TriMetric Battery Monitor — 20 Year Review

TriMetric 2020 Battery Monitor

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.

Continue reading TriMetric Battery Monitor — 20 Year Review

How Long Are You Willing To Drive?

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.

Continue reading How Long Are You Willing To Drive?

Revisiting the Mopeka Propane Sensor Installation

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

Camping in the Aftermath of Tropical Storm Hilary

We had camped in this same spot next to a large wash back in April and again in June. Surprisingly, on this trip, there was no “damage” from Hilary.

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

Eclipse Milan 26RLS Travel Trailer — 10 Year Review

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