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.
๐ 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
