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[RC] Camping/electricity - Diane TrefethenLiving off the grid, I can tell you that the biggest users of electricity are not the vacuum cleaner or the microwave. Not your refrigerator or the fan on your furnace. The biggest drains are your sloppiness/kids and all the gadgets that are on 24/7. If you think about using electricity from the point of view, "What have I turned off?", you are already on your way towards running down your batteries. Think instead, "What do I need to turn on?"When you are not in your RV or camper (all day Saturday at a one day ride), the ONLY thing that needs to be on is your refrigerator and most of those can operate on propane. Even the ones that run only on electricity [bah humbug!] are a very small drain since no one is opening and closing the door all day. Note: if your refrigerator goes on and off a lot, check the seal. It may be compromised and leaking cold into your living space. If you cook with your propane stove, you probably run your microwave only a few minutes a day. But see the cute little timer that is also a clock? It is on, using electricity, 24/7, even if you don't use your microwave at all. Ditto the clock on your stove and the alarm clock that wakes you in the morning. Every item in your LQ that has a clock is hot 24/7. Coffee maker, toaster oven, radio, etc. And don't forget that your TV is also on 24/7. That's why the picture flashes on as soon as you "turn it on". All these items are constantly draining your batteries. Even the fan on your furnace. Go over to it and listen. You'll hear a faint hum. That's the power supply for the fan... 24/7. So if you want to make your battery last without running the gen, always unplug the gadgets instead of "turning them off" and turn off the furnace fan and all lights when you are not going to use them. If it's too much trouble (I know, taking 20 secs to reset a clock is SUCH a bore), leave ONE 24/7 clock on, not all of them... or you could get a battery operated one and remove the battery when you get home. BTW, except for your furnace fan, if you apply the same principles at home, plus the "one person, one room, one light" rule, you can drastically lower your on-the-grid electric bill. Circa 1990, mine for a little house was running $30/month. TEN years later, after meeting and learning from a friend who lived off the grid, I got it down to $15-20/month. Yes it took a little extra effort and thought, but an almost 50% reduction in my bill was worth it. So if your bill is nearing $100/month, you could save at least enough for two nice bottles of wine every month, or dinner for two at a moderately priced restaurant... or an entry to an Endurance ride :) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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