McCarty Ranch

3rd Apr 2021

Boondocking for the first time

I've been working on the electrical system upgrade, and it is mostly complete. The transfer switch has not been installed yet, but I can use the circuit breakers to simulate it's function. This system is so new, I haven't even had a chance to put the initial charge on the Big Battery LiFePO4 battery. A cold front came thru (the last of the season as it turns out) and turned the weather most pleasant. So I grabbed a site for 2 nights at McCarty Ranch, a St. Lucie county park. I took the generator and some clothes, Candace helped with some food and water, and I went on the short trip to the campsite. After setting up the camp, I started the generator. It ran for several hours until the battery was full. I was even able to use the solar panels concurrently to help charge the battery. Chip stopped by for the afternoon, then I was on my on for the next 36 hours or so.

The weather was most pleasant, no one else was around to bother me, and the coach and the modifications worked flawlessly. I did not start the generator again, and the solar panels kept up with my current demand and slowly recharged the battery despite the day being partly to mostly cloudy. When boondocking, the refrigerator is set to run on propane, heat is available from the propane furnace, and all of the outlets in the back of the coach, including the TV, are powered by the 1500W inverter. Even the ceiling fan works. The microwave and air conditioning are the only two items that have no power. The electrical setup is a nice compromise between capability and money. All is working as I had hoped.

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