Ridiculously extreme boondocking tips
If you have both unlimited power and water, stop reading -- you don’t need these tips. And if you are still reading, you already know the obvious things -- switch to LED lights, use paper plates ...
Forum Discussion
I have two sort of not-so-extreme boondocking tips, but might be useful:
Buy a 1000/2000 watt inverter generator. The important part is it being an inverter because the two stroke 1000 watt ET800 clone (original design made in 1973) that you see for a C-note at Harbor Freight makes very dirty power, not to mention lots of noise and smoke. For a "C", a 2000 watt is better, but space is so precious in a "B", that cubic inches matter, so a 1000 watt is probably the best choice. This gives three abilities:
1: If the house batteries are dead, the portable generator can charge them up enough to get the Onan going. This should be done with a separate battery charger rather than the woefully inadequate 8A connector on most generators.
2: The small generator can be plugged in to the RV shore power, providing charge for the batteries, using very little fuel relative to an onboard genset. A few quarts will power a 1000 watt generator for eight hours. When the RV charger goes into float mode, eco throttle will get the generator to run at fewer RPMs, using less fuel. If you have a 2000 watt model, you might be able to run a 750 watt electric heater to save on propane in cool weather while the batteries are charging.
3: The small generator can be placed on a long extension cord, well away from the RV for some quiet, and no vibrations inside the coach. It can't hurt to have a thick steel cable as a tether as well, so it doesn't go for a walkabout and not return.
Caveat: I do repeat, make sure it is an inverter generator. A $100 generator can cost a lot more than what one saves in repairs to sensitive equipment.
The second tip is something I saw a friend with a "C" make. He took Reflectix insulation, glued it to a Coroplast backing on one side, then on the other side, he attached a heavy curtain fabric. This made a foldable divider that does a good job at isolating the cab part from the rest of the rig. Some insulation under the bed in the cabover doesn't hurt either, although it is good to check for condensation there. The divider also helped with noise as well.
Buy a 1000/2000 watt inverter generator. The important part is it being an inverter because the two stroke 1000 watt ET800 clone (original design made in 1973) that you see for a C-note at Harbor Freight makes very dirty power, not to mention lots of noise and smoke. For a "C", a 2000 watt is better, but space is so precious in a "B", that cubic inches matter, so a 1000 watt is probably the best choice. This gives three abilities:
1: If the house batteries are dead, the portable generator can charge them up enough to get the Onan going. This should be done with a separate battery charger rather than the woefully inadequate 8A connector on most generators.
2: The small generator can be plugged in to the RV shore power, providing charge for the batteries, using very little fuel relative to an onboard genset. A few quarts will power a 1000 watt generator for eight hours. When the RV charger goes into float mode, eco throttle will get the generator to run at fewer RPMs, using less fuel. If you have a 2000 watt model, you might be able to run a 750 watt electric heater to save on propane in cool weather while the batteries are charging.
3: The small generator can be placed on a long extension cord, well away from the RV for some quiet, and no vibrations inside the coach. It can't hurt to have a thick steel cable as a tether as well, so it doesn't go for a walkabout and not return.
Caveat: I do repeat, make sure it is an inverter generator. A $100 generator can cost a lot more than what one saves in repairs to sensitive equipment.
The second tip is something I saw a friend with a "C" make. He took Reflectix insulation, glued it to a Coroplast backing on one side, then on the other side, he attached a heavy curtain fabric. This made a foldable divider that does a good job at isolating the cab part from the rest of the rig. Some insulation under the bed in the cabover doesn't hurt either, although it is good to check for condensation there. The divider also helped with noise as well.
