West HELP! Boondocking with Bambi 16?

[skitger]

Here are the pics of the shunt and my 712 install. I put the shunt right next to the neg bus bar, added a ring connector to the old neg line, and made a short new cable (I have some heavy gauge around) which I put a ring connector on it. Moved the old neg line to the shunt and added the new line to go from shunt to neg bus bar. I then made a small wood frame to hold the 712 in the compartment, I did not need to see it, it is easy to monitor on your phone (did not want to run more lines or drill more holes). I also moved the neg side of the Zamp solar line from going to the battery, to now going to the neg bus bar. I had to add a little length and stuff it through the hole in the floor to get it to the neg bus bar. I also used the temperature sensors (routed them to the battery from the shunt) through the hole in the floor. I used a short snake (piece of wire) to pull wire through hole in floor ( I had to remove a little caulk to open it up, and but some back when done). I love the Victron BMV 712, look at it every day while out to see how the Ah are doing.

I also just added a Progressive Dynamics convertor (PD 4655L Wildkat) and an EMS (EMS-HW30C), the convertor is easy, a direct swap, you just have to lay on the floor a while. The EMS was a little harder, I put it behind the WFCO box, in the void area (because there is no easy place else on the Bambi 16), but that was not easy. I had mounted it on the aft side wall in the void. But the side wall is only 1/8 ply, so from the storage side (back of trailer), it is only held in with 4 screws, so I swapped it out for a piece of ½ inch ply, cut exactly the same, and now I had a sturdy wall to mount to. I added the 10-2 wire to the EMS and then swapped the incoming power line from the WFCO to the EMS and put the new 10-2 line from the EMS back to the WFCO box. A lot more lying on the floor, you have to use flashlights too, because there is no power in the trailer! After layer there so much, I added a very slim (flat) light under the bed with a built in switch so I have light down there now too. I had already added more lights to the back storage bay, so I put the new light on that line.

[Sport 16 STL]

Nice photos of your install. Hope to do the same after a bit more research on procedure. Does the victron come with detailed, useful directions?
I also installed a progressive EMS behind the breaker panel. They provide good instructions that even I found it an easy install. I have a couple pictures if anyone considering an ems install in a sport 16.

[farafield]

Originally Posted by skitger

Here are the pics of the shunt and my 712 install. I put the shunt right next to the neg bus bar, added a ring connector to the old neg line, and made a short new cable (I have some heavy gauge around) which I put a ring connector on it. Moved the old neg line to the shunt and added the new line to go from shunt to neg bus bar. I then made a small wood frame to hold the 712 in the compartment, I did not need to see it, it is easy to monitor on your phone (did not want to run more lines or drill more holes). I also moved the neg side of the Zamp solar line from going to the battery, to now going to the neg bus bar. I had to add a little length and stuff it through the hole in the floor to get it to the neg bus bar. I also used the temperature sensors (routed them to the battery from the shunt) through the hole in the floor. I used a short snake (piece of wire) to pull wire through hole in floor ( I had to remove a little caulk to open it up, and but some back when done). I love the Victron BMV 712, look at it every day while out to see how the Ah are doing.

I also just added a Progressive Dynamics convertor (PD 4655L Wildkat) and an EMS (EMS-HW30C), the convertor is easy, a direct swap, you just have to lay on the floor a while. The EMS was a little harder, I put it behind the WFCO box, in the void area (because there is no easy place else on the Bambi 16), but that was not easy. I had mounted it on the aft side wall in the void. But the side wall is only 1/8 ply, so from the storage side (back of trailer), it is only held in with 4 screws, so I swapped it out for a piece of ½ inch ply, cut exactly the same, and now I had a sturdy wall to mount to. I added the 10-2 wire to the EMS and then swapped the incoming power line from the WFCO to the EMS and put the new 10-2 line from the EMS back to the WFCO box. A lot more lying on the floor, you have to use flashlights too, because there is no power in the trailer! After layer there so much, I added a very slim (flat) light under the bed with a built in switch so I have light down there now too. I had already added more lights to the back storage bay, so I put the new light on that line.

Thank you so much. Will look at it in depth a little later.

[leedav]

Victron comes with a nice fat instruction book.

[ORtraveler]

We bought a 2019 Sport16 Bambi in May. We’re loving it, upgraded from a T@B. We had the dealer add a second Interstate deep cell battery. We can easily go 4-5 maybe 6 nights. This is summer camping, no furnace, minimal use of fantastic fan. We had some pretty warm days (Central Oregon) when the circulation fan for the refrigerator came on, still did fine. You can do it!

[Gusto2582]

We have a 2006 Bambi 16. The biggest issue for boondocking is the trailer’s limited weight carrying capacity. With the water and propane tanks full your carrying capacity is 106 pounds, according to the sticker in the closet. We always travel without water.

[Sparkle]

I also have a 2018 Bambi Sport. I switched the original battery to two AGM batteries and use a 160 watt Zamp plug-in solar panel. It keeps the batteries topped off. In my opinion you will have more challenges with water use and black tank capacity. I mostly dry camp in state parks with water faucets available but not for hooking-up. I carry extra water containers, wash dishes outside, shower in a tent and pack a cleanwaste pottie in case the black tank starts to get full. My longest trip has been 6 days without running out of power or water or black tank space. It’s fun to see how conservative you can be. While we’re on the subject, don’t put any toilet paper into your toilet. It allows more space for waste, is easier to dump and you don’t have to worry about what kind of paper to buy. Have fun!

[jean]

I have been boondocking in my my 16' Bambi since buying it new in 2004. I long ago moved up from a single 12V battery to two 6V golf cart batteries and then, most recently, two 6V AGM golf cart batteries. The golf cart batteries have greatly eased my power concerns. In addition, I have two rooftop solar panels that give me 185 watts. Over the years, I've owned two generators, but no longe even take one on my trips. I can go two weeks at a time in spring, summer and fall (I live in Northern California). However, I also have LED lights, no microwave or TV and never play the stereo system unless hooked to shore power. More worrisome for me in terms of long boondocking is the size of the black/gray water combo tank in the 16' Bambi. You must be conservative in your use, since it's smaller than the larger trailers. Still, it's very doable.

[sherpa27]

We've had our sport 16 for 4 years and at least 20k miles. We find we can boondock for long periods if you have some reasonably inexpensive tools and don't require Get a couple rechargeable camping lamps, a rechargeable fan, and a 400wh LI battery pack, such as a Yeti zero, paired with a suitcase solar panel. The Yeti will allow you to charge cell phones and the lights/fan. You can also plug your TV into it and watch videos or play cds. If you have a firestick and some cell signal, you can also watch anything on prime. Our 80 watt solar panel will recharge the LI unit in about 4 hours. You can also use the solar to charge your batteries, of course. The real limiting factor is the black water tank. If you have a portable toilet base with the ziplock bags, that problem is solved. If you don't mind sponge baths, you can stay out a good long time.

[duncans]

When we were young, attempting to save $$ to buy a farm, my husband worked as a precommercial tree thinner in the wilds of Washington State. We usually ran on battery power, but occassionally had no power. This meant a block, or two, of ice in the frig bins, water in 5 gallon containers (15 gallons had to last a week),used a shovel for the potty, and catalytic wall heater in our 31 ft'er. We listened to Radio Canada, long story hours in the evening. I lost my wedding ring digging our way out of snow. Now, that was boondocking. And, yes, we bought our farm.

[farrel509]

Our biggest concern while boondocking is always water capacity - not electrical capacity. The small size of the combined black/gray water tank on the 16 would be WAY too small for our typical camping trip. Have you considered the 19 footer instead?

[Len n Jeanne]

Great experiences! Thanks for sharing them.

Our boondocking conservation methods with our 16' Bambi, continued in our 19' Bambi.

1. The fridge, at least on any model since 2005, is super-well insulated. On a day when Bambi is stationary and we're out and about, we shut off the fridge, water heater, and main battery switch. Meanwhile, we have frozen 3-4 blue gel packs in the freezer. They keep everything really cold. When we're back for supper, we turn everything on again. We've never had the ice cubes or gel packs thaw out with this system. No ice cream in the freezer, but we have to make sacrifices somewhere. The water heater is also pretty well insulated.

2. With the fresh water situation, if there's no drinking water on site, we travel with a jerry can or two of water and a big funnel. Using a lot of small water bottles for drinking or quick hand-rinsing cuts down on needing to use the pump. Baby-wipes are also good for hand (and bottom) cleaning.

3. When possible, we wash dishes outside, of course carefully observing hygiene in disposing of gray water outside, not into the wastewater tank. (Hint: this is what tent campers must do.) To conserve water, we might wipe dishes first with a commercial surface wipe (like Lysol, or a green variety) then wash with a dish brush and a small amount of soapy water in a bowl. We have a rectangular plastic tub for rinsing dishes in hot clean water. We carry paper plates but try not to use them.

4. Re: bathing. Hopefully there's a place to swim or a hot springs nearby (entirely possible where we live in BC.) Otherwise, We put a couple of rectangular plastic dish pans in the shower to capture as much water as possible. Generally one is to stand in. With a wet bath, the other tub can sit on the toilet seat. Bring a cup. Make sure the floor plug is in. Water goes on, only long enough to get wet. Turn off, and soap up. With the clean captured water, you can use the cup to rinse your hair. Turn water on only long enough to rinse off. By now your feet have had a good soak.

OK, so that's for Her Ladyship. He doesn't mind smelling like a man, so will take a quick sponge bath with the captured water.

Using a cup and rag, remove as much water as possible from the shower floor. Dispose of it outside with gray water, paying attention to hygiene in your campsite.

5. Toilet. In a loo or in nature whenever possible. In the Bambi do manual flush when possible via a couple of water bottles reserved for that purpose. This uses less water and electricity than using the pump.

We've also lined the toilet bowl with a sturdy unused garbage bag (so no pinholes,) and added ordinary garden peat moss, which is biodegradeable and highly absorbent. This can be disposed of in the nearest dumpster. (Where soiled baby diapers would end up, anyway.) We haven't tried this, but I would think that an open adult diaper (not to wear, to pee into) or a hospital style "piddle pad" would probably work, too.

6. Recharging phone, Kindle &c. We have a couple of battery packs, or use the vehicle to recharge if we're driving. We have a small solar recharger but lost the right power cord for it and can't find a replacement. We'll look for a new one.

Waste water. Once we had an overflow problem with the 16-footer waste water tank, and once with the 19-footer black water tank. Both times unspeakably awful. I wouldn't push it.

[Len n Jeanne]

Just one more thing-- a truck isn't necessary to tow a Bambi, but the little guys' chief limiting factor from our perspective is lack of storage space. A truck with a cap (canopy, topper) on the back dramatically increases our camping storage capacity.

OK, two more things. If you have a place to dispose of its contents properly, you can buy a "biffy box" or auxillary waste water container that hooks up to your waste water outflow pipe. They sell these at places like Camper World.

Oops-- three more things. The furnace uses a lot of propane, as well as some power to run the fan. We bring lots of super warm bedding, and then put the thermostat on a low setting for cold nights.

[Sport 16 STL]

Originally Posted by Len n Jeanne

Great experiences! Thanks for sharing them.

Our boondocking conservation methods with our 16' Bambi, continued in our 19' Bambi.

1. The fridge, at least on any model since 2005, is super-well insulated. On a day when Bambi is stationary and we're out and about, we shut off the fridge, water heater, and main battery switch. Meanwhile, we have frozen 3-4 blue gel packs in the freezer. They keep everything really cold. When we're back for supper, we turn everything on again. We've never had the ice cubes or gel packs thaw out with this system. No ice cream in the freezer, but we have to make sacrifices somewhere. The water heater is also pretty well insulated.

2. With the fresh water situation, if there's no drinking water on site, we travel with a jerry can or two of water and a big funnel. Using a lot of small water bottles for drinking or quick hand-rinsing cuts down on needing to use the pump. Baby-wipes are also good for hand (and bottom) cleaning.

3. When possible, we wash dishes outside, of course carefully observing hygiene in disposing of gray water outside, not into the wastewater tank. (Hint: this is what tent campers must do.) To conserve water, we might wipe dishes first with a commercial surface wipe (like Lysol, or a green variety) then wash with a dish brush and a small amount of soapy water in a bowl. We have a rectangular plastic tub for rinsing dishes in hot clean water. We carry paper plates but try not to use them.

4. Re: bathing. Hopefully there's a place to swim or a hot springs nearby (entirely possible where we live in BC.) Otherwise, We put a couple of rectangular plastic dish pans in the shower to capture as much water as possible. Generally one is to stand in. With a wet bath, the other tub can sit on the toilet seat. Bring a cup. Make sure the floor plug is in. Water goes on, only long enough to get wet. Turn off, and soap up. With the clean captured water, you can use the cup to rinse your hair. Turn water on only long enough to rinse off. By now your feet have had a good soak.

OK, so that's for Her Ladyship. He doesn't mind smelling like a man, so will take a quick sponge bath with the captured water.

Using a cup and rag, remove as much water as possible from the shower floor. Dispose of it outside with gray water, paying attention to hygiene in your campsite.

5. Toilet. In a loo or in nature whenever possible. In the Bambi do manual flush when possible via a couple of water bottles reserved for that purpose. This uses less water and electricity than using the pump.

We've also lined the toilet bowl with a sturdy unused garbage bag (so no pinholes,) and added ordinary garden peat moss, which is biodegradeable and highly absorbent. This can be disposed of in the nearest dumpster. (Where soiled baby diapers would end up, anyway.) We haven't tried this, but I would think that an open adult diaper (not to wear, to pee into) or a hospital style "piddle pad" would probably work, too.

6. Recharging phone, Kindle &c. We have a couple of battery packs, or use the vehicle to recharge if we're driving. We have a small solar recharger but lost the right power cord for it and can't find a replacement. We'll look for a new one.

Waste water. Once we had an overflow problem with the 16-footer waste water tank, and once with the 19-footer black water tank. Both times unspeakably awful. I wouldn't push it.

Great write up, thanks for taking the time. When you had your over flow, do you remember what the read out on the tank was reading?
There is a Kickstarter campaign that may be an option if you are looking for a solar generator if you can wait until Dec. I'll find the link.

[Sport 16 STL]

Good value on a solar generator

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...eid=c68a8b7a12

[Len n Jeanne]

Thanks, Sport 16. Solar info would be great.

We haven't found the Bambi waste water diagnotistic to be super accurate. I don't recall the first time: I think the reading was high, but not super-critical. It just jumped up quickly. The crud backed up into the shower. Fortunately we were in a National Park campground with the sani-dump nearby.

The second time was after a sewage hookup. The diagnostic read 0, but when we got to our next campsite (Mojave National Preserve) it read 100, so obviously the gunk hadn't drained properly. There was evidence that it backed up into the shower-- and then receded back down into the tank-- during our drive. The big problem was that, although that CG has a sani-dump, water is very restricted. We didn't have the coupling properly secured at the sani-dump for the outflow (our bad,) and horrible stuff just spewed out all over. We used up a lot of our water trying to clean up after ourselves.

Probably more than you wanted to know.

The big issue would be if this happens out in the wilds, where the nearest RV dump might be a gas station 50 miles away down a dirt road. We travel with a bucket and shovel, and in an emergency might dig a hole some distance from the campsite, and dispose of the stuff in that, covering it with a good layer of dirt. In that type of setting, setting up an outdoor latrine in advance wouldn't be a bad idea.

Solar info would be great. Thanks.

[JavaCowboy]

We just finished a 3 boondock outside of Sun Valley. Like others we have two batteries and a 100W solar panel. Lights, furnace, and fridge all work with no issue. The biggest challenge is the combined grey/black tank. We were very careful and still had 50% left at the end. That included full use of the toilet and 4 "navy" showers. We carry 14-21 gallons of extra water.

[Silvr_Bullet]

Originally Posted by JavaCowboy

We just finished a 3 boondock outside of Sun Valley. Like others we have two batteries and a 100W solar panel. Lights, furnace, and fridge all work with no issue. The biggest challenge is the combined grey/black tank. We were very careful and still had 50% left at the end. That included full use of the toilet and 4 "navy" showers. We carry 14-21 gallons of extra water.

That’s great! Can I ask, where you were parked was there lots of sun? Do you have portable or roof mounted solar panels? Can you post a photo of your battery setup? I have an 80 watt roof mount and an 12 volt AGM, the refrigerator takes its toll on power with very limited indirect sun, I camp at a private campground in Cape Cod ( about 10 days no electric or direct water or sewage ) that doesn’t allow generator use ( never ) and had to remove my battery and partially replenish it with my 2000watt generator off grounds, very time consuming and inefficient.

[Sport 16 STL]

Javacowboy
When you finished your trip your black tanks said 50%? How much fresh water did you have remaining? 4 showers, did you take them outside?
Anyone have a good outside shower curtain recommendation?
To those who are researching adding batteries or solar panels here is a good value on a solar generator. Has inverter and solar charge controller built in. Compare to goal zero and other companies. Add a couple of portable panels and you have greatly increased your power availably.

https://mailchi.mp/338b082fb2a5/we-raised-15m-in-just-7-days-239447?e=c68a8b7a12

Thanks for the nice detailed boondocking postings.

[farafield]

Originally Posted by Silvr_Bullet

That’s great! Can I ask, where you were parked was there lots of sun? Do you have portable or roof mounted solar panels? Can you post a photo of your battery setup? I have an 80 watt roof mount and an 12 volt AGM, the refrigerator takes its toll on power with very limited indirect sun, I camp at a private campground in Cape Cod ( about 10 days no electric or direct water or sewage ) that doesn’t allow generator use ( never ) and had to remove my battery and partially replenish it with my 2000watt generator off grounds, very time consuming and inefficient.

Have you seen this thread? http://www.airforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=181608
It has a great discussion that might help you even though it's a much larger AS. I would think, based on my understanding thus far, that you're going to have to economize if you want to be out for 10 days with limited sun unless you get a huge solar array. Possibilities: use solar lanterns with their own solar chargers candles, lights with batteries; use a cooler and ice instead of refer; bring separate chargers for your iPhone etc. The sewer and water problem is big. Do you have access to public facilities at your CG? An interesting question, lots of ways to look at this. I was given a gennie but don't want to use it (its for sale) and so am looking at ways to be out for several days in boondocks mode. My plan is to get a 200w solar suitcase, Victron 712, not sure yet about battery config--maybe two golf carts.