We’ve been full-timing for a while and so far, its always been with full hookups. I’d like to try out national parks without hookups.

We have a 2009 Cameo fifth wheel equipped with the following: 2 Trojan 6V batteries in series, an Onan 5500 propane generator, an Intellipower 9200 converter by Progressive Dynamics. I have no inverter or battery charge monitor. I have no current plans for solar, but I’d like to keep my options open for adding it later, so any equipment that I buy, hopefully I’d be able to use it with a future solar system. Although I’m not that great with electrical stuff, I’ve read enough online articles lately to make my eyeballs bleed.

Here’s what I think I should do to begin to boondock:

1.     1. - Buy & install a Trimetric 2025RV battery monitor. I should buy and install a shunt to go with it. I guess I’ll ask the battery monitor retailer what shunt to buy.

2.     2. - Buy & install an inverter so I can use my AC equipment. I’d like to wait to buy this until I become better skilled & educated about battery power management – unless there’s some technical reason that I need to do this now(?).

3.     3. - Plan to run my generator for any heavy usage like AC or microwave.

4.     4. - Plan to run my Norcold 10 cu ft refrigerator on propane mode. My understanding is that it will use very little propane per day.

The information in the converter manual says that the converter has a Storage Mode at 13.2V, a Normal Mode at 13.6V, and a Boost Mode at 14.4V. It states “If the converter senses that the battery voltage has dropped below a preset level the output voltage is increased to 14.4V to rapidly recharge the batteries.” I don’t know how many volts that ‘preset level’ is – the manual doesn’t specify. Or at what voltage it reverts to lower voltage modes.

So after installing the battery monitor, I wait until the Trimetric says that the battery charge level is down to about 60%(?), then run my generator to charge them back up. The charge vs. time graph in the converter manual shows the time to go from 50% to 90% is about 4 hours, although this info is for only one battery. I guess that I’ll learn as I go what the actual generator run time is to charge the battery to 90%. At the rate of propane consumption of my generator (3.3 pounds per hour, 4 hours, 4.2 #/gal, $3/gal) , this will cost me roughly $10 in propane. I assume that by using only lighting, water pump, and 12V control power to things like the fridge, I’ll only have to recharge once every few days(???). My understanding is that charging only to 90% for a few weeks won’t hurt my batteries. I’ll charge them to 100% the next time I’m at a full hookup site.

Am I missing anything??? Anything else I should do before boondocking?

All comments appreciated. Thanks very much.

[sorry about the long post – I really want to do this right]