Small travel trailer setup example

Brewgonia

I have a small (19') camper with all the amenities, great for short/long weekends. There's a nice Yamaha 2000w generator/inverter to power the A/C, microwave, TV, game system, cell phone adapters, etc. what I have always hated is having to get out of my cozy bed late at night to go turn off the generator when everyone is done with their electronics ( I don't like the constant sound of it running either, even with it being a very quiet one).

My idea? Replace the marine battery with a good deep cycle 12v ( it was on its way out anyway); run a 45w solar panel into a small charge controller to keep the battery topped-off during the day (if no sun the genny can be run to charge the battery); run a small 300w pure sign wave inverter from the battery to a dedicated/isolated outlet meant to run the TV, game system, cell phone chargers.

The generator is still available to run the amp-hogs but for the most part, we're done using those things before we turn in for the night.

mike95490

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

If you used a 200w panel, you would be getting somewhere, but 45w is really too small to bother with, IMHO. And don't forget that the 12V output of the genset, is only a couple amps, you will need a stout charger to recharge the battery. And I'd look at a pair of 6v batteries in series, instead of 12's in parallel.

westbranch

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

A pair of GC's (golf cart) batteries are probably your best value for available power... you want to aim for a minimum of 3% to 5% of the batteries Ahr rating for charge current, ie 230 AHr needs ~ 7A to 11.5A minimum, but better at ~ 23A (10%), so you need, for example, 3 x 140W panels or more for full time PV use without using the gen set.

Cariboocoot

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

Mike has a point in that a 45 Watt panel produces only about 2.5 Amps. Fine for maintaining a battery around 100 Amp hours but won't significantly contribute to actual charging or slowing discharge.

Brewgonia

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

This is only a 2 night, maybe 3 setup at best. The goal is a 2 to 3 hour powering of TV, digital converter, maybe some Wii and cell phone charging thrown in. If you throw out the Wii there is very little draw with plenty left over (on a 150ah battery) to fire up the furnace overnight. I don't have room for two 6v batteries so the single 12v has to do.

Cariboocoot

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

Brewgonia wrote: »

This is only a 2 night, maybe 3 setup at best. The goal is a 2 to 3 hour powering of TV, digital converter, maybe some Wii and cell phone charging thrown in. If you throw out the Wii there is very little draw with plenty left over (on a 150ah battery) to fire up the furnace overnight. I don't have room for two 6v batteries so the single 12v has to do.

Even so the 45 Watt panel won't be contributing much to that. In reality you're looking at several hundred Watt hours for all that. The panel at best would put out 200 Watt hours. As for how it would affect the battery, you've got up to 900 Watt hours DC from that (50% DOD). That does not include inverter consumption and conversion efficiency. It's a shame you can't get about 250 Watts of panel to feed that battery.

If I were you I'd measure the actual usage with a Kill-A-Watt and/or be prepared to still run that generator a lot.

Brewgonia

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

The unfortunate reality is that there's no room to even store a single 150w PV (let alone 250w worth!) inside the camper, and certainly no room for permanent mounting outside. So PHYSICALLY I'm limited. I've just been able to move the camper to a place where I can work on it so over the next few days I'll be running the Killawatt on it.

Even with these limitations I'll still be in a better state than previously with the Marine battery, or maybe not, we'll see how the testing goes.

Chris

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

what make of trailer is it? at 19ft you should have lots of room on the roof for panel placement....a friend of mine has a 19ft Hideout with 300 watts of panel on it.

Brewgonia

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

Palomino. There's an A/C, TV antenna, two plumbing vents, radio antenna, front vent, rear bathroom vent, skylight. And it's spaced all over the place, can't really relocate much to make it better. I suppose I could check into patch working a variety of dissimilar sized panels but that has it's own issues.

Chris

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

well, you wouldn't need ton's of panels.......you could perhaps put 1 or 2 larger ones. maybe 2X150's? my 100 watt panels are under 2'X4' don't remember the exact dimensions at the moment.

Brewgonia

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

If I could always park with the front toward the south I could mount them on the sloped front of the camper! I d have a decent angle and room for a couple of 150's. Would just have to protect them from bugs, road grime and flying rocks while driving. Actually that might not be a bad idea if I could hinge them and at least get them to horizontal, hmmmmmm.

BB.

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

A few folks have made folding awnings on the side (over a doorway/patio/large window).

-Bill

vtmaps

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

Brewgonia wrote: »

if no sun the genny can be run to charge the battery

What will you be using for a battery charger? As Mike95490 correctly wrote:

mike95490 wrote:

And don't forget that the 12V output of the genset, is only a couple amps, you will need a stout charger to recharge the battery.

--vtMaps

unyalli

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

So you could not get away with this on the tongue?

Click to enlarge

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Brewgonia

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

I've got just enough room for the 1 - 12v battery. On this small of a trailer there's just not that much room on the tongue. It does have two 20# LP tanks mounted so one option would be to reconfigure and carry just one.

At some point the ROI just gets crazy stupid instead of just stupid. A couple of 100w PVs, second battery, upgraded CC - for a weekend setup and a couple of hours of peace at night just doesn't balance.

Chris

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

Unless you have some really odd tongue configuration (being that you have 2 tanks on it, sounds normal to me) then 2 6 volts will fit on it. You will need another battery cover and strap, but all you "should" have to do is slide the original batt box to the frame rail....making just enough room to put 2 batts side by each.

I have a group of friends and family that all do ONLY boon dock camping, and out of probably 20 or so different units.....the only one I have come across that wouldn't accommodate 2 6volts in the stock location was an strange little "Ultra Light" It had all the tanks and battery in a compartment.

Chris

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

so......what's the info in your signature? is that from a different unit?

Cariboocoot

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

I'm having trouble equating the 19 foot length of the trailer with the adjective 'small'.

unyalli

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

A picture would be worth a hundred words. A few pictures from different angles a thousand.

Jeff

Brewgonia

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

Once the snow and ice storm subsides I'll be able to snap some pics. Until then I'm out to the barn to install a new top end on my sons Mx bike!

Brewgonia

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

Attachment not found.here's a pic of the tongue area. Not much room when you consider the two LP tanks occupy the space between the battery box and front of camper.

Brewgonia

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

Attachment not found.Attachment not found.Attachment not found.more pics of sides and sloped front. There might be room on top on either side of the vent for panels.

mike95490

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

Brewgonia wrote: »

Attachment not found.Attachment not found.Attachment not found.more pics ...

For inverted applications, you must use AGM batteries

Can you use the taller styles of LP tanks? Fitting one tall one in, won't give you the same as 2 smaller ones, but more than 1 smaller one would (maybe the same, considering you only have 1 OFPD using the top 5" of 1 tank instead of 2 tanks)

Blackcherry04

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

See if this works.

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Brewgonia

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

One of the issues you deal with towing is tongue weight. If I put another 70-80 pound battery on the tongue it would change the weight distribution of the entire load, I'd have to maximize the load directly above the towing vehicle rear axle or even over the trailer axle. That would be mitigated a tad since at that point I'd be toting only one LP tank which weighs what -38# full?

Blackcherry04

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

You could always take it to a welding shop and have a rack made for the back and have it tied to the bumper and the frame and move the tanks and / or batteries. Google around the I-net you'll find some have made and some different ideas. Someone in here made a two level rack ( double decker ) a while back where the batteries slid out on the rack.

Chris

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

Well.....looks easy enough to fit 2 batteries in the stock placement.

All you need is 2 pieces of angle iron either bolted or welded to of the frame rails to strap them too.....or if you don't like that make a box that bolts on top of the frame to put them in. I'm pretty sure an RV dealership would even stock something like that

as for the panels I'd have to see a pic of the roof.......but looks to me like there is alot of open realestate up there.

Chris

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

Brewgonia wrote: »

One of the issues you deal with towing is tongue weight. If I put another 70-80 pound battery on the tongue it would change the weight distribution of the entire load, I'd have to maximize the load directly above the towing vehicle rear axle or even over the trailer axle. That would be mitigated a tad since at that point I'd be toting only one LP tank which weighs what -38# full?

Unless your towing that tiny trailer with a honda civic.......I wouldn't worry about one battery.

unyalli

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

Curious if this battery box would "just" fit in there.

http://www.allbatterysalesandservice.com/browse.cfm/4,573.html
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Shadowcatcher

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

We have a 6X10 teardrop trailer and have an extended tongue to accommodate a large tongue box so I don't have the same problems. I have a 150HA lifeline AGM battery (100#) which is fed by a 185W 66 cell high voltage panel and a Morningstar MPPT controller. We camped for 8 days on the north shore of lake superior in a shaded camp site and ended up at 64% SOC atht eend of the eight days. We have a generator we have yet to use and the camps site we were in would not allow them anyway. The trailer is set up for serious boondocking and part of that is conservation LED lights do not use resstance heat for things lilke coffee maker (French press)...
Your panel doe not have to be mounted flat to the roof it can be on a rack above everything but the AC. We have a single 25# translucent propane tank, The tank is lighter weight and holds nearly as much propane as two 20# tanks. Panels could be mounted on the front of the trailer and hinged to fold up. And yes 19' is considered small in the RV behemoth category whereas 10' is considered large in teardrop circles.

BB.

Re: Small travel trailer setup example

Learn something new every day--Fiberglass (translucent) propane tanks. Some information here:

http://www.litecylinder.com/ourstory.aspx

Note, apparently all of the tanks from the above company were recalled last year--So I do not know if this company is still currently selling tanks.

On May 24, 2013, The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued Emergency Order Number 2013-002 mandating a recall of all cylinders manufactured by The Lite Cylinder Company, Inc. (Lite Cylinder), Franklin, Tennessee, and marked as authorized under DOT-SP 14562 (and DOT-SP-13957 as authorized therein), DOT-SP 13105; any cylinder requalified under H706, and any cylinders manufactured under M5729. This recall order also applies to any person who is in possession of an affected packaging that is subject to this order.
The emergency order is based on an investigation of Lite Cylinder's operations and production history that revealed probable violations and unsafe conditions and practices that PHMSA determined present an imminent hazard to the public safety. In effect, this action immediately orders the removal from service of more than 55,000 two-piece fully wrapped fiber composite cylinders. These cylinders are largely in liquefied petroleum gas service.

PHMSA also terminated the above special permits and approvals for cylinder requalification, and manufacturer�s Registration Numbers.

All cylinder sizes are involved in this recall: 10#, 20#, 25# and 33#

Please note that the directive states "Under no circumstances should a cylinder described in this emergency recall order be filled, refilled, or used for the transportation of hazardous materials." The cylinder's identifying markings may be found on the label affixed to the dome of the cylinder.

To effectively comply with this recall, cylinder owners must:

1) Take proper safeguards in identifying and handling the affected cylinders identified in this order.

2) Cease use of all specified cylinders until notified of DOT response to Petition for Review.

3) Arrange to have all propane gas removed from cylinder. This should only be done by qualified persons, trained in handling cylinders in accordance with Federal regulations. (Note: All propane dispensing agents should meet this criteria.) This person must discharge all gas, purge, and remove the valve per the recall.

4) Visit the government's website at www.phmsa.dot.gov

-Bill