trumpetguy

I like the concept of using the TV for a battery charger, but I have been told that batteries need two stages of charging to remain healthy...Bulk, then float. This is dealt with when using a smart charger. Do you connect the jumper cables straight to the batteries or is there a method of connecting to the converter charger. In my case I have a Magnum Hybrid inverter with built in charging. The Magnum will not accept 12volts for charging, so I would need a separate inverter to charge from the TV. Please post your details as to brand, connections, etc. from your Avatar you must be a wolf advocate. If you are ever in NW Florida visit the Seacrest Wolf Preserve in Chipley, FL. A great organization with 30 wolves living in a semi wild environment.

I just cancelled our reservation for site D8 if anyone is looking for a spot. We will miss all our Oliver buds but I just had shoulder surgery and don't think I will be up to camping activities. David and carol Kemp

The is a full timing Airstream couple that tows a 30 footer with a van. They have been out West extensively. You can look them up and reach out to them for experiences. #lessjunkmorejourney is their blog.

I have a combo of two AGMs and two T105s. After almost 18 months the Specific gravity in the Trojans was in the “fair” region so I decided to equalize the Trojans. I disconnected the AGMs from my inverter charger and selected the “equalize”option. I was plugged into shore power at the time. The voltage meter immediately jumped to 15.1 and I could hear the batteries bubbling. After four hours the charger went back to float. A re checked the specific gravity and all cells are now in the green zone so it looks like the equalizer did its job. When I owned 64 Blue Sky told me 320watts of solar would not equalize batteries. You may need to remove the batteries and take them to a facility with a high voltage charger.

Oliver has dealt with CPAP many times. They can add 12v and 120v outlets in the overheads with a hole to run the hose through the bottom of the cabinet. You will need to determine where your head will be. We always slept with our pillows to the forward end. when boondocking it is more efficient to run your machine on 12v because the inverter will consume a lot of battery just running itself. If your CPAP does not have 12v buy a 150 watt plug in inverter from CPAP.com. It will come with a cigarette lighter plug. Way more efficient than the inverter. I have several of these small inverters for use in my Airstream. CPAP, fans, TV, all run fine without cranking up my 3000 watt Magnum.

Steve, when end we traveled to Arizona last year I 10was just awful from New Orleans to Houston. Teeth jarring. I don’t know if makes sense for you but when I go west again I will take I 20and turn south near Dallas.

I will sell my Clam tent for $200.00. It is a 12x12 and includes 3 panels. PM me if interested and I will bring it to the rally in May.

Check out the Delonghi oil filled radiator. They seem to be a safer option for consistent steady heat. We use one in our sunroom during cold snaps and it does a great job.

When someone gave us a Nu Wave portable cook top as a Criistmas Gift I stuck it into a closet and labeled it gimmick because of the infomercial, but we actually needed an extra burner for a social event and darn but the thing really works well. It is now a permanent fixture on Camping trips and beats hauling a Coleman grill around. Most of our standard cookware works just fine with it and the Nu Wave is my go to for cooking outdoors. I don’t worry too much about batteries ...between my 500 watts of PV and the Honda I can top off in a jiffy.

So sorry to hear this. Robert was a great help to us when we bought #64.

I ordered my 2015 Elite II (now sold) without solar or inverter thinking I would DIY my own to save money. It proved too large and technical a project for me so I left #64 with the factory to have the full monte installed. They did a terrific job. 320 Watts, 2000 watt inverter, Blue sky, etc. The system performed flawlessly. September of 2016 we bought a 28' Airstream and sold the Ollie to snowlakemike. The Airstream had no solar, little battery, nothing... so I hired my local solar company to install 500 watts of Renogy panels, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter with Blue Sky controller and IPN remote. I added 2 Crown AGM batteries plus 2 Trojan wet cell batteries I had in reserve. (Yes you can mix batteries. Just don't cook the AGMs) Again I am happy with my solar setup. I say all this so you will know that I am a fan of solar, but if I had it to do again I would skip the panels and invest that money in some Lithium batteries . I hear good things about the Battle Born brand.. My Honda 2000i running on propane, on Economy mode will fully charge my batteries in no time at all. It will also run my 15000 BTU AC with the Easy Start computer. The Magnum inverter is also a smart charger and allows me to select the amount of charge amps it calls for. I keep this at 30 when on shore power, but drop down to 7 for generator. This places a very small load on the Honda while charging my batteries quickly and quietly. The OP already has the Honda. Try camping without solar for a while...you can always add the panels in the future. By the way. I have 5000 watts of PV on my home and sell about $100.00 a month to Gulf Power. Solar does have its place.

How about a basket of olivers...as in eggs?

We just booked D8 for the rally. Maybe I will paint the Stream white so we fit in. LOL? Seriously, we just want to hook up with some really great friends. See you all there.

Check out two blogs for full timing Airstreamers towing with vans. Less junk more journey The More We Explore

We moved from the Legacy Elite II to Airstream 28 and love the extra space. If Ollie made a larger trailer that would be my preference because of lower maintenance, but alas they don't. A good choice for now might be the Bigfoot. Get inside a few trailers and imagine yourself living therefor a few weeks or months. Check out RV rentals for units near you. Staying overnight in a trailer will give you a good feel for what you need. one thing about a Queen bed in a narrow trailer is that one person will have to crawl over the other for bathroom breaks. A real pain. If you choose the Ollie go for a twin bed model.