitor of some type, IF (and this is a big IF in Wyoming) there is internet access at the trailer.

You might find some person trustworthy at the campground to check on her in the afternoons, for a small fee.

Depending on where you are in WY, shade can be in short supply. You could look into rigging up any number of THIS TYPE of shade shelter as well.

[rexlion]

A vent fan like Fantastic Fan or MaxxAir will draw about 3 amps per hour on medium speed IIRC, and that should keep the inside temp close to the same as outside. Set the fan to draw air out, and have another vent or window(s) open for outside air to be drawn in. To be safe I'd say get 150 watts or so of solar, and have 150 amp hours or more of battery.

[Tinagtnp]

kerrlakeRoo wrote:
OK, so you are going to work daily , that likely means staying in one place for the most part. Is the actual campsite chosen? How hot does it get there in the summer? Can you move a short distance to get to higher or lower elevations?
Fans like a fantastic fan are very low consumers of power, something like that can help, a pair of batteries giving you around 200 amp hrs and a couple of hundred watts of solar can come close to keeping up with that if you dont use much power otherwise.
If you are parking on private land, can you park in a shaded spot and leave the solar panels out where they will get plenty of full sun? Or are they likely to be stolen?
Do you have facilities available for getting water? And for getting your tanks emptied?

I'll be at higher elevations, 8700ft. It doesnt get hotter than 80. I have access to public restroom/shower so no worries about water or dumping. I don't think i have to worry about them getting stolen. My dog is short haired, but I'm just worried about leaving her inside without cool air flow in the afternoon hours.

[DanNJanice]

Tinagtnp wrote:

kerrlakeRoo wrote:
I guess you can see that solar and batteries dont play well with an AC system. But , do you really need them? Are you looking at moving frequently, or largley staying put? What region will you be in? You may not need much if any AC if you will be moving during that time frame to match the weather to your needs. Elevation as well as moving farther north will give you cooler temps. Just realize that the nice shaded spot in a forest is also shading any solar panels you install and reducing their effectiveness.

Give us an idea of what your goals and conditions arer and folks will be glad to offer advice and assistance.

I'll be in Wyoming so it doesn't get terribly hot here, but I'll have my dog with me and I don't want to leave her in a hot rv while I go to work. Idk about shade just yet, I haven't had an opportunity to scope out the area. I would even be willing to run a fan, but how does that affect my battery / charging options?

Ahhh, that is quite a bit different. If you went with a solar briefcase of about 200-300 watts you could park the trailer/rv in the shade with the panels in the sun. That would probably be fine for the dog. There is a reason God made trees...to keep the sun off, so no need for the AC.
We travel with a cat and do this all the time. It is very rare that the outdoor temp is too hot for a pet as long as you are parked in the shade and give them a breeze and plenty of water.
If you are parked in the Mohave desert, well, you just need to buy a 3000 watt generator so you can run the AC.