Questions about propane & 12v

[Suanne]

I'm planning how I want to set up the power systems in our new ECO trailer ... and weight is an issue.&nbsp; <br><br>Although we were told&nbsp;the trailer&nbsp;had a dry weight of 800 lbs&nbsp;(as stated on the registration), the manufacturer's plate on the tongue says it's 850 lbs which I believe to be the correct weight.&nbsp; Our car has a maximum tow capacity of 1000 lbs.&nbsp; So, that gives us 150 lbs for all of our stuff.&nbsp; Ah, I love a challenge!<br><br>To take off some weight, I will remove the cabinet doors, replace&nbsp;press board covers with lumber,&nbsp;reduce the size&nbsp;of the plywood table/bed, and use&nbsp;a lighter table stand.&nbsp;Other heavy items on the "chopping block" may&nbsp;include a deep cell battery and propane tank.&nbsp; <br><br>Originally, I was hoping to use our fiberglass 20-lb propane tank that weighs about 30lbs when full.&nbsp; The two items in the trailer that use propane are a two-burner built-in stove, and a built-in catalytic heater.&nbsp; Since I typically don't use propane appliances, I don't know how long 20lbs of propane&nbsp;will last ... let's say for 8hrs/night use of the heater and 3hrs/day use of one of the stove's burners.&nbsp; Does anyone have a clue?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>In lieu of a&nbsp;50 lb. deep-cell battery, do you think we could get by without a 12v system in the trailer by using battery-powered items instead?&nbsp; I'm thinking that the electronic devices and the portable DVD player could be recharged in the car while driving.&nbsp; We could use tap lights and battery-powered lanterns for LED interior lighting, and a battery-powered fan too.<br><br>But, I'm concerned about our car's (starter) battery getting maxed out.&nbsp; While driving, items that could be connected would include (but not all at the same time) -- a smallish thermoelectric cooler, 2 cell phones,&nbsp;a DVD player, a lunch box oven, and a lap top&nbsp;computer via a converter ... plus the trailer and car's running lights.&nbsp; Am I asking for trouble?&nbsp; Is there a general rule of thumb about how much can be connected at any one time?<br><br>Any and all ideas, comments and suggestions are more than welcome.<br><br>Suanne<br>

 

[sl1966]

Switch everything in your kitchen to backpackers cookware. It's very durable and light weight.<div><br></div><div>I don't think your propane will last very long on a full timing basis using it the way you described. It should be sufficient for a 3-4 day weekend trip is my guess. You could switch to the 10# composite tank and use it strictly for cooking. Remove the furnace which will give you a few pounds back, and allow you to maybe put the battery back.</div>

 

[Suanne]

<P>

<B><FONT size=1>hi ....<IMG border=0 align=absMiddle src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif"></FONT></B><BR><B><FONT size=1>i guess that you could add a second battery in your car's engine compartment with a switch; battery one - battery two - both.</FONT></B><BR><B><FONT size=1><IMG border=0 align=absMiddle src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif"></FONT></B><BR>

</P>Hmmm ... a 2nd battery in the car may just work ... but, no room in the engine compartment.&nbsp; Could putting an extra battery in the car's trunk work?<br><br>Suanne <br>

 

[Suanne]

I don't think your propane will last very long on a full timing basis using it the way you described. It should be sufficient for a 3-4 day weekend trip is my guess.

<BR>Wow, the catalytic heater must really suck up the propane fast.&nbsp; And I know running a heater off a battery will&nbsp;drain it quickly as well.&nbsp; I was hoping to be able to boondock for at least a week before we'd need to get more propane or recharge&nbsp;a battery.<BR><BR>So, if we want to boondock, minimal or no use of a heater will be key.&nbsp; Also, now I'm thinking how I might be able to better insulate&nbsp;the trailer to conserve heat.&nbsp; <BR><BR>The majority of the walls have ensolite on them ... which is about the same thickness as reflectix.&nbsp;&nbsp;Some of the ensolite&nbsp;has been removed&nbsp;from inside the cabinets.&nbsp; I could&nbsp;re-do those spaces with reflectix, as well as&nbsp;cover the windows with reflectix at night.&nbsp; All in hopes of&nbsp;lessening the need for&nbsp;a heater.&nbsp;&nbsp;<BR><BR>Also, to reduce the tongue weight on the car, I'm thinking of moving the propane bottle from the tongue to inside a cabinet, placing it over the axle.&nbsp; As long as its secure and vented it to the outside at the bottom of the cabinet, are there any other safety issues with it being inside the trailer?<BR><BR>Suanne<BR>

 

[Guest]

<P>I don't see why it wouldn't. Just need to get something like a battery box, and secure it to the trunk so it's not rolling around, and port to outside for airflow.</P>

 

[sl1966]

I'm really not sure Suanne. If you've got the time and propane to burn you can test it out now and see how long it takes to use it up.

 

[Suanne]

I did a bit more reseach and found that the Olympian 3100 Cat heater that we have is the precursor to the WAVE 3 Cat heater by USCatalytic.&nbsp; The maker's site says it burns 1/8 lb of propane every hour on high.&nbsp; Assuming that the Olympian 3100 burns at the same rate, a 20 lb tank should last 20 days if&nbsp;all it's used for is to heat for 8hrs/night.<BR><BR>Now, I need to figure out what the Coleman stove uses.<BR><BR>But, it's looking more like a 20 lb&nbsp;propane tank may be enough for 2 wks of boondocking.<BR><BR>Suanne<BR>

 

[sl1966]

Good to know! I live in warmer climates and don't need the furnace so much as I need to run my fridge off it. This is why I'm switching to a dual composite propane tank setup on mine. I've read that you can run a fridge for up to a month on a 20 pd tank of propane.&nbsp;

 

[Guest]

<P>

I've read that you can run a fridge for up to a month on a 20 pd tank of propane.&nbsp;

</P>I can confirm that. I filled up only a few times last summer/fall. It became a bit more frequent once I had to start warming the van as it got colder.<br>