Camping at 7000'. What difference will it make on the equipment?

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skeeter_ca

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Going horse camping in a couple weeks to Wildhorse Family Equestrian Campground in the San Bernardino mtns, California for a weekend. It's at 7000'. Can i expect something to not work correctly at that altitude that would normally be working at a lower altitude, like water heater, ac, furnace, generator and if so how should i get it to work?

skeeter
 
skeeter_ca said:
Going horse camping in a couple weeks to Wildhorse Family Equestrian Campground in the San Bernardino mtns, California for a weekend. It's at 7000'. Can i expect something to not work correctly at that altitude that would normally be working at a lower altitude, like water heater, ac, furnace, generator and if so how should i get it to work?

skeeter
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The only thing that may hiccup is your generator. My Cummins/Onan has a lever that allows you to set what altitude you're at. 

My home is at 7,200 ft and I've camped from sea level to 12,900 ft without having to change anything on my trailer. 
 
If you have a sleep number bed, you'll want to deflate it before going to higher altitude.  It will expand and can burst.
Cooking is impacted. Water boils at a lower temp and so lots of recipes need adjusted.  (Baking is especially particular.  And I've yet to figure out rice.)
You and the horses will also function noticably different. Stay well hydrated.
 
Be careful opening bottles such as catsup, the contents seem to explode out if you came from a low altitude.
 
The only problem I have at 7000 feet is breathing. I have emphysema and the last time I was up that high at the south rim of the Grand Canyon I woke up in the morning breathing hard. So I had to leave and head for Kingman. When you are at altitude if you are healthy you need to drink a ton of water. Not beer, not lemonade, not Diet Pepsi but real water. If not you will get a headache real quick. Also many people need to slow down and not strain yourself by moving too quickly. The job of the lungs is to convert the oxygen in the air into oxygen in your bloodstream. At 7000 feet you will have a reduced amount of oxygen in you bloodstream. This will make you out of breath and unable to to things that come easy at sea level.
 
At only 7,000' you shouldn't have any problems with any of your equipment. Not until you get to the 8,500-9,000' elevations will possible issues crop up, such as your refrigerator or furnace possibly not wanting to ignite. Your generator should run fine, but it's power output may be less than usual as the engine will have less power. My 2000W Honda generator will power my microwave when parked in front of my house (5,300'), but not when camped (8,600').
 
I have read ( meaning not confirmed but I think it is right based on my experience) that you should figure losing 3% of engine power for every thousand feet in elevation.  A 305 hp Ford could lose about 60 hp at that altitude.

Feel free to correct me but at 5200 feet I felt like mine lost a good bit.
 
That 3% will get you in the ball park, for a normally aspirated engine -- turbocharged engines, though, don't lose much, if any, at altitudes that you're likely to be driving at. But carburated vs electronic fuel injection, as well as other factors, will make that vary some. And on hot days you lose more than on cold days. That's because density altitude is the real measure, such that on a hot day at 5,000 feet your density altitude might be as much as 8500-9000 feet, relative to a "standard day" at sea level (59? F).
 
Larry N. said:
That 3% will get you in the ball park, for a normally aspirated engine -- turbocharged engines, though, don't lose much, if any, at altitudes that you're likely to be driving at. But carburated vs electronic fuel injection, as well as other factors, will make that vary some. And on hot days you lose more than on cold days. That's because density altitude is the real measure, such that on a hot day at 5,000 feet your density altitude might be as much as 8500-9000 feet, relative to a "standard day" at sea level (59? F).
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Ahhhh.  It was very hot the day the big decline - makes sense!
 
If you are using propane to heat, cook, and heat water, it will take longer.  Even the BBQ will take longer to get hot and cook your burgers.  Not a deal breaker, just be aware that there is nothing wrong with your appliances, it is just physics. 
 
In 1973 we went to Grand Canyon. In those days we drank instant coffee. Well the water would boil away before it got hot. One morning I made pancakes.  Well, they were indeed cakes as they rose to about 2 inches thick.  Good times back in those days with our little Apache popup.
 
Well the water would boil away before it got hot.
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Hmmm...  Your definition of hot is different from mine, though I'll grant that water boils at a lower temperature at higher altitudes, but (living at 5,000 ft, camping at more than 8000) it still will make instant coffee, though it takes longer.
 
"...... Well the water would boil away before it got hot......" :eek: :eek:    Think that might be a tad extreeme.  Water reaches the boiling point ....  Wont get much hotter no matter how long ya leave the pot on the fire. 

JM2?
 
Mea culpa. I exaggerated a bit.I should have said that the water boiled away quickly.
 
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