Help RV Questions! Hunting with your RV!

[SixShooter]

Hey everyone, I recently purchased an RV for hunting. While out this last weekend on my maiden voyage I discovered a few things that I need some advice on.

Battery / Power

Well I guess you could say I was more then super disappointed with my battery power, it only last 4 hours after arrival on a full charge. If there is one thing I don't want to be worrying about, power & heat is it...

I was only running a few lights and the furnace. Is this typical of a Deep Cycle battery? I thought it would at least make the entire weekend?


Options and Alternatives

I would typically like to camp on lease roads where power hook-up is not an option. At this point, running the microwave, Air conditioner and stereo is not required although a nice feature its not necessary. Here are a couple of options I have been considering to help with my power situation. I don't know anything about this stuff so if you do, I really REALLY need to you about them.

Generators - If you use one, how does it perform? Was it worth the price? How many watts do you recommend to run everything in an RV? Do you have one you would recommend purchasing? Anyone using one of the ones they sell at the RV places? Any good? I heard you can get them with remote start and its the cats meow.


Solar Panels - Anyone using these? Do they typically charge your batteries back to full daily? What is the low down on them?

Dual Battery Setup, is it possible? If you have this running on your unit, how did you set it up?Do you just connect negative to negative, positive to positive then to the RV lines?

Batteries

Any recommendations on what is available and what your using for your needs with or without a recommendation would be great. I've looked at the ones at Canadian Tire & Walmart anyone else? Is anyone using one they purchased at an RV dealership?


This last question isn't as significant but I thought I would ask now that I have you here. Can you get a satellite for your RV for TV & Internet? Does anyone have this setup, if so how does it work for you? How is the price and who did you go through?


Thanks to everyone for taking the time to read this and taking the time to point me int he right direction.

Six.

[Jester]

....

[honda450]

I use 2 12 volt batteries hooked together as you metioned and then use a 13 watt solar panel for charging. Works great. Maybe your battery has seen its better days, I never run out of battery power. Sometimes a light or 2 is left on all nite.

I have a 4400 watt generator but do not have AC or microwave. Its just too big and heavy so I am going to replace it with a Honda 2000.

If your going to run AC and the microwave together I really do not know what size you will need, I know my 4400 would do it.

I have 2 trailers one is set up only for hunting. Good luck to ya.

[Off in the Bushes]

Originally Posted by SixShooter

Hey everyone, I recently purchased an RV for hunting. While out this last weekend on my maiden voyage I discovered a few things that I need some advice on.

Battery / Power

Well I guess you could say I was more then super disappointed with my battery power, it only last 4 hours after arrival on a full charge. If there is one thing I don't want to be worrying about, power & heat is it...

I was only running a few lights and the furnace. Is this typical of a Deep Cycle battery? I thought it would at least make the entire weekend?

Options and Alternatives

I would typically like to camp on lease roads where power hook-up is not an option. At this point, running the microwave, Air conditioner and stereo is not required although a nice feature its not necessary. Here are a couple of options I have been considering to help with my power situation. I don't know anything about this stuff so if you do, I really REALLY need to you about them.

Generators - If you use one, how does it perform? Was it worth the price? How many watts do you recommend to run everything in an RV? Do you have one you would recommend purchasing? Anyone using one of the ones they sell at the RV places? Any good? I heard you can get them with remote start and its the cats meow.

Solar Panels - Anyone using these? Do they typically charge your batteries back to full daily? What is the low down on them?

Dual Battery Setup, is it possible? If you have this running on your unit, how did you set it up?Do you just connect negative to negative, positive to positive then to the RV lines?


Batteries

Any recommendations on what is available and what your using for your needs with or without a recommendation would be great. I've looked at the ones at Canadian Tire & Walmart anyone else? Is anyone using one they purchased at an RV dealership?

This last question isn't as significant but I thought I would ask now that I have you here. Can you get a satellite for your RV for TV & Internet? Does anyone have this setup, if so how does it work for you? How is the price and who did you go through?


Thanks to everyone for taking the time to read this and taking the time to point me int he right direction.

Six.

1. I think that your Battery has had it, if you have a deep cycle battery charger give it a good charge to see it that was your battery. If not replace it.
2. I heard that as long as you are not moving all the time that they will keep the battery topped up but you are only going to get 1-2 hrs of peak performance from it a day unless you can move them with the sun.
3. I have a super small/ old generator that puts out 650W and 5 amps it will run everthing in my trailer but I don't have AC, mircowave or TV
4. I don't have this, but I heard that 2 6V bolts in parrallel (like on a golf cart) work really well for storing lots of power (you get a longer amp draw).
5. I have purchased Deep Cycles for rv dealer and battery companies and got the same service life for them both 3 years. (I am battery smart now and am taking better care of the batteries then in the past, hoping for better life from them know. ie don't completely exhaust them and don't charge then via the trailer, and take then out in the winter and charge in Jan)

[SixShooter]

Some great Pointers guys, thanks very much.

Anyone else have some light to shed?

Six

[pdfish]

As far as generators go, if you want to run most everything in your trailer you're going to need at least 3000 Watts. A 13,500BTU A/C unit requires about 2000 W to start and 1500 W continuous while its running. Therefore you have a couple options. One, you could pick up a portable genset or if you plan on using the trailer a lot throughout the year, you may want to invest in a built-in model such as an Onan Microquiet (3600 W propane/4000 W gasoline). One suggestion is don't cheap out on your generator, I know too many people who've had their genset kick the bucket on them because they went and bought a cheapy versus shelling out the cash and buying one that will last. If you have any more questions, shoot me a PM.

[Stinky Buffalo]

4. I don't have this, but I heard that 2 6V bolts in parrallel (like on a golf cart) work really well for storing lots of power (you get a longer amp draw).

X2 on that... Except I think OffInTheBushes means in series (In parallel you would only get 6V out of it, whereas two 6V batteries in series you get the requisite 12V...)

My neighbor does this with his trailers, and he has noticed a marked increase in the amount of time the batteries last. (And he has teenagers who like to sit in the bunks all day with the lights on...)

[honda450]

Yeah I heard that too with 6 volts but will it out last 2 12's hooked together?