if you need this much watts, do this

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This is important for deciding what you need. Why those places? Every state west of where you live has millions of acres of public land you can camp on, and you can find nice weather all year by moving around.

IMO, it's best to start minimal. If you like to motorcycle trip, then it seems that would be very minimal, plus a lot of weather exposure. Having a more luxurious experience in a van would be very easy!

Will you be full time or just taking trips? What part of the country, and what time of year? What sort of rig do you have in mind?
Why those places? I managed a trucking company for years and that's what I'm familiar with. Now, my intro thread talked about a marathon road trip I hope to repeat AND my "retirement" plan is to spend 6 months or so of each year somewhere cooler, and the other 6 somewhere warmer, if you follow.

Yeah, the bike trips were minimal. Those were days. We cheated and hoteled a lot, though. And I agree that a van-camp experience will not be quite as minimal as that.

I envision full-timing, though practically I know it'll take a bit to work up to that. I have years to ramp up into this. I think the best rig for this job will be a DIY minivan conversion, because 1) I'm handy enough to do it and keep it functioning 100%, 2) it'll give me the freedom/flexibility to build it out over time, 3) I won't have to deal with a trailer or other rig when I stop at places I want to be.

All my questions about electrical are focused on building the knowledge to build my van correctly when I spend the effort. I saw a setup on YouTube that I really liked but the guy is an electrical engineer! So, baby steps.
 
Now, my intro thread talked about a marathon road trip I hope to repeat AND my "retirement" plan is to spend 6 months or so of each year somewhere cooler, and the other 6 somewhere warmer, if you follow.
I just saw your intro thread and replied. I'd never get a minivan for vagabonding, but it would work for people who don't venture offroad.

So are you planning on 2 different homes, or just traveling with the seasons in your rig?

Getting back to the electrical question, it doesn't sound like you are going to have enough room for a lot of unnecessary junk. A vent with fan is a good idea, maybe a fridge, laptop, maybe internet and a couple led lights? That's about it for electrical. The fridge would be the biggest energy load, ~300Wh per day but will vary a lot depending on temperature.
 
I just saw your intro thread and replied. I'd never get a minivan for vagabonding, but it would work for people who don't venture offroad.

So are you planning on 2 different homes, or just traveling with the seasons in your rig?

Getting back to the electrical question, it doesn't sound like you are going to have enough room for a lot of unnecessary junk. A vent with fan is a good idea, maybe a fridge, laptop, maybe internet and a couple led lights? That's about it for electrical. The fridge would be the biggest energy load, ~300Wh per day but will vary a lot depending on temperature.
I don't anticipate "off-roading" very much. A gravel track is about as rough as I anticipate.

And no 2 homes for me (thanks for thinking I have that kind of scratch.) Traveling with the seasons.
 
I'm actually looking forward to working with nothing but a single gas burner and a 10" skillet. Oh yeah, and a kettle. Even a microwave is of debatable necessity. The fridge or freezer is a key element, I think.
This leads me to ask how is the most efficient way to use a fridge/freezer??

Just put it around 40° and leave it?

Freeze a bunch of gel cubes and then turn it off?

Run it as a fridge during the day only? Then turn it off at night?
 
I know... it's been asked before... but I don't know even the keywords to search by.

It seems all of the conversations about electrical needs stop at "if you need this much watts, do this." Without really talking about specifically how to calculate those needs.

So, as I plan my kitchen, I'm facing questions like "Do I even need a microwave/air fryer/coffeemaker?" Powering each will be a key factor in those decisions. Nevermind A/C/Maxxair etc.

I'm trying to get to how much wattage I need, and THEN I can have a productive conversation about solar vs. generator vs. campfire, or even which microwave is which.
Looking at your post the best thing you can do is get some education and I found the best place to do that was at the explorist and putting the link if he'll come through I didn't know anything about solar or not design solar systems and install them on RVs and cabins and whatnot so you might look at that it's great because you can look at what is wired to what is the connector to how much power do I need for this and then how to do it
 

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This leads me to ask how is the most efficient way to use a fridge/freezer??

Just put it around 40° and leave it?

Freeze a bunch of gel cubes and then turn it off?

Run it as a fridge during the day only? Then turn it off at night?
That's a question for another thread in the food section.
 
Why those places? I managed a trucking company for years and that's what I'm familiar with. Now, my intro thread talked about a marathon road trip I hope to repeat AND my "retirement" plan is to spend 6 months or so of each year somewhere cooler, and the other 6 somewhere warmer, if you follow.

Yeah, the bike trips were minimal. Those were days. We cheated and hoteled a lot, though. And I agree that a van-camp experience will not be quite as minimal as that.

I envision full-timing, though practically I know it'll take a bit to work up to that. I have years to ramp up into this. I think the best rig for this job will be a DIY minivan conversion, because 1) I'm handy enough to do it and keep it functioning 100%, 2) it'll give me the freedom/flexibility to build it out over time, 3) I won't have to deal with a trailer or other rig when I stop at places I want to be.

All my questions about electrical are focused on building the knowledge to build my van correctly when I spend the effort. I saw a setup on YouTube that I really liked but the guy is an electrical engineer! So, baby steps.
You say you'll have a long run up before actually hitting the road, so I have a suggestion.

It's somewhat twofold.

You can get a kill-o-watt meter and test actual electrical usage of appliances you have around the house. This would give you "real world" information, and a better understanding of what you might need battery wise. Yes, you'll get smaller and more efficient appliances for the road. But this can further your education faster than secondhand information.

You can also buy a super cheap used solar panel or two to play with. Build a small system to try things out. What components you might want to use, what the capacities are. How much space do they take to, etc. that'll help you see if the size vehicle you're thinking of is compatible with the power generation you prefer.
 
This leads me to ask how is the most efficient way to use a fridge/freezer??
Just put it around 40° and leave it?
Freeze a bunch of gel cubes and then turn it off?
Run it as a fridge during the day only? Then turn it off at night?

Great minds think alike! I considered getting a little fridge and making ice, which I'd then put in a very well insulated cooler. But... the efficiency declines at lower temperatures, so freezing water and using the ice will take more energy and be annoying... with the possible benefit of giving you a buffer in cloudy weather.

I've been doing fine without a fridge or cooler... just eat stuff that doesn't require it. I may get one someday, but I'll just use it the normal way if I do. You want to keep the temp just above freezing so the food will last longer.
 
I don't anticipate "off-roading" very much. A gravel track is about as rough as I anticipate.
And no 2 homes for me (thanks for thinking I have that kind of scratch.) Traveling with the seasons.

You will want to do this in the west most likely. Some people winter along the gulf in TX and FL in winter, but it isn't nearly as common... more people, gotta move often, hard to find free places, etc. You can camp just about anywhere in the SW deserts, and can't beat the high mountains in summer either.

Offroad ability is an absolute necessity for me, since it's required to get to the best places with the least "things of man". Trucks are generally the best platform since they are more rugged to start with and 4wd with low range is common, along with numerous suspension upgrades being available. Truck based SUVs can work too. I'd have zero qualms about putting a high top on a Suburban or something...
 
You will want to do this in the west most likely. Some people winter along the gulf in TX and FL in winter, but it isn't nearly as common... more people, gotta move often, hard to find free places, etc. You can camp just about anywhere in the SW deserts, and can't beat the high mountains in summer either.

Offroad ability is an absolute necessity for me, since it's required to get to the best places with the least "things of man". Trucks are generally the best platform since they are more rugged to start with and 4wd with low range is common, along with numerous suspension upgrades being available. Truck based SUVs can work too. I'd have zero qualms about putting a high top on a Suburban or something...
Along the coast things tend to get rusty as well, not so much in the desert.
 
I have an large,extra deep skillet with a lid. I can bake biscuits or cornbread or cookies, make a big pot of spay or stew, cook chicken, make burritos or grilled cheese sandwiches, even a small pizza,etc. I have a small sauce pan with pour spout edges. Sized about perfect for heating cans of soup or chilli, making quick oatmeal breakfast. Plus one small skillet. Then a small stainless steel tea kettle sized to heat several cups of water without being too bulky to store in a drawer. That setup is versatile enough to handle a wide range of food prep and even fix something in volume size for a potluck party without taking up too much storage space. I went through changing out a few various pots and pans before I got to that just right combination. Some of the portable gas stoves have the burner grid the pans sit on spaced too far away from the center for supporting a smaller sized pan. But you can find adapters for gas stove burners on Amazon to fill in some of that open area with support structure. Do search on Amazon using the keywords “gas stove ring reducer”.
Picture please. Plus diameter/ measurements would help. Thanks
 
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