RV Camping Issues?

Michealbraunstein · 10-24-2018, 05:24 AM

I'm just looking for some talk here. We are taking a camper with out a generator, my buddy is skeptical. How does RV camping work without a generator in comparison to ones with one/ power hookup?

us71na · 10-24-2018, 05:42 AM

The only electrical items that will work will be the ones that work on battery power and they will only work until the battery is discharged. You will have a quieter campsite as there will be no generator noise.

wabirch · 10-24-2018, 05:49 AM

Sounds like you still have 120v, if not and judging by your location it might be a cold wakeup call with furmace running at night.

Redwing · 10-24-2018, 06:43 AM

Depends on the weather. I live in Michigan and in the summer without running the furnace I can go a week with no generator or electric. For deer camp in November we can run the furnace overnight and during the day losing about half the of batteries charge and then recharging the battery in the evening.But camping with no generator is GREAT ! Generally there are allot less people and a great experience !

GHen · 10-24-2018, 08:39 AM

Get a meter where you can check your battery voltage, don’t trust those 4 led lights if that is all you have. If you drain your batteries below 12.2 volts, you could damage them. Full charge is around 13 volts. Charge them up in the evening if you plan on the furnace running overnight.

Michealbraunstein · 10-24-2018, 08:47 AM

Thank you all.

GrumpyDad · 10-24-2018, 10:00 AM

In cold weather you won't last long on baytery, ad the furnace fan sucks a lot of power. But in warm weather if your batteries start fully charged you should be good for several days.

Charging your batteries before you depart is important too, don't just rely on them to charge when driving.

Monitoring your voltage should be a regular part of your routine too.

oldmanAZ · 10-24-2018, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michealbraunstein

I'm just looking for some talk here. We are taking a camper with out a generator, my buddy is skeptical. How does RV camping work without a generator in comparison to ones with one/ power hookup?

'Camper' is kind of vague. For discussion purposes, however...

IMO, if you don't have a generator or solar panels and are not connected to 'shore power', then think of it as 'backpack glamping'

and plan sleeping bags and clothing accordingly. If your camper is not winterized and you get below freezing for any length of time, water lines and fixtures could be damaged.

If your battery is fully charged and only used for the minimum (for example the propane fridge control, CO/Propane detector, propane water heater ignition, camper water pump) a good battery should last 24 to 48 hrs. After that time the battery will be discharged a long way and continuing to discharge it could permanently damage it. A digital voltmeter will be necessary to monitor the battery condition (also called 'state of charge').

Using any type of fan from the trailer battery (furnace fan, ceiling fan, stove vent fan) will RAPIDLY drain the battery.

So, still planning on taking out the camper?

GrumpyDad · 10-24-2018, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldmanAZ

Using any type of fan from the trailer battery (furnace fan, ceiling fan, stove vent fan) will RAPIDLY drain the battery.

So, still planning on taking out the camper?

Lots of people do this type of camping routinely without issues. Don't scare the guy!

vankaye · 10-25-2018, 09:08 AM

I have been a tent camper my entire 52 years. This is my first RV.
I'm sure if you adopt and tent mentality you can enjoy a warm dry RV without using all the amenities.
If it were me, I'd buy the portable solar panel just to keep the battery charged.

GHen · 10-25-2018, 10:42 AM

If it were me, I'd buy the portable solar panel just to keep the battery charged.[/QUOTE]

Best investment I made in my rv was a 100w solar panel. Not so much for charging batteries during our trip (seems like we are in trees a lot) but for keeping the batteries charged wherever it is, in the driveway, at the storage area and even while driving. Only need to plug it in when we have snow, even cloudy days give me enough to keep the batteries topped off.

bankr63 · 10-25-2018, 11:08 AM

There are a lot of factors that come into play, but a lot depends on expectations, size of camper, and length of time.

We have a 20' HTT (hybrid) are regularly camp off grid with only a 40W solar panel, but mostly for long weekends. I have never run the battery down to anywhere near a flat state.

How does that work? Well, you just have to be very conscious of your power usage situation. We converted to very low wattage LED lighting throughout. We are careful about usage of the water pump. Unless I have lots of sun coming in charging, I don't tend to use the radio much (but we have a small bluetooth speaker that streams from Spotify on my phone). Use the water pump as little as possible, we use ours mostly only for toilet flushing; wash the dishes outside in a bin. In cold weather (down to around freezing) we usually only run the furnace for 5-10 minutes in the early morning to take the chill out of the air and dry out. Otherwise we dress for the weather.

It is actually very easy to go for days if you are well equipped and have some modest solar for regenerating power.

curls · 10-26-2018, 06:10 AM

With our pop-up (prior to the x19h hybrid this season), we went 5 days on battery with no issues. It was a newer deep cycle battery, but with water pump, lights (LED), bunk-end fans (x2, and on frequently), a ceiling fan (on 16+ hours per day on low)... it still came home with a fair charge and wasn't down below 12.4V.

Don't be scared to 'dry' camp. It's fun. It's nature. Dress properly and be prepared and you'll be fine.

Siamese · 10-26-2018, 04:55 PM

You didn't say in your post whether you'll be in a campground with hook-ups or camping "off the grid". If you have an electrical hookup, a generator is unnecessary.

Nights spent without an electrical hookup are nights where a generator comes into play. Keeping your battery charged, or daily recharging are important. The battery(ies) are the heart of the trailer. Take away the battery, and you have a cave on wheels.

We travel for anywhere from two days to a month or so at a time, and have hookups about 80% of the time. As we travel, we often do an overnight in a Walmart, and that means we run our 2000 watt generator for a couple hours to keep a good charge on our two 6v batteries (wired in series). And, we upgraded the charger in our TT, so our batteries will charge in less time than with the stock, WFCO brand charger that came with our trailer.

Oh, and if we pull over while traveling and want to pop in a microwave dinner, we just fire up the generator so we'll have 120v power. Handy.

Your tow vehicle's charging system does very little to recharge your battery, even if you drive all day. Long story made short; if you remove power from the battery, you have to put it back. Promptly.

oldmanAZ · 10-26-2018, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldmanAZ

'Camper' is kind of vague. For discussion purposes, however...

IMO, if you don't have a generator or solar panels and are not connected to 'shore power', then think of it as 'backpack glamping'

and plan sleeping bags and clothing accordingly. If your camper is not winterized and you get below freezing for any length of time, water lines and fixtures could be damaged.

If your battery is fully charged and only used for the minimum (for example the propane fridge control, CO/Propane detector, propane water heater ignition, camper water pump) a good battery should last 24 to 48 hrs. After that time the battery will be discharged a long way and continuing to discharge it could permanently damage it. A digital voltmeter will be necessary to monitor the battery condition (also called 'state of charge').

Using any type of fan from the trailer battery (furnace fan, ceiling fan, stove vent fan) will RAPIDLY drain the battery.

So, still planning on taking out the camper?

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrumpyDad

Lots of people do this type of camping routinely without issues. Don't scare the guy!

Gee... I hope I didn't scare him. I hoped I gave him general ideas to think about and wanted him to post again with more info on his camper and plans so we could provide more specific details to help.

DW and I have boondocked a lot, mainly using van conversions with no propane. We had a lot to learn about 'power management' when boondocking with a TT with propane heat and fridge. Reading stuff on this forum helped us understand and prepare so we avoided the major pitfalls.

Chet & Marie · 10-26-2018, 06:06 PM

Look, you can only go so long on a battery while Boondocks camping. Break down and buy a spare battery or two and carry them fully charged with you or a quality quiet generator to take along and recharge with it. You can also go solar panel. Gonna cost a couple of bucks unless you like Coleman lanterns and sponge baths.

Bassdogs · 10-27-2018, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chet & Marie

Look, you can only go so long on a battery while Boondocks camping. Break down and buy a spare battery or two and carry them fully charged with you or a quality quiet generator to take along and recharge with it. You can also go solar panel. Gonna cost a couple of bucks unless you like Coleman lanterns and sponge baths.

Agree. Typically TT's and smaller 5'ers don't come with gennys. For extended weekends you will be fine as long as you have a good deep cycle battery. Better yet get a second battery or switch to 2 6V's in series.

A small genny is best for all weather charging and for using the microwave and things like hair dryers for short burst as needed. Solar is fine if you're into that kind of thing but it will not deal with the microvave use and despite the comments of others, view of the sun is needed for them to charge the battery. They are of minimal value if you are in the deep woods or when the sun doesn't shine.

Chet & Marie · 10-27-2018, 02:50 PM

Great reply Bassdogs. You put it much better than I did.

Forelyndogs · 10-31-2018, 12:10 PM

Yep, folks have been camping without generators forever. Like maybe the Neanderthals invented the concept. Having a solar panel to recharge the battery is a good idea if you want to use power for lights or the heater. Also if your wired to do so, you can recharge the battery from your tow vehicle. Of course, the vehicle has to be there and you gotta run it long enough to make a difference to the battery. Good luck and just camp like you did in a tent or the back of a pickup.

bleckb · 10-31-2018, 12:31 PM

What sort of meter do folks suggest for keeping an eye on voltage levels? I'm assuming there are ups and downs to most of the choices. Thanks.

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