Trying to dry camp - running out of battery power

[k-krew]

We just got home after being on the road for four and a half months with our new 3160 Bighorn. One of the problems we had was trying to dry camp. With our previous 5th wheel we could get by charging the batteries once or twice a week. Our first dry stay with this rig was Shenandoah National Park where we had to run the generator every day even though we were very conservative with our electrical use. I took the 2 12v deep cycles out, had them tested, was told they were bad, and replaced them with two 6v golf cart batteries. This did not improve our situation very much. What kind of dry camping periods are you all getting? Should I start looking for an extra drain? How about the fan in the cooling stack of the frig?

Thanks, K-Krew

 

[branson4020]

Re: Trying to dry camp

Do you have a residential refer?

 

[2TrakR]

Re: Trying to dry camp

I can get maybe 1 day out of our cyclone on the single 12V battery. That's basically running pump, lights and fan for fridge.

Could run 2 days with our last Class A (2 twelve V batteries).

 

[k-krew]

Re: Trying to dry camp

We have the 2 way 4 door frig.

 

[danemayer]

Re: Trying to dry camp

It's been cold over the past 4 months. Were you running the furnace?

 

[Oregon_Camper]

Re: Trying to dry camp

I'm also have issues with the batteries in my 3160. Barely made it 2 days and we are VERY good with conserving battery power. I was ready to pull the trigger on some new Trojan batteries today, now I see your post and I stop and wonder what is really going on.

 

[k-krew]

Re: Trying to dry camp

We only ran the furnace one time first thing in the morning. I had hooked up an inverter in order to run the TV but found I couldn't use it and disconnected it when I installed the two 6v batteries. I think that my next step is to figure out a way to measure current and start shutting down circuits to see if there is something drawing too much. Oregon_Camper, the new Trojans should give quite a bit higher amp hour rating that's part of what is troubling me.

 

[danemayer]

Re: Trying to dry camp

If you have the Yeti package, make sure the heat tape and tank heaters are turned off. Some tank heaters are 12V while others are 110V. The heat tape is always 12V and may be controlled by a thermostat. If not switched off, they'll draw the batteries down.

 

[Oregon_Camper]

Re: Trying to dry camp

........ Oregon_Camper, the new Trojans should give quite a bit higher amp hour rating that's part of what is troubling me.

Which Trojan's did you get? I'm thinking of getting the 1275's (2x12v)

 

[caissiel]

Re: Trying to dry camp

Most RV fridges have a heat strip between the freezer door and the fridge door that will kill a battery in no time. We have ours switched off most of the time and if we see sweat we turn it on. But never if we are not on shore power.
The Norcold do not have the switch anymore and my friends found out the hard way how hard it is on a battery.

 

[HornedToad]

Re: Trying to dry camp

You could always move to Texas, where you don't have to worry about draining your batteries...
just your gas tanks.

 

[OEFVET]

Re: Trying to dry camp

We have the progressive surge protector. The display tells you how many amps your using. It's a good quick way to identify drains while you are running the generator.

 

[Gaffer]

Re: Trying to dry camp

Maybe need some pontoons there!

You could always move to Texas, where you don't have to worry about draining your batteries...
just your gas tanks.

 

[Oregon_Camper]

Re: Trying to dry camp

We have the progressive surge protector. The display tells you how many amps your using. It's a good quick way to identify drains while you are running the generator.

Could you provide the model number of this device and a quick description of where/how you installed it?

 

[OEFVET]

Re: Trying to dry camp

EMSHW50C but that one is for 50 amp. I installed mine after the transfer switch and before the breakers. Danemayer is the one that gave me good advise on how/where to install.

 

[danemayer]

Re: Trying to dry camp

The Progressive EMS is pretty essential in my opinion, but has nothing to do with your battery drain why dry camping. It protects against various conditions on the 110V AC side of the operation and shows amps being used by the 110V AC devices. It doesn't show any information about the 12V DC system.

 

[OEFVET]

Yes Dan but won't it help eliminate drains by watching the consumption while generator is on? I used it to identify parasite drains I did not know where active. Of course it only works while on shore power or generator power.

 

[scottyb]

Re: Trying to dry camp

k-krew, the 2 6V Trojans were a good move in my opinion. However, you didn't gain a ton of Ah over a pair of group 27's, maybe 20-30 Ah's. What you gained was the ability to repetitively take them down to 50%, w/o harming them. This can not be done with the hybrid marine batteries that come in these rigs. They do OK as long as they are not drawn down below 70% regularly. This is where you gained your biggest advantage with the 6V Trojans (or any true deep cycle battery).

 

[danemayer]

Re: Trying to dry camp

Yes Dan but won't it help eliminate drains by watching the consumption while generator is on? I used it to identify parasite drains I did not know where active. Of course it only works while on shore power or generator power.

It'll show you 110V amps including the Power Converter. If you were running the generator and had all circuit breakers shut off except the Power Convert, you could tell how many amps the Power Converter was drawing. But I don't see how you would interpret 12V loads from that information. You might get some very indirect and vague information representing some combination of Converter efficiency and output mode, DC loads, and battery charging.

 

[avvidclif]

Re: Trying to dry camp

The Progressive EMS is pretty essential in my opinion, but has nothing to do with your battery drain why dry camping. It protects against various conditions on the 110V AC side of the operation and shows amps being used by the 110V AC devices. It doesn't show any information about the 12V DC system.

Since the 12v side is the concern if it were hooked up to shore power and all breakers are turned off except to the converter it would show what is being drawn to power the 12v stuff. The fridge and WH would have to be manually turned off. Just a thought.