Solar or Generator??
We are going to have some short boon-docking trips (3-4 days). I do not know my actual energy needs right now, but the DW and I are conservative when it comes to water and power. I really just want ...
Forum Discussion
Let's talk about getting on board with some generator religion for a minute, as I have an extra soapbox I haven't found an otherwise use for:
- If you're a drycamper, it's ridiculous to spend all your hard-earned money on an expensive RV and then quibble over not equipping it with a generator that you actually use.
- If you're a drycamper, it's ridiculous to spend all your hard-earned money on an expensive RV box and then camp all bundled up in it, or sweating in front of a fan in it, so as to conserve electricity because the batteries' storage capacity and/or solar output isn't enough on certain days to keep up with furnace and/or fan draw ... let alone not even begin to run an air conditioner.
- If you're a solar person, how do you crawl around on your roof repairing and maintaining all the other stuff up there like you're supposed to do ... with the panels in the way?
- If you're a solar person with screw-on panels, how do you crawl around on your roof to get at (all of) the screw holes so as to keep them freshly sealed due to the sealant continuously drying out and cracking from all that exposure to the sun?
- If you're a low-noise charging person with a big-buck Class A, it's ridiculous after spending all that $$$ to not spend the additional $4000-$7000 for an ultra-flexible 24/7 marine grade fuel cell charging system instead of a solar system that requires sun.
- If you're a non-generator solar person and get caught in a freak Midwestern large-ball hail storm ... what's your electrical energy replenishment Plan B to get by until you can have cracked solar panels replaced?
- ... never mind ... now I'm really getting absurd. Time to burn the soap box.
Even though all this is great fun, pontificating is a poor substitute for some real boondocking - with generators of course. :)
- If you're a drycamper, it's ridiculous to spend all your hard-earned money on an expensive RV and then quibble over not equipping it with a generator that you actually use.
- If you're a drycamper, it's ridiculous to spend all your hard-earned money on an expensive RV box and then camp all bundled up in it, or sweating in front of a fan in it, so as to conserve electricity because the batteries' storage capacity and/or solar output isn't enough on certain days to keep up with furnace and/or fan draw ... let alone not even begin to run an air conditioner.
- If you're a solar person, how do you crawl around on your roof repairing and maintaining all the other stuff up there like you're supposed to do ... with the panels in the way?
- If you're a solar person with screw-on panels, how do you crawl around on your roof to get at (all of) the screw holes so as to keep them freshly sealed due to the sealant continuously drying out and cracking from all that exposure to the sun?
- If you're a low-noise charging person with a big-buck Class A, it's ridiculous after spending all that $$$ to not spend the additional $4000-$7000 for an ultra-flexible 24/7 marine grade fuel cell charging system instead of a solar system that requires sun.
- If you're a non-generator solar person and get caught in a freak Midwestern large-ball hail storm ... what's your electrical energy replenishment Plan B to get by until you can have cracked solar panels replaced?
- ... never mind ... now I'm really getting absurd. Time to burn the soap box.
Even though all this is great fun, pontificating is a poor substitute for some real boondocking - with generators of course. :)
