What does a minimalist need an RV battery for?

[BillTheHiker]

I ordered an FWC Fleet shell and the only options are the Fantastic fan, gas struts and battery system with wiring plus separator plus a battery box. I am rather a minimalist and cannot think what I would use the battery for so am thinking of cancelling that option. I have done month long car/tent camping trips and never really needed a battery. I usually hit a town at least weekly and hang out at a coffee shop where I can charge my cell phone and tablet PC, if needed.

A 12 volt fan on hot or muggy days might be a nice supplement to the ceiling fan, but think I can live without it. What else might a minimalist need the battery for? BTW, I got the camper mainly to have a place to cook and eat during bug season, for use in nasty weather, and for spring XC skiing.

Bill

 

[takesiteasy]

We are pretty much minimalist too with a shell camper. Same motivations as you. Many people, us included have been seduced by the ease of having a 12 volt fridge rather than needing ice and it's inconveniences. That is the main use of our battery which is recharged by the truck while driving. We use the lights at night and charge our electronics with it also. This summer I added a solar panel to recharge a second battery that is used primarily for my CPAP machine and other electrical needs while boondocked and not driving. I also like having the ability to self-jumpstart the truck if needed for some reason. The batteries are pretty low maintenance and worth the expense in my opinion. Good for resale value too, I imagine.

 

[B-Rad]

I to was seduced into the 12 volt freezer fridge, the gwife and I love it no regrets, we found a used unit on craigs list. We ended up adding a portable solar set up, we can park in the shade and still use the sun. I would say keep the battery system .

 

[kmcintyre]

Battery can be used for a number of things although they are quite heavy. I wouldn't use it for a refrigerator though as it'll drain it quite quickly.

Uses primarily for these items although their draw is really small. Some of these were mentioned by others
a) lights
b) propane, smoke detector
c) charging items although we normally charge them while driving
d) fans (that's probably the most critical); cooling and furnace (you don't have a furnace though)
e) backup starting

You could always add a battery and isolator later too... might be cheaper too.

 

[Bill D]

e) backup starting

This one alone is worth it to me. I've never had to use it in this fashion yet, but everyday I get piece of mind knowing I have a second battery.

What about light? As much as I love flashlights, I certainly like having LED lighting in the camper.

 

[nikonron]

I too have a shell model and the battery is very useful for me. ARB fridge, LED lighting, fantastic vent fan, charging of phone. And with a 150 watt solar panel the fridge never has a chance to deplete my battery. The solar keeps the camper battery and the truck battery fully charged. Camper battery is also set up so as to be able to start the truck if needed. Ron

 

[ntsqd]

An aspect of cooking inside the camper is the need for ventilation.

 

[DesertDave]

My first 4WC was fairly minimalist, and I used a second under-hood battery as the power source. I once camped happliy for several days when I discovered the Optima I used for power, was dead. Flashlights/lanterns. Didn't use the fan. Had a 3 way fridge which didn't work well anyway. Hand pump faucet. I had a Zodi external shower setup with it's own power source. That was before all the electronics we seem to need, like tablets/laptops/cell phones/digital cameras etc.

Had it been winter time or rainy weather then it might not have work so well, with no fan to reduce inside moisture and no furnace.

I currently think that it's better to have it and not need it, than it is to need it and not have it. Try to think 5-10 years into the future, your needs and wants will probably change, and there's also the re-sale potential (or lack thereof) of the camper to consider, perhaps.

 

[MarkBC]

I ordered an FWC Fleet shell and the only options are the Fantastic fan...

What did you plan to use to power the Fantastic Fan, if not a battery in your camper? Or were you going to cancel the Fantastic Fan if you cancel the camper battery?

 

[BillTheHiker]

Thanks all. Good thoughts. I will keep the battery.

I am curious to find out in the shell model how much wiring is included with the Fantastic fan and LED house lights and to where they are led.

Another issue is if I should replace the isolator which I read in another thread the stock one from FWC does not charge the house battery if it is really low.

 

[nikonron]

Bill, I didn't get the battery from Four Wheel campers but everything was wired to a fuse panel on the drivers side under the flip up storage bin, pre-wire for solar is also there but not connected to anything. You will have Fantastic fan, porch light,interior LED's wired and fused. Ron

 

[Squatch]

Minimalist here too. Old backpacker/canoe camper. We found our Eagle shell used with stove and furnace. Which of course comes with a battery and propane tanks. For the 1st 2 years we didn't even use the stove or furnace. Now that I've bought a fridge and set up solar charging in the camper I'm sold.

Sized right to run things for days without charging makes many things get easy. The furnace is so nice before bed when it's cold and for a few minutes in the AM. I'm actually making coffee and using the stove a bit now. I feel it's a much safer way to cook inside than a backpacker camp stove. We use the amber porch light a good bit.

But the fridge is a game changer. As I see it the alternatives are either running for ice from time to time. Or buying a cooler that costs almost as much as the fridge! But camping for a week plus with nothing getting soaked in the fridge will grow on you fast.

My bud has a super minimalist tow behind popup. He uses his battery mainly for lighting and sometimes a fan. He could easily live without the battery but he likes having it.

You can glance at my set up here. I need to do some updating there.
http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/12441-rice-build-thread/

 

[moveinon]

It is all just about your own opinion of what you need and want. For my neighbor with the 30 foot 5th wheel going to the 17 foot trailer another neighbor has is minimalist -for both neighbors my fully rigged Fleet is minimalist. I have backpacked for 50 years and know I could get by with a lot less stuff than my Fleet has but have grown to appreciate warmth without too much heat, a cold beer and good food, comfortable bed, and having my wife camp with me (she refuses to go out and find a tree at 3:00AM). So just being minimalist is not my goal, it is having the minimal equipment to maximize my camping fun. And that is different for everyone that I know. Over time it may change for you. I also think as others have said it is better to prepare ahead than repair later. If you do spring skiing having a forced air heater is great to reduce condensation, dry out wet cloths, and keep warm at night without a 0 degree bag. We try to cook outside, but rain and bugs sometimes make that difficult -I would hate to cook inside without the fan. I could get by with my Yeti, but having a fridge just makes everything easier and better. Those are the three priority uses for my battery although inside lights, backup lights, recharging of phone and GPS and smoke detector are also important.

 

[craig333]

Do you have dual batteries in your truck? Mine didn't come with a battery and I ran it off the truck batteries just fine for a while. Fan and lights? You could get away without a camper battery. If you only have one battery in the truck I'd want a camper battery just in case.