The road less-well travelled

Boreas Campers find some space

Boreas Campers build off-road, off-grid campers in Colorado, USA.

Their EOS-12 is a 20-foot four-season camper featuring off-road suspension and all-terrain tyres to get into places that most recreational vehicles can’t go. For adventurous folks who want to explore the meaning of ‘remote’ this camper trailer seems a great option.

Boreas Campers’ Maggie Reichel says: As a mother of a 2 year old, the EOS-12 and its systems make camping easy. Having the flexibility to camp in a remote area without having booked a campsite makes last-minute trips possible. The comfortable cabin area ensures I have a play area for my toddler even if the weather isn’t cooperating. The large fridge and compact kitchen layout make meal prep a breeze. And being outside while I get food ready while watching my son and the dog playing is so peaceful.

Adventure scout

There’s room to stow a lot of toys. Maggie says: While my husband watches our son I’ll get a mountain bike ride in as we prefer remote campsites with trail access. I’ll ride for a few hours and come back to enjoy snacks and a hot shower to rinse the dirt and sweat off (indoor or outdoor with the shower attachment and drop down shower room!). Then we’ll enjoy a hot meal and finish the day with a drink and some star-gazing, or reading by the fire’s glow.

Camping off the grid means taking your own power supply. Power self sufficiency requires clever management for a successful adventure. Typically recharge power is provided by the solar panels whilst camping, and from the alternator when driving to your destination.

Let’s take a look at the EOS-12 power installation:

An MPPT Solar Charge Controller 100|50 harvests power from the (up to 1000Wp) solar panel array and sends it to the (up to) 1080Ah Battle Born Lithium Battery bank.

A Smart Shunt keeps track of the power going into and coming out of the battery bank in order to provide that invaluable figure for off-gridders everywhere: the battery State of Charge as a percentage. How much power have you got left, and for how long will it go on with the present load?

An ORION Smart DC-DC Charger 12|12|30 controls the alternator output, protecting it from overwork and keeping it within safe limits. It will send charge to both the domestic lithium battery bank and to the auxiliary (lead-acid) engine starting battery at the same time. Automatic engine shutdown detection will prevent the lead acid ‘starter’ battery from being drained whilst camping. Back on the road Orion will send up to 30 amps of recharge power to the battery bank

There’s a MultiPlus 12|3000|120 Inverter/Charger which provides AC power to the domestic appliances with pure sine wave energy! The MultiPlus converts power from the DC battery bank, easily taking care of any peak power surges drawn on start-up by devices such as fridges; and its clean AC output will run sensitive electronics, faultlessly.

The MuliPlus is also a high-current battery charger – sending ‘shore’ or generator power to the batteries at the same time as powering on-board devices – such as Air Conditioning. The MultiPlus can be programmed with a current limit to avoid annoying fuse-tripping whilst staying at organised campsites which have only a limited shore-power supply; or to avoid overloading a generator. Another cool feature is that when a current limit has been set, any power drawn by on-board devices which goes over that limit will instantly be met by adding battery power to the AC source. The MultiPlus will also act as an uninterruptible power supply.

The Lynx Distributor provides a 1000A busbar for the system’s DC distribution network, together with monitored fuses.

A Cerbo GX acts as the brain of the system allowing the Victron and third-party components to communicate with seamless integration. The Cerbo GX can send live system data to the web – from where it can be interrogated anywhere in the world via the free-to-use platform Victron Remote Management VRM. The data is available to the owner, and anyone else they authorise. That means Boreas Campers – if permitted – can remotely access, analyse and update a system directly from their headquarters in Colorado …wherever you happen to be.

The Cerbo GX also syncs with the Garmin ONE automation system installed on the EOS-12. The Operation, Navigation and Entertainment system comes together on an 8” tablet that is docked in the cabin of the camper and allows the owner complete insight into the operations of their camper while off the grid.

The Victron components provide extensive power data while the Garmin ONE controls all the systems of the EOS-12. The tablet is useful right from the outset of an adventure, providing navigation from the tow vehicle while heading to the chosen destination.

Once on site the airbag suspension can be auto-levelled within three degrees of the horizon. At the touch of a button the onboard air compressor makes adjustments according to an inclinometer. No more wedges, rocks, blocks or running back-and-forth to lie on the bed making sure it’s level. The suspension can also be raised for water crossings – or lowered to avoid overhead obstructions.

In addition to indoor/outdoor lighting, night vision preserving red lights under the camper provide handy ground illumination to avoid tripping over the rock you forgot was there. There are indoor/outdoor audio speaker options, too, all controllable from the tablet.

The space- and hot-water heaters are dual fuel electric and propane to add flexibility to your resources. The tablet controls the 50-gallon fresh and 40-gallon grey water tank heaters, this keeps the water in the tanks from freezing when temperatures dip. Tank levels are right on screen, too.

With all these luxuries of home you might worry what happens if you accidentally leave the air-con on, but don’t worry the batteries will be protected by low-level shut down based on either voltage or state of charge – at whatever level you choose.