Newby here: Looking for advice on dry camping on battery power. Please help!

[rsdata]

Folks, I don't believe I'd spend much more time typing answers to this query for this reason: "Last Activity: 10-30-2018 01:03 AM". This member registered and initiated this thread and hasn't logged on to the system since that day. Just sayin'.

answers after this shows just how thoroughly people read ALL posts...

[Chuck_S]

According to him, the converters that are installed in FR products work better with 12 volt batteries than 6 volt. The claim at the seminars is that the converter has a higher possibility of going into bulk mode charging with 6 volt batteries.

This has not a thing to do with how 12 volts is connected. Two 12v (parallel) = 12v = two 6v (series).

But I'll bet it has a lot to do with battery capacity and the ability to absorb power. A pair of 6v GC-size batteries probably has at least 50% more capacity than a pair of Group 24 batteries, the kind normally on our campers.

-- Chuck

[Chuck_S]

Run a non-vented fuel burning heater in an enclosed space like a camper at your peril.

While they're depleting the oxygen in that space the are pumping, out at best, carbon dioxide and you'll wake up with a headache. At worst they pump out carbon monoxide and you won't wake up at all. Reported to be a peaceful way to go.

Camping forums typically have death stories every year or so.

Yeah, there's a "low oxygen" sensor. I ain't betting my life on one.

-- Chuck

[jvg]

I dry camp frequently and my FR Surveyor 265 battery will be down to single light on monitor by end of 24 hrs heating and powering the 12 volt items. I purchased a 4000 volt propane/gas generator and a 30 pound tank. I can go 2 days heating using camper heat. It also charges battery so using both can go 2 days. That's heating all day. I don't use gas as it needs refilling too frequently and will foul the carburetor. I bought it off web and it cost about 300. This year I bought a BigBoy propane heater. It can be used indoors. Using same 30 pound tank I can heat 2-3 days depending on temp. Then I only use generator for battery charging and using 110 volt appliances.
Jim G

[jeffkirk]

We just got back from 2 weeks in Utah, mostly dry camping. I have an 80 watt solar panel and controller, a Honda generator, and two 12 volt batteries run in parallel. The only problem I had was running the tank heaters one cold night. Batteries went down about 4 AM. I had turned everything else off, thinking it might work. It didn't. Just a little tip.

[Hclarkx]

We cut our cold weather heater use in half (or maybe more) by abandoning the under floor heating ducts and instead using short ducts (average 3') from the heater plenum to nearby walls. Our under floor heating ducts were leaking air, blocking air flow, and cooling the air that did was getting through.

[ENE]

I use my fireplace all night set on low to keep the trailer warm so it's not freezing cold in the morning. Works very well. I also bought little ceramic space heater, its very small but puts out a lot of heat, I never had to use it yet and we been in the high 20's in Wyoming recently

[Scubanut]

Originally Posted by whoward

Hi all,



I stumbled across this forum and wanted to join to see if you could help me figure out if a camper trailer is right for me based on my situation.



I go to deer camp in SE Oklahoma twice a year. 1 week in late october and 1-2 weeks in late November. During this time I'm way out there, no where near a power source and would have to rely on battery power. I generally stay about 3 days at a time and come home for a day or two then go back to the woods for 3 or 4 days.



I'm looking at a 2017 Salem Cruise Lite by FR model 261BHXL. So here's what I'm wondering... During the nights at deer camp it gets pretty chilly in November (usually down to the mid 20's).



If I have to run on battery power to use the furnace (assume I use nothing but the furnance) how long will I be able to make it last? I'll only use the furnace with propane during the nights, during the day we sit around the campfire when we aren't hunting. So only when trying to stay warm enough to sleep. A nice hot shower every day would be nice too.



Any suggestions, ideas, help, whatever, is very much appreciated. Like I said, I've never owned a camper trailer before and have been tent sleeping since I joined this camp 10 years ago and I'm just tired of sleeping on an uncomfortable cot in a cold tent. I'm a complete idiot when it comes to campers.



Is it possible to run my camper on batteries for 3 days at a time based on the info I've given? I can get a small generator or solar charger to help keep the charge up.



During the summer we will also use the camper (family of 4, 2 small kids) at the lake, but there will be shore power there, so not as concerned with that.



Thanks, all. I really appreciate any feedback.

Solar is a help but depending on weather you still will need a generator . As this photo shows sometimes mad dashes are required to retreat from the weather. Note the solar panel snow covered. That was about 15 mins into a snow squall.

[ColoRobbie]

I have a Forest River BHS245 with Dual 12V batteries. If I use the furnace at night I can get 3 days out of my batteries. If I don't use the furnace i can get about a week. i purchased a generator for just this reason. If I cam going to camp in the cold (which I do - also a hunter) I know that I will have to recharge my batteries after 3 - 4 days. Unfortunately the charge from the generator is not a deep charge so it only gets you another day or so. So, once the batteries lose their initial charge, I am recharging my batteries daily.

[camaraderie]

Originally Posted by ColoRobbie

I have a Forest River BHS245 with Dual 12V batteries. If I use the furnace at night I can get 3 days out of my batteries. If I don't use the furnace i can get about a week. i purchased a generator for just this reason. If I cam going to camp in the cold (which I do - also a hunter) I know that I will have to recharge my batteries after 3 - 4 days. Unfortunately the charge from the generator is not a deep charge so it only gets you another day or so. So, once the batteries lose their initial charge, I am recharging my batteries daily.

If you have a pair of 12V batteries...you have at most 200 amp hours...of which you may use not more than 100 amp hours at a time without damaging cycle life of your battery. So this means you are living on 33 amp hours a day which is pretty damn slim or you are hurting your battery life which is more likely. Furthermore..you're not charging them back fully which increases sulfation which is the biggest killer of batteries... and you appear to be trickle charging them from the generator from your description. You should be plugging in the genny into your 30 amp socket and letting your converter do the work OR getting a 40 amp charger to do the work properly.

[ColoRobbie]

Originally Posted by camaraderie

If you have a pair of 12V batteries...you have at most 200 amp hours...of which you may use not more than 100 amp hours at a time without damaging cycle life of your battery. So this means you are living on 33 amp hours a day which is pretty damn slim or you are hurting your battery life which is more likely. Furthermore..you're not charging them back fully which increases sulfation which is the biggest killer of batteries... and you appear to be trickle charging them from the generator from your description. You should be plugging in the genny into your 30 amp socket and letting your converter do the work OR getting a 40 amp charger to do the work properly.

We'll, I'm not an electrician, just work in IT. I do know we use very little power throughout the day, all LED lights and we only turn on a couple at night. I do plug into the 30 amp socket when recharging through my generator but it doesn't give me the same deep charge I get when I use my trickle charger at home and I've had the same batteries for two years. And, as previously stated, I can get three days out of them if I use our heater and a week if we don't. If that's magic for two batteries in series, then call me Merlin.

[quicky06]

Originally Posted by ColoRobbie

We'll, I'm not an electrician, just work in IT. I do know we use very little power throughout the day, all LED lights and we only turn on a couple at night. I do plug into the 30 amp socket when recharging through my generator but it doesn't give me the same deep charge I get when I use my trickle charger at home and I've had the same batteries for two years. And, as previously stated, I can get three days out of them if I use our heater and a week if we don't. If that's magic for two batteries in series, then call me Merlin.

The point he is trying to make is that you are most likely dropping the state of charge in your battery below 50%. Once you do that you start to damage the battery lowering thier capacity. If you are using the battery indicator in the control panel that came with your trailer you for sure damaging the batteries.

In order to actually measure state of charge you need something like a Victron battery monitor. Just looking st voltage does you know good.

[camaraderie]

Originally Posted by ColoRobbie

We'll, I'm not an electrician, just work in IT. I do know we use very little power throughout the day, all LED lights and we only turn on a couple at night. I do plug into the 30 amp socket when recharging through my generator but it doesn't give me the same deep charge I get when I use my trickle charger at home and I've had the same batteries for two years. And, as previously stated, I can get three days out of them if I use our heater and a week if we don't. If that's magic for two batteries in series, then call me Merlin.

Well...if you're running two 12V batteries in series then you really are Merlin!

Anyway ...Quicky06 has it exactly right. ....point is that you are killing off your battery early. Oh ...and CHARGING your battery with a trickle charger rather than providing a high voltage bulk charge further contributes to life degradation. Trickle chargers are for maintenance...not charging. See me in 2 more years and you can call me a putz.