View Single Post
Old 09-09-15, 01:35 PM   #12
nibs
Apprentice EcoRenovator
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 206
Thanks: 1
Thanked 18 Times in 17 Posts
Default

The first year we went full time in our rv we picked up a "blue flame" chimneyless propane heater, it uses little propane compared to the furnace, and no electricity.
It will heat our rv quite nicely, we turn it off at night and in the morning light it and the furnace if necessary. Works in temps well under freezing.
For the 5th wheel put a couple of golf cart batteries in the bed of the truck so that they get charged when you use the truck, then disconnect them from the truck and connect them to the trailer batteries.
The typical charging set up from truck to trailer is hopeless run a heavy guage wire from the truck battery to the trailer battery with an 80 amp fuse at either end.
There are lots of things you can do to cut cooling bills, we put a track along the opposite side of the trailer from the awning and slide shade cloth into it, you can guy it to stop it flapping, or get fancy and put up a conduit frame to make a second awning area, getting the sides of the trailer out of the sun helps a lot.
Solar panels on the roof with an air gap will shade the roof from sun which will help.
Put a water tank in the back of the truck with a 12v rv pump so you can get water when you go to town. You can drop grey water on the ground, it may be illegal but it does no harm. You can get 5 gallon black plastic shower bags, fill them up leave them in the sun, and you can have hot water for outside shower or for dishes.
15 yrs full time in an rv, 8 yrs full time in a sail boat.
nibs is offline   Reply With Quote