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Old 10-20-2014, 07:49 AM   #1
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1st test Boondocking in the Pasture

We needed to cut alot of trees and limbs so we thought it would be a good time to test how the boondocking thing went without electric or water hookup. So Friday filled the fresh water tank and moved the 5er to the other side of the pasture to a spot I mowed out real nice, about a 2 acres camp spot. Unhooked the truck and grabbed a beer and hit the Auto Level button and opened the slides. Then went to cutting trees and limbs and burning them the rest of the evening and night.

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The RV preformed well Friday night I had the Fridg. and hot water tank running on propane and stereo and step lights on an then LED's on in the living/kitchen and of corse had the water pump switch turned on. I left the stereo on all night. Saturday morning I checked the battery voltage and it was at 12.6v. I fired the new 5500 watt Cummins generator up and made coffee while the battery recharged then shut it down after about an hour. I check the battery and it was back up to 13.2v. I had a 10 watt solar panel so I thought might as well put it on the battery just for the heck of it because I was leaving the stereo on all day.
We went back to cutting wood again all day and burning it all day and until mid night Saturday night. I took 2 showers Saturday one in the morning and one in the evening and the water pump worked good. The battery voltage was still sitting on 12.7 volts when I went to bed so I didn't bother with firing up the genny. I left the stereo on all night again.


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Sunday morning the battery voltage was 12.5v so I fired up the genny and was making coffee while the battery charged back up. After about 15 minutes the genny shut off. Hmmmm What the heck. I checked everything and it all looked ok and the genny start switch was flashing a code that said service. Hmmm, so I tried to restart it and after 2 trys it fired up and my coffee was brewing again. It was a little chilly so I fired up the electric fireplace to load up the genny some more. This time the same thing happened after 5 to 10 minutes it shut off again. Hmmm, I check it all again and looks fine so I restarted it again and it fired right up. This time I was going to make sure my coffee got done so I only had the coffee maker going. The genny stayed running this time so I left it on for an hour to top off the battery and while I showered again. Weird, I was thinking maybe it had air in the gas line but I dought it because the Wednesday before our boondocking event I ran the genny for 2 hours loaded with both A/C units on and the fridg on. Now there is 7.4 hours on the genny so I'm going to run it and load it up again tonight now that I have it back up at the house and see how it does. Other than the Cummins Generator issue which is a major deal here because we need A/C most of the time when in the RV so I'll get the genny broke in real good before the next boondocking event which will be out of town in a few weeks. The only thing I forgot to test was the central gas furnace but it was only 55 outside in the mornings so I didn't think about it. I'll be testing the central heater even if its hot outside this week also.
We had fun but I'm worn out from all the tree cutting. LOL Getting old.

P.S She still went up to the house and took a shower and made breakfast but the dog and I roughed it in the luxury RV!!! LOL She did sleep out there with us though I think she likes the Trump matteress in it.
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Old 10-20-2014, 07:55 AM   #2
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Nice pics...and that yellow tow vehicle must have one heck-of-an-engine!! ;-)
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Old 10-20-2014, 08:03 AM   #3
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LOL that's our buggy its a CanAm 1000 Commander XT. I had the truck parked behind the RV. The Commander will run though we used it with a 16" double axle trailer hooked to it hauling the cut wood. The Commander will do 75 mph real quick. LOL
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2014 Palomino Columbus 3650TH
435AH 12V VMax Charge Tanks, 520 watt Monocrystilline Solar Array, Morningstar MPPT TS-60 CC,Morningstar Remote,Cotek True Sine Wave Inverter,Cotek Remote Controller,50amp Progressive Hardwire Surge Protector
2015 Dodge 3500 6.7L 4X4
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Old 10-20-2014, 08:14 AM   #4
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Here's a couple more boondocking pics in our pasture this last weekend while cutting wood. There's the tow truck in the back.

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2014 Palomino Columbus 3650TH
435AH 12V VMax Charge Tanks, 520 watt Monocrystilline Solar Array, Morningstar MPPT TS-60 CC,Morningstar Remote,Cotek True Sine Wave Inverter,Cotek Remote Controller,50amp Progressive Hardwire Surge Protector
2015 Dodge 3500 6.7L 4X4
2011 CanAm Commander XT 1000
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Old 10-31-2014, 09:41 PM   #5
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Nice pictures good looking country you live in. Did you get a chance to see if you can change your oil filter? The trailer framework is in the way on mine. Happy camping.
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Old 11-02-2014, 06:16 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by mark wyoming View Post
Nice pictures good looking country you live in. Did you get a chance to see if you can change your oil filter? The trailer framework is in the way on mine. Happy camping.
I had a problem with my genny it would run 10 min. and quit found I found my fuel line smashed off in those loop brackets along the under side of the trailer going back to the gas tank. Pried open those brackets and all good now. Oh yes I can get to the oil filter and oil drain hose under the genny no problem. I noticed this weekend the heat vent in the bedroom barely blows heat and the heat vent in the garage sucks air insted of blowing heat.
I can get to the oil filter ok though.
I put 6 tubes of black silicone caulking under the rv to seal up the plastic under belly. That helped and used some spray foam to seal up all the plumbing penetrations.
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2014 Palomino Columbus 3650TH
435AH 12V VMax Charge Tanks, 520 watt Monocrystilline Solar Array, Morningstar MPPT TS-60 CC,Morningstar Remote,Cotek True Sine Wave Inverter,Cotek Remote Controller,50amp Progressive Hardwire Surge Protector
2015 Dodge 3500 6.7L 4X4
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Old 11-02-2014, 06:21 AM   #7
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I'm going to insulate in the storage compartment ceiling and genny compartment ceiling next. Hope your rv is doing ok.
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435AH 12V VMax Charge Tanks, 520 watt Monocrystilline Solar Array, Morningstar MPPT TS-60 CC,Morningstar Remote,Cotek True Sine Wave Inverter,Cotek Remote Controller,50amp Progressive Hardwire Surge Protector
2015 Dodge 3500 6.7L 4X4
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Old 11-02-2014, 06:30 AM   #8
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Oh I added a 108AH battery to the battery that came in our rv also giving us 180AH total battery now. A lot better battery life now when boondocking.
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2014 Palomino Columbus 3650TH
435AH 12V VMax Charge Tanks, 520 watt Monocrystilline Solar Array, Morningstar MPPT TS-60 CC,Morningstar Remote,Cotek True Sine Wave Inverter,Cotek Remote Controller,50amp Progressive Hardwire Surge Protector
2015 Dodge 3500 6.7L 4X4
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Old 11-02-2014, 06:47 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by mud yapster View Post
Oh I added a 108AH battery to the battery that came in our rv also giving us 180AH total battery now. A lot better battery life now when boondocking.
I didn't know they have trees in TEXAS... Nice property.
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Old 11-02-2014, 06:54 AM   #10
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Thanks, yes lots of trees and dense woods in East Texas and lots of hills here also. West Texas is flat with few trees but East Texas is totally different world with pine trees and hard woods.
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2014 Palomino Columbus 3650TH
435AH 12V VMax Charge Tanks, 520 watt Monocrystilline Solar Array, Morningstar MPPT TS-60 CC,Morningstar Remote,Cotek True Sine Wave Inverter,Cotek Remote Controller,50amp Progressive Hardwire Surge Protector
2015 Dodge 3500 6.7L 4X4
2011 CanAm Commander XT 1000
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