Reading and responding to the threads about Propane and Toads got me to thinking. I was looking at a wide assortment of RV's in different configurations, and their primary restrictions when it comes to boondocking all seem to be universal: Water / Power / Food.
So, as I was looking at a 24 ft. Leisure Travel Mercedes with a small 3 liter diesel engine, I noticed that it was still capable of towing up to 5,000 pounds. Looking further at some of the Class A diesel pushers, I was surprised to see that some of the larger ones can pull up to 15,000 pounds. At any rate, just about every make and type of RV either comes with a trailer hitch, or is capable of supporting one.
But back to that Class B, I was thinking that you could tow quite a bit of stuff at that particular limit, even with the weight of the cargo trailer subtracted. Now I'll be using some extremes here for each of these individual resources, just to give myself a rough idea as to what is possible with each: For example, a plastic, 300 gallon water tank, filled to capacity weighs roughly 2,700 pounds. A pair of 120 gallon LPG tanks is roughly 1,300 pounds. I haven't done much research on Solar, but from what I've seen a 480 watt array with half a dozen deep cycle batteries doesn't appear to weigh much more than 1,000 pounds.
Now .... if you had a small, twin axle cargo container, properly outfitted, say something around 12' x 7', and covered with solar panels, you could put together one heck of an "Energy Pod" or "Sustainability Stash" if you would. Throw in a composting toilet, and a wood burning stove, and you could stay lost for a pretty long time.
Of course, I'm just throwing stuff up against the wall here, but that's half the fun of dreaming about all this stuff.
Lucky Mike said
05:42 PM Jan 29, 2014
you did wonderful mark!!!!...your going to make a good prepper during the zombie apocalypse!!
Mark V said
06:11 PM Jan 29, 2014
Thanks Mike. One video that caught my attention was this:
Now, these people don't have nearly enough battery storage, and admit as such right off the bat. They really aren't able to take full advantage of the solar power that's available to them, but still manage to live quite well with what they do have, and that's a pair of 6 volt batteries.
Russ Ranger said
06:52 PM Jan 29, 2014
Mike,
Zombie apocalypse!! Another contingency to plan for.... will our tin foil hats protect us from Zombies?
Wrapping my computer in tin foil didn't help at all. The "Black Screen of Death" was able to penetrate your not so great advice.
You get one more chance.
Mark V said
07:24 PM Jan 29, 2014
Russ Ranger wrote:
Mike,
Zombie apocalypse!! Another contingency to plan for.... will our tin foil hats protect us from Zombies?
Wrapping my computer in tin foil didn't help at all.
_____________________
But just think of all the tin foil you'd be able to haul around in the cargo trailer!
Lucky Mike said
07:25 PM Jan 29, 2014
Save the foil!!!......you will need it for the solar oven!!!!
WendysPhotos said
07:58 PM Jan 29, 2014
Mike you always make my day with your wonderful advice!!!!
Mark that is the Wynns and they actually just received a new DP from Forrest River (they basically gave them it for promotion). It has a lot more batteries and other stuff for them to expand their boondocking. www.gonewiththewynns.com
Sushidog said
10:42 PM Jan 29, 2014
Mark V wrote:
Russ Ranger wrote:
Mike,
Zombie apocalypse!! Another contingency to plan for.... will our tin foil hats protect us from Zombies?
Wrapping my computer in tin foil didn't help at all.
_____________________
But just think of all the tin foil you'd be able to haul around in the cargo trailer!
No, but tinfoil will make a nice Faraday cage to protect your electrinics from an EMP spike following a nuclear attack.
Not that this would ever happen but there is crazy N. Korea and even crazier Ahmadinejad and Iran's frantic bomb building program. I'm just sayin'.......
It helps make a nice baked potato too. Let's just hope we're not the potato.
Chip
Selah said
10:12 AM Jan 30, 2014
Russ, silly person; everyone knows tin foil hats are not for zombies. Tinfoil hats are for aliens, garlic necklaces are for zombies... No wait, that's not right. Oh cr@p! Maybe a magnetic rail gun. What to do! What to Do!
To a lesser extent the OP has some good ideas for doing an extended boon dock
-- Edited by Selah on Thursday 30th of January 2014 10:15:33 AM
Reading and responding to the threads about Propane and Toads got me to thinking. I was looking at a wide assortment of RV's in different configurations, and their primary restrictions when it comes to boondocking all seem to be universal: Water / Power / Food.
So, as I was looking at a 24 ft. Leisure Travel Mercedes with a small 3 liter diesel engine, I noticed that it was still capable of towing up to 5,000 pounds. Looking further at some of the Class A diesel pushers, I was surprised to see that some of the larger ones can pull up to 15,000 pounds. At any rate, just about every make and type of RV either comes with a trailer hitch, or is capable of supporting one.
But back to that Class B, I was thinking that you could tow quite a bit of stuff at that particular limit, even with the weight of the cargo trailer subtracted. Now I'll be using some extremes here for each of these individual resources, just to give myself a rough idea as to what is possible with each: For example, a plastic, 300 gallon water tank, filled to capacity weighs roughly 2,700 pounds. A pair of 120 gallon LPG tanks is roughly 1,300 pounds. I haven't done much research on Solar, but from what I've seen a 480 watt array with half a dozen deep cycle batteries doesn't appear to weigh much more than 1,000 pounds.
Now .... if you had a small, twin axle cargo container, properly outfitted, say something around 12' x 7', and covered with solar panels, you could put together one heck of an "Energy Pod" or "Sustainability Stash" if you would. Throw in a composting toilet, and a wood burning stove, and you could stay lost for a pretty long time.
Of course, I'm just throwing stuff up against the wall here, but that's half the fun of dreaming about all this stuff.
Thanks Mike. One video that caught my attention was this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_3893045821&feature=iv&src_vid=UVcvoL5Khpo&v=Kbrwhq4ooWs
Now, these people don't have nearly enough battery storage, and admit as such right off the bat. They really aren't able to take full advantage of the solar power that's available to them, but still manage to live quite well with what they do have, and that's a pair of 6 volt batteries.
Zombie apocalypse!! Another contingency to plan for.... will our tin foil hats protect us from Zombies?
Wrapping my computer in tin foil didn't help at all. The "Black Screen of Death" was able to penetrate your not so great advice.
You get one more chance.
Mark that is the Wynns and they actually just received a new DP from Forrest River (they basically gave them it for promotion). It has a lot more batteries and other stuff for them to expand their boondocking. www.gonewiththewynns.com
No, but tinfoil will make a nice Faraday cage to protect your electrinics from an EMP spike following a nuclear attack.
Not that this would ever happen but there is crazy N. Korea and even crazier Ahmadinejad and Iran's frantic bomb building program. I'm just sayin'.......
It helps make a nice baked potato too. Let's just hope we're not the potato.
Chip
Russ, silly person; everyone knows tin foil hats are not for zombies. Tinfoil hats are for aliens, garlic necklaces are for zombies... No wait, that's not right. Oh cr@p! Maybe a magnetic rail gun.
What to do! What to Do!
To a lesser extent the OP has some good ideas for doing an extended boon dock
-- Edited by Selah on Thursday 30th of January 2014 10:15:33 AM