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Originally Posted by Timberline
I live in Colorado and just purchased a new TM 2619. My use will be almost exclusively dry camping in the National Forests high in the mountains or in other remote areas throughout the west – no electrical hookups, no city water, etc. I’ll often stay for a week to ten days. Most of my camping will be in the summer and late into the fall, so at times it may be a bit cold at night. My concern is battery capacity as it relates to electrical power for the lights, furnace fan and other minor onboard eletrical uses (toilet, etc.).
My plan is to purchase a portable Honda generator to augment the twin six-volt batteries that came with my TM. BUT WHICH GENERATOR?
I like the looks of the Honda Super Quiet EU1000i and EU2000i models. The 1000i delivers 1000 watts max. (900 rated). The 2000i delivers 2000 Watts max. (1600 rated). ( www.hondapowerequipment.com)
QUESTION #1: Which of those super quiet Honda generators would be best for running the lights, fans and other misc. onboard electrical things (with no additional apppliances plugged in) in my 2619 TM?
QUESTION #2: Which Honda generator would be best if I wanted to add a small portable DVD player to that list?
QUESTION #3: Which Honda Generator would be best if I wanted to add a small microwave to that list?
QUESTION #4: Which Honda generator would be needed (or what sort of power capacity would I need) if I wanted to add my trailer’s air conditioning to that list? I probably won't do that by dry camping, but it would be nice to know what would be needded if a shoreline wasn't available for the A/C.
Thanks for the assistance from a brand new TrailManor owner. |
I also live in Colorado Springs and also mostly camp in the high mountain National Forest campgrounds without any hookups so I know exactly what conditions you'll be facing.
Around 150 to 200 watts of solar panels will provide more than enough power for everything you mention except the AC and Microwave. (With a properly sized inverter, the batteries could even power a microwave and then be recharged from the solar panels). Though I find I can do quite well without a microwave while dry camping...for warming foods, the regular oven works well but just takes a bit longer.
I have two panels on my TM's roof (total of 170 watts of generation) which together with the dual T105 6 volt Golf Cart batteries have provided me with plenty of power to freely use the lights, the furnace, the water pump...and recharge my laptop, camera, etc. I've gone as long as 10 days without hookups and my batteries were still fully charged on the afternoon of the last day. Even in September when the sun is much lower in the sky...and the furnace sometimes runs 3 or 4 hours a day I've still always gotten a complete recharge on a sunny day.
Unlike a generator...which takes several hours to recharge the batteries (during which time you really shouldn't leave camp)...the solar panels charge all day long without any monitoring. So I can happily leave the trailer early in the morning for a day of hiking/biking/kayaking and know that when I get back at the end of the day the batteries will be fully charged. Plus the panels are completely silent and maintenance free...even the quietest Honda makes some noise and definitely requires recurring maintenance.
Costwise, my panels (a DIY installation) were around $1000...about the cost of an EU2000.
Read this for a full discussion of the issues I encountered and how I solved them.
After two seasons of experience with the panels, the only circumstance I'd ever see needing to buy a generator for is if I went dry camping in Utah or other hot, low elevation area where having the AC would highly desirable. But for high altitude Colorado camping, there's no need for generator if you have sufficient solar.
Picture below shows the panels on my TM's roof...click the thumbnail image for a larger image.