1st ever Boondocking trip! Battery, Gen, TV Q's

[Sport165]

Hi all,
Our 1st ever 3week boondocking trip to Yellowstone (& every other place in-between) is coming up fast, & I have a few questions, just wanting to make sure my understanding of using the 27dc battery, 2000w Genny, & TT/TV- is correct.

My kiddo & I will be stopping at BLM & NFS each late afternoon, when traveling. I've researched and come up with some amazing places along the way to stop at! I know enough not to drive into soft dirt, or get myself in a spot where I can't turn around... (Actually, I still can't back up!! :/

Ok,Beginning trip with brand new fully charged battery, and I will not be hooked up to shore power at all on this trip. Will most likely not be at TT much during daytime, and when we are, Planning to use power sparingly in TT--

Quick rundown of power consumption::
*minimal lights (taking battery powered LED lanterns),
*not planning to use furnace/hot water at all- taking a 1500w heater to use with Genny if needed during day,
*If hot, will use small 250w fan or battery powered fans at night
*Will only turn water pump "on" when getting water.
*Planning to use Generator each AM &/or PM for a couple of hours to charge battery, run fridge, maybe power microwave for hot water etc.

Here goes:::
#1,
how long does 27dc battery typically last with minimal usage as stated above?

#2,
when TT is connected to TV (Driving approximately 250-300m/day, except when at Yellowstone x8days), the TV connection is charging my 27dc, yes? So I can expect after 300miles the battery would be fully charged? Or does it take longer to charge thru the TV connection? I'm assuming that the battery is not below 70%.

#3,
When I stop for the day, but not unhitching-- I understand that I MUST disconnect from TV. Should I also disconnect if stop at a viewpoint for 1hour or so?

#4,
when I turn on the Generator in the evening, and I plug in my TT to it, how long would it take to fully charge the battery, again assuming it's not less than 70%?

#5,
My Champion 2000w inverter has automotive dc plug-in with battery charging cables, should I be using these connected directly to TT battery? Or is plugging in the better (fastest charging) choice?

#6
It's my understanding, when plugged in to Gen, that my TT inverter converter will stop charging the battery when it is full? But if I'm still plugged into the generator, it will draw power from the generator versus my TT battery?

#7,
PROPANE-- full 20# tank,
only planning to use the propane for running the refrigerator, and light use stovetop.
*Someone mentioned that I could turn off the refrigerator completely at night? Because then it would conserve the propane, and my small refrigerator would maintain proper temperature for that short period, especially because it should be in the 30s at Yellowstone at night and we will not have any heat on in the trailer. Can anybody offer any insight to this idea?

Okay, go ahead and have at it
Remember, this is the first time I've boondocked in a travel trailer, & I really want to make sure I understand everything as far as the power goes!!

Ah 1 more Q, if you're still with me!
Is it better to drive with my water tank full, it's 30g, or should I just try to maybe put in 10 gallons, & fill up when arrive at Yellowstone?

Thanks SO Much for helping me to understand all of this!!! I'm also open to any suggestions, tips, or other advice you can think of. I've pretty much been figuring all this out as I go along.

Here's to safe travels

[RoyBraddy]

It would be a great idea for you guys to camp out over night in your driveway and will give you a good idea what to expect...

This is what we do when we get new to us things. We also have a close by (25miles away) State Camp Ground... I go their alot just to check out new mods and different things that may effect my battery usage...

Also neat to find all of that when you are at home and close to LOWES and WALMART...

Loosing your trailer battery is not much fun when camping off grid. Its even worse when you lose your truck start battery trying to keep everything working... You lose your truck battery then you have no way to go and get anything...

Even picking up a cheap lawn mower battery ($35.00) just to have around might be a good idea...

If you drop any of your batteries below 12.0VDC (Apprx 50% charge state) and not charge back up real quick will be like driving a big nail in your battery performance... Worse thing you can do to them...

We watch our batteries like a hawk for getting them above 12.0VDC and Battery fluid levels always normal... This is your life line when camping off-grid...

We also carry a 2KW generator with oursetup and hook the trailer to it in the mornings when allowed to get the batteries back up to their 90% charge state each morning.

Another item we have one of those small smart mode 120VAC battery charger with. I can plug this into my generator to charge my batteries. I can also carry the small charger and pull the battery from the trailer and take them to the bath house that will most often have a hot 120VAC receptacle inside the bath room and charge them back up there. (Another PLAN B thing to do)

Keep in mind that purchasing a new battery now and connecting in parallel with your older trailer battery will most likely pull the new battery performance down to the older battery performance. Just picking a second battery to only use once in awhile would be best idea and then purchase two new like batteries with same age on them. Then you can get great performance out of the two batteries.

When we first got our off-road camper we found out real quick that you can't just show up off grid somewhere and expect every thing to work like you think it should work. Ain't gonna happen sorry to say... Got to plan these things out...

Roy Ken

[Victoria]

just pack extra warm sleeping bags and clothes and don't use the heater at all, keep the fridge running, use the generator for showers and dish washing, only turn on the hot water tank for showers, birdie bath when you can, use paper plates and plastic forks, forget microwaving anything, use the gas stove for everything, precook what you can, get led head lamps for each of you. our brand new battery lasts thru 3 days of boondocking for 5 people without using the generator, in a 30 ft Octane.
have a great time. sounds amazing!

[DanNJanice]

Originally Posted by Sport165

Hi all,
Our 1st ever 3week boondocking trip to Yellowstone (& every other place in-between) is coming up fast, & I have a few questions, just wanting to make sure my understanding of using the 27dc battery, 2000w Genny, & TT/TV- is correct.

My kiddo & I will be stopping at BLM & NFS each late afternoon, when traveling. I've researched and come up with some amazing places along the way to stop at! I know enough not to drive into soft dirt, or get myself in a spot where I can't turn around... (Actually, I still can't back up!! :/

Ok,Beginning trip with brand new fully charged battery, and I will not be hooked up to shore power at all on this trip. Will most likely not be at TT much during daytime, and when we are, Planning to use power sparingly in TT--

Quick rundown of power consumption::
*minimal lights (taking battery powered LED lanterns),
*not planning to use furnace/hot water at all- taking a 1500w heater to use with Genny if needed during day,
*If hot, will use small 250w fan or battery powered fans at night
*Will only turn water pump "on" when getting water.
*Planning to use Generator each AM &/or PM for a couple of hours to charge battery, run fridge, maybe power microwave for hot water etc.

Here goes:::
#1,
how long does 27dc battery typically last with minimal usage as stated above?
I would expect the battery to last 2 - 3 days with the usage you describe. If you run the generator for a couple hours each day it should stay fully charged, or close to it.
#2,
when TT is connected to TV (Driving approximately 250-300m/day, except when at Yellowstone x8days), the TV connection is charging my 27dc, yes? So I can expect after 300miles the battery would be fully charged? Or does it take longer to charge thru the TV connection? I'm assuming that the battery is not below 70%.
I get about 5 amps of average charging through my TV line.
Assuming you use about 20Amp-hours each night, it would take about 4-5 hours of driving to recharge. Be aware that these numbers can vary a lot. Also, make sure your TV is actually charging the trailer, before your trip. Sometimes you have to add a fuse or relay on some vehicles.
#3,
When I stop for the day, but not unhitching-- I understand that I MUST disconnect from TV. Should I also disconnect if stop at a viewpoint for 1hour or so?
If you are referring to disconnecting electrical plug from the trailer to truck, that is a good idea.
No need to unhook if just stopping for viewpoints, breaks, meals.
#4,
when I turn on the Generator in the evening, and I plug in my TT to it, how long would it take to fully charge the battery, again assuming it's not less than 70%?
The genny will get you back to about 90% is just a couple of hours. To truly get to full charge, you would need to plug in for several hours. This is because charging current drops off at the end of the charging cycle. So when you start charging the converter in your trailer may be putting out 10-15 amps. By the end the charging cycle it may only be putting out 1-2 amps
#5,
My Champion 2000w inverter has automotive dc plug-in with battery charging cables, should I be using these connected directly to TT battery? Or is plugging in the better (fastest charging) choice?
No, you are better off to plug into the trailer's normal electrical cord.
#6
It's my understanding, when plugged in to Gen, that my TT inverter converter will stop charging the battery when it is full? But if I'm still plugged into the generator, it will draw power from the generator versus my TT battery?
Yes, it will stop charging. It may draw a small amount from the genny, but not enough to worry about.
#7,
PROPANE-- full 20# tank,
only planning to use the propane for running the refrigerator, and light use stovetop.
*Someone mentioned that I could turn off the refrigerator completely at night? Because then it would conserve the propane, and my small refrigerator would maintain proper temperature for that short period, especially because it should be in the 30s at Yellowstone at night and we will not have any heat on in the trailer. Can anybody offer any insight to this idea?
No need to turn it off, although you could if the nights are cool. Refridge on propane is very efficient where battery use is concerned.
Okay, go ahead and have at it
Remember, this is the first time I've boondocked in a travel trailer, & I really want to make sure I understand everything as far as the power goes!!

Ah 1 more Q, if you're still with me!
Is it better to drive with my water tank full, it's 30g, or should I just try to maybe put in 10 gallons, & fill up when arrive at Yellowstone?
There is a lot of controversy around this. We try to partly fill ours and then top it off when we are near our camping spot. However,
that can be a problem. More that once we have found that when we got to our camping area that no water was availible. Make sure you take a couple of refillable 5 gallon jugs, just in case
Thanks SO Much for helping me to understand all of this!!! I'm also open to any suggestions, tips, or other advice you can think of. I've pretty much been figuring all this out as I go along.
Sounds like you are going to have a great adventure,
have fun!
Here's to safe travels

Making the message longer

[Bassdogs]

Too many ??'s so won't even try. You have a TT so use it. It is designed to operate on and off grid. With a generator and ability to exchange your propane tank at just about any gas station, there is no reason to scrimp on using everything on the TT [except the AC]. You can refill the water tank using a plastic water can at rest areas, gas stations, and most BLM or NF facilities. Bringing a second battery and switch as needed would be smart. Do not rely on the battery from the TV as noted by others. The generator will operate for many hours on the onboard tank and a small 2 gallon red can will extend use between stops at a gas station. You may be boondocking but you are not tent camping. Use of head lamps and turning the fridge on and off are silly when you have all the lights and power you will need. Just be smart and don't waste elec or propane. Refill as needed and have fun.

[Jagiven]

Lots of questions. I was glad to see Roy answer a bunch of these questions.

First off, you will have no issues with a single 20 # propane tank for your trip. We did a similar trip 3 years ago . A few nights we had electrical hook ups, but not to many. We ran the frig on Auto, and used 12V and propane for 75 percent of the time. We did not use the water heater, and used the stove as needed. It is normal for use to heat water on the stove for dishes and so forth. We probably only used about a half a tank.

Electric; will be a challenge. We do not have a generator or any solar setup. So we are careful. I have converted all our lights to LED. When boondocking, I turn off all the ceiling lights at each fixture, then flip the wall switch on. When we need light we turn on the one and only one light where needed. We do not use flashlights in the HTT, maybe a candle on the table for a little general lighting. We usually spend a couple hours each night reading under a TT light. We spend most of our time out side. With this setup with my OEM group 24 battery I can go 3-4 days with no issues, and often can go 5 days, before my battery hits 12 volts (50% charge). Do not trust the OEM battery gauge, get a multi-meter or plug in volt meter.

If staying in Yellowstone, when we where there you could not run a generator at all within the park. So I made a charge cable, but I never needed it. The thought was to place the dead battery in the back of the TV, plug the charge cable to the 7 pin connector , and to the battery in the bed of the truck, then as I drove around sight seeing for the day(s) it would charge. Was a great idea but I never needed it.

I do have a spare group 27 battery. I store it in the bed of my truck and bring along when I need a bit more power, but your generator should work for that.

As for charging while driving, it is a slow process, as the AUX power cable is small, and only so much power can be pushed down that wire, and there are loses (resistance) the longer the wire run. Usually the converter box is in the back of the TT, so the power has to go from the front of the TV, to the rear of the TT, then back up to the hitch, where the battery is at. Not very efficient. Charging with the TV I would suspect you need at least 6 hours of drive time if not closer to 8-10 hours to bring a battery back to 100 percent. I have never really checked after a drive where my charge status is at. I know that 3-4 hours is NOT enough time.

This time of year it does get cold in the mountains and plains, so bring plenty of warm cloths and blankets, for at night.

Water, I do not haul water often, and would not recommend hauling 10 gallons. I have a 2 gallon jug, I keep full and store in my bathtub when traveling. Its enough water to wash hands, flush, drink, etc. Bring a 6 gallon water jug, to fill locally, as needed. My outside shower head is very close to my gravity fill port. I take the shower head off, shove it down the fill port. Then inside I flip the pickup port valve to the antifreeze option, then suck up the water and pump it into the tank via the shower hose. It works nice, and I spill nothing, so my feet stay nice and dry.

Happy Trails!

[Ottawasteve]

#1,
how long does 27dc battery typically last with minimal usage as stated above?

It will depend on whether you have a true Deepcycle battery or the deepcycle starting marine battery that typically come with a new trailer. You should get a couple of days before you are discharged down to 50% so you will need to charge batteries with generator every couple of days.

#2,
when TT is connected to TV (Driving approximately 250-300m/day, except when at Yellowstone x8days), the TV connection is charging my 27dc, yes? So I can expect after 300miles the battery would be fully charged? Or does it take longer to charge thru the TV connection? I'm assuming that the battery is not below 70%.

Driving 5 to 6 hours should bring your battery back up to 90%. In my experience, the last 10% requires direct charge for the battery from the onboard charger or a portable smart charger. Make sure your Tow Vehicle has the right fuses installed as my brand new F150 was missing the fuses for the 12V to the trailer yet all the brake lights and turn signals worked fine. Because all the lights worked I assumed 12v was flowing from TV and 12V in trailer worked fine because of the trailer battery and it was being re-charged every night we camped from shore power. It wasn't until battery became discharged during a long days drive that I learned of the missing fuse.

#3,
When I stop for the day, but not unhitching-- I understand that I MUST disconnect from TV. Should I also disconnect if stop at a viewpoint for 1hour or so?

For a stop of an hour or 2 I do not bother unhooking the TT electrical from the TV because both my deep cycle batteries are usually fully charged when I set out in the morning and will still be fully charged when I stop. If the trailer battery is discharged and you stop for an hour, the trailer batteries could draw some of the charge from your TV battery in an attempt to equalize which could leave TV battery without enough cranking amps. While your are driving your alternator will replenish any charge that is being siphoned from the TV battery by the TT battery.

#4,
when I turn on the Generator in the evening, and I plug in my TT to it, how long would it take to fully charge the battery, again assuming it's not less than 70%?
It will depend on your on board charger. A portable smart charger can give you more predictable results. I would anticipate a minimum of 3 to 4 hours to get back to a 90% charge.

#5,
My Champion 2000w inverter has automotive dc plug-in with battery charging cables, should I be using these connected directly to TT battery? Or is plugging in the better (fastest charging) choice?
The DC will charge faster, but there is probably no overcharge protection so you can fry your battery if you are not careful.
Most TT on board chargers have an over-charge protection circuit but you should verify for your particular model.

#6
It's my understanding, when plugged in to Gen, that my TT inverter converter will stop charging the battery when it is full? But if I'm still plugged into the generator, it will draw power from the generator versus my TT battery?

#7,
PROPANE-- full 20# tank,
only planning to use the propane for running the refrigerator, and light use stovetop.
*Someone mentioned that I could turn off the refrigerator completely at night? Because then it would conserve the propane, and my small refrigerator would maintain proper temperature for that short period, especially because it should be in the 30s at Yellowstone at night and we will not have any heat on in the trailer. Can anybody offer any insight to this idea?

Just leave the propane on for the fridge. It will probably run at least a month on a 20# tank so the savings from turning it off for 8 hours is negligible when compared with food contamination risk. Get a propane gauge that screws onto the inlet and use your furnace as needed and pay attention to your propane levels as refills are inexpensive. The furnace at night will keep everything nice and warm and dry in the camper and make camping more enjoyable, especially days 4,5,6,7 and 8 etc. Humidity make camping less enjoyable.

Ah 1 more Q, if you're still with me!
Is it better to drive with my water tank full, it's 30g, or should I just try to maybe put in 10 gallons, & fill up when arrive at Yellowstone?

I travel with 10g and fill my 84g tanks at destination. I also carry 2 X 6gallon blue hard sided water jugs. They are easy to dump into my fresh water inlet on TT so I don't have to hitch up when we run low on water. Filling them 2X gives almost another 24g. We have outdoor showers so as to not fill grey tank.

Thanks SO Much for helping me to understand all of this!!! I'm also open to any suggestions, tips, or other advice you can think of. I've pretty much been figuring all this out as I go along.

If you have a 12V plug in trailer get one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Car-Charger-S...KX5SA0ZXM625N4

They make keeping track of the charge on your battery really easy and are quite accurate and also tells you the temperature in the camper.


Here's to safe travels

[DanNJanice]

Originally Posted by Jagiven

SNIP!

Bring a 6 gallon water jug, to fill locally, as needed. My outside shower head is very close to my gravity fill port. I take the shower head off, shove it down the fill port. Then inside I flip the pickup port valve to the antifreeze option, then suck up the water and pump it into the tank via the shower hose. It works nice, and I spill nothing, so my feet stay nice and dry.

Happy Trails!

This is a very cleaver idea, I wish I had thought of that! I already have the fitting to connect a hose to my shower.

[Sport165]

Just a real quick heartfelt thank you, I was a little bit nervous about posting my long list of questions! I was worried everyone might think I'm a complete idiot and maybe I should not be going on this camping trip!! ((For the record I am not an idiot, at least not completely hahaha

Seriously though, I am a single mom & I realized my 10yo son was missing out on so many Amazing adventures, so I'm determined to add Adventure into his Life, while he's still young enough to be in awe & develop a true love for it all, & have awesome lifetime memories-- that he can expand upon in the years to come.

So I've been fixing up this small TT, on a nearly nonexistent budget, but I'm getting done!! I started off just a few short months ago and really had no idea what I was doing but it's coming along and this trip is happening!

Thank you for taking the time to reply, I feel like I am definitely on the right track here. Thanks for all the tips and advice! Thank you for being nice, and encouraging.

You all have empowered me to go out in the crazy heat that we're having here this week (110+ my backyard!!), And complete the last few projects... Thankfully I will be in the shade!!

**Thanks for tip re: checking TV, to make sure there's a fuse to charge TT while Towing!! I honestly just assumed there was! Of course I have no idea where to look for this fuse!! But I will try to figure it out... I will add it to the list. (funny how *lists* keep growing!)

*****YSEA is in T-minus 5days & counting*****

*YellowStone Epic Adventure*

[Les7h]

DanandJanice's answers are spot on - very good advice - look up a 12 volt state of charge chart & print it - get a voltage meter that will plug into a cigarette lighter ( $10 - $15.00 ) & watch your battery voltage very closely - we always travel with full water so we don't have surprises
Have fun Les7h

[Sport165]

Originally Posted by RoyBraddy

It would be a great idea for you guys to camp out over night in your driveway and will give you a good idea what to expect...

Thanks Roy! My son read your reply and said you must be a very smart man, because he's been telling me for the past month that we need to camp out in the trailer and make sure everything works and we know what we're doing, before we go on the trip. Needless to say, my son's an old soul.




Loosing your trailer battery is not much fun when camping off grid. Its even worse when you lose your truck start battery trying to keep everything working...
Even picking up a cheap lawn mower battery ($35.00) just to have around might be a good idea...

I like the idea of picking up a second battery and switching them out, unfortunately I don't have the budget for it, this trip. Also my TT tongue does not have room to hold an extra battery.

I actually own a charger, it just plugs into AC and I have it on SUV right now because I'm not driving it at all, so it's a trickle charge just to make sure the battery doesn't completely discharge which has happened a couple of times on it, so yeah I went out and bought the charger. It does not jump start. Just keeps a light charge on it. It also can do some minor battery repair I believe.

I'm not planning to take the charger though. Not planning to ever leave the TT electrical connection hooked up when I'm not actually traveling. So TV battery should remain charged.




We also carry a 2KW generator with oursetup and hook the trailer to it in the mornings when allowed to get the batteries back up to their 90% charge state each morning.

Good to know!!

Ok


Keep in mind that purchasing a new battery now and connecting in parallel with your older trailer battery will most likely pull the new battery performance down to the older battery performance.

My TT battery is brand new and has not even been hooked up to the trailer yet. So essentially I could get another one but again I just can't afford it right now and like I said above there's no room to hook it in parallel on TT tongue. I suppose I could switch the propane tank and Battery placement but that's going to take more work than I can do, and even if I had the money to hire someone to fix that up for me, I don't have the time at this point. But it's definitely something to think about for the future. Right now I'm actually putting a 5 gallon gas tank right beside the propane tank. I plan to cover each with an individual propane tank cover. Well, that is if I can figure out a way to secure that 5-gallon Eagle gas can on the trailer tongue! I don't actually have it in my possession yet since it can't be delivered to California. My house sitter is driving it from out-of-state LOL

Anyways, thank you for all the feedback and suggestions :-)



somewhere and expect every thing to work like you think it should work. Ain't gonna happen sorry to say... Got to plan these things out...

Roy Ken
[/quote]

[Sport165]

Originally Posted by Victoria

just pack extra warm sleeping bags and clothes and don't use the heater at all,

Traveling with the beds made, taking thermals and 2 Great cold weather sleeping bags to use if needed.


keep the fridge running, use the generator for showers and dish washing, only turn on the hot water tank for showers, birdie bath when you can, use paper plates and plastic forks, forget microwaving anything, use the gas stove for everything, precook what you can, get led head lamps for each of you. our brand new battery lasts thru 3 days of boondocking for 5 people without using the generator, in a 30 ft Octane.

Yes yes yes doing all of that except I was on the fence about the refrigerator but since it doesn't use much propane I will put it on auto and not worry about it. Also though, I feel comfortable using the microwave when the generator is running, well actually the microwave won't work unless the generator is on LOL


have a great time. sounds amazing![/QUOTE]
thanks so much!

[Sport165]

Originally Posted by Jagiven

Lots of questions. I was glad to see Roy answer a bunch of these questions.

First off, you will have no issues with a single 20 # propane tank for your trip. We did a similar trip 3 years ago . A few nights we had electrical hook ups, but not to many. We ran the frig on Auto, and used 12V and propane for 75 percent of the time. We did not use the water heater, and used the stove as needed. It is normal for use to heat water on the stove for dishes and so forth. We probably only used about a half a tank.

Electric; will be a challenge. We do not have a generator or any solar setup. So we are careful. I have converted all our lights to LED. When boondocking, I turn off all the ceiling lights at each fixture, then flip the wall switch on. When we need light we turn on the one and only one light where needed. We do not use flashlights in the HTT, maybe a candle on the table for a little general lighting. We usually spend a couple hours each night reading under a TT light. We spend most of our time out side. With this setup with my OEM group 24 battery I can go 3-4 days with no issues, and often can go 5 days, before my battery hits 12 volts (50% charge). Do not trust the OEM battery gauge, get a multi-meter or plug in volt meter.

If staying in Yellowstone, when we where there you could not run a generator at all within the park. thankfully Yellowstone allows generators 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. now, but that was a great idea about the charge cable you made!



Charging with the TV I would suspect you need at least 6 hours of drive time if not closer to 8-10 hours to bring a battery back to 100 percent.
I will be driving from Southern California to Yellowstone in three days, I think it's safe to say that I will be driving for approximately 10 hours each day, so as long as I have that fuse in the SUV to actually charge the TT I should be good then. I do have a voltometer which is how I will keep track of the TT battery consumption.


Water, I do not haul water often, and would not recommend hauling 10 gallons. I have a 2 gallon jug, I keep full and store in my bathtub when traveling. Its enough water to wash hands, flush, drink, etc. Bring a 6 gallon water jug, to fill locally, as needed. My outside shower head is very close to my gravity fill port. I take the shower head off, shove it down the fill port. Then inside I flip the pickup port valve to the antifreeze option, then suck up the water and pump it into the tank via the shower hose. It works nice, and I spill nothing, so my feet stay nice and dry.

That's an interesting idea with the shower. I'm not exactly sure where my shower hoses are in relation to the water fill tank... I guess I will probably haul the 10 gallons, because I guess it's included for the tongue wt and it's important. So that should be enough to get us where we're going at least, I'm actually taking bottled water and one gallon Frozen jugs of water as well. In a cooler, in the TV, for drinking, I'm not sure how much I trust Campground or other sources of potable water.


Happy Trails!

Happy Trails to you too

[Sport165]

Originally Posted by DanNJanice

Making the message longer

Thank you Dan & Janice,
I've been reading and taking notes and it sounds like I'm pretty much on the right track, thank you for all of your helpful suggestions and comments about how you do it as well.

I have to admit that I do not have any clue how to refill the propane tank, I'm not sure if I'm supposed to haul my entire trailer to where the propane places to fill it up or if I just try to remove the tank?? I know that there are places to fill up the propane tank at Yellowstone so that's a good thing. I think when I am switching between campgrounds, at YS I will fill up or top off the propane tank just in case. Without removing from TT.

I did buy a propane tank gauge.

Thanks again, we're really excited

[Sport165]

Originally Posted by Bassdogs

You have a TT so use it.
Just be smart and don't waste elec or propane. Refill as needed and have fun.

Yes indeed!! That was my whole argument against all the naysayers, for going on this trip! "I have a TT, so I should use it!"

LOL as far as being silly using headlamps etc? I do hear what you're saying, but My son is 10 years old, he loves using headlamps and flashlights! Before this trip we took some tent camping trips out to Joshua Tree, my son was in heaven. Actually so was I, it's gorgeous out there!

[Sport165]

Another last-minute question, how often do people check their battery water level? I have a 27dc Marine type battery, and I know I have to check it and make sure to add distilled water as needed, I will have to go back and read the owner's manual again because I couldn't get the top of the battery tabs off to see how much water was in it. So possibly I'm doing it wrong. But how often should I be checking the battery water level? Right now the battery is brand new and hasn't even been hooked up yet.
Thanks for reply

[Sport165]

PS
I really love this forum and all the helpful souls on it

[Mustang65]

The first thing to remember is HAVE FUN!!!
The second thing to remember is TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES!!!
The third thing to remember is SHARE THE PICTURES WITH ALL OF US!!!

You will do just fine and if you need some info, you know where to find us.

OK, now attached is some battery information for you. If the text is to small here is the link, it should answer your questions
http://www.trojanbattery.com/Tech-Su...intenance.aspx

Since you will be traveling, get a magnetic key box and hide it somewhere with an extra TT key in it, just in case you lose your key... or keep the extra key in the TV.

Don

My Registry

RVing with SOLAR

[DanNJanice]

Originally Posted by Sport165

Thank you Dan & Janice,
I've been reading and taking notes and it sounds like I'm pretty much on the right track, thank you for all of your helpful suggestions and comments about how you do it as well.

I have to admit that I do not have any clue how to refill the propane tank, I'm not sure if I'm supposed to haul my entire trailer to where the propane places to fill it up or if I just try to remove the tank?? I know that there are places to fill up the propane tank at Yellowstone so that's a good thing. I think when I am switching between campgrounds, at YS I will fill up or top off the propane tank just in case. Without removing from TT.

I did buy a propane tank gauge.

Thanks again, we're really excited

Most propane setups have a big wingnut that allows you to remove them. Turn off the propane on the top of the tank. Then unscrew the propane hose. Then remove the tank and take it in. If it is a small tank, like a BBQ you can just exchange it, however that is almost always more expensive to swap them, than to have them filled. The larger tanks are always refilled. Just ask around at the local RV shops, Gas stations, etc.

[bansai]

Maybe you are an engineer type like I am, and I appreciate your completely anal perspective on planning this trip.

That said.....

Just go camping. You can charge up with your tow vehicle worst case, but you also have a generator.

If camping with a travel trailer / camper / motor home / becomes a lot more stressful than just taking a tent and some food / water... something is wrong. And it's not your gear.

Have a good trip. Stop stressing about it. Stress is going on a 3+ week cross country backbacking trip with strangers, not enough water, freak weather events out in the open, cooking with a micro sized stove, if it lights, wondering where your next water is coming from, hoping your buddy doesn't break a bone as he's skiing down the side of a volcano with a 70 lb backpac on volcanic shale.. Put things in perspective. Don't stress until you have something to actually stress about.

Plan for some of that, but don't obsess. Only 2 cents I have at the moment.