three weeks in a Promaster City

[townline]

I just took a 3 week trip in the van. My budget allows gas, campsites and coffee but not Restaurant meals. I got better at finding camps on the trip. I do not have a smartphone, just a laptop with verizon hotspot. I think it's best to look earlier in the day. Aspenoor fridge worked well. I still have power anxiety with the 100amp agl. Using 10-20 amps a night for fan and fridge in almost 100 degree heat. Looking to upgrade with Lithium as the 300 watts of panel gathers more than the battery can store. I am really happy that i had this small vehicle as i drove down the eastern Seaboard on the tollways, the I pass worked great. visited some museums and saw a few unique water or aircraft. I think the only anxiety on the trip was finding a camp. Probably more difficult in the east. I was flat out rejected by some camps for not being an RV or not having a tent. Boondocked on rutherford Beach Loisiana a few nights. My water setup is 2 3gallon american made stacking jugs with a hand pump and a 2$ stainless mixing bowl sink from GoodWill. The drain was20$&%#

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

.....I think the only anxiety on the trip was finding a camp. Probably more difficult in the east. I was flat out rejected by some camps for not being an RV or not having a tent.....

Unless I have a definite campsite planned, I usually start looking for a campsite at 2 to 3 pm.
I carry a small, cheap tent for just such occasions (and for marking a campsite occupied if I want to leave for the day).

 

[Tony's Dream]

Finding a spot for the night can be fun sometimes. I like to see as much as I can when I travel and I usually don't stop for the night until around 6-7pm, unless I find a spot that I just love on the way. That does mean that most sites are filling up and instead of campsites I might be staying at Wal-Mart or truck stop. I am the kind of guy that can make the best of what I have available.

 

[RV411]

Sounds like you had a wonderful adventure!
During my recent travels, i "boondocked" at Rest Stops and Truck Stops. My favorites are to stealth in nicer Hotel Parking Lots.
I can relate to experience that some Camp sites can be unwelcoming (fine, we won't force out $ on them!); and to starting the "where shall I rest" search early in the day. IMHO the biggest benefit is that it gives you time to adjust or react if you need a plan B-C-D; which we often do.

 

[afblangley]

Sounds like you had an excellent adventure!

If you're looking for a place to just sleep for the night, there are lots of alternatives to campgrounds. Hospitals, municipal airports, apartment complexes, college campus parking lots, and the streets of densely populated neighborhoods (ie. Marina District in SF, Hyde Park in Chicago, College Point in NYC, Coconut Grove in Miami) are some of my favorite types of spots.

Don't be a nuisance, don't make people nervous, and don't stay too long. Common sense and courtesy go a long way. If you cook on the sidewalk, pee on people's lawns, or share your music, you'll rightly wear out your welcome.

I don't need the electrical, sewage disposal, water, and bathroom facilities of a campground, so I don't go there to sleep. When I'm on multi day road trip, I tend to stay in a motel every 4th or 5th night to relax and recharge my physical, mental and emotional stores.

 

[maki2]

I recommend that you get the O2 cool rechargeable fan. It is a good sized fan. It comes with a 110v wall plug. However you can charge it and run it from 12v with an adapter. It won't last for 8 hours on a charge, more like 6, but that is usually enough as the coolest part of the night is the couple of hours before dawn. I found a compatible 12v plug adapter to run mine at a local thrift store. But there are some 12v adapters sold for it by aftermarket suppliers on Amazon.

 

[frater secessus]

Nice write-up.

Looking to upgrade with Lithium as the 300 watts of panel gathers more than the battery can store.

There are advantages to Li, but it won't store more for a given Ah rating. Perhaps I am misreading and you mean you were planning to both increase Ah and change to lithium.

In the meantime, when you have excess power you might consider running opportunity loads like electric cooking appliances. Yesterday I ran a crock pot and rice cooker so no propane was consumed for those meals.

 

[Walt]

Adding more AmpHours might prove more helpful than switching to lithium batteries. Certainly it will be much less expensive (like 1/3 the cost or less).add another 100Ah lead acid battery for under $100 would be a simple solution that you could do in 10 minutes or less and will double your storage capacity without needing to change out any other parts.

 

[PaulW]

Nice write-up.



There are advantages to Li, but it won't store more for a given Ah rating. Perhaps I am misreading and you mean you were planning to both increase Ah and change to lithium.

In the meantime, when you have excess power you might consider running opportunity loads like electric cooking appliances. Yesterday I ran a crock pot and rice cooker so no propane was consumed for those meals.

Opportunity loads a great phrase. I fully charge my motorhome during the day. I started running my refrigerator AC/Propane on Ac during these times to take advantage of sun power that would of gone to waste. At the same time I save on propane helping to extend my time boondocking.