Furnace while boondocking.

[RoyBell]

For a 33' travel trailer, how much battery usage can I expect from the furnace? They are calling for low 40s over night and the women like it warm. The only site left was no electric so I booked it. I have 2 4 year old 12v batteries and led lamps inside.

I borrowed a small 2KW Honda inverter generator from a vendor to charge it up without the racket of my bigger unit during the day, but don't think I should run it during the night. It's a pretty quiet unit but you can still hear it running.

Is it safe to assume I can get through the night off battery power? I know they make small propane heaters but it's pretty rare to get stuck camping without power so I don't think it's money well spent in our case. If I can get one night and charge in the am for the next night I think it should be fine.

[profdant139]

PS -- our "new" trailer (now six years old) is much more well insulated -- thick styrofoam in the walls, ceiling, and floor.

[profdant139]

Time for a little break in this serious discussion -- our first trailer had almost no insulation. Went to Yellowstone in October. Temp one night dropped to 15. Temp in the trailer was below freezing. Of course the pipes froze (but later thawed).

But the most fun was the coffee maker -- did you know that a power cord can freeze? Here is proof:


Click For Full-Size Image.

This photo is not a trick photo -- we took the coffee maker out of the closet and the cord was frozen.

We did just fine, by the way -- did not run the heater at night -- slept under a down comforter and two blankets and slept very well!

[westend]

CavemanCharlie wrote:

RoyBell wrote:

time2roll wrote:

RoyBell wrote:
We are on the verge of upgrading in the next year or two if we find the right model so I am not all that much in a rush to put new batteries in for next year.

Yes if you will be doing more off-grid camping in the new RV or just want to be prepared for contingencies... that will be the time to get the right stuff.

The next one will have a generator built-in.

Even with a generator there will be times that you will want to,, or have to,, use just the batteries for a night with the furnace. Learning about how batteries and the 12 volt systems on your camper work now will help you to decide what type of batteries to get when you purchase your next camper.

The battery (and it's usually just one) that come with campers usually suck.

Good reading about 12V management: 12 volt side of life There is a part two, also.

For PHD in 12V batteries: Battery University

[RambleOnNW]

We run the gen and crank up the heat to 72 an hour before quiet time then turn the furnace down to 50 or 55 This tops up the batteries too and have run with this down to 20 F with a 20 mph wind. Start up and run the gen in the morning. We have sleeping bags good to -15F. Also use reflectix in windows at the coldest temps.

[azrving]

Dry camping is far different than walking in the door and flip the switch and pay the bill. If you use the RV as it's designed it's pretty much just an extension of flipping the switch but you just changed locations. Dry camping puts you in charge of your whole energy system. As Charlie said, now is the time to learn so you can look for important features on your next rig. The things to look for are battery storage size and height, distance between the batteries and converter,roof area for solar.

You can run with a digital volt meter to know your voltage at all times. Some people use a battery monitor which tells you the amp hours used and returned to the batteries. After using mine I'd never run without one no matter what battery type.

There are many ways to set your rig up and it's not one size fits all. If you dry camp a little or a lot you want to know your system so it runs smooth and you are comfortable.

[CavemanCharlie]

RoyBell wrote:

time2roll wrote:

RoyBell wrote:
We are on the verge of upgrading in the next year or two if we find the right model so I am not all that much in a rush to put new batteries in for next year.

Yes if you will be doing more off-grid camping in the new RV or just want to be prepared for contingencies... that will be the time to get the right stuff.

The next one will have a generator built-in.

Even with a generator there will be times that you will want to,, or have to,, use just the batteries for a night with the furnace. Learning about how batteries and the 12 volt systems on your camper work now will help you to decide what type of batteries to get when you purchase your next camper.

The battery (and it's usually just one) that come with campers usually suck.

[RoyBell]

time2roll wrote:

RoyBell wrote:
We are on the verge of upgrading in the next year or two if we find the right model so I am not all that much in a rush to put new batteries in for next year.

Yes if you will be doing more off-grid camping in the new RV or just want to be prepared for contingencies... that will be the time to get the right stuff.

The next one will have a generator built-in.

[time2roll]

RoyBell wrote:
We are on the verge of upgrading in the next year or two if we find the right model so I am not all that much in a rush to put new batteries in for next year.

Yes if you will be doing more off-grid camping in the new RV or just want to be prepared for contingencies... that will be the time to get the right stuff.

[Jay_Coe]

mike-s wrote:

Jay Coe wrote:
That's a blanket statement that like most generalizations, isn't always accurate. Marine batteries are available in starting, hybrid and true deep cycle. Yes, the marine "deep cycle" batteries at Walmart and Costco are hybrids, but true deep cycle marine batteries are also available.

What exactly is the difference between a "true deep cycle marine battery" and a common true deep cycle battery, like the Trojan previously mentioned? Do they have a picture of a boat on the label or something?

Nothing, that's the point. The generalization was that all Marine batteries are hybrid and that's not true.

[RoyBell]

Looks like google says true deep cycle batteries are heavier duty and not designed for short high current draws like starters.


https://sciencing.com/marine-vs-deep-cycle-battery-5606295.html

Deep Cycle Batteries

Deep cycle batteries have thick plates and can be discharged down to 80 percent (deep cycled) time after time without causing damage. In contrast, starter batteries deliver short, high-current bursts to crank an engine, meaning they frequently discharge only a small part of their capacity. The main difference between true deep cycle batteries and other types is that deep cycle batteries have solid – not sponge – lead plates. They are most commonly used in industrial applications for backups and in solar power plants. True deep cycle brands include Crown, Deka and Trojan.
Marine Batteries

Marine batteries may be starting batteries, dual-purpose batteries or deep cycle batteries. They are usually a hybrid of starting and deep cycle batteries, with lead sponge plates that are coarser and heavier than starting battery plates but not as thick as true deep cycle battery plates.
Sciencing Video Vault

It can be difficult to tell what you get in a marine battery, and the only way to know for sure is to cut one open. The terms "marine" and "deep cycle" are often used interchangeably or together, which adds to the confusion. For example, a battery labeled "deep cycle marine battery" may be constructed the same as RV batteries labeled "deep cycle."

A starting battery is fine for an inboard or outboard marine engine, but if you need to power a trolling motor, go for a deep cycle battery.
Battery Life Span

The life span of a deep cycle battery depends on how it is used, maintained and charged, as well as external factors such as temperature. How often and how deep you deep cycle a battery also affects life span. While the variables make it almost impossible to provide a definite life span, typically a marine battery lasts for one to six years. An AGM (absorbed glass mat) deep cycle battery usually lasts for four to eight years, a gelled deep cycle battery for two to five years, and an industrial deep cycle battery for 10 to 20 years.

[mike-s]

Jay Coe wrote:
That's a blanket statement that like most generalizations, isn't always accurate. Marine batteries are available in starting, hybrid and true deep cycle. Yes, the marine "deep cycle" batteries at Walmart and Costco are hybrids, but true deep cycle marine batteries are also available.

What exactly is the difference between a "true deep cycle marine battery" and a common true deep cycle battery, like the Trojan previously mentioned? Do they have a picture of a boat on the label or something?

[RoyBell]

CavemanCharlie wrote:
Another thing you could have done was to have baked some cookies or something in the oven before going to bed. The residual left over heat would have helped to keep your furnaces from kicking in as quickly the first time.

This is a good idea! And I like cookies!

[RoyBell]

I have (2) Deka Marine Master batteries. DC24. I checked their site and they don't make this one anymore. It's listed as 500 CCA whereas the new model is listed at 480.

My onboard charger charges at 13.6V. I see on their site it says it can boost to 14.4-14.6V. So, maybe they are being undercharged?

I haven't checked the fluid lately. I do have a battery shutoff that I use when it's not being used and for the past 3 winters it has been stored indoors heated. This year will be indoors unheated so I am debating leaving the batteries or pulling them out. I think they still perform pretty good all things considered.

We are on the verge of upgrading in the next year or two if we find the right model so I am not all that much in a rush to put new batteries in for next year.

[westend]

CavemanCharlie wrote:
Another thing you could have done was to have baked some cookies or something in the oven before going to bed. The residual left over heat would have helped to keep your furnaces from kicking in as quickly the first time.

I'm liking this idea but I may have suffered a stomach ache from trying to eat all of those fresh-baked cookies.:B