Going off-grid in August

[clan_salmons]

Originally Posted by BrucePerens

The Dream Lighting Warm White for $20 on Amazon does a pretty good job and the price is right. Don't buy the cold-white one, it goes on when you turn on the battery cut-off switch. The warm white one stays off until you push its button.

I purchased the Dream Lights back in July to replace the original vent lights. Only 1/2" thick so they can mount directly to the ceiling. At the time both the cool and the warm white were auto-on although one didn't state that. The retailer was very responsive and got me the correct version. I recommend emailing them to verify. When I made my purchase, the lights that stayed off came with a crystal patterned cover and the light is little harsher than the translucent cover shown on Amazon.

The wires come out directly from the center of the fixture. I had to make a thin riser to get the wires to the side so I could feed power from the vents. I mounted them right in front of the vents with two faced tape. Light output is good. There is a dim blue led that is always on for the power switch. Minimal power drain, but I would recommend a battery shutoff switch.

I also bought a pair of the Dream Light 12" sticks and mounted them about 12" behind the vents (toward the front bed) as reading lights. Also 1/2" thick. Two power levels and the light output is very even. You can't see the individual leds. I've been pleased with both versions of the Dream Lights.

[flipflop]

Originally Posted by BrucePerens

The Dream Lighting Warm White for $20 on Amazon does a pretty good job and the price is right. Don't buy the cold-white one, it goes on when you turn on the battery cut-off switch. The warm white one stays off until you push its button.

By the way, thanks for your tip to not buy LED's that are CanBus. I specifically looked for that when buying and avoided them. I'll skip the flourescent replacements for now, the factory flourescents light up on solar so I figure they're low energy enough.

[TMfor4ofus]

Originally Posted by Padgett

I regularly dry camp for a week at Sun'n'Fun during AC needed weather. This year I left with as much charge are I started with and enough power to run the AC and make coffee.

Can see on my web site (click on .sig) but basically have
- two GC2 batteries (215AH). Had dual GC2s in my previous RV as well
- 200W of solar on rear module
- 1KW continuous inverter
- stock AC equipped with a "soft-start" device
- lightweight and compact 2400W/2100W generator (fits in rear compartment with batteries and solar controls when travelling - get one that has a closable vent on the gas cap.

Do have some LED lights but for reading need the fluorescents.
Use propane for fridge.

So your generator is sufficient for AC usage? What kind is it? Soft start AC"? Just trying to find out the smallest one that can run the AC if needed. Also that's a lot of solar generation for portable use wow. We just got our TM and I was able to fire up the AC on washer 120V 20A.

[flipflop]

Well, well, this the first boondock, just one overnight near Deming, NM off of NM hwy 27. 43 degrees F, first time set this up outside of the driveway.

In the dark at 9PM with a howling wind on the street side of the trailer, 4Runner still hooked up to the trailer. Can't open the rear hatch on the 4Runner but that's not a big deal.

Easy enough, 15 minutes for the basics, another 45 minutes to unload LP tanks and generator, get the generator going, walk the dogs, get the bedding set, crack a beer, hook up the smartphone and find there's LTE service.

One bad thing right away - one of the Labs caught a toenail in the holes on the steps, ripped her toenail right off, poor girl was hanging off the top step by her toenail and it ripped off when I tried to get her loose. Eh, she's tough as all getout, sound asleep right now. I'll put some 3M grit stepgaurd on the steps in Tucson to cover up all the openings.

[ThePair]

Originally Posted by flipflop

One bad thing right away - one of the Labs caught a toenail in the holes on the steps, ripped her toenail right off, poor girl was hanging off the top step by her toenail and it ripped off when I tried to get her loose. Eh, she's tough as all getout, sound asleep right now. I'll put some 3M grit stepgaurd on the steps in Tucson to cover up all the openings.

We put step covers over both the steps to try to prevent this very same issue with ours. There are many different makes/models, and they come in different colors. Also help keep dirt out of the TM.

[Bill]

We put some fairly thick rubber step covers on our trailer, thinking they would be good for cleaning the soles of our shoes. The covers were so thick that the steps wouldn't fold, so I had to remove one of them. Since it was glued down, this destroyed it, so I couldn't exchange it. Something the thickness of carpet would have been better.

Bill

[tentcamper]

We did the indoor/outdoor carpet covers that come with a spring to hold them on the step. Steps work well.

I think we bought them on amazon 4-5years ago

[Gwenne & Len]

I found those carpet step covers at Meijer's (In Michigan) this summer, for $8 apiece.....easy to put on, they work great.

[flipflop]

This is what I bought - http://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-6-in-x...68NA/100391699

Perfect fit to cover the rest of the steps from the existing grit strip.

Bit of a rough trip - the plastic strips on either side of the bed braces are failing badly from age, will have to fabricate something. The batteries weren't charging, one of the ring terminals to the fuse in the battery box pulled off when I removed the fuse to check it, CarQuest in Deming fixed me up wasn't that big a deal, but throws me off schedule which annoys me. One of the markerlight covers on the back fell off somewhere on I-10.

I'm liking this propane-powered Yamaha generator. LP has only 73% of the BTU's per gallon compared to gasoline, but so much easier to deal with. Have to carry/fill extra LP bottles anyway so another two isn't a problem. Four 20lb bottles with a tankfoot and the gen are easy enough to load/unload from the trailer.

These LED 1156 replacement bulbs are nice. Bright and directional - a doctor could perform an operation with all four lit up. http://www.ebay.com/itm/172256959172

I mounted an 150W inverter next to the 12V outlet on the fridge cabinet http://www.donrowe.com/Samlex-PST-15...st-15s-12a.htm I'm thinking it will be useful, we'll see.

[flipflop]

Hey, so I'm still not getting battery power from the batteries into the trailer. I can hook a 12v jumppack to the battery terminals and get 12v into the trailer.

I'm thinking this fuse/breaker in the battery box is the culprit. How does that thing work and how do I test it? Is it a fuse, or is it a circuit breaker. I put a new Carquest BR30 in and it no worky. But, as I said I can hook a 12v Wagan jumppack to the battery terminals and I get the furnace running, LED's. Thoughts?

EDIT: The original and the replacement are Type 1 circuit breakers.
http://www.wiringproducts.com/automo...rcuit-breakers

Should not be faulty, should be bulletproof. I believe when I fiddled around cabling the folding solar panel in I messed something up. I pulled the cable I put in for the external solar panel, now running the trailer from the 600W inverter in the 4Runner (in a BLM campground now, it's 'quiet' time, no generators, but the 4Runner engine is quiet). I'll know more in the morning.