First "moochdocking" trip..couple of questions!

[wborisenok]

Some of you may have followed along in my very first thread; most of my initial questions are over there and it's pack full of useful info that I was able to reference as we prepped for our first trip. First trip was a huge success, BTW -- thanks to all of you here.

Anyway, we're headed off to our best friends' house in Deer Isle, Maine next weekend and it'll be our first "moochdocking" trip so I thought I'd start a fresh one. Their house sits on a big piece of land and we're going to park the camper nearby. We'll hook up to their water and power, but I'll also have my Champion 4650/3650 inverter generator with me.

My questions on this are mostly surrounding power. I bought a Camco 15A male/30A female dogbone adapter to hook up to their house. These first questions are pertaining to this connection, not our generator. Now I'll fire away:

1. Where is the best location to plug in? Or will any outlet work as well as the next?

2. What will we be able to run while connected to their shore power?

3. Will their shore power connection keep our batteries charged?

4. Will the fridge run on this electric connection or should we run it on propane?

5. Will the water heater run on on this electric connection or should we also run that on propane?

Now, pertaining to our generator. I'm mostly bringing this along in case it gets hot enough that we need to kick the AC on for a bit. I don't anticipate this happening as this part of coastal Maine is generally much cooler than everywhere else (especially at night), but I like to be prepared. Generator questions:

1. If I plug into the generator and run only the AC, will it also keep our batteries charged so that lights/outlets still work? Or will the camper draw from the generator to power lights/outlets?

2. If plugged into the generator and running the AC, would I also be able to run the water heater if we need to shower? Same scenario, would we be able to run the fridge?

Now some general questions:

1. How efficient are the fridge and water heater when running on propane? How many days straight could propane run the fridge/water heater? Assume 2 quick showers per day and 1 shallow tub for our daughter. I don't have much of a handle on this; not sure if we could get a couple days from our two 40lb tanks or a few weeks.

2. Are there any safety considerations I should be well aware of? This is my first outing with a generator and aside from making sure I run it for a couple of hours for "break in", I don't know much. I want to make sure I'm doing everything safely.

3. Regarding the generator/moochdocking setup, are there any additional accessories I should ensure that I have on hand? I ordered a cover for the generator and have an additional longer 30A power cord. Also have additional hose length if needed. Am I missing anything outside of the usual RV stuff?

I recognize this is quite a lengthy post with LOTS of questions, so I thank anyone who responds in advance!!

Cheers,

Whitney

[chuckster57]

Ok, here goes:
1) plug in as close as you can to keep the cord length as short as possible. I would avoid a GFCI plug.

2) if their shore power is 15A you can watch TV. You can do more but that’s another answer

3) yes their shore power will allow the converter to charge the batteries

4) yes it will, but again it depends on what else is running. I would use LP mode.

5) yes it will, see #4 answer.

GEN:

1) yes it will power the converter to charge the battery(s).

2) yes, however you’ll have to remember to switch back after shutting it off, just leave them on LP.
Next

1) your not going to run out of propane, if your not using the furnace.

2) just make sure you have ventilation for cooling and keep the exhaust pointed AWAY from doors and windows.

3) water pressure regulator, hoses depending on length needed.

[sourdough]

If you intend to connect to a 15A house outlet you absolutely need to know where that feed comes from. You may be connected to their bathroom that the wife runs her hair dryer every morning; kitchen toaster etc. 15A is less than optimal on a dedicated circuit so know what you are connecting to.

[notanlines]

Whitney, two other things. You have two-20 pound LP tanks, not 40 pound. And you will need to keep your showers/baths short, short, short. Your grey water holding tank is only 30 gallons and that won't go far with three people, especially when I saw you mention "baths for daughter."
But the rest of my recommendations/answers are the same as above.

[wborisenok]

Originally Posted by notanlines

Whitney, two other things. You have two-20 pound LP tanks, not 40 pound. And you will need to keep your showers/baths short, short, short. Your grey water holding tank is only 30 gallons and that won't go far with three people, especially when I saw you mention "baths for daughter."
But the rest of my recommendations/answers are the same as above.

Derp. Long day yesterday. Hahah.

Yeah, we are quite used to quickies. In and out in under 3 min. If it’s necessary to shave legs, we do it with the water off and rinse after. 👍🏼

[wborisenok]

Originally Posted by sourdough

If you intend to connect to a 15A house outlet you absolutely need to know where that feed comes from. You may be connected to their bathroom that the wife runs her hair dryer every morning; kitchen toaster etc. 15A is less than optimal on a dedicated circuit so know what you are connecting to.

So essentially I should locate a breaker that isn’t responsible for much and a non-GFCI outlet within that circuit. Thank you!!

[wborisenok]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

Ok, here goes:
1) plug in as close as you can to keep the cord length as short as possible. I would avoid a GFCI plug.

2) if their shore power is 15A you can watch TV. You can do more but that’s another answer

3) yes their shore power will allow the converter to charge the batteries

4) yes it will, but again it depends on what else is running. I would use LP mode.

5) yes it will, see #4 answer.

GEN:

1) yes it will power the converter to charge the battery(s).

2) yes, however you’ll have to remember to switch back after shutting it off, just leave them on LP.
Next

1) your not going to run out of propane, if your not using the furnace.

2) just make sure you have ventilation for cooling and keep the exhaust pointed AWAY from doors and windows.

3) water pressure regulator, hoses depending on length needed.

Great. So my game plan will be to run fridge and water heater off LP, thereby only utilizing the shore power for battery charging and lights/outlets. Will only switch to generator if we need some AC.

Maybe dumb question, but will my mini Keurig and toaster run off of this shore power without issue? Also, we have an exterior mini fridge..can I get away with running that off shore power or should I just unplug it? Wondering about the same items with generator.

Thank you for your response!

[notanlines]

Originally Posted by wborisenok

Derp. Long day yesterday. Hahah.

Yeah, we are quite used to quickies. In and out in under 3 min. If it’s necessary to shave legs, we do it with the water off and rinse after. ����

Just to help out a little, with average water pressure (40-45 PSI) the shower head will release about 2 gallons per minute. That means with 2 showers and one very skimpy bath you'll use about 15 gallons. You're good for two days assuming you never turn on the bathroom or kitchen sink.
If you search online and this site you will see discussions of dumping grey water onto the ground. It is not a good practice, as a rule, but I might be inclined to see if it was legal in the area, and will your RV be situated in a location where the hose would run downhill to a safe area.
Black water is strictly forbidden.

On edit: " According to Greywater Action, greywater reuse is legal in Maine, though only for residential irrigation."

[wborisenok]

Originally Posted by notanlines

Just to help out a little, with average water pressure (40-45 PSI) the shower head will release about 2 gallons per minute. That means with 2 showers and one very skimpy bath you'll use about 15 gallons. You're good for two days assuming you never turn on the bathroom or kitchen sink.
If you search online and this site you will see discussions of dumping grey water onto the ground. It is not a good practice, as a rule, but I might be inclined to see if it was legal in the area, and will your RV be situated in a location where the hose would run downhill to a safe area.
Black water is strictly forbidden.

On edit: " According to Greywater Action, greywater reuse is legal in Maine, though only for residential irrigation."

It’s also legal for reuse in MA where I live…interesting! Never thought to look that up here. Thanks for this tip!!! Super helpful.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by wborisenok

Great. So my game plan will be to run fridge and water heater off LP, thereby only utilizing the shore power for battery charging and lights/outlets. Will only switch to generator if we need some AC.

Maybe dumb question, but will my mini Keurig and toaster run off of this shore power without issue? Also, we have an exterior mini fridge..can I get away with running that off shore power or should I just unplug it? Wondering about the same items with generator.

Thank you for your response!

Coffee makers and toasters are high amperage appliances. They are plugged into 15 amp circuits in 7our home typically. With that said, there are 2 variables that will make a difference between don't do it or no problem.

1. What else, if anything, is plugged into that circuit in the house. If there's a freezer, dehumidifier, window air conditioner, steam iron, vacuum cleaner, etc. Then you will have an issue.
2. If inside your trailer you have the fridgebor water heater running on 120 vac electric than you will exceed the 15 amp supply. If your battery isn't fully charged then the converter and either appliance could exceed the 15 amps. Using the toaster and grewing coffee at the same time most likely vould exceed the 15 amps.

The generator you listed should not have a problem if the trailer is connected via a 30 amp shorebpower cable yo the generator 30 amp outlet. How far away from the neighbors will this be located? Even a "quiet" generator can be annoyingbif it's right next to a house.

[B-O-B'03]

Originally Posted by wborisenok

It’s also legal for reuse in MA where I live…interesting! Never thought to look that up here. Thanks for this tip!!! Super helpful.

I have a Flowjet macerator pump that I use to pump out our tanks at the house. I use it to pump through a 100 foot garden hose into the guest bath toilet. I cut the fitting off the end of the hose and shove it up into the toilet and have had no issues.

If there is a sewer clean out nearby you could also use that.

It works great and pumps out the black tank just a bit faster than the clean out refills it.

-Brian