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Boondocking...
...learn about solar power, boondocking
sites,
and independent RVing.
Solar Basics
We
enjoy the peacefulness of staying at out of the way, secluded spots.
For these boondocking expeditions, we have made our trailer as
self-contained as possible. This includes a solar system with an
inverter so that we have the comforts electricity brings without the
need for electrical hookups and without the noise and hassle of
running a generator.
A
typical solar system consists of photovoltaic panels, batteries, and
an inverter. The types, sizes, and number of these components vary
according to how much electrical power is needed -- and how much
money is spent on the system.
Panels
create energy from the sun. They are normally mounted flat on the
roof of the trailer. They are sometimes mounted in a way that allows
them to be tilted towards the sun for increased efficiency. Once
installed, the panels do their job any time the sun is shining.
The
energy created by the panels is used to charge the batteries. These
are the same deep cycle RV batteries used to power the 12-volt
lights and appliances now in your trailer. On bright clear days, the
charging will be faster; on cloudy or rainy days, little charging
will occur.
It
is advisable to add a regulator to prevent the batteries from being
overcharged. It will stop the battery charging process when the
batteries are fully charged and allow it to resume when the charge
level drops.
An
inverter changes the 12 volt DC electricity produced by the
batteries into 110 volt AC electricity, the kind needed to operate
common lights, ordinary household appliances, and electric tools.
The majority of inverters produce modified sine-wave current, which
is suitable for most uses.
A
solar system can be designed to adequately power anything from a few
lights to the entire trailer. It can easily be added onto to make a
more powerful system.
We
started full-timing with four used Siemens (formerly Arco) panels;
four Interstate, group 27, 12-volt RV/marine batteries; and a 2000
watt Trace inverter. We
used this system for 359 consecutive days without plugging into
shore power and without using a generator.
That
stretch ended when we spent three weeks in consistently cloudy,
rainy weather. We had been using more power from the batteries than
the panels were producing.
We
soon added another two panels!
We
park miles away from the nearest electrical pole and still have
electricity. Besides the lights, we use regular household appliances
such as the toaster and TV. We routinely use the microwave, power
tools, and the computer.
With
the solar system in place, it is simply a matter of flipping the
light switch or plugging in the appliance and turning it on. We
leave our panels flat and do not bother tilting them. There is no
hooking up. The power is always there, ready to use.
The
amount of power, however, is limited by the size of the system. In
cloudy weather, we must be conservative or we will deplete our
batteries. When boondocking, we operate our refrigerator on propane
and use fans rather than the air conditioner.
When
we replace our battery bank we may add another battery or two and
will most likely increase our number of panels to eight. Although
not necessary to live comfortably, these upgrades will give us a
bigger reserve.
We
bought our system from RV Solar Electric, 14415 N. 73rd St.,
Scottsdale, AZ 85260. Website: http://www.rvsolarelectric.com/.
Telephone: 800-999-8520. Barb and Noel Kirby, the owners, are
experts on solar. If you need in depth solar information, they have
written several excellent publications. We bought our system over
the phone, while in South Dakota, and had it shipped it to us. My
husband installed it, using the directions they provided. The folks
at RV Solar Electric are very helpful and won’t try to oversell.
Our
solar system was an investment. Our initial cash outlay was about
what some people spend for a generator. The upgrades cost less than
what one would expect to pay for generator fuel and maintenance for
about a year. The batteries are five years old and going strong.
Using even conservative campground rates, the solar system more than
paid for itself through saved campground fees, in less than a year.
The value of the independence and freedom it provides is invaluable.
Update:
I wrote this article a few years ago. We've now been using this
original solar equipment for ten years and it still works great,
with the exception of the batteries. We have replaced the batteries,
continuing to use Interstate brand deep cycles.
Related Links:
A
& L Enterprises -- A source of the CAT brand heaters, plus parts
and service for CAT and other brands.
http://www.omnicast.net/arnie
Boondocking -- Dean Husarik's website
with information on boondocking, includes a list of free campgrounds grouped by states. http://www.angelfire.com/oh/Boondocking
Boondocking Guide
-- Good source of boondocking information, with special sections for
Bureau Land Management (BML) sites.
http://www.boondockingguide.com
Dean Husarik's
Boondocking Club -- An e-mail and website discussion. http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/boondocking
Free
Campgrounds -- listings of free and nominally priced campgrounds
throughout the western states.
http://www.FreeCampgrounds.com
Free Campgrounds In
Southern California -- Dutch provides pictures and some
in-depth descriptions of various boondocking sites.
http://www.geocities.com/desert_dutch
phrannie
-- phred Tinseth's site filled with in-depth, practical, straight forward
information on RV systems and appliances and how to use them
efficiently, plus a primer on solar power and boondocking.
http://www.phrannie.org
The Quartzsite
Shows -- start your search for the latest on Quartzsite (AZ)
here.
http://www.quartzsitervshow.com
RV Design
-- a source of information for RVers and others wanting a mobile,
fully functional domestic alternative. This is a great source of
technical information.
http://www.worldwideclassified.net/rvdesign
RV Solar Electric
- site of RV solar experts,
Barbara and Noel Kirkby, it gives a multitude of information on many
aspects of energy usage, management, and equipment. This is the source
we use for the vast majority of our solar supplies.
http://www.rvsolarelectric.com
Workers On Wheels...
are
working RVers and campers. The often living fulltime or extended time
in a recreational vehicle or RV - a
travel trailer,
truck or pickup camper, bus, fifth-wheel trailer, pop-up trailer,
Class A motorhome, Class B motorhome, Class C motorhome -- a home on
wheels. They
supplement their income or
earn a living as mobile employees, temporary staff workers, RV home based business
owners (self-employed), volunteers, and with camp jobs or other jobs
on the road. These working travelers are also
known as workcampers, work campers, work-campers, not yet retired
snowbirds, seasonal workers, RV workers,
workers on the road, telecommuters, and mobile workers.
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