RE: [A/S] boondocking in the snow

["Perry Joe Scudder" <perryjoe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I'm hoping that some of you can help with how to boondock in 
> the snow, 
> like say camping at a ski resort. I'm guessing that we need at least 
> one generator, such as the Honda 2000 to power the heater fan through 
> the night and while we're skiing to keep water pipes, etc. from 
> freezing. Is that right? How does one handle this when in places that 
> require generators off between 10pm and 8am? When do you need more 
> generator power than the 2000, such as two 2000s in parallel?
 

Hi ????,
I don't know what your temperature will be where you are going to camp, but
I have spent three nights in low 20 degree temperatures with just my two
batteries. I have no other heat other than the furnace, which is what you
really need to keep your pipes in the walls and floor from freezing. My
furnace has some ducts that are routed to the areas where the pump and water
lines are located. I have a 34' Limited to keep warm. My batteries (two
Optima Deep Cycle AGM Technology Batteries) are augmented by a small 50 watt
solar panel, which is only sized to keep the batteries charged while in
storage with nothing running. The three nights were all I could get out of
the batteries without putting them on a (borrowed from a friend) generator
for about 4 hours in the afternoon of the fourth day. We were extremely
careful with any other electrical usage from the batteries during the
evenings before bed time. One generator will be all you need, and that will
only need to be run 3 or 4 hours each day if you use a reasonable amount of
lighting and other electrical usage each day. The need for two generators
really comes into play when you run your air conditioner. The current
required to start and run an air conditioner makes it VERY impractical to do
off of your batteries period, even if you have an inverter big enough to
make it work. You will need plenty of Propane if it is very cold outside. I
have camped in Montana when the temperature was down in the upper teens at
night, and in the upper twenties during the day with lots of wind. I was
using a 40 pound tank every 3 to 4 days during that time. I kept the trailer
nice and toasty, because the local Propane supplier was having a 1/2 price
sale to get rid of their summer Propane. I was getting my 40 pound tank
filled for $9.

Joe Scudder - Who really likes full hook ups and cheep Propane for cool
weather camping.