Date:         Sun, 2 May 2010 20:18:33 -0700
Reply-To:     B <oddstray@ODDSTRAY.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         B <oddstray@ODDSTRAY.COM>
Subject:      Re: Solar Panel Mount -Flexible Panels?
In-Reply-To:  <20100502192112.E7KKC.220930.imail@eastrmwml28>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

We've found we can do without the water hookup under any circumstances, but the electric hookup ...

Even when we camped with a water hookup, the only thing we really used it for was to fill the kettle for the morning coffee/tea.  The Westy sink is so small that it's easier to wash dishes in a 2.5-gallon bucket and rinse at the outside tap.  And if we need to fill the water tank in the Westy, we still only used it for the morning kettle.  So we stopped using any water hookup!  We just fill the kettle the night before from whatever outside tap is available.

But electrickery ... ummm ... being of age, we *will* be crawling out of the bedding during the night to use the facilities*.  And if the night is chilly, we're increasing intolerant of the chill.  We currently have a lower limit of 42 degrees F for camping without additional heating.

Which means that my next pet project for 'Esme' is to install a proper propex furnace.  Because I'd love to be able to go anywhere, anytime, even during the SoCal winter (as we currently do during the SoCal summer) :-D

*Another 2.5 gallon bucket which serves as our chamber pot.

B&S
'87 Westy 'Esmerelda Blanc'
SoCal


On May 2, 2010, at 4:21 PM, Dave Mcneely wrote:
> 
> BTW, we stayed at a state park with hookups last week, for the first time since we got the camper a year ago last month.  Guess what, we didn't use enough electricity to justify hooking up, only having a light on for a couple hours total time the whole four nights we were there (we used a drop lamp).  We did keep the dometic on AC power, but the amount of propane we saved was minimal.  And we are unlikely to be anywhere we could hook up again for another year.  Our main use of AC power since having the van has been to precool the dometic before departure.
> 
> David McNeely