my thoughts on this article. from a vandweller’s point of view. Some of my objections are technical, some are financial.
> With many campgrounds closed, full-time RVers that aren’t prepared to dry camp or boondock might find themselves in a pickle.
Agreed. Luckily for me, I never had the budget to become dependent on rv campgrounds.
> Generator – You don’t NEED solar. A generator will get the job done!
Depends on “the job”.
What could one do with $1000 of generator (Honda eu1000i, 1000w ) or $1000 of solar (800w)?
- Generator
- large (IMO unnecessary) loads like microwaves and electric coffee makers
- charging lithium, or Bulk-charging lead
- Solar
- medium loads
- fully charging lead (Pb) batteries to avoid battery murder
- optimal mix for Pb
- generator in the morning while you make coffee
- shut off generator when Vabs is reached, allow solar finish the full charge
> Batteries – Where can you put additional batteries? You might lose a storage bin to these.
Adding solar does not require adding batteries, since additional loads during the day can be run off the panels. I would recommend onlookers keep the existing battery bank until it proves insufficient for needs.
> Some people might be perfectly comfortable running a generator for an hour or so each night to top up their batteries.
Great solution for lithium. Recipe for battery murder with lead. Absorption takes hours.
> There has been a tendency for RV manufacturers to move towards all-electric rigs. Some people are afraid to have propane on board. It probably also simplifies the build for them. An all-electric coach is not a deal-breaker for boondocking
To quote Sternwake: “fear of propane will be expensive”.
Other issues with all-electric:
- they are typically designed for pedestal power, and have no incentive to be efficient
- they tend to run appliances on 110v, requiring additional inverter losses off-grid
> We both work and have our internet router and computers going all day long. We like to be able to get up in the morning and make a pot of coffee without being concerned about running out of power. With 1360 watts of solar panels on the roof and 600 amp hours of lithium batteries
Problem: need coffee in the morning
Proposed solutions:
- spend (I’m guessing here) $8000 on panel and a ton of lithium to run Mr. Coffee machine; or
- use a $20 propane burner and a percolator, pour-over, or press. My Melitta pour-over was 50 cents on clearance at a supermarket, and I bought many bodum presses for $2 at thrift stores over the years.
Admittedly the first option is more fun, especially if it can be written off as a biz expense, etc.
> we have only had to run the generator a few times when we’ve had rain for multiple days in a row or poor sun exposure.
Sounds like a successful setup. I’d encourage onlookers with that much solar to reduce power consumption in poor insolation rather than spending another $1000+ on a generator.
At first glance, you might think that an Instant Pot would be too power hungry for boondocking. But once it gets to pressure, it only uses a bit of power to keep it at pressure for the cook time. And because it cooks faster than most other methods and doesn’t heat up the house, we consider it a boondocking essential.
A stovetop pressure cooker is $40 new ($5 at thrift stores) and uses 0 watts on propane.
> If you have an electric only fridge, it will figure heavily into your power usage calculations.
My 12v compressor fridge uses 12A/day.
conclusion
while I agree with much of the content, it leans heavily on the most expensive solutions for each problem.
Hey, thanks for reading! We love hearing different points of view. We had the funds and the interest in building out a solar installation ourselves. You’re right – we didn’t NEED what we did but we’ve been pleased with our system. Everyone should make choices that work for their lifestyle and budget. Stay safe out there!
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