Boondocking without running generator at night

[NH8970]

I’ve only boondocked one time when I brought my class A home. I parked at Walmart and ran the generator all night because it was cold. I intended on doing a lot of boondocking when I bought it but the noise of the generator was enough to make me consider that decision. Is there a way to have heat and AC overnight without running the generator? Cheap or expensive doesn’t matter to me if it’s possible.

Adding: Or is there ways to make the onboard generator salient?

[1stimerveer]

Running the genny all night for AC in very hot temps is, in my opinion unavoidable.

In more moderate temps a battery operated fan will do the job, cooling the RV with windows open.

I would expect that if you have a propane fired furnace, the batteries will run the furnace fans and keep you warm for a couple of nights.

Just use the genny to recharge the batteries when they start to run low.

Thats the way my TT works.
Safe travels and all the best.

[AllegroD]

First off, and don't tune out yet: Parking in a Walmart parking lot is parking. Though some things are the same, it is not boondocking for some very important reasons.

The average rig will not get AC without gennie. Just requires too much Ah.

For heat. What batteries, how many do you have? The amount of available Ah will determine how many hours of heat and fan blowing you can have.

[followingsea]

Originally Posted by NH8970

.....and ran the generator all night ....

I never run the generator when I am sleeping.

I have a DP with 4 gc2 batteries. When boondocking I run the generator 1 hour a day normally and 2 hous if it is cold and using the propane furnace.

If I am someplace that A/C is needed at night, I plug into the grid. That is not camping that is visiting family.

I am retired and full time so I can pick where I boondock. I choose not too hat and not too cold.

There are some uncrowded campground with hookups. I was in Texas and NM recently when it was colder than I planned. I stayed in a state park and COE with 30 amp hookups.

About the only time I am in a campground with an RV on both sides of me, is 4th of July at my yacht club. I am a member of a drinking club with a boating problem.

Over the years I have not found any place to boat or camp on the that weekend without crazy people.

So most if he time there is a free place to camp where you can run a generator for an hour a day while doing chores.

[d23haynes57]

Back to the beginning. Whether you have furnaces or hydronic heating you should have enough battery power to keep the heating system going for at least a day. There should also be enough battery charging capacity plugged in or from the generator to fully charge the batteries in a reasonable time frame. For normal "dry camping" a good set up would need no more than 2 to 4 hours of generator time per day to keep things going. A good battery and inverter set up should also take care of V and some cooking, microwave use, etc. to now always need generator. AC does take things in a different direction usually requiring generator or shore power. For a class is usually possible, practical, to add enough battery and inverter power to run 1 AC overnight. Lithium makes this easier.
This discussion can go crazy. If you would like some dedicated help to make this happen, OK to reach out to me P-Mail.

Dennis

[twogypsies]

Your Profile states you're in Denver.

You can stay cool all night by going up a little in elevation.

We've boondocked on public lands all summer in Colorado and were never warm at night.

Same goes for winter. Stay in warmer places.

[pasdad1]

Originally Posted by NH8970

Is there a way to have heat and AC overnight without running the generator? Cheap or expensive doesn’t matter to me if it’s possible.

Needing heat should not require you to run the generator while sleeping. The batteries should be able to supply the power to run your furnace. When you wake up, you run the generator for a couple of hours to recharge.

Air conditioning is more power intensive. A large bank of lithium batteries and a big inverter should be able to run an air conditioner for 8 hours or so while sleeping. When you wake up the generator is used to recharge the batteries.

If your batteries are worn out - $500-$1000 of lithium should power the propane furnace overnight.

Air conditioning on battery power would require $5000-10000 investment

This is just ballpark figures of course, your mileage may vary

[d23haynes57]

600 A/H Lithium and a 3,000 watt inverter will get an AC through the night.

[SafariBen]

A/C is the big energy use, unless you start talking about electric water heater off grid with no propane. Then again, if you allow diesel, then tying into diesel gen waste heat is not hard.



A/C you'll quickly find that a smaller more efficient unit is more economical than trying to run the massively innefficient rooftop units off batteries and inverter. Three options are a mini split, a cheap multi speed window unit, or the new roof top inverter units. EG4 makes a 48v inverter heat pump, that goes with a whole 48V system for a much simpler more logical system than a dozen blue boxes and spaghetti nest wiring.

[NH8970]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

Your Profile states you're in Denver.

You can stay cool all night by going up a little in elevation.

We've boondocked on public lands all summer in Colorado and were never warm at night.

Same goes for winter. Stay in warmer places.

Yeah I figured that AC was a stretch. The other responses were good to hear though as I was worried that the furnace would run down the batteries but it sounds like I should be fine using it on cold nights. I’d still like to do something to make the generator quieter though.

[NH8970]

Originally Posted by AllegroD

First off, and don't tune out yet: Parking in a Walmart parking lot is parking. Though some things are the same, it is not boondocking for some very important reasons.

The average rig will not get AC without gennie. Just requires too much Ah.

For heat. What batteries, how many do you have? The amount of available Ah will determine how many hours of heat and fan blowing you can have.

I agree that I wasn’t actually boondocking, but it was my first test of what it would be like on a cold night without being plugged in. I’ll have to get the specs on my furnace fan and batteries before I decide what I may want to upgrade.

[SteveJ.]

A shunt based battery monitor makes boondocking a lot easier as far as electrical issues are concerned. Dry camping without one is like not having a gas gauge for driving. Yes it can be done but life is simpler with real data.

[Mark_K5LXP]

Running the battery A/C thought out another step, let's say cost, weight, and installation/complexity for lithium, inverter and support components are not factors. The A/C now runs all night. You still need a generator the next day to recharge the batteries, solar isn't going to cut it for that kind of drain (A/C plus all other house loads). Maybe that's the goal, to not run a genset only at night but no matter what, you're running a generator every day, and for several hours at least.

In my class A I can go 3 days on a pair of GC2's running heat, lights, TV, whatever with no effort to economize. If those tepid loads are taking down a house battery in one night, then an energy audit should be conducted to find out what's going on.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

[3pedal]

I think most stuff was covered already. I'm also in Colorado, so elevation can make a huge difference. Most of my camping/boondocking I don't need it


If you do not want to run the generator at night for AC, I have learned it can take temp management. If the rig heatsoaks during the day, even if it cools off at night, you will still be hot in the motorhome.



In situations like that, I'll run the generator and roof ACs while driving down the road and work to keep the inside from getting too hot. Then, when I stop for the night, in something like a Walmart parking lot, I can shut it down. Of course, if you are parked on pavement, with no shade in 100 degree weather, you may either need to run the gen 24/7 or stay at a place with 50 amp power.