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05-16-2009, 10:36 PM
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#1
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3 Rivet Member
2008 31' Classic
Ft. Lauderdale
, Florida
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 171
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Should I take my Gens on our trip?
Planning a 11 week trip from Florida to Maine leaving 6/7, NS back through Canada to Upstate NY. I took them w/us 2yrs ago and never used them. Found it logistically difficult to plan on the road to be in a place secluded enough to use them. I called a client in coastal upstate Maine 65 miles from the border. I told him my unit has 2 Acs he said I should instead make sure my furnace is working! The water temp was 45 degrees. So even if we boondock he is implying Ac not needed. I kinda shy away from using the free parking at Wall-Mart etc society is a little frazzled on the edges and I dont want to invite intruders. So any overnite stay will probably be in a campsite in the states. Does Canada frown on roadside overniters. Or are there places one has to go to experience that happen to be off the grid?
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05-17-2009, 04:53 AM
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#2
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Rivet Master
2004 22' International CCD
Spotsylvania
, Virginia
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 663
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I assume by referring to "Gens", you mean 2 Honda EU-2000s. I would recommend taking one of them to recharge your battery. We went without our Gen and encountered a nasty storm event. Cold and rainy. The electricity to the campground was knocked out and the battery was insufficient to run the furnace fan through the night. I always carry my generator when we travel/camp, just in case.
__________________
Bob
---------------
"THE BAUXITE BUNGALOW"
2004 22' CCD
1997 F-150
TAC VA-12
AIR# 4749
ex WBCCI# 1430
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05-17-2009, 05:47 AM
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#3
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Rivet Master
1976 25' Caravanner
Vintage Kin Owner
Campton
, New Hampshire
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,113
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I'll second the one generator . Both Maine and Canada have some places to boondock . They both also have nice state and provincial parks that usually don't have hookups. It will open up more choices for you.
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05-17-2009, 03:44 PM
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#4
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3 Rivet Member
2008 31' Classic
Ft. Lauderdale
, Florida
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 171
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One Gen 2000i
Good so I should not need 2 to run an AC even away from the ocean.
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05-17-2009, 03:49 PM
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#5
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3 Rivet Member
2008 31' Classic
Ft. Lauderdale
, Florida
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 171
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Change over stock batteries to AGM?
My unit is now 2 years old, 2008 Limited 31. I have her hooked up when not camping. Is it time to swap them out and to change for 2 AGMs? I will be going through Colonial on the way up and the price for solar was $3400 if it is just to keep a charge to the batteries I dont think it makes much sense. If you are storing w/o a hookup I would think it would be best to just turn off the battery switch on the converter so the alarms dont drain them.
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05-17-2009, 03:58 PM
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#6
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Rivet Master
1999 23' Safari
Perrysburg
, Ann Arbor
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 916
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Are you sure that killing the battery switch turns off the alarms? I think there is a requirement that CO, propane, etc. alarms be hard wired to the electrical source, so that if you've got batteries installed, you've got drain, so long as the batteries are connected. That's why most folks either pull the batteries in the winter or put them on a Battery Minder or equivalent.
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05-17-2009, 04:04 PM
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#7
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Rivet Master
2004 22' International CCD
Spotsylvania
, Virginia
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 663
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I would disconnect and remove the batteries to be safe. A wall mounted Battery Minder will keep the batteries topped off during storage. Some phantom loads are still going to be in the trailer due to Code requirements.
Solar panels are good in Florida, but are marginal in northern states like Maine.
__________________
Bob
---------------
"THE BAUXITE BUNGALOW"
2004 22' CCD
1997 F-150
TAC VA-12
AIR# 4749
ex WBCCI# 1430
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05-17-2009, 05:24 PM
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#8
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Rivet Master
1966 24' Tradewind
Placerville
, California
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,328
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Take one
Two summers ago right after we bought our one 2000 when ready to break a boondocking camp the convertible battery died. No problem, I thought, I'll just take the trailer battery out and jump start the car with it. Our last night in the campsite we watched some movies and....you guessed it, the trailer battery was dead also. We were miles from any service help plus out of cell phone range too. At the time that I bought the 2000 I decided to splurge another $15 and buy the car battery charge cord accessory. We were on the road within 15 minutes.
Neil.
__________________
Neil and Lynn Holman
FreshAir #12407
Avatar;
Kirk Creek, Big Sur, Ca. coast.
1966 Trade Wind
1971 Buick Centurion convertible
455 cid
1969 Oldsmobile Ninety Eight
455 cid
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05-17-2009, 06:46 PM
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#9
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3 Rivet Member
2008 31' Classic
Ft. Lauderdale
, Florida
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 171
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I splurged when we bought the Hondas, connecting kit and jumper cables. I met a fellow with the same exact AS as ours at Topsail 08 they came from Oregon by motorcycle traded it in for a F250 diesel and the AS. He is quite handy he had rigged up a maserator 12v system directly to an area where the outlet pipe runs, had a security system, his wife had already sewn pattern matching covers for all the furniture, made their own ottoman, and sewn security blinds for the camper top interior windows, and black cloth covers for the Hondas. They were out for full-timing in a serious way. I did pick up from him a couple of ideas one of which was the necessity of a bedslide. But the best setup I saw was at the Sarasota Rally one of the long-timers in his 34 had a power vent installed in his topper and he ran the generator from inside the bed connected to a forward position connector on the AS, he could stop on the road and without much hassle...
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05-17-2009, 06:57 PM
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#10
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Rivet Monster
1975 31' Sovereign
1980 31' Excella II
Sprung Leak
, North Carolina
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 7,172
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Take at least one of the generators with you, two if you think you might need the AC. I have been caught in a variety of situations where having the generator along made the difference between miserable and tolerable. I also have heard one tale where someone's tow vehicle broke down and the only place to park was the dealer's back lot...with no power for 4 days...
Aaron
__________________
....so many Airstreams....so little time...
WBCCI #XXXX AIR #2495
Why are we in this basket...and where are we going
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