New to dry camping, questions?

[MorMJS]

So far all our trips have been to full hookup sites,, but next week we will be doing our first trip to a dry campground for a couple nights. Here are my questions:
1. Should I plug my trailer cord into my generator(2000w) or should I just use the Genny attached to battery through the alligator clips that it came with?

2. What to do for morning coffee? Will my 110v outlets in the trailer still work so I can use our normal coffee pot?

3. If I run the genny my wife can blow dry her hair right?

[Sillybugs2]

If I don't want to run genny I blow dry my hair in the camp bathroom. Saves noise.

[amandasgramma]

Buy a perculator.....don't have to turn on the genny.
I keep my hair short so I don't have to worry about the blow dryer.....in warm weather, it's not necessary. I can go 2 days without washing my hair, too.

[Huntindog]

For my remote trips, I always bring both of the Hondas, so I have a backup. Only needed it once when the pull cord broke on one of them.

[Golden_HVAC]

Hi,

If you plan on making coffee, and blow drying the hair, do one at a time, as each can use about 13 amps. The charger on board the RV is more powerful than the tiny attachment on the generator, that is only rated at 3-6 amps. The RV generator is 35 - 45 amps, perhaps 65 amps?

Plan on running the generator about 1 hour per day, and that should keep the battery full enough to run the pump and some lights.

If you want to run the laptop computer, or charge cell phones, or some other small loads from the 12 volt battery, then you will need a small inverter. It changes 12 VDC into 120 VAC. Yet you can not run large loads from the inverter, as a coffee maker will draw 150 amps at 12 VDC and quickly discharge the battery. It is fine for a 5 watt cell charger or 20 watt computer, even a 75 watt flat screen TV. But not the larger loads unless you have a lot of batteries.

I bought a inverter at Costco, rated at 500 watts and it plugs into a cigarette lighter. Anything between 150 and 500 watts should work fine. Larger than 500 watts, and the start up amperage and run amperage (even without a load) will be higher than a couple of batteries can support. Make sure that you unplug the inverter when not needed, so that the battery will not be dead in the morning. Also charge the cell phones as much as possible while the generator is on, or just before starting the generator.

Have fun camping!

Fred.

[darsben]

MorMJS wrote:

darsben wrote:
how big a genny

I have 2 of the 2000w SmarterTool w/ Yamaha motor from Costco

then just make sure the place you are camping allows gennys and that there are no restrictions on the hours of use

[MorMJS]

darsben wrote:
how big a genny

I have 2 of the 2000w SmarterTool w/ Yamaha motor from Costco, but had only planned to take 1 of them with us because we won't need AC

[time2roll]

You do not have to wait until you are camping to see what works.
Give it a go tomorrow and post the issues.

[jmtandem]

So far all our trips have been to full hookup sites,, but next week we will be doing our first trip to a dry campground for a couple nights. Here are my questions:
1. Should I plug my trailer cord into my generator or should I just use the Genny attached to battery through the alligator clips that it came with?

Plug in to shore power cord should work.


2. What to do for morning coffee? Will my 110v outlets in the trailer still work so I can use our normal coffee pot?

Depends on how much wattage your generator puts out and how much wattage the coffee maker requires. Same answer for number three question below.

3. If I run the genny my wife can blow dry her hair right?

[profdant139]

Here is a suggestion -- just for one night, try to do without the generator. The silence is golden. For your coffee, check out the idea of "pour-over" coffee using boiled water -- it is all the rage these days, and it is delicious, and it uses no electricity. And is it absolutely necessary to use a blow dryer? In dry climates, hair will dry pretty quickly without electricity. (In a wet climate, there may be no other option.)

I understand if you and your wife choose to use electric power so that you need a generator. That is your choice. But a lot of folks camp "off the grid" and enjoy the peace and quiet. It is a lot easier than you'd think.

Thank goodness it is a free country, and you can do what you please!!

[darsben]

how big a genny

[coolmom42]

All your 110 outlets will work as long as the generator is running.

[Mandalay_Parr]

Plug your trailer cord direct into the generator. Every thing should work.