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Old 07-24-2021, 06:36 PM   #1
hylasw
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Boondocking for first time some questions

Hi,
I have a 2012 Keystone High Country Cougar 5th wheel camper. We are going boondocking for the first time and got some questions We are going for 4 nights. I believe I have 40 lb propane tanks I have 2 of them I plan on using one of the tanks to run my generator but my other tank I plan on running frig, hot water heater, and heat for furnace ( we are going in mountains it gets a little cold at night) how many nights will my 40 lb. propane tank last running those items ?
Also I am not sure what size fresh water tank is but if me and my wife take a shower every morning and don't wash to many dishes each day on average how long will my fresh water tank last me ? Will it last 4 nights ?
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Old 07-24-2021, 07:04 PM   #2
sourdough
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Boondocking in cold weather requires some knowledge of using a camper. 4 nights without anything other than loading up the trailer, in cold weather, will probably end up not so good.

Your LP tanks are 30lb., 7 gal tanks I'm sure. You can make them last a while, or not. How much you run the furnace, temps you want to keep, hot water usage, length of showers etc. etc. ALL determine your happiness at "boondocking". 4 nights in cold weather with 1 12vdc. marine/rv battery will end very shortly - and not at 4 nights. Water usage; short quick showers? In/out 2 minute showers? Gotta soak and wash 2' long, thick hair?

Usage of an RV varies from person/couple to the next. Some can't do doing without, others have no issue doing without water or heat.....where you are at is your call. That seems all encompassing I'm sure but you need to provide a lot more info to even start to answer your question.
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Old 07-24-2021, 07:18 PM   #3
JRTJH
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According to the Specifications listed in the 2012 High Country brochure, all of the fifth wheels and travel trailers came with 60 pounds of propane. That's two 30 pound tanks, not 20 pound tanks. So, unless a previous owner "swapped out the tanks" you have 60 pounds of propane available. A note, tanks are good for 12 years, so, if your trailer was built in early 2011 with 2010 tanks, you could be "around a year before they'll need recertification.

Now, as for generator use on propane, using a 3400 watt Champion inverter generator as an example, on GAS it produces 3400 starting watts and 3100 running watts. On PROPANE, it produces 3060 starting watts and 2790 running watts. That is at sea level. Every 1000 feet reduces the output capacity. Once you get "high enough that it's cold at night and will need the furnace" then you're going to see a SIGNIFICANT power output reduction when using either gas or propane. It could be enough to prevent using the generator on propane to operate the air conditioner or microwave if you're "pushing 10 or 11 thousand feet elevations.

As for gas or propane usage, the specs on that Champion suggest at sea level, 7.5 hours at 25% output on 1.6 gal of gas and 14.5 hours on 20 pounds of propane. Assuming you have 30 pound tanks, you should be OK with intermittent use of the generator, but a 24 hour run for 4 days would use around 150 pounds (or more) of propane. That's more than double your 60 pounds with OEM tanks. Most people use the generator during the day to recharge batteries and sometimes, in the early evening to watch TV, use the microwave, etc. Few people run a generator for more than 2 or 3 hours at a stretch.
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Old 07-24-2021, 09:19 PM   #4
hylasw
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We have two 2500 Champion inverter generator dual fuel I called champion and they told me that they are not suppose to lose watts on elevation if you run it on propane ? I hope they are right???? I have not tried it yet we are going to the grand Canyon which is around 8000 feet of elevation it gets warm during the day and we have to run the air (I have a 15k AC) for a few hours we have a dog. I have tried running it at my house and it works fine I am at only 3000 feet of elevation.
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Old 07-25-2021, 07:24 AM   #5
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i see you are in Hurricane Utah. Are you going to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon?
If so you might not need a/c. We were there 4 years ago and I did run one Honda 2000 generator just to top off the batteries daily. Make sure you have a full load of water before you go up to Jacob Lake. Jacob Lake store and the nearby rv park will not even sell you a tank of water.
There are many boondock sites to the west of the main highway going out to the rim. I found a nice spot just west of the rv park at Jacob Lake. We stayed ten days and did Zion and Bryce Canyon while we were there.
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Old 07-25-2021, 07:59 AM   #6
Ken / Claudia
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Remember water and electric use when boondocking must be monitored throughout the day. You cannot leave a light on or water running unless at that moment it's needed. My wife still washes dishes, leaves water running, turns to talk to me. Before I answer her question it's "turn the water off."
If you have use of it now, try filling the fresh water tank and wash dishes and take showers to learn how much water your using. It goes fast when left turned on standing in a shower. Do you know what a Navy shower is?
Make sure to have a load test of the batteries to learn if they are good or need replacement. If you do not know, get new ones. The type of batteries you have or buy will break or make a boondocking trip. Some will not last long and others will before needed recharged.
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Old 07-25-2021, 09:58 AM   #7
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4 nights should not be a problem if you remember you're camping, not staying at the "Hilton". You probably have a 60 gal. water tank and if needed a couple of 5 gallon water jugs take up very little room. Propane should be no problem even running the generator on propane. We used to only run the generator a couple of hours a day to top off the batteries. Now we use the solar panels. If you don't have 2 batteries, I'd suggest a second if you plan to do more dry camping or boondocking. Shorter "Navy" showers will save water. Using paper plates and disposable utensils will help too. If the nights get cold wear a fleece indoors. Put on an extra blanket for a more comfortable night's sleep. We usually keep the thermostat at 60 to 65 for the night. Again, it's camping. Relax and enjoy the time away from the daily grind. You can be very comfortable in your 5th wheel without running the generator, burning fuel and running water like you would at home.
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