Becky in Central Florida - Fiberglass RV
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Old 01-29-2013, 06:43 AM   #1
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Name: Rebecca
Trailer: Coach House Van
Florida
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Becky in Central Florida

Hi there!

I have been lurking a while around here, just recently joined.

I currently have a fully contained camper van that seems to get more cantankerous every day.

I have been interested in the lightweight fiberglass campers for some time and visit to read about them and research a bit.

I may not be to far away from buying a Subaru Outback. All the research I have done so far leads me to a Scamp. I believe it will have to be a 13' but I may be able to go 16'.

My only issue with a Scamp is no way to generate electric for an air conditioner or other things that need AC. I hope to spend a lot of time (maybe almost full time) camping. In hot-humid Florida, it is very nice to have a little air conditioning to fall back on.

I spend a lot of time at Native American Powwows and most of the time it is in a primitive setting - requiring a fully contained unit if I want a few amenities. I have done my time in tents and going days without a shower.

The salesman at Scamp said "just take along a portable generator". I am not able to lift a generator in and out of the camper and do not want the smell of gas in it anyway.

I am wondering if the receiver that Scamp puts on the back of the camper for a bike rack would hold one of those trays that a generator can ride on.

Also, has anyone ever used a generator that is powered by propane? How did it do?

Thanks for any and all guidance.
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Old 01-29-2013, 09:55 AM   #2
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Rebecca,

There is a Scamp rally at Highland Hammocks State Park Feb 11-16, people there will gladly answer all your questions and show you their solutions.
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Old 01-29-2013, 10:33 AM   #3
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There have been several discussions recently about the Outback and it sounds like a 16' may be a bit to heavy after you add all you full-timing stuff. Elsewhere on this site is a listing of actual trailer weights and you will be surprised how heavy they quickly get when on the road.



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Old 01-29-2013, 10:41 AM   #4
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It is possible to put a 2" receiver on the bumper of your trailer. It should be done by someone who knows what they are doing. It should be welded to at least two cross members. Having a generator on your bumper will be loud though. Being able to take it off and away from the trailer is handy.
There are issues with loading up the bumper though. The tongue weight on the ball should be at least 10% of the trailer weight. Loading up the tongue and the bumper can make the trailer prone to sway.
Propane generators make a lot of sense to me. Home Depot sell them:
Clean Burning LPG 2000 Peak Watts Portable Propane Generator-GEN2000LP at The Home Depot
Just be sure that your air conditioner will work with the generator that you buy. If your air conditioner is large, the 4000 watt unit may make more sense.
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Old 01-29-2013, 11:05 AM   #5
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Even the small 9000BTU a/c will rquire a 2000 watt constant output generator to be able to restart during use. Larger 13,500 BTU a/c's usually require about a 3000 watt unit.
That Home Depot model is rated at only 1350 watts continuous, but that's really a moot point because, at a 65dB noise level, it's not campground friendly at all.
TIP: Only Inverter based generators are really "quiet".



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Old 01-29-2013, 12:02 PM   #6
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Lots of us have added generators to the tongue. This modification is actually easier on a 16 footer as the tongue is a little bit longer giving you more room.

Here's a picture of my 13 footer. I made my box but there are boxes out their that you can buy which will do the job. Most require you to go to a shorter propane tank. I made mine because of the tightness of adding the generator on the tongue with the battery and propane tank, plus I didn't want to go with a shorter propane tank.
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Old 01-29-2013, 12:18 PM   #7
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another one strombergcarlson com
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Old 01-29-2013, 12:56 PM   #8
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What is wrong with solar for everything other than a/c??? I'm told all state parks have electric for the a/c reason.
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Old 01-29-2013, 01:43 PM   #9
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Solar vs. ginny

Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008 View Post
What is wrong with solar for everything other than a/c??? I'm told all state parks have electric for the a/c reason.
Thought about solar, but A/C is my concern, I have a dog and live in hot-humid Florida. I hope to be able to travel to further points and want to be self contained. My main interest is Powwows and often there are little or no hookups available. I would need this power only in the afternoon or early evening when temps are at their worst.

At a powwow out in the middle of nowhere the generators are off @ 9-10 pm.
Seems like a lot of trouble and expense, but I want to have power on occasion and will not be close to service.

Right now the ginny in my camper does not work and I get by on the coach battery for a weekend since I know people who let me park where I choose for the best shade and breeze. Not everyone will do that when I travel further from my current "stomping grounds"
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Old 01-29-2013, 01:55 PM   #10
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Name: Rebecca
Trailer: Coach House Van
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Joy A View Post
Lots of us have added generators to the tongue. This modification is actually easier on a 16 footer as the tongue is a little bit longer giving you more room.

Here's a picture of my 13 footer. I made my box but there are boxes out their that you can buy which will do the job. Most require you to go to a shorter propane tank. I made mine because of the tightness of adding the generator on the tongue with the battery and propane tank, plus I didn't want to go with a shorter propane tank.
This is very interesting!! What is the tongue weight now and the total weight when the camper is packed?

I was afraid of adding too much weight to the tongue. I am thinking about an Outback for a 13 foot Scamp
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Old 01-29-2013, 02:14 PM   #11
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An Outback will be more than adequate for a 13' Scamp. I had an '09 Forester, rated for 2400# and it towed the 13' Scamp/bath very well. The Outback is rated at 2700#. The Scamp, fully loaded, and with the water tank full comes in at 1840#.

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Old 01-29-2013, 04:49 PM   #12
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Name: Rebecca
Trailer: Coach House Van
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Originally Posted by honda03842 View Post
Rebecca,

There is a Scamp rally at Highland Hammocks State Park Feb 11-16, people there will gladly answer all your questions and show you their solutions.
Oh, cool, maybe I can waddle down there next month!

Becky
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Old 01-29-2013, 05:08 PM   #13
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Protonex Technology Corporation - Recreation - RV Power

I don't think they have an actual available shipping product. And when/if they do I suspect it will cost a fortune. But man! I want one!!! Silent electricity from propane? That would be too cool!
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Old 01-29-2013, 05:12 PM   #14
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If you do end up choosing a 16, and determine the Outback isn't quiet enough TV, I'd be curious what you end up considering.

I pretty much want the smallest, most efficient van/wagon that will tow a 16 with no stress. ("No stress" being relative I know).
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Old 01-29-2013, 05:22 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dylanear View Post
Silent electricity from propane? That would be too cool!
I wonder how much it will weigh?
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Old 01-29-2013, 05:26 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dylanear View Post
Protonex Technology Corporation - Recreation - RV Power

I don't think they have an actual available shipping product. And when/if they do I suspect it will cost a fortune. But man! I want one!!! Silent electricity from propane? That would be too cool!
WooWoo, I signed up for their updates on products. If I could just run a small A/C I would be happy and my Mac Puppy would be happy too!
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Old 01-29-2013, 05:33 PM   #17
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Name: Rebecca
Trailer: Coach House Van
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dylanear View Post
If you do end up choosing a 16, and determine the Outback isn't quiet enough TV, I'd be curious what you end up considering.

I pretty much want the smallest, most efficient van/wagon that will tow a 16 with no stress. ("No stress" being relative I know).
Yeah, I think we are on the same page here. I am pretty sure if it gets to the point I have to ditch my van, I will end up with the Outback first and then search for a used 13'.

When I retired (early) I thought the van problems were solved and I would be ok for a few years before I had to seriously look at buying something.

Ya know what they say about life being a series of challenges - good thing I like challenges!!

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Old 01-29-2013, 05:40 PM   #18
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I wonder how much it will weigh?
I tried contacting them last summer. As I recall they had gotten some military contract that was taking up the capacity of the whole company. The consumer RV product was on hold and no one who knew anything about it would ever call me back.

Looks like it's 30ish lbs, 125 watts. So you won't be running AC off that.

http://www.protonex.com/downloads/pr..._1%2010810.pdf

Here's a 250 watt from Germany, about 90lbs.

Truma - VeGA fuel cell

Long way from replacing a standard generator, sadly. Seems like solar would do about the same thing cheaper in many circumstances. Anyway, glad to see the possibility of realistic fuel cell products. Hopefully they will get cheaper, lighter, more powerful.
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Old 01-29-2013, 05:45 PM   #19
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Trailer: 2001 Scamp 13'
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Originally Posted by Shawneegyrl View Post
Yeah, I think we are on the same page here. I am pretty sure if it gets to the point I have to ditch my van, I will end up with the Outback first and then search for a used 13'.

When I retired (early) I thought the van problems were solved and I would be ok for a few years before I had to seriously look at buying something.

Ya know what they say about life being a series of challenges - good thing I like challenges!!

How bad is the van? You could possibly tow with it. Having plenty of storage space will be welcome if you full time in a 13 I promise!

You can do a lot of repairs cheaper than buying a new car. That said, continuously wasting money on a vehicle that just keeps breaking is no good.
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Old 01-29-2013, 05:59 PM   #20
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Trailer: 2001 Scamp 13'
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WooWoo, I signed up for their updates on products. If I could just run a small A/C I would be happy and my Mac Puppy would be happy too!
Nope, you can't. It's 125 watt continuous about 1/10 or 1/20th the continuous power you'd need for AC. It's geared towards keeping a set of batteries charged up. It doesn't provide much power at one time.

I suggested it thinking it was more powerful, hadn't looked at the specs since the summer. In sunny Florida, a set of solar panels would give you the same power, but you won't be running AC on solar either.

I think at this point a internal combustion generator will be your only bet for running AC without shore power.
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