We Made a Mistake and it Costs us our Battery!

[@Pinkfairy21]

Hello. I have an old 1989 camp trailer. It’s all I could afford when I got a divorce. I live in Idaho and found I was afraid of bears in my tent alone. I’m finally at a point where I might be able to get a new camper this year. I love the Geo Pro 19fbs but don’t think I can afford it. The Rubicon 1908rb looks like it might be the one for me. I was really happy when you did the comparison video. Your videos have been so helpful for me especially as a single woman who has to consider every penny spent. Thank you so much! I’ve been saying prayers for you little dog. I hope she’s feeling better. Take care, Tammara

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Hi - thanks for the watch! And yes - would also be a bit afraid of bears! Glad you found that the Rubicon might work for you. We really like the floor plan that the two campers share. And thank you for prayers for Desi - that is very appreciated. He is doing very well so far and tolerating all the meds so we are grateful for every day. Thank you again and please keep in touch as you choose a camper!

[@dfnsmn1411]

Wife and I are newbies. Thanks for these videos, they are helping tremendously for helping prepare for the arrival of our 2021.5 e-pro 20bhs

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Congrats on the new camper! Hopefully you have a great first trip in mind. Thanks for watching and let us know if you have any questions :).

[@rocky19fd26]

I’m fairly new to all of this trailer stuff, but I recently replaced my 75ah 12 volt with 2 - 225ah AGM 6 volt batteries in my 19FD. I just returned from a 5 day boondocking trip where my batteries never went below 90%. I was in an open sunny area so my factory installed 100 watt solar panel did great recharging each day. I will also admit I wasn’t using tons of electricity ... a couple lights, furnace throughout the night, occasional water pump. We’ll see what happens in the future, but as of now I’m thrilled with this upgrade. Thanks for continuing to share your tips!

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

That’s sounds like great results from them! Which brand did you choose? We have had quite a few people mention AGM and they are very happy with them. Thanks for watching!

[@rocky19fd26]

@@WinesPinesandCanines Mine are ‘Crown’ because that’s what was recommended to me by people who know a lot more than me (admittedly that’s most people 😉). Also, I noticed that they are 220ah not 225.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Thanks - will take a look!

[@MrTemplarViking]

I have the 2018 GeoPro 19FBS, bought it new in 2018. I am still running the original factory battery and it gets me through a week of dry camping with only an aftermarket 40W solar panel with it's own charge controller, depending on the weather.. my trailer doesn't have the optional rooftop solar, inverter, TV, ect.... For the weights, mine is rated at about 3047lbs dry, 3860lbs Gross. I have been thinking of upgrading the battery to something with longer runtime when this one dies, so I appreciate the considerations list in this video. Thanks for the excellent content!

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

That is excellent to still be on the original battery! And it sounds like it is performing very well for you. What battery did the dealer install? And that weight sounds almost identical to ours. We envy the new owners as we have heard it is in the 4200 gross range!

[@leonfisher]

The forgotten cable reenactment acting was top shelf. LOL

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

HAHA! I've been practicing ;) Thanks for watching. Safe travels.

[@Yukonjackman1]

Living in Arizona, boondocking in Arizona my boondocking equipment is... Champion generator for ac as needed. 400 watts of solar on the roof. 200 watts as a moving briefcase . 4 lithium batteries 100 amps each . Extra black tank for longer stays. Extra water . Plus other stuff .

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Thanks for watching! That looks to be a very good setup! Assuming that you can go for however long you like? Which Champion generator did you go with - we have a Champion open frame (don't use for camping - too loud) and have been happy with it so interested in one for camping. Thanks again!

[@scottdunlap599]

Thank you for your videos. The information you provided helped us make the final decision to purchase an E Pro 19BH camper in January of this year. The unit has exceeded our expectations and we’re quite happy with it. When we ordered the camper, we knew we would want to expand its Boondocking capabilities. We ordered (2) 100 AH Battleborn Lithium batteries, (2) Renogy 200 watt solar panels along with another Renogy charge controller and 2KW charger/inverter. Also set up the Victron BMS. The additional panels along with the 190 Watt unit that came with the camper gives us about 600 watts of solar to feed the Lithium batteries. Right now I’ve got two of the panels going through the GoPower controller and one going through the Renogy. I discovered that I didn’t have to scrap the existing solar controller and that it’s fine to have multiple devices charging our batteries. We’ve discovered that we can easily get two days of usage with the Lithiums in cloudy weather. With sunny weather, we can go indefinitely and are limited only by our holding tanks. Our refrigerator is a 110 volt unit and must be powered by the inverter (or shore power) and I also use a CPAP machine that runs on 110 volts. We have no problem using as many lights as we want and can also run the furnace or MaxxAir fan continually. Hope this helps in your battery research. BTW… the lithium batteries have internal BMS systems that would have saved the batteries in your emergency cable situation. As an added bonus, my wife can use her hair dryer while Boondocking. We’re fellow NC residents and hope to run into you someday (not actually collide, but meet one another).

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Thank you for the positive feedback - we are glad we could help in your decison! We have really enjoyed ours and feel that is a great lightweight boondocking capable (with a few tweaks!) camper. And it looks like you did some great tweaks - love the 2000W inverter upgrade. It sounds like those batteries and solar upgrades are really doing well for you if they can run that much! Excellent setup. The emergency BMS - thank you for the tip. We have been reading up on all the different options and that makes sense! That would have been great to have at the time. And we love to run into viewers - we are very much of the opinion that we all learn from each other! Do you have any camping areas you really enjoy in the state? We typically head towards Elkin/Mountains when we are looking to get away for a few days. Thanks for watching and happy camping!

[@scottdunlap599]

@@WinesPinesandCanines We love NC and VA camping. In the last few weeks we've been to Stone Mountain State Park, Hanging Rock State Park, Pocahontas State Park (VA), Williamsburg, Belle Isle State Park (VA), Kerr Lake Recreation Area (NC/VA boarder), a few Harvest Hosts (including Serre Vinyards - you did a video of that one). We like all of these but have to say one of our favorites was Kerr Lake at the Bullocksville campground. We had a spot right on the lake and it was beautiful. We stayed in spot 54 but there were other great spots nearby. Always a breeze off the lake. I'll be on the lookout for you guys. Some day our paths will cross.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

You have been doing some traveling! We love VA as well - Shenandoah area and Williamsburg we go to often. Have been looking at Hanging Rock State Park as we have not yet been there. Kerr Lake is really nice but we have not checked out Bullocksville campground. Will keep that one on the list. And Serre was a very beautiful winery - we enjoy visiting there. That area is one of our favorites. Will keep an eye out for your Epro! (we don't see that many so if we see one - will make sure to check and see if it's you haha!)

[@islandwatersdrto]

Loved the Yellowstone Bison shirt!🥰 Getting my 🍷, 🌲 & 🐕 fixes mid-week now that it is camping season!🤣 We just did a three day roll with no hookups and had the BEST orientation & sun☀️Were at 90% by 9 am each day!!

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Evening! Lol - funny story on the shirt - we each went into the gift shop separately (waiting with Desi in the car) and both came back out with the same shirt! Thank you for all the support and help! And I saw the pics on Facebook of the trip - it looked so awesome!! So jealous of those boondocking opportunities. And that is a fantastic battery / sun combo going on there. Hope you guys have something fun planned again soon and if so - safe travels!

[@deniseh452]

We have a 2019 Coachmen Apex Nano 189RBS, which is very similar to your trailer. In fact, we were deciding between your model and ours when we made our purchase. Since we live in the west and like to stay at State & National Parks and Harvest Hosts, we wanted our trailer set up to allow us to boondock for a few days at a time. To that end, we installed 2 deep cycle 12v 100AH batteries, and 200 watts of solar (Go Power) on our roof. We also recently installed a 2000 watt pure sine inverter and isolated our microwave to plug directly in to the inverter.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Hi Denise! Yes - very similar camper - I think we were looking at them online but couldn't find any close to us when we bought the GeoPro. That is a nice set up - would love a 2000 watt inverter (ours is 1000 watts) as so much we use the outlets for is over 1000 watts. Thanks for watching!

[@williamsawyer7698]

Thank you good to know

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Thank you for watching - appreciate it!

[@gampy5445]

Mistake Naaa. Opppps yup. I have the same trailer 2021 model I went with the 2 6v batteries and I haul my Honda EU2000 just in case. So far so good that Honda is super quiet and only use it for the A/C. I have the 12v fridge also. Love this little trailer and I do all boondocking so far.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Ha - thank you! Glad you have been enjoying the camper so far this spring. We are so envious as we are sure that Wa State has some excellent boondocking opportunities! So the 2 6V have been handling the 12V fridge fine? We have the propane fridge but really like the look of those new 12V - so much room! Good to know that the Honda runs the A/C - we are looking at those as well. We do have a large open frame generator that we use when we are at the camper in the storage lot (so hot in there haha) but would never take this loud one anywhere around other campers. Thanks for watching and happy camping!!

[@BrokenDreamsReborn]

We just upgraded to lithium batters because we just got solar and needed the lithium. We just bought the same flow water meter thing a couple of weeks ago because we wanted to know how much water we were putting in our tanks. We love it! We really like your Yellowstone shirt! Thanks for sharing! ~ Shion and Matthew

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

What brand lithium did you go with? And lol - that flow meter is very popular! Thanks for watching- appreciate it. Crazy week but we have been catching up with your channel as well. How do you like your grand design? Seems to be a very reliable company.

[@BrokenDreamsReborn]

@@WinesPinesandCanines We went with Relion lithium batteries. We are really enjoying our Grand Design! We love the floor plan and are happy with our choice overall! :-)

[@gerardtrigo380]

When I worked as a mechanic, I quickly learned to always disconnect the negative terminal first before doing any electrical work. Reconnecting the terminal was the last step of the job.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Was taught the same thing. Thanks for watching!

[@campingalan]

Hello Troy and Linda!! Ayeeee Caramba!! This is a great teaching point to us! Thank you for sharing it with us. Ha...my wife and I were driving up in Montrose CO last week to do our monthly food shopping. She made the comment "those geo pro's sure are popular" as we saw 3 in town. Truck update.....our new full size pick up arrived to the dealer in Iowa this morning!! Thank goodness it arrived before our ordered trailer arrived! Travel trailer update.....manufacturer updated that it may not arrive to the dealer in CO until October :-( Safe travels.......and the moochdock offer is still open!

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Hi! Hope all is well out there! I am sure you are busy traveling!! Yes - it is crazy how popular - we could actually make money by selling lol which I don’t feel is said very often in the camping world. That is great news on the truck but we are so sorry about the trailer!! When does camping season end? And thank you - we are definitely taking you up on that someday!!! Take care and have a great week!

[@campingalan]

@@WinesPinesandCanines Good evening back to you two!! Yes....a bit disappointing about the trailer delay. But....we are not in a needy position, so we'll make the best of it (continue to take my dog out camping in my tent!). I did a cursory look at a couple of our area national forest campgrounds. The one just above my house called Amphitheater Campground shows it closes on 12 Sept. Another one over by Silverton CO closes mid September too. But....for the last couple of years, the boondocking spots, as well as the jeeping trails (they are national forest service roads or county roads) have been usable till mid October-ish. I usually do most of my 4wheeling in mid September until they close in mid October as the amount of tourists have dropped off a lot. The end of September till the 1st or 2nd week of October is also leaf color changing time; that is all dependent on the amount of rain in the summer and temperatures as winter comes. The forest service will keep the jeep roads open as long as their is not an appreciable amount of snow that accumulates. So, we'll probably just plan to head towards UT for our first trips after the travel trailer arrives. With regards to work, I've generally just been a normal pace. On sunday, I have a short hop over to Denver to pick up my bosses that are returning from a vacation. Then 3rd week of June will have a trip to CA. And I think the month will be closed out by doing a midwest loop to retrieve my boss's daughters and bring them here for a long 4th week. Oh.....and I do have a possibility of a quick jaunt to Phoenix next week; that is not set yet. Happy TGIF to you two tomorrow!!

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Hope you are having a good week so far! Sounds like you definitely have some back up plans. Your description makes fall in Colorado sound perfect!!! We are hoping to head to Utah late fall as well but trying to keep it flexible for the unexpected. Sounds like you have a busy month coming up! Take care and happy camping to you when you can! Look forward to talking later!

[@lindakram7095]

Thanks for all your advice you give us on what you may be dealing with ! Thanks all the help you can give will be great ! Thanks

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

You are welcome! Thank you for watching - truly appreciate it! If you have any questions let us know - always looking for ideas for videos that are helpful to others!

[@coms00]

I made a similar mistake 😐 FYI… in addition to discharging the “house battery”, the breakaway switch may burn up if the pin is left out for an extended period. It was a good idea indeed to get the trailer checked out following your goof. I did not find out my switch was toast until time for vehicle (trailer) inspection. I use a blue top Optima AGM battery on my Casita trailer, seems to have enough juice and is maintenance free, which is good because the battery is virtually inaccessible inside the battery box of my Casita… without removal. In addition, AGM batts don’t corrode 😉

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

That is a good point on the switch - will make sure the mechanic looked at it. Will be taking a look at the AGM battery - have focused on flooded lead acid and lithium but seems that quite a few people are using AGM so we are going to look at those as well. How many amp hours is yours (and one 12V or 2 6V?) Thanks for watching!

[@KateD]

Oh dear!! I'm sorry to hear about your mishap although was certainly entertained by the reenactment!! And thanks for those consideration factors for batteries. I'll be picking up my new-to-me FD this week. (Recreational camping is still on hold here in Ontario though...) The trailer comes with a dealership 12V which I'm sure will meet my needs this summer. I have done some cursory research into upgrades but had no idea about the need to rewire, etc. for lithium. Please know how much I appreciate your videos and the information you share. I learn so much from you! All the best with your new battery! Have a great week!

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Evening Kate! Thank you for the watch! You may not have the same issues with lithium - the newer models I believe have a lithium setting on the controller while ours doesn't. And if we get them, we will want to move inside more so for theft (expensive battery in a battery box in a storage unit....) I will say, being Ontario and knowing canadian winters lol, you may also want to look at issues with storing over the winter (and that is likely true for any battery). So, depending on your individual needs and what is coming with the camper (in terms of the controller and converter) - you may not have the same issues as our 2019 and it may be a much easier process!

[@WhyWait]

Good tip. I think I talk about this in my bearings video when I show people how to test their breakaway cable but I say make sure you put it back in after pulling it out 😂 👍🏼

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Lol - such a small thing that makes a VERY big difference! Thanks for watching - appreciate the support.

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

Troy, we're pretty sure that you will receive an Oscar for that reenactment. If not, you definitely need to call foul. However, I think that could happen to anyone so thanks for sharing what happened. We're sure the battery will work out just fine for what you need. Great factors to consider. Ya'll always seem to do your homework and don't make rash decisions. Be safe and enjoy your trip out west. Bill and DeAnna

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

HAHAHAHA! Its Linda - he's getting pretty good at it. I think I found his calling lol. Always so much to learn with these things and after 5 years we have learned that rushing is never a good thing in camping (decisions or travel wise!). Thanks for watching guys - appreciate it!

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

This is so true. So many of our mishaps happened because we got in a hurry. 😂

[@Joe-cu4hi]

Just discovered your channel, great subject, thank you!. We have a 19’ Airstream we bought in 2000. Regardless of the deep cell brand we bought it only lasted 3 days then it’s down hill from that, and last 3-4 years max. We recently replaced EVERY SINGLE BULB inside and out with LED bulbs and now we can go 7+ days with bright lights while boondocking and we did found a marine/RV deep cell at Advance Auto that has out preformed every other batter we’ve bought from Walmart, and Costco, we are at the 4 year mark and battery is still going strong. Unfortunately i checked their website while making this comment and they don’t seem to have it listed (Autocraft 29 HM)😔

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Thank you for watching! We love Airstreams - great camper and obviously a good purchase for longevity going on 20+ years! Wow - going from 3 days to 7 days with just replacing light bulbs is crazy. Goes to show how inefficient the old ones were. And darn it that the battery is no longer available - sounds like a great choice! Thanks again and safe travels!

[@soillife1]

We have had 3 airstreams over the years. We have always used NAPA deep cycle commercial grade batteries. Never a Walmart or Costco battery. You get what you pay for.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

True! Thanks for the info!

[@justinprince9507]

Great advice re E Brake as it relates to battery. Good luck on battery choice. I ultimately prioritized costs over lost of weight. I got two T105 Trojans 6V that easily allow me 3-4 days boondocking anywhere near 30-40 degrees N. They do add significant weight vs lithium. My guess is your 145 aH battery isn’t going to make you very happy boondocking. At only 75 available aH, you won’t have much in way of reserve to last a day (maybe only a day if you had good sun). Also, you DONT need to update solar controller OR converter with lithium. The solar controller should have a setting switch with LiFePo as an option. Yes, you converter won’t carry a high enough boost voltage to charge the lithium batteries to 100%, but your solar should be able to top off the lithium. Also, unless moving the batteries inside for security , it is unnecessary unless camping for extended periods in temps below 20F. Mind you that it is only dangerous to charge lithium batteries at this temp.....if camping on whether where nights are cold to freezing temps, your batteries will be fine since you won’t be charging them. Also, they sell lithium RV batteries now with internal warmers, or safety mechanisms that shut down the battery in the event it gets too cold. Given the Geo Pro isn’t a 4 season camper, I don’t like camping in freezing weather.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Thanks for watching! Agree on the 145AH - we just wanted something to last a few months but we are definitely going to be upgrading. Our prior one was 65AH and we had no trouble as long as there was sun for the day but rain and we were out of boondocking business! If we go FLA - the Trojan T105 will be our choice as well. 3-4 days boondocking is our goal - do they hold up fairly well if you have a day of rain or overcast? Unfortunately our controller doesn't have a lithium option - the GeoPro's now come with an updated controller that has it (or so we were told by GoPower). Thanks for the info on the converter! And we likely won't be camping in 20 degrees haha! Sometimes it does get down to 27/28 but only at night. As you said - the GeoPro is not a 4 season so it gets very cold in that camper at night! Thanks again for the info - we really appreciate everyone letting us know what they do! Safe travels.

[@justinprince9507]

@@WinesPinesandCanines yeah my 6V’s hold up for a while with no sun. Rainy day and a 0.8-1.0 charge rate and I’m fine. Next day, the solar controller bumps the charge to 9 amps and I’m back to 100 by lunch. That sucks re the GP solar controller vs lithium. However, the PWM style 30 amp GoPower solar controller isn’t the most efficient anyways. It would be well worth it in your case to upgrade to a 30 amp or higher MPPT solar controller that covers lithium.....even if you don’t change your batteries to LiFePo4. Do you have the rigid 190w GoPower solar panel or the lay flat 100w solar?

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

We have the 100 watt lay flat. Have been fairly pleased with it but haven’t truly pushed it either. That is great on your setup! Agreed - if we decide to upgrade the controller, an mppt would be the way to go. Thanks for the info and the advice - appreciate it! Have a great rest of the weekend.

[@bradleyevans8147]

Yes, that pesky breakaway cable! On our old rig, our cable was wrapped around the equalizer bar, and one turn pulled the PIN. Well it was late at night, could not figure out why the brakes on the trailer were locked up. So, my might Titan was used to force the camper in the spot (I know, not too smart) Anyway, called the repair guy out the next morning to see what was going on. Before he got there, I figured it out, that the pin was disconneded. Re-connected and all was back to normal. The repair guy stated this happens a lot to new folks. I explained that I really was not new, as I grew up with a 1963 Gator Popup. He explained that the old camper probably did not have electric brakes. That makes sense, not sure. In any case, on our 2020 Jayco, I always inspect that cable before and during travel, to ensure it is secured. Note: Our Jayco does not have a cutoff switch for the battery. It was explained to us that Jayco did add those for the 2020 model year, but, it goes by when it was actually built for certain features. Ours was actually built in May of 2019 as a 2020 model. In any case, no harm was done, and glad you folks got going again. BTW: I have actually re-stored /re-charged several "Dead" Deep Cycle batteries with no issues. So, they are not always bad, but, there is a process that most mechanics don't even know to do on them to bring them back. Deep cycle batteries are not the same as a regular car / truck battery, and I have been told that you never really want to go below 20% charge. Not sure if that is true, but, I think it is a good tip for all of us RV owners.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Yes - inspecting before and after will be on our list from now on. The longer you camp, the longer that list gets haha. Thanks for the story - hope you didn't have any damage but good to know to remember to watch where the cable is. We should have reached out to you to try and revive the battery before using it for a core charge! We tried recharging but as soon as we took the generator off it, it fell like a rock! Luckily it was an inexpensive battery. What Jayco model did you get? And are you happy with it? We always like to hear of others experiences with other campers! Thanks for watching and safe travels!!

[@Glock2201]

I would not beat yourself up too much on that mistake. Seems pretty easy to make it. I also wonder how old the battery is and if it was newer might have charged back up. If you plan on doing a lot of boondocking I would think a generator might be in order.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Thanks - sometimes you just have to accept it and move forward! We are looking at generators as a backup as well. We prefer to operate mostly off solar but it is a good decision to have options. The battery was 2 years old - we tried to recharge but it was not to be lol. Thanks for watching!

[@lelandplume6889]

Hi Troy, helpful video! And I’m definitely gonna get the save a drop. Couple questions. 1. I think you mentioned you have 650 pounds for cargo. How did you arrive at that number since the FR specs seem to indicate a much higher capacity. 2. Other videos I’ve seen indicate that the current onboard solar controller can easily handle a 100ah battleborn LI battery and there is a button on the controller to switch it to LI. Are you finding that not to be the case? Thanks! Hi to Linda! Lee

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Evening Lee. Thanks for watching. For question #1 - that is what the tag on our camper says is available for CCC (652 lbs to be exact I believe). Its dry weight was right at 3250 lbs per the tag and the gross is right at 3900. It looks like the newer models have a higher cargo capacity - not sure why. We have looked into it, but so far haven't found an exact answer why the 2019 is only 3900 gross vs the newer ones at around 4200-4300. Would definitely be nice to have that extra weight availability. For question #2 - this goes back to ours being a 2019 again. We spoke to the Go Power people a few days ago regarding this and they said for us, we would need to use the AGM setting as our model year didn't have a lithium setting. They said it wasn't perfect but would be fine. But newer models should have the lithium setting - just not sure when they added it. If only we had waited 6 months to purchase haha! I will tell her hello for you. As always - thanks for watching and the support. Love the comments and questions so keep them coming!

[@lelandplume6889]

@@WinesPinesandCanines Thanks Troy, don’t know if you’ve heard this too but in addition to the newer go power controller having a lithium setting, there were questions about the converter too. The feedback is that the current converter is compatible with LI batteries but will only charge them to 80%. However the onboard 190w solar panel easily tops the battery off. Looking forward to your next video!

[@Thejohnnyoshow]

yeah you can't carry much in them, only round 250 if you have water and propane etc, maybe the new ones have 4000lbs rated axle, the 2019 is only a 3500lbs rated axle

[@Thejohnnyoshow]

@@WinesPinesandCanines yeah, i think i'm going to bite the bullet in buy the battleborns, but yes i can verify what Leland said, I had them replace my defective charge controller and the new bluetooth one does support Li, but yeah the BB will work with the current converter but only to 80% but beings there is also the solar, i'm not going to worry about that 20% the solar should be fine to top it off.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

From what we have read and heard - can’t go wrong with those! And have heard from quite a few that the solar does a good job in keeping them to 100%. Let us know how you like them (will watch for the video!).

[@jimmz000]

I currently have an Epro 20 bhs, and previously had a Epro 16bhs. I installed 4 100 ah lithium batteries(used same batteries in both) and extra panels on both. You can use the Gopower charger as the agm setting is ok for lithium, but I upgraded to an mppt charge controller. I used all the factory wiring and only added wiring for the batteries and extra components like bus bar, circuit breaker, and shunt. You really dont need to upgrade the factory ac to dc charger if you have sufficient solar to top off lithium batteries. My setup is reversible to factory if I wanted to sell the trailer.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Thanks for the great info! We had read the same on the converter and controller but good to have real world knowledge . Sounds like you have a great setup! Assuming you can go for weeks boondocking haha. Thanks again for the helpful comments! Safe travels.

[@jimmz000]

Electricity is effectively not an issue with the setup and I will never run out of power unless there is a weaker more of no sun. I am leaving the factory 1000 watt inverter since it and the 12 volt wiring runs everything but the microwave and ac. I am also using the old Gopower charge controller to control charging from the SAE side mount solar plug so I can just plug in multiple panels in parallel without the need for a separate controller or panels that come with a controller.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

That is great! Also like being able to revert back to factory. Some buyers like it “as it was” so we like to keep that in mind with our changes for if/when we decide to sell in the future. Thanks again for the details and advice!

[@daviddion3731]

I would suggest you switch to 2 batteries vrs 1. The juice is definitely worth the squeeze. We upgraded to two Duracell Ultra BCI 24M AGM deep cycle, 78ah model SLI24MAGMDC. $205 each. 30 month free replacement warranty. 10.875x6.75x9.875. For us, several problems solved all at once. Good Luck!

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Thanks for the info! We aren't as familiar with AGM but quite a few people have mentioned them so we are taking a closer look at those as an option. How long have you had these ones and can you go 3-4 days boondocking? Thanks!

[@daviddion3731]

@@WinesPinesandCanines one year. it’s very difficult to tell how long they would last on a boondock trip without knowing your power needs / habits and expectations. For my wife and I, as long as we didn’t use the AC, which would not be an option on batteries alone anyway, we could go 3-4 days easily as many of our other needs would use LP gas. In hindsight I should have replaced the single almost-worthless OEM battery with two AGM’s on day one of ownership. Good luck. Travel Safely.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

That helps - we don’t use a lot of power (no a/c usage either) so 3-4 days would be great. Thanks for the info. Have a great weekend!

[@aaronoliver6041]

We just got an e-pro and the similarities to the Geo Pro made me an instant subscriber. While I have found the boondocking series interesting I have to ask - why all the trouble? In my own research into solar it just doesn’t give the camper enough power or freedom over the weather imperfections that come with camping. Do you have a generator? If yes, what kind? If no, why not?

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Hi - thanks for watching and subscribing! So, we don’t have a generator for camping but it is on the list of potential purchases. We are hoping to get by without the extra weight/price. There are quite a few people that we have communicated with (here on KZbin/Facebook) that have very nice set ups with high amp hour batteries and a few solar panels that do only boondocking and don’t use a generator. But, I think it really depends on where one lives (sun wise) and how much power is needed. For us, we know that we need to upgrade the batteries but we also are used to full hookup sites. So we figured to take some time and figure out how much our power needs were and if we could get there without a generator. Many places (state/national parks) have restrictive generator hours or no generator areas so we are hopeful we could go battery only. But - no generator means no a/c so not sure warm weather camping is an option (but we are primarily fall/winter/spring campers so summer we do full hookup). Hope that helps!

[@ericbishop499]

GREAT Vid as usual! Haven't acquired my trailer yet... but your vids have helped me immensely in my scrutinizing the units out there. I'll be boondocking only... high in the Cascade Mountains in WA. Solar is probably most important along with the proper batteries - and a GREAT point - my first trailer will probably not be my "forever" trailer! I foresee an Excel spreadsheet in your future to help figure things out? Give Desi a scratch and a treat for me! Cheers!

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Evening Eric! Thanks for continuing to watch! Wow - that sounds like perfect boondocking - can’t wait to someday get out that way! And hahahaha - the excel spreadsheet has already been started! Desi says thank you - he doesn’t feel like he gets enough of either! Let us know what camper you eventually go with. Thanks again!

[@RobertSmith-tq6mf]

I have one of those water meters. I use it when I flush my 2 black tanks. One of them doesn't flow too well so I make sure I run enough water to clean my tanks.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Yes - great idea! Was focused on looking at the fresh tank but measuring for the black tank flush makes so much sense! Thanks for the tip.

[@mikeb6386]

Didn't see the link below. Thanks for the info.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Sorry! Thank you for the reminder - we added it a little bit ago. Thanks for watching!

[@knifeman821]

Always love your video’s. One thing I have not heard is your battery charges when you plug in to your rig.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Hi - thanks for watching! We do have a 7 pin connector on the truck but we have read that the connector will maintain but not charge a rundown battery. We always have it plugged in while driving though and with the solar, the battery is typically 100% on travel days.

[@knifeman821]

@@WinesPinesandCanines thanks guys, I have the same trailer. Your video’s are super helpful.

[@sboy1955]

Good to know, thanks

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Thank you for watching!

[@K9TPT]

Do you have a link to the correct cable please ? Thank you

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

So we ordered this one for the replacement and installed it (ours is a 2019 - not sure if Rockwood changed up at some point) www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C10R226/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 But we also ordered this as a backup. Haven't tried it yet but it looks identical and is less expensive. www.amazon.com/CURT-52020-Replacement-Trailer-Breakaway/dp/B001GN6QS0/ref=dp_fod_1?pd_rd_i=B001GN6QS0&psc=1 Hope that helps!

[@bobneff8309]

Hi. Even though by not reconnecting your breakaway cable it drained your battery. How did it ruin it. Couldn't you just recharge it with an automotive battery charger.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

We think it was drained too long. We did try a couple of times to charge back up and as soon as we took off the charger, it would immediately lose the charge. Flooded batteries aren’t supposed to go below 50% or could damage - thinking 100% was too much for it!

[@bobneff8309]

@@WinesPinesandCanines Ok thanks Troy. Hope you do a comparison on the starcraft 16 fbs someday.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

We just put it on the list. Looked and we have a few dealers in NC but they don’t have it in stock. But that is a perfect camper to compare to ours so appreciate the suggestion!

[@bobneff8309]

@@WinesPinesandCanines Hello Troy. Yes we have 2 of them up here at Niagara Trailers in St.Davids Ontario Canada which is close to Niagara Falls. They are asking $38,900 Canadian for them. I like the pantry to the left of the fridge and the 32" tv but the fridge is not a 12 volt. Can't wait to hear what you and Linda think of it.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

We have bookmarked the dealers here in NC and are checking them weekly lol. These single axle trailers with the same floorplan as the 19FBS aren't easy to find so appreciate the suggestion!

[@deniseh452]

In conclusion, we have found that we have plenty of power when we have enough sun, allowing us to boondock quite comfortably. We can run the microwave for a short time, and I can use my low voltage hairdryer and styling brush as well with the inverter. We will see a short drop of battery percentage down to maybe 70%, but within 10-15 minutes of full sun, the batteries go right back up to 100%. Regarding water tank usage/gray/black. With our 30 gallon tanks, we empty the fresh and 2/3 fill the gray in 4 days, with 1/3 going into black tank. That allows short showers every day, and 1 long shower to wash my hair once during that time. Black tank only needs to be emptied every 8+ days, but ends up getting emptied whenever we drain the gray. Hope that helps as you plan your power needs going forward. We LOVE the flexibility being able to boondock gives us.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Yes - those items and a coffeepot would be perfect while boondocking! What brand of batteries do you have? And great info on the tanks - that is next on our list to start evaluating. Thanks for all the info!

[@glenmuir219]

OMG,I never thought about that! And no one ever mentions it on a dealership walk-thru. But it's good to know. Troy & Linda (& Desi) I too have been considering lithium. As you may remember I'm trading in my 2020 19FBS, and I have a 2021.5 19FD on order. (The dealer contacted me recently and said because of the delay in production and order backlog, it looks like I'll be getting a 2022 at 2021.5 pre-increase price. Nice, but I have no idea what changes will be made) Anyway, I am swapping my batteries to the new trailer because I already have two 6 volt deep cycle batteries on the 19 FBS. I like the idea of lithium for life, weight and available power (100% versus 50%). But I am concerned about having to upgrade the controller and inverter. Forest River expressed concern about having to upgrade the wiring as well. Something I have to look into. I never thought about having to move their storage location as well. One plus, is that the 19FD has it's inverter in small storage compartment in the front. I could put them there. Anyway, I will be watching you two closely to see what path you follow. Be well, and enjoy the weather there in NC. It was 41 in MD this morning! Glen P.S. Curse you Linda, I like the gadget. Ordering one tonight!

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Hi Glen (its Linda so sorry about that gadget haha!). I never knew either - you are correct in that things like this should definitely be mentioned by dealers on a walk-thru! I do remember :) Sorry that it was pushed back but the fact that it will be a 2022 is good news - always good to get the newest. We haven't heard any talk yet of changes but the general buzz is that there will likely be small changes but nothing major with the upgrades they just did to the 2021. With the lithium - we have been talking to some on Facebook that have upgraded and some have upgraded the controller, some the converter and some both. We spoke to Go Power and they said that the newer campers (I think 2020 and after) have a lithium setting. They told us that our controller to set to AGM - it wouldn't be perfect but would be close. I haven't heard anyone need to do any rewiring other than just moving it. We are going to make some more phone calls to Forest River, Go Power... and talk to a few more people with our model year and will definitely keep everyone updated! Thank you as always for watching - we appreciate all the support you have given us! And to make you feel better - we had to pull out our fleece again this morning here as well haha! Safe travels.

[@glenmuir219]

@@WinesPinesandCanines FYI: Not sure if you watch Tails of Wanderlust on KZbin. Even though Cass, the narrator, speaks mostly of her experience with her 2018 Airstream 16' Base Camp; she lives in the unit, boondocks and works a full time job from that unit. Her videos are actually very good regarding the subject of power, solar and signals. If you get a chance, go to 8:28 on this link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJDOkqyqpsRjjMk and she talks about her upgrade. I think you'd enjoy her perspective and her channel. Take care.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Thanks for the tip! Will definitely check it out.

[@boosted.]

Be aware people that leaving the safety cable disconnected for a extended period of time can overheat and damage your wiring, electromagnetic coils, and the emergency switch itself, all are needed for your trailer breaks to work. They may seem to work fine after reconnecting or not. Either way please have those items inspected by someone that’s qualified. Be safe and happy camping everyone.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Yes - we had read that which is why we had our mechanic look everything over to make sure all was well! But excellent point as no one wants to find out they have a problem on the road. Thanks for watching and safe travels to you as well!

[@dannyscobee6530]

You prob are all set up now, but when I did my preps for doing more dry camping, I added an additional 12v battery.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

We have upgraded (video coming up!) but adding an additional 12v is one that we had suggested a few times. Thanks for the watch and suggestion - appreciate it.

[@Cleo_and_Mark]

Why would you need to move the Lithium inside?

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Hi - Two reasons - we are in a storage unit so for an expensive battery, would want to have it inside the camper. But the biggest reason is the cold. Lithium doesn’t charge in below freezing temps (unless you have a heated one) so moving it inside means it would stay above freezing when we are camping. Thanks for the watch!

[@luissantos9071]

I enjoy your videos and I’m a subscriber. Can you tell me what the video title is for changing out the thermostat?

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Evening Luis - yes we remember you from prior comments - thank you for being a subscriber and watching - truly appreciate! We changed it out before we started the channel so don’t have video for it. But I will link below the one we bought. If I remember correctly it was a 5-10 minute job and we did take a picture of the current set up beforehand to refer to and then followed the instructions for the new. I believe only two wires. Thanks again! www.amazon.com/Honeywell-TH1100DH1004-Horizontal-Non-Programmable-Thermostat/dp/B008D7JDOG/

[@rocky19fd26]

See if this works: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGqmfGmXobdqgLc ‘Turtle3863’ has a 19FD and his videos have helped me do a few upgrades. (I hope it’s not inappropriate to share someone’s videos on someone else’s page. If so please inform me and I won’t do it again.)

[@donnalundy5875]

Your dog is beautiful

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Thank you!

[@sallyjohnson4049]

We enjoy your videos and have actually used some of the ideas. We live in Utah and can suggest some places to visit if you are interested.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Thank you for watching and so glad you were able to use some of the ideas! That would be fantastic. We are hoping to spend some time in the Zion area but also love exploring areas not as frequently traveled (those hidden gems!) so if you had suggestions that would be great - thank you!

[@sallyjohnson4049]

@@WinesPinesandCanines it's best to be in Southern Utah in spring or fall. Otherwise it's too hot. Capitol Reef National Park is our favorite. While there be sure to get a burger and shake at Slacker's in Torrey. Drop your camper and drive over Boulder mountain. It's beautiful! From the town of Boulder drive the Burr Trail then it joins Nodom road and you end up just east of Capitol Reef. Also take the Cathedral Valley loop. Not as many visitors do that. Highway 12 is a scenic byway. Red canyon by Bryce is beautiful. We like to stay at Kodachrome Basin state park. All of the mighty 5 are beautiful, but Zion and Arches are extremely crowded. Out of all five parks Capitol Reef is the least visited. In north eastern Utah by Vernal is the town of Jensen where you can visit the dinosaur quarry. We live in the north part and it's totally different from Southern Utah. You have Park City, Heber City, the ski resorts, antelope island, Promentory where the two railroads came together in 1869. We live in Cache Valley about 30 minutes south of Idaho. Bear Lake is beautiful and Labeaus drive in has famous raspberry shakes. There is all kinds of campgrounds in the mountains. And that's just a start. If you want to contact us let me know and I'll give you a phone number.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Thank you for all the detail! That is very helpful!! We are looking to go late fall so hoping perfect weather time. We have been to Arches/Canyonlands so this time wanted to focus on Zion/Bryce and then leave some time to see all the other great spots that don’t get as much attention. And your detail is definitely going into our planner! I would love to talk further when we sit down to finalize our plans with dates. Thank you so much for the offer to chat! You can contact us at [e-mail]. Have a great week!!

[@sallyjohnson4049]

@@WinesPinesandCanines Just remember Bryce Canyon elevation is over 7600' so if it's real late it the fall depending on the year you run the risk of cold weather and possible snow. Kodachrome Basin state park is off of the plateau at 5800' about 20 miles away. Have fun it's a beautiful area! We're camping at Bryce the first part of August.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Yes - we are hoping to get to Bryce a little earlier! Don’t mind a little snow but would like to avoid a lot lol! Thanks for the contact info - we appreciate the offer to reach out. We will likely be contacting you as we set our plans - always good to have local knowledge. Have a great weekend!

[@bt4b4]

Remember , Lithium batteries you can take with you when you sell the trailer. It’s an investment ! Peacefrom510

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Very true! Lithium does have a big appeal to us - that weight savings on such a small camper has us thinking for sure! We originally, at the beginning of the year thought 2 6 volts, but you and others have been very convincing haha! Thanks again for the input!

[@khristophersantamaria8753]

Love this channel thank you for the helpful tips. Desi hitting the bell is the best.

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Thank you for watching! And he is a good boy - easily motivated for treats haha!

[@silaslongshot941]

Lucky you didn't burn out the coils in your brakes!

[@WinesPinesandCanines]

Yes we were! Thanks for the watch!