Input Needed on Basic Dry Camping Energy

[RV Sailor]

I do the same. Have the 12 volt adapter, but my wife has one too. Puts quite a hit if you use 4 days in a row boondocking
We have these which are great and we run 4 days with humidifier on at level 13.

https://www.amazon.com/MAXOAK-Airsen...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

[orbiker]

Hey Everyone. I would like some input on what energy requirements I would need to dry camp in the Blue Ridge Mtns this summer for a few nights. I understand basic concepts of 12v vs AC power and how that relates to my rig, but I'm not very technical when it comes to amp hour requirements or other technical aspects.

We have a new Reflection 31MB we bought last fall with the single stock battery, nothing else.

I would plan to bring my generator (Honda EU2200i) but only use it limited and as needed, being mindful of the noise (even an inverter is not "quiet").

Here is how I would plan to manage our dry camping system:
- No A/C (plan to camp in the mountains 2,000ft+ elevation where its shaded). Maybe use A/C from genny in middle of the afternoon if its really hot and we happen to be in the rig, but otherwise I wouldn't plan on needing A/C
- Run ceiling exhaust fans on battery a few hours a day - when taking a hockey, and maybe at the end of the day to help cool the rig down before we go to bed.
- Run water pump on battery the entire trip
- Run lights only 3-4 hours a day, either early in morning or at night before bed
- Run fridge on propane, however I know it still draws SOME battery power
- Charge small electronics through USB charging ports
- Run hot water heater on propane, only when we need hot water
- If we need the microwave for something quick, we could use the generator for a quick cycle.

I am considering adding 2 deep cycle batteries in the rig for extra capacity (replacing the stock one), and charging those batteries 1-2x per day with the generator. I wouldn't be opposed to getting 1-2 solar panels for this task, but the campground I am looking at is very shaded...

Do y'all think that based on my needs stated above, having two batteries power our needs and charging daily with a generator is reasonable?

If you do 2 batteries, it couldn't hurt to upgrade your converter to a 4 stage quality converter. It will charge the batteries a bit faster, plus take better care of them when your a plugged in. KEN

[Skilletface]

Excellent plan weekend warrior! Depending on the budget go for at least a 2 6 volt GC2 battery upgrade, 4 6 volt would be even better but space and weight may keep you in the 2 6 volt upgrade. Just replacing the single 12 volt even with a wet cell GC2 will extend your battery run time.
Here’s a starting point, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
In order to vent the battery box and use the existing vent hose, use a PVC fitting matching the inside diameter of the vent hose and a PVC fitting that is threaded on one end with a gasket as to tighten the fitting on the battery box. Use a step drill for boring a hole in battery box they work better on a project like this. Cabling for joining the batteries can be purchased at any auto parts store.

[wjpatter]

Hey Everyone. I would like some input on what energy requirements I would need to dry camp in the Blue Ridge Mtns this summer for a few nights. I understand basic concepts of 12v vs AC power and how that relates to my rig, but I'm not very technical when it comes to amp hour requirements or other technical aspects.

You should do well for 2-3 days, the 4th maybe a push. The heater motor suck energy big time so use sparingly but stay warm. I ran my generator several hours at night for the TV and microwave. Your best bet is to keep up with the battery voltage when the generator if off. Check the charge state and add generator time if you start losing ground after a day. Everything you do will effect the number of charge cycles of your battery but the rule-of-thumb is to stay above 50%. The battery life cycle curve takes a sharp down slope at around 50%. The most important rule-of-thumb is to "Have Fun" and don't over think your camping. If you run your generator a little longer than planned, it is ok.

[mrffrank440]

A fellow sailor and RV'er !!!
Does anybody have any info or experience RV Wind Generators?

I have heard mixed messages regarding solar.

Mitch and Alisa Frank
25' fixed-keel Catalina sailboat
Imagine XLS 22MLE

[SolarPoweredRV]

A fellow sailor and RV'er !!!
Does anybody have any info or experience RV Wind Generators?

I have heard mixed messages regarding solar.

Mitch and Alisa Frank
25' fixed-keel Catalina sailboat
Imagine XLS 22MLE

The problem with using a wind generator with an RV is that you are usually too close to the ground to catch any useful wind. Unlike when you are on the water there are ground obstructions that preclude reliable wind generation.

What "Mixed messages" have you heard about Solar?

[RV Sailor]

A fellow sailor and RV'er !!!
Does anybody have any info or experience RV Wind Generators?

I have heard mixed messages regarding solar.

Mitch and Alisa Frank
25' fixed-keel Catalina sailboat
Imagine XLS 22MLE

Welcome fellow sailboater
.
Haleakula has both solar and a wind generator. Wind for underway ( no one anchors in windy areas if possible)
The wind pumps steady amounts. Of energy into the batteries . At 15 knots of breeze we get 200 watts ( 16.5 amps) per hour) . Wind energy is continuous vs sun energy which tops at 5 hours. Wind will easily put 100 amps in in 8hours.

Cant see where wind would help an RV unless it was stationary in a park.

[justdede]

We dry camped in our 2020 303 Reflection in Lake Tahoe area last summer for 2 weeks. Never had a problem. We have 2 Size 27 batteries (when we replace them we are going to get 2 6volt deep cycles). We have 240 watts of solar on our roof, but it was a bit shady so that didn't quite keep the batteries at full. We ran our Honda 2000 generator for about an hour in the morning so hubby and other family could have their coffee and we could charge the battery from the night. We never ran the AC, ran the furnace a few of evenings, we turn the water pump and water heater on only when we are going to use it, we rarely watch TV but we did charge our iPads, and phones using the battery. My husband uses a CPAP but we have a Rockpals 350 watt power station that we charge up in the morning or connect to solar to charge it. Using the 12 volt connector it will operate his CPAP for two nights without a charge; he doesn't usually use the humidifier. That way, no matter what happens with our trailer battery he always has his CPAP, and if something happens to the Rockpals we have the trailer battery.

Occasionally we ran the generator for 30 minutes in the evening depending on how much we used batteries during the day. You have a great plan, the only suggestion I have is that based on our experience, I think it would be difficult but not impossible to dry camp with one Size 27 battery for more than a day or two. We always opt for two batteries and on our older 5th wheel we went to 2 6 volts and loved it.

You have a good plan, go for it. Enjoy.

[BigSam]

I bought a Jackery 500. It is a one piece lithium battery, inverter and charger in a mall carrying case. Can run my TV, dish and receiver for 8-10 hours between charging. It comes with AC, DC and USB outlets and can be charged from solar, AC or DC from your vehicle.

They make it in 200, 300, 500 and 1000 watts. Home Depo sells it in a 290, 550 and 880 watts that are not available directly through Amazon or Jackery.

By the time I bought. Lithium battery, a lithium charge and an inverter, the Jackery just made more sense to me until determine my exact off grid needs.

[unclejoey_vt]

WW –

I think your thought process - regarding loads, durations, power sources, etc. - is spot-on. My wife and I full-time in a 2018 Reflection 337RLS. We can boondock comfortably for a week, including loads needed to support full-time remote work, with a fairly basic setup – and rarely requiring running a similar Yamaha generator. Here’s our configuration, if it helps:

Battery Monitor – When getting started, I put in a Victron battery monitor to get an accurate read on our loads, charge/discharge rate, and % capacity. That information is great for monitoring usage and helping with decisions on upgrade needs.

Battery Upgrade – As suggested by others above, we replaced the single factory installed Group 27 lead-acid battery up in our front bay with a pair of 6 volt flooded golf cart batteries (wired in series), increasing us from around 85 Ah up to 215 Ah. We added another 65 lbs, but it didn’t cost us much in storage space. Cost of the flooded batteries is very reasonable, as well, and they’re rugged and dependable.

Solar – To reduce dependency on the generator, we added 700W of solar to our roof. Many full-timers doing a lot of boondocking might consider this underkill, but we were trying to keep costs down. As it turns out, if we’ve got good sun, we can generally recharge from 60% to 90% capacity by noon – and it’s rare that we won’t be fully recharged by the end of the day. In those cases, running our generator 2-3 hours gives us back the energy we need.

We also put in a 2kW Go Power inverter/charger, which lets us run the microwave, TV, etc. off the battery.

I would echo the previous statement about the furnace blowers being a BIG consumer. Our energy usage, especially overnight, increases significantly when camping in colder areas. As far as the air conditioner goes, our strategy is to avoid needing it. We tend to move with the seasons a bit, use shades and fans at strategic times, etc., and it works for us.

As they say, your mileage may vary; but, hopefully, this will give you some things to consider.

- uj