New RPoders in the Wolverine State - Event Date: 04 Aug 2020 - 04 Aug 2021

Welcome and congratulations on your "new to you" RPod. I hope you have many fun adventures and make many great memories with it. I agree that if your Cherokee is set up right, it will charge the battery/batteries. What it may or may not do is be able to both charge the battery and run the refrigerator on 12V at the same time. Many vehicles just don't have the capability to do so. We have run the refrigerator on propane for most of the time we have been traveling with our 179. Only recently, I installed an LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery instead of the two 6V batteries in series that I had been using (see my mods for details). I also installed a DC to DC charger and a dedicated circuit in our Frontier and can now both charge the battery and use the refrigerator on 12V DC. LP is still the way to go when not towing though as the refrigerator will discharge the battery/batteries rather quickly.

I also got a Renogy 100W Solar Suitcase with Voyager controller (again, see my mods for details). I got it on sale which was helpful. It is still more expensive than some other options, but it works well and I am pleased with it. As stated above, I would not go below 100W. Going with a 200W would have been nice, but the size and cost of the larger unit was higher than I wanted to pay. I have the connections to either use the solar port or a connection I made on the tongue with PowerPole type connectors.

One other thing I did recently was to pick up a Firman dual-fuel (gasoline or propane) generator from Costco. I don't know if it is still in stock but if so, it is much less expensive than a Champion or other dual-fuel generator brands. It is electric start and has a multi-function meter to track hours for maintenance (something the Champion lacked when I was looking). It is relatively quiet. It is on sale right now. http://www.costco.com/firman-2900w-running--3200w-peak-electric-start-gasoline-or-propane-fuel-powered-inverter-generator-gas-and-lp.product.100481637.html It delivers a little less power on propane than on gasoline, but it is easier to carry a second propane tank and not worry about gasoline fumes or spilling. It is powerful enough to run the AC. The down side is that it is quite heavy.

I had made a lot of these changes to prepare for a trip to Alaska which did not happen this year. I hope we can make it next year instead. In the meantime, we are much better set up for off-grid camping. Since you are experienced tent campers, I think you will be well pleased with the luxury of your RPod.

Welcome and congratulations from yet another Michigander!  Yes, go Green, go White!  But please forgive me as I was the only one of the boys that didn't go to the other school in A squared.  You will have a blast with your 177.  We took ownership of our 177 back in March 2011 - it was brand new, built first week of January.  We boondock quite a bit, in fact our Interstate 12v batteries (group size 24, deep cycle) are 9.5 years old and still perform very well.  Please purchase a voltmeter - it will lengthen the life span of your battery significantly.  Do not draw it down below 12.2 volts or the lifespan will be much less than you wish.  We have only been in northern Michigan and the U.P. so far this year.  Campgrounds for the most part have been 100% full, at least the ones we have been to.  NFC pretty much the same.  Has been great for us as campers have been more than friendly under our adverse conditions.  As Vann aptly stated above, don't be afraid to use the fridge, it is a miser when it comes to using propane and (don't run it on battery - it will toast it in a matter of hours) and battery for the mother board.  Even when we camped in RMNP (Colorado) last September and temps at night were 50 or less every night and the furnace ran a LOT, we still got 3 to 3.5 days out of each battery and that is without solar or generator assistance.   Happy camping.

One state park campground that we enjoy is Fisherman's Island SP, only 30 minutes from us.  It is just south of Charlevoix on Lake Michigan.  $ 17 a night but no electric or any other amenities that many podders like.   That is why you have batteries, for places like this.  Am not sure what your bulbs are seeing that yours is a 2015 model but make it a plan (if it hasn't already been done) to replace those incandescent bulbs with L.E.D.'s - your battery will thank you for it.  They are very economical to purchase today.  Not so when we replaced ours in 2012 as they were $ 10 each - but they are still all functioning perfectly today.  Go podding and enjoy yourselves!