Saving Energy On A Family Camping Trip

04 Wednesday Aug 2021

Posted by Coach-Net in Kids and Camping, The Great Outdoors

Tags

camping with kids, Clean Living, Family Camping, Green Camping, Green Living, green RVing, Save Energy

There are now 94.5 million camper households throughout North America, with RV ownership at an all-time high of 13 million households. A little over 50% of RV users bring along their family when camping, according to Kampgrounds of America. Camping is mostly seen as a respite from everyday life, but parents may find that it’s also a wonderful opportunity for the whole family to learn how to save energy. Awareness and the practice of energy-saving lower the costs of camping, and lead to taking care of nature – the very thing that campers are enthusiastic about.

Clean Resources

Each family member should understand what green energy is in order to make good choices. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says that using clean renewables reduces the need for importing energy and decreases the use of “dirty” fossil fuels. Field trips, games, and role-modeling are some of the ways that even younger children can discover that solar, hydro, wind, geothermal and biomass are sources of clean energy. Through familiarity, each family member will be able to come up with ideas on how to make use of renewable resources to save energy.

Conserving Energy

You can start going green by using the most popular type of renewable energy. Install solar panels on your RV to conserve energy. Solar energy is practically free, and is obviously in abundance wherever you go, even when it’s cloudy. It keeps the appliances, lights, chargers and heaters going. If your campsites don’t have electrical hook-ups, you can still enjoy watching TV, have a cool drink from your refrigerator, or ensure you have light to read by at night.

You can also reduce your energy consumption by hanging wet clothes on a clothesline rather than using a dryer. Wind is another free natural resource. Together with the sun, it can dry whatever you wash, and a clothesline can easily be constructed wherever you’re camping. Using less propane is also a good goal. The Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education says that propane is a popular choice for campers because of its portability, but it also produces carbon dioxide, the leading cause of climate change. Instead of propane, get that grill going and barbecue to your heart’s content. Cooking outdoors is an exciting activity for the whole family, and everyone can take part in the preparation and cooking.

Cutting Down On Electricity

Organize your fridge, and arrange your food and drinks neatly so that it’s not over-packed. RV fridges work best when there’s space for air to circulate. Find ways to lessen the need to open the refrigerator door. This will make it run more efficiently, and thus, conserve energy.

Family members can take turns in cooking outdoors. It saves electricity and keeps your RV’s interior cooler resulting in less air conditioner use. Assign specific people to check leaks, cover vents that let the heat out, and identify appliances or anything that may be turned on, but is not being used.

There are many more ways to care for the RV and save energy while you’re camping: the trick is to make it fun and treat everything as an adventure. Over time, energy conservation, even while camping, will be second nature to the whole family.

Author: Alicia Rennoll

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Planning a Fun and Environmentally Friendly Camping Trip

18 Wednesday Mar 2020

Posted by Coach-Net in Healthy Lifestyle, The Great Outdoors, Tips & Tricks

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Camping Safe, Environmental-Friendly RV, go green, going green, green RVing

Whether you park your RV or pitch a tent, camping is a great way to commune with nature. Even so, all too many campers and outdoor enthusiasts end up damaging the very natural resources they have come to appreciate. If you do not want to repeat their mistakes, you need to build environmental responsibility and care for natural resources into your camping adventures.

Planning an environmentally responsible camping trip is not difficult, nor is it expensive. Here are some simple ways to care for the environment and preserve the natural resources you’ve come to appreciate.

Ditch the Disposables

If you go through the trash cans at the average campground, you will see lots of plastic forks and disposable plates, and all that refuse adds up. If you want to do your part, ditch the disposables and bring your own silverware and plates.

You do not have to bring the fine china – just pack in a few reusable plates and enough silverware for the family. Make sure your camping cookware is reusable as well, so you will not have to leave anything behind when you leave.

Check the Rules

Every campground has its own set of rules, and they are generally posted on or near the administrative office. Before you park your RV or pitch your tent, be sure to read and abide by those rules.

From where to park to how to dispose of your garbage, these rules are there for a reason. Abiding by them will make your life, and the lives of your fellow campers, much easier.

Cook the Natural Way

Cooking stoves fueled with propane may be convenient, but they are not the most environmentally responsible options. Instead of packing in the propane, cook the natural way – with firewood.

Wood is easy to gather, easy to use and environmentally friendly. Once your cooking fire is going, you can make your meals, roast marshmallows or just bask in the warm glow.

Stay With Your Fire

Cooking over a wood fire is a smart thing to do, but be sure your fire is out before you leave it. Never leave a campfire unattended, and make sure the heat has dissipated before turning in for the night.

Check the fire, stir the embers and check it again. You can never be too careful when it comes to wildfires, so check and double-check your campfire before you leave the area.

Control Your Pets

Camping with your pet can be a lot of fun, but it is important to be a responsible pet parent. Always keep your pet on a leash, and never allow it to wander unsupervised. Feel free to visit your camping neighbors, but always ask if you can bring your pet along.

Uncontrolled pets can do significant damage to the local wildlife, so know where your animals are when you walk or hike. You can let your pet off-leash if the rules allow, but make sure the animal is under control and will come when called.

Whether you are a first-time camper or an old pro, you want to leave your campsite, and the surrounding environment, as good, or better, than you left it. From picking out what you pack in and dousing your fire the right way to keeping your pet under control and respecting the rules, the steps you take when camping can have a major impact on the natural resources you love so much.

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Green Cleaning Solutions For Your RV

18 Wednesday Dec 2019

Posted by Coach-Net in Tips & Tricks

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going green, Green Cleaning, green RVing, RV cleaning tips, RV tech tip, RV Tips, RVing

Green Cleaning Solutions For Your RV

RV ownership is more popular than ever — over nine million families in the U.S. currently own one, the RV Industry Association reports. Keeping your RV interiors nice and clean is an important part of ownership. Dirt gets tracked in by shoes, dust blows in through open windows, and general grime quickly accumulates on bathroom and kitchen surfaces. Fortunately, there are several eco-friendly cleaning solutions that can keep your RV clean while minimizing your environmental impact.

Green cleaning products

Conventional cleaning products are certainly effective, but they’re full of synthetic chemicals that harm the environment and human health. In particular, volatile organic compounds, phosphorus, nitrogen, and ammonia are commonly found in the household cleaners typically used to clean RVs. These chemicals are some of the worst pollutants of water and air, as identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. You can eliminate these chemicals from your cleaning routine by making your own natural cleaning products. Natural ingredients are better for the environment and just as effective as conventional cleaners.

For example, a DIY paste of baking soda, vinegar, and water can be used to clean your counters, stove, and bathroom. Vinegar and water can also be used to clean glass and mirrors. Using a minimal number of multi-purpose natural ingredients is cheaper, simplifies your cleaning routine, and takes up less space in your RV.

Robot vacuums

Even if you already have a comprehensive central vacuum system for your RV, a secondary robot vacuum is essential for those times when you’re low on time, energy, or power required to operate the central vac. A robot vacuum can effortlessly navigate your RV to vacuum the floors for you — no matter what type of floor surface you have. Smart models can connect to the Wi-Fi, which means you can control it with voice commands or smartphone apps from any location. Many models are also specifically designed to get into the tight corners and hard-to-reach areas you typically find in RVs. Robot vacuums are also eco-friendly because they’re battery-powered, which means they end up using less energy than regular plug-in cleaners.

Robot mops

A good mop is essential for cleaning any wood, tile, and laminate floors in your RV. In particular, robot mops are a new technology that simplifies cleaning your floors greatly. They’re fitted with cutting-edge sensors able to navigate your RV and mop your floor for you. Getting around compact spaces and tight corners is no problem for robot mops. They’re also able to precisely spray cleaning solution onto the floor while taking care not to hit your furniture. If you have a robot mop with a Wi-Fi connection, you’ll be able to set the mop’s route and schedule with an app on your smartphone. Many models of robot mop are also eco-friendly — look for ones that use reusable cleaning pads. They’re also very efficient cleaners, which use up to 80% less water than conventional mops.

Eco-friendly doormats

Investing in a good-quality doormat for your RV is a simple yet effective solution to keep dirt and mud at bay. It’ll also lessen the amount of time you spend vacuuming and mopping the floors. Look for a mat made from eco-friendly materials like recycled rubber, natural jute, or coconut fibers. Once it wears out, it’ll biodegrade, which is much better for the environment. Remember to also regularly vacuum your mat front and back. Additionally vacuuming the back of the mat helps dislodge any dirt embedded on the front.

Keeping your RV clean doesn’t have to be expensive, labor-intensive, or involve strong chemicals. With these smart eco-friendly products and devices, you can keep your RV floors and surfaces clean with minimal time and effort.

About the author: Ali Walker

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Solar RVing – Part 2

10 Friday Apr 2015

Posted by Coach-Net in RV Information, Tech Tips

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

go green, green RVing, RV Life, RV travel, solar RVing

Welcome back to Solar RVing! Part 1 discussed the benefits of using solar panels on your RV travels. Part 2 will focus on what it will take to transition into using solar panels in order to harness the free energy shining down from above.

Not all RV solar panels are alike, so it’s important that you get one that can address your energy needs. Here are a few items to consider when choosing the right solar panels:

1. Know how much power you actually need

You can buy a recording meter/battery monitor to help determine this or you can calculate it yourself.

2. Calculate the battery bank capacity you’ll need

Your RV batteries should have a total capacity that is four times the amount of your daily power consumption. And remember that in order to keep your RV batteries running smoothly, you need to make sure that their discharge never goes beyond 25% of their total capacity.

3. Compute your RV solar panel wattage

Your RV’s solar panel wattage will determine just how much output in watts you will need from your solar panels to keep your RV batteries charging continuously. Take into consideration that your required RV solar panel wattage depends on your location. The sunnier it is, the lower wattage you will need. The cloudier it is, the more wattage you will need. For example, the south typically gets plenty of sunshine; therefore, 1 watt of solar panel output for every 1 amp-hour of battery capacity is recommended. For cloudy areas, 1.5 watts of solar panel output for every 1 amp-hour of battery capacity is recommended. The amount of sunlight you can harvest using your solar panels will be greatly reduced on cloudy and rainy days.

4. Check the RV solar panel’s specifications before you buy it

Make sure you pay extra attention to the solar panel’s watt rating, peak power in amps and in volts, and tolerance.

The solar panel’s watt rating should correspond to your daily power consumption
The peak power in amps measures the total amount of power in amps that your solar panel will produce when there is full sunlight. This specification will come in handy when you are buying a solar charge controller.
The peak power in volts gives you the total amount of power in volts that your solar panel will produce when there is full sunlight. This specification is important when determining the efficiency of your solar panel. The higher the number, the more efficient the solar panel is.
Tolerance refers to power loss in the solar panel. The lower the percentage of tolerance that panel has, the better its performance is.

There are custom systems that can be professionally installed and less expensive, do-it-yourself solar kits if you’re savvy in this sort of thing. You can increase the efficiency of your RV solar panels by giving thought to the layout of your RV’s interior before you put up your solar panels. When you have a solar panel on your RV, you need to park your rig so that your solar panel tilts to the south. So you won’t waste your harnessed solar energy, it will help if your appliances are situated on the cooler side of your RV where they won’t get a lot of direct sunlight.

Once you install a solar panel on the roof of your rig, the amount of solar energy available for your RV solar panels to harness depends on a number of factors, including whether it’s full sunshine, or if your RV is parked on a shady spot. You’ll need to be able to regulate the voltage output using a solar charge controller. A solar charge controller will help ensure that your solar panels will produce enough power for your needs and also prevent your solar panels from mooching power from your batteries at night when there is no sunlight.

In a few years, solar will be everywhere. There is emotional satisfaction in having a high degree of energy independence and of knowing we have helped to pave the way to clean, sustainable solar power that can ensure a brighter future for our children and grandchildren.

Solar RVing – Part 1

03 Friday Apr 2015

Posted by Coach-Net in RV Information

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

go green, green RVing, RV travel, solar RVing

Every time you turn around, there’s more in the news about going green. You have probably even met some fellow RVers out there finding ways to conserve energy and save a few bucks along the way. But what does it really mean? In Part 1 we will explore the many benefits of solar RVing. And stay tuned for Part 2 as we’ll dive into what it will take to transition into using solar panels on your adventures.

So what are the benefits of solar RVing?

You don’t have to be completely dependent on electric hookups

Seasoned RVers have probably experienced the frustration of getting a site with an electric hookup that is either faulty, prone to surges, or is not appropriate for your RV. With a solar panel system installed on your RV, you don’t have to worry about electric hookups anymore. You have the freedom to camp wherever you want, for extended periods, and still be able to enjoy using your electrical appliances.
You don’t have to rely on gas-powered generators

Generators are potential fire hazards and extremely noisy. The fumes emitted are very smelly and can be dangerous to inhale. Solar panels are safe, clean and have no moving parts. They work silently and you don’t have to buy expensive fuel to get them running.
Your power supply is free and limitless

You’ll have to invest in your RV’s solar panel equipment first; however, you can definitely recover your investment within a couple of years, and you can enjoy free energy for years to come.
You don’t have to worry about doing maintenance work on your solar panels

Solar panels generally require very little maintenance since there are no moving parts. A few times a year, the panels should be inspected for any dirt or debris that may collect on them.
You can earn a 30% tax credit

Under the Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008, you can qualify to claim a 30% solar investment tax credit if you have solar panels installed on your RV anytime between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2016.
You can extend the life of your RV’s batteries

Batteries need to be recharged gradually and must not be allowed to discharge beyond 25% of its capacity. Solar panel systems can provide this gradual recharge. (Note: After batteries are charged, you may need to convert to a 110 VAC through an inverter to ensure there is enough power to run large appliances.

One of the top reasons we love to RV is the ability to appreciate the beauty of nature in our RV road trips. Using safe and sustainable energy to power our way while traveling is one of the best ways to keep this beauty alive and it gives a bit of self-satisfaction that we have done our share in preserving the environment. Your pocketbook will thank you too!

Coach-Net

~ Travel and Adventure Blog

Tag Archives: green RVing