14 Comments
Joe
3/11/2018 09:24:10 pm
I find this very interesting and surprised that some things are more efficient than i thot.
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theboondork
3/11/2018 10:26:04 pm
Yeah about the only thing that doesn't work well with batteries is the air conditioner and anything that has a heating element in it like the refrigerator running on AC. But if you've got enough batteries and the space to put them you can run just about anything.
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Tim
3/12/2018 01:51:05 pm
Thanks Tom - That's some great information. I bought a "Killiwatt" meter a few years ago, but just took it out of it's package a few weeks ago. You can plug anything with an AC plug into it and plug it in the wall and it tells you how many amps the appliance is pulling. In preparation for going full time, I've been going around checking everything. I haven't been keeping the numbers, but was surprised how efficient the LED bulbs are; I was also shocked at how many amps the waffle maker used (oh no, that will be the ultimate sacrifice to leave the waffle maker behind).
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theboondork
3/12/2018 04:50:33 pm
The little electric meter I put in the Arctic Fox work similar to the killiwatt meter except that it measures all the electricity coming into the house and all of the electricity going out, so to find out how much individual things are using I have to turn off everything and then turn on that one thing.
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Tim
3/13/2018 07:31:46 am
That's a good solution to the waffle iron. Probably be easier to clean up as well.
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theboondork
3/13/2018 10:42:47 am
Cleaning up pots, pans, dishes, and even waffle irons are very water intensive, and water is something you need to conserve while boondocking. You may find that it's best to have nonstick cookware and just wipe out the pots and pans instead of washing them, and before you start thinking that sounds kind of icky, my Mom had some cast-iron skillet's that had been wiped out not washed for 50 years or more and we kids all survived.
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Tim
3/13/2018 11:19:14 am
My current electric waffle iron is non stick and you can't submerse it. The instructions just recommend wiping the surface with a paper towel after cooking, which is what I do. It looks clean and I figure any germs are killed by the heat anyway. For pans, I use some that have a white non-stick surface on them and there is no residue at all after cooking; you could probably just wipe them down as well, but I wash them now in the sink. I've also seen videos of RV people using a spray bottle with a vinegar solution to clean their cooking utensils. Looks like something I would like to try, but probably that isn't even necessary.
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theboondork
3/13/2018 02:08:49 pm
I like the vinegar idea rather than using soap to wash the dishes. You see it's not the washing that uses up a lot of water, it's the rinsing. So anything they can cut down on the rinsing will save a lot of water.
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Tim
3/14/2018 08:59:43 am
I checked a few electrical appliances last night with the Killiwat and here are the numbers I got. Keep in mind these are 110 volt AC, so the draw in 12 volt DC (if using an inverter), would be more amps, because of the lower voltage (Tom - I know you know this, but in case someone else is reading this that's not familiar with electricity). I've put the approximate DC voltage in parenthesis, using an online calculator (also, some inverters are more efficient than others, so these numbers would vary slightly):
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theboondork
3/14/2018 10:54:20 am
Thanks for that Tim I'm sure a lot of people will find that information useful.
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Tim
3/14/2018 11:59:49 am
I noticed the following decimal points is in the wrong places. I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't miss something else as well.
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theboondork
3/14/2018 02:09:48 pm
Well, I guess it's back to vacuuming again for me, it was a brief moment of freedom but enjoyed nonetheless.
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Tim
3/14/2018 02:59:32 pm
In most cases, I don't think I'll need the 15K AC and wouldn't request it, but all of their units have it. Their starting prices are about the best I've seen anywhere and it would be the most convenient, so I would probably take it. However, my Dad does live in the South and I could see potential situations where I might have to be there during the hot months (but not out of choice).
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theboondork
3/14/2018 05:13:24 pm
If you get a 27 – 5L with levelers that will lift it off the ground... I will be very jealous.
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