New From NW PA

[littlemidget]

Hello we are early 40 parents of a soon to be 4 and 11 year old. We tent camped until I was very pregnant with my youngest, then switched to a pop-up. We are currently in the process of purchasing a 2008 Outback Series M-30 BHQ (bunkhouse). We have a 2017, Chevy Silverado 1500 to haul it. We live in NW PA on the NYS boarder and camp mainly in the allegheny national forest. We are new too all of this but excited to be able to camp without having to spend a whole day packing up the cars, and a day unpacking them, since everything but food will already be in the camper. We do not camp with electric or hookups, so I am purchasing the Harbor Freight 100 Watt Solar Panel Kit that is on super sale coupon deal for $149.99 right now. We are hoping to have our camper to us and ready by our first camping weekend on memorial day weekend!

[KeithInUpstateNY]

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new to you trailer.

A 100 watt solar panel probably won't meet all your power needs when you are boondocking. Having boondocked for five months the last three summers (retirement has its benefits) I found my 100 watt panel somewhat reduced how long I had to run my generator on sunny days, maybe half an hour, but didn't have any measurable effect on cloudy days. If you have questions I'm happy to share my experience.

[Logan X]

Welcome to the forum from California!

[Gegrad]

Welcome from down here in SW PA!

[Northofu1]

from Toronto

[shov]

Welcome to the forum.
100 watts will just be the begining

[busterbrown]

Welcome from Michigan. Happy trails.

[Hoodlatch]

Welcome!

We camp in the ANF primarily as well, do you use the free dispersed sites or are you aware of them? I know several spots that are RV capable if you want to be miles deep in the big woods, with zero amenities.

[littlemidget]

Originally Posted by compeakw

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new to you trailer.

A 100 watt solar panel probably won't meet all your power needs when you are boondocking. Having boondocked for five months the last three summers (retirement has its benefits) I found my 100 watt panel somewhat reduced how long I had to run my generator on sunny days, maybe half an hour, but didn't have any measurable effect on cloudy days. If you have questions I'm happy to share my experience.

Thanks, but we don't plan on using the electric much. We have never had electric camping (not even a battery on our pop-up), so I think it will work for the little will need it for (run the slide lights to get in bed at night). I would love to full time RV someday, and would look into a bigger system then, but I think this will work for us now.

[littlemidget]

Originally Posted by Hoodlatch

Welcome!

We camp in the ANF primarily as well, do you use the free dispersed sites or are you aware of them? I know several spots that are RV capable if you want to be miles deep in the big woods, with zero amenities.

We never have because with little kids and no electric, water, potty or shower when we had the tent and pop-up it would have been too hard. The ANF visitors bureu is in my office building, so I have heard of the sites from them, but I don't know them too well. Would love to hear your recommendations and thoughts on the different free sites. We did tent camp in primative sites before, but they still cost money, and the bathhouse was in walking distance, just not really possible to get to at night.

[KeithInUpstateNY]

Originally Posted by littlemidget

Thanks, but we don't plan on using the electric much. We have never had electric camping (not even a battery on our pop-up), so I think it will work for the little will need it for (run the slide lights to get in bed at night). I would love to full time RV someday, and would look into a bigger system then, but I think this will work for us now.

There are what we call "parasitic" drains on the battery (the display on the radio, the LP gas detector, some refrigerators have a heater in the door to reduce condensation, are the ones that come to mind off the top of my head). And of course the water pump runs off the battery.

My biggest concern for you is that you will go to head home and not have enough power to bring the slide in.

At any rate, congratulations again, and best of luck.

[5J's]

Congrats and welcome to the forum from SE.

[littlemidget]

Originally Posted by compeakw

There are what we call "parasitic" drains on the battery (the display on the radio, the LP gas detector, some refrigerators have a heater in the door to reduce condensation, are the ones that come to mind off the top of my head). And of course the water pump runs off the battery.

My biggest concern for you is that you will go to head home and not have enough power to bring the slide in.

At any rate, congratulations again, and best of luck.

Thanks for the heads up. If that happens, can just attach jumper cables to the battery from our truck to get the slides in?

[5J's]

Yes you can. You may also be able to power it in through the trailer to TV cord. There are some who will frown on that statement but....it may work.

[poelma]

An even easier solution that trailer dealers use is a portable battery jump-starter. A jump starter will power the slides a few time on a single charge.

[Spletbr]

Welcome! We’re in eastern PA and have found the PA state parks great destinations for short trips.

[Customer1]

Welcome, new here myself and probably not far from you, we are in NE Ohio.

[Wilco]

Welcome from the Pittsburgh area. There are several free ANF sites along the Clarion River near Cooks Forest across from Clear Creek state park. (Along Belltown Rd between Clarington and Belltown.)

We also like the campsites in Clear Creek SP because most of them are along the Clarion River.