TuMadre
New member
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2015
- Posts
- 3
In preparation for a week long dry camping trip next month, I have been preparing myself for battery usage only for the entire week.
-I installed a battery monitor https://www.amazon.com/bayite-6-5-100V-Display-Multimeter-Voltmeter/dp/B013PKYILS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471186608&sr=8-1&keywords=bayite+dc+meter. This shows several parameters, including voltage and total energy used, which can be reset daily to keep tabs on what is is being used, and how much remains.
-I put a switch on the propane alarm for testing only - Safety first, but I wanted to be able to show a draw of zero on the monitor - which did work - with the alarm switched off, the monitor shows no parasitic draw. I will not be camping with the alarm turned off.
-I removed every incandescent bulb and replaced them all with LED lighting - and I do mean EVERY one - even the fridge, exhaust fan over the stove and the step light.
-I purchased a 100w portable Solar Suitcase http://www.eco-worthy.com/catalog/worthy-100w-foldable-polycrystalline-solar-suitcase-p-347.html. On clear days I should be able to put somewhere in the neighborhood of 30-35 amps back into the battery if my calculations are correct. If it's rainy or cloudy, I will pull out a small gasoline powered generator, but I'l like to avoid that if at all possible.
After installing my power usage meter and propane alarm switch, I went through the camper flipping switches and turning things on and off - it was very eye opening. Looks like I will be listening to the Stereo more than I'll be watching TV, and I'm gonna hope for warm nights! I compiled my results into a worksheet (the purpose of this post) to help me determine what I can run (and for how long) on a daily basis. (An odd finding is that double LED fixtures do not double the current draw as compared to a single LED fixture - any ideas on why?)
My meter will show my cumulative watt-hour usage per battery charge (I will only be in the camper about 10 hours per day), so I am hoping you guys can tell me if I have done my worksheet properly. If not, let me know so I can update it. I know I shouldn't take out more than 50% of my battery capacity, so I think I have appx. 37.5 amps per charge to work with.
-I installed a battery monitor https://www.amazon.com/bayite-6-5-100V-Display-Multimeter-Voltmeter/dp/B013PKYILS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471186608&sr=8-1&keywords=bayite+dc+meter. This shows several parameters, including voltage and total energy used, which can be reset daily to keep tabs on what is is being used, and how much remains.
-I put a switch on the propane alarm for testing only - Safety first, but I wanted to be able to show a draw of zero on the monitor - which did work - with the alarm switched off, the monitor shows no parasitic draw. I will not be camping with the alarm turned off.
-I removed every incandescent bulb and replaced them all with LED lighting - and I do mean EVERY one - even the fridge, exhaust fan over the stove and the step light.
-I purchased a 100w portable Solar Suitcase http://www.eco-worthy.com/catalog/worthy-100w-foldable-polycrystalline-solar-suitcase-p-347.html. On clear days I should be able to put somewhere in the neighborhood of 30-35 amps back into the battery if my calculations are correct. If it's rainy or cloudy, I will pull out a small gasoline powered generator, but I'l like to avoid that if at all possible.
After installing my power usage meter and propane alarm switch, I went through the camper flipping switches and turning things on and off - it was very eye opening. Looks like I will be listening to the Stereo more than I'll be watching TV, and I'm gonna hope for warm nights! I compiled my results into a worksheet (the purpose of this post) to help me determine what I can run (and for how long) on a daily basis. (An odd finding is that double LED fixtures do not double the current draw as compared to a single LED fixture - any ideas on why?)
My meter will show my cumulative watt-hour usage per battery charge (I will only be in the camper about 10 hours per day), so I am hoping you guys can tell me if I have done my worksheet properly. If not, let me know so I can update it. I know I shouldn't take out more than 50% of my battery capacity, so I think I have appx. 37.5 amps per charge to work with.