Charging while dry camping.

[dkazzed]

[QUOTE=Larry-NC;2024462][QUOTE=dkazzed;2024394]What about a hot water bladder?

Good for the first hour or two. Then what do you do?



Larry

Keep a couple more warm in a cooler beside the bed ready to go.

[rk06382]

Originally Posted by Denny.L

#1. I love camping. Even in cold, rainy weather. We don't plan on staying in the camper all day. We're going to fish. Yes we are going to build a fire in the pit and possibly cook over it. I have a heated jacket so I'm good with the cold.

#2. Electric blanket is for bedtime only. ......having "some" kind of warmth in bed overnight will help with the PAINFUL Arthritis in my back in the mornings.

[QUOTE=dkazzed;2024665][QUOTE=Larry-NC;2024462]

Originally Posted by dkazzed

What about a hot water bladder?



Keep a couple more warm in a cooler beside the bed ready to go.

I have used hand-warmers wrapped in a sock to keep my feet warm when I used to sleep in a tent. I always pack some ThermaCare Lower Back & Hip Heat Wraps for when I need some heat to my lower back. They are good for 16 hours.

Be aware chemical warmers give off water vapors and in winter they will leave frost on the outside of your sleeping bag.

[dkazzed]

Those are good too. I used hand warmers in my gloves before I got heated gloves. They last about 8 hours.

[MikeT5200]

Originally Posted by Beachbourbon

You are the exception...most of us can’t stand to hear a generator droning on indefinitely or while we are trying to sleep. Please be courteous and avoid noise pollution while camping. Thank you.

X2 I go camping to hear birds singing, wind in the trees, and water flowing in stream. Not generators.

[aeblank]

Originally Posted by dkazzed

Those are good too. I used hand warmers in my gloves before I got heated gloves. They last about 8 hours.

What gloves?

[dkazzed]

Originally Posted by aeblank

What gloves?

Lol sorry, for motorcycling.

[aeblank]

Originally Posted by dkazzed

Lol sorry, for motorcycling.

If they're heated gloves, I'm probably interested.

[dkazzed]

Originally Posted by aeblank

If they're heated gloves, I'm probably interested.

Yea, they’re actually liners, draw 2.5 amps at 12V but I often turn it way down with a troller because they’re too hot otherwise. I have a jacket liner too which draws 7.5 amps but I often turn that even more down.

[jaybe]

Always ask questions here. Only bad questions are those not asked. Think about installing an inverter for AC power (limited by battery bank size and inverter size). .

[MNtraveler]

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[MNtraveler]

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[theinmess]

Sounds like you will be having a great time. I use 2 deep cycle batteries in parallel and charge with my gen. when needed. I run my outside fridge and my cpap and TV on a converter. I can easily run 2 nights. If I have to but like to top off the bats when it is allowed. As far as using the propane heater ...it is ok for when your awake but most do not have good thermostats. Furnace at low setting never uses that much. Also lp heaters add quit a bit of moisture. Enjoy the Boon-docking and keep on keeping on.

[KenS999]

Please consider 2 deep cycle batteries (6v wired in series or 12v wired in parallel) and look into a catalytic heater. Forget the electric blanket. Furnace fans use up a lot of battery power as well. As mentioned earlier you really shouldn't take your batteries below 50%. That said, having a single storage battery doesn't really give you much in the way of available Amp hours for powering your 12 volt appliances. I encourage you to do a little bit of research. I found out the hard way. Happy Trails.

[rk06382]

Originally Posted by Denny.L

We have a FR 2019 X-LITE 241RLXL. a 12v batt. was included at "drive off 6 months ago.



We are going dry camping in 4 days and the ground rules are: "quiet time...8pm to 8am. " UGH!!!



We plan on using the 12 volt battery to power the outlets & TV, also so we can plug in our electric blanket since it's going to be very cold at night.


My question is: during the day when we have our generator on...we need a better, faster charging system for the battery during the day OTHER THAN our trickle charger.



I keep hearing I keep hearing that if you charge it too fast it might explode. Which scares me!



Does anybody have any advice on how to fully charge this battery so we can use it another night?


sorry if I sound like a total newbie. I'm not (to camping) , but I am a newbie to a travel trailer. :-D

I have read the other posts. I think you should start with a battery monitor like the Victron BMV-712.

I did not start with a battery monitor and I regret it, because without it, I could not tell how many amp hours my Battle Born batteries had available. If you are going to boondock, you need to know your battery SOC (State of Charge).

[retire057]

I’ve camped for many years but never boondocked.

Are the boondocking campers running their generators all day to charge their batteries? If so, doesn’t sound like a very enjoyable way to camp.

[KenS999]

Originally Posted by retire057

I’ve camped for many years but never boondocked.

Are the boondocking campers running their generators all day to charge their batteries? If so, doesn’t sound like a very enjoyable way to camp.

Solar Panels.

[KyDan]

Originally Posted by retire057

Are the boondocking campers running their generators all day to charge their batteries? If so, doesn’t sound like a very enjoyable way to camp.

Some do, many don't.
I've camped with no hookups in NP campgrounds where some folks fire up their generators first thing in the morning at 8:01 AM and run them most all of the day. Other times I'm guessing they fire up the genny to cook breakfast and then shut them down.
WE can go 3 days on battery power even with some TV time thrown in.
I don't run my honda unless I absolutely need it. Last year I didn't need it at all!

[dkazzed]

I’m planning to install two 100W solar panels and a few USB plugs off 12V before camping season. Should be more than enough to charge a single 12V battery and play some tunes during the day. Can’t think of any reason why we’d need 120V boondocking other than a CPAP machine, but neither of us have been sleep tested.

We’ve been tenting the last 15 years and the only thing we expect our new trailer to do is be a warm place to sleep and be a dry place to hang out if it’s raining out.

[rk06382]

Originally Posted by retire057

I’ve camped for many years but never boondocked.

Are the boondocking campers running their generators all day to charge their batteries? If so, doesn’t sound like a very enjoyable way to camp.

My post from last summer:

Originally Posted by rk06382

Boondock on a pullout near Eureka, Alaska. July 30, 2018 @ 8PM.

We like stopping when and where we want. No check out times. I do not need to run my generator as I have solar. My engine 100 amp alternator will also recharge my batteries if we are driving down the road.

a couple scereenshts

[NJKris]

Are the boondocking campers running their generators all day to charge their batteries?

I'm thinking my 200 W of solar should do the job with the 2 6v batts, if not, then the generator may come into play. Or if hot weather camping and feel the need for A/C.