It won't run your A/C but will keep everything else charged up.
If you do a lot of dry camping (i.e. no hook ups) for long periods, you will need a way to charge up your batts.
In our Shamrock 223S, we need power to run the pump so you can flush the toilette, AND, even when running the fridge on propane, the fridge electonics pull some juice from the battery.
Last year, after 3 days, I would have to hook up the truck to the camper batt with jumper cables for about an hour, so the kids could wash up, and the batts would have enough juice to run the fridge overnight and the next day.
Our 0.02. Your tow vehicles seem like plenty for that trailer. The tent ends can get wet but as others have said make sure to open them at the first opportunity to dry to avoid mildew.
Generator wise it depends alot on how you camp. We have a Shamrock 21ss hybrid and with a single group 27 deep cycle battery we've been able to make it through a long weekend using lights, water pump, furnace (judiciously, also have a small propane catalytic heater to use in a pinch), fridge/freezer in lp mode, and radio. I added a second battery and we could probably go the better part of a week before having to recharge. Over this past winter I've added an inverter for the microwave, a 230 watt solar panel, and led bulbs to stretch that out even further (indefinitely?). All for much less than the cost of a good inverter generator.
If you can go without A/C IMO there are much better alternatives than a noisy expensive generator. Less than a week just get a second or third deep cycle battery and be done with it. Don't forget the converter/charger in your camper most likely won't put out enough current to recharge your batteries in a reasonable time so you may be stuck running that generator for hours upon hours to recharge which may not be too popular with your neighbors
* This post was
edited 03/27/12 10:04am by Jetta03 *
We do a lot of dry camping, since the only local places that have full hookups, also don't have any shade trees. Our 2000 Yamaha will power everything but the A/C, and charges the battery from 56 to 100 percent in about 3 hrs. The one thing I did add to the mix is an automatic battery charger, which cost me another $50. Takes away the worry that the battery isn't charged up enough, or cooked.
When I hook my truck (now genereator) to the camper, it is DIRECTLY to the battery. The genny has a 12V output with batt cables on it. This way i don't use the inverter to charge the batt.
I agree, second battery, LED's, all are good, but I've got 4 kids (two teenage girls, and two, always playing in the dirt boys)..so the amount of flushing/showering is pretty high, hence the battery has no fighting chance.
Dougie123 wrote: When I hook my truck (now genereator) to the camper, it is DIRECTLY to the battery. The genny has a 12V output with batt cables on it. This way i don't use the inverter to charge the batt.
using the generator's 12v battery charging cables is overwhelming agreed to be the MOST inefficient way to recharge a battery with a generator.
use either the RV's converter or a separate battery charger. inverters don't charge batteries, they are for 110v AC items.
* This post was
edited 04/05/12 03:25pm by bikendan *
Dan- Firefighter, Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur, Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever, 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche LS, 2007 Rockwood Roo 23SS w/Equalizer and Prodigy, and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes
Battery charges by voltage differential. At 12v a battery is 45% charged and ain't gonna get any higher if all you're supplying is 12v. Battery chargers run up to about 14.5v to charge "12v" batteries -- which are really 12.7v when fully charged.
The voltage regulator regulates the voltage level in your car as the alternator charges the car battery.
-- Chuck
'06 Roo 23SS behind '07 Expedition out of Cleveland Our Photo pages
So I plug the campers power cord into the genny, and let the campers voltage regulator charge the batt? Guess that explains why after charging for a few hours, the batt was only good for the next day (i.e. it wasnt fully charging).
I will now go beat my head against the nearest rock.
Dougie123 wrote: Good grief...did I have that all messed up. :^(
So I plug the campers power cord into the genny, and let the campers voltage regulator charge the batt? Guess that explains why after charging for a few hours, the batt was only good for the next day (i.e. it wasnt fully charging).
I will now go beat my head against the nearest rock.
dj
just to clarify, your trailer has a CONVERTER, not a voltage regulator.
newer converters usually have a 3-stage charger built-in, which is like a stand-alone battery charger.
that's why your battery gets recharged when you're hooked up to shore power. no different when you hook up to a generator.
Offline
, Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur
, 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche LS, 2007 Rockwood Roo 23SS w/Equalizer and Prodigy, and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes
