If you have a RV solar system get this if you don’t have a shunt-based battery monitor.
If you are planning on installing a solar system on your RV, buy this first. It can be used to determine your energy needs before buying solar panels. I will be publishing a guide on how to size a solar system in a few days.
This post will explain what a battery monitor is and how to install and set up a TriMetric Battery Monitor.
How long are you willing to drive for a backpacking or camping trip?
Over the decades I have observed many people arriving at a campsite on a Friday night well after dark. Frequently it is a family with children and they spend considerable time setting up tents and other camping gear. On Sunday morning they are up early packing up and often leave the campground before we even get up. Seems like a lot of logistics and time for a 64 hour camping trip.
I will share some thoughts on the subject and outline my strategies.
Everything is working great.
But I was unhappy with how I had to raise the tanks for clearance using the Mopeka spacers. What I really wanted to do was use the Mopeka Halo for each tank, but they were too big for my propane tank tray.
I found a solution.
Continue reading Revisiting the Mopeka Propane Sensor Installation
A few days ago we returned from a two week camping trip in the Mojave Desert of Southern California. We were concerned that one of our favorite camping spots might have been washed away by tropical storm Hilary. Our fears were unwarranted and, as usual, we had a great time.
Continue reading Camping in the Aftermath of Tropical Storm Hilary
I just paid our yearly state registration fee for our travel trailer and realized we have had it for 10 years. Ten years of use for any piece of equipment, backpacking or camping gears is my threshold for a thorough product review.
This model is no long made. On the other hand, many companies make very similar trailers, so a review might be valuable for those in the market for a new travel trailer. Especially important is the fact that most of the components used by trailer manufacturers are sourced through just a handful of vendors — often just two or three vendors.
So here are some of the things we like about our trailer and some things we do not.
Continue reading Eclipse Milan 26RLS Travel Trailer — 10 Year Review
My Therm-A-Rest NeoAir XLite developed a leak a while back on a backpacking trip. Finally got tired of having to blow it up a few times during the night.
This is the first time I have ever needed to repair an air mattress, other than the warranty repair Therm-A-Rest did for me three years ago. The repair was straightforward, but there are a few tips I would like to share.
This isn’t a review. It is just a first impression.
As I shared yesterday in my 20+ year review of the Camco Awning Hold Down Kit, I have been happy with the product. However, there are two things I don’t like about it:
The Camco Awning Anchor Kit solves both of these problems.
We have used the Camco Awning Hold Down Strap Kit for over 20 years. The majority of our trips are in deserts, and deserts usually means wind is fairly common. Wind wreaks havoc on RV awnings. Our Camco Hold Down Kit has saved our awnings many times!
Continue reading Camco Awning Hold Down Strap Kit: 20+ Year Review
We’re back from a two week trip to the Sequoia National Forest, which is in California’s Southern Sierra Nevada.
Our only goal was to leave the 120° F days in Palm Springs. Other than this, we had no plans, goals, or agenda. Sometimes doing almost nothing on a camping trip is the best kind of camping.
Our travel trailer is almost 10 years old and the Tank Monitor has been a constant struggle. This system is the typical unit found on most RVs these days. First, it isn’t very accurate. Secondly, the sensors in the gray and black water tanks often become contaminated, requiring cleaning and flushing. Lastly, we don’t have a way to monitor our LPG (propane) levels.
In this post I will share installation tips, advantages and disadvantage of the Mopeka Tank Sensors.