Compressor Type Refrigeration

The principal type of refrigeration used in an RV is propane for off grid, and AC for campgrounds, and some use DC to keep it cool while traveling.

I have a propane and gas type fridge.  My solar panels and batteries are working out so well that I occasionally use my inverter to run it off AC during sunny days when my batteries are fully charged. 


I am confident that if I substituted an efficient compressor type fridge I could run it entirely off DC electric and save on propane.  At present, it seems foolish to remove a good working refrigerator and replace it with an expensive one.  At some point I may do this.

Another option for me is to add an Engle Freezer which runs off of a DC compressor.  I want more freezer capacity, so this seems like the way to go in the short term.  I have one locker that is a good size for small Engle.  So I will probably buy one after all the other core issues are addressed on my camper. 

At present I only have a few more things I want to add to the camper.

1)  Repair my jacks--cheap part, but I'm not sure how to fix this yet.
2)  Repair my hot water heater--circuit board due in on Monday.
3)  Adding Air Conditioning for when I have a place to plug in.
4)  Making a few minor wiring changes.

Future ideas to reduce propane needs:
5) Solar Hot Water Panel
6) Compresser Freezer
7) Compressor Fridge/Freezer replacement
8) Diesel heater with circulation fans for basement.

Internet and TV Access while Traveling

Internet Access:  The most important thing to me while traveling in Internet access.  I like to keep up with the news, watch some NetFlix, and I do a lot of web research into various topics like auto and boat restoration, and I do all my shopping online.

Cell Phone Based Internet:  Probably the best way to get internet access while traveling is on your phone.  I have an iPhone and unlimited data, but if I want to tether to my laptop or iPad, I'd have to pay another $30 per month for this.  Nonsense!  I could buy a data package for a MiFi for the same price.   Or I could Jailbreak my phone--I'm not interesting in doing this either.

MiFi:  So what I decided to do is buy a Verizon 4G MiFi that will accept an external marine antenna.  I mounted a marine antenna on a marine type swivel base with an extension post to get it up when when needed, and leave it flipped down, out of the way, most of the time, where it will probably work great as it is much better than a tiny internal antenna.  Then I'll swap in my iPhone SIM card into it when needed. I picked up a nano SIM to SIM adapter for the MiFi.

Cable to connect MiFi to Amp. Requires SMA to FME adapter as does the cable to connect the antenna. Shorter cables reduce signal losses which are quite high at these radio frequencies. 

Wilson Amplifier

Stainless Marine Mount. 

Antenna up. 

Antenna is travel position.  

VOIP:  I plan to experiment using Google Voice for phone calls, and Google Hangouts.  If that works for me, then I won't need to swap the card back and forth so much. 

Backup Phone:  Another option is to buy a cheap flip phone and add another phone to my calling plan.  That would only cost be $10 more a month.  I like the idea of having a second phone, in case one breaks, I have another option. 

If the combination of MiFi based Internet, and VOIP works out well, I may try and cut the cord with land based services like cable TV, POTS land line telephone, and cable based broadband internet. 

Other Options:

Over The Air (OTA) TV:  When I installed an aerial TV antenna and tested it out.  It turns out I can get the major networks in HD TV along with a couple of other interesting channels, along with many junky and repeat channels that are uninteresting--Spanish, French, Korean, and Chinese, Black Entertainment, and Home Shopping--all of which would gladly delete.  Aside from the many new channels I don't like, the only major difference is the main networks are now in High Definition. 

RV TV:  For TV in my camper I have been using my camper TiVo linked by WiFi to my house TiVo to transfer a few programs and movies, coupled with NetFlix.  Given the low content quality of broadcast TV, I'm not sure I want a TV antenna.  OTA, might be useful for the news, but I hate commercial so much that I doubt that I'd watch it without a DVR.  I get news mostly through the Internet. One thing I learned was the OTA programming is duplicated, so you only need to be near or pointed towards one major city to get the principal networks.  There is no need to put up a huge antenna on a camper. A small one will probably work fine, and rarely be used.

Satellite TV:  I am considering satellite TV through Dish or Direct TV.  Dish has the advantage of being able to switch it off when you are not using it.  Direct TV allows you to stream recordings from your home DVR to a remote box via Internet link--so without an Internet link you have nothing.  I'm leaning towards Dish, but by no means in a hurry to add this. I don't think I need it.  I'm just as happy listening to music and reading for entertainment.

Satellite Internet:  My research into this shows that it costs about $75 a month, and adding a second feed horn for TV is not that much more.  These systems used cost about at much as an in-motion TV setup.  I have little interest in in motion TV except that I could listen to music through it and listen to cable news networks. Satellite Internet is more interesting to me than satellite TV.  I'd like to know how well it works for streaming NetFlix.  These system take a few minutes to unfold and align themselves with a satellite and are a bit more work to get working.  I am in no hurry to add this capability as I have yet to be anywhere my phone 4G does not work, if not on 4G, then on 3G.  One possible exception might be in Canada. If Satellite Internet works in Canada, then I would strongly consider it.

Antenna Mounts: A popular way to get an antenna up high is to use a painters extension pole. 

Trailer Towing

Trailing towing is a common reason why people camp with truck campers.   A truck camper can be used to haul a boat, horse trailer, or utility trailer.  

If you plan to do this often, you might want to think about how this will affect your stairs into your camper if you have a center rear door like I have.  My plan is to build a folding platform and angle my stairs off to one side and add a handrail for safety.  I'll explore this more in the future as I have not get refined my design.

The other issue is how to attach a tow to a pickup with a camper extending over the back. I my case, I bought a Torklift hitch which has a provision for rear tie downs, and will also accept a hitch extension up to 48". I opted for a 32" hitch extension, which is about four inches longer than my overhang.  In addition to this, I will also need a wiring harness extension to match.

I have two trailers I'd like to tow.  One is a boat trailer carrying a Wellcraft Fisherman 20 center console.  In the course of rebuilding this trailer I replaced the springs which were sagging 2.5".  I replaced the hubs which were somewhat rusted and needed to be resurfaced--I intend to keep at least one of these loaded up with the best of the old bearing as a hot spare.  Along with the hubs I replaced the bearning, races, and seals.  My galvanized wheels were still in good shape, but the tires showed sidewall rot.  I replaced these with new load range D tires since I have a single axle trailer.  At some point I'd like to add a spare wheel, tire if I start taking longer trips.

Here is Spur with my sail boat in the background.

 

My last project was the trailer wiring.  I chose split-tail wiring, and LED rear lamps.  I decided to check the width of the trailer and found it was 91" wide.  I knew the trailer was not too wide by eyeball measurement because the boat is 8' wide.  Thankfully, this is under the 8.5' width that if exceeded adds in all sort of wide load towing permits.  However, when I checked online, I found that the lighting rules seem to have changed for trailers.

I would need seven more fixtures to comply with the law.  Frankly, some of these seem ridiculous to me.  I will need to add clearance lights on my fenders, even though it would be relatively simple to move my tail lamps outboard 2 inches to meet the clearance requirements.  Also I will need amber front facing clearance lights, and wide load lights under the trailer in the back.

Finally, I'll need side facing front lights---these lights are required on any size trailer.  That makes no sense to me.  Short trailers have no need for these, however, the law requires them for all trailers.

Any of these lamps will be prone to failure due to submersion. One option I have to is mount these higher up, but that will require fabrication flanges to mount them too.

In addition to all these marker lights, reflectors are required everywhere, and 

For your information:

http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/standards/conspicuity/trlrpstr.html

Solar Panels

Power is addictive. My best advice to anyone considering solar panels is use every square inch and cover your roof with solar panels. The more power you have the better off you'll be.

I started my RV project with the idea that I would have six identical 105 watt solar panels connected usig MC4 connectors. However I started with four. Four panels worked great for me on sunny days,. However, I discovered that on overcast days I could not fully recharge my battery. As a result I decided to upgrade to two more panels to bring it to my goal of six panels toyalling 630 watts.  

Six panels is overkill on a sunny day, but it will also top off my batteries on a cloudy day. I can still recover hundred percent about power unless it's a very dark day. It is rare to have two really dark days in a row. The next day is usually enough to bring it back up to full charge. To date I have never gone more than one day with fully recharging my batteries. 

My first battery was one 165 lb 8D Gell Cell battery. It was used battery that had some problems and had lost much of its capacity.  While it was rated for 300 AH, it could only provide 80-90 AH depending on the discharge rate. 

 I decided to buy two new MasterVolt Slim Line batteries.  Each of these was 200 amp hours. So my total capacity was increased to 400 amp hours.

Typically, one watt of solar panel charging capacity is needed for every amp hour of battery storage.  Here in New England, where I live, the number of overcast days is high enough that the relationship should be 1.5 W of solar panel charging capability for every half-hour of battery storage.

An MPPT charge controller take the power provided my the solar panels and converts it to the ideal voltages for charging batteries.  These cost a bit more but are more suitable for daily cycling of batteries.  If you were charging a boat used only once a week, a cheaper charge controller would be fine. In my case I wanted my camper to be off grid capable for extended periods with daily power cycling. 

A large capacity solar array coupled with a large battery bank gives you more flexibility. For example on sunny days I might be fully charged by 1 pm and I can then use the solar panels to run my inverter and direct this surplus power into operating my refrigerator, a small heater, an electric blanket, TV, or other AC devices.  

My charge controller takes the solar power converts it into the maximum current at the ideal voltage to charge my batteries. This means that the charges tapered as time goes on so much of the solar generated power is wasted as the batteries get fully charged.  In fact my batteries could tolerate much deeper discharges and I would still probably be fully charged the next day if it was sunny.

This means I can deliberately choose to use more power and I now do. I run an electric blanket at night. I have stopped worrying about my energy consumption. I start my blanket on high to warm up to bed, and then dial it down to a lower temperature. This allows me to avoid or reduce my furnace use at night. 

Many nights I can turn the furnace off completely and use electric blanket to stay warm. That reduces my propane usage considerably. Additionally the furnace fan blower motor uses a fair amount of electricity.  I have found I can use the electric blanket more than I expected without worries about drawing my battery too low as the drain from the furnace is reduced or eliminated. 

I use a LinkPRO battery monitor.  It gives me accurate information on my state of charge.  To date I have never drawn the batteries below 75% charge.  I have never used more than 100 amp hours discharge in a day.  Typically I use 40-70 AH.  I have not had to be cautious with my power use. However if I am  cautious with power use  I can reduce my consumption to about 37 AH 's.

I estimate that my system could last 5 to 6 days in serious overcast conditions.  My goal is to make this a true four-seasons camper that could be used in the winter with my water systems in operation.  In an emergency I can stay warm even if I run out of propane.

To test out my camper I started living in it on March 10 of this year. I activated the water around March 15. I had a few nervous moments when it got extremely cold. I saw nights with temperatures as low as 13° and high winds.  On a few nights my furnace stopped working because of a pressure gauge that restricted the flow at lower pressures.  Nothing froze. I fixed that issue and my tanks remain well above freezing.

I monitor inside, outside,  refrigerator, and two holding tank area temperatures all with one instrument above my dinette and four remote wireless sensors. 

Propane usage usage is a concern. I will discuss that on a future blog entry.

I will add a few photos of my system later. 

Boondocking

Camping can be generally broken down into two types of campers, off-grid, and grid-tied.  One can function independently anywhere for a short periods, the other requires the use of campgrounds for electric, water and sewer services. 

Before talking about Off Grid campers, let me talk about the opposite-- Grid-Tied Campers. 

Grid-Tied Campers:  These are campers that are designed to function only at campgrounds with services such as electricity, water and sewer hookups.  Such campers will have electric heat only, electric refrigeration, no holding tanks, and require direct water and sewer hookups.  Those campers could not function in boondock situations--they would have no heat, water or toilet capability, and limited electric capabilities. 

These campers do not work well when away from facilities that provide hook ups.  So what do we want for those situations?

 Off Grid Campers:  Boondocking is a term for off-grid camping without any support facilities like water, electric, or sewer hook ups. It typically means camping far away from the typical campgrounds, perhaps deep in a national Forest, on the shore of an ocean, deep in the desert or high in the mountains.  These are places with great natural beauty away from noise, pollution and in harmony with nature. 

Self Contained Campers:  The concept of being self contained, means you bring everything with you.  Boondocking requires more equipment and preparations.  Key concerns are 1) electricity for lighting and appliances, 2) heat, 3) water, 4) refrigeration, and 5) holding tanks for water, gray water from sink and shower drains, and black water tanks for toilet drains.  I'll discuss these in this order.  Skip ahead to any topic that interests you.

ELECTRICITY:
  
Electric power must be stored or generated in your rig.  Options include generators, either propane,  gasoline, or diesel powered; solar panels, or wind generators; or batteries and battery chargers, or some combination of these.  Boaters that cruise on the oceans know that it is best to have 2 or 3 options for charging your batteries.  Camping does not require such robust capabilities, but many boon-dockers follow that rule. 

Managing and minimizing energy use is important for boondocking.  A common mod is to install LED lighting.  LED lights use about 1/10 the power of incandescent lights.  I switched all the lights inside my camper to LEDs.  I could turn on every light and use the same amount of power as one of the old bulbs.  I like light.  If you do too, then this is a must have change for people who want to boondock.

Battery Monitors:  A battery monitor measures the amount of electricity going into and coming out of a battery.  It keeps track of how much power you have and how long it will last.  You must put in what you take out, to keep a battery fully charged.  I use a LinkPro battery monitor, and I also have a solar panel monitor, which keeps track of the power produced by my solar panels.  The difference between the two is power being used at that moment.  More on solar panels later.

HEAT:

Propane:  Typically off grid campers will be heated with propane. These can be catalytic heaters which require no electricity, or propane furnaces which do require electricity but are ducted, with thermostats, and provide controlled heat for enclosed spaces to prevent holding tanks from freezing. Many people will choose to use both.

Catalytic Heaters:  These propane heaters efficiently provide heat and they do not require electricity to operate.  The exhaust is not vented.  Whoa your horses!  Not vented?  Sounds scary.  Well, it is cause for concern. While propane gives off water vapor when burned, and this can lead to condensation in very cold conditions; more importantly, it can use up the oxygen in an enclosed campers.  It is mandatory that two vents be opened to allow oxygen to enter the camper--if you want to wake up the next day.  Many people do not used catalytic heaters at night, but they are quite safe if a few windows are cracked.  They use a catalyst to burn without an open flame.  These can be ruined by dust and can give off Carbon Monoxide.  If you have one cover it to protect it from dust when not in use, and replace it if it no longer provided sufficient heat. Catalytic heaters work well in places that don't go below freezing but get cold at night.  The lower propane usage is important to many boondockers, as only a limited amount of propane is carried by a camper. Fans can be used to circulate heat where you need it, including to holding tanks.  They are radiant type heaters are work better when facing you, and they take a while to heat up a camper.  Some people use several to heat a larger camper.

Furnaces:  Furnaces work better for extremely cold weather--they provide more comfort at a cost of higher propane consumption.  They also require lots of electricity, so you must have a strong battery bank and a good means of recharging it every day.  The big advantage to furnaces is the are thermostatically controlled.  Want your pets to be comfortable while you are gone?  You want a furnace.  The the temperature to 68 deg F and forget about it.  They are vented so there are no issues with oxygen depletion.  You should have a smoke alarm, propane detector, and a Carbon Monoxide detector for safety purposes. 

Wood Heat:  Another option for heat is a wood stove.  Most people would scream these are unsafe, while those who have heated with wood for many years would say the opposite. I would not recommend these for people who have never heated with a home wood stove.  They do require more frequent tending as the fires are small in a camper.  The big advantage to a wood stove is the fuel is plentiful.  Campers are smaller and don't need as much to heat as a home, so a supply or twigs and small branches can be quickly broken up to provide heat.  The combination of solar or wind power for electricity, water treatment filters, and wood heat provides for the ultimate in long term boondocking capability.

Fans:  Fans a often used to distribute heat.  Every camper will have cold spots.  Use fans to move the heat where you want it.

Generators:  Generators provide a means to charge batteries, run air conditioning, or large appliances.  They are noisy, obnoxious and frequently campgrounds will limit their use to day time only.  If you are boondocking, this is not an issue unless you are someplace where people will complain. 

Propane generators were commonly used in the past. They go though propane quickly so that means you are constantly changing propane bottles and this gets old fast. 

Gasoline:  The Honda 2000E generator is very popular now.  It will run a small air conditioner, and it is fuel efficient running 4.5 to 9 hours on a gallon of fuel. They are not big enough to larger air conditioners. 

Diesel generators are louder, provide the more power, and burn less fuel than the other.  They are a good option if your tow vehicle is diesel powered.  The fuel is safer to store in large quantities. 

Solar Panels: Solar power electricity is wonderful.  It is getting something for nothing.  After the initial cost of the panel, wire and charge controller, these panels will provide free power every day.  It is intoxicating.  I'll be providing details on my solar power system in a future blog post.  Generally, you can count on about 4-5 hours of energy production at the rated power of the panels if the panels are mounted in a fixed horizontal position.  You can make more power if you tilt them towards the sun, and still more power if you track them towards the sun as it moves across the sky.  Typically, camper want a set and forget system so horizontal fix mounting works best. That also provides shade for the camper.  Some people prefer to park in the shade and set their panels up a distance away to capture the maximum amount of sun.  Power it transferred to the batteries through a charge controller.  This prevents over charging of the batteries.  A more advanced charger is an MPPT controller which converts the solar panel voltage to a voltage the battery likes best, depending on it's state of charge.  For frequent cycling of power, an MPPT is the best choice.  For simply keeping a battery that is not used much topped off a basic charge controller works fine.

Wind Power:  Not many people run wind power on campers.  It is a good option for boon dockers for one reason.  A typical 6 cubic foot refrigerator draws 336 watts of power at through 1000 watt inverter.  A wind generator, can produce 350-500 watts depending on the model and this is enough to keep your beer cold forever if you are parked in an area with steady winds. This could save a lot of propane in the long term. 

Batteries:  You don't need any charging source while boon docking if your battery bank is large enough.  A large battery coupled with a good, fast three stage charger might be all you need.  If you require 60 amp hours a day, you would need a rather large

REFRIGERATION:

Most campers use absorption type refrigeration.  The advantage to this is the cooling can be done with AC or DC electricity, or by propane.  The process uses a heater as part of a heat exchanger to cool the refrigerator/freezer.  AC works great but requires lots of power.  A six cubic foot refrigerator might draw 28 amps at 110 volts.  If you trying running it off a battery, you will drain your battery dead in a short period of time.  The DC heating elements are typically 1/2 the wattage of an AC element, and will still draw 10 amps of power--draining your battery quickly but not quite as fast as AC.  DC is intended to keep an already cold refrigerator cold while traveling.  Many RV refrigerators have dropped this option as propane can be used while traveling as long as you don't stop for too long on a sloped surface.  Propane is a great source of energy to operate a refrigerator as it does not require much electricity to operate the control electronics of the refrigerator.  Off-grid and propane refrigerators go together hand in hand.

All Electric Refrigeration:  You can keep your food frozen or cold with electricity only.  To reduce energy use, these are typically over insulated and these use compressors to provide cooling.  One manufacturer, Engel, makes DC powered refrigerator/freezers.  These use between 3 and 7 amps of power depending on the size.  For those with a good charging source, this is a good option to consider.

 

HOLDING TANKS:

 

Water:  A good size holding tank for water is 60 gallons or more.  Water weights about 7.5 lbs per gallon so this represents 450 lbs of weight.  That is a lot. Many people travel with empty tanks, or tanks filled 1/3 or 1/2 and fill up when they get to their destination.  It makes sense when traveling a long distance or when weight is an issue.   Your camper may carry less.  When boon docking you may want to figure out how to carry more.  

 

Water Filters:  There are three types of water filters.  Filters taht filter water as it comes into your camper.  Filters that are used to improve the taste of your water at the tap, and filters which are used to purify water found in rivers and lakes.  All filters need to be changed frequently to work.  Dirty filter promote bacteria and other growth--that is the opposite of what you want.

 

Point of Entry Filters:  Water added to your tank should always be filtered.  Water hooked up by hose to your camper, should always be filtered.  Sand and sediment is found in tap water.  Don't let it into your tanks or hoses! Camco makes a good filter that attaches to the end of a hose and includes a short hose to attach to your city water inlet.  It can also be used to filter water entering your tanks.  If you use city water at a campground, it is still better to use your tank water and refill it, instead of pressure water from the campground.  That way your tank water is turned over and it won't get stale.

Internal Filters:  Internal filters can be charcoal based--be sure rinse these before placing into service as they will put charcoal dust into your water until they are washed. Other filter types specialize include Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Sediment, and Ultra Violet (UV) Sterilizers.  I won't go into detail on this, as I am not an expert, however, a three stage filter system with each stage focused on one aspect of water filtration will work best.  It is important that these filters be changed frequently because dirty filters make things worse than no filter at all.  UV filters require power so be aware that those types of filters require more work to set up and configure.  In any case you want high flow filters for this application as they must not restrict pump pressure.

Water Treatment Filters:  These filters will treat water from lakes and streams, and even clean ocean water to make it safe to drink.  Reverse Osmosis filters are commonly used for this application.  These filters can convert salt water to fresh and are commonly found on yachts.  Yachties will tell you that drinking their own water never makes them sick, and water in foreign countries will, so consider that for a moment.  These sort of filters should filter the water before it goes into your tanks.  So you would need some planning to implement this.  It will allow you to live off the land for a longer period and allow a measure of freedom while boon docking that you won't find otherwise.

 

Gray Water Tanks:  These are generally smaller than your primary water tank and is collect from the drains of your sink and shower.  While you are not suppose to dump these tanks except in designated dump station when you are out and about camping this sort of effluent is not particularly noxious or harmful.  It includes water, soap, and perhaps some grease from cookware, and food particles.  If you were taking an outdoor shower, that would be acceptable to dump onto the ground, but it is not acceptable if dumped from a tank.  Older campers would freely dump this mostly water mixture on the ground.  So in a pinch if your tanks are full, you could dump it on the ground, but you might want to pick and choose where.  A desert for example, where you dug a hole might be acceptable, while a watershed area definitely would not.

Black Water Tanks:  This is human waste collected from your toilet--urine and feces.  This is not to be dumped just anywhere.  It must go to a dump station. However, it is acceptable for hikers, backpackers, and tent campers to urinate in the wood, and dig cat holes to poop in.  It is a matter of degree.  A latrine is typically dug for larger parties of people, and filled in when they leave.  If you wish to boon dock, bring a shovel and be prepared to dig a latrine for your own use.  Burying it will reduce odor and not attract or disturb animals.

Grid-Tied Campers:  These are campers that are designed to function only at campgrounds with services such as electricity, water and sewer hookups.  Such campers will have electric heat only, electric refrigeration, no holding tanks, and require direct water and sewer hookups.  Those campers could not function in boondock situations--they would have no heat, water or toilet capability, and limited electric capabilities. 

 SUMMARY:

Boondocking is off grid camping.  It can be in the wilderness or right next to your home in emergency situations.  If you lost power for a number of days during hurricane, you could move into your camper, use a solar charged battery banks to provide you with light and power, use your propane powered refrigerator and stove to store and prepare food, just as you would in a wilderness environment.

An off grid camper is a mobile home, an emergency shelter, the guesthouse, and a vacation home, all in one.  As an offshore sailor I enjoy being able to travel on land as freely as I do at sea. My truck camper has all the features that my boat has.  

Why a Truck Camper

Why a truck camper?

How much space do you need?  Hotel costs in many places are expensive. Canada in particular is very expensive for hotels compared to the most places in the US. Being able to bring your own home with you, sleep in your own bed, keep your dogs with you at all times, and have everything you want at your fingertips, is just a fantastic combination as far as I'm concerned. I have just the right amount of space for me, a lady friend, and my two dogs.  The dinette makes up into a bed for people under 6' tall.  I've slept in it and I didn't fit well at 6'3" tall.

Pickup Campers:  Pick up campers or short but not much longer than the pickup it's. My camper loaded is 28" longer than my extended cab pickup truck is unloaded. It is just over 24' long and that means I can park in a normal parking spots.

Four Wheel Drive:  Loaded on a four-wheel-drive pick up like mine, I can drive off road and camp in secluded pretty spots that a normal trailer could never make it too or back out of.  It is not as handy as a regular cab pickup with a shorter or pop-up camper, but this is the truck I have and it suits my needs.  I don't intend to take it up the Rubicon trail.  I can drive on gravel roads, in rain, snow, and mud and get through if the road is passable, and tree branches are not too low.  My camper is high, probably close to 12' high off the road, so low branches are a concern.

Not Obtrusive:  Truck campers is fly a little bit lower on the radar.  I can get away with parking on the street,  camping on the street in the city and industrial areas, in a casino parking lot, or in a rest area.  It is much more difficult to camp in these places with the trailer--you are tied to campgrounds with a tag along trailer, motor-home, or fifth wheel trailer.

Boondocking:  Some of the places I like to go, Canada for example, work better with a truck camper. I can drive down narrow little double truck lanes in the bush. I can camp alongside boat launch ramps. I can order a meal at a nice restaurant and ask if I can park in their lot overnight and get a favorable response.  Well many places in Canada don't allow camping it is not uncommon for the police to recommend places after telling you can't do it.  Since I like boondocking, I'll save another post to expand on that topic.

Exploring:  Having a truck camper means you can drive until you're tired pullover find a place to camp overnight. That means you can cover more distance in a day, or stop and relax and see whatever sites you choose to along the way.  Many them of the more remote places in the world don't have hotels. I don't like tent camping. I'd rather be warm and dry and have refrigerator pack full of food with me.

Other options:

Vans:  Some people choose vans. I think vans are great option for camping--perhaps a little bit too small for me.  They are better for stealth camping in cities and residential areas where I have little interest in going.

Trailers: Trailers are too big. I don't want to have to store trailer somewhere and have it take up a tremendous amount of space.  They are harder to park, set up, and prep for the road. Trailers tie you to campgrounds. Many camp grounds are as expensive as hotel rooms.  Trailers are heavier and require more fuel to move around. My truck camper size right for me one other person and a couple of dogs. I can stay I camp grounds when I wish and boondock when I wish. 

Why a Bigfoot Camper?

I chose a Bigfoot Camper because I feel they have the highest quality truck camper on the market today. So much so that after a long period of time these campers retain their value quite well. In fact they typically sell for thousands of dollars over the book value.

The1500 series and 2500 series campers are made like a clamshell two fiberglass pieces that mate in the middle with a bonding strip. There's no way water can get in these campers except through a window or vent.  The number of ways water can get in as much less and the amount of maintenance to keep water out this much less also.

The 3000 series uses a different construction called FiberCore; it provides higher insulation value, R12, but it does have more bonding surfaces and more potential for leaks.  They are larger and have more volume than the other series. Both the 2500 and 3000 series have basements and larger tank capacities than the lighter 1500 series.

I was in the market for any inexpensively priced Bigfoots in good condition. 

I've always been in the market for a Bigfoot Camper. I wanted to buy a 10 foot model 2500 series model 10.6 E version which has a dry bath. But those are expensive, hard to find and just slightly lighter than the one that I bought which is a 3000 series. The 2500-10.6e is the highest demand Bigfoot model sold. 

I would search on eBay constantly for Bigfoot Camper's. Another source is craigslist. And I also looked on Kijiji, the Canadian website.

In November I found a Bigfoot 3000 series camper for sale in Michigan four $6900. The seller informed me he was going to raise the price to $7900 in the spring. This camper looked a little bit worn on the inside. I decided to keep looking, although I was somewhat interested in the Michigan camper it would've been a long drive.  This camper had air conditioning solar panel for extra features. 

A few weeks later I spotted a camper for sale in Chicago for $6500. It was another 3000 series camper. Then I spotted would love to be the same camper for sale in Wisconsin for $5800. So it seemed to me this was a serious seller would already dropped his price once already.

I call the seller up and ask for more pictures. We talked about the camper for 40 minutes one day, and he informed me the camper was in like new condition. I thought about it for a few days and wrote him back and asked him what his best price would be.  He told me he would take $5000 for it. I checked the blue book value of this camper and it was between $4300-$4800. Based on the description of the camper it sounded like it was on the high-end of that. I made a "sight unseen" offer on the camper for $4500 cash for it and it was accepted.  One other thing helped me make up mu mind.  The fellow struck me as an honest person.  He was a pleasure to talk to.  I felt he was trustworthy and the type of person I'd like to do business with.  I've walked away from many deals because I didn't like the buyer to seller.

I had several things in my favor to get this price. First it was a 3000 series camper and these needed to be carried on a dually pick up truck. Not many people have dually pickup's with dual rear wheels, so that limits the market substantially. Whereas if you have a 2500 series that could be carried on a three-quarter time or a 1 ton pickup like mine. Next the construction was the fiber core technology which was not as popular as the robust clam shell molded 1500 & 2500 series campers. It has a rubber roof with is a negative for many people.

Finally this camper did not have any upgrades. There was no air-conditioning. There was no solar charging system. It had the old-style charger converter which is very antiquated.  In short it needed substantial updates.

On the plus side it was rarely used and it been stored in the bar most of it's life. I found lots of dead bees and lots of dead ladybugs but the interior was generally immaculate. The exterior had a few defects--the vinyl trim was peeling away and it was dirty.

My 3000 series is a little shorter than some because it has a wet bath which is uncommon in a 3000 series. Many people would pass this one by because it was heavier not the clamshell design and didn't have a dry bath.

However, it was perfect for me, because a) I wanted something inexpensive, b) I had a dually pick up truck that could carry it easily, and c) I preferred a like new interior.  I knew I would need to update it some. However, I like modding things, and the idea of installing my own custom solar system designed to meet my needs was very appealing.  Finally, it was winter time.  A purchase before Christmas helps to get the prices down. I was one of the few people shopping who a cash available to buy one of these things on the spot. It is noteworthy that pick up campers do not have registration. As a result people can't obtain loans for these sorts of RVs. Therefore buying used means paying cash, and that means prices are depressed even further.

This camper costs about $19,000 in 1998. In today's money that would be well over $40,000. I bought an essentially brand-new camper I was a little bit dirty, for about 1/10 of the cost new. In either case I would have to make modifications to bring it up to my standards. 

My plan is to have this camper updated and complete ready to use by springtime. I plan to use it as a place to live while I'm working on my boat to avoid a long commute. I also use it to travel with my dogs, particularly when breeding them.

Cab Over Fan

I mounted up a marine fan with 2,4, or 6 hour timer option on the passenger side locker--the opposite side will hang a TV set at some point.  I still need to wire this in, and plan to do that at the same time as a number of other wiring tasks are done.  This fan has a pivot and two way gimbals so it can be directed in many directions.  I think it will supplement the center fantastic fan well.  I want to avoid the weight and cost of air conditioning.

Paper Plates, Napkins, Paper Towels, Tissue Dispensers

I bought a number of neat things to help organize the camper.

I installed a paper plate dispenser to the side of the oven.  That space did not seem to be used, and was somewhat convenient.

Next I installed a paper napkin dispenser between the galley and the dinette.  Perfect.

Next I installed a paper towel dispenser in the galley. This does not match the quality of the other fixtures.  It is floppy and seems insecure.  I will look for another brand to replace it.

Finally, I installed a tissue dispenser in the cab over area, anticipating future colds and runny noses.

I ordered a waste basket that I thought would fit under the sink.  It will not allow the door to close.  I am studying how to put it in drawer runners since the size is other wise perfect.  It would be a nice addition to the camper.  I need a place to toss trash.

Paper Plate Dispenser:

Paper Napkin Dispenser:

Paper Towel dispenser is not very stable.  I need to remove and replace this with something better.

Tissue Dispenser: Hard to see as it is clear plastic.

Pajama Cabinets and iPad Mount

Pajama cabinets are top opening cabinets on either side of the cab over bed.  These did not come with door struts to hold the doors open.  I installed four of these, one per cabinet to hold them open to allow easier access.


Next I glued and screwed a piece of oak to the inside so that I could mount a RAM mount for an iPad.  I wanted to conceal the iPad mount so that if it was removed, there would be no unsightly screw holes.  So when the iPad mount can be folded down and concealed with the PJ drawer is closed, and folded out and used with the forward drivers side PJ drawer open.

Here is a photo of the iPad mount without the head end is installed.  Note the clamps holding the attached wood are still in place until the glue dries.  You can see how it can fold down or be removed when not needed.

Extreme Cold Weather Camping

My Bigfoot camper which I've named Sasquatch, is generally considered the best rated winter camper on the market.  While my model is not longer available, that hasn't changed.  Some other brands like Arctic Fox, and Northern Lite, are perhaps as good.  None are better.  I've read that this is the camper used by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, to patrol above the Arctic Circle in the winter.  My brief period of ownership in cold weather has validated this.

My camper has R12 insulation with 1.5" of Styrofoam insulation in the ceiling walls and floor.  It also has double pane thermal windows on all the windows except the bathroom.  It came with thermal blankets for the skylight vents and door glass--the Velcro has aged and needs to be replaced. 

I can see a few areas where I can improve the insulation. I'd like to add insulation on many of the access doors.  The charging cord is a pull out type.  I may replace that with an sealed connector and external cord.  I would lose some interior storage while eliminating a potential cold spot.  Also, I can add flexible foam insulation to the overhead vents before covering them with the thermal blankets. Some people use bubble wrap to windows, which lets in diffused light and adds R1 insulation to the windows. I like the idea of diffused light for more privacy, but I'm not sure I need more window insulation.

I tested my furnace in 9 degree weather recently, and it brought the camper up to a comfortable temperature in 15-20 minutes.  In 30 minutes I was not chilled at all.  After an hour it was well over 70 degrees and I was peeling off layers and turning the thermostat down. 

Thermometers:  I ordered a wireless thermometer with four sensors.  One inside and three remotes.  I plan to put one outside, two in the basement to monitor the temperature in the basement, which will allow me to reduce inside temperatures and conserve propane while I'm sleeping, and still protect my tanks from freezing.

Some people install catalytic heaters.  These don't require any electricity but the put off water vapor.  These don't heat the holding tanks unless vents are cut with push and pull fans to circulate the warm air.  That seems like a lot of work to accomplish something the existing furnace does already, without putting water vapor into the air.  I would like a second more efficient heat source that does not require electricity, but I don't want to add weight or complexity.  For now I will defer this idea as unimportant in the like-to-have-but-not-necessary-category.

In any event, over the next year I will be looking at ways to improve the already great insulation of this camper.

Reducing Power Demands

My first upgrade was to order LED lights for the interior.

LED use 1/5 to 1/10 the power of typical lamps.  I can now put on every interior lamp in my camper and use the same amount of power as one of my old lamps.

I choose 5000 degree LED's.  These are not a warm as the old lamps, but I don't find them unpleasant.  I like the bright light and now I can put on several for more even illumination.

It would be nice if I can find a double pole switch to allow me to choose either one or two lamps per fixture. I find the light is quite bright with two lamps in each fixture.  I can see using only one lamp to conserve still more power.  It would be great if I could find a switch sized like this one. I will need four of these.

I want to install two small LED night lights.  I want these to be extremely low power draw and dim--just bright enough to see a dog laying on the floor at night.  I've found some interesting marine products that might be suitable.

I still need to replace the stove lamp with an LED and I want to add a few ultra low power night lights.

I plan to replace all of the exterior lamps on my camper, and pickup truck with LED, and change the flasher to accommodate these.  Given the large number of lamps, and the associated power draw, I am hoping to save 1/2 mile per gallon on fuel with less drag on my alternator.

The next biggest power consumer, is my furnace. I decided to keep it as it and make not changes to it.

Electrical Power

I am an offshore sailor.  I am used to spending a week or two offshore.  I understand was is needed to be off grid, and that is my goal for this camper.  I don't want to have to plug in anywhere, and I want to have everything I need to live in this camper for two weeks at a time, or longer.  I also want it to be comfortable such that I could live in it for an extended period, 3-4 months without going crazy, and that means holing up in in for several days in extreme weather.

My plan in to make small improvements, of the sort most people would do to bring a new camper up to a functional standard.  I also want to reduce my energy consumption, while improving my battery storage and charging capability.

The first thing I did was to put a 250 A-H 8D battery into this camper.  It fit perfectly, but but it needs a special charger to charger it properly.  Gel Cells are sensitive to charging voltages, over charging, and need a slower charge rate.

One weakness of this camper is the converter/charger which put's .5 A per hour back into the battery. and does not stop.  If left on, it will over charge a battery and ruin it.  However, it is such a slow charger, that this would take a while. Still I would not leave it charging for more than a day or two.

Unfortunately, all of the drop in replacement converter/chargers are biased for flooded batteries.  AGM batteries would work fine and that is my goal--to replace my Gel Cell with two 8D AGM batteries, and update the wiring to the converter, while installing a better converter/charger.

However, if I use solar panels for charging and I have enough of them, I won't need to plug in a charger at all.  I ordered, four (4) 105 Watt solar panels, which will give me 420 watts of charging.  I can mount all of these near the front of the roof well clear of obstructions that might block sunlight. 

From my yachting experience, I know that I can count on about five hours of full output on the average every day.  Really this is just a multiplier to estimate charging capability for horizontally mounted panels.  That works out to 2100 Watt-Hours.  Using a 40 Watt MPPT controller I can expect about 166 A-H per day on clear days and should see at least 20 A-H on the darkest, most over cast days.

Some people will tilt solar panels to capture more of the sun's rays, especially in the winter.  Typically, winter sun angle decrease charging by 50%.  Tilting will increase that by 30%.  Tilting mechanisms can be awkward to use, and if you forget, you can easily rip the off hitting overhead obstructions.  If I need more power in the winter, I'll add two more panels and a higher capacity charge controller. 

In any event, a strong solar charging system will mitigate the need for a better converter/charger.

Refrigerator Missing Parts Replaced

My "new" refrigerator was one of the problems on the camper that I forgot to mention early.  It was used and something leaked and made a mess staining some of the interior.  The shelves were all missing in the refrigerator, while the freezer looked perfect.

I spent a wile scrubbing and got most of the stains out, but one area was a persistent problem, and would need some strong chemicals.   Also the light fixture was corroded.

I called the manufacturer, obtained a parts list, and found a vendor.  I decided to add an extra shelf to the freezer and an extra door cubby to the freezer door.  On the bottom, refrigerator, one shelf was no longer available which had a cut out for taller items.  I decided to put all tall items on the bottom shelf of the door and ordered a second shorter depth shelf for the interior so as not to interfere with tall door items.  This all worked out well, except my original shelves were stainless steel and the new ones were white plastic coated.  I have one stainless freezer shelf.  I can live with that. 

Also missing was a drip tray and two vegitable bins with a clear plastic deck on top.

 I now have a better interior arrangement than came with the refrigerator originally.  I also ordered a new lamp assembly.  Next up is scrubbing the stained area with steel wool or fine sand paper.  If that doesn't work, I'll paint over it.  I still need to find a new lamp for the interior and hope to find an LED replacement bulb.

The downside was these parts cost $400.  However, given the low cost of the camper, I'll gladly pay this to make it complete.

Purchase Trip Report

My truck is a 2001 Silverado Duramax diesel with the Alison transmission.  I bought it new in October of 2001.  I have about 117,000 miles on it now after twelve years.  I don't put a lot of miles on it, but I do drive in on some long trips from time to time.  I have a Leer Cap for it, which I may sell now that I have the camper.

My trip to pickup the camper was a 15 hour drive leaving on a Saturday.  My trip was delayed a week due to weather, but fortunately, I managed to get it during a very brief warm spell preceding an ice storm.  I picked it up at 10PM near Chicago just as snow started to fall.  The forecast was for warmer weather (rain) to the east, so I drove as fast as I could to Indiana and slept overnight at a rest area.  It was the nicest nights rest I've ever had while traveling.  The mattress was comfortable and the camper was warm.  I slept 8 hours.

One of the reasons I bought this camper is so I would not feel rushed while traveling, and so that I could stop at any time and sleep comfortably.  I took my time driving back and stopped once again to overnight at a truck stop in eastern Pennsylvania.  I arrived home a half a day later than planned, but was refreshed and didn't need to rest and recover that Monday.

The camper was warm and dry but missing many of the important things that make a camper cozy.  Fortunately, finishing off a camper with the little essentials, doesn't not take too much time.

Barn Find

I have been restoring a boat and a camper and the camper was losing.  Still I needed a camper to live in while working on my boat, and for travel.  I have two Portuguese Water Dogs, one of which is a puppy and need a place for them to stay if it is too cold, or too wet, or too snowy for them to be running around, so I found another camper in early December--the best time of year to buy a boat or a camper because no one is buying that time of year.

History:  This camper was bought by a man who died shortly after purchasing it.  He left it to his daughter who used it for four trips to Florida and then left it in a barn for many years.  Recently she gave it to her step-son to sell to help with s deposit on a first home.

What I bought for a modest sum of money was an essentially new camper that is 15 years old.  The shower curtain and curtain rings were still in their plastic bags.

I found a few defects:

Dirty extertior
A dime sized stain on the carpet under the dinette.
A quarter sized hole in one vent screen.
Two broken bottom brackets for two separate blinds.
A lame looking light weight sewer hose.
Plastic vinyl trim on the exterior had shrunk and pulled away from it's track in a few places, in others this trim was badly stained.
Roof top vent sealing was cracked and needs to be resealed with Dicor.
Some rust on the electric jack mounting brackets.
Some discoloration on the exterior plastic trim.
No battery.
No generator.
No solar panels.

Upgrades:

No upgrades were done to this camper.  It is essentially like a new camper off the lot that needs a lot of finishing touches, like a trash can, galley gear like utensils and pots and pans.

As purchased:

A few interior shots: