Outlets Off while Boonedocking
My wife and I are gearing up for boonedocking, and we just discovered that none of our outlets in the trailer work when not connected to Shorepower. Aside from a generator, what alternatives to we have here?
Forum Discussion
- There's nothing like driving around in a motor home or pickup truck that sucks down 7 gallons an hour of diesel or gas and promoting conservation.
MrWizard wrote:
2oldman wrote:
RPreeb wrote:
The end message is that boondocking takes a different mindset. Conservation and minimalism is an important key to success.
Doesn't have to be that way. I have all the comforts of home when off grid, except for a bathtub.
yes so do i
and you have 800w of solar and i have 600w+ of solar and a generator
and 500 pounds of AGM batteries
the question is, what does the OP want to power ? how much load ?
and for HOW LONG, how often
over night stops while traveling, watch a movie or TV
get a another battery and a 300w inverter
want Drip coffee or MW or hair dryer, while boon docking
buy a 2000w generator, he can add solar and more batteries later
if he wants to
generator works rain or shine, cloudy or sunny
and cost less than a big inverter plus batteries plus solar
Well stated, MrWizard!
We have all the comforts of home, too ... plus some we don't have at home.
After reading these forums for years ... I'm pretty much convinced that it's a bit more difficult to achieve with a towable RV than with a motorized RV because of the built-in verus portable generator difference and coach access to the engine alternator difference. Boondocking power discussions seem to be a big(ger) deal with towable owners because of all the approaches and conditions they have to consider.
Having a 2500 watt or larger built-in generator available at the push of a button powered by the same fuel as the engine from it's large tank in a motorhome (or some truck campers) - makes boondocking life a whole lot easier in all kinds of weather, all drycamping locations, all drycamping altitudes, any time of day, and in all seasons.
When boondocking we charge our batteries with the engine alternator or with one of two generators (with one of them being built in). Quiet charging when needed is not an issue, either, because the idling main engine is whisper quiet and vibration-free. By my definition boondock camping implies no other campers being around, anyway.
Quiet boondocking coffee and bacon is not a solar/inverter issue either because I prepare java on the propane cooktop and can cook bacon in the propane oven. Air conditioning out in the middle of warm weather nowhere when living in the RV or when leaving the dog in the RV while rockhounding is also a welcome piece of self-contained nirvana.- yes, I'm guilty of the same thing
I also like a late night snack of Bacon
MW the bacon then add bread and cheese as desired (not a BLT)
no disturbing the neighbors - There's nothing I like better than being able to brew up a pot of electric drip coffee in the am without having to go outside in my jammies and fire up a generator.
2oldman wrote:
RPreeb wrote:
Doesn't have to be that way. I have all the comforts of home when off grid, except for a bathtub.
The end message is that boondocking takes a different mindset. Conservation and minimalism is an important key to success.
yes so do i
and you have 800w of solar and i have 600w+ of solar and a generator
and 500 pounds of AGM batteries
the question is, what does the OP want to power ? how much load ?
and for HOW LONG, how often
over night stops while traveling, watch a movie or TV
get a another battery and a 300w inverter
want Drip coffee or MW or hair dryer, while boon docking
buy a 2000w generator, he can add solar and more batteries later
if he wants to
generator works rain or shine, cloudy or sunny
and cost less than a big inverter plus batteries plus solarbfast54 wrote:
LongOverDue wrote:
I hoped that 1 outlet would have already been designated to work for a short time with an inverter, Bfast54. Thanks for your help. We Hope to go solar to recharge.
I am not aware of any RVs currently wired for An outlet --- off of an inverter
(No demand....)....besides......someone would plug an AIR CONDITIONER in......expect it to run all night.
The 2017 Airstream Flying Cloud 23FB (a 23 foot travel trailer) that I bought and will take delivery of this coming Thursday has a 1,000 watt inverter with 3 outlets connected as a standard feature. The outlets are the television location, the Blu-Ray player/radio location, and the outlet in the dining area. All 3 of the outlets are accessible to me.- Yea you can save yourself right into the poor house.
Gdetrailer wrote:
I don't care what's cheaper.
It IS much cheaper to CONSERVE power than it is to "generate" your own power..
You can dump lots of money into battery banks, solar panels and generators if you are not careful or do not care about your money (or have money to burn)..2oldman wrote:
RPreeb wrote:
Doesn't have to be that way. I have all the comforts of home when off grid, except for a bathtub.
The end message is that boondocking takes a different mindset. Conservation and minimalism is an important key to success.
You ARE the "exception" to the rule of conservation..
It IS much cheaper to CONSERVE power than it is to "generate" your own power..
You can dump lots of money into battery banks, solar panels and generators if you are not careful or do not care about your money (or have money to burn)..
The "average" RVr most likely will have some budget restraints and will have to pick and choose just how much money they wish to dump into electrical generating system.
OP NEEDS to take an energy "audit" and figure out how much power they will need to be "comfortable".. then figure out just how much it will cost them to do it.
That means figuring out how much lighting they will use, entertainment (TV, stereo, computer, and other electronics), furnace usage, water pump usage and so on..
Big wattage stuff like hair dryers, A/C, microwaves are best served via generators rather than battery power..bfast54 wrote:
LongOverDue wrote:
I hoped that 1 outlet would have already been designated to work for a short time with an inverter, Bfast54. Thanks for your help. We Hope to go solar to recharge.
I am not aware of any RVs currently wired for An outlet --- off of an inverter
(No demand....)....besides......someone would plug an AIR CONDITIONER in......expect it to run all night.
High end MotorHomes often INCLUDE an inverter and you might find some 5vrs with an inverter built in as an option.. and Pretty much EVERY "RV" which has an OPTIONAL HOME FRIDGE instead of a RV fridge will have an inverter INCLUDED to power that fridge.
Generally most RVs will not include an inverter..
