2018 cl21 rbs plat dry camping

Started by rrtrntowing, July 10, 2018, 10:04:51 AM

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rrtrntowing

Just took long trip in 2018 CLl21 rbs (4000 K+).  good trip.  Learning experince.  It towed well with a 2016 F150 3.5 Ecoboost.  No problems in the mountains.  Went full hook up the whole way and that was fine but now we are interested in dry camping.  Any thoughts on generator/inverter choices?  What about extra propane and other dry camp gear I havent thought of?

DavidM

Dry camping is an entirely different experience than RV parks with full hookups. The best public campgrounds are rustic, campsites are spread out and some have water views. You can even do what is called dispersed camping in US Forest Service or BLM lands where you can camp anywhere as long as you don't block a road.

It doesn't take much extra, maybe nothing to dry camp. You first have to decide about air conditioning though. I camp in the Northeast and avoid days with high heat and humidity like we had here last week. So I don't need air conditioning. A/C and the need to run a generator, kind of destroys the ambiance of dry camping IMO.

So forgetting about A/C, what do you need to dry camp? Well DC power is one. Most CLs are delivered with one Group 24 battery that has about 70 amp hours of capacity. When I camp as long as I don't run the furnace or fans I use about 10 amp hours of DC power daily. That lets me go at least three days and stay above 50% battery discharge which is what is recommended for best battery life.

Driving to the next campsite will generally recharge your batteries if it is at least a several hour drive. There are ways to recharge your batteries without driving or running a generator, but I will leave that to other threads that have been written on the subject.

Three days also works with fresh water and grey water capacity. If I were ever to go longer than that I would pull out of the campsite, dump the waste tanks and refill with fresh water, but I have never camped in one place that long.

One propane tank will last me about 30 days of refrigerator running and stove use, so I have never thought about adding another one. If you camp in really cold climates and run the furnace, then you might need to consider it.

So those are the main systems you need to consider: DC power, water and waste and LPG to dry camp successfully.

David

Gibby

We used to do dry all the time in the tent trailer (it had full shower / toilet as well).

In our 21RBS we have been using hookups more, but, are now leaning back to dry as we got it figured out now for our Weekend getaways.

Propane, just filled a tank, can't remember the last time (not last year so...), and there are 2 up front, so, this is not a limiting factor.

Power, we have an 80 folding solar panel, even running the furnace over night, this will give us a full charge each day, so this is not a limit (remember, no AC or Convection oven).

Water, one full tank, 2 people, 2 days (with showers). We also have a way to add water from buckets, and drain gray, without moving the trailer, so we can extend this until black is full (about 5 days, but by then, you want to dump that anyway :P)

Give it a try.
2014 Camplite 21RBS
2021 Ford F150 Lariat FX4 3.5L V6 EcoBoost

chappy133

Try camping in a State Park campground without hook ups for a three day weekend to get the feel of it.  We "dry camp" all the time with our 16 TBS.  I also have an 80 W Solar panel left over from our pop up camper and we have gone for a week without any issues.  If you get a solar panel I would recommend a minimum of 100W.  We did get a smaller Briggs and Stratton 3000 generator.  The challenge you run into is getting one that will run your AC if camp in the south which the B&S is just at the limit of running.  We did get a blue dump tank with wheels and have had to use that to dump the gray tank on occasion since the shower fills that tank up quickly.  Happy Camping. 
Chuck
2016 21 RBS
2022 F 150 Lariat
Easton, PA

nhlakes

#4
Try 'camp driveway' unplugged on a hot day to discover what camping without power will be like.  If you use a cpap that runs off of AC you'll need to figure out a workable solution. 

We'd like the option of boondocking in hot temps with AC for a few hours in the afternoon.  I discovered my old Honda 2000i generator would not start my AC even with a soft-start installed.  It really should, so I suspect the carb is a tad gunked up and it is not working at full efficiency. 

I have a Champion 3500wt inverter dual fuel waiting for me at home (in NH on vaca now).  I'm looking forward to being able to run it just on propane and not have to worry about fuel during storage since we will not use it very often.  I keep a 3rd propane tank in the truck bed for my Qgrill and the gen will occasionally use that tank as well.

We've got a 3-4 day boondocking trip coming up in Aug.  Looking forward to it.
2016 LL CL21RBS
2015 Tundra 5.7L 4x4 Dbl Ltd

Gibby

#5
Quote from: nhlakes on July 15, 2018, 06:41:35 AM
If you use a cpap that runs off of AC you'll need to figure out a workable solution. 

I was able to run my CPAP (no Humidifier) using a 12V adapter, and portable booster pack (I think it has a 25 ah battery in it). An old 15 watt solar panel I had charges it each day fully, so I was able to work that one out. Mind you, you could also run it off of the trailer battery, using the 12V or an inverter (Sine Wave would be better)
2014 Camplite 21RBS
2021 Ford F150 Lariat FX4 3.5L V6 EcoBoost

rrtrntowing

Good information all.  Thank you

KevinSalyer

I need electricity for air conditioner...
I have been contemplating the same thing for awhile now. I have a 5000 watt generator in the garage to run the house in an outage, but its overkill (and heavy to move) for camping. I have heard nothing but good things about the Honda Generators or cummins generator. They're quiet (no disturbing other campers in the woods) and run like 8-12 hours on a tank of gas. You'll have to look at the wattage for your A/C. My best guess would be to get the 3000 watt. But if you want to just bring a fan, the 2000 watt will run the microwave and all other things.

ADR

Quote from: DavidM on July 10, 2018, 11:13:24 AM
You can even do what is called dispersed camping in US Forest Service or BLM lands where you can camp anywhere as long as you don't block a road.



Just a heads up- some National Forests don't allow dispersed camping in other than designated spots.    Some don't allow it at all.
It can be a real hodgepodge figuring it out- best to check with the particular National Forest you are considering. 
I don't know about BLM as I've never camped in one.

jessicatt

Quote from: Gibby on July 15, 2018, 06:53:35 PM
Quote from: nhlakes on July 15, 2018, 06:41:35 AM
If you use a cpap that runs off of AC you'll need to figure out a workable solution. 

I was able to run my CPAP (no Humidifier) using a 12V adapter, and portable booster pack (I think it has a 25 ah battery in it). An old 15 watt solar panel I had charges it each day fully, so I was able to work that one out. Mind you, you could also run it off of the trailer battery, using the 12V or an inverter (Sine Wave would be better)

Yes you are right Gibby. I have done this too and the results are same like yours. You got a vote from me :)

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