5er Must have BOONDOCKING Equipment

[SkiSmuggs]

Originally Posted by Wundertaker

Thank you...I'm focusing more on the Non-Electric Coffee Brewing Options with Propane Stove being at the top of the list....


Thanx again.........

I got Melitta's pour over coffee maker for under $20. Pour fresh water from carafe to pan and heat on propane stove. Add coffee to filter, then when water boils, pour into filter.
DW preferred Coleman so she bought that and it works more like the electric except you sit it on a propane stove.
That was something we didn't think about the first time we camped at a NP without hookup. We ended up driving out for coffee each morning. Now we have two different coffee makers that use propane.

[rarebear.nm]

Deka, maker of my Duracell GC2 batteries places a maximum recharge rate of 30% of the banks 20 Hrs total capacity. So with 460AHrs @ 30& the max amp charge value is 138 amps. At 115 amps I well below that value. Also the two PD9200 series (PD9245 & PD9270) converters can easily be turned on/off from inside the coach as desired with an added switch set. I added this feature so when my solar goes live I can turnoff the converters and let the solar controller do its own thing with no conflicts from the converters. Also with this feature I can turn on/off either converter to provide more generator amps to other 120 volt demands, like the AC, etc.

I have a Champion 3500 gas only inverter/generator with the "high" altitude jet option. Champion defines anything above 3,500 ft as high altitude, we live at 7,000 ft and camp above that elevation. The generator loses about 3.5% of rated output per 1,000’ elevation gain. So say at 8,000’ its over its adjusted base line by 4,500’ or a loss of 15.6% making the max peak power at 2951 watts or runtime at 2707 watts. If both converters were operating at max charge loads they would consume 1610 watts, leaving 1097 watts for everything else. Not enough to operate the AC, and barley enough for the microwave. Thus the reason I have the converter two on/off switches. I can let solar do all of the battery charging and use the generator for everything else and have plenty of power. Or I can activate either converter as I want. I do not have an inverter in this RV to produce 120v from 12v batteries we don’t need it.

[hclarkx]

Originally Posted by Itinerant1

Assuming it's a couple that would be 24 gallons a day and not even 3 days out. Not to even think of the black/ grey tanks filling. Some water conservation needs to happen.
Best thing to do is stay at the FHU CG.

24 gallons per day would be nice, but my wife and I get by on 10 or less. In fact we've done 12 days on 92 gallons with some left over. That wouldn't do in summer when it's hot or when we are doing a lot of long hikes, but on a typical excursion we don't use much over 10 gallons per day. We've learned to take sub-5 gallon showers and use galley waste water for toilet flushing and similar. This is not much of a burden.

[hclarkx]

Originally Posted by J Birder

When camping at elevations around 8,000' or above, it gets cold at night. The fan in the furnace can be a big draw on your batteries. I solved that problem by adding a catalytic heater.

Joel

Our solution to heat at high altitude was to abandon the under-floor heating ducts and pump the output of the propane furnace direction into the occupied space. There are four 4.5" ducts, three of which went under the floor. There was horrendous duct leaking and blockage so that very little heat was being delivered to the occupied space by those three ducts. With those ducts shortened and routed to the liviing space above floor level, we get hugely more heat from the propane furnace and it runs far less than before we made this modification.

We also went with solar and an LFP battery and that easily covers the propane furnace fan energy on even a heavily clouded day.

[Itinerant1]

Originally Posted by hclarkx

24 gallons per day would be nice, but my wife and I get by on 10 or less. In fact we've done 12 days on 92 gallons with some left over. That wouldn't do in summer when it's hot or when we are doing a lot of long hikes, but on a typical excursion we don't use much over 10 gallons per day. We've learned to take sub-5 gallon showers and use galley waste water for toilet flushing and similar. This is not much of a burden.

24 gallons comment was for another poster that stated to figure on 12 gallons of water per person per day which if you want to stay out for long periods of time is wasteful .

I'm going on my 373rd day of consecutive boondocking as of today. Our camping cost has been zero other than paying to dump the black/ grey tanks (18 times for a total $118, 14 free, 32 total) visiting 8 states, 6100 miles. 12-14 days on a 100 gallon fresh tank, can get more water if needed with a 30 gallon bladder and having 62 gallons each for both the black/ grey tanks help. So does 1,280w solar with 500ah lithium.

There has been great suggestions to help the OP in the thread. Happy camping.

[Triangle Drifter]

Originally Posted by Itinerant1

Assuming it's a couple that would be 24 gallons a day and not even 3 days out. Not to even think of the black/ grey tanks filling. Some water conservation needs to happen.
Best thing to do is stay at the FHU CG.

That 12gal per person/day comes from not being real careful with water use. Being somewhat careful we can do 14 person/days with our 100gal capacity 5er. That includes NOT using CG bathrooms for anything. Dishes get done twice a day.

Our boat has 115gal capacity & that would get 4 of us by for 4 nights, 16 person/nights. Big saving there is the use of sea water for flushing.

Living in a sticks & bricks most of us have no idea of how much water we waste. We carry those habits to the homes with wheels then wonder when the pump runs dry.

[Scottybdivin]

Originally Posted by SkiSmuggs

I got Melitta's pour over coffee maker for under $20.

+1 for the Melitta. Nothing like the smell of fresh ground coffee brewing and bacon cooking on an outdoor stove.

[Itinerant1]

Originally Posted by Triangle Drifter

Living in a sticks & bricks most of us have no idea of how much water we waste. We carry those habits to the homes with wheels then wonder when the pump runs dry.

So true.
It does take a little time to get use to water conservation and not waste. Most rvs have 2-3 gallon per minute pump so if they can think in time amounts (gallons per minute) when turning the water on it helps in the relearning process.

[C.Martin]

Originally Posted by Itinerant1

24 gallons comment was for another poster that stated to figure on 12 gallons of water per person per day which if you want to stay out for long periods of time is wasteful .

I'm going on my 373rd day of consecutive boondocking as of today. Our camping cost has been zero other than paying to dump the black/ grey tanks (18 times for a total $118, 14 free, 32 total) visiting 8 states, 6100 miles. 12-14 days on a 100 gallon fresh tank, can get more water if needed with a 30 gallon bladder and having 62 gallons each for both the black/ grey tanks help. So does 1,280w solar with 500ah lithium.

There has been great suggestions to help the OP in the thread. Happy camping.

Wowser...I couldn’t imagine. 373 days of combat showers.

I could pull it off, if I could bike down to the beach...go for a swim...then head to one of those freshwater showers along the boardwalk for washing off the sand. Ahhh...”move it kid...can’t you see? I’m taking my 20 minute shower here!”...

That is a fine tuned boondocking rig, for sure!!!

[Itinerant1]

The fresh tank is easy to see in the compartment so an accurate amount of water can be determined. Moving day is the longer shower when there is excess water.

[weredoingit]

Make sure every light is LED, Try to get 6 volt golf cart battery's, solar is in my mind the best thing to have when boondocking. I only have 400 watts and can add another 100 watts, more is better, but this will save the trip. We've gone ten days without using generator in cloudy and rainy weather. Use water as if it's your last drop. Buy a Mr. Buddy propane heater on Amazon. When I boondock I leave the toilet to my wife, I only use it for #2, #1 I go outside. Did I mention SOLAR??

[Wundertaker]

Originally Posted by weredoingit

Make sure every light is LED, Try to get 5 volt battery's, solar is in my mind the best thing to have when boondocking. Use water as if it's your last drop. Buy a Mr. Buddy propane heater on Amazon. When I boondock I leave the toilet to my wife, I only use it for #2 #1 I go outside. Did I mention SOLAR??

VERY NICE SETUP! I'm looking to do the same type of improvements when we purchase our Northwoods or Outdoors Fifth Wheel.

[weredoingit]

Originally Posted by Wundertaker

VERY NICE SETUP! I'm looking to do the same type of improvements when we purchase our Northwoods or Outdoors Fifth Wheel.

Thank you, by far the best thing I've ever added to any of my RV'S, Pays for it self with piece of mind. Nothing better then sitting in a warm RV with the wife, no noise from a genny, watching a movie and having battery's charging from the sun.

[hclarkx]

Originally Posted by lynchfort

It really depends on what you have now. Solar and batteries will save gas or propane but it isn't cheap to add. You may be able to upgrade your batteries and charger if you are OK with charging from you generator. Water is another issue, more is better. And think of waste handling.

For us solar was cheaper than a generator. We got a Honda 2000 ($1000) and a year later had added solar and upgraded it (4x100W panels plus mounting hardware and wire = $600) and used a 30A solar controller ($170). Haven't used the generator since. So about $770; less than the generator. And, of course, it was DIY so no labor charge.

We've since upgraded the batteries to LFP though that was going to happen anyway.