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Old 03-19-2014, 10:26 AM   #81
MC1
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Name: Wayne
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Originally Posted by SRD View Post
The average gas mileage while towing my 21' Bigfoot with a 5.4L F250 on a 2000 mile trip was about 15 mpg.
For sure. Some are better than others. My buddies Chev pickup with a small V8 did well towing a small 5th wheel.
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Old 03-21-2014, 03:12 PM   #82
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Originally Posted by camping_mama View Post
So I should me more precise in my description: We did have some power, just not much. We cooked with one or two of the lights on for about 20 minutes then everything started clicking on and off and only powering one thing at a time (i.e. either a light or the fridge but not both). When we would start the tow vehicle we could use everything, but obviously that was not a workable solution. After towing it home it had enough power for light, the fridge, etc, but we don't have a volt meter so I am not sure if it is really charged all the way.
chances are your fridge is like mine...it needs to "see" DC voltage (ie 12volt power) in order to work in ANY mode....that 12V power runs the "brain" of the fridge. The clicking you heard was probably the fridge controller shutting down as it is probably programmed to do below a certain voltage to protect itself. It certainly sounds like you have dead batteries and they probably are not salvageable as they have been run down below 50% too many times.....an almost dead battery will still turn the lights on...that's why you need a voltmeter. If you plug your trailer in and after a few hours your batteries are not reading 13+ volts your charger is not working....the batteries are only getting charged (at a very slow rate) when you are towing your trailer down the road.......using the trailer like that for some time will turn your batteries into "boat anchors"

been there, done that
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Old 03-22-2014, 04:02 PM   #83
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and I should add....

even after you solve your charging problem you may not be completely out of the woods....I charged up my batteries and they read 13.3 volts...but when I check them with a hydrometer they only read "fair"... this means that the voltage will drop off quickly as I use them....their capacity to store power has been ruined by being used as described by the DPO.....I'm shopping for new ones
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Old 03-22-2014, 04:35 PM   #84
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While you are shopping batteries, also shop for a plug-in digital volt meter or a Volt-Minder so you can monitor your battery voltage and reduce the chances of future sulfating of your battery due to discharging it to far.

And, if your coach doesn't already have a power chassis with a smart charger, you can consider the Progressive Dynamics PD-4045 or PD-4060 power chassis as an upgrade.



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Old 04-18-2014, 09:24 AM   #85
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Update

Hi all!

Well I thought an update was in order. We have now taken three trips since I bought the Bigfoot: 1) San Rafael Swell, 2) Arches National Park, 3) Capitol Reef National Park.

re: the battery: Turns out the one in it when I bought it was a smaller cranking battery, not a deep cycle. So I replaced it with the larger (27 size) deep cycle battery from Costco. So far so good. Charged nicely and lasted (though was low) for our longest trip (4 days three nights) all boondocking. I replaced all the lights with LEDs. Next big purchase will be solar panel for roof!

re: the mileage. We are still awaiting a Tundra so all three trips were taken with the Tacoma. Mileage continues to be crummy, but I am hopeful that the Tundra will pull it more easily and therefore take less of an MPG hit while towing. At least I hope so!!

I also bought the wet look floor polish and can't wait to get it all pretty and shiny.
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Old 04-18-2014, 10:40 AM   #86
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really, is that right???

your group 27 battery powered the coach for FOUR days??? You were parked for four days??? WOW! If that's the case, I might rethink my plan of replacing my two dead six volts....might go for a single 27. Could you elaborate on your use etc...I don't plan on using a lot of power to begin with but this will be my first full season of use....so I don't have any history to go by. Two sixes would be more weight, more money...if I don't have to go there it would be nice.

Your tounge weight problem....if you're planning on a lot of off grid camping one solution would be to get rid of the steel I beam and install a fresh water tank under the bed or in the storage compartment.....you'd end up with the same weight (25 gals water=250lbs) and you'd have TONS of water to use....of course you'd have to find a source of water before doing some serious towing again if you ended up using the extra tank...just a thought

a 21FB with a rear door...(?)...I thought the FB models were front door...interesting....take pics and get on the registry...would love to see the inside

BTW, you did the right thing....2 adults and two kids in a 17CB would have uncomfortable I think...and outside tent for the kids would have helped but that only works in warm climes

Mileage??? check to see what a hotel room would have cost....it'll make you feel better My Nitro (V6, 4x4) gets only about 19mpg (can. gals) on it's own...when towing on the highway the mileage does not drop very much at all...on a long trip it's almost the same.....if I go off-road then it really plummets...down to 14-15....but it's worth it for the places it gets to go....

cheers and congrats
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Old 04-18-2014, 11:31 AM   #87
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I have a friend with a Tundra, he sez that Good Fuel Economy and the Tundra V-8 are mutually exclusive terms and would have sold it if he could find a sucker (oops) buyer.

Better check the Tundra sites for those that are towing if you want some guesstimates of MPG, you won't be impressed.....



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Old 04-18-2014, 11:59 AM   #88
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Bob: What would you suggest as an alternative tow vehicle in that case?

Franswa: Yup, four days (though parts of day one and day four were spent driving of course). All lights switched out to LED lights and then most everything else (fridge, furnace) was on propane, with help from the batteries of course. The water pump is probably the biggest drain on the battery now that we have the lights changed out. I would love to have two batteries, but the front area doesn't have space for it as it is currently configured. Unless we got rid of a propane tank. hmmm.

We used the furnace a bit at night and had the fridge running (on gas) the whole time. On day four the battery was low, but never drained completely. We did run out of water though at the end of the last day.

Yup door at back, enter by storage and bathroom. Dinette on the side and bed up front. Layout is just like the one online: http://www.bigfootrv.com/bigfoot_rv_...0_series.html#

I am really happy with the FB, as we have had a big group with us and sometimes we have 7 of us in there at once eating. Three little kids and a couple of adults at the table and the other two adults sitting on the bed right by us. Works out great. Really glad I didn't talk myself out of the FB model.
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Old 04-18-2014, 12:56 PM   #89
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Franswa View Post
your group 27 battery powered the coach for FOUR days??? You were parked for four days??? WOW! If that's the case, I might rethink my plan of replacing my two dead six volts....might go for a single 27. Could you elaborate on your use etc...
One important factor is how low did the battery voltage go over those 4 days? I could get 4 days out of a battery as well but its a good bet it would drop to 50% by day 4 or even less, unless I was *really* really careful with power usage - i.e. didn't run the furnace or fan etc. Running it below 50% a few times will unfortunately shorten the life cycle of the battery result in having to purchase a new battery more frequently than one might like to.
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Old 04-18-2014, 01:35 PM   #90
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RE: What to tow with:

First ya gotta gather some info:

1. Whats the actual rolling-down-the-road weight of your trailer. Factory figures and WAG's don't count.
2. What's the actual tongue weight, same as above
3. How many peeps have to fit in the truck and how much additional stuff?
4. What MPG's do you want?
5. Standard transmission OK?
6. Approximate Budget?
7. New/Used or no choice?

That's a start.....



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Old 04-18-2014, 02:15 PM   #91
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... I would love to have two batteries, but the front area doesn't have space for it as it is currently configured. Unless we got rid of a propane tank. hmmm.
Actually, some Bigfoot owners have modified their trailers to accommodate more batteries without removing any of the propane tanks. Check out BOCI. One owner especially put together elaborate details on his modification.
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Old 04-18-2014, 03:05 PM   #92
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How are you defining "The battery was low"?
As Carol mentioned, drawing a battery down below 50% can become a short route to a new battery.

Most accuracy will be obtained with a volt meter that reads to 2 decimal places, i.e. 12.45 volts. The LED battery charge indicators are notoriously only a WAG.



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Old 04-18-2014, 07:39 PM   #93
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Bob: based on the LED. I do now have a multimeter to get more accurate readings. I expect I will often run it low until I get a solar charger or generator. 90% or more of our camping will be boondocking.
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Old 04-18-2014, 10:07 PM   #94
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Might want to think about that solar. For about $100 you could pick up a 50w mono panel, charger and cables. Not a whole lot more than what you will have to spend to replace a shot battery.

Simple set of legs to prop it up, or have heard tilt set up can be purchased from Harbor Freight for about $10. At about 2 ft. on a side you could just carry it along, hook up and prop up without having to do an installation project.

Amazon.com : 50W Monocrystalline Bundle: 50W Watts Mono Solar Panel UL Listed + Charge Controller MC4 Adapter Cable : Patio, Lawn & Garden


50 watt will give you around 15 - 20 ah of charge a day. Might not be enough to keep your battery fully topped off, depending on your power usage but you only need to reduce your losses to the point where you don't drain the batteries below 50% charge over the duration of your trip.

For approx. $64 more you could get a 100 watt version which would probably do enough charge to really extend your stay but would probably need to be installed or have a more substantial frame. Fairly long panel.

Amazon.com : Solar Panel Bundle 100W Monocrystalline: 100W Solar Panel + 30A Charge Controller + MC4 Solar Adaptor Cable : Patio, Lawn & Garden
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Old 04-19-2014, 06:24 AM   #95
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We considered both the 17 and 21 foot Bigfoot before we bought. Our reasons for going with the 21 foot?
Double axel on the 21 foot allows for greater load carrying capacity and more storage room.. Also perhaps a greater safety margin in case of blow out. I find the longer length does not make parking much of a difference but then again we used to tow a 31 foot fifth wheel.
The second consideration was the separate shower in the bathroom on the 21 foot rather than the combined on the 17 foot. We spend a lot of time in our trailer and although we are only a couple, space , even in the 21 foot is at a premium. That being said there is enough room even for our yoga practice indoors on rainy days.
You must consider your tow though. We are very happy with ours but it is rated for 7400 lbs and we really invested in the best possible tow hitch we could find. (not the easiest to install on the Bigfoot but that is another story)

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Old 04-19-2014, 07:18 AM   #96
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giro53.... We are on one the same page. We liked the idea of a small egg and wanted the space and luxury of a 35' 5th wheel but settled on the convenience, and safety aspects of a smallish, dual axle, easy tow trailer.
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Old 04-19-2014, 07:23 AM   #97
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Hi all!

re: the mileage. We are still awaiting a Tundra so all three trips were taken with the Tacoma. Mileage continues to be crummy, but I am hopeful that the Tundra will pull it more easily and therefore take less of an MPG hit while towing. At least I hope so!!
Many of us do most of our driving without the trailer attached. Having a vehicle that gets good mileage during that time makes a lot of sense. With that in mind our vehicle gets over 25MPG when not towing. 16+ MPG when towing is not that bad either when towing the dual axle trailer.
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