Thanks for the great info on my propane question. I would like as many helpful suggestions on dry camping. Running my Gen, the use of my house batteries ect. What a great place for good information. Thank you all.
If you only have one house battery and you're dry for more than 24hrs, you will probably drain it quickly. Go to two batteries, and make sure they're real deep cycle rather than the hybrid versions you get in Walmart.
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Blog with Boondocking entries Dave writes a nice blog and has many boondocking entries that have pretty good information.
LED lighting. LEDTrailerLights.com is a great source.
Check your converter type. You'll want a 3 stage converter for better battery charging. OR many 2 stage converters have a plug in available to install a Charge Wizard module for 14.4V bulk charging.
Fresh water is my main issue on boondocking trips longer than 4 -5 days. If I plan on going to an area with no water available, I'll load up extra 6 gallon containers for added water. Grey water is dispersed among thirsty vegetation.
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Replace your lights with $2-$4 LED's on Ebay from China. Plenty of posts on replacing with LEDs. These are really bright with 102 LEDs.
If you use an inverter, turn it off when not needed.
I like this site for free camping as it's on a map.
This post is my opinion (free advice). It is not intended to influence anyone's judgment nor do I advocate anyone do what I propose.
Ivylog is right, convert your rig to LED lighting, it can be expensive initially, but you can do 2-3 lights at a time, it'll make a big difference in how long your batteries last.
You mentioned "Dry Camping", be advised that there is a distinction between Dry Camping & Boondocking, you can Dry Camp in a Camp Ground without hookups,usually with rules, ( like no generators between certain hours) but Boondocking is done outside a campground, generally with few or no rules, about running a generator, as long as you're not bothering anyone else.
A lot depends on how much you want to spend, there are solar panels, inverters, bigger converters, more, bigger batteries, extra water capabilities, black & grey water totes, & much more, but thats all stuff you can work your way into later.
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Bednarski1 wrote: Thanks for the great info on my propane question. I would like as many helpful suggestions on dry camping. Running my Gen, the use of my house batteries ect. What a great place for good information. Thank you all.
1: As stated above, get more batteries. You can go the route of getting pairs of 6 volt deep cycle golf cart batteries, or go with 12 volt ones.
2: Replace all lights in the camper with LEDs. This will cut electric use significantly.
3: If you have propane bottles that are 30 or 40 pounders or a permanent tank, consider an Extend-A-Stay adapter, so you can use 20 pound bottles (exchangable most anywhere.) This saves having to find a propane filler, which can be almost impossible to find.
4: Get a hard start capacitor for your A/C unit. This will allow the compressor to start up without having to have the generator deal with as many inrush amps.
5: Generator selection is something that is often mentioned. There are very strong opinions on all sides. Some people will buy a Harbor Freight special running at 93 dB, plop it away from their RV, and let the noise be someone else's problem. Others will buy a Honda or Yamaha generator. Still others will buy a Chinese inverter model that is more inexpensive, but parts are difficult (to impossible) to find. Generator sizes are also debatable. A lot of people use a set of Honda eu2000i twins with a parallel cable to get the 3500 watts needed to run most stuff on a 30A circuit. Other people buy a larger generator like a 3000 watt which tends to make a home in the pickup truck bed.
6: Don't forget the solar array. A MPPT controller and a few panels will be good enough to keep the batteries topped off if there is any sun available.
7: If you have the option with an RV, spring for an internal Onan or Generac generator, be it gasoline, LP gas, or diesel powered. This makes life easy because you can just flip a switch in the coach to start and stop it. Most class Cs have this as an option. This should be purchased, even if it drinks the LP gas.
8: Consider a "blue boy" tote tank and a macerator pump. If boondocking with a dump station reasonably nearby, you can empty your rig's tanks without having to strike camp. Plus, you can use a garden hose with the pump to get the grey/black water into a sewage clean-out.
9: Consider replacing the RV converter if it is just a one stage battery roasting model. A three stage will help extend battery life by a good amount. It can't hurt to add an inverter so you can run low-wattage stuff (laptop power, cell phone chargers, desk lights) from the batteries.
10: Look into a Mr. Buddy heater with a couple small Coleman propane bottles. I wouldn't recommend this for everyday use (as the propane furnace is safer and will likely heat the underside, keeping tanks from freezing), but in an emergency, it will keep the coach warm.
11: Consider Fantastic Fans and Maxx Air covers for them (make sure to get the right kits.) This will allow for A/C less ventilation of the RV in wet weather.
phillyg wrote: If you only have one house battery and you're dry for more than 24hrs, you will probably drain it quickly. Go to two batteries, and make sure they're real deep cycle rather than the hybrid versions you get in Walmart.
If the battery has CCA's (Cold Cranking Amps) it is not a deep cycle. Even if it states Deep cycle! If you have room consider using 6 volt golf cart batteries in series to get 12 volts if possible. Solar panels can help, most other info is great for Dry camping. Good luck!!
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