Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+ energy source, advice on what is available, cost 2 run

[mzclaus77]

I would love to get info on what type of energy sources are most common in truck campers, i.e. generator?, is it electric or propane or other?, if propane is a choice i would love that but have no idea on how much that would run me on a monthly basis, gonna live in it year round, it will be my home, thanks for all info

[aqualung]

Many campers come equiped with generators, usually propane generators. These are nice to have but not necessary, you can use a gas generator too. Most, if not all, campers come with a shore power attachment, usually a 30A RV plug. If you have access to power then use this and save your fuel for when you really need it. If your going to boondock a lot then the generator will come in handy.

In most cases, the 12V system is all you need. It's charged when the truck is running or you can use solar to charge the batteries. Also if you have a generator, when its running the batteries get charged as well. The 12V runs almost everything in the camper except for microwaves and air conditioning. If you look around you can get a TV that runs off of 12V too - I picked one up at Walmart.

I'd spend my money on improving the battery and charging system. The more battery capacity the better. With larger battery capacity comes the need to charge it faster. The chargers onboard are usually linear chargers and take a long time to fully charge the battery. If you get a good 3 stage charger it will charge the battery must faster which means less time running the generator. You can also get a charger/inverter which doubles as a 3 stage charger when the generator is running and a power inverter when there is no generator or shore power. The inverter will give you the power to run the microwave when needed but I wouldn't try using an air conditioner on this since it will drain the batteries flat in a hurry. Check out the Freedom series inverter/chargers from Xantrex.

[Dave D.]

Can you provide more details. Are you going on an expedition where you will be driving alot, are you, the wife and kids parking in your Mother in Laws driveway or will you be staying in a camping park?

The Fridge will usually run off Propane, 12v and 110V (called a 3-way fridge) The furnace and stove will be propane. The lights are 12v and powered by the onboard convertor so 110V will also run the lights.

Camping in a hardwall TC, in the summer, not using electricity or 12V for the fridge we could cook and cool our food, minimal use of furnace, we went through a 20lb propane tank in about 10 days. Another trip with a better working fridge we connected to electricity at night, trucks 12V while driving (2-4 dollars extra a night for electricity while camping so propane might be cheaper)

If you are staying put in one place and you have no electricity, you can get a solar panel 60-80 watts, couple Deep Cycle batteries, to run your lights small TV and radio, and get a 100lb propane tank mounted beside your rig for heat, fridge and cooking. This should last a month, unless of course your living at the North Pole. Sorry could not resist.

If you are going on an expedition with lots of driving, you could get by with a 30watt solar panel + charging batteries and running fridge on 12V while driving, with overnight use of fridge and cooking, you could probably go 20 days on a 20lb tank. In Canada its about 16-18 dollars to fill a 20 lb tank.

Let us know more about your plans and we can provide more detailed info.

[saunD]

Hree is a great article on generator fuel tips that can get you started on the right path ...

http://www.norwall.com/blog/generator-info...r-fuel-choices/

talks about gas propane diesel especially for generators inside and out. HOPE THIS HELPS