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duder View Drop Down
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    Posted: 01 Oct 2009 at 4:22pm
We are planning a trip to Cades Cove in the Smokey Mtns in TN, they have no elec or water hookups. I know we can run the frig, furnace and water heater on propane, but how long will our lights run on battery only,  they do not allow generators!  Input please!!!!!
Chuck and Bev
2010 R-Pod 172

Happy Trails!!!!
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duder View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote duder Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Oct 2009 at 4:57pm
and the water pump!  We know the water heater, heat and  frig will run on propane!  Just a little scary the first time out with no hook  ups!  Of course, we didn't have this dilema with our pop up!LOL Just want to get the most bang for our buck!!!!!!
Chuck and Bev
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Happy Trails!!!!
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Sandpiper View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sandpiper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Oct 2009 at 5:15pm
We have a 177 on order too and will be in Tennessee after we pick it up.  We had a sailboat before and used battery power for cabin lights, radio, navigation equipment and the battery would hold up a  for week long cruise IF we were conservation in using the equipment.  The key word is conservative.  Camping is different but you can always plug you tow vehicle in and recharge.

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Outbound View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Outbound Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Oct 2009 at 7:00pm
A group 24 battery is generally good for 2-3 nights with common-sense usage.  A group 27 will give you a day or two more and up to a week if you're really frugal.

The furnace fan will have the greatest impact on your battery.  To extend your stay on battery, turn your furnace off during the day and keep it low at night.

The lights are your next biggest user of power.  Use lights only when necessary and don't leave them on if you're outside.  If you're sitting around inside try to use only one fixture; consider unplugging one bulb in the two-bulb fixtures.  Bring along a battery-powered booklight for reading in bed.  Don't use your porchlight - bring along a naptha or propane lantern.

Algonquin Provincial Park, our favourite place to camp, has a strict no-generators-in-the-campground policy.  Most of the time, we reserve a site with electrical service.  But, occasionally we decide to stay at on of the periphery campgrounds with fantastic access to the interior that have no services at all.  In these cases, every other day I load up my truck with the generator, my  40 amp charger, the camper's battery, a lawn chair and a good book and drive outside the campground and find a pull-off somewhere along the road where I can sit and read and charge the battery with the generator.  Usually, an hour's charge will do.
Craig :: 2008 Mazda Tribute :: 2009 r-pod 171, The Johnnie Ray
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote gmandual Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Oct 2009 at 7:19pm
Speaking of lights and boondocking.   Do any of your have LED lights in any of your fixtures?   It seems that half of the lights in my R-POD are LED and the other half are incadecent.   The light fixtures are exactly the same, but just the bulb assemblies in them are different.  The dealer didn't seem to know why half where LED, as the other trailers on his lot where all incadecent bulbs.   So not sure if someone had put them in by request for a potential buyer or what.
 
Back on topic:
When I used my tent trailer out boondocking, I had picked up a set of 6 LED landscaping lights.    Just cheap little plastic ones, pulled them apart and put in a little switch in each to turn them off and on.  Took the spike off the bottom, and tied strings to the top and turned them into little hanging lanterns.   Would just put them outside during the day to charge, then each would give about 3-6 hours of light at night if we needed em around the tent trailer.   Also where nice outside after dark.
 
But now days you can buy solar rechargable lanterns that are just fancy versions of what I hacked together years ago.
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote techntrek Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Oct 2009 at 8:11am
We boondocked last weekend, 2 nights.  Normal use of lights and water pump, sparing use of the furnace, and still had 3/4 charge at the end of the weekend.  That was going by the monitor, I didn't measure the actual voltage or pH level.
 
gmandual - No LEDs in mine at all.
 
Outbound - with the charging profile of lead acid batteries, you could get away with charging from your tow vehicle, via jumper cables, for a half-hour every other day.  The large current they accept at first balances out many hours of lights and water pump.  Someone on another forum took measurements of a 50%-drained battery (via a shunt), that was charged that way and confirmed the large inrush, starting over 40 amps.  I think you can save yourself a trip to the side of the road!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Outbound Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Oct 2009 at 8:37am
gmandual - no LEDs in my r-pod either.  I'd be interested in knowing what type/brand FR supplied you with.

techntrek - shhhh.  On some trips, the charging run is the only alone time that I get.  The rest of my day I'm always forced to be busy doing something; I never get to just sit and read when the both of us go camping.  Funny that the best peace and quiet is by the drone of a generator.
Craig :: 2008 Mazda Tribute :: 2009 r-pod 171, The Johnnie Ray
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pepperpod View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pepperpod Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Oct 2009 at 9:37am
Originally posted by Outbound Outbound wrote:

gmandual - no LEDs in my r-pod either.  I'd be interested in knowing what type/brand FR supplied you with.

techntrek - shhhh.  On some trips, the charging run is the only alone time that I get.  The rest of my day I'm always forced to be busy doing something; I never get to just sit and read when the both of us go camping.  Funny that the best peace and quiet is by the drone of a generator.
LOL
Pepper,Coach,and Henry (a very brave little Maltese)
R Pod 172

The rewards of the journey far outweigh the risk of leaving the harbor...unknown
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techntrek View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote techntrek Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Oct 2009 at 1:50pm
Originally posted by Outbound Outbound wrote:

techntrek - shhhh.  On some trips, the charging run is the only alone time that I get.  The rest of my day I'm always forced to be busy doing something; I never get to just sit and read when the both of us go camping.  Funny that the best peace and quiet is by the drone of a generator.
 
I had a suspicion that was the case!   Its our secret.  Clap
'10 Forest River R-pod 171
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote retired Roxy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Oct 2009 at 7:06am
My biggest complaint with the r-pod was the battery installed by ? when I bought it. It didn't hold a charge and even with running my generator to charge it, it seemed to take forever to get a charge. And if I forgot to turn off everything, I came home to a dead battery. People in the parks told me to get a 12 volt Marine deep somthing for RVs. Other comments on the forum suggested 2- 6 volt batteries. HELP please on the best decision. I was running my generator just so I had battery power.
Roxy
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