Question re minimum systems for boondocking

[Mr Towed]

Didn’t get a chance to fully read but a few have mentioned if you can stay DC do so, don’t convert / invert back and forth. Your laptop, phone and CPAP all run on DC, phones and tablets are easy because most RVs have lighter plugs so you can use a car charger. You can also easily add 12V USB ports, just watch out for ones that have lights and stuff that use up power. You can most likely find a DC power cord for your laptop but it might not be worth it. Big inverters use more power, even when they are not running big loads, so get the smallest inverter that will safely satisfy your requirement. We have 2 little 100 Watt units and they work great.

Other than the other stuff people have mentioned make sure all your lights are LEDs.

[mnoland30]

X2 on what Santa Fe Big Sky said. I glued a flexible panel to my roof with silicone, and could not remove it when I sold the camper. I did another one on my next camper, and it has degraded quite a bit over about 5 years. If I do it again, I'll use a glass panel. I didn't tack mine to the roof, I just used silicone.

[Kcbean2020]

Can you use a toaster oven on batteries going to be in plugged this weekend thank you

[Comanchecreek]

Since writing my reply I upgraded to a Renogy suitcase solar system 200 watts, and added a 2000 watt inverter. Tried it out for 7 nights in the boonies. Works great. Battery monitor was at 100% every afternoon, and that was running the furnace at night with temps some nights down to 25 degrees. Watched TV with a DVR every night also. Never came close to running out of juice. Worth it.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by Kcbean2020

Can you use a toaster oven on batteries going to be in plugged this weekend thank you

Need more information. You have no information in your profile about year, make and model nor type of RV.
Does your RV have a whole house inverter. If not, NO, the outlets won't work on batteries. If you have a regular inverter, you could plug the toaster into it BUT you'll need a very strong battery bank. A toaster, hair dryer or coffeemaker are high draw items.
Can't really answer your question accurately since you haven't provided enough information.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by Kcbean2020

Can you use a toaster oven on batteries going to be in plugged this weekend thank you

You may have to grasp each slice of bread and wave it over a burner on the range for a few seconds on each side. Pretty easy to do.

It would be a good idea for you to read "The 12-volt Side of Life" to get an appreciation for what's involved.

[TitanMike]

Every person will have a different idea of what is essential. I'd recommend that you decide first what you have to have while Dry Camping/Boondocking.

Now create an inventory of "needs".

For water how much will you use for washing dishes? How often will you shower (navy showers highly recommended). A typical water pump delivers ~3 gallons per minute. My navy showers use a total of one minute's worth of water. Don't forget hand washing during the day. Toilet flushing uses about a pint unless you stand on the foot pedal forever.

Water can be saved, as well as black tank capacity, if you "answer nature's call for #1" the same way your dog does. An out of the way tree/bush.

For dish washing I usually just wipe the residue off plates and utensils then leave in the sink until the last meal of the day. I then wash in a large bowl with soap and water, rinse with just enough water to get the job done than dry and put away for the next day. I found this uses less water than washing after every meal. Then of course there are disposables.

If you conserve water then there will be less gray water.


Electricity will naturally come from batteries, generator, and/or solar.

Again an inventory of "essentials" will be needed to decide on how much electricity you will consume every day.

Battery bank should be sized so you can run lights, refrigerator (only controls side if it can run on Propane), and furnace for two days minimum before recharging. Tally up your projected use and convert it to Watt/hours. Divide by 12.5 and you'll have Amp Hours. If using Lead Acid batteries now double this number so your batteries don't run below the 50% SOC level. Forget doubling if using LiFePo4 batteries.

Now you have to decide how much you want to run the generator or how much solar you will need. Just remember that both will take a lot more time than just putting the same number of amp hours as you used. For most cases it will work out to be about 50% more than what you took out because the lead/acid batteries will force the charging current to be reduced as they gain charge.


Start with you inventory of YOUR essentials and then the actual numbers will fall in place.

[Comanchecreek]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

You may have to grasp each slice of bread and wave it over a burner on the range for a few seconds on each side. Pretty easy to do.

It would be a good idea for you to read "The 12-volt Side of Life" to get an appreciation for what's involved.

That's why they call it camping. Make do with whatcha got!

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

You may have to grasp each slice of bread and wave it over a burner on the range for a few seconds on each side. Pretty easy to do.

Originally Posted by Comanchecreek

That's why they call it camping. Make do with whatcha got!

My Son refers to it as Cowboy Toast. That's how we do it unless the generator happens to be running.

[chriscowles]

There's always a $5 stovetop toaster:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000AUSTK

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by chriscowles

There's always a $5 stovetop toaster:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000AUSTK

That's what we use when we're dry camping.

[AlaskaErik]

Originally Posted by chriscowles

There's always a $5 stovetop toaster:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000AUSTK

Or one of these of you only have a camp fire.

https://www.amazon.com/Rome-Industri.../dp/B00U5WBZWK

[Comanchecreek]

We use these a lot when we have a fire.
https://www.ganderoutdoors.com/rome-...7&gclsrc=3p.ds

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by Comanchecreek

We use these a lot when we have a fire.
https://www.ganderoutdoors.com/rome-...7&gclsrc=3p.ds

I have a couple of these to give away: Round, Square, Big Rectangle. Anyone near Raleigh, NC want them?

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by AlaskaErik

Or one of these of you only have a camp fire.

https://www.amazon.com/Rome-Industri.../dp/B00U5WBZWK

At $17 + $6 shipping, I think I'll weave a slice of bread onto a marshmallow fork.

[ppine]

Learn to conserve water.
Learn to conserve heat.
Go where the weather suits your clothes.
Add a solar system. Use a gen for back up.

You can add a small pump to add water from lakes and streams.
You can stay out there for a long time.

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by ppine

... You can add a small pump to add water from lakes and streams. ...

If you do, a filter is essential to remove pathogens before putting it in any tank. Chlorine, alone, is inadequate. An example is below. There are many others.

https://www.rei.com/product/164116/m...y-water-filter

[mnoland30]

There are two kinds of filters. One is a purifier, which will filter out viruses. The other is just a filter which will take out the larger things like giardiasis and cryptosporidium and bacteria. In most cases, you don't need a purifier, but if you're adding water to your RV through a filter, I'd recommend adding chlorox as well. The EPA recommends the following:

Volume of Water Amount of 6% Bleach to Add Amount of 8.25%
Bleach to Add* 4 gallons 1/3 teaspoon 1/4 teaspoon
8 gallons 2/3 teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon

Chlorine doesn't work well if the water isn't clear, so it is important to filter it first if it is murky water.

We use a comal or griddle to make toast or tortillas.

[ppine]

I never drink out of the tank in my RV. I have a separate water supply for consumption. Filter, iodine, chlorine and many other techniques like boiling can be used to create a potable water supply.

[WanderMore]

I do have to grin a bit when folks start talking about boondocking and water. The Army said I only needed a couple of canteens and as for showers, we were camping!