Propane duration - Event Date: 15 Nov 2013 - 30 Nov 2013 |
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Lefty
Groupie Joined: 24 Jul 2013 Location: Pittsboro, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 62 |
Calendar Event: Propane duration Posted: 15 Nov 2013 at 10:06am |
I'm going to the Smokies next week in the pod for three nights. I'm curious how long a new tank of propane will last just using the furnace at night for about 8 hours per night and the fridge the whole time. There will be no shore power.
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Thinker
Senior Member Joined: 25 Feb 2013 Location: S. Mississippi Online Status: Offline Posts: 171 |
Posted: 15 Nov 2013 at 10:32am |
How cold will it be next week? What temperature do you consider comfortable in the pod. Those questions are rhetorical... just illustrating that without full data, it is impossible to predict propane usage.
However, that being said. Your primary concern will most likely be the battery. I don't know if you can make it more than one night on the battery. Or do you have two? But, I could be wrong depending on the cycling of the furnace based on the temperature variables. |
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Tow Vehicle: 2013 Pathfinder 4WD R-POD Model 171
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Lefty
Groupie Joined: 24 Jul 2013 Location: Pittsboro, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 62 |
Posted: 15 Nov 2013 at 11:02am |
I have a 2 battery setup. Temps will be in mid to low 20's.
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sandlapper
Newbie Joined: 04 Nov 2013 Location: South Carolina Online Status: Offline Posts: 6 |
Posted: 15 Nov 2013 at 11:13am |
The propane itself if you have a full tank should not be a problem. The real problem comes with how long the battery will last and that depends on your thermostat setting and the outside temperature. I think two days at the most unless the temperatures is really mild and you don't use much 12 volts to run lights etc. But I would plan on it lasting one day only. Incidentally I never use the furnace much during the day.
I have stayed a the smokies and on the parkway for a week and more in my RV and just cranked the engine up about half hour or so a day to recharge the battery and never had any problems but you will really need to conserve the electricity usages. To avoid using my lights I used l led lights with it on batteries to power them. I also used a voltage meter to monitor my battery status so I would not run the batteries completely down before recharging them with my engine.
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sandlapper
StarPod |
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Lefty
Groupie Joined: 24 Jul 2013 Location: Pittsboro, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 62 |
Posted: 15 Nov 2013 at 11:17am |
Thanks for the reply. Only going to use the furnace at night for about 8 hours set on 60 degrees. Will not be using lights at all.
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Thinker
Senior Member Joined: 25 Feb 2013 Location: S. Mississippi Online Status: Offline Posts: 171 |
Posted: 15 Nov 2013 at 11:25am |
Change your interior lights to LED bulbs. This makes a HUGE difference. |
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Tow Vehicle: 2013 Pathfinder 4WD R-POD Model 171
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Thinker
Senior Member Joined: 25 Feb 2013 Location: S. Mississippi Online Status: Offline Posts: 171 |
Posted: 15 Nov 2013 at 11:28am |
With temps in the low 20's you will have a catch 22. With no or little heat, your water tank will freeze. You will be ok if you fully winterize and only use gallon jugs of drinking water.
If you do run the heat, you will need a small generator to charge your batteries. |
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Tow Vehicle: 2013 Pathfinder 4WD R-POD Model 171
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9062 |
Posted: 15 Nov 2013 at 12:53pm |
Those temps will reduce your effective battery capacity by 10-15%. By the time you get to -22 F you loose 50%, temporarily. This may mean a daily charge is necessary. If you do use your TV to top-off, hook it up using jumper cables and as someone said, run the engine for 30 minutes. During the summer I only recommend doing this every other day.
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Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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David and Danette
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 24 Nov 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1218 |
Posted: 15 Nov 2013 at 3:13pm |
Living in south Florida we never used the propane very much. We have never refilled it, we still have propane in our tank from when we bought our r-pod in April of 2009. We mostly used 12 volts for the refrigerator and had 110 volts at the camp site and used the microwave for cooking or electric hot plate outside. David
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2018 Vista Cruiser 19BFD (2018-
2012 Vibe 6503 (2014-2019) 2009 r-pod 171 (2009-2014) Middle Tn 2014 Ram 1500 Quad cab |
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rpodcamper.com
Admin Group - pHp Joined: 26 Nov 2009 Location: Reading, Pa Online Status: Offline Posts: 3990 |
Posted: 15 Nov 2013 at 3:59pm |
Having dry camped in pa during the winter - 2 Battiries will not last 3 nights without charging them someway. What I do for a 2 night weekend is make sure the camper is winterirized and carry Gallons of water with me in the camper. I will run the heater first thing in the morning as I'm getting up and getting ready for the day and also at night while getting into bed and then turn it as low as it will go during the night. I sleep in a zero degree bag so I'm nice and warm. by the end of the second night the batteries are normally empty. If I need to charge I use jumper cables and my truck running for a while.
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