first boondock

[randycr1]

Going on our first boondock this coming labor day weekend. my question is can the 12v battery got enough juice to move the slide out?

[Vasquez Kid]

Hey randycr1,

Welcome to the forum.

No matter which camper you have I would imagine your battery can get the slide out and then back in once you're ready to leave. Do you have to rely on the trailers battery, solely, for this however? Can you leave it powered by your tow vehicle for these big drains? I'll do this same thing. Just leave the truck close by and running so I can power the trailer through my truck for slide and toungue Jack needs while leveling and then closing her up and hitching up to leave.

My big question will be what kind of demands will you have on the house battery while you are camping? Ok, actually I can think of many questions but I'll just ask a few more.

Which trailer do you have? Do you only have one 12v battery? Which one is it? How old is it and what is its current condition?

Do you also have a generator?

Tell us more about your camper and your electrical demands for the trip. Where are you headed? East up into the mountains?

Sorry. I asked a lot of questions.

[Duke4857]

If you have never boondocked before, if you can, camp in your driveway for a weekend (no hookups) to test how the battery lasts. This will also tell you if there is anything else you need.

[Mustang65]

Originally Posted by Vasquez Kid

Hey randycr1,
......Can you leave it powered by your tow vehicle for these big drains? I'll do this same thing. Just leave the truck close by and running so I can power the trailer through my truck for slide and toungue Jack needs while leveling and then closing her up and hitching up to leave......

What Vasquez Kid said!!!


By leaving your tow vehicle hooked up to the TT and the engine running (Ford does not supply 12VDC to the trailer without the engine running) while both raising/lowering the tongue jack, will save a LOT of your batteries power for lights and other things. Tongue jack and heater motors are not your batteries friends.



Don
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[Bassdogs]

Originally Posted by Duke4857

If you have never boondocked before, if you can, camp in your driveway for a weekend (no hookups) to test how the battery lasts. This will also tell you if there is anything else you need.

Always a good idea to have a dry run. Many years ago on our first outing in our first Pup, we had a 2-Csell cheap flashlite and a couple of sleeping bags. We were total rookies and were the ultimate newbies. Stove but no pots and pans. After first nite of sitting at the picknic table [no camp chairs] until bed time and a 15 mile each way to nearest fast food we called it a night. Only 30 minutes to Mom's house and a Walmart so day 2 was a more fun as our site looked like Christmas as we opened and assembled our new stuff.

[Jagiven]

There are lots of variables to boondocking. The main issues are how long are you going to be out. Do you need heat? What type of lights do you have, and what functionality do you want from your equipment.

For example when we first got our TT, and my DW was new to glamping, and grew up tent camping. I know with incandescent bulbs we would have power issues on a long 4 day weekend. But I let her use power however she choice, to get the negative experience of running out of power prematurely. We did late on day 2, I had a plan in place to get us through. We can now go for 5 days on a single charge of our cheap OEM group 24 dual purpose battery.

So what we do; 1st I changed out all the incandescent bulbs to LEDs (we have an older camper). We now turn on the wall light switch for all the overhead lights. Then we turn each of them off at the light. When we need light we turn on the one or two that are required. Why light up the other end of the TT, when we are not down there.

When moving the awning and slide out, I keep the truck plugged in. I also keep the truck plugged in until the last moment to help put a tiny bit of charge back into the battery.

The furnace fan can drain a battery in one day. If it is cold out and we need heat. We will turn the furnace on and off thought the trip. For example we may turn it on before bed, to warm up the TT as we settle down for the night. If it is really cold, we may turn it on while one of us goes to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Again turn it on when we first get up. If we know that it will be cold, we often plan a breakfast that requires to use the oven.

The pump and water heater only uses power when it it cycling, so it is no big deal.

I do have a spare deep cycle battery, that I will bring with me on longer or colder boondocking trips. I keep in in a milk crate in the back of the truck. If needed, I made a set of cables that when I disconnect the OEM battery, I can extend to the battery, sitting on the ground next to the TT. I have used it a few times, but not to often.

One more thing I just thought of, 12V cell phone charges pull/waste power when not in use, so remove them from the outlet when not needed.