Dry camping for 14 days in RMNP

[retiredtraveler]

    I'll be dry camping for two full weeks in RMNP in August. Have two new Grp 27 batteries, a solar panel, and am going to 'experiment' this trip by using onboard heater (rather than catalytic) perhaps 1 hour a day (to warm up in morning and take onboard shower in evening). I'll disconnect battery during day so propane detector is not drawing (I have no other power drains going).

    I'll monitor usage of one battery and recharging of 2nd battery with the solar panel and write results.

    I don't have LED lights in camper, but have a propane lantern for outside and LED lantern (on its own batteries) for inside.

    If anyone is interested in 'the numbers', please let me know. I'm hoping to go a full 4 days with one battery before discharging 50%. 55 watt solar panel should charge () in 4 days.

    We've definitely dry camped before, but only one battery and not for this long --- good test.     

[Red Barchetta]

Have a great time. 

We only dry camp & boondock (year 'round) and go for 10 - 14 days at a time at least 3 times a year.  We just returned from a 20-night trip a couple of days ago.
Whenever we leave the PU for the day we disconnect the battery.  Like you mentioned, it eliminates the LP detector's led draw plus it eliminates any potential disaster flooding & battery drain a water leak could cause by running the water pump and draining the fresh water tank & the WH.

Again, have a great time. 

[Ronin__9]

I would like to hear how it goes!

Next year we plan to camp a week in Colorado while visiting family in Denver.

I have had interest for some time in Solar panels, but haven't gotten there yet.
I am little by little modifying the Pup, and getting set up better for our dry trips.
I have one blue top Battery and two LP, and was going to convert to LED on our next trip in two weeks.

have a great trip!

[rabird]

Please share the 'numbers' when you return.

I'd suggest you hook the panel to the PU battery and may find you won't be switching batteries!

I did a week plus, Teton/Yellowstone, with a single group 24 and a 15 watt panel Aug/Sep '05.

Enjoy RMNP.

[Lennotglen]

I'd suggest you hook the panel to the PU battery and may find you won't be switching batteries!

I agree with rabird.  My 50 watt panel topped of the grp 27 battery every day for almost a week.  I never had to use the spare grp 24.
Have a good time and report back when you get home.
Len

[retiredtraveler]

I'd suggest you hook the panel to the PU battery and may find you won't be switching batteries!

I agree with rabird.  My 50 watt panel topped of the grp 27 battery every day for almost a week.  I never had to use the spare grp 24.

    Only problem is that I only have about 6 foot of wire coming from panel to charge controller (and a small length of wire to hook to battery). If I have a campsite where top of camper is in sun, I'm good. If not, I may have to move the panel away from pup someplace to charge.
    And, of course, I may not have any decent sun although my understanding is that the campsites in this park do not have much in the way of large trees and the trees that are there are evergreen and not spreading deciduous trees. I'm hoping for a good 5 hours a day of really good light (and temps are cooler which helps a bit). 

[Lennotglen]

    Only problem is that I only have about 6 foot of wire coming from panel to charge controller (and a small length of wire to hook to battery). 

To make my panel more useful I got a 25', 12ga,  extension cord at W-mart cut off the ends and used it between the panel and controller, 10ga. would be better but so far mine has worked well for me.

Len
 

[brucea50]

Please post the numbers.  I would be very intrerested in them.


Bruce

[Chuck S]

We "dry camped" this weekend with the Roo 23SS.  Didn't skimp on lighting at night, but we didn't burn all 6 ceiling fixtures either.  Total consumption for about 56 hours camping was 137 amp hours. 





-- Chuck

[Ronin__9]

did you use the water pump, fans, or furnace at all?

[Chuck S]

Temperatures got down in the 50°F range every night.

Ran the furnace (set at 62°F) every night, ran the water pump for about 100 gallons (two refills), bathroom fan while showering.  Ran the bunk end fans a little for white noise -- for some reason the tenters set up right next to us and their small child was talking until about 2300.

The water transfer pump also pulled power from the trailer.



Note the transfer needed to be pumped compared to last month which gravity handled.



Also ran the pure sine wave inverter to power my wife's laptop and charge our cell phones.  Probably 4 hours a day for those chores alone.

About the only power conservation we did was keep interior lights to a minimum.  We used the porch light while outdoors with the dogs.

End battery voltage was 11.7 volts.



We have at least 200+ useful amp hours with our pair of Trojan T125 batteries.

If you can put 30 amp hours per day back into the batteries it looks like you could camp quite a while off the grid.  Note that you get faster charging at low battery voltages so running them in the 40% to 60% range would replace amp hours pretty fast.

How big (physically) is that 50watt panel?

-- Chuck