I'm thinking of doing a weekend, with no hookups, for the first time. We've got a 2009 3670RL During the summer, so heat won't be an issue.... Any boondockers out there who could tell me some info? How long would your battery hold up? Would you plug it into your truck to recharge if needed? Do you run propane for your fridge? Carrying water, and using the pump for toilet/faucets, etc?.... No problem with slides in and out?, . Any and all info would be much appreciated for this rookie boondocker. Thanks...
First time Boondocking
- Thread starter Dylan
- Start date
I don't boondock, but I can offer some suggestions.
Your battery should last the weekend if you pay attention to the use of lights in the camper.
If you are going to use your refer and water heater you have no choice but to run them on propane.
Those two items will require some 12 volt power to operate.
To conserve a little battery life I would operate my slides while still hooked up to the truck.
If you are going to use water then you will be using the pump. 12 volt.
And finally, without an inverter you will not have use of the TV or microwave.
Some more experienced boondockers will chime in.
Peace
Dave
Your battery should last the weekend if you pay attention to the use of lights in the camper.
If you are going to use your refer and water heater you have no choice but to run them on propane.
Those two items will require some 12 volt power to operate.
To conserve a little battery life I would operate my slides while still hooked up to the truck.
If you are going to use water then you will be using the pump. 12 volt.
And finally, without an inverter you will not have use of the TV or microwave.
Some more experienced boondockers will chime in.
Peace
Dave
If dry camping/boondocking more than overnight, you should have a generator. A Honda 2000 or similar low-noise generator is a good choice. Plugging into your truck to recharge trailer batteries is very inefficient when dry camping, although it will help on the road.
You must use propane for appliances, but they still need 12vdc for their control circuits. Leveling up and opening slides will leave your batteries low, then two days of water pump, lights, etc. will likely pull batteries down enough more to prevent closing the slides and pulling up jacks. One gallon of fuel is all your generator will use over a weekend to keep the batteries full and permit some 120vac use for the tv, toaster, etc.
How much water you use depends on the number of people and how frugal you can be. Two of us can go two weeks when necessary on a full fresh water tank (100 gal). We carry a 50gal bladder tank for hauling fresh water and a large "blueboy" for hauling waste water.
Boondocking can be fun if you are prepared for it, and a nightmare if not.
You must use propane for appliances, but they still need 12vdc for their control circuits. Leveling up and opening slides will leave your batteries low, then two days of water pump, lights, etc. will likely pull batteries down enough more to prevent closing the slides and pulling up jacks. One gallon of fuel is all your generator will use over a weekend to keep the batteries full and permit some 120vac use for the tv, toaster, etc.
How much water you use depends on the number of people and how frugal you can be. Two of us can go two weeks when necessary on a full fresh water tank (100 gal). We carry a 50gal bladder tank for hauling fresh water and a large "blueboy" for hauling waste water.
Boondocking can be fun if you are prepared for it, and a nightmare if not.
all we're really looking to do, is get thru the weekend. All we're looking to run is the fridge, lights, and water....and the slides and jacks. I'm assuming leaving the truck plugged in will ensure the slides and jacks will operate with no problem (including when we bring the slides in and jacks up). A weekend without TV, Toasters, etc.....imagine that.
wdk450
Well-known member
If your battery goes down before you get through your weekend, your refrigerator will quit working (It has a 12 volt DC logic circuit board controlling it). If your batteries are down when you are ready to close up, getting your slides in will be a major production. If your batteries are down you will have no fresh water for dishwashing or toilet flush (although the toilet will work somewhat "dry").
The charge current available through your trailer's 7 way connector to the truck is very limited by wiring sizes, connections and run lengths. The shore powered charger puts out up to 60 amps, and still takes 4 hours to get the battery to 90% of full capacity. The best way to get the 12 volt current you need to get the slides in and the landing gear to raise the trailer for hitching with a low battery is to use jumper cables from your truck to the trailer's battery (truck engine running) while doing these jobs.
I am boondocking more and more and have 4 batteries, a 3600 watt generator, a 1500 watt pure sine wave inverter, and a 220 watt solar panel (to be installed in the near future).
scottyb
Well-known member
Dylan, I just started boondocking recently. You have received some good advice. The only thing I will add is, our 12V marine battery wasn't working for us. The parasitic loads drained it over 4 days while we were on a houseboat on Lake Powell. I had to use jumper cables to operate the landing gear and start the generator, when we returned. I now carry one of those 12V starter batterys that you see everywhere. I have switched to 2 6V GC batteries and now I'm going to add 2 more batteries and a high-end inverter/charger because I anticipate doing a lot more boonedocking in the future. I want to be able to run most of the coach off of the batteries.
danemayer
Well-known member
Maybe. But a couple of things to keep in mind: 1) running your battery down is going to shorten its life considerably, and 2) the trailer connection probably has a 40 amp fuse - and I'm not sure every truck provides 40 amps. You might want to take a look at the 12V circuit breaker for you hydraulics to see if it's 50 amp. You might blow the fuse on the truck's trailer power circuit trying to operate the hydraulics. Then you'd have no power to the trailer lights or brakes and a nearly dead trailer battery.
PointyWombat
Member
We dry camp a lot, and the best advise I can give is to closely monitor your battery so you get a feel for how much power you're consuming. Like previously stated, a single 12v wont go very far, so get yourself a voltage meter of some sort, and an amp meter if you want to dig deeper into your consumption. Once your voltage gets below 12v, you're pretty much dead. Before my current Bighorn, I've sometimes left my power cord attached to the truck so I could start (remote start) it and run for a bit while the furnace was going to help preserve the battery. Interior LED light upgrades can really help out a lot when dry camping.
On a unit with a dead battery, hooking it up to the tow vehicle will suffice in providing the power to operate landing gear, slides, etc. I've done it several times after neglecting to flip the battery disconnect switch and the parasitic loads have drained the battery after a week or so.
Good luck!
PW
On a unit with a dead battery, hooking it up to the tow vehicle will suffice in providing the power to operate landing gear, slides, etc. I've done it several times after neglecting to flip the battery disconnect switch and the parasitic loads have drained the battery after a week or so.
Good luck!
PW
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