Going off-grid in August

OK. It is my sixth camping season in my trailmanor, and after a hiatus I am excited to be back on this board. Except for a two day campground power outage I have never really been off-grid. I am curious if anyone has recommendations for preparations for an off-grid week. I was thinking the following, but please be free to redirect or tell me which of these are a higher priority. Links to previous threads appreciated (I wish I had more time to search).

Plans:
1) Convert to LED lighting. Incandescents complete, and a plan in place for the florescents.
2) Add a second battery. I am wondering if there are any horror stories about this. I know the difference between series and parallel, so I do not expect any trouble.
3) Buy a portable solar panel with jumper cables. I am not ready to permanently mount.

I have no plans to do anything AC on the trip, and I will refill the propane for the fridge before I go. Anything else? Thanks,

Kevin Krause
2008 2720

[BrucePerens]

Make sure NOT to get Canbus LEDs. They are made to use close to the same power as incandescents, so that automobile lamp-out sensors don't complain. The Trailmanor very definitely doesn't have lamp-out sensors.

[Bill]

Common wisdom (and all the battery manufacturers' sites) say that when you have two batteries, they should be the same size (Group 24 vs Group 27, etc), the same construction (deep cycle vs marine vs motor start) and the same age. This ensures that they will share charge equally, and one won't hog it all.

Also, how big (watts) is your planned solar panel? I have no issue with your plan to make the panel movable - I did the same with mine - as long as you are there to move it when it gets shaded. However, if the panel is more than a couple dozen watts, you do need an inexpensive PWM charge controller to make sure it doesn't overcharge the battery. I see no reason why you couldn't screw the controller directly to the frame of the panel, and run the jumper cable clips from the controller.

I don't know where you plan to camp. Is it in the sunny desert southwest? Or a tree-shaded campground in the east? In either place, if you get a lot of shade or a lot of cloudy days, and your solar panel won't keep up, you will wish you had a small quiet generator to recharge the batteries. You don't need anything big - something like a Honda EU-1000 inverter generator is plenty. Recharging from the tow vehicle doesn't work very well, though it is better than nothing. A weather app on your phone is handy.

Bill

[[email protected]]

However, if it were me, I would get a quiet generator but one that has enough power to run your AC if need be. There might be a time when you will have to call on this to run the AC, so if you're going to spend the $$$ get a 3000 watt generator and even if you don't need it now, it will really charge up those batteries fast! Notice I said "batteries"....like fire arms..."better to have it and NOT need it....than NEED it and NOT have it!""
Tom

[tentcamper]

We have gone during the summer for 9 days with out recharging the battery. But we are only using the 12v for: lights, water pump, and toilet flush pump. During the winter two nights running the furnace is all we go.

We have a large G-31 12v battery and led lights. We also disconnected the propane detector when dry camping. Outside I use a propane lantern at night.

Just in case, I also bring a good quality set of auto jumper cables. It is easy to jump 2720 with the battery box on the tongue.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by [email protected]

... even if you don't need it now, it will really charge up those batteries fast!
Tom

Tom, I'm sorry but a big generator won't charge the batteries any faster than a small one.

Why? Most generators have a separate output for a "battery charge" cable. Every generator I've seen will charge at a max rate of 8 amps through this connection. Too small to be useful.

The alternative is to plug the TM into the generator's AC output, which powers up the charger in the TM's converter. Then, if the converter puts 40 amps into the battery (and most won't, despite their claims), then the converter is putting out 40 amps X 14 volts = 560 watts. Even considering converter efficiency, a 1000 watt generator such as I suggested is way more than you need.

So unless you need the air conditioning - and KrauseFamily said they don't - I would still advise them to save the weight and save the money.

Bill

[BrucePerens]

Two different batteries in series will result in the one with lower capacity being overcharged and boiling off electrolyte when charged, then being driven into reverse polarity if the pair is deeply discharged.

That's why they have to always be used as a matched pair. Never replace just one.

Parallel is not so bad.

[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.

[RottieMom]

Tentcamper, how do you disconnect the propane detector? I'd just like to know in case I ever need to do so.

[BrucePerens]

Originally Posted by RottieMom

Tentcamper, how do you disconnect the propane detector? I'd just like to know in case I ever need to do so.

The Saf-T-Alert 35 is specified to pull 0.108 amps when working correctly. That would be a bit more than 18 amp hours per week. My two GC2s provide 215 amp hours at the 20-hour rate, perhaps a bit more at the one-week rate. Disconnecting safety devices is in general unwise and the savings doesn't seem to be worth it.