Humless generator & small flexible panels??

[Kathleen]

To keep warm you need to pay attention to the weather.  Right now Alaska has chilled.  It is cold.  According to National Weather Service the Western US should be getting cold in 6 to 8 days.  To quote them: On Wednesday afternoon next week, temperatures are forecast to be 20 to 30 degrees colder than normal in much of the Rockies and western Plains. Now might be a good time to head towards Corpus Christi, Texas, if you are inclined to visit relatives there. 

I went to New Jersey to my daughter's house before Thanksgiving.  It was too cold for me. I am back in Florida now.  I have the mobility adVANtage.

I'm not ready to hit the road. Family coming to visit, months of sorting all I own, weeks of yard sales, maybe a move. Meanwhile I watch the videos, read the blogs, view products, and learn from the forum. Numero uno, I own a van.

I check weather forecasts daily. At 7k feet you have to. Below zero is not uncommon here. One year we got 40 inches of snow in 2 days. Another year it dipped to 20 below and thousands of homes lost fuel. Life in the mountain west...

 

[Kathleen]

heating anything with electricity is very inefficient.  doesn't matter if it's 220VAC,  120VAC,  or 12VDC.  I would look for more efficient power sources for the heating side.  with those out of the system solar is totally doable for you.  I have never seen a 12V stove,  do you have a link?  highdesertranger

which means what: solar would keep a small dometic fridge/freezer, like the one in the minvan video, my pc and phone charged? How many 100 watt panels would I need for that? If I find a link for a 12V stove I'll post it. thanks for the info.

 

[highdesertranger]

I don't know what video or refrigerator you are referring to. however running a 12v compressor refer and charging your lap top and phone, 200 watts in panels would be plenty of course as with any solar you need a way to store the energy so you would need a battery. highdesertranger

 

[Kathleen]

I don't know what video or refrigerator you are referring to.  however running a 12v compressor refer and charging your lap top and phone,  200 watts in panels would be plenty of course as with any solar you need a way to store the energy so you would need a battery.  highdesertranger

Cheaprvliving video, Living in a Kia Sedona Minivan, small Dometic Fridge/Freezer. I watched that several times, since I just bought a minivan. The man interviewed had it really well organized inside. No solar, but he installed the right system to generate the power he needed. Good to know 200 watts would be enough for my needs, with heat from another source.

 

[Kathleen]

I'd just go with a dog , like the Doc prescribed .
For just a little heat,,,, a little dog .  
For more heat,,,,a medium dog or two little ones .
For a lot of heat,,,,a big dog or a bunch of little ones .
For no heat,,,,get the dogs their own sleeping bag .
Fuel = a bag of kibble .

If you're allergic to dogs , Poodles come in several sizes........

I'm already wondering how I'll handle hoarder-itis in my minivan. Outdoor gear, all seasons clothing, and 12 (Ok, 20) pairs of boots, shoes and sandals. It's going to be a whole new world. I'm already looking at bigger vans. Could sell my minivan in a heartbeat.

No room for a dog in my T & C Touring. But if I kick the van size up a notch it might be good to have the breed that keeps bears away. I was caretaker of a ranch outside of Ystone's east gate. There was a bear paw print in the dust on the kitchen window where a cub peered in under the porch. The owner liked it and refused to wash that window.

A creek encircled the house. Scat appeared by the stream near the sliding glass doors where I slept at night. Soon a big black bear showed up eating chokecherries outside my bedroom window. The grizz stayed 1,000 feet further up the dirt road. I met a lady who had huge A frame windows on the front side of her house. One night she heard weird noises. She walked through the dark to flip the lights on at the window. There stood a grizz on its hind legs on the other side of the glass.

She just about fainted at the sight of it, and Wyoming women don't scare easy. But imagine that encounter. So her husband provided her with several dogs, name begins with a K. Bred in Russia, I believe. They're medium size dogs, but bears do not like them. Even grizz stay away. Once she got her dogs she was never troubled by bears again.

One of my favorite outdoor activities is wildlife observation and encounters. Don't think I'll give that up for the warmth and protection dogs can provide. I love the wild critters too much.

 

[Kathleen]

Florida has very  good PR, it is NOT a very sunny state.

Arizona has the most days of sunshine a year at 198, Florida has 101 and ranks 23rd of all states.
https://www.currentresults.com/Weather/US/average-annual-state-sunshine.php

Yuma Arizona is the single sunniest place in the USA with sunshine 90% of the year. Quartzsite is in the high 80's.

You want sunshine, go to Arizona.

Thanks for chiming in, Bob. My family lived in FL for generations. Nice place to fly in for a snowbird vacation but I have no intention of driving there. I'm a Westerner at heart.

AZ, my former state of residence, beats NM, my current location. Yes, that chart shows AZ gets quite a few more days of sunshine. Good for solar.

 

[Gadget728]

Is Generator REALLY the correct term for that box? I'm certainly no expert, but that device looks like a fancy battery pack with a built in charge controller and inverter. I guess the combination of the solar panels & the storage box could be considered an energy generator, BUT, you are dependent on the sun being out. Without the sun, it would not only be humless it would be powerless and useless.
The box by itself only generates one thing, profit for the company. AND- It's overpriced!