URGENT!! camping for 10 days new 1083 pu power question!!

[Unregistered]

I could not log in under my name for some reason.  

We are one adult, 2 kids (14 daughter, and 12.5 son (autistic) and two small dogs.  ANd we are going on the William Heise trip but before that I am taking the kids to San Felipe for 10 days and have a power question.

Thank you all for the wonderful words of encouragement!!  We are so excited and can hardly wait to join you all!  We are leaving Aaturday morning for San Felipe (a 10 day trip) with just the kids and I.  I am wondering about battery power.  I don't have a battery hooked up but was thinking about buying a deep cycyle (or deep cell) but don't know what I would do with it once I bought it.  I have a power inverter - i think.  I know I have a power cord that hooks to internal lights and there is a faceplate where an on/off switch states something about a heater.  But I don't see anything anywhere under the seats.  

I bought the trailer from a 17 year old kid who lived in Dana Point although he took very good care of this Coleman 1983 trailer while he had it (as did the previous owners so my small investment has paid off nicely so far!) but he didn't know about the electricty or power/battery components.  THere is a propane tank outside hooked to the frame that i had the line fixed so it hooked to the stove.  Otherwise whe I have the ability to hook up I pluc in the cord and the inside lights turn on.  

Since I am going to be in San Felipe for 10 days without any power - just propane.  I am wondering what I can do for power?  I have a power inverter that plugs into my truck lighter but the cord is really short.  Are there extensioons?  I would like to be able to watch a dvd on a portable player or use some electricity while I am out there....not a lot and I won't need heat.  

Any suggestions?  Thanks!  Leslie8881 and kids

[oldmoose]

I would not recommend using the inverter as it will run the truck battery down quickly. Do you have a converter in the trailer. It converts the 120v to 12v. You can wire a battery or two to the converter. I use 2 group 27 batteries. I'm not a wizard at wiring, but maybe someone with more electical knowledge can help.

Moose

[griffsmom]

Hi Leslie!  
I would encourage you to re-post this question in the general section of the PUT forum. There are many knowledgeable people here in the Sccampers section (yes, Moose--I am including you in that ) but a lot more people will see your question in the general section and you'll get more answers to your question.
 
Generally, PUT doesn't like us to double post since it takes up unnecessary bandwidth, but in this instance, I think it would be okay.  I hope you and the kids have fun in San Felipe!!

[Camping Coxes]

Leslie --

There is also a forum specifically for dry camping here on PUT.  Be sure and check it out for tips.  You'll find eventually that sometimes dry camping is a better option at some places, especially state parks that don't have hook-ups because they want to retain the natural beauty.  
 
You do have the ability to use a battery judging by the year of your trailer.  We spent 7 days in Lake Tahoe and ran out of power the last few minutes of cleaning up to leave.  In hindsight, we learned it's better to use your battery operated lanterns at night than your overhead lights.  That will really conserve your power for when you really need it.  Also, since you won't have hook-ups, be sure to bring several 2.5 gallon jugs of water to use for cooking and drinking.  Refilling the water storage tank by hand is a real bummer, so you want to have other water and not rely on your tank.
 
As far as the DVD player, I think it would be okay to use your power converter to power that for an occasional movie, but I wouldn't plan on a movie marathon while you're there.  
 
I hope this helps.