Slide out using battery question

[arniez]

I have a new Passport 2200RBWE with 2 better batteries than the ones that usually come. We will be doing a lot of dry camping, sometimes for 3 or 4 days in a row. There is a sticker on the control panel that says the battery must be fully charged for the slide to work.

After 3 or 4 days of no electricity, am I going to have a problem getting the slide back in?

Thanks for the help.

[Festus2]

As long as you don't run the batteries down too far you should be ok. I'd be testing them with a meter from time-to-time or keeping a close eye on your control panel to monitor their level of charge.

If they start to get too low for comfort, you can hook your RV up to your truck and put some charge back into them and when you are ready to put your slides back in, do the same thing -- hook up the truck to the RV and run the truck engine. I do this all the time when retracting or extending both the slide and the front landing jacks on our 5th wheel.

If you are going to be doing a lot of dry camping, I'd switch all of my incandescent overhead interior lights to LED's. You'll be surprised how much less of the drain on your batteries you will experience with LED's.

You might also want to look into solar for keeping your batteries up or take along a small, portable generator - say 2000W - for topping them up and for other low amp/watt draw items as well.

After 3-4 days of prudent use of your lights, water pump, etc. you might still be "on the edge" - if you don't have any means of keeping them charged.

[Steve S]

What Festus said was everything you need to know :)
changing your lights to LED makes a pretty big difference in power consumption.
I actually have a personal power chart consumption of LED compared to the standard lights and there's a big difference.

[bsmith0404]

Not sure if you have kids, but if you do, a generator while dry camping is a nice thing to have anyway. If you run into some bad weather, you can sit inside with the A/C running and the kids can watch movies. Helps keep them content and enjoying the trip.

[arniez]

Thanks for the suggestions. I appreciate you all taking the time.

[mom2budnbug]

We have had to hook the trailer up to the truck while dry camping without the generator. Usually travel with the generator if camping 3 or more nights.

[Woodsrider]

We have had to hook the trailer up to the truck while dry camping without the generator. Usually travel with the generator if camping 3 or more nights.

What she said. :D

[Pull Toy]

I live in Connecticut, and don't dry camp much, but do have to worry about "power outage related winter shelter". I have made up a 10 foot extension cord (7 pin male to female extension) so that I can power the trailer, using the TV without having to be in the towing position. The only pins I've used are the 12v battery, and the ground and ICC markers,

Might be a cheap easy fix for a recharge in the brush.