Ski RV's, who's sleeping in parking lots?

[fastfred]

^^^ wanna buy my van?
I've done everything three times so I'm sure its right now

[Skidog]

That sentence makes absolutely no sense


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Oh? I'm sorry maybe I shouldve placed a comma. I didn't know this was English class. I'll try harder. I'll bring you an apple too next time teach

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[Vt-Freeheel]

..Attachment 383751

spotted this beast yesterday

I like it

This looks pretty stylish, I can see the curved real wood veneer on the interior, bet it feels pretty homey.

[Brownski]

I’m contemplating converting my old Coleman pop-up (the canvas is finally going) into a cozy little teardrop. Anybody ever do anything similar? Am I nuts?

[frorider]

It appears some actually might to be honest.

I think you meant to write ‘actually might be too honest’. Good thing you graciously admitted your confusing error.

And for the record, I never make fun of dyslexia and wasn’t doing so here.

[apex dave]

Another very nice 22' Triple E Class C on Vancouver Island. C$
https://portalberni.canadianlisted.c...e_3876523.html

[Pinned]

So I have a shell coming in for my truck - little diesel heater is in the plans, but I need a reasonable way to power it (it would also be nice to power some LED lighting, laptop, and maybe a boot dryer for some real luxury). I could get a GoalZero type of battery and recharge it while driving or with solar, but I'm wondering if it makes more sense to get a separate deep cycle battery of some sort and charge that directly off the alternator and power everything from that.

Any thoughts? I think to get 2 days I'd need 60Ah or so - just not sure what I'd need to get the deep cycle setup running and if it's worth the hassle versus just getting a prepackaged battery like the GoalZero.

[powdork]

Another very nice 22' Triple E Class C on Vancouver Island. C$
https://portalberni.canadianlisted.c...e_3876523.html

Does it have an inside. For $30k you'd think they could snap a pic.

[powdork]

In the automotive/overland business,
9 out of 10 custom builds always take 2x as long, the customers are always a PITA, the builders never deliver on their promises, and at the end of project the builder is ready to get rid of the customer at any cost, and the customer is left with a thing that is worth 1/2 of what they paid for and is full of bad memories and not what they dreamed in their minds.

Buy used, always.

Very little of that is true, except in rare circumstances. And you completely left out the DIY option.

[jackattack]

Very little of that is true, except in rare circumstances. And you completely left out the DIY option.

Or even better, the half-startup, half-DIY option.

[apex dave]

Does it have an inside. For $30k you'd think they could snap a pic.

If you are are curious here is the link to that years owner's manual and brochure for the Regal models.
https://tripleerv.com/products/resources/

[TAFKALVS]

Very little of that is true, except in rare circumstances. And you completely left out the DIY option.

Agree to disagree. I think there's a lot more stories out there like the one being discussed here, but a lot of people get a ton of money tied up in a vehicle and are left frustrated but don't talk about it to save face or worse yet don't talk about it due to non-disclosure clauses on contracts/settlements. It happens all the time on this stuff.

I'm not talking your run of the mill put cabinets in a sprinter van or minor offroad upgrades. I'm talking the 6 figure restorations or bespoke custom "builds".

I would suspect that Aero spent the $55,000 deposit immediately to get their shop set up/live and then were engaged in side work to try and have funds to continue on the unimog build.

And IMHO Aero underbid the build by at least $50k if not more, likely thinking more builds would be in the pipeline and this would generate sales. I also bet once they got in to it they realized that there was no way they would make any money on the build and would be unable to complete it on a reasonable timeline. So they started slow rolling in hopes they could get away with it and walk on the project.

[DanoT]

So I have a shell coming in for my truck - little diesel heater is in the plans, but I need a reasonable way to power it (it would also be nice to power some LED lighting, laptop, and maybe a boot dryer for some real luxury). I could get a GoalZero type of battery and recharge it while driving or with solar, but I'm wondering if it makes more sense to get a separate deep cycle battery of some sort and charge that directly off the alternator and power everything from that.

Any thoughts? I think to get 2 days I'd need 60Ah or so - just not sure what I'd need to get the deep cycle setup running and if it's worth the hassle versus just getting a prepackaged battery like the GoalZero.

Solar while winter camping in a ski area parking lot is sketchy at best. Using a truck engine alternator to charge aux battery is going to take at least 3 - 4 hours of driving, maybe more if you are idling and not driving. A Honda or Yamaha inverter generator is the way to go, imo. Cheaper gen sets may not start as easily in cold weather temps.

[altasnob]

I’m contemplating converting my old Coleman pop-up (the canvas is finally going) into a cozy little teardrop. Anybody ever do anything similar? Am I nuts?

Like this? I've seen lots of chatter on various corners of the internet of people who convert their four wheel camper to a trailer. They are still using the pop up feature though.

[frorider]

So I have a shell coming in for my truck - little diesel heater is in the plans, but I need a reasonable way to power it (it would also be nice to power some LED lighting, laptop, and maybe a boot dryer for some real luxury). I could get a GoalZero type of battery and recharge it while driving or with solar, but I'm wondering if it makes more sense to get a separate deep cycle battery of some sort and charge that directly off the alternator and power everything from that.

Any thoughts? I think to get 2 days I'd need 60Ah or so - just not sure what I'd need to get the deep cycle setup running and if it's worth the hassle versus just getting a prepackaged battery like the GoalZero.

Having done two electrical builds and countless nights in ski country winters, my conclusions ended up being similar to the more experienced builders I talked to along the way:

=> insulation + diesel heater + LED lighting + modest amperage fridge & electronics = zero need for a generator. 100 amp hr AGM battery, or better yet a 100 amp hr Lithium (which in practice has nearly twice the amp hrs since you can take it down to 10%) is more than adequate for the above setup esp if you have 150 or 200 watts of solar (my panels are mounted with a hinge and can be aimed at the low angle winter sun). The key is the DC to DC converter that charges while driving. I have a Victron now to replace the inexpensive blue sky I had, and just driving 20 mins a day combined with the occasional solar input meant my 200 amp hr system never got below 85% charge during a week of skiing in mixed weather. That’s with 200 amp hrs in my rig — I run my 1000 W inverter several times a day to use my microwave and espresso machine. Obviously you have much lower needs If your goal is just two days at a time.

[powdork]

Solar while winter camping in a ski area parking lot is sketchy at best. Using a truck engine alternator to charge aux battery is going to take at least 3 - 4 hours of driving, maybe more if you are idling and not driving. A Honda or Yamaha inverter generator is the way to go, imo. Cheaper gen sets may not start as easily in cold weather temps.

A generator?? To charge a laptop? The alternator will never take 3-4 hours to charge it because it will always be topped off

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Agree to disagree. I think there's a lot more stories out there like the one being discussed here, but a lot of people get a ton of money tied up in a vehicle and are left frustrated but don't talk about it to save face or worse yet don't talk about it due to non-disclosure clauses on contracts/settlements. It happens all the time on this stuff.

I'm not talking your run of the mill put cabinets in a sprinter van or minor offroad upgrades. I'm talking the 6 figure restorations or bespoke custom "builds".

I would suspect that Aero spent the $55,000 deposit immediately to get their shop set up/live and then were engaged in side work to try and have funds to continue on the unimog build.

And IMHO Aero underbid the build by at least $50k if not more, likely thinking more builds would be in the pipeline and this would generate sales. I also bet once they got in to it they realized that there was no way they would make any money on the build and would be unable to complete it on a reasonable timeline. So they started slow rolling in hopes they could get away with it and walk on the project.

I’d be willing to bet that one of the Aero principles had there dad pay the lease, utilities and assorted start up costs. “ My dad will take care of us”. I believe that was a quoted text from the court ruling. Some of the money was probably spent on lattes and a trip to Ecuador.


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[altasnob]

=> insulation + diesel heater + LED lighting + modest amperage fridge & electronics = zero need for a generator. 100 amp hr AGM battery, or better yet a 100 amp hr Lithium, 150 or 200 watts of solar, charge controller, plus DC to DC charger.

That's definitely the best route and most future proof as components can be upgraded. But if you are trying to go budget, what can you cut out? My Dad has a 100k van build and above is what he has. I have a 15k tuck camper build and I have AGM (or two 6 volt if you want even cheaper, more durable, but more PITA option), solar, charge controller, and just a line to the alternator for charging while driving (not DC to DC) with an isolator to prevent depleting the truck battery when parked. I don't know as much about power packs like the GoalZero and the Dometic PLB40. I could see these be the future of simple builds, and short trips,with low power needs. More plug and play.

[North]

Goal Zeros are nice for the plug and play factor, but you’ll get more bang for your buck building your own. GZ stuff (at least older AGM versions) have proprietary inputs/outputs and the cost of cords, adapters, etc. to interface with standard components (fuse panel, alternator) adds up quick. Their technical support is generally unhelpful in explaining how the unit is designed, which makes troubleshooting difficult. If I were doing it again I’d build my own.

[Pinned]

Thanks for all the input on the setup all. I don't want a generator, I think that's super overkill for my purposes. The GoalZero or similar power pack is appealing in that it is small form factor and can just be removed or used elsewhere if I needed.

Any time I camped would be bookended with a 4hr+ drive so I am not worried about recharging a battery. If it's a GoalZero type I could recharge it in the car or just by plugging it in when I got back home.

If I wire in a deep cycle battery it looks like I need some sort of battery isolator and an inverter for laptop / boot dryer - do I need a charge controller as well if I'm solely charging it off of the car's alternator? The isolator looks like $125 or so, battery looks to be around $250 for a Renogy, and a decent inverter is around $125 or so. Looks like I'm into it around $500 for that and it gives me the benefit of being able to power my dash cam while parked too.

[powdork]

isolator should run you $50-$60. Decent 250 watt inverter (more than you need) can be had for under $50.

[altasnob]

All batteries, regardless of lead acid, AGM, or lithium, have three stages of charging (bulk, absorption, float) with different voltages at the different stages. The different voltages are specific to the type of battery (and if you are really anal, specific to the exact manufacture/model of battery). Also, all batteries like to be at full state of charge as much as possible. If you don't follow this, you won't get as much out of your battery and your battery will crap out faster.

We have been charging car/starter batteries from alternators forever but this is actually a terrible way to charge a battery because it doesn't vary the voltage (just puts out constant voltage). Works good enough for lead acid starter batteries, but not ideal for a "house" battery in a camper setup. A dc to dc charger takes your alternator voltage and gives it to the house battery at a voltage that it wants at that particular moment (it's "smart"). A solar charge controller takes the voltage from the solar panel and does the same thing as the dc to dc charger. A smart battery charger (or trickle charger) plugs into your home AC outlet and does the same thing.

For the first two years of my setup, I had an AGM battery and charged it wile driving with a wire to the alternator and isolator (again, not ideal, but budget). My truck camper is not a daily driver so it can sit for a week or two at a time. Batteries' state of charge goes down when sitting, even if it is removed from load. So I also have a smart charger ($70 a minimum) and tried my best to plug the battery into "shore power." My battery crapped out after only two years most likely because I was depleting it down lower than 50% of its amp hour rating (for AGM and lead acid, you should not deplete more than 50% of what the battery says; so 100 amp hour really only means 50 amp hour). I also wasn't plugging it into shore power as much as I should. It worked but I had to buy a new $200-$300 battery after only two years use.

Now I have solar (requires solar charge controller) which means I no longer have to deal with the hassle of plugging into shore power (the solar keeps it at full state of charge when it's parked, even in winter; it's parked outside and not covered). Plus, when I am sitting at ski area or camping, I am charging my setup without driving. If you are a daily driver, and don't mind having to buy a new battery after 2 to 4 years, and want a totally budget setup, you could rely exclusively on alternator charging (with no dc to dc). There are batteries with two year warranties which I would recommend if you go that route (lead acid batteries can take more abuse than AGM and are cheaper). I don't have an inverter because I never charge my laptop and everything else I have runs on 12 volts (led lights, heater, phone, fan, dc cooler; they make 12 volt boot dryers).

[Brownski]

Like this? I've seen lots of chatter on various corners of the internet of people who convert their four wheel camper to a trailer. They are still using the pop up feature though.

No. That’s pretty cool though. I’ve seen pics of a FWC mounted on the deck of a pontoon boat to make a nice little houseboat too. I have a Coleman pop-up trailer. The roof needs to be redone and resealed and one of the pullouts needs the canvas replaced. I’m considering taking it down to the frame and using it as the base for a full rebuild

[Pinned]

isolator should run you $50-$60. Decent 250 watt inverter (more than you need) can be had for under $50.

I was definitely looking at a bigger inverter, though you're right it's unlikely I'll draw that much power.

All batteries, regardless of lead acid, AGM, or lithium, have three stages of charging (bulk, absorption, float) with different voltages at the different stages. The different voltages are specific to the type of battery (and if you are really anal, specific to the exact manufacture/model of battery). Also, all batteries like to be at full state of charge as much as possible. If you don't follow this, you won't get as much out of your battery and your battery will crap out faster.

We have been charging car/starter batteries from alternators forever but this is actually a terrible way to charge a battery because it doesn't vary the voltage (just puts out constant voltage). Works good enough for lead acid starter batteries, but not ideal for a "house" battery in a camper setup. A dc to dc charger takes your alternator voltage and gives it to the house battery at a voltage that it wants at that particular moment (it's "smart"). A solar charge controller takes the voltage from the solar panel and does the same thing as the dc to dc charger. A smart battery charger (or trickle charger) plugs into your home AC outlet and does the same thing.

For the first two years of my setup, I had an AGM battery and charged it wile driving with a wire to the alternator and isolator (again, not ideal, but budget). My truck camper is not a daily driver so it can sit for a week or two at a time. Batteries' state of charge goes down when sitting, even if it is removed from load. So I also have a smart charger ($70 a minimum) and tried my best to plug the battery into "shore power." My battery crapped out after only two years most likely because I was depleting it down lower than 50% of its amp hour rating (for AGM and lead acid, you should not deplete more than 50% of what the battery says; so 100 amp hour really only means 50 amp hour). I also wasn't plugging it into shore power as much as I should. It worked but I had to buy a new $200-$300 battery after only two years use.

Now I have solar (requires solar charge controller) which means I no longer have to deal with the hassle of plugging into shore power (the solar keeps it at full state of charge when it's parked, even in winter; it's parked outside and not covered). Plus, when I am sitting at ski area or camping, I am charging my setup without driving. If you are a daily driver, and don't mind having to buy a new battery after 2 to 4 years, and want a totally budget setup, you could rely exclusively on alternator charging (with no dc to dc). There are batteries with two year warranties which I would recommend if you go that route (lead acid batteries can take more abuse than AGM and are cheaper). I don't have an inverter because I never charge my laptop and everything else I have runs on 12 volts (led lights, heater, phone, fan, dc cooler; they make 12 volt boot dryers).

Thanks for that detail - it looks like there is a very sharp jump in cost going from lead acid or AGM to a LiPO battery. So maybe the charge controller is a better idea - is there a brand or model that's a good balance of cost / performance?

I do have a NOCO Genius battery tender / charger so I guess I could always just use that if I wanted to just charge the battery up at home.

[altasnob]

Charge controller, so you are saying you will have solar, which requires a solar charge controller? Victron seems to be the brand of choice for solar charge controllers. The specific model depends on what solar panel(s) you are installing (I have 175 watt panel and my solar charge controller is SmartSolar MPPT 75/15). Victron also makes popular battery monitors (smart shunt is the current popular one; screen less, you just view it on your phone using blue tooth app) and dc to dc chargers. For my uses, I could probably just get rid of the whole alternator thing and charge the battery exclusively with solar. But depends on how and where you use it.

Lithium isn't budget and if you go that route, you pretty much have to have either solar and/or dc to dc. It's not good for Lithium to charge from alternator without a dc to dc in the mix. I think some people do it, but dc to dc seems to come with most lithium upgrades. If you really want to nerd out and save some money people build their own lithium batteries using cheap Chinese cells.

For budget, stick to AGM or even better, two 6 volt golf cart lead acid batteries in series to get 12 volt (that's what my friend who just built his own trailer went with). Advantage of AGM is doesn't need to be vented (or most don't think it needs to be vented; it's can off gas hydrogen), can be mounted in any direction, even upside down, no liquid sloshing around to spill out or need to maintain. Disadvantage is cost and AGM can't take as much abuse as lead acid.