Date:         Sun, 2 May 2010 18:21:12 -0500
Reply-To:     mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject:      Re: Solar Panel Mount -Flexible Panels?
Comments: To: Pat Sloan <pmsloan@SHAW.CA>
In-Reply-To:  <C20E43CF763043088BAC70B1B2FC378C@OwnerPC>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

---- Pat Sloan <pmsloan@SHAW.CA> wrote:
>I have> been thinking, since the Otter came into my life about 6 months ago, that
> there might be a modern technology solution that would transcend the use of
> the propane. At home, I hardly ever use the stovetop burners
> Of course, cooking over the outdoor campfire is still my favourite option.
>
> Cheers, Pat - 1982 Vanjetta - 'Otter'

So, what is so objectionable about using propane (or the stove at home, for that matter).  Propane provides lots of BTUs, it is simple to operate, and it is easily controlled.  No modification needed to make it work.  The appliances you mention, besides being hard on a van electrical system (so much so as to be impractical in the extreme), require modifications to even consider.  Solar certainly has advantages over the base electrical system that we have, and even over an auxillary battery without solar.  But propane is comparatively almost free.

I have various electrical appliances for home use that folks have given us over the years -- things like electric skillets, coffee makers, deep fryers, toasters, microwaves (three), electric grills.  One of the microwaves gets some use for reheating.  The other appliances are never used, in fact some have never been taken out of the boxes.  Whenever a neighbor has a garage sale, we tote a few over, and we've given brand new ones to charities.

We cook a lot at home, using gas burners and two gas ovens.  In the camper, we use propane.  Even our coffee is boiled on the stove top, both at home and when camping.

I too like cooking on a campfire, but generally keep that option for extended stays in remote locations where wood is readily available and burning it doesn't add to the air pollution prevalent nowdays.  Even then, I usually reserve the campfire for dutch oven cooking and for cooking meats that benefit from the intense, direct heat of coals.  When backpacking or canoeing I use ultralight gasoline stoves.

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