Super Newbies looking for help

[JDub]

I disagree a Freelander 21' will handle 4 100 watt panel fine. They provide more than enough power to charge my batteries. I have 3 Battle Born and the Battery Isolation Module. and I can be fully charged at 11:00 most morning. Forgot to mention I use a 40 amp Rover controller as well and a Victron battery shunt. And I changed the convertor out to charge the Lithium batteries.

Freelander, you've got a setup close to one I have in waiting for when I finally pull the trigger on a large teardrop trailer (I'm keeping my powder dry. NOT gonna pay these eye watering prices right now - they'll drop- a LOT). I've got 4 Renogy 100w glass panels and a backup, the same 40 amp Rover controller, remote charge monitor, inline fuse holders, and amp/buck booster. Just deciding on the batteries - I'm probably going with Trojan's (there's a factory store in BHam).

Cheers!

 

[Gemini1771]

Absolute must haves are a fresh water hose, black/ gray hose, surge protector and 15/30/50 amp power adapters. Probably some blocks for the tires too. If you go to an RV store, they’ll give you a list. Solar is great, but more expensive/ complicated for an RV (vs a van). You could start by just making sure you have a good battery bank that will hold a decent charge. If you’re planning on boondocking for more than a week at a time water will likely be your biggest issue. Composting toilets (or as I like to call them, “dry toilets”, because I’m not actually composting anything) really help conserve water. If you don’t have a tow vehicle, bikes are great. Beyond that, it’s really personal preference and what you use day to day.

Cheers!

 

[Freelander]

I run my computer 24/7, I use a 43" TV as a monitor and have it all day and use an RV Propane fridge and I run a 12v freezer, and still have more than enough solar to run everything.
Since you have 3 Rooftop AC's and 4 TV's, you not a typical RV owner.

A small Class C like the Freelander 21, has 1 AC and normally comes with just a small 24" or 32" TV, so Solar is more than enough to power everything.

 

[Gemini1771]

“I’m not lost I’m RVing” has a lot of good solar videos and one of the first in the series walks you through an energy audit to see what you need. I’d recommend checking that out if you’re interested in solar.

 

[Freelander]

Freelander, you've got a setup close to one I have in waiting for when I finally pull the trigger on a large teardrop trailer (I'm keeping my powder dry. NOT gonna pay these eye watering prices right now - they'll drop- a LOT). I've got 4 Renogy 100w glass panels and a backup, the same 40 amp Rover controller, remote charge monitor, inline fuse holders, and amp/buck booster. Just deciding on the batteries - I'm probably going with Trojan's (there's a factory store in BHam).

Cheers!

Really the only down side to Lithium batteries is the cost, once that is over its all up hill from there. In my case the battery box was made for Group 24 batteries, most Lithium's are Group 27, so I had to go with the GC2 Battle Borns to fit the box, I added the extra one in the back because I had a spot that was prefect for it. I did change out the convertor to a Lithium version, and added the Battery Isolation Module to provide 2 way charging. The alternator is designed for Lead Acid batteries, and if you have 3 or more Lithium's you run the risk of burning up your alternator charging that many batteries. Each Battery can take a 50 amp charge so I could have been putting out more than 150 amps just to charge the batteries (I only have a 145 Amp Alt). The BIM will allow the Alt to charge the batteries for 15 mins and then shuts off for 20 min the allow it to cool. Since the Alt is designed for LA batteries I only gets about an 80% charge in the lithium's. Now when I an on Solar or Shore power the BIM can charge the starting battery for an hour on and off for 1 min, if it need more it will charge more. Now I never have to worry about my starting battery going dead. Also you need to add a battery shunt to monitor the State of Charge in the Lithium's. I have never seen them drop below 13.2 volts, and the builtin battery monitor always shows full. I use the Victron SmartShunt it has Bluetooth.

I probably have $5000 in the whole system. Counting the extra wiring and the extra battery box, fuses, etc.

NOTE: I did not hook anything to the signal wire on the BIM, that is incase you want battery boost to allow the lithium's to add their power to the starting battery in case that battery is dead, it would require a push button to make it work.

Batteries $3000
Solar panels $720
Convertor $190
Stunt $130
BIM $172

 

[JDub]

SWEET Setup Free!

Cheers!

 

[user 19146]

if you are really new to RV's I suggest packing up 3 days cloths in the RV. then you and GF get in the rig and drive around the block. when you get back and know where you want to park (in your driveway). level the rig even if it will just be on one level of leveling blocks. live in the rig for 3 days. remember your home is right there and is easy access to and for what you may also need for the 3 days. get to know your rig. what you can and can not do. on day 3 start the rig and go dump the tanks. but learn your rig first. and be sure not to buy anything if you already own it. make a list of what you need not want to live the way you want to live. you may find the rig works as purchased.

 

[Freelander]

What I did was to take a few short trips over the weekend to see what it was like. After I got back home I figured out what changes I needed to make first, and I have been making changes ever since. I have been living in my RV full time for a year now. I just about have all the changes made that I need to make. I will make a short list of the changes I made shortly.

 

[Calaverasgrande]

I always make sure to keep bottles of the big 4 in a milk crate in back.
ATF, engine Oil, wiper fluid, brake fluid. Along with some odds and ends. The last headlight bulbs before I replaced them.(may be dim but will work in a pinch) etc.
As far as topics like installing solar panels the best resource for DIY is going to be Youtube. Everyone has their favorite solar evangelist. I like Will Prowse. He covers everything from simple to advanced, solar to batteries.
There are also guys and gals posting about van conversion skills, refurbishing RVs, how to cook on the road etc.
That is how I wound up with the Setpower fridge I have, and the Renogy DCDC charger I have. YouTube reviews.

I would go out and get the apps for every type of campsite locator.
FreeRoam, Ioverlander, Recreation.gov, and NPS are what I got.
I'm sure there are more.
I'd also get a printed atlas as a back up to your normal navigation. Sometimes our phones or cars lose connection or malfunction.
Sometimes they are wrong! It's nice to have a backup and not just be lost!

 

[lesizzmor]

Once again, thanks for all the help and advice.

We are coming back here everyday to check up and grab some knowledge.

 

[Jraulpilot1983]

Hiha

We are a couple around 50, we just recently bought a Class C RV with the intention of driving around the country for at least a year, starting this summer. (If we love it, and can break even with money we may stay out longer) I have never done this, my girlfriend has been camping here and there, but nothing coming close to living on the road.

I realize that asking for blanket advice usually is met with the response, "Well, what do you want to do?"

So, I will outline some broad details and hopefully as time progresses we can get a better handle on how to accomplish our goal.

-Is there any advice, or things, or ideas, that we just HAVE TO KNOW or HAVE? Things for the van, things on the road, etc. Basically any necessary vanlife hacks. What's something you learned along the way you wish you'd learned sooner?

-We are planning on moving around quite a bit. Have done plenty of research on boondocking, places to stay cheap. How to make gas more affordable. Where to dump tanks. But. Any information is always welcome in these areas.

-Things like Solar Panels, health insurance, finding jobs, how to get reliable internet, are all topics in which we really feel overwhelmed and have lots of quetions.

We are super excited, scared like crazy, and dying to get out there.

We are trying to do as much research as possible. So. Any links to websites would gladly be appreciated.

Thanks

-Harry & Carrie

Best if you do it.....One question at a time when ready or thinking about the areas you are going to visit. We've visit 44 States, (the rest we decided to stay away from). If you have questions....well that's why we are here for. HAPPY TRAILS..!!

 

[CosmickGold]

I suggest testing everything you hope to do, very close to home first. Live in your camper -- totally -- for a week or two before leaving home. I began by living in a mock van in my bedroom, which taught me a lot. When I got my real van, I lived in it parked in the driveway, day after day, which taught me a lot more. Some examples:

(1) A showerhead made for the high pressure of sticks-n-bricks only dribbles in the low pressure of RV water, you need a showerhead made for use with the pressure of a 12v pump.

(2) I don't know how people get by with freshwater tanks on the outside. Don't they freeze? I keep my 20 gallons inside with me.

(3) When temperatures outside drop into the teens, the furnace empties propane tanks in a day or two! *Gasp* After that experience, I began lowering the thermostat at night to around 43F, and wrap this 12v mini electric blanket around my chest while I sleep, keeping me toasty warm. It only draws about 1 amp of house-battery current.

(4) Use a powerful garden hose sprinkler to spray the outside of your rig everywhere, with someone inside to watch for any water coming through. Discovering and fixing leaks under a shining sun is so much easier than discovering your whole rig has turned into a shower during a week of pouring rain (as has happened to others), because you can't do anything about it until the rain stops.

(5) Avoid going back into your house to use the toilet. I made several discoveries that way: (a) My Gama Lid seal leaked terribly when it tipped over, spilling melted brown across the floor right through the "seal", but (b) I had put white vinegar in the bucket first, so there was no bad smell when the spill happened. Everything had dissolved and become ordinary mud. (c) So I found I do not need those dangerous/harmful chemicals, as white vinegar does wonders, and it works equally well in the pee jar. But the white vinegar didn't know when to stop. It melted right through the metal grill I'd placed over the vinegar to support the bags of "yuk". (d) So those bio-degradable bags then sank down into the vinegar and dissolved as well. (After that experience, I got a grill made of better metal, and no longer trust those bags to stay together.)

Anyway, that's enough for starters to give you the idea. Try everything you plan to do first; I mean everything, even if it seems "silly". You'll learn things you never would have thought of, and will be in a position to easily jump back into your house and start over. Also, don't worry about getting "The Knock". People talk like that's something to dread; I don't know why. Interestingly, I got my first "The Knock" on my first trip out, during full daylight, to the local shopping mall. It was the mall's security guard who used the standard bam! bam! bam! on my wall. He was smiling and very polite as he told me I have three hours to be on my way. I politely thanked him and was on my way the next hour. No big deal. And actually, my partner and I laughed about it a lot. Only out on the road one hour and already got "The Knock"! Hahahah!

 

[Cammalu]

Santan solar has good 250 watt panels for $50. We have bought several and will be buying more before we head east. I’m thinking barn, shed, etc.

 

[shadowmoss]

A problem I've started having them past year is I no longer have the hand strength to connect/disconnect the sewer hoses. As what I like to of myself as being an independent female, I hated to have to ask for help with such a simple thing. Turns out there are plastic wrenches made to give the grip and leverage needed. For around $10 I got a set of two, so I can handle putting two hoses together or separating them. I was told a strap wrench would work as well.

 

[Freelander]

I have a pair of those and mine only work with the Rhino Flex hoses. I have a different brand of hose and it doesnt work with them.



https://www.amazon.com/Camco-39758-...43&sprefix=wrenches+for+sewer+,aps,171&sr=8-2

 

[rruff]

We are planning on moving around quite a bit. Have done plenty of research on boondocking, places to stay cheap. How to make gas more affordable. Where to dump tanks. But. Any information is always welcome in these areas.

-Things like Solar Panels, health insurance, finding jobs, how to get reliable internet, are all topics in which we really feel overwhelmed and have lots of questions.

"Boondocking research" will mostly tell you popular places... which are best to avoid! If you are out west, get a map of BLM and NF land. Those vast areas are where you can boondock for free... most of it anyway. Be adventurous and explore!

I could advise you on living very simple and cheap, but I'm guessing from your rig that you want all the standard RV amenities? Based on my experience, if you really like boondocking and being in nature, you might be comfortable and free with very little. Your rig would be more like a place hang out on cold nights and the occasional rainy days, and a place to sleep, and store your stuff. Everything else is done outside. You don't need heat, AC, toilet, refrigerator, internet, shower or running water, etc. Well, maybe you do... but I don't... and I consider it the purest luxury living.

IMO establishing how you want to live is the first priority. What do you think you want/need? What part of the country will you be in? Are you happy following nice climates or do you want to be comfortable in hot/cold climates? Do you want internet all the time?

 

[frater secessus]

we just recently bought a Class C RV with the intention of driving around the country for at least a year, starting this summer.

Since you will be in the RV for a year, I will link to this timeline/checklist. Not everything will apply, but it may help catch some forgotten stuff.

What's something you learned along the way you wish you'd learned sooner?

a small collection of such wishes

how to get reliable internet

internet for nomads, including dealing with intermittency and poor bandwidth, wifi repeating, etc.

Ultimately, it all comes down to loads

Production and loads. But as HDR once advised, "It is cheaper and easier to use less power than it is to make more power.".

300Ah a day, that is way less than the typical Class A or C owner. Heck, that's less than I use in my van, and its only powering a DC fridge, microwave, and a few electronic devices.

>300Ah/day in a van doesn't seem typical. I am a fairly heavy user of power and on average consume ~128Ah/day (1.66kWh).

Folks in Class A or Class C who want to boondock for significant stretches will need to understand and carefully manage their loads.

if you're fully charged by 11 am, you're in sunny places.

Nomads do have a tendency to follow good weather.

Solar panels just bring in the power, it still has to be stored in a battery bank.

Or consumed as loads. Mindful timing of opportunity loads with solar can reduce the amount of panel and battery required to meet needs.