Newbie pop up camper here

[cdnjeepin]

Not new to camping, but new to the pop up camper trailer thing.  I'm used to carrying all my gear on my back for 7 days, this camper is a luxury.

New wifey is not really into the tenting idea, so we ended up getting a 2009 Jayco 1007.

I have a few questions tho.

It came with a furnace, hot water heater, fridge, stove, bbq, etc.. 20lbs propane and an Interstate Battiers SRM 24 battery + lots more.

We took it out last weekend and loved it.  Now my question is how hard on propane is the water heater, furnace, stove, etc.

I am assuming the furnace will go through propane quickly, but we won't need that for a few months yet.  What about the HWH?  I am assuming I start it, get it up to temp then turn it to pilot?  or does it regulate its self?

And lastly the battery, do they tend to last long?  only thing we ran last weekend was the stereo and 1 light.  BUt we are thinking of getting some little LED lights, since we found the one light on to be way to bright.

Thanks
Randy

[PattieAM]

Welcome to the world of pop up camping!

As to propane usage, the water heater really doesn't use that much propane (I've gone the entire season on a single tank - water heater/stove usage).

The furnace will devour 20 lbs. of propane in about 23 hours (or so it seems for me).  If camped where there is 30amp electric, I will use a space heater to lessen the propane usage.

Your water heater is automatic, and once the temperature is achieved, will cut itself off to the pilot, and as water is drawn, will re-ignite as needed.

As to battery usage.....I abused mine, so it only lasted about 2 seasons.

Your 12-volt lighting, the furnace fan operate on the 12-volt....and, your propane leak detector is direct wired to your battery and will have a 24/7 drain on it (suggest that you disconnect your battery when not camping).

Your converter will add a slight charge to the battery when you are connected to 30amp electric, but it is a minimal charge.  You will also get a slight charge when you are towing and the pigtail is connected to your tow vehicle.

If you leave your battery connected, you will need to check the water level (use distilled water) about every two weeks (your propane leak detector will chirp when the battery gets low), and give the battery an overnight charge.

There's a great explanation on 12-volt...."The 12-volt Side of Life"

Your owners manuals/user guides for the PUP and amenities have a wealth of information, so be sure to read them.

[Jim K in PA]

Randy,

Welcome to PUT!  It's nice to see another Jeep enthusiast here, too (see my sig).

The propane heater should not go through an entire (full) tank of propane in 24 hours unless it is running constantly.  You should be able to get through a full weekend of heat, cooking and hot water with a single tank, but it may be near empty by the time you get to breaking camp.  I installed a second tank with an automatic changeover regulator so that we do not run out in the middle of the night, when you want the furnace the most.

As Pattie said, the furnace will consume a good amount of battery power, but the lights are probably the worst consumer.  Changing them to LEDs will drastically reduce the power demand.  Her description of the water heater operation is also right on. The water pump also works on 12 volts.

However, since you have a brand new camper, it should come with a three stage inverter/charger.  That means it will do more than just trickle charge your battery when you are plugged into a 30A outlet.  It will bulk and float charge the battery, and maintain it at full capacity once charged up.  Sometimes you will hear the fan in the inverter kick on to cool the 12V side of the circuit board and transformer.  Check your owners manuals for details on your inverter, or check with your dealer.

The best way to figure out how long the battery will last while boondocking (camping without hookup) is to add up the power you use, then compare the Ah load to the Ah capacity of your battery.  That will give you an idea of how soon you will deplete your reserve capacity.  Get a good little digital volt meter (two decimal places) to check battery voltage.  As PAttie mentioned, google "12 volt side of life" and learn much from that site.  He has a voltage chart to compare your readings to state of charge.

Best of luck and post some pictures when you can!

[cdnjeepin]

Thanks for the info guys, I figured the furnace would be the propane killer, and I talked with a good friend of my families that has a 1008 Jayco and he told me a bit more..now i can't wait for the weekends..