Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Know your power requirements before boondocking


It seems like there isn't ever enough power to run everything electric in an RV. That is simply because we have become accustomed to having all the power at home that we need to run almost anything we desire. This has to change when you live a life in a RV with its limited power availability. Not only do you have limited power at any one time but you are limited in your total storage of power. Think of it as a bucket and a pipe. The pipe( amps) can deliver water only so fast and the bucket (battery) can store only so much water. Unless you have a wind turbine or solar power, you will need a generator

Peak watts and Continuous watts
When you select a generator it is about the size of the pipe. Generators provide only so many peak watts and continuous watts. So it takes some planning on power usage when you are boondocking . Let's look at some appliances that only use continuous watts versus those that need power to start but use less when they are running. The refrigerator and furnace fan will use a lot of starting watts but much less when running. The appliances like the microwave, lights and TV use only continuous watts.

If you look in the table you will see that 2900 continuous watts will be needed to run all 5 items together but you need 5300 watts peak. The peak would occur if the furnace starts when the refrigerator starts along with using the light, microwave, and TV at the same time. You would need a 5300 watt generator to keep from overloading the circuit.



If you are like me and run your refrigerator on propane, the wattage is much lower because it only uses a 12 volt fan. Another option is to turn off appliances temporarily when you use the ones that are power hungry. If you start up one thing at a time, you would 1600 occasional + 1400 continuous. This means a 3000 watt generator is okay. If you turn off everything when you start an appliance, you will need 1400 continuous or 1600 occasional. This would change the size of the generator from 5300 watts down to 1600 watts. So, you can buy a small generator for staying in those low costs BLM camping sites and save on fuel costs by simply managing which appliances are running.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Let there be light


As a vagabond evangelist, I immerse myself in the scriptures and as an astronomer I love the universe that God made apart from the earth. So, I do look at the universe in relation to Genesis. Here are some of my thoughts about creation.

Then God said, "Let there be "light"; and there was light. And God saw the light, that is was good; and God divided the light from darkness. Genesis 1:3-4

I used to wonder why it said God created light first and then he created the sun, moon and stars. As we have been taught for a while now, daylight originates in the sun and is reflected by the moon. Stars, although much farther away, also contribute to light. Of course, man has had artificial lights on the earth ever since he used fire. So

Science wants us to believe a lot of things and one of those is the big bang theory. This is where everything was compressed at the beginning and then expanded into what we know as the universe. This requires that the Sun and stars were created first and the planets second. Genesis does not support this sequence so how can it be correct? A little known fact about this scientific theory is the difference in age between the universe and galaxies don't match. Oh, well, for science it is back to the drawing board for a modification.

God made all the energy in the universe and it is recorded in Genesis 1:3-4. This is called light because before energy, our universe was filled with emptiness. So now God had created darkness and light. Afterwards he creates the stars and the moon and places them in motion along with the earth. None of this agrees with the big bang theory but then the big bang theory doesn't agree with the known facts. I chose to believe what my bible says to me. I will wait to let science catch up with the true facts. Some how, it always seems to be behind.

I get to see the dark night sky as I spend time away from the lights of the city. Out there you get the full measure of its majesty.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Vagabonding: Can you live the lifestyle for $20 a day?



Can you actually live on $20 a day? Does that mean per person or for a family of four? $20 dollars a day is about $600 a month. For most people that is less than their mortgage payment or apartment rent. So, how do you live on such a small amount? For people living on just social security, the average benefit amount is $1000 a month. Can you live on that? Many seniors are finding it hard to do.

I personally spend less than $100 a month on food for one person. This does not include eating in restaurants. I am glad to do without high salt, high calorie, high fat food to enjoy a more liesurely lifestyle. I can also get by on $20 a month in propane plus $40 a month in gasoline. I limit the amount of miles I travel to keep my gasoline costs at a minimum. I use location to eliminate the need to fun an air conditioner or furnace. I also spend $30 a month for vehicle insurance. So, total those expenses are about $200 a month. I rarely paid for a camping site and If I do it is about $10 a night. I stay one night, refill my tanks, take a long hot shower, recharge my batteries, and dump my tanks.

The one thing not mentioned here is health insurance. You have to decide what you want to spend there based on your health history and what preventative measures you use to stay healthy.
A catastrophic hospital plan is a good idea. If you are 65 and over, that one is easy. It is called medicare with a supplement for $100 a month get you very good care. For those of us under 65 and in good health, we pay for any health care and keep a catastrophic plan for hospitalization. So, if you are 65 and over, you are now up to $300 a month in expenses. That leaves plenty of money left over from that $1000 a month social security.

If you are still working, you don't have to work much to make that kind of money. The expenses are so much lower than a traditional lifestyle that you will wonder why you didn't trade your current one for this new lifestyle sooner. Check out this family who did just that for years.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

How long does my 20 lb propane tank last?

The answer to this question depends on which of your appliances  are using propane. Generally, an RV has a  refrigerator, water heater, furnace, stove and oven that use propane. By far the biggest gas hog is going to be the furnace followed by the hot water heater. If you are like me, you use your wheels to move to areas where you don't need to use your furnace. A lot of RV owners are now switching to catalytic heaters to cut down on fuel costs. Since I don't use my furnace when boondocking, I am only worried about eating and taking a hot shower if possible. My budget for propane is $15 which gets me a full 20 lb tank.

BTUs 
You will see your propane burners rated in BTUs which actually are BTUs per hour. So the first information you need to know is the BTUs for your water heater, refrigerator, and stove/oven.
When you see a propane stove or heater listed as 4000 BTUs, they mean 4000 BTUs per hour on high. Each 1 lb of propane is about 22,000 btus. So that means, you could run that burner on high for about 5 and 1/2 hours. If you turn on that 9000 btu hot water heater, you can expect to use a lb of propane about every 2 and a half hours. However, that water heater burner doesn't stay on high once it heats all the water because it takes less heat to keep water hot than to heat it up.

20 lb propane tank
Propane Gas produces the following:

1 gallon of Propane ~= 4.23 lbs ~= 91500 BTUs

1 lb of Propane ~=21630 BTUs

and a 20 lb tank of propane x 21630 BTU/lb ~= 432600 BTUs . So you have a total of  ~=432,600 BTUs to burn.

The refrigerator
So, let's  start with the refrigerator. The first thing is that it needs to be the right size to minimize the propane it uses. There are a lot of items kept in the refrigerator that don't really need refrigeration so this means you don't really need all that space. If you already have your refrigerator, look for its BTU rating. Refrigerators don't run all the time, so take that number and multiply it by .75. A 650BTU refrigerator will use 650*.75 or ~=488 BTUs per hour or 11700 per day. This means each day you run the refrigerator, it only uses a little over half a pound of propane.

The hot water heater
Since it takes so much propane to run the hot water heater, this is a trick that I use. It takes somewhere between 10-15 minutes to heat the water up to warm shower level. So set your kitchen timer for 15 minutes. This time can be adjusted to less in warmer weather. When the timer sounds,  shut off the heater and go take your shower. The water is just the right temperature, so just use the hot water tap full blast. Before you start, turn on the bathroom tap and drain the first couple of quarts into a container to use for doing dishes. This gets rid of the cold water left in the line. Don't forget to take that Navy shower. If the water heater is well insulated, it will stay warm the rest of the day for hand washing and dish washing.

Now, let's do that calculation. Since you are now running it for 15 minutes a day,  you get 1/4 of 9000 BTUs.  That means only 2250BTUs a day. So that is almost 10 days worth per lb. Not bad.

Total propane for refrigerator and hot water
Take the 2250 BTUs per day for hot water and the 11700 BTUs for refrigeration and you get a total of  ~=14000 BTUs per day. In 30 days, you will use 30 * 14000 or 420000 BTUS. This is almost your entire 20 LB propane tank. That doesn't leave anything left for cooking but there are ways to cut down on propane usage. In the National forest, I almost always cook on a wood fire. A thermal cooker or pressure cooker will cut the use of propane by 60-70% plus I have my solar cooker. I stay in 14 day intervals, often I eat up my cold stuff the first week and then turn off the fridge to save propane. Just remember it does take some time to cool back down. I also have a solar water heater for taking showers on warm sunny days.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

A day in the life of a vagabond:Vagabonding in America


What does someone need take with them to be a vagabond? Well, some people just need their feet to get going while others use a motorcycle. Some leave on a bicycle and others drive their car. A lot of retirees spend a fortune on a large RV they drive from park to park. The truth is at most vagabonds take what is familiar and just pack for the road. On the other hand, most vagabonds start out packing way too many things. This is especially true with the retirees who need those 40 foot RVs to haul everything around.

Your smile
If you want to be a true vagabond, the most important item to pack is your smile. You can barter with that smile better than with anything else. For with that smile comes friendship and opportunity. That smile will get you out of many a tight spot along the way. While many an invite to dinner can be had by simply buying in with your smile.

Flip flops
What always comes in handy for me are flip flops. I raid the dollar store and buy several pair for a $1. They are great for wearing around a campsite instead of your normal sneakers or hiking boots. If you plan on using the public showers, never be without flip flops. When that unexpected need arises to go outside, you can quickly find your flip flops. I keep a pair by the door of my trailer or my tent.

Curiosity
Anywhere you travel as a vagabond, you need to bring a healthy dose of curiosity. What would be the point of traveling if it were not for seeing new things and gathering up new experiences?
Curiosity will keep you going down the road and satisfaction will make it all worth while.

Home remedies
There are three home remedies I take with me. Peppermint extract for congestion, cloves for toothache, and honey/lemon/whiskey for everything else. If you end up with a sore throat, honey/lemon/ and whiskey will made it feel better fast.

Travel Journal
Where ever you go, make a note of where you have been before. These are wonderful reads later on and prompt you to revisit a few places. You will be surprised how many little things you forget from your travels so write them down for later smiles.

Think like a native
When you get to where you are going, blend in and become a native. The worst thing you can do is stick out like a sore thumb. The more local friends you make, the more immersed you are in the local culture. A real view of where you are located can only be seen through local eyes.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

National Forest Camping in Wyoming



The Shoshone National Forest in Wyoming has 2.4 million areas of forested lands that contain some very nice campsites. It was the very first national forest in the US. There will be a 7% grade most of the way down 28 so take your time. Just off highway 28, 28 miles from Lander is Louis Lake Road FR-300.  A mile down the road you will find a nice dispersed camping site for RVs.

The view from this particular campsite is great but remember this is a boondocking site so no services are available. In the Shoshone National forest that allow you to  stay for 16 days in dispersed camping. After that you have to move a minimum of 5 miles to another location.  If you want services like electric, there are plenty of developed campgrounds in the area.


Wildlife
Shoshone National Forest wildlife is abundant and you have a chance to see grizzly bears, wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, red fox, elk, big horn sheep, and moose just to name a few. Bald  and golden eagles are more common now than they have been for decades and tend to inhabit areas near waterways. If you like to watch wild life this is the place to go. However, here is some sage advice from the Forest Service. "NEVER pick a fight with a grizzly bear".  Sometimes due to bear activity they will close some campsites so watch for closed camping signs or ask the ranger.

Things to do
During the last decade of the 19th century, minerals such as gold were mined with limited success. The last mine was abandoned in 1907, but panning for gold is still allowed in many areas of the forest, and in most circumstances no permit is required.You will find plenty of wood for a campfire and lots of places to go fishing. Yellowstone national park is along one edge of the forest while Grand Teton National Park is also very close. So, there are plenty of activities to keep you busy for awhile.

Wilderness
If you like wilderness camping or hiking, you will find plenty of it here. Shoshone National Forest contains four wilderness areas. They have been mostly untouched by human activities. The regions are the North Absaroka, Washakie, Fitzpatrick and Popo Agie Wildernesses. Go find you a used RV like I did and head on up there.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Vagabond: Try the seven seas





I chose to purchase a trailer and cruise the back roads of the US but some vagabonds have decided to select a sailboat to travel the seven seas instead of traveling on land. A sailboat is set up very similar to a recreational vehicle. The exception is that you may or may not have an engine. Most of them do because only very experienced sailors can do with the occasional need for an engine. Of course, most people know how to drive and only need to learn backing skills to handle a land based RV. Those who select the sea must learn how to sail.

There are options to selecting a sailboat. You could decide to live on a houseboat. If you chose a houseboat, it won't be much different than choosing one of those large motor coaches. The gas consumption of a power boat is not a frugal venture so I will only discuss the frugality of sailing.
There are many different types of sailboats and you must decide whether you will just live aboard in a marina or actually sail from port to port. Sailboats are self contained like an RV but you can plug them in to electric, water, and have a honey barge come by and pump your holding tank.

Small boat sailing can be frugal
A couple, Lin and Larry Pardey sailed quite a few miles on a 24 foot boat but that is small by most people's standards. You may want to try and get at least a 26-27 foot if you are single and 30 foot if you are a real loving and close couple. Several of the tricks I use to stay frugal on the road, I learned from sailboats where they don't have a lot of fresh water or try and preserve their power by not using a refrigerator.

Anchoring versus piers
Texas is a good spot for cheaper marina rates while Florida is one of the most expensive. You can anchor out on your own or rent an anchor buoy. The anchor buoy is much cheaper than a spot at the marina, will come with a honey barge, and a dock to tie up your tender. If you select a marina, you will get all services including web access. Selecting to anchor out, you can do so free but you have to generate your own power by solar, wind, or diesel/gasoline. A sailboat set up with solar and a wind generator can be a very green way to live.

Doing without an engine
Two types of engines are typically found on a sailboat. An inboard gasoline or diesel engine or a small outboard engine. Either engine isn't very large since your primary method of propulsion is supposed to be the sail. If you select a small enough sailboat, you can attach a single oar much like you see on a Chinese Junk to move the boat when you don't have any wind.

International travel
There are a lot of issues with sailing internationally from pirates to visa requirements. Some ports can be expensive. Food also can be expensive but you can buy cheap food if you eat like the locals. Do a lot of research before you decide to leave for that island full time. A lot of sailing couples have done so and their stories are documented online. Read them to get a feel for what it like sailing away from US waters.


If you want to be a vagabond sailor, you need to learn to sail, decide where you want to sail, and purchase a boat. If you need to start by learning to sail, check here.

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