ALAN GEDDES wrote:It struck me a while back that I have only needed a battery once out of the last 6 times I have gone camping. I now have a 12 VDC power supply installed that I use for all my power. I plug it in to 110 at campground. If I go to a CG that I know doesn't have power then I will load the battery or if I go to an unknown area. Why carry arround that much weight if you don't need it.
Good point Alan. If there were a power outage at the campground you may or may not wish you had your battery along. I live in a 5th wheel trailer in an area with frequent power outages. I enjoy the fact that having the battery usually gets me through these outages without cranking up the generator. But in a camping situation what do you really need that you cannot get along without for a couple of hours while they restore the power.
In my 5er it takes both the battery and propane to keep the fridge, furnace, water heater etc running. In fact tv and air conditiong are about all that will not run during these outages. I have a small inverter that I could use for the tv but prefer to conserve the battery for the more important functions.
It has been my experience that a battery is somwhat more dependable than a power supply over time.