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dry camping needs ??

TerryandKim
Explorer
Explorer
Hi Guys,
I would like to get our trailer set up for camping without being hooked up to services, ie state / provincial parks. What do I need to get done? We will be about a week at each non-serviced site. I guess we need a generator but that's as far as my know how goes for this. Advise please. Thanks, Terry
1999 GMC Sierra 1500 ExtCab SLE 5.3l 3.73 - Curt WD, airbags
2010 Jayco JayFlight 26BHS G2
1 Wonderful Wife!, 2 Great Boys!, 1 Goofy Basset Hound (Floyd),Oh, and me.
30 REPLIES 30

BruceH
Explorer
Explorer
Your trailer is self contained so it makes sense to use it for dry camping or boondocking.

1) Absolutely two batteries. If you already have a new 12 volt, then buy a second 12V. Once they go, replace them with two quality golf cart batteries such as the Trojan T105. For many battery setups, that gives a total of just over 200 amps. You should not go below 50% so that leaves about 100 amps usable for new fully charged batteries. Actually, for longer battery life, many will not go below 75%. Also, many batteries are not fully charged because of inexpensive chargers. Even with two batteries, less than 100 amps usable is really not a lot of amps. One battery can give you less than 50 amps, which is not much if you do not want to go overboard in conserving every amp. That takes some of the fun out of enjoying your trailer an all of it's features.

2) If the choice is between a generator or solar, go with the generator. Solar does not work well on cloudy days or when in the shade of trees. Solar is easy to add later.

Get a quiet generator like a Honda 1000 or 2000. Get a 2000 if you want to run a microwave but keep in mind if it is a 1200 microwave, then a 2000 watt gen may not be enough if camped in the mountains at high altitude . A 2000 watt Honda is only 1600 continuous at sea level. If you just want it to charge the batteries with the built in converter, than a 1000 watt is most likely enough. It is quieter, smaller, lighter, uses less fuel and costs less.

Do not be shy on charging the batteries, you will get a noticeably longer life the less they are drained. The Honda 1000 noise level, and even the 2000 is not an issue. After the initial charge, the absorption rate of the battery drops and the generator is close to idle speed most of the time and is very quiet.

IF you have both a generator and solar, then an ideal setup is to run the generator about an hour or so in the morning to bulk charge the battery, then have about 150 watts of solar to top of the batteries during the rest of the day. A low battery accepts a much higher charge rate than a battery closer to fully charged. A generator running the first hour on a low battery puts in a lot more amps than running the last hour before full (or near full) charge. The lower amp rate of the solar will be more than enough to satisfy the acceptance rate of a battery with a good partial charge. It is very inefficient to try fully charging a battery with a generator.

Get an adaptor plug for your 30 or 50 amp shore power plug so you can plug into the generator.

3) Install a digital readout volt meter that is wired to the 12V system and gives a constant readout. That is basically the "fuel gage" for your batteries. Other than the stove, just about every system in the trailer must have 12V power. It is critical to keep tabs on the battery charge if you want everything to work! Check the voltage after the batteries have little draw and have had a chance to rest. This is usually in the early morning when getting up. However if the furnance was running, that could throw it off some. The lowest resting minimum voltage should not be below about 11.7V. A heavy load may temporarily cause the voltage to go below 11.7V but that should not be a problem. A low resting voltage of about 12.1V is better for longer battery life.

4) If you are going to be camping when it is cold, have two propane tanks. The finance uses a lot of propane. Some folks use catalytic type heaters but be sure it is properly ventilated for safety. Also keep in mind that the furnace blower motor can use 20 or more amps on a cold night. Actually, you get a double hit because a cold battery has less useable capacity.

5) Have a level and put it in the freezer when first setting up to make sure the refrig is level. Running out of level can cause the refrig to fall over time with the potential of a fire.

6) Have some long boards to put under the tires of the low side to level the trailer.

7) Carry some pieces of wood to put under the jack stands and tongue jacket to to keep them out of the mud and to spread the weight over a larger area when on soft wet ground.

๐Ÿ˜Ž Have a door mat to slow down the amount of dirt getting into the trailer and have a small mat for the generator to keep it out of the dirt.

9) Have a small gas container for generator gas. Get one that is more wide than high so it is less likely to tip.

10) Have some water jugs so you can refill the water tank with fresh water. Train everyone to turn on just enough water to do the job and do not let it run continuously. Using hand washing as an example, wet your hands and turn off the water, wash, then turn the water back on to rinse briefly. This sounds like common sense but it is difficult to get people to change their habits.

11) Have lots of paper plates and paper towels in order to conserve water.

12) Have quality jumper cables so someone can jump your tow vehicle if needed or you can help a fellow camper.

13) A small folding table set up near the door is a nice option. it goes without saying to also have some outside chairs.

14) Make sure you have a jack and lug wrench that will work with your trailer in case you need to put on the spare (also have a spare tire).

15) A portable BBQ grill.

16) Some flash lights.

17) A few LED bulbs for the most used lights. That makes a significant difference in conserving the batteries.

18) Optional but a good item that really works is Water Miser battery caps. They will slow the loss of battery water and reduce terminal corrosion. You do not want battery issues when boondocking.

19) If you have kids, watch them like a hawk around the bathroom. They will fill it with water and TP in a heart beat. They will also flush down water bottles and anything else you can imagine. My nephew can tell you about the water bottle and what happened when he went to drain the black water tank. It was not a pretty sight!
Nash 24A Travel Trailer by Northwood Manufacturing (6,800 LB)
2,000 Watt Prosine Inverter, 540 Watts Solar, 3024i Controller & IPN
Chevy Duramax (LLY) Extended Cab Pickup

time2roll
Nomad
Nomad
TerryandKim wrote:
Any suggestions on makes of solar set ups??
Bought mine at www.solarblvd.com

> Members Solar Installations With Pics

corvettekent
Explorer
Explorer
TerryandKim wrote:
Any suggestions on makes of solar set ups??


I'm using a Blue Sky Solar Boost 3000i and two 160 watt Grape Solar panels.
2022 Silverado 3500 High Country CC/LB, SRW, L5P. B&W Companion Hitch with pucks. Hadley air horns.

2004 32' Carriage 5th wheel. 860 watts of solar MPPT, two SOK 206 ah LiFePO4 batteries. Samlex 2,000 watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter.

bobndot
Explorer II
Explorer II
When I had a solar system I also had to use a genny. Between the rain and the shade, the genny got more use to re-charge .

profdant139
Explorer II
Explorer II
We have two group 31 batteries -- one that we use, and one as a spare. (Real battery experts will tell you, correctly, that you will get more battery life if you hook them both up at once -- a thing called the Peukert effect.) But I prefer to have one as an actual spare, so that if the first one quits, it will not drain the spare. I am a very risk-averse person, so you have to take that into account when evaluating my comments.

Anyway, we do a lot of boondocking and dry camping -- check out the links in my signature below. We can go for three nights on one battery without recharging it (see below) until it is time to swap it for the spare. (Never let your battery get below 12.1 volts, is what they say.) And we can go four or five nights before the gray tank needs dumping, so that is a limiting factor.

We also have a Honda 2000, which I almost never use (except running it monthly at home for maintenance). I go camping to get away from the noise of the city, not to bring it with me. We have a 120 volt portable solar panel, which feels like having the ability to mint money from thin air -- it fully tops off our battery every day, and lately we are not swapping out the spare. (And yes, I rotate the batteries -- on one trip, Battery A is the spare, and on the next one, Battery B.)

Approximately where on the west coast are you located? The camping out west is just amazing -- good weather, lots of room, lots of variety.
2012 Fun Finder X-139 "Boondock Style" (axle-flipped and extra insulation)
2013 Toyota Tacoma Off-Road (semi-beefy tires and components)
Our trips -- pix and text
About our trailer
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single list."

Devocamper
Explorer
Explorer
If you don't already have led lighting , changing to led bulbs is a big energy saver . Could get a little costly if you buy quality retro fit bulbs and do all your lights . The Addition of battery up grades and solar panels as others have already mentioned. You will need to learn to ration your water supply or have a way to replenish, I have a bait well pump set up to pump from water jugs into my fresh water tank. I do have two Honda generators but we don't use them very often since we have invested In solar. If you do end up with a generator please invest in a quality quite one and use common sense when camping near others.
08 NU-WA Hitchhiker Discover America 339 RSB Sold
18 Host Mammoth
07 Chevy 3500HD LT1 EXT Cab LB DRW D/A Sold
18 Ram 3500 SLT Crew Cab DRW 4x2 6.4 4.10's

toedtoes
Explorer III
Explorer III
Try it out in your driveway or an RV Park. Don't plug in, don't attach the water hose, don't hook up the sewer. How long can you go?

Now you will have a better understanding of what you'll need for dry camping.

For me, I could go a week with one my group 31 AGM battery and a tank full of fresh water with no problem. But, I camp simple - no 110v appliances, puck lights and lanterns to supplement lighting, propane stove, extra blankets and Mr Heater Little Buddy propane heater if absolutely needed for heat, supplement water supply by using campground facilities and campground water when convenient.
1975 American Clipper RV with Dodge 360 (photo in profile)
1998 American Clipper Fold n Roll Folding Trailer
Both born in Morgan Hill, CA to Irv Perch (Daddy of the Aristocrat trailers)

Oasisbob
Explorer
Explorer
Thank you for your consideration of others regarding the generator. We have a 4-5 day limit on dry camping due to small water tank. Our twin deep cycle group 27 will take us strongly through three nights of evening video's, furnace etc,. We do use a Honda EU 1000 generator and a 40 amp battery charger to bring the batteries back up. Takes about two hours in middle of the day. Best of luck.
Oasis Bob
Wonderful wife 3 of 4 kids at home. 1 proudly serving in USAF
2018 Ford Explorer
2001 Bantam Trail Lite B-19

HAPPY TRAILS:)

opnspaces
Navigator II
Navigator II
It really depends on how you use your trailer. Furnace blower is the largest draw. With furnace expect 1 nigh of use per battery. In a mild climate figure 2 nights per battery.

After that wanton use of lights will be a big draw unless you have LED bulbs.

It's easy for us to spend your money. I'll bet that four 6 volt batteries and 300 watts of solar will put you back $1000 without even knowing if you even need to spend it. My opinion is I would use two 6 volt batteries from Sams Club or Costco wired in series. Charge the batteries full, get a set of jumper cables and go camping. If your batteries get low hook the jumper cables from the vehicle to the trailer and let it idle for 2 - 3 hours. If you make it three days then add solar and you'll probably make it a week without having to haul another 100 lbs of tongue for extra batteries.
.
2001 Suburban 4x4. 6.0L, 4.10 3/4 ton **** 2005 Jayco Jay Flight 27BH **** 1986 Coleman Columbia Popup

TerryandKim
Explorer
Explorer
Any suggestions on makes of solar set ups??
1999 GMC Sierra 1500 ExtCab SLE 5.3l 3.73 - Curt WD, airbags
2010 Jayco JayFlight 26BHS G2
1 Wonderful Wife!, 2 Great Boys!, 1 Goofy Basset Hound (Floyd),Oh, and me.

TerryandKim
Explorer
Explorer
Hey that's great info. Thanks! I'm going to get two more six volts and look at getting a solar panel set up.
I like the no generator way of doing it comments, sounds good (pun intended)
1999 GMC Sierra 1500 ExtCab SLE 5.3l 3.73 - Curt WD, airbags
2010 Jayco JayFlight 26BHS G2
1 Wonderful Wife!, 2 Great Boys!, 1 Goofy Basset Hound (Floyd),Oh, and me.

Dennis_Smith
Explorer
Explorer
We have 3 12v batteries, we can go 6 days , but we watch what we use. This is with 36 gallons of water. Have a Honda generator but yet to use it, as we hate the noise. But if we need it we have it.

Vintage465
Nomad
Nomad
I am set up with 2 6v batteries and 300 watts of solar. Gets us a week pretty easily. And that's been in the winter using the heater. However, we use zero 110v appliances. Not even a microwave. No inverter. Some day I will do some leg work to get four 6v batteries. We either cook outside on the BBQ or inside with the stove and oven. I am also in the group that discourages running generators. I will eventually have one, but it will only be used in emergencies. And in our trailer an emergency isn't "needing to use a hair drier"!
V-465
2013 GMC 2500HD Duramax Denali. 2015 CreekSide 20fq w/450 watts solar and 465 amp/hour of batteries. Retired and living the dream!

corvettekent
Explorer
Explorer
Try four 6 volt batteries and a pure sine wave inverter. Then about 300 watts of solar.
2022 Silverado 3500 High Country CC/LB, SRW, L5P. B&W Companion Hitch with pucks. Hadley air horns.

2004 32' Carriage 5th wheel. 860 watts of solar MPPT, two SOK 206 ah LiFePO4 batteries. Samlex 2,000 watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter.

2oldman
Explorer II
Explorer II
Sticky post in Public lands - Must haves for boondocking

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