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Old 05-24-2019, 06:22 AM   #21
KSH
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I thought an inverter is a must for the trailers.
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Old 05-24-2019, 06:31 AM   #22
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I thought an inverter is a must for the trailers.

Inverter gens produce “clean” power if your going to use plug in electronic devices. If you just charging batteries it probably doesn’t matter.
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Old 05-24-2019, 06:39 AM   #23
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Inverter gens produce “clean” power if your going to use plug in electronic devices. If you just charging batteries it probably doesn’t matter.
Correct. Electronics are not fans of the little gens or older ones. I wouldn't plug my laptops/phones/tablets into them.
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Old 05-24-2019, 07:28 AM   #24
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Correct. Electronics are not fans of the little gens or older ones. I wouldn't plug my laptops/phones/tablets into them.
Totally agree !!!! But all is not lost if you only have an "unclean generator". One "work-around" is to use a Backup Battery Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) to power the "sensitive electronics". Plug the trailer into that "little generator or older one" and plug the UPS into an outlet inside the trailer. The "basic electrical distribution" inside the trailer will work well on the "unclean power from that little generator" and if you need "clean power" the Backup Battery Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) will provide that by "converting the unclean power to clean power" at the outlets on the UPS.

Another alternative is to use a "stand alone battery charger" to charge the batteries in the RV by plugging the "stand alone battery charger" into that "little generator or the older one".
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Old 05-24-2019, 07:52 AM   #25
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Agree, I have a UPS for computes/remote cams for business. Depends on size but with cost getting up to affording a decent used 2k inverter gen. See some odd brands for around $300 on Craigslist.

All in all, I does come down to what OP is after. I couldn’t imagine ever leaving for a trip without my 2k gen. Just in case I’m stuck somewhere on side of the road etc.
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Old 05-25-2019, 11:38 AM   #26
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So, load tested the battery. It's seen better days. Guess I'm battery shopping.

So 2x 6v is the way to go eh..
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Old 05-25-2019, 12:13 PM   #27
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It’s the route I went. The batteries have big AH and thicker plates I’m told.

I jumped up to 6 6volts but we dry camp more.
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Old 05-25-2019, 12:57 PM   #28
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Our last camper had one Everstart Deep Cycle battery, and we could go a whole weekend on it. Two adults and three kids, nothing was LED and it also powered my CPAP. One time when we camped, it really pushed the limits and we had to connect the truck to bring up the charge on the camper battery on the last day. With our new camper we had twin Interstate 27 series batteries installed when we bought it. Last weekend we dry camped, left the LED floor lights on all night both nights for the munchkin, gave her a bath, ran the furnace, ran my CPAP, had the awning strip light on, etc. and the battery light only came off full when we ran the power awning and slide room in when we were packing up.

So after all that, if you rarely boondock, you should be fine with the truck as a back-up power source, or bring a jumpstart booster pack.....a lot cheaper and lighter than a big generator. But if you want to spend some money, plenty of us here could help........
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Old 05-25-2019, 01:19 PM   #29
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Called Costco, they have the best price on 6v, $139 each. They're only rated at 208ah but should still do the trick ��
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Old 05-25-2019, 01:43 PM   #30
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Here is my 6v set up
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Old 05-25-2019, 01:59 PM   #31
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Ahh, I'll need a new box too. Forgot about that lol
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Old 05-25-2019, 02:10 PM   #32
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Ahh, I'll need a new box too. Forgot about that lol
I used a single box that can carry both batteries. It is ok but I had to mount a piece of pressure treated lumber in the battery tray and screw the box into that. The box I used was too wide for the battery tray. I think they sell single GC battery boxes that will fit in the tray. I got my box from Noco.

https://no.co/products/storage/snap-top

The new box set up and cables can also add to the cost.

Edit-using the single box actually worked out well for me. It left enough room to add a small box for my battery monitor shunt.
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Old 05-26-2019, 09:42 AM   #33
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Just need a box now. May have to do two boxes.

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Old 05-26-2019, 09:52 AM   #34
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Looks good! The link in post 32 is for single 6v boxes. They are about $13 each.
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Old 05-26-2019, 10:05 AM   #35
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Looks good! The link in post 32 is for single 6v boxes. They are about $13 each.
$27 here
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Old 05-26-2019, 12:48 PM   #36
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Just need a box now. May have to do two boxes.

Looking good
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Old 05-30-2019, 07:25 AM   #37
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We've dry camped for many years, and finally invested in a set of solar panels.
Before we got the solar set-up, I made up an extension cord so I could connect the tow vehicle receptacle to the trailer plug with the tow vehicle next to the trailer. That way I could supply extra power to the trailer when needed. It cost very little to make, and takes up little space.
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Old 05-30-2019, 08:06 AM   #38
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Ahh, I'll need a new box too. Forgot about that lol
Hi,

Here is the box I bought,... little pricey but I wanted a single box that would hold both 6v batteries.

https://allbatterysalesandservice.co...atteries-gce-g

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Old 05-30-2019, 08:14 AM   #39
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[QUOTE=GMcKenzie;341393]I can go two nights with 2 6V batteries, but you can't run your furnace all night for sure. I'll run it for a bit when I get up, but that's it. Dogs sleep with us instead of their kennel if it's cold (small dogs). Make sure the TV booster is off, don't worry about unplugging TV or microwave as they are 120V and won't work anyway. Don't run the radio more than you need to (I wish there was a way to kill power to it).

There is a way to turn off power to the radio. The entertainment center (radio, cd player, etc.) are terrible power hogs even when they are turned off. A toggle switch can be easily added to turn off all power to this unit when you are boondocking (this is what I have done.). You can also just pull the fuse to the entertainment unit. That fuse is usually separate from anything else.

If you are going to be using heat on a cold night you will not make it through the first night with one 12 volt battery. Before you consider taking a large generator with you it would be wise to check the noise regulations in the area where you are going to camp. Some campgrounds do not allow any kind of generator.

I love to boondock but it requires preparation and planning. If this trip is going to be a one time thing I would advise "forget it".
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Old 05-30-2019, 08:35 AM   #40
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Even when new your battery probably only had about 65ah. If you do the math, 65x12 you get 780 watt hours. That means only 350 watt hours are really usable without damaging your battery over the long term. That means you can only use 350 watts for an hour. Your furnace is probably 4-5 amps. That is about 60 watts. Overnight lets say it is on 1/3 of the time. 4 hours x 6o =about 240 wh a night. Being more than 3 years old your battery probably could not handle even that. Solar is easy and quick. It doesn't need to be mounted on your trailer. You can have it ground based. 200 watts with controller (1000+ watts a day), 2-6v golf cart batteries (200 amps/2400 wh), would cost about $350. Or, 2-6v batteries ($180), plus a generator (garage sale $100).
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