I have my fiver setup for boondocking. What I use now is a Kipor diesel 5000 watt generator for my heavy power, ie washer dryer, or air condioning, dinner time with the microwave. I have 4 Crown 6 volt batteries and one 1000 watt inverter which supplies power only to my bedroom tv and dvd player and one receptacle which I use to charge my laptop or cell phone.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink there is the Kipor mounted inside the sleeper to keep it dry and also to quiet it down abit.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink as you can see here it is vented to the outside, all the hot air and exhaust vents here. The truck is still undergoing some changes and not quite finished yet. I have a 65 gallon plastic water tank in the sleeper as well to supply water to the fiver, I simply run a water hose to the pump inside the fiver, works well. Having the water supply on the truck allows me to go and get water without having to drag the trailer with me.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink
for the winter months I mount a same size tank in my basement storage. I transfer from one 65 gallon tank to the other via a 12 volt pump.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink theres a pic of the truck mounted water tank, with the pipe and faucet going through the wall which you cant see here.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink is the pump and tank, the business side of things, mounted the pump out in the open so that i can service it.
I also mounted inside the trailer and remote start stop switch for the generator, no more goin out to start the genny in the morning so i can make a cup of coffee.
After many years of fulltiming and alot of boondocking, sometimes in very bitter cold weather for weeks at a time with no water or power. This system is simple and works well.
Now some things I have done in the past
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink
1500 gallon water tank, for extended boondocking, if a water truck is available to refill it, cost about 55.00 last time i had it filled.
I still have the tank.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink
rear deck on my truck before i changed things around, problem was too much weight, when i built the truck i used 1/8 all steel tubing and 1/8 steel for the panels. Dump the trailer onto the hitch, she a little heavy. Dual honda s running parrallel, killer power system, now have diesel, got a great deal on the Kipor, 1000.00 brand new in the crate, they were clearing them out here in Canada. Water tank is a 65 gallon tank and generally lasts a bit more than a day, if 3 people are camping.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink honda mounted on the pin box with a aluminum box i made, handy here genny is up and out of the way, need more power so i bought another honda, don't think i want to mount two of them up there. 300 plus pounds.
I had a big inverter power system awhile back. 3000 watt and 5500 surge or something like that. Would automatically switch over to inverted power if the land power failed. Big fancy remote control panels and what not. But the inverter charger failed, too expensive to repair, never mind shipping costs as they are heavy units and also having it gone for up too two months while being repaired.
With the remote stop and start, if one needs to use the microwave it s no big deal to fire up the genny. The batteries supply enough power even in the dead of winter where the furnace is pretty much running non stop, to run the trailer for over 24 hours. i have two Iota converter chargers and they recharge the batteries in about 4 hours. I don't rely anymore on gauges and what not but I do have a schedule that i adhere too, which is every night fire up the genny for four hours.
I run a 1000 watt inverter for my bedroom tv, and find that is all I need. Fridge has been running on propane for a coupla years now. Hot water heater too. If a inverter fries, its cheap to replace, 100 bucks versus 2000 for the big units. I also carry a spare inverter too. Also a battery charger, industrial type outta my shop, as the converter chargers fail too, already replaced both of mine.
As for batteries, had the agm orbitals, spent a big buck for them and they all failed within 18 months, replaced them under warranty and gave them to my buddy and i went and bought Crown 6 volt deep cycle, very similiar to the trojans but have thicker plates. Had them now for three years and they are still running strong. I suggest them to anyone that is needing that kind of power and reliability without the big cost, think i paid 565 for four of them with tax in.
I have thought of solar and looked into it, the main drawback for me is that I always want to park the fiver in the shade to help out with the air conditioning, plus i am not a sun worshipper. prefer the shade. could have remote solar panels and set them in the sun, but for the cost of fuel to run my genny when needed versus cost of a good solar system, just not cost effective for me. Solar in the winter here in ontario would be crap as well.
plus what is solar going to do for me, cant run my washer dryer or air conditioning and those are the big draws for power. Another thing that i dont like is drawing 100 to 150 amps out of a set of batteries for long term usage like a washing cycle, think if you are using that much power your better to be using either land power or a genny.
My goal one day is to be off gird in northern ontario on a piece of land. I might then design build a permanent solar system not mounted to the trailer, but out in the open with directional panels to gain maximum benefit from the sun. I would still run the genny power for the heavy loads of course as i would not likely change must else in the way of inverters and battery systems.
Collecting rain water is a good idea, I would still use my 1500 gallon water tank and have it filled when needed. 1500 gallons with 3 people lasts well over a month, less if doing laundry.
I used to carry alot of stuff, and complicated power systems and what not and after all that experience, what i have now is so simple and works very well, kinda idiot proof. Cost me alot of dough to get to a system where the total cost was under 2500, and a system that i have to count on in the middle of winter here in Canada