FULL HOOKUPS
This section will be short: Live like Kings and Queens and utilize the camper to the fullest. Although you have an endless amount of water and power … it does come at a cost. These campsites are significantly more costly than dry camping. If you are new to camping, this may be the best way to get your feet wet to ensure a smooth, worry-free trip.
DRY CAMPING
FRESH WATER
When it comes to water, conservation is the name of the game. The more water you conserve, the longer you will be able to last without hookups. It is important to understand that most camper water pumps provide 3.5 gallons per minute. This means that you can fully drain a 30 gallon freshwater tank in just 9 mins. We have been able to camp for a week without running out of water by using these few tricks:
Limit the amount of water you use by using campground showers. Not only does showering in the camper drain your fresh water tank, but the hot water runs out quickly too. The hot water tanks are usually only 5 -8 gallons. If you choose to use the camper shower be sure to frequently turn off the water while lathering up.
When washing dishes make sure to dry scrape as much food as possible into the trash before rinsing. Then if available, use the campground spicket and a wash bin to clean. If using the camper sink, be cautious how long the water is running. Turn off frequently.
Use campground toilets as often as possible. Not only will this conserve water but limit the filling of the black water tank. Using the rv toilet doesn’t drain the fresh water as rapidly as the sinks and shower, but is one more tool to conserve valuable fresh water depending on the length of trip.
Brush your teeth out in nature and use a bottle of water for rinsing. A common mistake newbie campers make is leaving the water running while brushing their teeth. It’s just habit. This uses up a bunch of precious fresh water.
BATTERY POWER
We have equipped our campers with top of the line deep cycle batteries, which offer the best duration of battery power while not hooked up to an electrical source. Much like water use… the name of the game is conservation. If conservation is not your thing or you are concerned with running out of battery power, consider renting our generator or solar panel for your trip. A generator will help put juice back in your battery as well as provide power to outlets, microwave, AC and TV. Campgrounds typically have rules about when generators can be running. They also consume gas, which may or may not be available to refill if you run out. The solar panel will keep your batteries topped off each day as long as there is sunlight. Cloudy days still charge the batteries, but at a much slower rate.
Things to consider that draw power from the battery:
Refrigerator: Although propane is the main source for refrigeration, a small, but constant surge of battery power is used. This is obviously unavoidable, but with this in mind you will want to conserve battery power so that your refrigerator stays running.
Heater: Much like the fridge, propane is the fuel to provide heat. What many newbie campers don’t realize is that a large amount of energy is consumed to operate the fan that disperses the heat. So if your heater is running all night long, there is a good chance you will wake up with dead or nearly drained batteries. Be sure to set the thermostat to a reasonable setting that will only periodically turn on to provide heat, if needed.
Lights: Although we have changed out most all the lightbulbs to energy saving LED bulbs, when multiple lights are left on, especially when not needed, batteries will be affected.
WASTE
Filling the Black Water (septic) tank is usually of no concern on shorter weekend trips. When camping for a week or more, you will want to monitor your black water tank. Simple tip: use public bathrooms, or nature, when available to minimize chance of filling the tank.