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Old 10-13-2021, 11:45 AM   #1
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Advice for weekend outing in 2020 View 24D

I'm taking the family out in our 2020 View 24D this weekend. I have the OEM factory installed lead acid batteries and the standard 2x100 watt solar panels. We will arrive at the campsite on Friday around noon with fully charged coach batteries and leave on Sunday around 5:00 or 6:00 pm. I will not be able to run the generator at all. I plan on tweaking the settings on the compressor fridge so that the freezer is turned off and the fridge section is up at 3 or 4. We will use lights sparingly, the furnace fans will most likely blow for periods at night and other electrical use will be minimal. Does anyone with direct experience with my setup think I'll run out of electricity before we leave on Sunday?



Thanks.
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Old 10-13-2021, 11:57 AM   #2
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Oh, would it be nice if we could tell you. But there are far too many variables still in the equation. Variables like how fresh are those batteries, how much will the sun shine, will you be parked under trees, how cold will it be at night and what temp will you set the furnace thermostat at?

Check back in with us on Monday and let us know how it worked... then we'll be able to tell you that "Yep, you can make it." Or "No, what were you thinking?"
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Old 10-13-2021, 12:02 PM   #3
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Oh, would it be nice if we could tell you. But there are far too many variables still in the equation. Variables like how fresh are those batteries, how much will the sun shine, will you be parked under trees, how cold will it be at night and what temp will you set the furnace thermostat at?

Check back in with us on Monday and let us know how it worked... then we'll be able to tell you that "Yep, you can make it." Or "No, what were you thinking?"



Anyone with a similar setup who had done similar excursions would have a rough idea of the margin, that's all I'm looking for, just a rough idea about what to expect based upon other's experiences.
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Old 10-13-2021, 01:11 PM   #4
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Anyone with a similar setup who had done similar excursions would have a rough idea of the margin, that's all I'm looking for, just a rough idea about what to expect based upon other's experiences.
As previously mentioned, even considering "average" power use no one can say one way or the other, not knowing your weather and sun exposure. If you have a choice of sites, choose one with good sun exposure.

Your biggest power hog will be your furnace. so be prepared to bundle up at night. You might want to consider getting a "Little Buddy" propane heater:

https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Heater-F23...02G51BZU&psc=1

Finally, think "camping", not RVing, spend time outside, turn off unnecessary lights, forget watching TV, etc.
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Old 10-17-2021, 08:28 PM   #5
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Advice for weekend outing in 2020 View 24D

I have a 2020 View 24D as well. Before leaving this summer (July 6), I changed out the two factory wet cells with one BigBattery 12V OWL MAX 2 - LiFePO4 - 228Ah - 3.018kWh that gave us the opportunity to easily spend two nights dry camping while traveling and keeping our freezer below freezing. Of course the sun was plentiful for our two factory installed 100W panels to soak up enough energy to charge our LiFePO4 battery. Now that we are back, I have ordered a second battery and will be removing the two 100W panels and adding at least 500W of new solar panels for our winter trips. You can get a lot of information to help you make solar decisions at https://www.facebook.com/groups/200065277588945/ many of the owners in this group have started where you are and know the best way to go.
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Old 10-18-2021, 06:01 AM   #6
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I think you will be using at least 2 amps on average, maybe more depending on how you can "tweak" the fridge. You will be dry camping for about 54 hours, so your total usage will be at least 108 amp hours. Your batteries probably have 75 amp hours of capacity each, so with no solar recharging you will be below the recommended 50% discharge level, probably more.

A horizontally mounted solar panel can produce 30 amp hours for a 100 watt panel in full sun, but that is for mid summer. Now maybe 25 amp hours. So if you are in a sunny spot and it is a sunny day then you will probably add 50 amp hours and stay above the 50% discharge level. Any clouds or shad and you will probably be below that.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes. But if you are depending on battery voltage levels to tell you how discharged your batteries are, realize that is a very poor indicator. It is better but not good if you turn off all loads for an hour before measuring. Roughly speaking 12.1 volts is 50%.

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Old 10-18-2021, 08:37 AM   #7
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Your batteries probably have 75 amp hours of capacity each, so with no solar recharging you will be below the recommended 50% discharge level, probably more.
David
The 50% discharge level isn't cast in stone. Most battery manufacturers cite an 80% discharge level as the maximum safe level. Consistently discharging below 50% will reduce your battery life but it's not something to worry about on an occasional basis:

https://www.trojanbattery.com/tech-s...y-maintenance/
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Old 10-22-2021, 08:47 PM   #8
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We upgraded our 21D to 480W of solar panels and two 125Ah lithium batteries.

We have done some boondocking in colder weather - and our batteries were able to keep everything running overnight - with 50-60% charge in the morning.

With the 480W of solar panels and clear skies, we still had to run our diesel generator for an hour or two each day to get the lithium batteries back to 100% before night.

With the stock 200W of solar and standard batteries, power management will be a larger issue. The refrigerator has a night mode that can help. The interior lights are LED - so they don't use much power.

The microwave and TV will draw a small amount of power - same with a sound bar, if you have one installed. You can save some power by turning off the inverter overnight - that will disable all of the 110V devices and also the inverter.

Worst case - I rode out the February freeze in Galveston in our 21D - when we didn't have any electricity (or water or refills for propane or diesel). Since outside temps were below freezing, I ran the tank heaters - along with the propane heater. And in the morning, ran the charge on the lithium batteries down to around 10% (when they automatically shut down).

Hopefully somebody with the stock solar and batteries can provide feedback on their boondocking experience.

For us, we have confidence that we can boondock with adequate power with our upgraded 21D - and if you're plannng to do periodic boondocking, it may be prudent to consider upgrading solar and batteries...
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Old 10-22-2021, 09:09 PM   #9
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So, how did the trip go?
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Old 10-26-2021, 12:09 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by banjobiotic View Post
I'm taking the family out in our 2020 View 24D this weekend. I have the OEM factory installed lead acid batteries and the standard 2x100 watt solar panels. We will arrive at the campsite on Friday around noon with fully charged coach batteries and leave on Sunday around 5:00 or 6:00 pm. I will not be able to run the generator at all. I plan on tweaking the settings on the compressor fridge so that the freezer is turned off and the fridge section is up at 3 or 4. We will use lights sparingly, the furnace fans will most likely blow for periods at night and other electrical use will be minimal. Does anyone with direct experience with my setup think I'll run out of electricity before we leave on Sunday?

Thanks.
Can you merely idle the engine a bit here and there to keep the batteries up? Your engine probably idles very quietly - quieter than any generator.

We do this often when camping without hookups in our Class C. With only 45-60 minutes of main engine idling the coach batteries come to near full charge. This has worked out very well for us in situations where we want - or must - camp very quietly.

We don't have solar, but we do have our built-in generator and a small Honda portable we also bring along. However, idling of the main engine is the most convenient and quiet way to top up the coach batteries in a hurry when solar either isn't available or not adequate.
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