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My husband and I are full time RVers and understand everything you have been through. We’ve been on the road for 4 years and have loved it. Currently, we’re on a 6 month hiatus to re-evaluate our situation. I want to get back on the road and hubby wants to go back to sticks & bricks. His reasoning is quite valid. All of the repairs our fifth wheel camper needs and the constant search for overnight accommodations can really stress us out. These concerns have sparked intense feelings on both our parts so we have a lot to sort out. Will be watching to see what The Hanks decide to do. (I personally think you’ll return to the road) Once you have a taste of the RV lifestyle, it gets in your blood, and you won’t be able to resist the freedom of the nomadic lifestyle.
I'll second that. After a night sleeping in just a sleeping bag, on the inland side of dunes, we all woke up salt crusted. Great way to rot out frames and exhaust.
One thing I’ve learned when camping on sand or other soft surface is not to use blocks on the low side but dig a couple of small holes in the sand on the high side for the tires to roll into. Sometimes you may have to back up and dig deeper or fill them in to be level. Always better to be lower with the rig than being on stilts.
I love that she's like "PLEASE don't ever do this. It's extremely dangerous and could lead to injury and damage" while the guys are high-fiving each other 😂
When I was younger, I used to go back packing for a week. Not even one 12 volt battery or a single appliance. The original dry camping. Now that I am older, it is a RV for me.
Dude! So right. I have been boondocking for about 20 years and my anxiety when sky high with them first using the jacks then leaving like all the lights on. Can’t wait for the conclusion and the new battery bank figure! Ha! Ha!
@@RVRepairNut I am willing to bet they don't have an LED flashlight that can be turned up to use reflective lighting. I found a rechargeable shop light that folds up to pack away. It recharges like a cell phone so if you have a vehicle with fuel you can charge it up as you drive. It's LED and bright as all get out.
It is crazy how much money you spend on food when boondocking! For us at least, half the fun is making good food over the fire. Breakfast burritos in the morning, a rack of ribs for dinner. Theres something primal about cooking a flank of meat over an open flame.
We use a Jackery, a regular deep cycle battery. We can always fire up the truck and power the RV then from the truck battery too. If you can’t move your slides or hydraulics, plug in the 7 pin and fire up the truck.
Hey, one thing about lithium batteries is a lot of insurance companies. Don’t ensure if you have a car it’s got lithium, batteries cause lithium batteries have a way of igniting on your own and lotta house homes is burnt down and peoples campers have burnt down because of lithium golf carts so maybe lithium is not a good idea in your camper, I won’t do it
Thank you for taking the time to share this with us! You are correct, lithium has its cons as well. We are not up to speed with the data on how often this happens, but it certainly something to keep in mind. Thank you very much for taking the time to share this with us - Kyle and Renee
We’ve been dry camping for 30 years with just 12v battery and no solar or gen. We could go a week with conservation efforts. We had solar luci lights, always left pump and water heater off. We now have a new camper ready for retirement in a few years with solar, lithium battery and a Gen to big time boondock.
Hi guys… I know it’s a different world compared to the rig you’re used to but I just bought a little guy max… My first three modifications are One, double batteries Two, double propane tanks Three, additional solar panel. Wishing the best for you guys.
One nite on a 12 volt battery can drain down just using your refer. It’s all about the amps your going to use that really determines what u need. If your going to spend your time in parks with full hookups I would at least add a small generator for off grid. When dry camping do not leave your truck hooked up to the trailer, it will drain your truck battery
We are at the other end of the boondocking spectrum - we have gone as long as 6 months in between plugging into power for charging. We have enough lithium and solar to run our AC a few hours each day and are about to put a mini split in to make running it 24/7 possible... all that said, I have more fun watching your channel and take on RV life than any other out there - so thank you for the antics, entertainment and education all wrapped into one - you guys hit it all!
400 watts of solar on the roof, two AGM batteries, a 2000 watt inverter keeps us camping - even with a little bit of TV every day. Love the boondocking life!
@@RootBeerTuna This system was already installed on our RV when we purchased it. We recently upgraded the AGM batteries to LiFePO (Lithium), which cost us close to $1000. However, the LiFePO batteries can be discharged more deeply without damage, recharge more quickly and last for more charge/discharge cycles. I expect these batteries (2 of them, each 100 amp/hour) to last for 7-8 years or longer. Well worth the investment.
We have been doing this for 4 years now. We have 4 100amp lit batteries, 3000 watt inverter and 1200 watts on the roof. 37’ 5th wheel and we have boondocked for a week and never had power issues. If it’s really cloudy usually have to run the generator by the 3rd day. To start I would invest in a good battery monitor, I use Victron.
Hope y’all enjoy skimping by on that little battery. We went the other direction for glamdocking. 660w solar, 840 amps lithium with inverter and GenMax 7250 inverter generator. Big investment but we want to run anything with no worries off grid. We have learned so much from your channel. Thx Hanks!
We don’t have a dehumidifier either, but we just use damp rid in little plastic containers. They work good. Good luck with boondocking on the beach! Happy Camping and Safe Travels!! ❤❤❤
You need a lot of Damprid to eliminate the humidity while at the beach. Best thing is little fans to keep airflow moving - but it will cost in battery life. Maybe USB rechargeable fans would work.
We primarily dry camping with our TT. We have to 12V lead acid for the coach, another with a pure sine inverter for our entertainment system. We then have 300 watts of solar suitcase. As well, a Renogy 1000 LiPo power station with 2100 watt inverter that we often plug our trailer into. We also have Honda 2000 generator that we rarely use if sunny and warm. To further to conserve on batteries, we have several 200 lumen AA battery puck lights throughout the trailer that fully lights it. Since we only camp in the low humidity west, we have no issues with our heavy duty swamp cooler keeping us cool and only using less than 200 watts
Y'all worry too much. Everything's going to be fine. Instead of raising the ship in the air, get a shovel and lower the ground. Been doin it on the beach for 30 years.
Good luck Hanks. With 1 12v lead acid you only have 50 amp hours of usable power. When the battery gets below 12v you run the risk of ruining it. The fridge control board requires 12v to tell it to run on propane. If the battery gets below 12v, bad things start happening. I have never seen an rv battery charge from being connected to the truck, unless you add a DC to DC charger. You can connect the truck to the rv battery via jumper cables if it comes to that. If you don't have a volt meter, get one. Test the voltage @ the battery. For leveling, you should carry at least 3 2x8's that you can drive both tires onto. That will not sink, and you will be able to chock the tires. The humidity there is rough... best of luck.
We ONLY boondock…we have only stayed in an RV park 3 times in over 17 years. We have 4 batteries in our 5th wheel since we stay for 10+ days per trip out. We also have Yamaha generators but usually use them to charge the boat batteries or rarely for air conditioner. Great video! Have bunches of fun!
Invest in a good GENERATOR! I have just completed 6 months boondocking here in Pahrump NV, gasoline and propane were my biggest expenses, and I replenished my water with gallon jugs, BTW I have a Westinghouse 4300 Watts supplying my power needs when BDing
I love that you guys are finally boondocking. That is practically how I grew up. In fact, my family spent several summers in the mountains in Montana "boondocking" (we called it living) at dad's mine living out of a 1978 Security Traveler 23' trailer and tents. Now my wife and I live in Alaska and real camping is a way of life. Even at -20 degrees while snowmachining with my kids for the weekend. In the summer most of our camping trips is on a 28' boat into Prince William Sound. No full hookups out there.
If you can smell your gray tank you need to replace the studor valve. It's not working properly. We had the same issue. Once it was replaced all smells gone.
The desire to boondock is the main reason I opted for a Motorhome with onboard generator vs a trailer. We bought our rig used and the (2) 6V Lead Acid's were old so I made the big investment into (2) 12V Lithiums...no regrets there. A possible safety net for you is to plug your rig into the truck and run the engine for a bit to recharge the battery. On another note, we haven't boondocked on the beach yet and the leveling issue is something I hadn't thought of. Probably a good idea to carry big pieces of wood to put under the jacks to distribute the weight over a larger surface area.
All ya gotta do is stay connected with the 7 pin to your truck and run the truck once a day for 10 to 15 minutes. It’ll charge the trailer battery as well as the truck. Hope you have fun guys!!
Yes. The 7 pin is supposed to charge your 12V while you're driving your truck. That hookup should have been made to your truck when you bought your Solitude. If you ever watched "Getaway Couple" you'll see they had LifePo4 batteries with out solar for a long time. They did have a generator to charge their batteries. But, you can save a lot of money by not getting a full solar conversion. The lithium batteries will still be hooked up to your fuse/breaker panel. If you have a propane powered generator, it will run off your propane tanks you already have. Solar is not mandatory when you get lifepo4 batteries installed. I gave seen folks get by with a DC to DC connector from the truck to the rv as well. When the batteries get low, they just start the truck and that recharges the batteries. Plus, it's a lot quieter than a generator.
Back in the early 80's, I mounted a 2nd battery under the hood of my '73 Chevy PU. It was wired through a solenoid that engaged it to the vehicle charge system anytime the truck was running. I charged the house, spare house, and vehicle battery any time I was going down the road. Since the truck battery was isolated with key off, there was no danger of running it down. Sadly with modern vehicles, you'd have a hard time mounting a spare battery under the hood. ....or trusting the electronics to take the load. I built the system for under $20 dollars back then. (plus the battery) My old Nomad trailer did not have an inverter system in it.
Ugh. We have 1200 watts solar, 840 amps lithium plus an onboard generator.... ok we are juice hogs!! Love to not have to worry about consumption and MUST HAVE COFFEE in the morning. LOL! Just run the extension cord to the last 5th wheel in your beach line up - looks like they have solar panels!!
Our Revel van has solar, a dedicated second alternator for charging and 650 amp hours of lithium batteries. The only time we worry about power is with the A/C in Summer. We dry camp about 90% of the time so we try to avoid RV parks. Love the video!!
I purchased a suit-case type solar panel that comes with a 7pin connector so we can adjust it's position to match the sun and it's easy to hook up, gives a decent boost to the battery and makes boondocking a little easier. Lots of sunshine up here in the Northwest Territories in the summer, we're not quite 24/7 sunshine but it's 20+ hrs of sun above the horizon keeps the battery charged.
@@krisg3984 we're using a "Canada Proof" 180 Watt solar panel. It folds in half, comes with a semi-hard carrying case. We've found it very durable and with the 15 amp charge controller built in - it's perfect for either trickle charging and or buffing up our battery when we use it. You can adjust the controller as well for lead acid, lithium, agm, gel etc. It gives our set-up some legs and reduces the effect of battery use quite a bit. Keep in mind where we do a lot of our camping in and around Yellowknife Northwest Territories, we have a "dusk" in the summer. Realistically for about 2 - 3 ish hours overnight we're not full sunlight so we can rotate our solar panel around through the day and evening and catch some charge into the battery.
Energy independence is my goal, but it's going to take a while to save up for a proper battery bank. I've got my solar set up just waiting for panels and will be adding a wind generator. Hadn't realized it just yet but a beach would be a great place for a 1KW windmill mounted on a telescoping flag pole welded into the rear! Even overcast you'd have almost constant energy.
I was told by a Lippert employee that the system IS made to hold the tires off the ground to keep the rig level and as long as it’s not WAY off the ground, it’s ok (mine is always 2 inches off on one side in front of my house). He also said if the ground is pretty level, I can use the system to lift the tire to change a flat…. LOVE the video…!!
No Solar or genny. Just one battery deep cycle. But our trailer is a RV park queen! No way the wife will go in the heat without AC! 😁 Hope y'all make it! As someone said, run the truck to charge up.
Boondocking in the best but is easier to do out west with all the public land. 400W solar (barely enough for my preferences), 400Ah of LiFePo4 batteries and an 3000W inverter makes it very convenient. I can even run my A/C for a couple hours without the genset. I take one with me though all the time, runs of propane and lets me run the A/C most of the day for a couple days before I run out
22’ trailer with 190w of solar on top. Easy to boondock in terms of power. Our smallish tanks are what keep our boondocking to just a few days at a time.
We are weekend warriors, we don't like staying in campgrounds because there's too many people. We have solar and a generator, so we can run AC, but just upgrade to lithium batteries and an inverter, so we don't need a generator anymore. We have an insane amount of batteries. It's overkill, but it's worth it not to carry around generator and gas. That looks like a blast.
Love the content...here is what we have: Two batteries, 2000 watt generator (coffee and microwave) and just purchased solar suitcase 200 amp. We can stay for two weeks easy with out any hookups....
One thing to keep in mind with a mist if it's coming off the saltwater... I hope you gave that truck and rig a thorough bath.. I've lived on the Gulf Beach in Florida for 45 years.. Everything rusts
Rocking 2 6-volt batteries and a Honda eu2200i companion with a soft start on my 2019 Outdoors RV 270RKS and 220v in solar panels. I don’t camp anywhere I need the ac lol unless I leave NW Montana to my hometown of Chico, CA to see my friends. I don’t miss those 100-120 degree days in N. CA!! The only time I stay in an RV park is a RARE occasion I don’t stay in a rest stop/truck stop on travel days. Boondocking all the way! Love my Blackstone too!
I boondock all the time. When I first bought my RV I bought a Harbor Freight special 6000w generator. Thing is loud and heavy. I have one single lead acid battery and a family of four. I swapped all my lights to LEDs and we don't have an inverter so we only really power those lights, the water pump, the fridge, and occasionally the heater. I find that if it's warm and we don't have to run the heater we usually last 2 or 3 days before I need to fire up the generator. For weekend trips it usually ends up staying in the truck, thankfully, it's friggin heavy. It's nice to have it for emergencies and to run the AC if it get's unbearably hot or something. I am considering a 300w solar setup for a few hundred $$$. From what I can calculate that would let us camp indefinitely as long as it's reasonably sunny, even if we use the heater. I am honestly considering all this just so I don't have to lift that HEAVY GENERATOR OUT OF MY TRUCK. Solar is cheaper than a decent generator now days if you really live the boondicking life mind your usage. Running AC is a different story, and if it's bad weather you need a Genny for backup anyway.
I'm totally enjoying your channel. We (my husband and I) have totally enjoyed Binge watching your videos! We just purchased our first toy hauler for weekend camping. We are trying to educate ourselves with the basics, and your crazy adventures make it so much more exciting for our first outing! 😊 ❤
I built my van for boondocking. 1,200 watts of solar panels, 900 amp hours of lithium batteries. A 60 amp dc to dc charger. 54 gallons of water. And a 9,000 btu mini split ac/heater 😉. I have airbags for Leveling.
Momentum, Grant Design, M351. I change the power inverter and added 400 amp hour lithium batteries, added 400 watts of solar and a 4000 watt inverter to our RV. We love it!
Couple of things Hanks,curious when "D" transmission fluid and both trans filters was last changed?! And remember to always use the tow haul button,it will help out with the shift while towing and keep the transmission cooler truckin' down the road!
Having grown up right on the Gulf of Mexico I can attest to the sand issue. In a fairly short time frame, everything will have sand in it and it does not matter how meticulous you are, it just is a fact of life.
You guys are right on, you would help to double the batteries and they didn't have to be Lithuanian,(at $900 each NO)you could add a solar panel just to keep the battery changed. OH we don't have an outdoor matt yet, since you got one maybe we will. Till next time enjoy. 🤙👍🤙👍💖💖
We have a 25' Entegra moter home and are full tme (1 year) We have 2 100 amp xeep cycle AGM house batteries, 4,000 watt gen set (propane powered) with Cummings wirless Auto Generator Start. The AGS is set to start when the batteries reach 12.5v. Shuts off when fully charged, usually 1/2 -1 hr run time. 25° outsde, the gen will come on 2-3 times running the propane heater with the batteries running the heater most of the time at night. AGS can be set in the summer to run the AC, comes on when temp reaches 78°, shuts off the AC when temp lowers to 72° or what ever you set it. The gen does not run all the time, only when needed Works great making ice in the frig in 90° heat or keeping us warm in 16-25° cold using the heater. We have dry camped 5 days and have not come close to running out of propane summr or winter. (8 useable gal of propane).
We have one of those outdoor mats and they work great, you actually don't have to wash your feet off or wipe them off first before you step on the mat because the sand sifts through it doesn't stay on top of the mat.
12v battery is fine, just get some jumper cables from harbor freight, etc.. you can then alway use then to charge the RV battery from your truck in emergencies! Super affordable!!!
I installed my solar system myself with 520 watts of panels, 1000 watt inverter, charge controller With 2 Crown lead acid 6 volt batteries for under $2400. We boondock all the time with no issues. Having said that we obviously don’t run the AC but we run the furnace, watch TV, charge our phones & laptop and run our lights with no issues.
WOW!! We are outdoor rug twins!! Well, you, me and about 20,000 others that said, "Well, I'm not a big fan of the gray. But hey, it's got the Greek Key action so yeah... Let's get it!" Big Blue is rockin' a generator, two 12 volt batteries with a small solar trickle charger on the roof. We don't like to run the generator at night cause of the noise, fuel usage. We replaced every light with LED and rely on our batteries at night when boondocking. So far so good. We haven't ran low on power yet! I am going with 3:33 on the sassmeter. And... Speed Racer??? Uh, I'm still in Florida lol. Keep up the amazing episodes. -Danette and Speed
I have been watching y’all’s videos for about a year or so, and I’m so addicted!! I’m new to RVing. I bought my first travel trailer hybrid in September and only been on one “outing”. My first “outing” was going from my house in Ohio to my moms house in Tennessee. I had just parked in her driveway and hooked up to her house with a 30A -> 112 adapter. Used little appliances and “ amenities”. Used the AC because the dogs were in there and lights when in there at night, but one light at a time. No fridge or stove because I just kept everything in my moms fridge inside and ate in there. Definitely don’t recommend doing that, and if you do, don’t plug into an outlet that has a appliance plugged into it. I plugged into the same one as her window AC unit. It was rough and we could only run my AC or hers at once. Haven’t been on a real outing yet but looking forward to it this spring and summer but y’all’s videos teach a lot and I learn a lot from them. Keep them coming, and we’ll keep enjoying them! Be safe out there and maybe I’ll see y’all out there sometime! P.S. don’t end a video like that, I hate waiting 😭
A battle born 100 ah battery is a must with a solar hook up. If your RV isnt wired for solar you can use a goal zero generator with solar panels and plug that into your RV but you'll be getting 15 amps. Also itll be running all of your electrical outlets and drain more power faster than an inline solar and battery setup
OK Hanks, ,heads UP_ we live In Houston, I don't want to sound like a Debbie Downer- but= camp allot at the beach. Maybe you should have gone to Galveston Island state Park. With that said, No your battery will not last, Mosquitos where you are at are fierce and worse on the bay side this time of year... you parked in soft sand, if your post is accurate, we are expecting rain for the next 2 to 3 days. hope your trailer does not get stuck, if so, they charge per mile to tow you out. When you get in the water, its not dirty, it is the runoff from the Mississippi River silt-however, the riptides IE undertows are not marked because they are constantly moving. and depending where on the island you are and the closer to San Louis pass you get, the stronger the undertow gets. WHen you are in the water, make sure you do the stingray shuffle. That means drag your feet as you walk so you bump the sting ray and not to step on them, also those pretty blue balloon looking things on the beach are Portuguese man of war.---yes very poisonous. leave them alone. DOn't put your awning up---high winds will put if off, ask me how i know... If you have slideout toppers, be carefull, they too can rip. Make sure they don't require a permit to park on the beach- some parts down there do...If you haven't already drove across the San Louis bridge to get to Galveston, cost $2.00, do so before towing trailer across, ours barely fits and it very nerve wracking. Love to come down and see you, watch you all the time. Galveston Ghost tours, is a history lesson of the island, forget the ghost part. Only takes place friday and saturday night weather permitting. after all this, have fun, we do, its just kinda tricky on Texas beaches- and they are all different. Again, been there done that numerous time. Truley, have a good time, i hope this helps some
You might already know this, but for people who might not know is if you have a seven blade plug connector one of the blades are negative and one might be positive to charge Your battery. Sometimes you can plug in your seven blade connector and put charge into the trailer battery if it getting low. Depending one how its wired you might have to have the vehicle running. It's a low amperage charge. So don't expect it to run a whole lot. The wire length Cuts down on voltage and amps. You could use jumper cables from your truck battery to the trailer battery to get More voltage and amps. Great for if you need to bring in your slides if your trailer battery is to low.
Well, a fishing pole will result in an excellent dinner/lunch and provides entertainment while getting your tan on. Your cat will love it too AND it costs less than the previously frozen, at least a week old salmon. Have fun and watch that high tide line and beware the full moon! (tide will reach higher). Cheers
2 years ago we put in a 12v 200Ah LiFePO4 battery, lithium converter upgrade and lithium solar controller to give us boondocking longevity ... works great. Also, we have generators, which work great! Love your channel. 😊
I knew I liked you guys. We connect on so many levels, like liking Buc-ees and shopping at HEB, but buying the exact same paper towels that we do - full sheets of bounty (We hate those half sheets with a passion.) now I know that we're brothers from another mother. Did you have mommas? We had mommas too! What a coincidence, we're practically related! Ya'll gotta get some decent batteries though. A couple months ago, after FTing for 4 years (boondocking most of the time) on a couple GC-2 golf cart batteries we bit the bullet went with lithiums. We installed a custom built 560ah LiFePo-4 battery, made with 8, 280ah prismatic cells. We used a Heltec 330amp BMS and a 5a active balancer, to start our onboard 5,500watt generator and keep everything safe and balanced. We built our 12v battery with grade "A" LiFePo-4 prismatic cells having an 8,000-cycle mfg. projected life at 80% DOD or 6,000 cycles at 100% DOD. This means that if we cycled them 100% every single day, 365 days a year, they would last over 16 years! It only cost us $1,500 to build it, including the BMS. If you divide this over a 16 year life, that's less than $94/yr. - for the equivalent capacity of 10 golf cart batteries. Looked at another way, if we were to buy 10 golf cart batteries (which is unrealistic as no one has that kind of space and load capacity) for $100 a piece and replaced them every 4 years (which is how long our first GC-2s lasted) that's 40, $100 batteries or $4,000. This means that LiFePo-4s are now less than 38% of the cost of FLA batteries! The main reason we chose these cells is that they fit perfectly under the steps of our motorhome where our old pair of golf cart batteries used to reside, saving 35lbs compared to our old FLA batteries - not to mention having over 5 times the capacity. Oh yeah, and they are maintenance free too, so we don't have to water them once a month. Heck the money we save in distilled water alone could keep us supplied in Buc-ees Beaver Nuggets for life.
Use large wide boards under jacks makes it harder for blocks to settle into the sand I bought some 24”x24” blocks and let tell you it makes a huge difference and for your batteries use your truck to charge you battery just start the truck while plugged in and let it run awhile
Great call on the wide boards..we definitely need to get some of those because they sound really handy! Thank you for your great support and for taking the time to watch our videos 😊 Stay safe
We have solar, a composting toilet, and installed a leveler between black and gray tanks, in our 23 foot travel trailer. We have been able to boondock for 10 days straight with no problems.
I can't wait to see how this works out. We have the one cell battery, no solar and no inverter, and we are going to Alaska. 42 ft Solitude. We do have a generator we used once in an emergency. When the power at Yosemite TT 0:11 was turned off due to forest fires. Never boondocked.
Don't go to Alaska with one battery! Get at least 2 AGM Glass Matt batteries. We left the rv lot with a depleted battery, not knowing it was or knowing any better, and we couldn't get our levelers down. Use flashlights and lanterns, battery-operated fans. The generator drinks propane, and you're out quickly. To charge our battery, we connected to our truck and ran the engine till it charged. We are staying with power whenever possible.
We stopped putting TP in the black tank. Sounds crazy at first, but now have fewer problems with it. We keep one of those round stainless gallon trash bins with lid in the bathroom for cat box waste. Started putting all TP waste in there also. Surprisingly, no smell and hard plastic liner is easy to remove and clean. No longer need to use RV TP either. Also for tank smell, watch your air exhaust when you don't have a window or door open. High exhaust rate in sealed unit can draw smelly tank gas into the unit by back- venting too.
Another great episode. I enjoy your fun and sense of humor. I don’t know how you did it with your lights on your battery will be dead by the morning I just have one battery right now but I’m planning to put soft start in the air conditioner and get a generator and maybe a small bank of lithium batteries with an inverter.
If you are boon docking in sand carry a board 1X 6 ( Long enough to support both tires). When I bought my Rockwood I have two deep cycle batteries, plus two solar panels that keep them fully charged. I would recommend, if you plan on boon docking, get a second battery. also an inverter and get portable solar panels. I also bought a 4500 btu inverter/generator at Harbor Freight. Great sale $799
Ok guys, excited you are dry camping, my preferred method. Resorts aren’t my thing as I don’t like the small lots although the amenities can be nice. Solar with robust lithium is the best. Quiet, clean and reliable unless one is parked in a deep canopy of trees …but for where you are at, perfect! Hope your weekend on the Gulf was good. 😀
We lasted one season with a single 12 V deep cycle battery. We went solar plus a generator with three 100 amp hour lithium batteries. What can I say, my husband likes to be comfortable lol.
Great boondocking experience guys! We use two 6 volt lead acid deep cycle golf cart batteries and we have the ability to run the furnace 2 nights in cold weather and still have enough power to operate the slides and handle the lights and water pump. A quality battery monitor is also a plus. The simple voltage system that is factory installed on your Solitude leave a little to be desired. We back that up with a small generator and we're good to go.
I love your attitudes and silliness ❤ we bought a bumper pull Rock river and they are supposed to come with 2 batteries so we were able to convince our dealer to give us 2 since we were spending a ton of money .. it also has solar options but being so used to going on trips where there might not be hookups (we started camping with just an enclosed trailer with built in cabinets and a bed) we have a generator built into our flatbed of our truck. It's nice to have the option and it may be overkill but it's peace of mind just in case we need it and can hook our friends up too.. don't get me wrong they are expensive.. but my fiance was able to rebuild the engine in it and got a deal on it from a friend .. it may be a nice investment down the road for someone
Free camping in Aussie your boondocking is how you get to the best sites Would just get a 200/300 solar blanket to clip onto your battery,also hope that you washed the truck &trailer after getting off the beach (underneath as well ) Safe travels 👨🏻🌾🤙🏻
I concur. I would take a mild pressure washer to the whole exterior, especially underside where most of the steel was. I bought a 5th wheel from a dealer years ago...it was in nice shape but when I peeled back the onion layers doing maintenance, it became apparent it had done time at the coast somewhere along its lifetime.
I don't know how I didn't know you guys have a cat!! We are going to start RVing next year and bringing ours too. You guys are like RVing 101 for so many people. Thanks again.
We will use a gen, when it's cold and we want to run the heaters. What I would suggest, is get a free ride chart booklet. Most places that have fishing gear will have them. Wal-Mart, Fred Meyer's, etc. 😊
Sorry folks but I love my generator., Two 6 vole batteries is a great way to go. We have owned RV's for over 40 years and never used solar. We do have an inverter and now a small power station for my Cpap unit. I like to use propane stoves, heaters and lanterns to help conserve on the battery.
We finally hopped on board and bought a generator as well in our recent episodes. They are wonderful! Thank you for taking the time to watch our videos, Dale!
Beautiful beach spot. Nice choice of a place to camp! We have 2 RVs. A motorhome for travel and to live in in the summer in NH, and a 5th wheel that stays parked in Florida. Our Tiffin motorhome, (36LA), has a 7KW generator. Runs off of the 90 gallon gas tank. Actually, it will shut off when the gas tank gets down to about 12 gallons, so we don't run out of gas before we can drive to the nearest station. That being said, almost 80 gallons of fuel will give us a lot of generator time. The rig also has 4 6-Volt golf cart batteries running a 2000 watt inverter. It has no problem running the residential refrigerator all night long. I'm guessing the batteries would last a couple days without recharge, even though the fridge draws a fair amount of power. Running the generator for an hour will recharge them after they have used all night, so we've never depleted the batteries down too far. Only down side to all those batteries is replacement cost. Another nice feature of the motorhome is the 29 gallon, (not pounds), propane tank. That's roughly the equivalent of five 30 lb portable tanks! We can boondock for very long periods without it being an issue, unless we are winter camping. The propane furnace will eat through the tank very quickly when the temps get down below freezing. Our Grand Design Solitude 5th wheel, (373FB-R), is new. We've only had it for about a month, so we are still figuring things out. It did come with 2 batteries, a 2000 watt inverter, and 2-330w solar panels, which give us a theoretical peak charging ability of 660 watts. That's an nice functional amount. Covering the whole roof with solar panels would give us about 4000 watts of solar power, and if we were serious about living off grid, that along with a bunch more batteries, would be a great option. For most normal circumstances, the 660 watts of charging power will do just fine. You can't get ridiculous with your energy consumption, but with some conservation, they are a big help. The Solitude does come with a generator prep, but because we keep this RV parked, and use our motorhome for travel, we decided that a portable 9000w pure sine wave inverter generator would serve us much better. The Onan generator that fits the rig was only 5500 watts. Our rig has 3 air conditioners. There's no way a 5500 watt generator will run 3 ACs. Saved about $2300 by going with the portable generator, too. It isn't quite as convenient as pushing a button inside the RV, but we just hook up the 50 amp power cord directly to it, and we have all the power we can use. One caveat, if you are thinking about buying a portable generator for today's modern RVs, make sure it is an inverter generator, (pure sine wave generator.) Modern RVs have a lot of sensitive electronics, including touch pads that control everything. Just about everything else in the RV has a printed circuit board too. Refrigerators, microwaves, smart TVs, onboard WIFI, Bluetooth transmitters, to name just a few. A regular generator can fry all those electronics. Unless you have an older RV, spend the extra money for an inverter generator. Hope all this rambling helps someone. 🙂
We use CPAPs, and if the furnace comes on at all, battery drain is nuts. We also use a 12v fridge, but that came with a solar panel on the roof from the manufacturer. Long story short, we HAVE to have power, and not a little bit. As such, we have 570w of solar on the roof, 400ah of lithium battery, and a 2kw inverter. Also a propane generator for when we don't get enough sun, or we are working and Starlink (and our laptops) are on. We spent about $6k if you include the 2 generators (they can be teamed), but we don't have to worry about power. Ever. And our batteries will last 10 years or more; probably outlast the trailer. Never spill, never need replacing.
We spent memorial (4day) weekend in VA with one battery and it lasted the whole weekend. We switched our refrigerator and water heater over to gas. Had a great time.
We love boondocking and bought a travel trailer specifically set up for that. Large tanks for fresh water and waste, on board propane generator, 510 watt solar, and three 100 amp hour lithium batteries. Works great! We have a house at the beach in WA. The mist and fog make the inside of our house damp in the summer, when we are not using our furnace. I hate it. Yuck!
Great video, I have a similar truck and mine has a 120v outlet in the bed that produces power while running and with 7 pin connector hooked up all is good
We have three, 206 AH SOK lithium iron batteries, with 1100 watts of solar on the roof and a 3000 watt Victron multiplus system. This is backed up by an onboard Cummins/Onan 5500 generator (we have a toyhauler). We boondock frequently, but have also stayed in campgrounds with hookups that have lost power, had their water pipes freeze, etc. so better prepared than not. At least add another battery or more, to extend your capacity.
We travel with 2/deep cycle batteries and a 3300 Generac generator. We use the generator in the morning for tea and coffee. Otherwise we are fine for as long as we would like. The biggest thing is the grey tanks they are the only thing that that limit our time boondocking.
Been watching for a while. Do enjoy your stuff. We started with one battery but went to multiple lead-acid ones. After calculating up the load draining it was hard to get past a weekend without serious hard shutting off all the vampire loads. Have a couple of suggestions, I carry a couple of 2x6s x 5-6' long that I put down on soft soil and backup/drive-up on then use my blocks if needed. If your battery does go dead, you can hook it up with jumpers to your truck and charge it off the truck while its running - not a trickle charge. If not running trickle charge. (My 7 pin doesn't work - short somewhere). Another is hook your electrical up first before you unhooks from truck. You then know if it can reach and second you don't use your batteries when unhooking and leveling.
Having spent many weekends on the beaches of Port A., I can honestly tell you, Drink by day, AC by night. The flying blood suckers are the worst at night... However, when the sun is out, the Texas blue sky above, and the crashing ( softly ) waves on the beach can only lead to...Horse Shoe championship contests... As always, keep up the good work and keep'em flying.
My parents full-timed in the 90s. To be honest most people were boondocking with your battery set up. Lithium wasn't even a conversation at that time, and solar was just pick up a little speed. I can remember my dad laughing cause he had enough batteries and solar to sit with the lights on and watching TV as late as he wanted. The rest of his neighbors at Quartzsite would come over and ask how he could run so much stuff so late at night. He was ahead of his time and ended up supporting their journey for a few years selling solar and setting it up. He had 6 batteries I believe like yours? I think? I really don't know; I would tune out when he would start geeking out over this stuff.
Did anyone else catch Ney Ney “Sass” in this video!? Comment below a timestamp so that others can see…remember, strength in numbers here folks :)
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I felt that exhale at 13:06 :) Love you Ney Ney!!!
Sass? Never, no way!
@@reneehanks1505 me neither 😂
13:55 Sassy Light Lassie
I believe the "Sass" was around 5:45 when you were looking for an outside rug at Walmart.
My husband and I are full time RVers and understand everything you have been through. We’ve been on the road for 4 years and have loved it. Currently, we’re on a 6 month hiatus to re-evaluate our situation. I want to get back on the road and hubby wants to go back to sticks & bricks. His reasoning is quite valid. All of the repairs our fifth wheel camper needs and the constant search for overnight accommodations can really stress us out. These concerns have sparked intense feelings on both our parts so we have a lot to sort out. Will be watching to see what The Hanks decide to do. (I personally think you’ll return to the road) Once you have a taste of the RV lifestyle, it gets in your blood, and you won’t be able to resist the freedom of the nomadic lifestyle.
Suggestion, wash the truck And camper after you get off the beach. That salt air is tough on those things.
I'll second that. After a night sleeping in just a sleeping bag, on the inland side of dunes, we all woke up salt crusted. Great way to rot out frames and exhaust.
One thing I’ve learned when camping on sand or other soft surface is not to use blocks on the low side but dig a couple of small holes in the sand on the high side for the tires to roll into. Sometimes you may have to back up and dig deeper or fill them in to be level. Always better to be lower with the rig than being on stilts.
Great idea, Gregg! Thank you for sharing!
I love that she's like "PLEASE don't ever do this. It's extremely dangerous and could lead to injury and damage" while the guys are high-fiving each other 😂
When I was younger, I used to go back packing for a week. Not even one 12 volt battery or a single appliance. The original dry camping. Now that I am older, it is a RV for me.
When you guys were cooking and talking about saving power, all I could see was all the lights running everywhere.
It gave me high anxiety. 😮
The sun is up, why turn on the lights.
Dude! So right. I have been boondocking for about 20 years and my anxiety when sky high with them first using the jacks then leaving like all the lights on. Can’t wait for the conclusion and the new battery bank figure! Ha! Ha!
@@RVRepairNut I am willing to bet they don't have an LED flashlight that can be turned up to use reflective lighting.
I found a rechargeable shop light that folds up to pack away. It recharges like a cell phone so if you have a vehicle with fuel you can charge it up as you drive. It's LED and bright as all get out.
It is crazy how much money you spend on food when boondocking! For us at least, half the fun is making good food over the fire. Breakfast burritos in the morning, a rack of ribs for dinner. Theres something primal about cooking a flank of meat over an open flame.
We use a Jackery, a regular deep cycle battery. We can always fire up the truck and power the RV then from the truck battery too. If you can’t move your slides or hydraulics, plug in the 7 pin and fire up the truck.
Hey, one thing about lithium batteries is a lot of insurance companies. Don’t ensure if you have a car it’s got lithium, batteries cause lithium batteries have a way of igniting on your own and lotta house homes is burnt down and peoples campers have burnt down because of lithium golf carts so maybe lithium is not a good idea in your camper, I won’t do it
Thank you for taking the time to share this with us! You are correct, lithium has its cons as well. We are not up to speed with the data on how often this happens, but it certainly something to keep in mind. Thank you very much for taking the time to share this with us - Kyle and Renee
We’ve been dry camping for 30 years with just 12v battery and no solar or gen. We could go a week with conservation efforts. We had solar luci lights, always left pump and water heater off. We now have a new camper ready for retirement in a few years with solar, lithium battery and a Gen to big time boondock.
To level an rv on the beach, dont building up to level, dig the high side down to lower. It's safer and easier!
Hi guys… I know it’s a different world compared to the rig you’re used to but I just bought a little guy max… My first three modifications are
One, double batteries
Two, double propane tanks
Three, additional solar panel.
Wishing the best for you guys.
One nite on a 12 volt battery can drain down just using your refer. It’s all about the amps your going to use that really determines what u need. If your going to spend your time in parks with full hookups I would at least add a small generator for off grid. When dry camping do not leave your truck hooked up to the trailer, it will drain your truck battery
Leaving the Rv connected to my ge vehicle, that’s one I didn’t know ! 👍 thanks !
We are at the other end of the boondocking spectrum - we have gone as long as 6 months in between plugging into power for charging. We have enough lithium and solar to run our AC a few hours each day and are about to put a mini split in to make running it 24/7 possible... all that said, I have more fun watching your channel and take on RV life than any other out there - so thank you for the antics, entertainment and education all wrapped into one - you guys hit it all!
I watch all SORTS of RUclips RVers’ channels but yours is the only one I’ve subscribed to the newsletter for, JUST NOW!
400 watts of solar on the roof, two AGM batteries, a 2000 watt inverter keeps us camping - even with a little bit of TV every day. Love the boondocking life!
How much did that setup cost? And did you install it yourself?
@@RootBeerTuna This system was already installed on our RV when we purchased it. We recently upgraded the AGM batteries to LiFePO (Lithium), which cost us close to $1000. However, the LiFePO batteries can be discharged more deeply without damage, recharge more quickly and last for more charge/discharge cycles. I expect these batteries (2 of them, each 100 amp/hour) to last for 7-8 years or longer. Well worth the investment.
@@ronpounds2213 awesome, thanks for the reply. That's what I've heard about LiFePO batteries, and that's what we are most likely going to get as well
We have been doing this for 4 years now. We have 4 100amp lit batteries, 3000 watt inverter and 1200 watts on the roof. 37’ 5th wheel and we have boondocked for a week and never had power issues. If it’s really cloudy usually have to run the generator by the 3rd day. To start I would invest in a good battery monitor, I use Victron.
Hope y’all enjoy skimping by on that little battery. We went the other direction for glamdocking. 660w solar, 840 amps lithium with inverter and GenMax 7250 inverter generator. Big investment but we want to run anything with no worries off grid. We have learned so much from your channel. Thx Hanks!
We don’t have a dehumidifier either, but we just use damp rid in little plastic containers. They work good. Good luck with boondocking on the beach! Happy Camping and Safe Travels!! ❤❤❤
I really like the bamboo charcoal bags. They "recharge" in the sun.
I love the idea of damp rid!! It doesn't use electric either if boondocking.
You need a lot of Damprid to eliminate the humidity while at the beach. Best thing is little fans to keep airflow moving - but it will cost in battery life. Maybe USB rechargeable fans would work.
We primarily dry camping with our TT.
We have to 12V lead acid for the coach, another with a pure sine inverter for our entertainment system.
We then have 300 watts of solar suitcase.
As well, a Renogy 1000 LiPo power station with 2100 watt inverter that we often plug our trailer into.
We also have Honda 2000 generator that we rarely use if sunny and warm.
To further to conserve on batteries, we have several 200 lumen AA battery puck lights throughout the trailer that fully lights it.
Since we only camp in the low humidity west, we have no issues with our heavy duty swamp cooler keeping us cool and only using less than 200 watts
Y'all worry too much. Everything's going to be fine. Instead of raising the ship in the air, get a shovel and lower the ground. Been doin it on the beach for 30 years.
Thanks!
Good luck Hanks. With 1 12v lead acid you only have 50 amp hours of usable power. When the battery gets below 12v you run the risk of ruining it. The fridge control board requires 12v to tell it to run on propane. If the battery gets below 12v, bad things start happening. I have never seen an rv battery charge from being connected to the truck, unless you add a DC to DC charger. You can connect the truck to the rv battery via jumper cables if it comes to that.
If you don't have a volt meter, get one. Test the voltage @ the battery.
For leveling, you should carry at least 3 2x8's that you can drive both tires onto. That will not sink, and you will be able to chock the tires.
The humidity there is rough... best of luck.
We ONLY boondock…we have only stayed in an RV park 3 times in over 17 years. We have 4 batteries in our 5th wheel since we stay for 10+ days per trip out. We also have Yamaha generators but usually use them to charge the boat batteries or rarely for air conditioner.
Great video! Have bunches of fun!
Invest in a good GENERATOR! I have just completed 6 months boondocking here in Pahrump NV, gasoline and propane were my biggest expenses, and I replenished my water with gallon jugs, BTW I have a Westinghouse 4300 Watts supplying my power needs when BDing
I love that you guys are finally boondocking. That is practically how I grew up. In fact, my family spent several summers in the mountains in Montana "boondocking" (we called it living) at dad's mine living out of a 1978 Security Traveler 23' trailer and tents. Now my wife and I live in Alaska and real camping is a way of life. Even at -20 degrees while snowmachining with my kids for the weekend. In the summer most of our camping trips is on a 28' boat into Prince William Sound. No full hookups out there.
If you can smell your gray tank you need to replace the studor valve. It's not working properly. We had the same issue. Once it was replaced all smells gone.
The desire to boondock is the main reason I opted for a Motorhome with onboard generator vs a trailer. We bought our rig used and the (2) 6V Lead Acid's were old so I made the big investment into (2) 12V Lithiums...no regrets there. A possible safety net for you is to plug your rig into the truck and run the engine for a bit to recharge the battery.
On another note, we haven't boondocked on the beach yet and the leveling issue is something I hadn't thought of. Probably a good idea to carry big pieces of wood to put under the jacks to distribute the weight over a larger surface area.
All ya gotta do is stay connected with the 7 pin to your truck and run the truck once a day for 10 to 15 minutes. It’ll charge the trailer battery as well as the truck. Hope you have fun guys!!
GOOD TO KNOW. THANKS
@@PeeWeeHenson yeah that’s what we did before getting the generator and inverter/solar. It works fine
Yes. The 7 pin is supposed to charge your 12V while you're driving your truck. That hookup should have been made to your truck when you bought your Solitude. If you ever watched "Getaway Couple" you'll see they had LifePo4 batteries with out solar for a long time. They did have a generator to charge their batteries. But, you can save a lot of money by not getting a full solar conversion. The lithium batteries will still be hooked up to your fuse/breaker panel. If you have a propane powered generator, it will run off your propane tanks you already have. Solar is not mandatory when you get lifepo4 batteries installed. I gave seen folks get by with a DC to DC connector from the truck to the rv as well. When the batteries get low, they just start the truck and that recharges the batteries. Plus, it's a lot quieter than a generator.
@@rogerspalding5673 a DC-to-DC isolated charger is 100% the ultimate way to go, once you have a lithium battery bank, if you're not going to do solar.
@@RickysHP Thanks for the advice. Have a good holiday weekend.
Back in the early 80's, I mounted a 2nd battery under the hood of my '73 Chevy PU. It was wired through a solenoid that engaged it to the vehicle charge system anytime the truck was running. I charged the house, spare house, and vehicle battery any time I was going down the road. Since the truck battery was isolated with key off, there was no danger of running it down. Sadly with modern vehicles, you'd have a hard time mounting a spare battery under the hood. ....or trusting the electronics to take the load. I built the system for under $20 dollars back then. (plus the battery) My old Nomad trailer did not have an inverter system in it.
Ugh. We have 1200 watts solar, 840 amps lithium plus an onboard generator.... ok we are juice hogs!! Love to not have to worry about consumption and MUST HAVE COFFEE in the morning. LOL! Just run the extension cord to the last 5th wheel in your beach line up - looks like they have solar panels!!
Our Revel van has solar, a dedicated second alternator for charging and 650 amp hours of lithium batteries. The only time we worry about power is with the A/C in Summer. We dry camp about 90% of the time so we try to avoid RV parks. Love the video!!
I feel ya Ney Ney, I always over pack as well. Would rather too much then not enough.
I purchased a suit-case type solar panel that comes with a 7pin connector so we can adjust it's position to match the sun and it's easy to hook up, gives a decent boost to the battery and makes boondocking a little easier. Lots of sunshine up here in the Northwest Territories in the summer, we're not quite 24/7 sunshine but it's 20+ hrs of sun above the horizon keeps the battery charged.
What brand is that ?
@@krisg3984 we're using a "Canada Proof" 180 Watt solar panel. It folds in half, comes with a semi-hard carrying case. We've found it very durable and with the 15 amp charge controller built in - it's perfect for either trickle charging and or buffing up our battery when we use it. You can adjust the controller as well for lead acid, lithium, agm, gel etc. It gives our set-up some legs and reduces the effect of battery use quite a bit. Keep in mind where we do a lot of our camping in and around Yellowknife Northwest Territories, we have a "dusk" in the summer. Realistically for about 2 - 3 ish hours overnight we're not full sunlight so we can rotate our solar panel around through the day and evening and catch some charge into the battery.
Energy independence is my goal, but it's going to take a while to save up for a proper battery bank. I've got my solar set up just waiting for panels and will be adding a wind generator. Hadn't realized it just yet but a beach would be a great place for a 1KW windmill mounted on a telescoping flag pole welded into the rear! Even overcast you'd have almost constant energy.
I was told by a Lippert employee that the system IS made to hold the tires off the ground to keep the rig level and as long as it’s not WAY off the ground, it’s ok (mine is always 2 inches off on one side in front of my house). He also said if the ground is pretty level, I can use the system to lift the tire to change a flat…. LOVE the video…!!
No Solar or genny. Just one battery deep cycle. But our trailer is a RV park queen! No way the wife will go in the heat without AC! 😁 Hope y'all make it! As someone said, run the truck to charge up.
Boondocking in the best but is easier to do out west with all the public land. 400W solar (barely enough for my preferences), 400Ah of LiFePo4 batteries and an 3000W inverter makes it very convenient. I can even run my A/C for a couple hours without the genset. I take one with me though all the time, runs of propane and lets me run the A/C most of the day for a couple days before I run out
22’ trailer with 190w of solar on top. Easy to boondock in terms of power. Our smallish tanks are what keep our boondocking to just a few days at a time.
We are weekend warriors, we don't like staying in campgrounds because there's too many people. We have solar and a generator, so we can run AC, but just upgrade to lithium batteries and an inverter, so we don't need a generator anymore. We have an insane amount of batteries. It's overkill, but it's worth it not to carry around generator and gas. That looks like a blast.
Love the content...here is what we have: Two batteries, 2000 watt generator (coffee and microwave) and just purchased solar suitcase 200 amp. We can stay for two weeks easy with out any hookups....
One thing to keep in mind with a mist if it's coming off the saltwater... I hope you gave that truck and rig a thorough bath..
I've lived on the Gulf Beach in Florida for 45 years.. Everything rusts
Rocking 2 6-volt batteries and a Honda eu2200i companion with a soft start on my 2019 Outdoors RV 270RKS and 220v in solar panels. I don’t camp anywhere I need the ac lol unless I leave NW Montana to my hometown of Chico, CA to see my friends. I don’t miss those 100-120 degree days in N. CA!! The only time I stay in an RV park is a RARE occasion I don’t stay in a rest stop/truck stop on travel days. Boondocking all the way! Love my Blackstone too!
I boondock all the time. When I first bought my RV I bought a Harbor Freight special 6000w generator. Thing is loud and heavy. I have one single lead acid battery and a family of four. I swapped all my lights to LEDs and we don't have an inverter so we only really power those lights, the water pump, the fridge, and occasionally the heater. I find that if it's warm and we don't have to run the heater we usually last 2 or 3 days before I need to fire up the generator. For weekend trips it usually ends up staying in the truck, thankfully, it's friggin heavy. It's nice to have it for emergencies and to run the AC if it get's unbearably hot or something. I am considering a 300w solar setup for a few hundred $$$. From what I can calculate that would let us camp indefinitely as long as it's reasonably sunny, even if we use the heater. I am honestly considering all this just so I don't have to lift that HEAVY GENERATOR OUT OF MY TRUCK.
Solar is cheaper than a decent generator now days if you really live the boondicking life mind your usage. Running AC is a different story, and if it's bad weather you need a Genny for backup anyway.
Nay nay. When you asked if anyone was ready to go. The birds were the only ones that answered. Lol
I'm totally enjoying your channel. We (my husband and I) have totally enjoyed Binge watching your videos! We just purchased our first toy hauler for weekend camping. We are trying to educate ourselves with the basics, and your crazy adventures make it so much more exciting for our first outing! 😊 ❤
I built my van for boondocking.
1,200 watts of solar panels, 900 amp hours of lithium batteries.
A 60 amp dc to dc charger.
54 gallons of water.
And a 9,000 btu mini split ac/heater 😉.
I have airbags for Leveling.
Momentum, Grant Design, M351. I change the power inverter and added 400 amp hour lithium batteries, added 400 watts of solar and a 4000 watt inverter to our RV. We love it!
Couple of things Hanks,curious when "D" transmission fluid and both trans filters was last changed?! And remember to always use the tow haul button,it will help out with the shift while towing and keep the transmission cooler truckin' down the road!
Camping on the beach you will get sand all in your RV and it is hell to get out . We did it one time and never do it again
Having grown up right on the Gulf of Mexico I can attest to the sand issue. In a fairly short time frame, everything will have sand in it and it does not matter how meticulous you are, it just is a fact of life.
You guys are right on, you would help to double the batteries and they didn't have to be Lithuanian,(at $900 each NO)you could add a solar panel just to keep the battery changed. OH we don't have an outdoor matt yet, since you got one maybe we will. Till next time enjoy. 🤙👍🤙👍💖💖
We have a 25' Entegra moter home and are full tme (1 year) We have 2 100 amp xeep cycle AGM house batteries, 4,000 watt gen set (propane powered) with Cummings wirless Auto Generator Start. The AGS is set to start when the batteries reach 12.5v. Shuts off when fully charged, usually 1/2 -1 hr run time. 25° outsde, the gen will come on 2-3 times running the propane heater with the batteries running the heater most of the time at night.
AGS can be set in the summer to run the AC, comes on when temp reaches 78°, shuts off the AC when temp lowers to 72° or what ever you set it. The gen does not run all the time, only when needed Works great making ice in the frig in 90° heat or keeping us warm in 16-25° cold using the heater. We have dry camped 5 days and have not come close to running out of propane summr or winter. (8 useable gal of propane).
We have one of those outdoor mats and they work great, you actually don't have to wash your feet off or wipe them off first before you step on the mat because the sand sifts through it doesn't stay on top of the mat.
12v battery is fine, just get some jumper cables from harbor freight, etc.. you can then alway use then to charge the RV battery from your truck in emergencies! Super affordable!!!
I installed my solar system myself with 520 watts of panels, 1000 watt inverter, charge controller With 2 Crown lead acid 6 volt batteries for under $2400. We boondock all the time with no issues. Having said that we obviously don’t run the AC but we run the furnace, watch TV, charge our phones & laptop and run our lights with no issues.
WOW!! We are outdoor rug twins!! Well, you, me and about 20,000 others that said, "Well, I'm not a big fan of the gray. But hey, it's got the Greek Key action so yeah... Let's get it!" Big Blue is rockin' a generator, two 12 volt batteries with a small solar trickle charger on the roof. We don't like to run the generator at night cause of the noise, fuel usage. We replaced every light with LED and rely on our batteries at night when boondocking. So far so good. We haven't ran low on power yet! I am going with 3:33 on the sassmeter. And... Speed Racer??? Uh, I'm still in Florida lol. Keep up the amazing episodes. -Danette and Speed
I have been watching y’all’s videos for about a year or so, and I’m so addicted!! I’m new to RVing. I bought my first travel trailer hybrid in September and only been on one “outing”. My first “outing” was going from my house in Ohio to my moms house in Tennessee. I had just parked in her driveway and hooked up to her house with a 30A -> 112 adapter. Used little appliances and “ amenities”. Used the AC because the dogs were in there and lights when in there at night, but one light at a time. No fridge or stove because I just kept everything in my moms fridge inside and ate in there. Definitely don’t recommend doing that, and if you do, don’t plug into an outlet that has a appliance plugged into it. I plugged into the same one as her window AC unit. It was rough and we could only run my AC or hers at once. Haven’t been on a real outing yet but looking forward to it this spring and summer but y’all’s videos teach a lot and I learn a lot from them. Keep them coming, and we’ll keep enjoying them! Be safe out there and maybe I’ll see y’all out there sometime!
P.S. don’t end a video like that, I hate waiting 😭
A battle born 100 ah battery is a must with a solar hook up.
If your RV isnt wired for solar you can use a goal zero generator with solar panels and plug that into your RV but you'll be getting 15 amps. Also itll be running all of your electrical outlets and drain more power faster than an inline solar and battery setup
OK Hanks, ,heads UP_ we live In Houston, I don't want to sound like a Debbie Downer- but= camp allot at the beach. Maybe you should have gone to Galveston Island state Park. With that said, No your battery will not last, Mosquitos where you are at are fierce and worse on the bay side this time of year... you parked in soft sand, if your post is accurate, we are expecting rain for the next 2 to 3 days. hope your trailer does not get stuck, if so, they charge per mile to tow you out. When you get in the water, its not dirty, it is the runoff from the Mississippi River silt-however, the riptides IE undertows are not marked because they are constantly moving. and depending where on the island you are and the closer to San Louis pass you get, the stronger the undertow gets. WHen you are in the water, make sure you do the stingray shuffle. That means drag your feet as you walk so you bump the sting ray and not to step on them, also those pretty blue balloon looking things on the beach are Portuguese man of war.---yes very poisonous. leave them alone. DOn't put your awning up---high winds will put if off, ask me how i know... If you have slideout toppers, be carefull, they too can rip. Make sure they don't require a permit to park on the beach- some parts down there do...If you haven't already drove across the San Louis bridge to get to Galveston, cost $2.00, do so before towing trailer across, ours barely fits and it very nerve wracking. Love to come down and see you, watch you all the time. Galveston Ghost tours, is a history lesson of the island, forget the ghost part. Only takes place friday and saturday night weather permitting. after all this, have fun, we do, its just kinda tricky on Texas beaches- and they are all different. Again, been there done that numerous time. Truley, have a good time, i hope this helps some
You might already know this, but for people who might not know is if you have a seven
blade plug connector one of the blades are negative and one might be positive to charge
Your battery.
Sometimes you can plug in your seven blade connector and put charge into the trailer
battery if it getting low.
Depending one how its wired you might have to have the vehicle running.
It's a low amperage charge. So don't expect it to run a whole lot. The wire length
Cuts down on voltage and amps.
You could use jumper cables from your truck battery to the trailer battery to get
More voltage and amps.
Great for if you need to bring in your slides if your trailer battery is to low.
Well, a fishing pole will result in an excellent dinner/lunch and provides entertainment while getting your tan on. Your cat will love it too AND it costs less than the previously frozen, at least a week old salmon. Have fun and watch that high tide line and beware the full moon! (tide will reach higher). Cheers
2 years ago we put in a 12v 200Ah LiFePO4 battery, lithium converter upgrade and lithium solar controller to give us boondocking longevity ... works great. Also, we have generators, which work great! Love your channel. 😊
I’d love to put in a LiFePO4 battery - but these doors for the batteries aren’t very theft-proof. What’s the remedy for that ?
I knew I liked you guys. We connect on so many levels, like liking Buc-ees and shopping at HEB, but buying the exact same paper towels that we do - full sheets of bounty (We hate those half sheets with a passion.) now I know that we're brothers from another mother. Did you have mommas? We had mommas too! What a coincidence, we're practically related!
Ya'll gotta get some decent batteries though. A couple months ago, after FTing for 4 years (boondocking most of the time) on a couple GC-2 golf cart batteries we bit the bullet went with lithiums. We installed a custom built 560ah LiFePo-4 battery, made with 8, 280ah prismatic cells. We used a Heltec 330amp BMS and a 5a active balancer, to start our onboard 5,500watt generator and keep everything safe and balanced. We built our 12v battery with grade "A" LiFePo-4 prismatic cells having an 8,000-cycle mfg. projected life at 80% DOD or 6,000 cycles at 100% DOD. This means that if we cycled them 100% every single day, 365 days a year, they would last over 16 years! It only cost us $1,500 to build it, including the BMS. If you divide this over a 16 year life, that's less than $94/yr. - for the equivalent capacity of 10 golf cart batteries. Looked at another way, if we were to buy 10 golf cart batteries (which is unrealistic as no one has that kind of space and load capacity) for $100 a piece and replaced them every 4 years (which is how long our first GC-2s lasted) that's 40, $100 batteries or $4,000. This means that LiFePo-4s are now less than 38% of the cost of FLA batteries! The main reason we chose these cells is that they fit perfectly under the steps of our motorhome where our old pair of golf cart batteries used to reside, saving 35lbs compared to our old FLA batteries - not to mention having over 5 times the capacity. Oh yeah, and they are maintenance free too, so we don't have to water them once a month. Heck the money we save in distilled water alone could keep us supplied in Buc-ees Beaver Nuggets for life.
Use large wide boards under jacks makes it harder for blocks to settle into the sand I bought some
24”x24” blocks and let tell you it makes a huge difference and for your batteries use your truck to charge you battery just start the truck while plugged in and let it run awhile
Great call on the wide boards..we definitely need to get some of those because they sound really handy! Thank you for your great support and for taking the time to watch our videos 😊 Stay safe
We do mostly boondocking so we use a gas generator and a solar generator. It's a real treat when we are somewhere with full hookups.
We have solar, a composting toilet, and installed a leveler between black and gray tanks, in our 23 foot travel trailer. We have been able to boondock for 10 days straight with no problems.
Next full hook up campground you get you wash the RV and get all that salt off of it 😮
I can't wait to see how this works out. We have the one cell battery, no solar and no inverter, and we are going to Alaska. 42 ft Solitude. We do have a generator we used once in an emergency. When the power at Yosemite TT 0:11 was turned off due to forest fires. Never boondocked.
Don't go to Alaska with one battery! Get at least 2 AGM Glass Matt batteries.
We left the rv lot with a depleted battery, not knowing it was or knowing any better, and we couldn't get our levelers down. Use flashlights and lanterns, battery-operated fans. The generator drinks propane, and you're out quickly. To charge our battery, we connected to our truck and ran the engine till it charged. We are staying with power whenever possible.
RV parks have power along the Alcan highway and in Alaska. Carry an adaptor for 115 volt pedestal but only needed it on the BC 37 highway.
We stopped putting TP in the black tank. Sounds crazy at first, but now have fewer problems with it. We keep one of those round stainless gallon trash bins with lid in the bathroom for cat box waste. Started putting all TP waste in there also. Surprisingly, no smell and hard plastic liner is easy to remove and clean. No longer need to use RV TP either. Also for tank smell, watch your air exhaust when you don't have a window or door open. High exhaust rate in sealed unit can draw smelly tank gas into the unit by back- venting too.
Love it... This is the best place. I have been multiple time over there. You make us want to do boondocking with our airstream
Another great episode. I enjoy your fun and sense of humor. I don’t know how you did it with your lights on your battery will be dead by the morning I just have one battery right now but I’m planning to put soft start in the air conditioner and get a generator and maybe a small bank of lithium batteries with an inverter.
If you are boon docking in sand carry a board 1X 6 ( Long enough to support both tires). When I bought my Rockwood I have two deep cycle batteries, plus two solar panels that keep them fully charged. I would recommend, if you plan on boon docking, get a second battery. also an inverter and get portable solar panels. I also bought a 4500 btu inverter/generator at Harbor Freight. Great sale $799
Ok guys, excited you are dry camping, my preferred method. Resorts aren’t my thing as I don’t like the small lots although the amenities can be nice. Solar with robust lithium is the best. Quiet, clean and reliable unless one is parked in a deep canopy of trees …but for where you are at, perfect! Hope your weekend on the Gulf was good. 😀
Out first major purchase was a generator. Champion 4500W, dual fuel.
We lasted one season with a single 12 V deep cycle battery. We went solar plus a generator with three 100 amp hour lithium batteries. What can I say, my husband likes to be comfortable lol.
Great boondocking experience guys! We use two 6 volt lead acid deep cycle golf cart batteries and we have the ability to run the furnace 2 nights in cold weather and still have enough power to operate the slides and handle the lights and water pump. A quality battery monitor is also a plus. The simple voltage system that is factory installed on your Solitude leave a little to be desired. We back that up with a small generator and we're good to go.
We have been using the champion dual-fuel for 6 years. And it works great on our 37-foot solitude. We Boondock 95% of the time
I love your attitudes and silliness ❤ we bought a bumper pull Rock river and they are supposed to come with 2 batteries so we were able to convince our dealer to give us 2 since we were spending a ton of money .. it also has solar options but being so used to going on trips where there might not be hookups (we started camping with just an enclosed trailer with built in cabinets and a bed) we have a generator built into our flatbed of our truck. It's nice to have the option and it may be overkill but it's peace of mind just in case we need it and can hook our friends up too.. don't get me wrong they are expensive.. but my fiance was able to rebuild the engine in it and got a deal on it from a friend .. it may be a nice investment down the road for someone
Free camping in Aussie your boondocking is how you get to the best sites
Would just get a 200/300 solar blanket to clip onto your battery,also hope that you washed the truck &trailer after getting off the beach (underneath as well )
Safe travels 👨🏻🌾🤙🏻
I concur. I would take a mild pressure washer to the whole exterior, especially underside where most of the steel was.
I bought a 5th wheel from a dealer years ago...it was in nice shape but when I peeled back the onion layers doing maintenance, it became apparent it had done time at the coast somewhere along its lifetime.
Man the hanks and boon docking. Whatttttttttttt.
I don't know how I didn't know you guys have a cat!! We are going to start RVing next year and bringing ours too. You guys are like RVing 101 for so many people. Thanks again.
We will use a gen, when it's cold and we want to run the heaters. What I would suggest, is get a free ride chart booklet. Most places that have fishing gear will have them. Wal-Mart, Fred Meyer's, etc. 😊
Sorry folks but I love my generator., Two 6 vole batteries is a great way to go. We have owned RV's for over 40 years and never used solar. We do have an inverter and now a small power station for my Cpap unit. I like to use propane stoves, heaters and lanterns to help conserve on the battery.
We finally hopped on board and bought a generator as well in our recent episodes. They are wonderful! Thank you for taking the time to watch our videos, Dale!
Beautiful beach spot. Nice choice of a place to camp!
We have 2 RVs. A motorhome for travel and to live in in the summer in NH, and a 5th wheel that stays parked in Florida.
Our Tiffin motorhome, (36LA), has a 7KW generator. Runs off of the 90 gallon gas tank. Actually, it will shut off when the gas tank gets down to about 12 gallons, so we don't run out of gas before we can drive to the nearest station. That being said, almost 80 gallons of fuel will give us a lot of generator time. The rig also has 4 6-Volt golf cart batteries running a 2000 watt inverter. It has no problem running the residential refrigerator all night long. I'm guessing the batteries would last a couple days without recharge, even though the fridge draws a fair amount of power. Running the generator for an hour will recharge them after they have used all night, so we've never depleted the batteries down too far. Only down side to all those batteries is replacement cost.
Another nice feature of the motorhome is the 29 gallon, (not pounds), propane tank. That's roughly the equivalent of five 30 lb portable tanks! We can boondock for very long periods without it being an issue, unless we are winter camping. The propane furnace will eat through the tank very quickly when the temps get down below freezing.
Our Grand Design Solitude 5th wheel, (373FB-R), is new. We've only had it for about a month, so we are still figuring things out. It did come with 2 batteries, a 2000 watt inverter, and 2-330w solar panels, which give us a theoretical peak charging ability of 660 watts. That's an nice functional amount. Covering the whole roof with solar panels would give us about 4000 watts of solar power, and if we were serious about living off grid, that along with a bunch more batteries, would be a great option. For most normal circumstances, the 660 watts of charging power will do just fine. You can't get ridiculous with your energy consumption, but with some conservation, they are a big help.
The Solitude does come with a generator prep, but because we keep this RV parked, and use our motorhome for travel, we decided that a portable 9000w pure sine wave inverter generator would serve us much better. The Onan generator that fits the rig was only 5500 watts. Our rig has 3 air conditioners. There's no way a 5500 watt generator will run 3 ACs. Saved about $2300 by going with the portable generator, too. It isn't quite as convenient as pushing a button inside the RV, but we just hook up the 50 amp power cord directly to it, and we have all the power we can use.
One caveat, if you are thinking about buying a portable generator for today's modern RVs, make sure it is an inverter generator, (pure sine wave generator.) Modern RVs have a lot of sensitive electronics, including touch pads that control everything. Just about everything else in the RV has a printed circuit board too. Refrigerators, microwaves, smart TVs, onboard WIFI, Bluetooth transmitters, to name just a few. A regular generator can fry all those electronics. Unless you have an older RV, spend the extra money for an inverter generator.
Hope all this rambling helps someone. 🙂
Curious what the 9000W pure sine wave generator is? Sounds awesome.
We use CPAPs, and if the furnace comes on at all, battery drain is nuts. We also use a 12v fridge, but that came with a solar panel on the roof from the manufacturer.
Long story short, we HAVE to have power, and not a little bit. As such, we have 570w of solar on the roof, 400ah of lithium battery, and a 2kw inverter. Also a propane generator for when we don't get enough sun, or we are working and Starlink (and our laptops) are on.
We spent about $6k if you include the 2 generators (they can be teamed), but we don't have to worry about power.
Ever.
And our batteries will last 10 years or more; probably outlast the trailer. Never spill, never need replacing.
We spent memorial (4day) weekend in VA with one battery and it lasted the whole weekend. We switched our refrigerator and water heater over to gas. Had a great time.
We also boondock with only 1 battery, no solar. Y'all got this!!!
❤
We love boondocking and bought a travel trailer specifically set up for that. Large tanks for fresh water and waste, on board propane generator, 510 watt solar, and three 100 amp hour lithium batteries. Works great!
We have a house at the beach in WA. The mist and fog make the inside of our house damp in the summer, when we are not using our furnace. I hate it. Yuck!
Great video, I have a similar truck and mine has a 120v outlet in the bed that produces power while running and with 7 pin connector hooked up all is good
We have three, 206 AH SOK lithium iron batteries, with 1100 watts of solar on the roof and a 3000 watt Victron multiplus system. This is backed up by an onboard Cummins/Onan 5500 generator (we have a toyhauler). We boondock frequently, but have also stayed in campgrounds with hookups that have lost power, had their water pipes freeze, etc. so better prepared than not. At least add another battery or more, to extend your capacity.
We travel with 2/deep cycle batteries and a 3300 Generac generator. We use the generator in the morning for tea and coffee. Otherwise we are fine for as long as we would like. The biggest thing is the grey tanks they are the only thing that that limit our time boondocking.
Been watching for a while. Do enjoy your stuff. We started with one battery but went to multiple lead-acid ones. After calculating up the load draining it was hard to get past a weekend without serious hard shutting off all the vampire loads.
Have a couple of suggestions, I carry a couple of 2x6s x 5-6' long that I put down on soft soil and backup/drive-up on then use my blocks if needed. If your battery does go dead, you can hook it up with jumpers to your truck and charge it off the truck while its running - not a trickle charge. If not running trickle charge. (My 7 pin doesn't work - short somewhere). Another is hook your electrical up first before you unhooks from truck. You then know if it can reach and second you don't use your batteries when unhooking and leveling.
Hey Hanks, we are rocking 4 100 ah lithium batteries and 800 watts of solar. Did full install myself it's awesome and looks great.
Didn't know till now yall are nurses too!! Nice. Been a nurse for 30 yrs in Medical 40!😊
Summer time in Texas with no hook ups is a no go. Got to have a generator to run the A/C.
My wife and I are rocking both a generator as well as solar baby! ❤ Class B 2020 Winnebago 59k
Appliance missed the most? Air Conditioning!!
Having spent many weekends on the beaches of Port A., I can honestly tell you, Drink by day, AC by night. The flying blood suckers are the worst at night...
However, when the sun is out, the Texas blue sky above, and the crashing ( softly ) waves on the beach can only lead to...Horse Shoe championship contests...
As always, keep up the good work and keep'em flying.
My parents full-timed in the 90s. To be honest most people were boondocking with your battery set up. Lithium wasn't even a conversation at that time, and solar was just pick up a little speed. I can remember my dad laughing cause he had enough batteries and solar to sit with the lights on and watching TV as late as he wanted. The rest of his neighbors at Quartzsite would come over and ask how he could run so much stuff so late at night. He was ahead of his time and ended up supporting their journey for a few years selling solar and setting it up. He had 6 batteries I believe like yours? I think? I really don't know; I would tune out when he would start geeking out over this stuff.
😂 My youngest daughter. When we boondock. She gets enough groceries for 20 people for a week. Gotta love her. ❤