Do You REALLY Need To Run your Genny?

mlts22 wrote:

2gypsies wrote:

mlts22 wrote:
Can't really help it unless I want to spend $25,000 on a solar trailer with a very large battery bank, on the order of thousands of amp-hours.

If the weather is colder, I run the generator for about a couple hours in the morning then from 7-9 PM at night. That will give me enough charge to last the night with the furnace.

A solar set-up costs a small fraction of your stated amount. A small portable one would be plenty to recharge a couple batteries if you conserve.

You could also consider a propane heater. We've used one for 17 years. They're quiet, give a constant heat - not on & off like a furnace, and they are very economical.

We also use a stove-top coffee perculator and toast is excellent in a fry pan. We don't watch T.V. Also, when you're retired you can follow the cooler temps so you don't need air conditioning.

We love boondocking and we do find peaceful locations to be by ourselves. Good thing everyone 'camps' differently as it would be harder to find those wonderful spots!

I definitely am going to have some sort of solar charging system on my next rig (planning to jump to a "B" sooner or later). It won't be big enough to run the A/C, but it definitely will be large enough to keep the batteries topped off.

For me, I don't watch TV as well (I get away from that stuff), so iPad use is good enough for my brief weekend trips. I really don't have enough time to go on long vacations, so I'm subject to Texas weather, thus my focus on always having enough power to run the A/C, and secondarily, enough power to keep warm.

You are right about a propane heater. I have a Big Buddy, and two Buddy heaters, all on "loan" right now by others. When I was tenting it a couple years ago, it was great -- quiet, made a lot of heat and used a small amount of propane, etc. However, I rather avoid using one if I can help it, especially after last year where another person where I was camping lost his entire rig due to a heater catching his bedding on fire. The RV furnace uses far more gas and electricity, but it is the safest way to run things. I could break out the electric space heaters, run one from the RV wiring, and one via an extension cord through the mouse-hole, but with the furnace, I just set the temperature, and that's that.