How long does the battery last using lights and water pump?

[Timmer]

Hi all,

We've never used our camper without an electrical source. We are going to be camping for 4 days with no power. I only have one battery. I'm guessing we won't be able to use lights at all given the need to open and close the slides and use the water pump? Will just the water pump be a risk?

[towdriver]

Do you have any type of solar, even just a cheap one that clips to battery leads. If so you may be ok. If not another option is to plug trailer into truck and run truck for a while to charge trailer battery. It won't charge very fast but will charge it. Or hook booster cables from truck battery to trailer battery. Just don't leave truck hooked up without it running or you could kill truck battery too then really be stuck.
If at all possible I park where booster cables will reach from truck battery to trailer batteries, had to boost truck off trailer before when interior light got left on in truck

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[sande005]

Hi all,

We've never used our camper without an electrical source. We are going to be camping for 4 days with no power. I only have one battery. I'm guessing we won't be able to use lights at all given the need to open and close the slides and use the water pump? Will just the water pump be a risk?

Can't give much of an estimate, not knowing the size of your battery, how many lights for how long, or how often you'll use the water pump....

But, my previous 5th had two 6v batteries. Running the LED lights, only in the areas we were actually in (just kitchen, then off, just bathroom, then off, etc.), keeping water use to a bare minimum (saves water and pump running), fridge on gas (but it does use a bit of 12v too), using the TV for 2 hrs a night off an inverter, and a cpap set for minimal power off the inverter....I could get 2 1/2 days.
If the battery is what the dealer installed, you likely have 1/2 the power to begin with. But my inverter stuff took a good chunk of power. So as a very wild guess, you might last 3 days. Maybe the 4 if very, very frugal. LED lights use very little power. The pump does suck a lot, but only when running, and it does not run all the time, only on demand. BTW - fans also suck a fair pit of power, so avoid their use.

As noted, if you do run it down, hook up to the truck to power slides/jacks. Or even to slowly put some charge back in the trailer. Test this before hand - some trucks do not have a fuse installed for the power circuit from their charge system to the trailer plug. Bring the jumper cables, just in case.

It shortens life to run battery down below 1/2 capacity. And can be very bad if you run it until it is dead.

Do a search, and you can come up with the power usages that other measured on their trailers for each device, and do some math to figure out an estimate for how long they can run based on the capacity of the battery.

[Timmer]

Thanks. I do not have any solar equipment. We are a family of 5 so I'm thinking the pump will get a fair amount of use. I'm thinking if I have time i might run and get a 2nd battery.

[towdriver]

I have 4 AGM group 31 batteries in my 5th with family of 4. Kids use lots of power and don't always understand turn lights off as soon as your done in a room. We have gone 4 days and still had power using water pump, fridge, lights, power inverter and charging 4 tablets and 4 phones

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[Pap and Mimi]

I would consider getting one of the 2000 watt inverter generators to charge the battery when needed.

[sande005]

Here's one on-line article about calculating amp-hour usage and battery capacity. http://trailertraveler.net/calculate-rv-amp-usage/

[Cleetussnow]

I tested this out when I first got the 2800bh. We acted normally, ie. did not try to save energy, and we drained the stock battery in 36 hrs. The battery was a junk deep cycle with like 72 amp hrs. Now I have 2 6v batteries in series, which makes 1 big 12v, and I can get 230 amp hrs. I bet 4 days normal use will be achievable.

I always have a battery pack in my truck. 1000 amp. Whatever needs a boost, I can make it happen. Whatever you do, get one. Also get a 300 watt inverter...you can use that with the power pack for stuff if needed.

[jkwilson]

I would consider getting one of the 2000 watt inverter generators to charge the battery when needed.

I wouldn’t even consider it...... ......I’d already have it ordered.

[orbiker]

Hi all,

We've never used our camper without an electrical source. We are going to be camping for 4 days with no power. I only have one battery. I'm guessing we won't be able to use lights at all given the need to open and close the slides and use the water pump? Will just the water pump be a risk?

Today's RV's are power hungry. You will be lucky to get thru 1 day before your battery is dead.

I agree with the others. GET a small generator. Get a quiet one, like a 2000i Honda. Get a long fat extension cord too. The battery will take a long time to charge with the stock converter, so bring a 5 gallon can of gas too. KEN