Casita: departure prep

[Claudiamorgan]

Hello friends

I’ve got a used 2020 ID Casita, and I am pretty fluent with most aspects of pre-departure actions (hitching up, connect Bluetooth brake controller, wheel jacks, etc.). We’ve always stayed at full service type parks, but I am gearing up for boondocking in the future.

And two things I am least familiar is … power (battery) and propane.

1. Do I connect/turn on my lithium battery when I start up, so it will charge while driving?
2. I know I should keep refrig on “auto” so the unit can decide which option is best.
3. I purchased the Casita used, so I don’t know how full either of the propane tanks are. I there some way to find out? Some sort of monitoring add-on that will tell me?

Thanks. Heading off to Santa Barbar from the Bay Area to see the wildflower super blooms.

[Gerry]

In my case, the tow vehicle will charge my battery while traveling so I do have my battery hooked up all the time.
I travel with the fridge on propane at all times as trying to run the fridge on the 12 volt system will drain the battery fast.
You can tell how much propane is in the tanks by weighting them. there will be a stamp on the tank such as "TW12" ... this is the tank weight when empty.
You can research how much a pound of Propane weighs and thus know how many pounds are in you tanks.
We sold propane by the gallon and I believe a 30 pound tank of gas was about 6.3 Gallons.

[Paul O.]

You mention "either of the tanks", so I assume you have two. Hopefully they are both connected to the automatic switch over regulator. Weighing them is certainly very accurate, but I test them by shaking them and estimating how low the liquid might be. If nothing is sloshing around, the tank is empty. Of course, it is necessary to disconnect them to do it.

[Lynn Eberhardt]

You can also tap each tank with your knuckles. A full tank has a low pitch. As it empties, the pitch rises. You can make a pretty good guess after a while.

[jerrybob]

I also run our frig on propane while driving.......I never use the dc option. I have a cut off switch on the battery......the switch is on while driving......the frig needs the battery to spark the propane. I turn the switch off when hooked up to city power in the campground. As for the propane tanks.....rather then guess.....why not take both and have them topped off......easy to do and then you know you have two full tanks. Good luck.

[Claudiamorgan]

Thanks all for responses regarding travelling with battery on. Also, love the suggestions about how to tell how full the propane tanks ... my favorite is thumping the tank with knuckles and listen to sound. But I also will lug the tanks and have them refilled so at least I have a starting point.
Again, thanks!

[Mr Lynn]

We turn the fridge off while traveling. Put some frozen food in there and it'll work as an icebox cooler for your trip. Some of us don't think it's safe to have the fridge burning propane on the road.

[jgilliam1955]

Originally Posted by Claudiamorgan

Hello friends

I’ve got a used 2020 ID Casita, and I am pretty fluent with most aspects of pre-departure actions (hitching up, connect Bluetooth brake controller, wheel jacks, etc.). We’ve always stayed at full service type parks, but I am gearing up for boondocking in the future.

And two things I am least familiar is … power (battery) and propane.

1. Do I connect/turn on my lithium battery when I start up, so it will charge while driving?
2. I know I should keep refrig on “auto” so the unit can decide which option is best.
3. I purchased the Casita used, so I don’t know how full either of the propane tanks are. I there some way to find out? Some sort of monitoring add-on that will tell me?

Thanks. Heading off to Santa Barbar from the Bay Area to see the wildflower super blooms.

LONGADS 2 Packs 15 inch RV Propane Hoses with Gauge, Stainless Steel Braided Camper Tank Hose,Rv lp Gas Hoses Connector for Standard Two-Stage Regulator, 40Lb 250PSI, NPT /QCC1 Fittings

[Casita Greg]

Liquid Propane, (like you have in your trailer's Propane tanks,) is what they call a "cryogenic" liquid, which is a fancy word for "it's super-cold." You can just drizzle a cup of water down the side of the Propane tank and see the level of Propane remaining in the tank where it freezes on the outside of the tank.

Battery charging is accomplshed when the tow vehicle is plugged in, (charging off the tow vehicle's alternator,) or when your trailer is hooked up to shore power at your campsite, (which supplies power to the trailer's Converter.) If you have a Lithium Ion Battery, your Converter should already be compatible with it, and you don't need to mess with it at all. Just plug the trailer in and go.

[Paul O.]

Cryogenic (cold-generating) liquid, in this case the liquid propane is not at low temperature, unless it is boiling off, flowing out of the tank, and cooling the remaining liquid. If you happen to use a lot of propane, the liquid in the tank will get cold, but it may not really freeze the water flowing down the tank side. You may feel the bottom of the tank being colder than the top, but the exact level will not be revealed. The steel wall of the tank conducts heat up/down and that will blur the line. In any setup where two tanks are used, the automatic switch-over regulator is the way to go.