Summer boondocking in 90° weather in Grayhawk 29MVP

[Jaytalk]

I'm thinking about boondocking in mid-May in a New Mexico desert area. I have a 2 air conditioner Greyhawk 29mvp.

Just wondering if anybody has had any experience boondocking under similar high-temperature conditions in a Greyhawk. How did it go and how long did you have to run your generator each day in order to keep things cool?

Any tips or advice you might have for boondocking under these conditions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[Riverman]

Here in AL with a 90 degree temp and 90 percent humidity our A/C will run all day and all night while cycling on and off, of course. It will be interesting to see what members say about the desert.

[Jaytalk]

Originally Posted by Riverman

Here in AL with a 90 degree temp and 90 percent humidity our A/C will run all day and all night while cycling on and off, of course. It will be interesting to see what members say about the desert.

Thanks for the reply. As I mentioned, I’m specifically asking about high temperatures while Boondocking. Therefore, I’d have to run the generator alot. I really want to know what people‘s experiences are in this type of situation.

[mini4mw]

We were out in Moab, UT. 105 during the day, something like 15 percent humidity (very, very low if that's not it). RV was in mostly sun. We were plugged in but both ACs running almost constant during the day to keep inside at 77 or so - best they could do. At night they wouldn't run much or at all in early AM bc the temp would drop so much. Temp didn't feel too bad during the day with the wind blowing, never broke a sweat with low humidity, but the RV box was just an oven without the AC.

Use that sunscreen, drink lots of water.

If I recall correctly, gen will use 1/2 gallon an hour under load.

[Jaytalk]

Thanks mini4mw! No boondocking experience? And you're right, my understanding is the generator fuel usage is about a half a gallon an hour under load.

[Kim Gass]

We boondocked in Tuscon but the top temp was 85 during the day. And we have a small trailer.

We do have a generator ( as solar panels arent practical for camping in the forest where we mostly are). Don't remember how much fuel but we ran the A/C only when we were in the TT and that must have been 9-10 am then 4-7.pm when the temp dropped ( like a rock in the desert)
You may have to run the genny 12 hours a day but we were away all day. So our use was very tiny.

We also camped in Carlsbad NM and Albuquerque but those were in serviced areas.\

If you can camp in a breezy spot you can use evaporative cooling. Hang wet towels around the unit in front of a fan and leave the window open. Homes in the desert used to have swamp coolers before A/C was common
Here is more on swamp coolers. https://home.howstuffworks.com/home-...amp-cooler.htm

they are lousy in swamps

[CAG]

Mid May in this part of the country can be very mild and nice but it can also be pretty hot if summer comes early.

If temps go to 90, and our humidity is low during May your generator will run from early morning to late evening if you are trying to stay cool. No A/C without a generator if you are boondocking so find what shade you can and park the rig so that the sides are not getting full sun all day long.

[mini4mw]

No boondocking as of yet. Looked at a few land mgmt locations but haven't yet. Somehow the kids churn through water and we'd run out within 2 days. I wish they would put larger water tanks in these guys

We have a greyhawk 31fs.

[Camper_bob]

Boondocking out on the TX Gulf Coast in temps nearing the century mark. SUPER high humidity because it's the coast, and temps don't dip all that much during the night. Maybe into the 80s or high 70s.

The generator runs pretty much constant from the time we pull out the driveway until we pull back in 2 days later. AC units run pretty much constant the entire time too (we have 2 as well). Inside temp can be kept in mid-low 70s during the day if we're careful. We run a "bra" over the windshield, as well as the "sheet" to block out the cab. Keep the shades drawn too, and try to limit number of times the door is opened. SOMETIMES the AC will cycle during the night, but they both run all day long.

We fill up the tank as close to the beach entrance as possible, and typically leave the beach with about 1/2 tank of fuel. The rig is exposed to full sun the entire time. If we're lucky and the wind isn't too bad, I can deploy the awning and get some shade on one small part of the rig, which helps quite a lot actually. Otherwise, we have an EZ-up canopy set up outside the rig tied down so we have a shady spot to be outside the rig. We get in the water A LOT to cool off. Even though during the high summer, the gulf is a bit like a bathtub, if you get out and stand in the wind while you're all wet, it doesn't feel quite so much like standing in a hair dryer!! LOL!! The point is to find some water, it helps a lot if you spend a lot of the time wet; this may be difficult in the desert.

Just this year I installed a high efficiency 13.5K unit in place of the main 11K unit in the living area (pulls the same amps) but I haven't had a chance to give it a real test yet. I'll find out how it does this summer...

[BigDaddy6290]

I just picked up my own Greyhawk 29MVP on Saturday, but I have been boondocking in the Eastern WA desert for years in our old rig. What I generally do is run the generator and the AC for 2-3 hours during the early afternoon to get a break from the 85-105 degree heat and prepare dinner. Then we run it again for an hour or 2 before bed to cool off the rig. The nice thing about Eastern WA is that it cools off significantly after sunset, and there is often a breeze, so sleeping with all the windows wide open is quite pleasant

[Florida Ranger]

2018 Greyhawk 31fs,, Onan 4K,, ran both a/c units for 30 hrs straight in Florida 90* temps, only burned 15 gals gas. I had filled up fuel tank 2 miles from campsite. And upon leaving campsite went back and re-filled tank. Refrigerator and hot water were on propane. And used outside grille to cook all meals on. In my book that figures 1/2 gal per hr. That’s a bargain to stay cool..

[CAG]

What I generally do is run the generator and the AC for 2-3 hours during the early afternoon to get a break from the 85-105 degree heat and prepare dinner

I have to laugh at that a little since beginning late May and on until mid September we hit 95-100+ shortly after the sun comes up and it does not cool down until 4-5 AM if you can call 80+ cool. May and early June can be a "dry heat" with dew points in the single digits. When the monsoon starts, mid June until mid September night time temps will seldom go below 85 and most nights be in the 90s.

This weather is for ALL of the SW including NM, AZ, UT, and NV. The wind shifts to the SE and we get massive humidity off of Mexico. It ain't a dry heat then. You have watched the news and the massive dust storms that roll in on us. Those are coming from the the SE and storms out of Mexico.

[BigDaddy6290]

Originally Posted by CAG

I have to laugh at that a little since beginning late May and on until mid September we hit 95-100+ shortly after the sun comes up and it does not cool down until 4-5 AM if you can call 80+ cool. May and early June can be a "dry heat" with dew points in the single digits. When the monsoon starts, mid June until mid September night time temps will seldom go below 85 and most nights be in the 90s.

This weather is for ALL of the SW including NM, AZ, UT, and NV. The wind shifts to the SE and we get massive humidity off of Mexico. It ain't a dry heat then. You have watched the news and the massive dust storms that roll in on us. Those are coming from the the SE and storms out of Mexico.

Dang! That's why I stay here in the Upper Left corner. Although this year it has rained pretty much every day since Labor Day. We don't tan in the PNW, we RUST!

[Jaytalk]

C-bob,BD, FR, and CAG thanks for the responses! Now I know what I’ll be confronting on my New Mexico trip.

As an aside, I’m thinking about getting the EEZ tire pressure monitor system and, since I have a Greyhawk 29MVP, I think I’ll need the signal booster that comes with the system I intend to get. My only problem is, I know the booster is wired to a 12V electrical source to power the unit, but I don’t have a clue as to how or where to connect the booster. Any ideas on where and how it should be wired inside of the motorhome? I prefer to do it without having to drill any holes, and need a solution that is really simple to do.

Thanks again for all your replies.

[CAG]

Originally Posted by BigDaddy6290

Dang! That's why I stay here in the Upper Left corner. Although this year it has rained pretty much every day since Labor Day. We don't tan in the PNW, we RUST!

Ah, but think about our weather the rest of the year. All those neighbors of yours that are gone for the winter, they are here along with a good part of the rest of the US and Canada. On top of that, right now we will have the rest of them here for Spring Training.

[Click_here]

Can't speak to using the generator that long but even plugged in, last summer in Texas, we were running both ACs pretty much constantly and at 100+ outside, we only got about a 20 degree cooler effect inside. Consequently, we typically skip July and August in Texas and head up to Colorado or NM (Santa Fe area) instead for cooler weather.