old guy,
You may travel with Justin case but I seem to have Murphy riding shotgun with me. Just for that reason, taking along a genset is a good reason. If is better to have it and not need it than needing it and not having it !
Frank
2011 Palomino Maverick 1000SLLB on a 2004 Dodge Quadcab CTD Ram3500 SRW long bed equipped with Timbren springs, Stable Load bump stops, Rickson 19.5" wheels/"G" range tires and a Helwig "Big Wig" rear anti sway bar.
One thing to also consider, along with the above post about, the time it can require to recharge your house battery, is wire size. I have two (2) charging wires running from my truck engine back to the bed. One is the OEM one that came on the truck and connects to the standard 7 pin plug on the bumper. This is the one I use for my 5th wheel as 99.9% of our use for it, is plugged into power.
The second wire I have is for our truck camper, which is our long distance rig and the one we use for boondocking. The original 7 pin wire, is too small to have a great deal of ability to recharge, a seriously depleted house battery(s). But the 3/4 stage charger on the 5er, will do a rapid recharge when plugged in for the night. For the truck camper, I ran a #6 stranded copper wire from the engine alternator, through a battery isolator, through a 50 amp circuit breaker and on to the TC plug located on the inside of my truck bed. This heavy wire allows the alternator to recharge my TC house battery very quickly, usually well before noon, while I am driving. This same set up has made the last four round trips to/from Alaska and I have never yet run out of battery power.
Most original wiring installed as charging wires, are just too small, IMHO, to be very effective in recharging the house battery quickly. In our TC I have a single group 31 AGM deep cycle Sears battery, (about $250), a multi stage smart charger for when we are plugged in and the heavier 6 gauge wire off the truck alternator to recharge while driving. I also carry a 1200 watt inverter for any emergency uses when I have to have 120 volt power, such as needing to run my coffee grinder to get those beans to become a liquid. LOL Most lighting I have switched over to LEDs, have 12 volt adapters to recharge the computers, ereaders, tablets, etc. I would guess the main reason I don't need a generator is that we don't use much electricity, when camping. If we need to run the AC, we go somewhere to plug in for the night. I grew up tent camping and I suspect some of that, still influences my RV camping.
joe b.
Stuart Florida
Formerly of Colorado and Alaska
Chevy 3500 DRW Dmax CC - Rockwood 8281 SS 5th Whl & 2008 Lance 845 TC www.pajbcooper.com web site
Alaska Trip 2011 posted
Alaska-Colorado - photos
"Without challenge, adventure is impossible".
Are you going to need your TV? Your microwave? Some other high draw appliance? If not, you shouldn't need a generator.....but there's no reason not to take one if you have room for it.
Those of us who live up here don't get out as often as we should and I will readily admit that I've only "camped" in an RV for about 20 days in Alaska, but the lack of a generator has never been a reason not to enjoy the multitude of 5-20 day camping trips that I've taken over much of the state in the 40+ years I've lived here...camping out of a pickup, the PA-12, or a backpack.
A power connection or a generator was an absolute necessity for camping during my late, unlamented sojourn through Texas.
CRL
Displaced Alaskan NO MORE!
My RV is a 1946 PA-12
So, if you don't use your microwave, and don't need the furnace fan, your RV battery should be sufficient to pump water and run the lights for a week or so. Maybe I will buy a wind up radio.
* This post was
edited 02/06/12 10:16am by Brassica *
Offline
