Turned off the fridge!

[Squatch]

We haven't used the Eagle since Thanksgiving. Hope to get out in a couple of weeks.

The fridge as always was stocked with beer, water, regularly used items ready to add the meal food and go.

But we are in a deep freeze for this area. Temps are NOT supposed to get above freezing for at least a week and a 1/2. Nights in the teens and single digits. The camper is outside in the drive.

So I figured it would be a good idea to unload it till needed and turn it off. I didn't want to come out to cans of beer shaped like sausages from freezing. Occasional temps at night below freezing don't concern me. But extended low temps are a bit different.

I guess this is a testament to how well the fridge and my solar system is working. Even in mid winter I don't worry about the charge on the battery.

After a year and a 1/2 It still amazes me just how self contained the camper is with electrical power. Plug it in and forget it for the most part. Solar is like magic!

 

[buckland]

Smart to think ahead. Frozen beer just doesn't taste the same. I have to do the same in my workshop as it is heated only by wood heat and so must remove all my chemicals , glues, finishes daily...have a cart to take then back to the house each evening. Sometimes I have forgotten the glue pot water jacket and found it rock hard in the morning. This next week will be a doozy pretty much below zero. Stay warm and try not to bend anything plastic!

 

[nikonron]

Solar has given me peace of mind with my batteries, keeps them charged and properly charged. Ruined 2 AGM's by not getting enough charge from the Tacoma. Ron

 

[buckland]

Now that i keep the camper in the barn for the winter I put a 90 watt panel in the barn window and a wire to the camper batteries. Every now and then when it gets "warmer" I can hop in and think about mods!

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

I like the solar. My camper is on the truck all the time ,outside. I cover it during the rainy season but have flaps cut out where the panels are.Keeps the battery camper and truck topped off nicely.

Been watching the temps from Minnesota to New England. Glad I live on the coast of Ca.
Happy New Year to you all.

The Casas

 

[esimmers]

I'm trying a hybrid electrical storage solution this winter since I'm storing the '09 Hawk on the truck for the first time in several years. I'm parked outside and have access to 120V AC so I plugged in to shore power to run a little heater in the camper to keep things from freezing. I turned off the 3-way fridge, cleaned and dried it, and have found there's no mold or smell inside even though I keep the door closed.

Since I have roof solar, I pulled the master switch under the counter to isolate the battery from the IOTA charger and use the solar panel to keep the camper battery topped up.

The only piece missing is a solar charger to put in the truck's front window to keep the truck's under-hood battery topped off. Anyone have a recommendation for a 5-6 watt solar battery maintainer I could get?

Happy New Year, everyone.

 

[PaulT]

The only piece missing is a solar charger to put in the truck's front window to keep the truck's under-hood battery topped off. Anyone have a recommendation for a 5-6 watt solar battery maintainer I could get?

Before choosing one, check your truck's owner's manual or your dealer's service department to be sure 5 or 6 watts is sufficient for the various parasitic loads in addition to the needs of maintaining the battery. Things like the clock, security, key fob receiver, computer, etc. could exceed 5 or 6 watts. Additionally, a solar panel sitting on the dash may not produce rated power when the windshield has a covering of ice or snow on short winter days especially if the windshield does not face south.

Paul

 

[Wallowa]

We haven't used the Eagle since Thanksgiving. Hope to get out in a couple of weeks.

The fridge as always was stocked with beer, water, regularly used items ready to add the meal food and go.

But we are in a deep freeze for this area. Temps are NOT supposed to get above freezing for at least a week and a 1/2. Nights in the teens and single digits. The camper is outside in the drive.

So I figured it would be a good idea to unload it till needed and turn it off. I didn't want to come out to cans of beer shaped like sausages from freezing. Occasional temps at night below freezing don't concern me. But extended low temps are a bit different.

I guess this is a testament to how well the fridge and my solar system is working. Even in mid winter I don't worry about the charge on the battery.

After a year and a 1/2 It still amazes me just how self contained the camper is with electrical power. Plug it in and forget it for the most part. Solar is like magic!

Agreed...our solar panels are golden! Hey, what have you done to protect the water systems in the camper?

Are there 12v heaters for inside the camper to protect water lines that would not eat up the batteries?

Thanks..Phil

 

[Squatch]

Phil my Eagle is a shell with no water systems. I found it used this way. It does have furnace and stove. I installed the solar and fridge. I didn't really want the hassles of onboard water. So sorry can't help you on winterizing those systems.

 

[Vic Harder]

Camper is on the truck outside, fridge is still on and the temps are -24*C in the daytime. Nothing in the fridge to freeze. Water lines were winterized with RV anti-freeze. Solar on the camper roof keeps truck and camper batteries up to snuff. I can check that from inside the house with the Bluetooth dongle on my Victron monitoring gear.

 

[Squatch]

It warmed up this week. I opened up the camper yesterday and ran the heater for a couple of cycles to warm up the vinyl and address any moisture. Though I found none when I opened the camper. I'll leave it up for another day or 2.

Thought you folks might like this pic. I have my Trimetric monitor mounted where I can easily see it from inside or outside the camper. Even through the door window at night. I think it was 15* out when I took this pic a week or so ago. 100%