| Transient Shelters, Part 6 |
 |
 |
|
RV Features At a minimum your RV will contain a bed (or beds), a table, and food preparation and storage areas. Larger, more expensive units will also have their own bathroom, a refrigerator, and may include a living room and a master bedroom. They may also have a converter, which changes the AC current found at camp hookups to the DC power needed to run most of the on-board appliances. Fancier units will have satellite TV, satellite Internet, slide-out sections (some slide out on both sides of the unit to make an enormous living room), and awnings. These road-hogs are usually big enough that they can also tow a small vehicle or a trailer loaded with ATVs. RV Prices New RVs can run from as little as $12,000 to as much as $2 million; $80,000 will buy a very large, practical, livable arrangement. (There are many for sale in my area for prices as low as $6,000.) Anything more than this is impractical, and the money would be better spent greening the mansion that the owners live in when they're not "roughing it." RVs are great, especially if you actually have an off-grid RV unit. But let's face it: The majority of RVers are upper-middle-class kids looking for cushy digs in their cosmic quests for whatever, and the rest of them are retired people who just don't give two cents about green living in comparison to personal comfort and ease. Don't disrespect your own intelligence by thinking that staying at an RV park or an improved campground with all the amenities and full hookups is living off the grid. It's not even close. Boondocking is an RVer's term that means total off-grid living. Because of their high profile, it's hard for boondockers to find someplace to stay for any length of time without being accused of squatting. In the West, the Bureau of Land Management offers camping at no cost in most places, and although there could be limits on the number of days you can stay at a single site, another site is usually just down the road. Powering RV Utilities The "house batteries" of most RVs consist of a 12-volt system in parallel circuits to maintain voltage but to increase amperage. The batteries are kept separate and isolated from the interior of the vehicle, and are isolated from the vehicle battery. Batteries are rated in amp hours: amp hours x volts = watt-hours (the measure of how long a load can be run). Many RVs that use photovoltaic (PV) systems go with 24 x 36-inch panels that produce 100 to 120 watts. Since most RVs have both 12-volt and 120-volt systems, the inverters in an RV are likely to be rated to 1,500 to 2,000 watts. Unless the house batteries are beefed up or the solar array is enlarged, the performance of the 120-volt system may fall short of your needs. The 12-volt system in the RV has its own fuses (usually automotive), receptacles, wiring, and power sources. Fuses are usually located behind a metal panel near where the power cord enters the RV. The correct size and rating is indicated by the color of the fuse and the number printed on it. Using more than 50 percent of the battery capacity can permanently damage the RV batteries. |
Discuss this item on the forums. (0 posts)