Forum Discussion
rekoj71
Nov 23, 2015Explorer
Since I haven't invested in a good solar/battery setup yet, my inverter is a smaller portable one as I don't want to have to remember to turn off/unplug all of the things that would be a parasitic drain. I do have a generator that like you I run occasionally if needed, usually around meal times for convenience, but that couple of hours a day seems to keep me topped off OK. I also only boondock occasionally. If I was going to make a larger habit of it I would definitely be looking more heavily into solar. Oh and that microwave vent fan is rarely vented outside so smells and humidity don't get taken care of very easily without the use of the roof vents anyway, which if it has a fan (Fantastic fan or MaxAir type) will be able to be used off of the battery. I never use the vent on the microwave, just the roof vent which happens to be right above the stove.
Washer and dryer? If you do intend to boondock a lot it would be barely useful as they tend to be smaller and need to run for several hours per load and suck lots of resources . I usually have FHU and wish I had a W/D just for convenience but a good laundry facility lets me get several loads done all at once by using multiple machines at the same time, so it's not that bad either. You will hear lots of debate on usefulness verses storage space.
Some people (me included) have figured out a way to refill their fresh water tanks by modifying their onboard water pumps and the winterizing system hose, and it can be easy depending on how accessible your plumbing is, but most bring an extra 12v pump just for that. For the stinky water it's funny how many people get a huge blue tote or tank so that they don't have to do the deed too often just to find out they have no good place to store something that big and can barely lift it or handle it when full.
When I got my new RV I spent most of my first modification time on organization. I was surprised at how many cabinets or compartments didn't have any shelves. Trying to make new shelves and brackets or figuring out the perfect size tote bins that would fit a space was a fun game. It seemed like there was so much wasted space. I will say that I have done a pretty good job at using the space and organizing ways to fit lots of stuff in places but now I'm easily fitting more stuff than originally designed and am pushing the weight limit. :)
Washer and dryer? If you do intend to boondock a lot it would be barely useful as they tend to be smaller and need to run for several hours per load and suck lots of resources . I usually have FHU and wish I had a W/D just for convenience but a good laundry facility lets me get several loads done all at once by using multiple machines at the same time, so it's not that bad either. You will hear lots of debate on usefulness verses storage space.
Some people (me included) have figured out a way to refill their fresh water tanks by modifying their onboard water pumps and the winterizing system hose, and it can be easy depending on how accessible your plumbing is, but most bring an extra 12v pump just for that. For the stinky water it's funny how many people get a huge blue tote or tank so that they don't have to do the deed too often just to find out they have no good place to store something that big and can barely lift it or handle it when full.
When I got my new RV I spent most of my first modification time on organization. I was surprised at how many cabinets or compartments didn't have any shelves. Trying to make new shelves and brackets or figuring out the perfect size tote bins that would fit a space was a fun game. It seemed like there was so much wasted space. I will say that I have done a pretty good job at using the space and organizing ways to fit lots of stuff in places but now I'm easily fitting more stuff than originally designed and am pushing the weight limit. :)
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