newbe dry camping questions

[bruceb]

Hi, we just picked up our new 2106ds. I plan on camping in a remote area of northwest South Dakota in a forest service camp site that has only pit toilets and nothing else.
How long will I be able to have power and gas for the trailer in weather ranging from 25 degrees at night to 65 degrees during the day?
I want to be able to make it for a week without having to tow the trailer anywhere. I can use the pit toilets to avoid filling the black water tank.
I can probably empty the gray water tank into buckets and dump it in the woods.
I have 30 gals of fresh water, 2-20lb propane tanks and a new group 27 battery.
Will I need a generator?
Not even sure what are all the questions I should be asking.
Thanks for ANY input you can provide.

[SonofBert]

Originally Posted by bruceb

Hi, we just picked up our new 2106ds. I plan on camping in a remote area of northwest South Dakota in a forest service camp site that has only pit toilets and nothing else.
How long will I be able to have power and gas for the trailer in weather ranging from 25 degrees at night to 65 degrees during the day?
I want to be able to make it for a week without having to tow the trailer anywhere. I can use the pit toilets to avoid filling the black water tank.
I can probably empty the gray water tank into buckets and dump it in the woods.
I have 30 gals of fresh water, 2-20lb propane tanks and a new group 27 battery.
Will I need a generator?
Not even sure what are all the questions I should be asking.
Thanks for ANY input you can provide.

Small gen or solar to keep the battery topped, can also leave the tow vehicle hooked up to charge the batt. Extra LP tanks can be carried, I carry 2-3 extras since my Yamaha gen is also propane. I have a 'tank foot' on each extra tank to make them more stable as cargo. I carry 5g collapsible water tanks and a funnel.

[creativepart]

Originally Posted by bruceb

Will I need a generator?

Absolutely. You'll need a generator by day two if not before.

You will be using power the whole time you're out there without any way to charge that one battery back up.

The heater fan running at night uses quite a bit of power each night even if you set the thermostat as low as 57. And, with temps in the 20's at night you'll want to use that heater to help keep your tanks warm-ish.

Really every boondocking, dry camping RVer needs to take a generator with them when they go out camping. Your RV doesn't come with one to save money to keep the price low. The lower the price the better a TT sells.

[GaryS]

Originally Posted by bruceb

I can probably empty the gray water tank into buckets and dump it in the woods.

Please don't.

[creativepart]

Originally Posted by bruceb

I can probably empty the gray water tank into buckets and dump it in the woods.

Many National Forest campgrounds permit the dumping of gray water. The proper way, WHEN ALLOWED, is to get a dump tank cap with a hose bib and then attach a dedicated dump hose like one used to clean up at a dump station. Just run it off into the woods.

If its NOT ALLOWED don't do it. Check the regs at your campground or dispersed camping site.

[DavidM]

It is the cold weather that will really use up your DC battery power quickly. In warm weather, our simple trailer would use 10 Ah daily without the fridge controls and maybe 2-3 more with. A typical G27 battery has 90 Ahs. So we could go at least three days without going below the 50% discharge limit for best life.

But your propane furnace will eat up the amp hours. At 25 degrees overnight you will be using the furnace maybe half time and the fan draws about 4 amps. So maybe 4 x 5 hours running time or 20 Ahs for just the furnace. As creativepart notes above, you will need to recharge by day 2 with your current setup.

So in addition to bringing a small 1-2,000 W Honda type generator which you plug your shore power cord into to power the converter, add another battery.

Some options:

1. A second G27 will add 90 Ah and let you go almost 3 days without recharging.
2. A pair of 6V golf cart batteries wired in series will give you a total of 220 Ahs and let you go a bit more than three days.
3. Much, much more expensive, a pair of lithium batteries which will probably let you go almost a week without charging.

Also having two batteries will utilize your converter charging more effectively. With either #1 or #2 solution run your generator and converter a couple of hours every other day.

Your black water tank might make it for a week if you are careful. Dump the grey water tank as noted above. You also may have to carry extra water or lug it in a container from a hand pump if available. We use about 10 gallons each day with showers each day and maybe 3-4 gpd without showers. Your water tank will probably only be able to supply 25 gallons due to where the pick up is located.

Propane shouldn't be a problem with two 20 lb tanks.

David

[Old Navy]

Like others say, you will need a generator. Hopefully running the furnace will protect your plumbing at night. Also, double check your battery to make sure it is an actual deep cycle, and not just a multi purpose "marine battery". Even 50% discharge will greatly shorten marine battery life and quickly decrease their capacity. 6V CG2 batteries can take hundreds of discharges well beyond 50%, as they are designed to. Lithium is fantastic if you have the coin. As for filling waste tanks, other than late at night, I rarely use the RV toilet if other facilities are available, and I have yet to put any "solid waste" in my black tank.

[GaryS]

Originally Posted by Old Navy

I have yet to put any "solid waste" in my black tank.

We do the same. When I sold our original RV three years ago I advertised it on Craigslist including a dozen pictures and in the description noted: "Never cooked in, smoked in or pooped in. No pets.". It sold with in 24 hours for the asking price.

[Old Navy]

Originally Posted by GaryS

We do the same. When I sold our original RV three years ago I advertised it on Craigslist including a dozen pictures and in the description noted: "Never cooked in, smoked in or pooped in. No pets.". It sold with in 24 hours for the asking price.

The big payoff for me is when I empty at the dumpsite. Just clear blue "water" and no smell. Even if I had a hose failure, it wouldn't be a disaster. No smell in the RV either. I've been in a few RVs and boats where it was pretty bad even with tank deodorizers.

[GaryS]

Originally Posted by Old Navy

The big payoff for me is when I empty at the dumpsite. Just clear blue "water" and no smell. Even if I had a hose failure, it wouldn't be a disaster. No smell in the RV either. I've been in a few RVs and boats where it was pretty bad even with tank deodorizers.

Yes, and when we were looking for our first RV we looked a a few used trailers and you could usually tell what the last meal that was cooked in it from the smell. "Hmmm, bacon, onions."

[BobC]

Some form of supplemental heating is in order. Two popular catalytic heaters are the "Mister Heater" propane heater or an "Olympian Wave" heater. Both are available in different sizes. I've owned both, a Mister Heater "Buddy" portable heater that I used in a 22' TT and an Olympian Wave 3 that I permanently installed in a 25' TT. I suggest that you not go bigger, given the size of your TT.

The Mister Heaters will run off of a small disposable propane cylinder, but do yourself a favor and get the supplemental hose that will allow you to run it off of a refillable tank. I bought a small 5 lb tank for the heater, BBQ, etc. and ran the hose through an access door. You should always have some ventilation with these heaters, so, lacking a convenient access door, you could run it through a slightly open window. The filter accessory is also a good idea if you use a larger tank since small particles of rust and dirt can clog the heater.

The main advantage of these heaters is that they won't consume battery power while running. They can also be used outside.

These are both catalytic heaters which the manufacturers cite as safe for indoor use. However you still need adequate ventilation and a working carbon monoxide alarm.

When we camp with power, we use an electric, "oil filled radiator" heater to conserve our propane. It's totally silent and does a great job, although, as a radiant heated does take a while to warm things up. On the other hand, you can always use your LPG furnace to get up to a comfortable temperature and then use the electric oil-filled radiator to maintain:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=oil+fille...b_sb_ss_i_1_11

(I've found several, almost new ones at our local Goodwill)

[Wyatt]

Originally Posted by creativepart

Many National Forest campgrounds permit the dumping of gray water. The proper way, WHEN ALLOWED, is to get a dump tank cap with a hose bib and then attach a dedicated dump hose like one used to clean up at a dump station. Just run it off into the woods.

If its NOT ALLOWED don't do it. Check the regs at your campground or dispersed camping site.

May I add to that? From being an backpacker, when I was much younger, we had to use the “outdoors” for everything, and I mean everything.

So, if you haven’t had that experience, may I implore you to research back country ethics, and you’ll learn how your disposal of even gray water, can be done in an environmentally responsible way—hint—not near others or water...

[gurroz]

As BobC said a portable heater can be very helpful. In our summer travels we seldom use the RV heater. In the fall and winter we carry our Wave 6 heater which will keep the RV warm. In fact my wife will generally turn it off at some point during the night. We have both solar and a generator. I don't think solar is going to do it for you in the forest, in South Dakota, during the winter. I think you will need a generator for sure!

[BobC]

Originally Posted by gurroz

AI think you will need a generator for sure!

I'm not a fan of running generators for hours when camping, especially when others are within earshot but I've got a lot of good use out of my Honda 2000i over the years, mainly for running the microwave and occasional battery charging (we had solar).

When I bought mine for about $1,000, it was the only real choice for quiet, efficient inverter generators. Now there are several options in the $500 - $600 range but Honda's newer 2200i at about $1,060 is still the gold standard. Be aware of warranties. The Honda is warranted for three years (normal use) while some lower cost options have more limited warranties. It can also be converted to LPG which would allow for storage inside your rig.

Although it's received some decent reviews, I'd steer clear of Harbor Freight's inverter generator. Its warranty is limited. Although it says it's for two years, there are a lot of caveats (periodic service, etc.). Its unconditional warranty period is only 90 days. I've never had good luck with anything from Harbor Freight that has a motor or engine. In fact, in over 50 years of tool buying, the only warranty issues I've had have been with Harbor Freight.

Whatever you do, don't buy an open frame, "contractor's" generator. Although less expensive they're extremely noisy and your neighbors will hate you.

[creativepart]

I bought two honda 2000i generators when they were fairly new on the market. I paid $800 each at the time. I used one or two at a time for 10 years and put nothing into them but oil and gas. Absolutely nothing else. No repairs or anything.

If they hadn't been started in 3-months or more it would take up to 5 pulls to get them running and once they'd been run once they always started on the first pull.

After buying a motorhome with a built in generator I sold them on craigslist. They sold in one day and at my asking price of $1000 for the two.

I seriously doubt any of the other "cheaper" generators could live up to this standard. They were certainly worth the $30 per year each one cost me in total.

[Old Navy]

Originally Posted by creativepart

I seriously doubt any of the other "cheaper" generators could live up to this standard.

There is also a difference in the "noise" from the Honda. Many generators claim to be as quiet, or nearly as quiet. But when you hear them out in the wild, the Honda has a lower tone and just seems quieter, regardless of specs. You also notice a generator that sounds really quiet at home can be pretty loud at 7am in your campsite.

Of course all of the inverter generators are quiet compared to the 6KW Onan that autostarts at 3am in the 42' class A in the next campsite...

[SonofBert]

Originally Posted by creativepart

Absolutely. You'll need a generator by day two if not before.

You will be using power the whole time you're out there without any way to charge that one battery back up.

The heater fan running at night uses quite a bit of power each night even if you set the thermostat as low as 57. And, with temps in the 20's at night you'll want to use that heater to help keep your tanks warm-ish.

Really every boondocking, dry camping RVer needs to take a generator with them when they go out camping. Your RV doesn't come with one to save money to keep the price low. The lower the price the better a TT sells.

I recommend a propane inverter generator for boondocking. Much easier to carry a 20lb LP tank to power the gen instead of carrying four gallons of gasoline.

For example, my Yamaha 2000is converted to dual-fuel via the https://motorsnorkel.com/ kit. Can operate for 3-4 days on one 20lb LP tank. I don't carry gasoline containers, I carry extra LP tanks that double as power for the gen and also the trailer propane system when boondocking.

I've been surprised over the years people still use gasoline generators when propane conversion kits are available and easily installed. I converted to LP generators many years ago, much easier to operate compared to gasoline.

[creativepart]

Originally Posted by SonofBert

I've been surprised over the years people still use gasoline generators when propane conversion kits are available and easily installed.

I've heard from other users that the propane versions of the generators don't perform as well. And, seen some tests on YouTube that confirmed that as well.

When we travel trailered we never used our gens for enough time to need to carry any gas other than filling the generator when we left home to start the trip.

We used ours for short durations of time. During breakfast, lunch or dinner prep or to cool down the trailer for lunch on the road. We did dry camp but only when the weather was cool enough to not need A/C. We lived in Jackson, Wyoming at that time... so, it was pretty much cool days and cold nights everywhere we traveled (WY, ID, MT, and UT).

[gurroz]

BobC, I agree, we only run our generator for the hair dryer, curling iron and microwave. I personally like solar, however, the OP is looking to winter camp in South Dakota. I don't think your going to get enough solar in that environment especially with a slow charging lead acis battery. If we are going into the forest for an extended trip, 1 week plus, we pack our Yamaha 2000 generator as a backup. If I have to hear a generator run for a longer period of time I would rather listen to the Yamaha. The Onan is horrible in terms of noise and vibration.

[bruceb]

thank you all