gary350
Full Member
We should have gone camping today it is going to snow 6" tonight.
Posts: 573 
Likes: 170
1964 FAN
Currently Offline
|
Post by gary350 on Oct 6, 2015 19:10:29 GMT -8
This is camper trailer restoration #5 it has NO propane. No tanks, no lines, no furnace, no gas lights, no stove, saves about 200 lbs in weight and lots of work saved.
We have an all electric camper trailer, 3.3 Cu Ft refrigerator, electric griddle, electric 2 burner cook top stove, toaster oven, crock pot, microwave, coffee maker, electric heater, electric lights. It all stores in the kitchen cabinets. Take out the items you want to cook with then put them back. Electricity at all State Parks. Car Battery and DC to AC inverter gives us 120 vac at all National Parks. I also have a Coleman stove.
|
|
turbodaddy
1K Member
Posts: 1,086
Likes: 462
17' 1965 Fan "Sunseeker"
Currently Offline
|
Post by turbodaddy on Oct 7, 2015 3:55:19 GMT -8
Pretty slick. Now if you could just make it all solar you'd really have something!
|
|
nccamper
Administrator 
Posts: 7,743
Likes: 2,870
1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
Currently Offline
|
Post by nccamper on Oct 7, 2015 5:19:10 GMT -8
How long can you last off the grid? One battery or several?
I was considering a 12 volt fridge but I read last night that even a small one will flatten a battery in 12 hours.
|
|
|
|
Post by bigbill on Oct 7, 2015 5:53:16 GMT -8
My current rig will be total electric but it will have a large ice chest built in that will hold ice 5 or more days in hot weather. I plan on only staying in places where electricity is available. Interior lighting will be battery powered led units and 110 volt lights. I will have a gas generator in case I want to spend a night in a Walmart lot while traveling. All cooking will be microwave, toaster oven, electric skillet, plus one portable electric burner.
|
|
|
|
Post by vintagebruce on Oct 7, 2015 6:53:19 GMT -8
|
|
gary350
Full Member
We should have gone camping today it is going to snow 6" tonight.
Posts: 573
Likes: 170
1964 FAN
Currently Offline
|
Post by gary350 on Oct 7, 2015 19:04:13 GMT -8
This is just for State Parks, TVA camp grounds and private camp grounds like KOA when we travel, where there is electricity. TVA camp grounds have cable TV and WiFi from what I have been told but we have never been to one. TVA camp areas are all on the water lots of fishermen there and lots of beer drinking and loud wild parties according to a friend.
With a 750 amp car battery and a 100 watt DC to AC inverter I can use the lights only for about 12 to 14 days. I can use two 25 watt bulbs 3 to 4 hours every day. I need to try the new low watt light bulbs they might last longer than the old style incandescent bulbs. I have learned the DC to AC inverters use power even when they are turned OFF, disconnect them from the battery to save power when they are not being used. We can camp in National Parks about 2 weeks if we use the Coleman stove to cook on. I built a ice chest with 2" thick Styrofoam board it stays cold 3 times longer than any factory made ice chest.
I am thinking I might buy a small 900 or 1000 watt generator to run the refrigerator in National Parks but I don't like other people with noisy generators and I don't want to be one of those people. If I could get a super quiet muffler on the generator so it is so quiet you can not hear it run then I might consider having a generator just for places with no electricity to run the refrigerator. I have 9 solar panels that will keep the battery charged but they will not get enough sun in a forest to charge the battery. I still need to test the new refrigerator to see how much power it takes to get it started. The smaller refrigerator we had took 700 watts to start but ran fine on 250 watts. I think the new refrigerator will need 1000 watts to start and maybe 300 to run, amp meter will tell me for sure when I get time to test it.
The AAA camp book has the location of all the Walmarts in the USA. Walmart welcomes campers to spend the night in their parking lot. Nice safe free place to spend the night when you travel.
I have 3 battery power LED mushroom lights on the wall. They make ok light not too bright and they last a long time. We also have 10 candles in empty food cans that make LOTS of light. Yard sale candles are 25 cents for large 1 lbs candles melt them into food cans and bundle 3 or 4 old wicks together for a can wicks.
230 candles
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSHDhPq5Ae4 |
|
girlandcoconut
Member
Posts: 42 
Likes: 13
1975 Skyline Layton
Currently Offline
|
Post by girlandcoconut on Aug 9, 2016 14:03:20 GMT -8
Was just poking around the propane forum because I take my rig in later this week to get checked out and considering telling them to forget it on the propane. I'm really considering taking it all out as well and getting it set up to be all electric.
I do not want a generator and I plan to work into a solar set up. I know I'll need to be strategic either way with camping where power avail to start and with solar, making sure I get enough sun time to recharge.
I'm 90% sure I will just take all propane systems out and only have a propane camp stove and the small tanks if I feel like cooking outdoors and on something other than a campfire.
Good to know folks are making this work!
|
|
|
|
Post by vikx on Aug 9, 2016 21:50:53 GMT -8
Why remove a system that has worked for over 60 years??
Many of our vintage trailers did not have the wiring to support all electric; propane provided heat, light and cooking.
A 75 trailer is slightly newer than most, so may already have a 30 amp cord and system. That being said, I would not remove gas lines or the ability to use propane appliances. It's well worth keeping them in case you ever want to sell it. Cap/plug what's there and leave in place.
|
|
edbrown
Member
Posts: 33
Likes: 14
Currently Offline
|
Post by edbrown on Aug 10, 2016 7:04:32 GMT -8
I think there's a mistake there. "With a 750 amp car battery". I hope you're using a deep cycle battery, and even deep discharge group 27 battery has a usable capacity of under 100 amp-hours. I have large two 6 Volt batteries, something over $300 at my local Interstate Battery shop, and those are rated at 230 amp-hours. Your two 25 watt lights take (round off) 4 amp hours x 3.5 hours per day times 14 days = 196 amp hours. So if I did that my batteries would be about dead, assuming I didn't need any heat or cook anything or keep a fridge cold. If you just want to run lights then you'll be fine with a smallish battery and solar panels. But to illustrate a point- a hot plate or toaster oven pulls around 1,000 watts. With power loss in the inverter, that's around 100 amps out of the battery. Starting fully charged, if it takes me thirty minutes of cooking per meal I get four meals before the battery is drained to the point of internal damage. Two safe meals. A car charging battery will give you one meal.
I have a 22 foot trailer, so my electical needs are higher than most. I plan on using solar panels- no generator and only occasional shore power. On sunny days I think I would marginally be able to keep my all-led lights on and run the water pump and fan for the propane furnace indefinitely on 200 watt solar panels. So I'm planning on a 400 watt solar system, because it sometimes rains and is cloudy, and not all RV spaces have good sun. If I wanted an electric refrigerator I'd need to double that. If I wanted to use electric cooking I'd need at least that much more, and it would be ridiculous to think about space heating or water heating with solar powered electric unless I had a heat pump.
|
|
girlandcoconut
Member
Posts: 42
Likes: 13
1975 Skyline Layton
Currently Offline
|
Post by girlandcoconut on Aug 10, 2016 14:13:58 GMT -8
Why remove a system that has worked for over 60 years?? Many of our vintage trailers did not have the wiring to support all electric; propane provided heat, light and cooking. A 75 trailer is slightly newer than most, so may already have a 30 amp cord and system. That being said, I would not remove gas lines or the ability to use propane appliances. It's well worth keeping them in case you ever want to sell it. Cap/plug what's there and leave in place. For a number of reasons... If I can figure out a usable solar/electric system that meets all my needs, that's only one system to maintain. I get the resale considerations but that's not on the radar for me, moreso is having a safe trailer #1, then combination of functionality, innovation, aesthetics, etc that work for my lifestyle. Also, I read quite a lot of messages here about folks not actually enjoying cooking with the propane inside the trailer and that even if they have the system, they don't use it, don't recommend others use theirs and/or don't feel it's safe, etc etc. Kept sounding to me like finding another solution might be a good idea. Also, considering weight of batteries and solar equip, figured removing the propane lines, tanks and going with a lighter weight cooking appliance would balance the load in that respect. We'll see, still investigating but glad to see folks are having success with alternative/out of the box set ups. Save |
|
turbodaddy
1K Member
Posts: 1,086
Likes: 462
17' 1965 Fan "Sunseeker"
Currently Offline
|
Post by turbodaddy on Aug 10, 2016 15:13:18 GMT -8
I'm with Vikx on this one. As long as the trailer owner is confident regarding the condition and safe operation of the system, there is nothing to fear. We rarely have used the two LP lamps, but it is nice to know they are there if needed. We have lots of LED lighting that hardly uses any battery power. The ability to cook, and run the fridge without any electric hook up for days on end is awfully nice if you are in the boonies.The Norcold fridge has a freezer so we use it to make juice container Ice blocks for the cooler. We have 2 group 24 deep cycle batteries with a selector switch. Only use one battery at a time while charging the other. We can charge from the tow vehicle while traveling,use a solar panel to trickle charge during the day, and have 110 AC chargers for when we are plugged in. Our biggest battery draw comes with the Attwood furnace which uses about 10 amps when running. On our cross country trip last Fall we were in the snow at the Grand Canyon and Santa Fe and still really only ran the furnace for maybe an hour in the morning or evening. The furnace doesn't run continuously so it really doesn't draw all that much. When we're plugged in and have the battery charger on we don't even think about it.
I guess it comes down to what kind of camping experience you are after, our preference is comfort in the boonies.
|
|
Hamlet
2K Member
Posts: 2,816
Likes: 924
Currently Offline
|
Post by Hamlet on Aug 10, 2016 17:53:07 GMT -8
We use our gas lamp, stove and oven in Hamlet. I know gas makes folks nervous, but you just don't let your guard down, like a lot of other things in life. For nights when it gets below freezing, we have a tiny electric space heater that does the trick quite nicely and doesn't draw a lot of power. Most of the time the lamp and an extra layer of clothing is enough to keep us warm.
I agree with vikx, keep the lines and cap them off if you can, just in case you sell it someday.
|
|
chametzoo
Full Member
Posts: 585
Likes: 128
1960 Mobile Scout
Currently Offline
|
Post by chametzoo on Aug 10, 2016 19:52:59 GMT -8
This is camper trailer restoration #5 it has NO propane. No tanks, no lines, no furnace, no gas lights, no stove, saves about 200 lbs in weight and lots of work saved.
We have an all electric camper trailer, 3.3 Cu Ft refrigerator, electric griddle, electric 2 burner cook top stove, toaster oven, crock pot, microwave, coffee maker, electric heater, electric lights. It all stores in the kitchen cabinets. Take out the items you want to cook with then put them back. Electricity at all State Parks. Car Battery and DC to AC inverter gives us 120 vac at all National Parks. I also have a Coleman stove.
Sounds like you know what you want. Live with it for a while and let us know how it goes…. |
|
|
|
Post by vikx on Aug 10, 2016 21:33:37 GMT -8
Also, people have MORE issues with electrical than they do with propane. The trouble is, people tend to overload electrical systems and don't understand how limiting a trailer system can be. Melted cords, fried outlets and scorched wiring come to mind.
To me, both systems need to be used with knowledge and great care.
|
|
gary350
Full Member
We should have gone camping today it is going to snow 6" tonight.
Posts: 573
Likes: 170
1964 FAN
Currently Offline
|
Post by gary350 on Sept 11, 2016 5:55:37 GMT -8
If you already have propane and think you might use it then keep it.
We don't use our lights none stop for 4 hours very day. WE have 3 LED mushroom battery lights we use. If we need more light we turn on the electric lights. In side the camper 1 light is 15 watt the other is 25 watt. We have a living room lamp on the picnic table with a 15 wall light. We use Coleman stove where there is no electric.
Battery does good form Friday evening to the 2nd Sunday 9 days later as long as i remember to disconnect the inverter from battery when it is not used.
We have candles in empty food cans too.
Last time we camped we did not take the car battery and inverter.
I now have 135 watts of solar but so far have not used it in the forest not enough sun. Solar will be good for desert camping.
|
|
