Going off grid in our motorhome

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Going off grid in our motorhome ‘Bryony’

In a few weeks’ time we will be heading away once more to North Wales and this time we will be doing a few days ‘off-grid’. We will be seeking out car parks to overnight in and also staying on one or two sites where there will be no EHU available.

We haven’t done it before, so there will be lots of new learning we suspect. To this aim, we have started to jot down what we think we might need to do/consider in order to get the best use of energy from our one Yuasa 105 Amh leisure battery and 80w solar panel:

•        Fill up the gas tank before we leave; ditto with the freshwater tank and make sure the waste tank is completely empty. I guess we fill up the toilet cistern tank as well

•        Take a few portable power banks for tablet and mobile phone along with my portable expedition folding solar panel. Make sure that the powerbanks are all fully charged. Likewise, make sure the leisure and vehicle batteries are as fully charged as they can be and check that the solar panels are working correctly

•        Have a couple of push-button battery-operated LED lights to use in the evening instead of the moho lights

•        Use gas for the cooker, fridge and heating

•        Use the 12v electric for toilet flush and water pump

·             Download from iPlayer any TV programmes or series we want to watch

•        Turn off the water pump, hot water and toilet flush when not in use

•        Never use the extractor fan or microwave

•        Charge up devices when driving between destinations

•        Conserve water by not leaving taps running when washing, brushing teeth and washing up (water conservation, we tend to do this anyway)

•        Have fewer and shorter showers

•        Use public toilets were possible to stretch out the time before having to empty the toilet cassette

•        Cook simple one pot meals on these ‘off-grid’ nights to reduce the amount of washing up; use paper towel to clean as much of the pot/plates as possible before washing up

We also thought it might be sensible for us as beginners to have an 'off-grid' site picked out and then have a couple of spare 'alternatives' just in case we arrive to find our chosen off grid site is occupied! We tend to use park4night and search4sites apps and I also do a google earth search as well. I am looking for things like height barrier restrictions, signage banning overnight camping or parking, proximity to residential properties, slope angle, etc. 

 

Etiquette wise, we have done some initial thinking based on our own beliefs but also observations of other motorhomers and campervanners who perhaps should have known better:

•        We will NEVER empty our toilet cassette in a layby, a parking space or a public toilet for that matter, irrespective of whether we are using ‘green’ chemicals or not

•        Likewise, neither will be we be lifting manhole covers and tipping it down there. If worst comes to worst, we will ring a few sites we pass and see if we can pay to stop off and empty it at their Elsan point

•        We will only use biodegradable detergents in our grey waste water and avoid discharging it unless we absolutely have to

•        We won’t spoil someone else’s enjoyment of tranquillity; so if we find the small layby we were hoping to use is already occupied, we will move on

•        We won’t be hanging out our washing to dry, leaving our seats and windbreak out etc. There won't be any fire lighting or BBQ'ing

Safety wise, it is probably sensible not to use levelling ramps (unless we can drive off them directly and keep going), not use an external silver screen and not share photos of our pitch to Facebook on the night we are there. Similarly, it would seem sensible to make sure that even with the bed made up, we have arranged the interior so that we could, in an emergency, drive away immediately. So no turning around the front seats, no loose equipment left lying around; everything put away and ship shape for that night we are off grid. 

It sounds like we are preachy and paranoid. We aren’t; just respectful of others (acknowledging our responsibilities to ourselves, our local neighbours, other motorhomers and the environment) and cautious.

If you think we have missed any strategy to make off grid camping life better (other than more batteries and solar panels); or if you have suggestions for etiquette, then drop us a comment and we will add them in.

As we do some more off-grid motorhoming we know that we may then need to investigate whether or not to get an extra leisure battery, solar panel and possibly an inverter fitted. My gut feeling is probably not to all three. I suspect we will be able to easily do a couple of nights off grid and it will be the toilet cassette that becomes the limiting factor rather than the power and gas. 

 In the meantime, wherever you are, happy motorhoming and stay safe.

Steve and Maggie