NW Florida

[AU_RocketMan]

I could be down for a weekend trip up there, how’s the camping

Didn't camp myself but there are a few spots at some of the overlooks.

 

[Wildlee]

Just stopping by to see what whats going. I see the crew page is having issues still. Im a supporter and can only see what I posted. Have a good weekend everyone

 

[Ajw62428]

Some day lol. Just been taking it easy and doing school work. Boo.

 

[TxRanger3006]

Yea idk what’s going on with the crew stuff, and I’ll be switching to nights here soon so I’ll be out of it for a little while. Might be easier to do another day trip bbq sometime soon.

 

[Viking1204]

Ok NW Florida members, if any of you are interestedI'll being staying at Topsail Preserve State Park the weekend of February 28th - March 1! I'll post how things went when I return. Looks pretty nice, they have dedicated ground tent sites with 16' tent pad areas, a fire pit ring with grill grate, water and electricity in a more secluded setting. There are also bathrooms with hot showers near by, cost came out to $60 for two nights including tax and fees. Below are some pictures of the tent areas, I think my boys and I are going to have a great time with freshwater lakes and the Gulf near by for fishing with bike and hiking trails throughout the park! If anybody wants to go they still have several tent sites open for that weekend, I'm in tent site T12 on South side. Almost forgot, that weekend is the Emerald Coast Boat & Lifestyle show on Panama City Beach!

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park

Named for its tall dunes rising above the emerald waters of the gulf like a ship's sail, Topsail Hill Preserve State Park offers 3 miles of pristine white quartz beaches just minutes from Destin.

www.floridastateparks.org

Emerald Coast Boat & Lifestyle Show is Coming to Town - 30A

As the Spring sun starts to warm the Emerald Coast, families who love spending time on the water or just enjoying the coastal lifestyle have a weekend all their own! The 4th annual Emerald Coast Boat and Lifestyle Show will be held February 28 – March 1, 2020 at Aaron

30a.com

 

[TxRanger3006]

Ok NW Florida members, if any of you are interestedI'll being staying at Topsail Preserve State Park the weekend of February 28th - March 1! I'll post how things went when I return. Looks pretty nice, they have dedicated ground tent sites with 16' tent pad areas, a fire pit ring with grill grate, water and electricity in a more secluded setting. There are also bathrooms with hot showers near by, cost came out to $60 for two nights including tax and fees. Below are some pictures of the tent areas, I think my boys and I are going to have a great time with freshwater lakes and the Gulf near by for fishing with bike and hiking trails throughout the park! If anybody wants to go they still have several tent sites open for that weekend, I'm in tent site T12 on South side. Almost forgot, that weekend is the Emerald Coast Boat & Lifestyle show on Panama City Beach!

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park

Named for its tall dunes rising above the emerald waters of the gulf like a ship's sail, Topsail Hill Preserve State Park offers 3 miles of pristine white quartz beaches just minutes from Destin.

www.floridastateparks.org

Emerald Coast Boat & Lifestyle Show is Coming to Town - 30A

As the Spring sun starts to warm the Emerald Coast, families who love spending time on the water or just enjoying the coastal lifestyle have a weekend all their own! The 4th annual Emerald Coast Boat and Lifestyle Show will be held February 28 – March 1, 2020 at Aaron

30a.com

View attachment 138594View attachment 138595View attachment 138596

I might actually be off I’ll double check and if so I should be good to go.

 

[Wildlee]

Ok NW Florida members, if any of you are interestedI'll being staying at Topsail Preserve State Park the weekend of February 28th - March 1! I'll post how things went when I return. Looks pretty nice, they have dedicated ground tent sites with 16' tent pad areas, a fire pit ring with grill grate, water and electricity in a more secluded setting. There are also bathrooms with hot showers near by, cost came out to $60 for two nights including tax and fees. Below are some pictures of the tent areas, I think my boys and I are going to have a great time with freshwater lakes and the Gulf near by for fishing with bike and hiking trails throughout the park! If anybody wants to go they still have several tent sites open for that weekend, I'm in tent site T12 on South side. Almost forgot, that weekend is the Emerald Coast Boat & Lifestyle show on Panama City Beach!

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park

Named for its tall dunes rising above the emerald waters of the gulf like a ship's sail, Topsail Hill Preserve State Park offers 3 miles of pristine white quartz beaches just minutes from Destin.

www.floridastateparks.org

Emerald Coast Boat & Lifestyle Show is Coming to Town - 30A

As the Spring sun starts to warm the Emerald Coast, families who love spending time on the water or just enjoying the coastal lifestyle have a weekend all their own! The 4th annual Emerald Coast Boat and Lifestyle Show will be held February 28 – March 1, 2020 at Aaron

30a.com

View attachment 138594View attachment 138595View attachment 138596

Sounds like a a fun local trip. Im outta town on business but I will see what the family schedule is looking like!

 

[Wildlee]

So... I dabble in electronics so I have a more than basic idea of amp hours and etc. I know a few in this group have posted about doing dual battery or one big house battery. I am torn between doing one large house AGM battery and supplementing my fridge and other power needs with a portable power box when not in motion ex: jackry, goal zero etc. I like the ideas behind both. Care to fire up a friendly conversation on this matter in this group? Also I have used the search bar above and read a large amount of threads.

 

[HazMatt79]

@Viking1204 I know you have some insight here ;)

 

[HazMatt79]

So... I dabble in electronics so I have a more than basic idea of amp hours and etc. I know a few in this group have posted about doing dual battery or one big house battery. I am torn between doing one large house AGM battery and supplementing my fridge and other power needs with a portable power box when not in motion ex: jackry, goal zero etc. I like the ideas behind both. Care to fire up a friendly conversation on this matter in this group? Also I have used the search bar above and read a large amount of threads.

I have a portable battery system that comes from a battery @Viking1204 was able to secure for me in trade. I’ll let him post a pic of what he made since it was his idea first. :-) I decided against the dual battery for now at least because I intend to eventually build an overland trailer and it would be counterproductive. Plus I’ve read, but haven’t confirmed, that Toyota warranty department doesnt like dual battery setups.

 

[Viking1204]

I'll post a picture when I get a good one. Basically what @HazMatt79 is talking about is I put a 90ah deep cycle AGM battery in a Dewalt toolbox that has wheels on it. Then I wired it to a panel with USB ports and cigarette lighter ports with a built in volt meter. This setup will run my Costway 53 Qt fridge for 2 days without needing to be recharged. I like because the system is portable being in the toolbox. Below is a link to the toolbox and power panel I used. Eventually I'll get a charge controller and wire it up so I can charge the battery with solar. Right now I can go 3-4 days with power my fridge and charging my cell phone using the 90ah batter setup and the Flexopower444 portable solar generator I have.

DEWALT 28 in. W 12 Gal. Polypropylene Rolling Tool Box DWST28100D - The Home Depot

DEWALT has a well-earned reputation for designing and manufacturing many of the world's most reliable and best-performing professional-grade power tools. And every product is forged with DEWALT's unwavering

www.homedepot.com

 

[Wildlee]

I'll post a picture when I get a good one. Basically what @HazMatt79 is talking about is I put a 90ah deep cycle AGM battery in a Dewalt toolbox that has wheels on it. Then I wired it to a panel with USB ports and cigarette lighter ports with a built in volt meter. This setup will run my Costway 53 Qt fridge for 2 days without needing to be recharged. I like because the system is portable being in the toolbox. Below is a link to the toolbox and power panel I used. Eventually I'll get a charge controller and wire it up so I can charge the battery with solar. Right now I can go 3-4 days with power my fridge and charging my cell phone using the 90ah batter setup and the Flexopower444 portable solar generator I have.

DEWALT 28 in. W 12 Gal. Polypropylene Rolling Tool Box DWST28100D - The Home Depot

DEWALT has a well-earned reputation for designing and manufacturing many of the world's most reliable and best-performing professional-grade power tools. And every product is forged with DEWALT's unwavering

www.homedepot.com

Very nice I like that setup. I have a large fridge myself. I’d like to pick your brain some more on this for sure.

 

[Wildlee]

I'll post a picture when I get a good one. Basically what @HazMatt79 is talking about is I put a 90ah deep cycle AGM battery in a Dewalt toolbox that has wheels on it. Then I wired it to a panel with USB ports and cigarette lighter ports with a built in volt meter. This setup will run my Costway 53 Qt fridge for 2 days without needing to be recharged. I like because the system is portable being in the toolbox. Below is a link to the toolbox and power panel I used. Eventually I'll get a charge controller and wire it up so I can charge the battery with solar. Right now I can go 3-4 days with power my fridge and charging my cell phone using the 90ah batter setup and the Flexopower444 portable solar generator I have.

DEWALT 28 in. W 12 Gal. Polypropylene Rolling Tool Box DWST28100D - The Home Depot

DEWALT has a well-earned reputation for designing and manufacturing many of the world's most reliable and best-performing professional-grade power tools. And every product is forged with DEWALT's unwavering

www.homedepot.com

Very nice I like that setup. I have a large fridge myself. I’d like to pick your brain some more on this for sure.

 

[Kardolf]

I'll post a picture when I get a good one. Basically what @HazMatt79 is talking about is I put a 90ah deep cycle AGM battery in a Dewalt toolbox that has wheels on it. Then I wired it to a panel with USB ports and cigarette lighter ports with a built in volt meter. This setup will run my Costway 53 Qt fridge for 2 days without needing to be recharged. I like because the system is portable being in the toolbox. Below is a link to the toolbox and power panel I used. Eventually I'll get a charge controller and wire it up so I can charge the battery with solar. Right now I can go 3-4 days with power my fridge and charging my cell phone using the 90ah batter setup and the Flexopower444 portable solar generator I have.

I gotta ask, since I just got a fridge. Is your 2 days on 90ah your real-world experience with your set up, or is that the math "guesstimates"? I'm trying to plan capacity for my setup, and while I've been told my fridge uses about 60 watts while the compressor is running, I haven't been able to find out how many watt hours it actually uses, so I'm kind of guessing at everything at the moment. I'm thinking about getting a "Kill-A-Watt" device, and plugging it in for a few days and see if I can get a good read on how much it uses.

 

[TxRanger3006]

I'll post a picture when I get a good one. Basically what @HazMatt79 is talking about is I put a 90ah deep cycle AGM battery in a Dewalt toolbox that has wheels on it. Then I wired it to a panel with USB ports and cigarette lighter ports with a built in volt meter. This setup will run my Costway 53 Qt fridge for 2 days without needing to be recharged. I like because the system is portable being in the toolbox. Below is a link to the toolbox and power panel I used. Eventually I'll get a charge controller and wire it up so I can charge the battery with solar. Right now I can go 3-4 days with power my fridge and charging my cell phone using the 90ah batter setup and the Flexopower444 portable solar generator I have.

DEWALT 28 in. W 12 Gal. Polypropylene Rolling Tool Box DWST28100D - The Home Depot

DEWALT has a well-earned reputation for designing and manufacturing many of the world's most reliable and best-performing professional-grade power tools. And every product is forged with DEWALT's unwavering

www.homedepot.com

Maybe I’ll have to copy this for my next project, also are you still planning on the trip for the 28th?

 

[Viking1204]

I am still planning on camping the 28th, tent site is already reserved and paid for. My experience with my fridge was real world while hunting. I like having the 90ah battery to start with and then the Flexopower444 makes a good backup. I have a charge controller now so will be working on getting my solar setup going so I can go longer than 3 or 4 days!

 

[Viking1204]

Looks like they'll be plenty of neighbors for my camping trip next weekend, out of 21 tent sites at Topsail Hill Preserve there are only 4 left, I'll be in T12 if anybody else goes or just wants to stop by and visit. I checked the weather and it looks good, dry with highs in the 50's and lows in the upper 30's and low 40's, good sleeping bag sleeping weather!

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, FL

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park Gregory E. Moore RV Resort has the highest rating possible from Trailer Life & Woodalls, placing the resort in the top 1% of the nation. The park has 3 1/2 miles of pristine white quartz sandy beach with over 1,643 acres of unique habitats, including coastal...

floridastateparks.reserveamerica.com

 

[Wildlee]

figured Id ask here before I made a formal post in gear for sale. Anyone running a fridge and needs or wants a hardwire kit for it ?I have a new in box Dometic HWK-DC kit. Pm me if you are interested.

 

[Viking1204]

Well our trip to Topsail Hill Reserve was awesome, place is beautiful with very friendly wildlife or should I say wildlife that doesn't fear humans! First morning I rode my Mountain Bike down to the Beach access and saw deer within 10 yards of the Boardwalk down to the beach that didn't care I was there, just looked up at me and kept eating the grass amongst the sand dunes! Excited to be going back weekends of April 11 and April 18 when the Spring bloom should be in its prime!

I'd like to go camping again in a couple of weeks around March 13th, possibly on Eglin, anybody else interested? Open to go to other areas but I do know everything in the Panama City Beach area is booked up. Maybe Open Pond Recreation Area North of Crestview just inside Alabama. @HazMatt79 you ever going to use that new RTT of yours sitting in your garage?

 

[HazMatt79]

Well our trip to Topsail Hill Reserve was awesome, place is beautiful with very friendly wildlife or should I say wildlife that doesn't fear humans! First morning I rode my Mountain Bike down to the Beach access and saw deer within 10 yards of the Boardwalk down to the beach that didn't care I was there, just looked up at me and kept eating the grass amongst the sand dunes! Excited to be going back weekends of April 11 and April 18 when the Spring bloom should be in its prime!

I'd like to go camping again in a couple of weeks around March 13th, possibly on Eglin, anybody else interested? Open to go to other areas but I do know everything in the Panama City Beach area is booked up. Maybe Open Pond Recreation Area North of Crestview just inside Alabama. @HazMatt79 you ever going to use that new RTT of yours sitting in your garage?

In due time lol. I have a church retreat the weekend of the 13th, so I can’t make it that weekend.