Solar - How Many Days Can I Go?

[Tigger1]

Originally Posted by GaryandEllen

Thanks everyone. Yes, we do have dual 6V batteries. Sounds like we will be good for the three days. The Acadia trip will be our second trip, so maybe by that time we will have the portable, as we did order the Zamp port from ETI. We're so excited to pick up in May and explore our country and Canada!!!

GaryandEllen; Do not want to kill your enthusiasm but you may want to check first with Escape before making plans for a trip into Canada. Pres Trump and PM Trudeau just closed the US/Canadian border to all non-essential (read non commercial traffic) until the Pandemic has passed and nobody knows when that may be!

[Michael.Chadwick]

We have the escape 5.0 TA and live and camp in maine......we camped out in a no service campground here for two weeks on solar......you should be fine

[bjsmitty]

You will run out of water and grey-water tank capacity long before your solar panels and battery run out. throw the dish water outside and limit your showers. We have boondocked in forested areas for up to 10 days with no serious challenges to our batteries. Water: that is another matter. Learn to get water in large jugs with some means of adding to the tank if that is where you want it.

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by 2Travelers

GaryandEllen,

I agree that you will be pleasantly surprised. We stayed 6 nights in Blackwoods Campground last July and our batteries provided sufficient power throughout the stay (though I had similar concerns going in). It was the two of us and our pup, and we were careful in our power consumption but did not hesitate to make use of the max or vent fans or charge our USB devices. We didn't and had no need to use the inverter. We were in site A080, which had almost full shade; weather was a mix of sun and clouds. We have a 19' with the factory-installed 170 watt/dual 6 volt setup, which should be very similar to yours, and a 2018 trailer. The batteries kept up and (as noted) the solar did recharge them some each day with the bit of filtered light that came through the canopy. I can't remember how much was put back but they never got close to being down to 50%. We did need to haul freshwater from the bath house spigot to supplement our tank, which ran low.

We did not stay a the Schoodic campground though did visit. And while a visit to the Schoodic Peninsula was on our trip plan it was made all the more pleasurable by a couple who came by our site one day, introduced themselves, and invited us to visit them and their Escape 5.0TA at Schoodic! It was, and is still, the only Escape trailer we've ever seen in the wild. A very nice couple, and a very nice trailer, with several clever and innovative mods. Not too many Escapes here in Eastern US, though there are a few and numbers are growing.

I hope you enjoy your trip and your stay at Blackwoods. We found the previously noted book on Acadia helpful, and also really liked Moon's travel guide to Acadia National Park. Be sure to use the Park's free shuttle bus service, generously provided by LL Bean. It worked rather well for us, and they even let us bring our dog.

No pics of our site and set up to share (I usually try to take one but couldn't find it), so here's an iconic shot of Bass Harbor Head Light. It's a bit of a drive to the light, and when you are out that way you might want to take a late lunch, like we did, at Seafood Ketch nearby. The meal was excellent and the harbor view can't be beat.
---
John

🤔 that couple have a dog named Rowdy?

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by Michael.Chadwick

We have the escape 5.0 TA and live and camp in maine......we camped out in a no service campground here for two weeks on solar......you should be fine

That campground, Black Woods, has heavy shade, without portable panels I think they'll be limited to the battery life. Even with portable panels they may have a problem. If Schoodic is their 2nd stop all the sites have electric.

[Eggscape]

This a great time to have solar...when many of the camp grounds are starting to close.

[GaryandEllen]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

As far as pick up you may have to pick up in Sumas, WA at Bob's Burgers only, right now, as the border is closed for tourists.

Yeah, my original post was before the closures. Karl is sending emails to people with upcoming pickups. We will reassess situation in a month's time. We will wait til we can get through, as we have stuff for them to install. Still fun to plan trips though. Trying not to be disappointed about the trip planned to get there, but it is what it is and we'll have to be flexible.

[Ken G]

You should be fine. Make sure the fridge is on propane

[Ronn]

For reference I am planning to put a label onto my battery monitor. I saw this and believe it to be accurate information. I have the dual 6 volt factory installed batteries.
12.06 Volts - 50%
11.9 Volts - okay
11.75 Volts - Caution
11.30 Volts - DAMAGE!!

[padlin]

This is the one I use. Going below 50% shortens battery life.

[cpaharley2008]

yes, you want to keep it above the 50% number...

[padlin]

Just to give you an idea.

[cpaharley2008]

Wow, that chart indicates anything below 80% and your battery life really starts to decrease...

[Ronn]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Wow, that chart indicates anything below 80% and your battery life really starts to decrease...

My exact thoughts, any discharge apparently.
Where does the 50% magic number come from, neither of these charts?

[padlin]

All the charts I can find pretty much echo the one above. Guess if you have enough battery storage where you can stay above 80% or so they'll last a lot longer then one would think, cycle wise. Like 9ish years if dropping it to 80% every single day.

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Wow, that chart indicates anything below 80% and your battery life really starts to decrease...

On the other hand, the chart indicates you get 500 cycles even if you drain 100% of the power.

I'm not quite sure what to make of that. For example, if I went camping 100 times per year and used 100% of my battery power each time - my battery would last 5 years. (Now, in the real world, my battery capacity would diminish a bit each time, and would be worthless after year 3 more-or-less.)

But at the same time, many of us begin to think about a new battery at the 5 year mark, even if our typical use is a 50% drain and a few weeks of boondocking per year.

I can't reconcile the real world and that chart. Anyone else having that problem?

--
Alan

[2Travelers]

Originally Posted by Chotch

🤔 that couple have a dog named Rowdy?

Sure did. Apologies, Rowdy, should have mentioned we met you, too. And what a fine pup you are!

Thanks again for taking time with us and for the advice and tips. We are still getting fully acquainted with our rig and are trying out new ways of doing things.
I hope you've got some great plans for the season and that those campgrounds that have closed will reopen so that we all can get out there and enjoy the great outdoors.

[And now back to learning more about how these batteries behave--what's normal and what's not...]

[John in Santa Cruz]

The folks who have the biggest issues with battery capacity are the ones who want to run lots of AC appliances in a high wattage inverter.... microwave oven, electric coffeemaker, hair dryers, instantpot, etc. 1200 watts might only be 10 amps at 120VAC, but its 100 amps at 12V DC.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

The folks who have the biggest issues with battery capacity are the ones who want to run lots of AC appliances in a high wattage inverter...

I guess it's what you expect when camping. I am happy if I have enough power to run the furnace fan. I have one 12V battery. I have no built-in inverter. I do have an 80 watt inverter that cost $12.99, which I can use to charge my laptop.

I use propane to boil water for pour-over filter coffee. I don't have a microwave oven in the trailer. We have one at home to cook broccoli. We have propane BBQ and butane one-burner stove and three-burner propane in the trailer that's rarely used.

If I needed AC appliances, I'd just stay home. My back yard is fine.

[Ronn]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

The folks who have the biggest issues with battery capacity are the ones who want to run lots of AC appliances in a high wattage inverter.... microwave oven, electric coffeemaker, hair dryers, instantpot, etc. 1200 watts might only be 10 amps at 120VAC, but its 100 amps at 12V DC.

We have the ETI solar setup (1 panel, dual batteries, inverter wired to all outlets). We have camped in all conditions, sunny, cold ie: 20s F, cloudy, heavy tree cover etc.
We have used our inverter extensively, ie: laptop computer with two additional screens, another laptop, our instant pot, toaster, phone charging, hair dryer, 120 volt television.

Our most recent trip (February) was the only time we have gotten our batteries down to 50%. This was after about 18 hours, in 20 degree weather, furnace running, laptop with 2 additional screens (6 hrs), another laptop (2hrs) television (2 hrs), lights. This was overnight and then into an overcast grey day, we had some (minimal) input from solar due to both being overcast and a winter day.

The furnace seems have been a big factor (draw) for us. The winter sun and less daylight also falls into this equation.

I am not about to try to do the amp draw (others can), but I am confident in what I am relaying. We are more travelers than boon dockers, so the solar with inverter works very well for us.