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Old 07-31-2016, 05:46 PM   #1
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Question How Long Will the Battery Last?

Hey there fellow campers,

Future A213HW owner here. If I am strictly relying on battery power, how long will the battery last. I know that really depends on how much I use the lights etc. but I was wondering:

1- If I am using the propane furnace, does the furnace need battery power for a blower fan?

2- If I back the TV close enough to the hitch, can I plug the trailer into the TV and keep the camper battery charged?

Please advise and happy camping.
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Old 07-31-2016, 05:53 PM   #2
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Furnace is a big 12v hog!

You'll not get enough amps out of your tv to replenish your battery.



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Old 07-31-2016, 05:54 PM   #3
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1. Yes, the furnace uses 12V for the fan and the controls. The furnace fan eats battery pretty quickly. The frig will make short work of the battery too so run it on propane when dry camping.

2. Yes, the truck alternator will charge the camper batteries, however, not efficiently. It will take way to long to charge the camper batteries by running your truck.
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Old 07-31-2016, 06:02 PM   #4
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Congrats on your new A-frame! I don't have one but have owned a pop up. Those new a-frames look really nice. I keep trying to get the DW to let me get one so we can get back to the wilderness where we can't take our current rig

You will need 2 batteries to get through the night with your heater. You can charge them with your TV but it will take awhile. You would be better off getting a small inverter generator or solar. Enjoy!!
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Old 07-31-2016, 06:04 PM   #5
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If you are only using battery power, you will not be using your furnace very long.... it takes more 'juice' to get the furnace going, than it does to run it. The third or forth time that it is used after shutting off.... it may not have the power to start up the furnace. your lights may work for hours and hours... but not your furnace.

Also, instead of plugging your unit into the truck plug to recharge your battery, use jumper cables and with your truck running, go from your truck battery to your camper battery. The alternator at the front will give you a faster and deeper charge.
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Old 07-31-2016, 06:06 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RSchleder View Post
.

2. Yes, the truck alternator will charge the camper batteries, however, not efficiently. It will take way to long to charge the camper batteries by running your truck.
If I see that the battery is being drained, by plugging the trailer into the TV, can I run the furnace off the TV system? If so, I would think the TV battery would recharge the next time I drive it.
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Old 07-31-2016, 06:08 PM   #7
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Also, instead of plugging your unit into the truck plug to recharge your battery, use jumper cables and with your truck running, go from your truck battery to your camper battery. The alternator at the front will give you a faster and deeper charge.
Thank you Brother Les
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Old 07-31-2016, 06:13 PM   #8
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How Long Will the Battery Last?

Being that you stated that you are a future owner, you are in a good position to install a second battery. If you are planning to be camping without hookups most of the time, I recommend getting 2 6v batteries- they will give you the most power. If not then 2 12v batteries will do just fine.

The furnace is a power hog like others have said. But if you manage it and have a generator to recharge in the am you'll be fine.

In a pinch to recharge, hook up jumper cables to your tv and "quick charge" your batteries. Run tv at 1500rpm for about an hour would give a good charge.

Get one of these:
INNOVA 3721 Battery and Charging System Monitor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EVWDU0..._.wONxbT56AAWR

Keep track of your power usage.

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It is best for the batteries NOT to go below 50% charge.

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Old 07-31-2016, 06:17 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brimare57 View Post
If I see that the battery is being drained, by plugging the trailer into the TV, can I run the furnace off the TV system? If so, I would think the TV battery would recharge the next time I drive it.

Yes, but do you want to kill the battery in the vehicle that needs to take you home?


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Old 07-31-2016, 06:37 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HONDAMAN174 View Post
Yes, but do you want to kill the battery in the vehicle that needs to take you home?


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Most vehicles, at the truck plug, will not allow 12v to the camper battery unless the vehicle is running. Truck battery will not drain while running

Quote:
HONDAMAN174 says: In a pinch to recharge, hook up jumper cables to your tv and "quick charge" your batteries. Run tv at 1500rpm for about an hour would give a good charge.
An hour is way to long to charge from battery to battery with a running truck, 15-20 minutes will be fine.
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Old 07-31-2016, 07:06 PM   #11
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I think you are getting some non A frame answer.
I find, I can get 2 nights on my A frame (group 27 battery, they come with 1 group 24). and with 2 battery I can run 4 nights I run my battery one at a time. I have a 60 watt solar panel and it will keep up with my needs 24 7 if the sun shines.
If I move every 2 days and drive for at least 4 hours I am good for 4 more night.
I only run (set) the furnace at 57 Degrees. We camp. We have done about 50 nights so far this year. 75 percent of that was dry camping ( no hook-ups.)
I carry a generator but in 3 years I have never used it.
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Old 07-31-2016, 07:14 PM   #12
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If you plan on doing a great deal of dry camping in cold weather, you need to make a few mods. One option for heating is a catalytic heater. Lights and the water pump along will not be a problem for several days and the battery can be extended indefinitely a decent solar system.

Charging the battery is slow business and you will be running your TV for hours a day to keep the battery up. Most campgrounds consider idling the TV to be the equivalent of running a generator so it can't done at night.

One option I've read of people using is taking a second battery along and dropping it off at a service station during the day for charging. However true service statins are very few these days.

If you need serious power, for more than lighting and such, over a long period, the Honda 1000 style inverter generators or more powerful would be a good bet.
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Old 07-31-2016, 07:37 PM   #13
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What's the tow vehicle? I don't recommend it, but some TVs do have a constant 12V circuit to the trailer plug; my Silverado does. But like someone said, you certainly do not want to run down your TV's battery.

Again some vehicles can charge a trailer battery pretty fast if it is charged off jumper cables. (Last Oct. in a campground the guy next to me brought his trailer battery up to almost full in a little over an hour with jumper cables.

From personal experience with a popup, that has a lot more volume than an A-frame due to the beds going out of the front and back and a 12-foot box, I can run my heater at night for 4-5 days with the temps dropping to the low 20s on two series 27 deep cycle batteries. The heater in the A-frames and popups is not quite a large as those on 5th wheels and larger TTs.

Only thing that takes electrical is the fan, and yes it is a power hog, but it does not have to run constantly even when the temps drop down to the low 20s.

All my lighting is also LED, fridge is on propane, and water pump is very seldom used so basically, the only real drain is the heater.

I also carry a generator when on a trip longer then 4-days to charge the batteries just in case it was a short run from one location to another. And to charge the batteries from the Generator, I use a battery charger I plug into the gen and that does a faster charge than going through the trailer's converter.

Catalytic heaters work, but not good for around pets or maybe even small kids.
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Old 07-31-2016, 07:44 PM   #14
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What's the tow vehicle? I don't recommend it, but some TVs do have a constant 12V circuit to the trailer plug; my Silverado does. But like someone said, you certainly do not want to run down your TV's battery.
My tow vehicle is a 2016 GMC Terrain 6-cyl
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Old 07-31-2016, 07:50 PM   #15
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If you plan on doing a great deal of dry camping in cold weather, you need to make a few mods. One option for heating is a catalytic heater. Lights and the water pump along will not be a problem for several days and the battery can be extended indefinitely a decent solar system.
Thanks Pooniel,

What's the best way to get the propane to the heater?
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Old 08-01-2016, 12:27 PM   #16
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Thanks Pooniel,

What's the best way to get the propane to the heater?

I don't have one of these because, well, we don't need it on the Gulf Coast where I do most of my camping. So I'll fall back to the old truism, follow label directions. I'm sure you can download the manual from Camco.

There is also the Mr. Heater, Buddy line heaters. They similar but are not true catalytic. They are rated for indoor use in Canada, but not by UL. Thus not rated for indoors in the US.

Either way, the heaters need to have outside air ventilation. Unlike a furnace.
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Old 08-01-2016, 02:03 PM   #17
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First time out with the first trailer the battery died the second night. May in Canada can be might frosty.

The other hog, as I found out this year, is the fridge. Two days then dead.

Solar is great, if you park in the middle of a desert. The sites we pick tend to be very treed and solar is a waste of time.
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Old 08-01-2016, 02:21 PM   #18
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I'm with A1Camper and f5Moab ....

Spent 4 days in Acadia in a popup with one group 27 battery and ran the heater each night (set at 62) with no issues. However, we used the lights (LEDs) and H2O pump sparingly and had the fridge on propane.

I did have an inverter generator just in case. I think we ran it one morning for a couple of hours when we were using the electric skillet and H2O.

Regarding TV charging the trailer battery: I agree that it will not charge sufficiently. Might have been my setup, but we stopped for 3-4 hours while traveling and I didn't unhook the camper and when we went to start the TV the battery was dead. Popup must have siphoned power from the TV battery.
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Old 08-01-2016, 03:39 PM   #19
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I highly suggest the Mr. Buddy heaters. They are a great backup heat source.

I've used one for years tent camping (10x12 canvas tent, don't use them in a modern nylon tent).
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Old 08-01-2016, 03:40 PM   #20
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I mite add, we never set the ice box to 12v so when we move all the current is going into the battery. When we move for a couple of hours the ice box is off or on propane.
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