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Jayman and Splenda 
Newbie 
Joined: 15 Mar 2014 Location: Olympia, wa Online Status: Offline Posts: 12 |
 Topic: Sequoia/ RedwoodsPosted: 13 Sep 2014 at 6:41pm |
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Looking at going to see the giant redwoods in early October, leaving from Puget Sound area. We'll only have about 5 days - any suggestions? Will need hookups for this trip, at least power. Thanks!
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Budward
Senior Member 
Joined: 21 Apr 2014 Location: SC/NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 438 |
Posted: 13 Sep 2014 at 6:54pm |
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We were there a few weeks ago- simply amazing.
If you can be sure to drive the Howland Hill Rd- a dirt road that winds though the redwoods. We stayed in Jedidiah Smith State Park campground, no hookups though. We only had hookups one night on a 30 day trip out west we just returned from. http://www.nps.gov/redw/parknews/newspaper.htm |
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2014 179
Towed by a 2015 Ford Transit Diesel Supervised by a German/Aussie mix and a Labradoodle! |
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Jayman and Splenda
Newbie
Joined: 15 Mar 2014 Location: Olympia, wa Online Status: Offline Posts: 12 |
Posted: 13 Sep 2014 at 7:04pm |
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Thanks for the tip! This may be the justification I need to get a generator
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kylekai
Senior Member
Joined: 06 Aug 2014 Location: San Diego Online Status: Offline Posts: 139 |
Posted: 13 Sep 2014 at 7:47pm |
If you have a choice between a generator or a solar system, please consider your camping neighbors and go solar. Thanks.
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp 
Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9059 |
Posted: 13 Sep 2014 at 9:21pm |
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An inverter generator, especially from the "big 2" (Yamaha and Honda) is much quieter than the cheap contractor models that scream at 3600 rpm. Also if you must have A/C or your microwave, the only option is a generator.
One cheap option if you don't need the big appliances, is to get a 2nd battery. Two will last for a week. I love solar, but if you often camp in the trees it is impractical. Just a corner of a panel needs to be shaded to cut output by 50%, and not much more shading to cut output almost to zero. Then again, if you are often out in the open (and don't need the big appliances) it is effective. Just don't buy a system that is lower than 100 watts. 200 is preferable.
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Budward
Senior Member
Joined: 21 Apr 2014 Location: SC/NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 438 |
Posted: 14 Sep 2014 at 8:18am |
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Yep- solar would be great and personally I'd love to have it, but, as you said about shade from trees- that is the case in almost every camp I go to.
Luckily on our recent 30 day trip we only needed AirCond about 4 nights total- and those were all WalMart parking lots on our marathon drives out and back. The generator was a very welcome accessory! I don't really like hot weather during the day and I darn sure can't sleep in it  We were fortunate in our destination camps to be at high enough altitudes to be cool at night. BTW I mentioned here about changing jets in our Yamaha EF2400iSHC- that worked great, camped at 8800 ft one time and it just purred with the right jet in it. I switched back to the normal jet at one point as we were at a USFS campground in the 1500 ft range off I90 in Washington for a few days. Later back in another high elevation campground near Vail, CO and the generator absolutely did NOT like running with the standard jet, went to use the microwave and it struggled heavily and sounded terrible. Put in the correct jet and it returned to a nice purr. |
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2014 179
Towed by a 2015 Ford Transit Diesel Supervised by a German/Aussie mix and a Labradoodle! |
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Grayotter
Groupie 
Joined: 06 Aug 2014 Location: Morro Bay Online Status: Offline Posts: 60 |
Posted: 29 Sep 2014 at 11:51pm |
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I was a ranger in the a Redwoods National State Parks about 10 years ago. Can't get excited about going on Howland Hills Road. Lady Bird Johnson Grove was ok, but much better hiking trails and scenery in the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. It's about 10 miles north. While in that area take a day trip to Gold Bluffs Beach and Fern Canyon. Road to a Fern Canyon is about 7 miles of potholes. Trailers aren't permitted. Fern Canyon has more waterfalls than the Fern Canyon in Hawaii. There are connections in RV parks in nearby town of Orick, although I'd prefer to tough it out and camp in Prairie Creek State Park with Roosevelt Elk and 350-400 foot redwoods looking down at you.
Gar
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Love2 1der
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ron_whitt
Senior Member
Joined: 08 Sep 2011 Location: Chesterville On Online Status: Offline Posts: 261 |
Posted: 30 Sep 2014 at 7:26am |
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I bought myself a solar panel, but was also told by a long time rv'er don't put on a second battery that adds more weight all the time. If your going to need a second battery just carry one with you and switch them out when needed. Any thoughts y'all.... (South east ont. I can say y'all.)....
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Ron & Shirley
2020 Tacoma 2012 177 rpod |
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp
Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9059 |
Posted: 30 Sep 2014 at 7:57am |
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Due to the Peukert Effect you'll get more total amps if you charge/discharge 2 batteries together. Best if you have two 6 volt batteries in series, but two 12 volt batteries in parallel will work nearly as well.
Swapping them out eliminates that benefit, and then adds a lot of heavy lifting/swapping/fiddling since they aren't on the tongue together.
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Sequoia/ Redwoods