Two Batteries

Both2Retired · 07-27-2007, 03:15 PM

For those times when DW and I want to camp for 4 or 5 days in our T2753, where an electric hookup is not an option, I'd like to be to have enough power available to us for more tham 2 or 3 days. Generators are very expensive, especially the ones that are quiet. I've heard that utilizing two batteries (mounted on the tongue) is a viable option. I'm interested in your thoughts.

**PTHutch** · 07-27-2007, 04:10 PM

Here's some information on Multiple RV Batteries that may answer a lot of your questions.

Important key is to have both batteries the same age, brand, size, etc. and connect them in parallel.

There are a lot of members here that boondock that can provide very good advice from a practical perspective.

Hope this helps.
Hutch

emam · 07-30-2007, 06:30 AM

The way I figure it is, each battery will give us one day of using lights, and a few non-power drianing items.....If you plan on using the Heat, or Water Heater, forget about all of this.

But if you just plan on using the lights and the water pump, fans and water pump, you should be albe to go a full day on each battery without having to recharge them. Even one solar panel might give you some more time without having to plug in.

Withour Four 6-Volt batteries, if we have no sun to recharge them, we average about 4-5 days before they show a low battery light. THe big difference between Deep Cell Batteries and a standard battery, is True Deep Cell batteries can with stand multiple drainings and rechargings before they need to be replaced. If you plann on doing a lot of Boondocking, spend the extra money on a high quality battery.

Good Luck

Pat

Honda03842 · 07-30-2007, 08:14 AM

We're taking a trip to Labrador next spring expecting to Boondock a lot. We purchased a small generator from NorthernTool.com, weighs about the same as a deep cycle battery, 40 pounds and is about a cubic foot in size and produces 1000 watts. It cost $149. The following link can get you to the site.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...ategory%20Page

Its certainly noiser than a solar panel. We have found over six years that we hardly ever use a generator more than an hour a day, do not find them bothersome and if you choose to enclose it they're almost unnoticable.

The site has a lot of positive reviews. We haven't had ours long enough for me to provide a review.

Norm Milliard
2004 Honda CRV
1982 Sunline 15.5 SB

Honda03842 · 07-30-2007, 08:39 AM

I just went to the Northern Tool site I posted in the previous email and see the generators on sale for $119.

Norm Milliard

pwb01 · 07-30-2007, 09:37 AM

We mostly dry camp and I have two deep cycle batteries which fit end to end on the hitch. Now, using one light at a time at night, a 12v power fan a few minutes at a time, watch a movie at night on a 12v DVD player and a Satellite radio tuner much of the time along with the units radio, I've gone 4 days and three nights and just turned into the second indicator on battery level. I think 5 days and 4 nights are safe to say on two batteries. Once, as a test at home just so I'd know, I backed the car up, plugged it in and in 90 minutes the batteries were charged. A little extreme maybe but much cheaper than a $900 generator. I've read that two six volt batteries in series have even more power. If you travel daily you'll recharge the batteries also.

emam · 07-30-2007, 12:56 PM

Yeah, I could see if you really skimped on the power consumption how you could last for awhile. CIndy and I tend to forget about the fact taht we're running off of batteries most of the time.

SHe tends to leave lights on and we almost always have a radio or one if not two of the Exhaust fans running. With the heat of the summer, it's just too dang hot not to keep them going. Once it cools of a little, I can see how the batteries would go for much longer.

$119 for a 1000watt generator is cheap. If you only ran it for an hour a day to charge the batteries, it'd be well worth it no matter how loud it is.

Pat

Honda03842 · 07-30-2007, 01:21 PM

I bought the generator based upon its size and the purchaser's reviews. There are 26 reviews on the site and 23 give high praise. It is a 2 cycle engine but I have ran mine and did not find it particularly loud.

Norm Milliard

pwb01 · 07-31-2007, 06:44 AM

Being conservative on the lights and fan do make a big difference on the batteries. $900 is too much for a generator to just charge the batteries. 1000 watt is too small for most anthing but lights but $119 is a whole different story. They do have good reviews.

Honda03842 · 07-31-2007, 07:33 AM

If you're not powering an air conditioner, 1000 watts can be adequate for boon docking. Certainly it can charge one's batteries, run a coffee pot, power ones LCD TV (about 100 watts), easily run the refrigerator in the electric mode (mine's 135 watts.

When we're home we have our Bounder plugged into a 15 amp outlet and manage to run the entire rig, hot water on and occasionally the air conditioner without tripping the breaker.

Generally 1000 watts continuous/ 1200 watts surge is more than enough to support boon docking except for air conditioning and the large micro waves. It definitely means you can't run everything at once but people rarely do. It does mean you can extend your battery boon docking until your gas supply runs out.

Interestingly our home uses about 30 KWHrs of electricity a day, or an average of about 1200 watts an hour and that includes an electric dryer. It turns out that the amount we use on average is quite low.

In my case with a 15.5 SB without air conditioner or microwave it should be more than adequate. I'll document our experience after we finish our two month Labrador trip. Here's hoping our experience is as good as the reviewers of the product.

Norm Milliard