We finally took the plunge and decided to go solar. This is huge because it’s allowed us the ability to run on our own resources. This has aided us in the #1 question we ask ourselves everyday.. where will we sleep tonight? There are a few places that vanlifers and RV’ers can sleep and I briefly discuss them in my post here: Most asked questions about: Vanlife. However in this post, I want to further explain what those options actually look like and discuss the ultimate reasons we swapped to solar.
So.. where can you sleep?
The typical answer for most RV’ers is RV parks or state parks. These places are usually welcoming to RV’s, 5th wheels, toy haulers, vanlifers, tent campers, converted trucks, etc. RV parks usually have full hook ups (meaning electricity, sewer and water). Staying at these places is almost the same as being at home in terms of amenities. The catch is there’s no such thing as a “free” RV park so you’re paying a nightly rate for a spot that may not be the greatest in terms of location and/or view.
Luckily, there are a few types of land that you can stay on for free or very low cost. This is called boondocking, dispersed camping or dry camping and just means that you are staying on public land on your own resources. Some examples of these are BLM land (Bureau of Land Management), COE (Core of Engineers) and National Forests. BLM land is public land that you can stay at for up to 14 days. We’ve only crossed paths with BLM land once on our trip as it’s more common in the southwest which we haven’t visited yet. COE is another type of land that roadies look for to take advantage of low cost camping. It’s possible that some of your local counties may have COE land and you don’t even know about it! National Forests allow free dispersed camping in certain areas (these have been our favorite so far).
Why did we swap?
Although RV parks can be more luxurious than boondocking, they are generally over priced in the areas that we’ve been visiting. One of our goals on this journey is to visit all of the National Parks. Most of the parks have limited or reserved camping (far in advance!) leading visitors to stay in the the surrounding towns. Limited supply and increased demand causes? Higher prices! You’re welcome for the Economics 101 course. Normally we would pay $30-$35 for a full hookup RV site in a non-touristy area. Around the parks, RV sites run an average of $60 per night and up to over $100 per night. That’s double the expense we’re willing to pay.. We also really enjoy being out on our own and the ability to find beautiful, secluded spots to stay for a few nights.
So we asked ourselves “why do we need to stay at RV parks?” and the answer was 1) electricity and 2) typically more reliable service and/or wifi. Aside from those reasons.. we don’t really care to be in RV parks. They can be a great way to meet other people but they’re generally crowded, loud and not typically in scenic places. We started to really enjoy our weekends in the national forests and honestly felt trapped once we got back to the RV parks.
Another downfall of RV parks is that you’re at the mercy of park management. During our last week of staying in an RV park, we were overpaying for a not so great spot by the highway and decided to go ahead and purchase solar so we could get out of the parks. We opted to have it shipped to the RV park as it was a service they offered. While we waited for our package, we had to move sites twice due to a data entry error by the front office. If you have any kind of rig, you know the time and effort it takes to pack and unpack again just to move a few sites away.. so when no one showed up to the spot we moved out of, we were frustrated. Later that week we were notified that the package arrived. We stopped by the front desk only to find out that someone else had opened it and taken the generator and solar panels! Our solar setup wasn’t cheap and the package had our name all over it so we weren’t very happy about it. The worst part is that it ended up being the owner of the RV park that took our stuff.. We finally got everything back after 30 minutes of panic and concern. Things like this happen ALL the time at RV parks.
What about our generator?
We do have a generator in our rig but I have multiple issues with using it full time. The generator is great for when you’re in a pinch but it’s not sustainable. It’s loud, there’s a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and the propane to run it is also an added expense. We boondocked for almost 2 weeks off of our generator and although it was do-able, we were constantly worried about using it too much or it being too loud. We also drove all around town trying to find propane refills. The generator just wasn’t the end solution for us.
What about rooftop solar?
We considered installing a full solar setup on top of our rig but in all reality, we don’t need that much power for what we do in our van. Since we’re remote workers, the main reason we need electricity is to charge our laptops. Not to mention those setups typically require a decent amount of storage space for the batteries and we are limited on space in the van. These systems can be expensive and if any damage occurs due to weather, you’re looking at a hefty bill to fix it. Instead of spending $10-$15k for a rooftop solar system, we decided to purchase the Jackery Solar Generator 1500 (Jackery 1500 + 4 x SolarSaga 100W) package. This setup is much friendlier on the wallet and the size is perfect for storing the panels and battery in the last free spot in our rig.
Jackery Solar Generator 1500 & 4 Solar Sagas
This thing has been a game changer for us. When we first opened the package (after recovering it from our accidental thief), we set a solar panel up on the dash and I plugged in my cell phone with the USB port. It immediately started charging and I was ridiculously excited about it. The fact that my phone was charging from the sun just blew my mind. It took about 3 hours to charge the Jackery to 100% before we could use it for the night. The next morning Jeffrey wanted to use the microwave but didn’t feel like cranking the generator. He plugged in our 900 watt microwave and started cooking! We both just stared at the battery pack laying on the floor in awe. Since then we’ve been using it daily to power our workstation setups. With both of our setups plugged in (two monitors, 3 laptops and 2 cell phones) we can run them for over 12 hours on one charge. We obviously don’t keep everything plugged in all day so we have a ton of battery power to last us through our next charge. Charging the Jackery battery is easy because there are multiple ways to charge it. You can either use the solar panels, plug it into a wall outlet or use a 12v charger. We typically charge it in a wall outlet as it’s the fastest method. We do this if we’re plugged in for any reason- like the week we visited our family in Cali.
Jackery has a variety of battery wattage setups depending on your needs. We got the 1500 because we wanted the ability to use more powerful items with it. If you’re just using it as a backup charger for a laptop and cell phone you could easily get away with a smaller battery. If you are interested in purchasing Jackery products for your rig, use our referral code here: https://www.jackery.com?aff=601
In summary:
We’ve learned so much about becoming more sustainable on this journey and we’ve really tried to become more aware and take ownership of our part in having a healthy planet. We’ve heard people say that they don’t think they contribute to global warming.. or “one person can’t make a difference”.. or they believe that it’s not happening because they can’t see it. The truth is, we’ve seen it and it’s real. That’s why we’re so excited to be utilizing solar power now. With our new solar setup, we’re not only able to boondock for extended amounts of time but we’re being far more energy efficient and eco-friendly. If everyone went solar, the temperature of Earth would cool by about 2 degrees celsius (2016 estimates from a UK research article). That’s a decent amount.. it’s enough to help stop the warming of our oceans and prevent coral bleaching that we’ve experienced with our own eyes. We still have a million ways that we can be more sustainable but taking these small steps is exciting for us.
