There are a lot of battery charging questions on the forum this morning, and I just have to ask:How are you running the batteries down so quickly?We're all outdoorsy-types right? Spend every waking moment outside enjoying nature and whatnot.For me, battery usage involves running the water pump for a shower in the morning, and the LED lights long enough for me to drag myself into bed at night. This is all from the starter battery on my truck, too. On the fourth day I stick the key in the ignition, turn it, and VROOM!You guys have one or two dedicated batteries for the camper, and you're running them down on a daily basis. Sure, your more modern campers have electronic controls on the fridge and water heater, while mine are "analog," but do those things really draw that much?

Larger families camping use more. Sometimes kids aren't as conservative. Kids need all their electronic stuff with them. Gosh, I can actually remember sitting by the campfire, no phones, or tv and using lanterns with white gas. Never worried about batteries. :B

People use their TC's differently. This weekend we were dry camping in a little town in the mountains. I ran the generator first thing in the morning just for coffee and to heat food. After breakfast we walked into town for sights and and festivities while our dogs stayed in the camper. Since the fall temperatures have been dropping, we left the furnace on low temperature even when away. Usually we headed back to the camper for a late lunch before heading out again. We returned once again to the camper to clean up for a dinner out on the town and it is already getting dark. We don't leave any lights on but by this time the temperatures are dropping and the furnace is cycling more often. Returning from dinner, we turn up the furnace to a more comfortable temperature but know the batteries would be lose to 50% in the morning without a charge. This is the time I will start the generator and we will watch a movie. When the movie is over, the generator goes off, we go to bed and battery drain cycle starts again. We do not have a solar setup on the TC, but have two group 29 batteries. When we pull our enclosed trailer with us, it has five additional batteries and a portable solar setup we can use to get more power - This trip was without the trailer. We use our camper like a second home and fully utilize all of its conveniences. Two nights out ran through 30 gallons of water and 3 gallons of LPG (water heater, fridge, furnace and generator).

We have 2 group 27s with 94 amp hours each plus solar. Spent 8 days up in the Rockies with out electric and never had a problem. If its sunny solar is the answer.

It's good to cycle a starting battery as deep as you can.

Compressor fridge uses about 600 watt-hr per day. All LED lighting but that still uses perhaps 30 watt-hr per day. Furnace uses about 50 watts when running, so maybe 50 watt-hr per day. Charge laptops, cell phone, other stuff = 100 watt-hr per day.You are at 800 watt-hr which would bring down a 12V 250AH battery bank to 70%If you are out in the open and can see the sky, no problem, batteries are back to full by noon even with clouds. If you are deep in the woods I can't even get 30 watts from our 1100 watt solar system.

How are you running down batteries so quickly? | Good Sam Community

brholt
Explorer II
Oct 28, 2015
Up here in Washington, usually on the "wet" side, I have no trouble in summer going extended periods with a 150 watt solar panel. Winter is another story. Dark, rainy, in the trees, and cool. I moved to a TC so we don't have to rough it out so we use the heat and the lights (though they are LED). To stay above 50% on the batteries I usually have to run the generator 30 minutes or so from the second day on.
Buzzcut1
Nomad II
Oct 28, 2015
Funny but I am a power scrooge. at night I am usually sitting at the dinette and only one light is on in the camper and the laptop is running on its internal battery. I have 200 watts of Solar and two group 31 AGM batteries. In the winter I cover all windows and skylights with 1" closed cell foam and I have R19 fiberglass batts behind every exterior compartment door. The valve area of the waste tanks alos has R19 even down at 5* in yosemite the furnace rarely cycled. Since I put in the solar the only time I have used the generator is for the AC or if the wife want to watch satellite TV
Oldtymeflyr
Explorer
Oct 28, 2015
In the summer we use maybe 10 amps a day. In the winter our usage easily doubles with the furnace. The LED lights use very little power and have made a big difference in reducing our power consumption. We have two 6 volt golf cart batteries and 180 watts of solar. We have never been on the edge of not having enough power, even when back east in the winter with very cloudy days.
trail-explorer
Explorer
Oct 28, 2015
oops. I hit reply instead of edit.
trail-explorer
Explorer
Oct 28, 2015
Numerous years ago I installed LED lights from here and that made a hige difference in battery life.

Write-up: My Easy LED Upgrade

The owner has an AF811 I believe.
Photomike
Explorer III
Oct 27, 2015
In the summer I can go a week with the two batteries that I have and not even notice a drop in power. In the spring, fall and winter a day or two. When I camp I like to stay warm and enjoy it. I have slept in tents in -40c, the back of a truck with a cap in -20c, in the back of a car in -15c and I have to say that I do like turning the furnace on and having heat when I get up or when I come in chilled from a day of photography, that is why I have a TCer.
JimK-NY
Explorer II
Oct 26, 2015
LED lighting and the water pump are really minimal. My compressor refrigerator uses a minimum of 30 AH/day to over twice that when the temperatures are high. My wife's CPAP draws about 30 AH/day. Next big power consumption is due to charging the 17" laptop and a small inverter that needs to run an hour a day for charging camera batteries. Cellphone batteries also need charging. I have no idea about the power consumption for the laptop and for charging batteries. I suspect the laptop is a power hog. I am using it currently and also have the cellphone in use as a hotspot.
jmcgsd
Explorer
Oct 26, 2015
fitznj wrote:
....
I have 2 batteries and 135W of solar - which keeps the batteries topped up.

.......

Gerry

As long as you have got some sun and sky. As I've posted elsewhere, I spent the summer CG hosting in a spot surrounded by Lodgepole Pines. Solar was pretty inefficient in that scenario. Without a generator you'd be in trouble no matter how much solar you had.
fitznj
Explorer
Oct 26, 2015
My TT is essentially my week-end cottage - the scenery changes every time. So we like to take out "homely" amenities with us. I don't want to "rough" it when camping (those days a long gone) but I do enjoy the outdoors.

Electrical demands vary with the season, we essentially stay outside with the light, so demand increases in the winter when we lose the light at 5pm. That's when the TV goes on, the laptop gets fired up, the furnace kicks in, the fridge is on etc etc.

I have 2 batteries and 135W of solar - which keeps the batteries topped up.

If I was in a tent, I would probably only need 3 AAA batteries in my flash-light

Gerry
jmcgsd
Explorer
Oct 26, 2015
At the moment it's super simple. I have one group 27 battery and no solar. Run the CO detector plus the reefer for about 2 days and you're outta juice. You either need to put lots of time on the generator, run the truck, get Solar or find another solution. I'm working on the problem now, see my other posts .....