Off grid for first time, need some guidance !

[OBX-GL]

Wow. Haven't posted in a while. I have missed tapping into all the available wisdom here.
With Covid and boarders closed, site availably has sucked around me.

We managed two sites consecutively at a great campground. Problem is one of them has no hook up. DW says she only needs the propane fridge/ its DC power circuit. i'm converting to LED bulbs throughout, likely only a bulb two for a few hours each day. i guess there will be the DC holding tank pump draw for a few seconds now and then. Am i missing any other loads ?

Question - i have currently only one new deep cell group 24 marine battery, (1000 crank amps 130 reserve capacity) no other useful info on the label. How far will this thing last with my minimal loads ?

I am willing to buy solar, and/or more bigger batteries. However, will likely never use them again.
Milwaukee tool offers an expensive power station that i could justify for use at work. However, it only provides 750whr before it also needs charging.

If me. what would y'all do for a weeks time till hook up is available ?

Thx in advance !

Greg

[D_E_Bishop]

I installed a 250 watt system with a 30 amp controller to try a keep my two GC 2 batts up when dry camping. So far we have gone 10 consecutive days without using the genny.

We have all LED lighting, and did not use the furnace we viewed at least 3 hours of video on a tv/inverter combo that pulled about 37 watts. The controller had a happy face and read 13.8.

My chassis batt does not charge from the solar so if we we be more than sixty days of non use, I have a timer that switches the aux output from the conntroller on twice a week for an hour at noon. We've not had any drop in voltage with that timer installed.

I don't leave home without solar.

[toedtoes]

Can you do an overnight campout in your driveway? Spend 24 hours using the camper just like if you were actually camping and see how much power you actually use.

I can go 14-16 days on one battery charge without dropping to 50 percent. It's all in what you want to use and what your camper requires.

As mentioned above, power jacks and awnings will use up power. Fridges with electronic control boards will also. If you use the furnace or watch tv or use a coffee maker, etc, they will all use up battery power.

For me, I keep things simple. In the motorhome, I added battery operated puck lights around the camper - this lets me use targeted lighting as needed instead of lighting up the entire camper just to read a book. I also have lanterns for outdoors so no awning lights, etc.

My fridge is old school and doesn't use electric when on propane. My water pump is on 24/7 but only kicks in when I actually run water. I use a small power pack to charge my phone, tablet, etc. I don't have a tv or microwave or coffee maker, etc.

With my trailer, it's the same as above but I turn off the water pump. It has a cassette toilet, so I don't need the pump to flush. I have a second battery for the power jack and trailer brakes. The house battery also powers the hydraulic roof lift.

A 75ah battery will do what I need. I did upgrade to a 135ah battery in the motorhome and a 85ah house battery and 35ah jack/brake battery in the trailer. I don't need solar or a generator.

[pianotuna]

200 watts with a 30 amp charge controller (for the day when you wish to increase the solar harvest).

[_1Flyboy]

What Dodge guy says , no noise, no maintenance, no oil, no gas, & NO bothering your neighbors!!!!!

[jdc1]

Boon Docker wrote:
Get a 1000 watt generator to charge your battery

What BoonDocker says....

[CavemanCharlie]

I have 2 6V golf cart batteries. I can go about 3 days very easy before I need a charge. I could probably go longer but, I am just a weekend camper and I don't get out for that long. But, that is just me being frugal. Some people are not as frugal.


Watch out for "Parasitic" draws, they will drain your batteries over time. For example the radio has a memory and the propane detector. Is your smoke/carbon monoxide detector powered by small batteries or is it plumed in ??

All these little draws add up after awhile.

[mr_andyj]

Since you will do this for one week and not again for the future...
I would get 100watt solar panel and a MPPT charge controller. Dont use communist Amazon, eBay has everything, but do what you want. It will cost about $80 for a 100 watt panel shipped and maybe $30 or so for a controller. 200 watts is better, but maybe 100 is enough for just your one battery.

If you want heavy power useage like a furnace or fans all night then consider adding another marine battery (better to add a true deep cycle 12 v battery, but youre just setting up for 1 week). If another battery then do go 200 watts solar.

You can put the solar panel in the closet and you will always have it as emergency or the next camping trip.

This will give you minimal use. No furnace, guessing in the summer you wont need a furnace?
You can run the LED lights and the water pump just fine. The fridge will draw nill DC on propane.
Careful running fans as they will draw down your battery at night, will be ok in the day time if on solar, but turn off later in the day so panels can send all juice to charge and not to run fans.

Marine batteries are not for RV camping, they are for boats. You can get by with one if it is in good shape though. If it rains and your solar cant charge then you can just crank the car. Bigger wires going from your car alternator (or car battery) to your camper batteries is more ideal as the trailer wiring is so small it can take longer to charge than the car's systems is able to charge it. Jumper cables would do in a pinch.

Other options like generators just get more and more expensive.

Without more info thats about all i have to add.

[dodge_guy]

You can get a 200W solar kit off Amazon for around $250. Then I would get 2 matching batteries. 2 6V AGM golf cart batteries will last you awhile and offer more Ah.

[theoldwizard1]

Sandia Man wrote:
Well, without investing in any of the aforementioned items my only guess is possibly charging your single battery with your vehicle daily to keep it from going dead by the third day.

You will never get your RV battery up to 100% just charging it off your vehicle. Vehicle charging systems just are not designed to do this.

Assuming your converter does a good job at charging (not all do) then you best answer is a small generator.

FYI, that marine battery is not a true "deep discharge battery". The only commonly available true deep discharge batteries are 6V golf cart batteries so you need 2 in series. The information you are missing is the amp-hour (Ah) rating. Your Group 24 battery has about 75 Ah. A pair of GC2 golf cart batteries is over 200 Ah.

[Ed_Gee]

I wouldn't think your GRP 24 wet cell battery would last the night if you use a furnace, watch TV, etc. it is not really a 'deep discharge' type battery if it has a cranking specification..... that is a dual purpose starting battery, at least. A true deep discharge RV batttery will not have auto connection posts sticking up nor will it have a cranking amp specification. A deep discharge battery will measure its capacity in Amp Hours.....
just my opinion. Your battery may well work for your needs if they are as minimal as you described....

[IDman]

You are forgetting about the water pump, frig, electric jacks, electric awnings and levelers, and other 'mystery' draws. Plan on always having more lights on (bathroom, etc.)

You didn't say if you would be in mountains and if so, you'll run the furnace to warm up.

I would say one day and one night and your one battery will be drained.

[Sandia_Man]

Well, without investing in any of the aforementioned items my only guess is possibly charging your single battery with your vehicle daily to keep it from going dead by the third day. When RVing off the grid it is all about replenishing consumed amphours back into your 12 volt reserves, takes a multi-pronged solution to be able to use your RV as if plugged into shorepower.

[Boon_Docker]

Get a 1000 watt generator to charge your battery

[rlw999]

If you'll have full sun, you could get a 100W solar panel + charger and hook it up to your house battery to keep it charged.

With good sun (the panel needs to be shade free for most of the day), you should get around 30 Amp-Hours a day of charge for your battery from a 100W panel. Since you can keep your battery power usage to a minimum this should be more than enough.

That 130 minute reserve capacity battery will give you around 54 amp-hours of capacity, but you can only reasonably use around half that without discharging the battery too far.

[NamMedevac_70]

I have had very good results using a small 2000W gas powered inverter generator (Firman) from costco and before that a larger heavier Champion 3500 generator. Both had the RV receptable and standard 120 AC receptacle. With adapter you can use RV socket for 120 AC also. Also has a usb socket for charging phone and laptop. I also carry a spare 12 volt truck battery for use with trailer and truck as backup plus a small smart battery charger to charge batteries if needed. Each item is very small and weighs less than 50 lbs. For jumpstart emergency I have inexpensive but powerful lithium power bricks/banks that will fit in your glove compartment. They have worked wonders for me when I had starting problems. The brand of one of them is "Type 5 or S"

In the quiet econo mode I can run generator for 8 to 9 hours on one gallon of gas.