How I Plan To Power This Girl Up

When I bought Laverne the generator was long gone, which was really no surprise to me.  She's thirty years old, after all.  It probably broke down or was sold, who knows?  The generator compartment was being used as storage for the old sewer hose and some junk, which came with her at no additional charge.  I cleared all that out and decided to revamp it inside to make a better and much cleaner storage area.

Some of you have inquired as to what my plans are for various things, including the generator.  Can I just tell you it thrills me to death how much interest you all seem to have in Laverne, my plans with her and the improvement projects I've been doing?  I love sharing all of this with you and I am so happy you enjoy hearing about it.

I like simple systems.  Things that are easy enough to work on and maintain as well as to use work really well for me.  On board generators are great and if Laverne still had hers I'd work with it, but since she doesn't I have no desire to seek out a replacement.  They are expensive and have to be hooked up to the motorhomes's engine fuel system.  I've heard of people running their generators so much they didn't have enough fuel to make it back to town and I don't want to have worry about that.  Instead I'll be outfitting her with a portable generator and a gas can.

Whenever I'm boondocking or dry camping, whichever you prefer, I'll be able to use the generator to run the A/C or a vacuum cleaner, or even my sewing machine.  Laverne is very well equipped to run on 12 volt power and propane so I won't need much electricity, but if I want it, it would be nice to have.  So a smaller generator with enough guts to run the A/C will be all I'll need.  Laverne came with a receiver hitch and one possible scenario is to add a cargo tray to the back to hold a tool box, gas can and the generator.  I have a few ideas in my head and that is one of them.

I am not going to put in any type of elaborate solar setup.  I do not want to put solar panels on the roof and I don't want to give up precious cargo space to store a bank of batteries and all the equipment that is required to run everything.  I do have my eye on a Yeti generator with a portable solar panel that will work for charging electronics and run my little Crockpot or a toaster.  That is as elaborate as I want to get.

There is room in my current coach battery bay to add more deep cycle batteries and more than likely I will.  I believe I have enough room to add two more in there to extend my 12 volt systems to run longer between charges.  I can charge those batteries using the generator, shore power or by flipping a switch while the engine is running and I drive down the road.

My current plan will be to alternate between dry camping and RV parks.  I figure I'll be out in the wilds, so to speak, about a week at a time and then head to an RV park for some civilization, a long hot shower and to dump my holding tanks and refill with fresh water.  Then back out I'll go.

So that is the plan so far.  Always subject to change, of course.  You will just have to hang in there with me to see how it all turns out.