I just got, or am going to get... post your new gear thread.

[Happy Joe]

Just received a Coleman camp oven; $45 on amazon right now.

https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-20000...g%2C849&sr=8-1

I'm planning on making my own rolls, cornbread, muffins etc while camping this year...

Does any one have any advice, helpful accessories, or favorite recipes?

Thanx!

Enjoy!

[caheaton]

Re: I just got, or am going to get... post your new gear thread.

Nothing fancy. I have the same oven. I use it mostly for heating tv dinners when camping solo ;-) .

Only "recipe" is one morning for breakfast I cut up pieces of hot dog and rolled them inside crescent roll dough. Made for a pretty good and simple meal. One thing to watch is frozen pizza...it thawed in the cooler (naturally) and when I baked it I followed the instructions as though it were still frozen. Ended up burning it.

A couple of tips. I spread aluminum foil over mine on three sides to help hold the heat in. The next is that it does suck down the propane....(compared to cooking with a pot or skillet). Another tip is that I bought a small 8 or 9 inch nonstick bake pan (forget exact size, you'll need to measure) at the dollar store and use that inside. I also purchased a cast iron trivet that I keep on the bottom of the stove. This was a tip I saw online....allegedly helps keep the temperatures from fluctuating so much with the wind as it acts as a heat sink.

I should use mine more, but my wife (who does most of the cooking) doesn't want to fool with it. She prefers cooking over the open fire or a skillet on the stove.

[MacGyver]

Re: I just got, or am going to get... post your new gear thread.

I finally took the hit to the wallet and bought my first lithium-ion battery. I know I'm getting old - the sealed lead acid batteries I was using were to replace heavier deep cycles that were killing my back. Last trip out, the SLAs took a bit of a toll, so now it's a 17½ pound battery and saving for another one.

[Denni2]

Re: I just got, or am going to get... post your new gear thread.

Check out Carey On Vagabond YouTube Video on the welding blanket cover. Or this one. https://youtu.be/WqIcZ25PSu4 It will make it much more efficient.

[toedtoes]

Re: I just got, or am going to get... post your new gear thread.

I've been working on restocking my clipper. Next up are new tires (all 7) and a new house battery. The burglars killed my current house battery.After doing some searching, I'm going to get the vmax MR137-120 agm battery. It will cost about $100 less than the optima I had and give me 45ah more. Later this summer I will replace my FnR batteries with vmax (they are currently standard car batteries).I bought that oven for my FnR but haven't used it. It just seems like a hassle for just me. I was thinking about using it at Lassen as a couple friends will be joining me - but then I realized they both have ovens in their campers...

[Happy Joe]

Re: I just got, or am going to get... post your new gear thread.

I finally took the hit to the wallet and bought my first lithium-ion battery. I know I'm getting old - the sealed lead acid batteries I was using were to replace heavier deep cycles that were killing my back. Last trip out, the SLAs took a bit of a toll, so now it's a 17½ pound battery and saving for another one.

Interesting, I decided this morning (~1:30 AM) to probably get the 100 AH Dakota lithium; to replace the old 35 AH sealed lead acid tent battery.
I'm going with 100AH in an effort to support the camping fridge, along with longer term power failure support at home.
...still trying to decide on how much inverter to use with the battery..

Enjoy!

[toedtoes]

Re: I just got, or am going to get... post your new gear thread.

Yikes. I looked at the prices for the lithium. For an extra $30 over the 35ah, I can get the 120ah agm (they offer 10% off first order). For the price of the 100ah, I can buy 3 120ah agm.

I know weight is a major factor for you both. Fortunately, my batteries have nice spots in the campers, so that weight doesn't bother me much.

Happy Joe - how much battery does your fridge use? I know for most RVers, they have to recharge their batteries daily to keep their 120v fridges running. Most have a fairly big solar setup installed.

Even the propane fridges nowadays have electronic systems requiring electric power and that can run down a battery pretty quick.

Fortunately, both my fridges are older and don't require any electricity when running on propane. I can go about a month straight without needing more propane. And no solar is needed.

[MacGyver]

Re: I just got, or am going to get... post your new gear thread.

Yikes. I looked at the prices for the lithium. For an extra $30 over the 35ah, I can get the 120ah agm (they offer 10% off first order). For the price of the 100ah, I can buy 3 120ah agm.

Believe me - I totally get that. I was more than happy with the four SLA batteries I've been using. But, when I came home from my last trip and started to unpack the truck, I noticed that, aside from the canvas tent, it was the batteries that were really putting a hurt on my body. Pretty amazing considering all the cases of stuff I deal with. But, along with their light weight, the best things about lithium batteries are the power curve that gives you constant voltage all then way down to almost zero without shortening the life of the battery and they recharge faster. So now it'll be two 54AH batteries taking the place of four 55AH SLAs. Weight AND space saving have been part of my "minimize to take out more plan" for years. Yeah - it's definitely a huge expense and my only hope now is that their claim of 2000+ discharge/recharge cycles isn't just manufacturer hype.

[toedtoes]

Re: I just got, or am going to get... post your new gear thread.

If I had to carry the battery, I would totally get the lithium. As it is, I only get agm because I don't want to have to worry about maintenance.

As it stands now, with my battery purchases this year, I should be good until lithiums come down in price - knock on wood.

[Happy Joe]

Re: I just got, or am going to get... post your new gear thread.

Yikes. I looked at the prices for the lithium. For an extra $30 over the 35ah, I can get the 120ah agm (they offer 10% off first order). For the price of the 100ah, I can buy 3 120ah agm.

I know weight is a major factor for you both. Fortunately, my batteries have nice spots in the campers, so that weight doesn't bother me much.

Happy Joe - how much battery does your fridge use? I know for most RVers, they have to recharge their batteries daily to keep their 120v fridges running. Most have a fairly big solar setup installed.

Even the propane fridges nowadays have electronic systems requiring electric power and that can run down a battery pretty quick.

Fortunately, both my fridges are older and don't require any electricity when running on propane. I can go about a month straight without needing more propane. And no solar is needed.

Yes my primary goal with lithium is portability,
I'm not really sure how much the portable fridge/freezer draws but my 35 amp hour lead acid is only good for 24 hours(average i'm sure that in freezizing weather it would go longer buand in the desert it would lily run down faster).
I have thought long and hard about SLA vs. lithium vs. cost and came to the conclusion that If I'm going to do lithium I should do it soon (not getting any younger so my camping outlook is getting shorter).
I could have save about $300 by getting the cheapest (no/short warranty) 100 AH battery but the higher priced one Dakota is supposed to be useable at low temperatures, which the low priced ones do not mention and internet traffic says they should not be used or charged at low temps.
Could have saved about $100 with a Renogy 100 AH and a 10 year vs 11 year warranty but the Dakota comes with a "free" 10 amp charger so its about a break even.
If I were using an RV I would likely still use SLA as the weight is relatively meaningless, although the increased depth of discharge and life of the Lithium batteries can make the decision more difficult.

Another influence is that I would like to use a very small solid state (efficient) microwave camping ... not sure if that will work out with only 1 100 amp hour battery but it should be close.

Enjoy!

(Edit); not sure if it will happen this year; but I want to get a 10 x 20 foot canopy for the standing room 10x10 tent (to give me a 10x10 porch), and use some light weight solar panels on top to charge the battery.

A person has to dream...

[toedtoes]

Re: I just got, or am going to get... post your new gear thread.

If the 35ah battery ran the fridge for 24 hours, then you should get at least 3 days with the lithium. That isn't bad in the big scheme of things. Not sure how long your trips tend to be, but you could throw the 35ah battery in the jeep and use it on 4th day while you recharge the lithium. That would get you a week of camping.

How fast will the lithium charge if you charge it off the jeep while out 4wheeling?

[MacGyver]

Re: I just got, or am going to get... post your new gear thread.

Could have saved about $100 with a Renogy 100 AH and a 10 year...

Before you consider anything from Renogy, read the reviews about their customer service - especially for defective products. I wish I'd done the research but I have three of their solar panels and really like 'em. SO, when I decided on a 5 volt solar charger, I went to Renogy on Amazon. Long story short, the panel was defective, Renogy refused the return and Amazon refunded me the total cost. The review I left on Amazon mentions what I think you should consider: If they can refuse to take care of a $60 issue, what chance do you have when you're in for hundreds or even thousands? As happy as I was with the solar panels, I'd planned to use their products for a complete solar system once I get out of Maryland and get to the hills of West Virginia. Stiff me on $60? No chance. Shopping elsewhere.

[Happy Joe]

Re: I just got, or am going to get... post your new gear thread.

If the 35ah battery ran the fridge for 24 hours, then you should get at least 3 days with the lithium. That isn't bad in the big scheme of things. Not sure how long your trips tend to be, but you could throw the 35ah battery in the jeep and use it on 4th day while you recharge the lithium. That would get you a week of camping.

How fast will the lithium charge if you charge it off the jeep while out 4wheeling?

Specs;
https://dakotalithium.com/product/da...solar-battery/

The Dakota specs show a recommended max charge rate of 50 amps however my Jeep's electrical system typically runs near 16 volts while charging which exceeds the 14 volt commendation for this battery..Most folks use a dc to dc charger to help prevent damage.

The plan is to bring the small propane generator on longer trips along with the included 10 amp charger, at least initially, if/when I go for more than a weekender.

The 35 AH SLA can really only be counted as a 17.5 AH battery (when new) since discharging lead acid batteries below 50% can harm them... Due to its age it probably is now greatly reduced in capacity.. no big deal as it mostly runs tent or emergency home lighting.
LiPo batteries can be discharged to 20% charge level so the 100 amp hour is more like 80 amp hours and might run the fridge 5 to 7 days (quick and dirty guess)... giving ample time for solar, or the tiny generator to pick up the slack and recharge it.

...A lot depends on how truthful/accurate the specs actually are... this whole thing is kind of a gamble.
Worst case I end up with an expensive lighting battery that is more than twice as powerful as the 35 AH SLA.

A friend stopped by yesterday with a low (based on the internet ) opinion of Dakota lithium batteries... however if the specs are even close to real it ought to be acceptable.
(edit; I just tried to verify/debunk my friends opinions and could find no support for them...

I'm sure to learn more as this project proceeds...

Enjoy!

[toedtoes]

Re: I just got, or am going to get... post your new gear thread.

Sounds doable. Keep us informed as to how it works in real life.

[Happy Joe]

Re: I just got, or am going to get... post your new gear thread.

Sounds doable. Keep us informed as to how it works in real life.

I did find out yesterday that Battle Born LiFePo4 100 amp hour batteries are cheaper from the factory in Nevada than from Amazon.
Battle Born batteries are consistently considered very high quality.

Enjoy!