-- My husband and I recently purchased a 20 foot Chevy R.V(77 Leprachan) and I'm desperate for ideas on converting it to go off grid. The R.V. itself needs very little work--we lived in it for 4 months quite comfortably. We enjoyed being in it for the summer but found that we were really limited as to where we could stay because we needed electrical and water/sewer hookups. --Is there a way to use solar power in it? I am also wondering about a different setup for the sewer system. Any help would be greatly appreciated!! I am also interested in hearing from people who live in their own R.V. We will be renovating and redecorating it this winter and I am also in need of space saving ideas and affordable parts and creative ideas. PLEASE HELP!

-- Laurie from Minnesota (LennieandLaurie@yahoo.com), December 30, 2001

Answers

Camping World sells solar panels for R.V.'s. I believe their web site is www.campingworld.com

-- Ruby (mcfays@aol.com), December 30, 2001.

Can you charge your batteries on solar and use the 12 volt system? We lived in a travel trailer for nearly 3 years while building the house, out of pocket. Husband did charge the marine batteries at work, the same kind that run the solar. Even 11 years ago they had 12 volt everything, hair driers, crock pots, curling irons, TV's...They have solar everything now for RV's visit one of the large lots, or the makers. I would have killed when we first moved out in the woods, the path lights they sell now! We couldn't do water since we didn't have the well at first, then we had the well with no electricity to run the pump, and not the skills we have now to know we could hook up a hand pump, so I hauled water in 50 gallon plastic barrels and syphoned the water into the holding tank, then the water pump ran off of 12 volt. We bucketed the holding tank, our original idea was to move the trailer every weekend to drain it, only using the bathroom in the trailer for emergencies, the out house for everyday use :) It became the opposite. We had talked to a couple who used a composting toliet, it stunk! So we just bucketed it to a hole in the woods, course that stunk to while doing it :) We really utilized the propane, both for cooking, but also for our heat and fridge. Good luck with this and keep us informed! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), December 30, 2001.

Solar for an RV- the little panels they sell are for maintaining an already charged battery. Dont be mislead into thinking they are for charging a discharged battery, thats being used often. A composting toilet would be the way to go, to my mind. You could even use the propane ones if need be, the RV offten haas onboard propane tanks. 12v and 24 volt appliances are often used in RVs. They do make refrigerators (and propane refrigs, too) and washing mashines that are 12 and 24 volt. I think you would have to live in the RV for YEARS to ever recoup the cost (300+ bucks a sheet- and you would need several) for real live PV cells. The alternator on the rv would do an excellent job of charging the batteries, just run the rv for a few minutes each day. Let one battery be you reserve "start up only" battery and dont use it to power other things. Deep cell marine RV batteries are almost a must for appliances and such. Generators are also another thought. The real "problem" is heat- you either have to use (pricy) propane, or do without, or run the engine for a much longer time each day. My though of a wood stove in an RV wont gain much approval here, I dont imagine, but its worth considering if you are in a truely cold climate. I lived "off grid" in my van for years at a time. I hated shower time though, no hot water heater. I did use a solar water bag, but there were days the sun didnt shine. I did finally come up with a workable idea- stick a car heater core (like a small radiator) in a five gallon bucket, and run the van till the water was bearable. Using a 12 volt inverter (to 120 v AC) I had tv, fan, lamp and drill but it wouldnt power a sawzall or a coffee maker.

-- Kevin in NC (Vantravlrs@aol.com), December 30, 2001.

Check out http://www.newenglandsolar.com ! You'll discover a wealth of information!!

-- Katie (4gnaturegirl@chibardun.net), December 31, 2001.

Look at options that Cruisers/those who live full time on boats use.

Solar, Wind...depending on where you are, wind may be your best answer. It is usually not just one...but a combination.

I would also imagine some inventor also has the hybrid generator from operating your vehicle.

The secret is Battery Storage Capacity.

-- B. Carol (katnip364@aol.com), January 16, 2002.

The book Travel-Trailer Homesteading under $5000 by Brian Kelling has some information on using PV for this, along with info on making a rough septic system. It's not big on details, but it's somewhat motivational in making you want to try it. As far as power, I'd probably buy $500 worth of Honda generator, and get a model that had a small inverter and 110 outlet on it. You can use it to charge your batteries, start your RV if all of the batteries go dead, run your small electrical tools, and they don't use that much gas. It's not as eco-suave as a PV setup, but I'd rather spend a buck a month on gas than drop five grand up front on a trick power system...

-- Jon Konrath (jkonrath@rumored.com), January 29, 2002.