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The Baja LTVA – Summer, Winter or Year Round

The Pressing Need for a Summer LTVA Replacement

During the winter season, from September 15 until April 15, Boondockers have a wonderful choice of BLM LTVAs, with Imperial Dam being the cream at the top of the list. Unfortunately, during the summer season, the choices of where to stay for long-term visitors at the BLM, U.S. Forests and National Parks are slim indeed.

Up until now, the only choices of summer LTVAs have been campgrounds run by the BLM Bishop Field Office. The Southern BLM LTVAs are quick to point out and deny any association with the BLM Bishop Field Office and for good reason, strongly declaring they are not part of the BLM’s LTVA system. The Bishop BLM District once offered a summer long-term rate. It does no longer, at least not one affordable to many Boondockers.

The Bishop Field Office disproportionately raised their long-term rates on a group consisting almost entirely of seniors. They jumped their senior rate by almost 300% while their other, short-term rates only went up a maximum of 50%. If the Bishop Field Office’s intent was to target and remove seniors from their campgrounds, they were successful in doing so.

This comes as no surprise, as the Bishop BLM District certainly appears to be the most corrupt BLM district in the country and by all accounts, the worst run.

All of this points out the urgent need for a summer replacement for all those full-time RVers looking for a long-term summer home. Welcome to the Baja LTVA!

What Is The Perfect Summer LTVA?

At the top of everyone’s list are cool temperatures. Next are shopping and medical facilities. And certainly, how about a low cost of living?

A little more specific on our lists are water, dump stations, trash disposal, laundry, propane and gas stations. Then there are showers, the view and of course, security.

Many Southern LTVAers have gotten used to the cheap drug prices and dentists right across the border in Los Algodones as well as having a city like Yuma close by.

So, what if we could have an LTVA that had all of the above and a whole lot more? Keep reading.

The Baja LTVA, a place for all seasons

The Baja LTVA is a group of campgrounds in the San Quintín Valley area. That’s right! San Quintín, Baja California, Mexico on the Pacific side of the Peninsula. If you like San Diego weather, rated the best in the continental U.S., this is the place for you! The Baja LTVA offers special rates for both the Winter and Summer seasons. Many may find out after staying here for the season that they simply don’t want to leave. For those who wish to retire down here, we are negotiating special rates for ocean view and access lots where you can lease a lot for just under 10 years for $1000 – $1500 per year and make it your home. This is the perfect way to enjoy this pristine paradise year round. More information on this is coming soon.

While many of you may shudder in fear at the thought of going to Baja after hearing those stories of kidnapping, rape and murder, you might want to check out the actual statistics which show that you are much more likely to be affected by crime in almost any major U.S. or Canadian city. Would you go for a stroll after midnight in Chicago? We didn’t think so.

First off, there are three Mexico’s. 1) The border towns, (this is where most of the reputation for crime comes from), 2) the resorts, (if you’ve got the bucks) and, 3) what we call “Old Mexico”, small towns far from the borders and the resorts where the people are friendly, the prices are low and you can enjoy some of the most spectacular views on the planet. Yes, there’s crime in “Old Mexico” as well, but see the part about “actual statistics” in the paragraph above.

As long-time veterans of living in Baja, we’ve never had a problem, which we attribute to following a few very simple rules: Don’t travel at night, don’t be an “ugly American” (this goes for Canadians as well) and use your head, common sense applies. Just because you’re a northerner south of the border, don’t assume everyone thinks you’re one of the greatest people on the planet. Just like everywhere, you need to earn respect. The one thing you will notice is that you will be given every opportunity to earn respect by the locals and be welcomed to their community. A hint: try to learn a little Spanish. This is appreciated by the locals more than you can imagine. It doesn’t matter how badly you mangle the language, they will always be there with a smile and help you along. And most importantly, be prepared to laugh, especially at yourself.

As for the trip down to San Quintín, if you have driven California highway 1, then you will love the scenic, winding drive down to the Baja LTVA. If the thought of driving your rig down highway 1 makes you sweat, ya’ better stay north.

There is a gang problem in Baja just like in all major U.S. and Canadian cities. Gangs fight for territory here just like up North. Violence, yes even murders, are almost always between rival gangs.

Note that violence is rare in the San Quintín valley, but has happened. Also note that when it did, Federal and Baja state police reacted with an enormous response, far greater than the Berkeley police did when innocent people were beaten and property destroyed as the Berkeley Police stood by and watched. Almost never are innocent people or property affected here.

Big Time Shopping: Most everything you want is available locally, with no need to cross the border for cheap drugs, dental and medical care since you’re already across the border! Also, all of the major shopping chains like Costco, Walmart, Home Depot, etc., are just a shopping day away in Ensenada.

Membership

One of the benefits of your membership (almost ready!) to our family of websites is that you will be able to get everything you need to come to the Baja LTVA on our websites, with detailed instructions and any required paperwork like permits and insurance, including medevac insurance. You will also be able to select (complete with tour) and pay for your site online. And if you prefer coming down in groups, we will be organizing caravans. We recommend crossing at Tecate where there is almost no waiting and gasoline and a peso exchange are available at Tecate U.S. just before you cross the border.

The Baja LTVA Kampgrounds

No matter if you want a gated community with full hookups close to town or one right on the ocean, it is here waiting for you. With full hookup sites, be advised that the water is a little salty. It’s good for showers and washing but not for drinking. Drinking water is available for about 3 pesos (about $0.16) a gallon.

Los Olivos RV Park: Is a gated, manicured campground close to town. It’s run by a Canadian Christian Group, but don’t worry, church is not required. It offers many of the amenities English-speaking North Americans expect. There are 7 full hookup sites (15 amp service only), 6 grassy sites under the olive trees with water (grass sites not available during the summer season for LTVA stays) and 6 boondocking sites.

NOTICE: The Baja LTVA and Los Olivos RV Park have decided that the Los Olivos RV Park will not be a part of the Baja LTVA as it does not currently meet our standards nor will the Los Olivos RV Park be able to meet our standards for the upcoming season. Full Story…

Drinking water is available for purchase on the premises. The bathrooms and showers are immaculate as is the swimming pool. The staff is both friendly and helpful. Many speak only Spanish, but posted signs and our upcoming “websphere” will get you by. We estimate rates for boondocking sites will range from $300 – $500 for the season. Please know this is solely our estimate. We will publish the actual rates when and if set with Los Olivos RV Park.

Please note that Los Olivos RV Park, as part of their community outreach program, for a small charge, allow locals to use their youth facilities which include the pool, soccer field, bike track and playground. We’re told that the use is heaviest during June – August with average ages 2 – 16. Note that the manager Stan Schulz has alerted us to advise members that they should keep their items locked up due to what he described as thefts by some visitors to the recreation area.

Los Olivos RV Park is close to what we have not yet personally reviewed, but understand is one of the areas’ best hotel and restaurant, Jardines Baja. We’re told it offers a place for anyone visiting you to stay, right next door, and a great place to go for dinner with or without your guests. And all within a few minutes’ walk.

The Negatives: Although to get anywhere off the main highway (Mexico Highway 1) you must take dirt roads, the road to Los OlivosRV Park is an especially bone-jarring one. To go to town, we had to add 10 minutes to the trip, each way. If you’re driving your RV, double that time. Also, although free WiFi is included by Los Olivos RV Park, it is spotty at best from the full-hookup sites. To get the best reception you will need to sit on the bench outside the pool, close to the office where the inside WiFi is located.

Los Olivos RV Park:

Los Olivos RV Park Gated Entrance	Los Olivos RV Park Full Hookups	Los Olivos RV Park Grass Sites
Los Olivos RV Park Pool Area	Los Olivos RV Park BBQ Area	Los Olivos RV Park Playground Area

Fidel’s El Pabellon: Is located right on the Pacific Ocean with a spectacular beach and gorgeous sunsets. One of its biggest assets is Fidel, the owner and your host, who lives right on the premises and speaks “pretty good” English. There are 6 water and electric (15 amps only) and 2 electric-only sites available for $15 a day and about 54 spacious, beachfront and ocean view boondocking sites. Amenities include flush toilets, showers, dump station and it has fresh water trucked in (not salty as at most campgrounds). WiFi is available from the main office (and Fidel’s residence). Every site is large and has spectacular views and beach access. The beach is a local favorite for clamming and fishing. Swimming is fantastic with water temps the same as San Diego! OK, us silver haired folks may wait until August to test the water, when the temperature reaches 70F.

As you would expect with an LTVA right on the beach, boondocking prices are determined by the proximity of the row to the beach. Guess what! A season (6 months) costs less than a beachfront San Diego RV Park charges for less than a week. There are 3 rows ranging from beachfront to the rear. Kampsites are roomy with an average size of 45′ wide by 50′ – 100′ long. Prices are for the ENTIRE 6 month season. Beachfront rows (right on the El Pabellon beach): $500, row 2: $400, row 3 on back (what we call Boondocker’s Paradise): $300 and includes ocean view and beach access for you and your car (you can drive on the beach similar to Pismo Beach in California). All sites will soon be available to view, schedule, reserve and pay for online at the San Quintín Baja LTVA (coming soon). Both the San Quintín Websphere and Fidel’s elpabellon.net (coming soon) will get you to the online booking site as well.

For the 6 water and electric (15 amp service) and 2 electric-only sites, we estimate an additional charge of $5 per day (air conditioning and electric heaters prohibited). Metered connections are planned for the near future. During part of the winter season (January – March), Fidel is a stop-over for RV caravans touring Baja, so you may have some company for a few days.

As our members discover this hidden jewel, part of their fees will go to painting and minor repairs with near-resort-like facilities on the horizon.

For full disclosure: Fidel’s El Pabellon is the campground where the authors of this article chose to live.

The Negatives: Fidel’s El Pabellon is about 20 minutes south of most shopping but the condition of the road to and from Fidels’s, though not perfect, can shorten the time frame as compared to other campgrounds closer to town. The campground is right on the ocean so even the sand dunes out front may not stop a storm surge from flooding the campground. While this is very rare (once about every 5 years we’re told), when a severe storm is imminent, you can move up the access road and sit out the storm. Fidel’s, like most campgrounds, is dependent on income from the campground itself and this diamond in the rough has also been left out of any professional Internet exposure. In fact, what Internet exposure Fidel’s has had resulted in its online GPS coordinates set to another kampground.

Fidel’s El Pabellon RV Park and LTVA	Fidel’s El Pabellon Beach Looking North	Fidel’s El Pabellon Office
Fidel’s El Pabellon Beach Looking South	Fidel’s El Pabellon Baja LTVA	Fidel’s El Pabellon Showers

More Kampgrounds Coming

We have just started inspecting and signing up kampgrounds in the area for the Baja LTVA. We expect to add more great, inspected kampgrounds to our list. As always, we will provide our members with the facts, both good and bad, about every one of them. We will also offer mediation if it is ever required and we reserve the right to cancel the membership of any member solely at our discretion. This applies both to members and member kampgrounds.

About the Baja LTVA

The Baja LTVA is about providing services to our members, mostly seniors. Many are part of a real community in the Southern BLM LTVAs. During the summer season, many have homes or boondock around the Northwest, staying 2 weeks at a time at National Forests and BLM land. The Baja LTVA gives our members an alternative for the summer and winter seasons, alternatives with which, we think, they will be very happy.

Our new membership directory was designed to help our members in the case of an emergency. Basically, when our members call 911, their location, directions and medical history are made available to emergency responders. This allows our members and their medical records to be found. Additionally, it can alert Emergency Assistance Teams to help find members in remote locations. Package delivery, when available, and friends and family notification in an emergency, are other great features.

We are greatly expanding our services to work across all of our websites. Our intention is to provide everything necessary for our members to register at a kampground and pay their fees online. We will also include the ability to purchase Tourist Visas and auto/RV insurance online with just a click or two. Of course, we will also provide information to not only help members get here, but make them knowledgeable by having honest information available. Wait until our new “Websphere” is up and running. This will hook members up with information and custom Google maps with door-to-door directions to businesses and services as well as the local points of interest you won’t want to miss. We make it simple to find it, learn about it and rate it.

So sign up for our newsletter and shortly, visit the new Baja LTVA bajaltva.com (coming real soon). We make you feel like you’re already here.

This is an overview of our upcoming series on San Quintín and just how we’re building the Baja LTVA from the ground up. You can be part of that. Be sure to tune in for part 1, where we will talk about getting ready for our fantastic trip from Imperial Dam LTVA to San Quintín Baja California. This includes getting papers for our two Great Danes, insurance for our two vehicles and our tourist visas, both buying them online and then getting them stamped. And see for yourself the fantastic scenery we enjoyed while getting here.

The Baja LTVA Series

Part I

Los Olivos RV Park Removed From Consideration From Baja LTVA Membership

In keeping with our promise to bring our members the good and bad stories about the San Quintín Valley, we regretfully inform you that we have made a decision to remove the Los Olivos RV Park from consideration for membership in the San Qunitin Baja LTVA. There were multiple reasons for this decision which we summarize below.

Crime Area

While we hate to report crime in Baja, the facts are the facts and you have the right to know. There were a series of murders in the San Quintín area. They have been isolated to two very small neighborhoods and only involved gang members. The Federal and State Police response and presence was immediate and effective.

Unfortunately, an incident happened right in front of the Los Olivos RV Park’s front gate involving a high speed chase of a gang member by Police. A shootout ensued which resulted in the gang member being killed by police, right there.

Additionally, the Los Olivos RV Park also advertises “recreation area” in their title for good reason. They solicit locals to use their facilities for a fee. While we applaud this, we have to say, we were apprehensive when the manager, Stan Schulz, informed us of his concerns about the possibility of camp sites being robbed by teenagers who use the Los Olivos Recreation Area. One test we always apply, a simple test, when we rate a campground. When employees leave the office for a short time, do they lock the door? The answer was not just yes, but always.

Additionally, while staying at the Los Olivos RV Park, we were awakened by the flashlight from the Los Olivos Caretaker, Isaias, who was noticeably shaken by noises he heard in the campground area. We can completely understand. Murders up North that same day, the shootout at the Los Olivos RV Park’s front gate and the reported thefts by day-use visitors, had us on alert as well.

Beach-Front and Lot Size

Our Members tell us that being on the Pacific Ocean with its beautiful beaches and temperate climate are their most important consideration when looking for a Baja LTVA Kampground. The Los Olivos RV Park is inland and not on the beach like our other Baja LTVA Kampgrounds. This means that, along with no ocean-view, it will be hotter during the summer months.

Also, Los Olivos RV Park does not have the space to afford oversized lots to our members. Many have already commented about the “parking lot” type sites they see in the photos. That’s a hard sell to LTVAers who are used to wide-open spaces and plenty of distance from their neighbors.

Conclusion

When we considered the narrow lots, salty water at their hookups, lack of reliable WiFi and criminal activity in and in front of Los Olivos RV Park, we decided that this is not a place we could recommend to our members, even though the Los Olivos RV Park supports a Christian outreach program.

Now some good news

The above-mentioned crime has not affected the southern Baja LTVA Kampgrounds at all, which are 20 – 40 minutes South of the gangs’ past turf war. Additionally, the population is so small down “here” (where we live) that there is no turf to fight over. Just like the U.S. and Canada, it is good advice to stay out of the “Big Cities and Towns” at night. Just stick to shopping during the days. My wife shops in town every week with no problems or concerns other than staying alert, as she does wherever she shops, including the U.S. and Canada.

Also note that with the tremendous presence by Federal and State Police, there have been no reported gang-related crimes for weeks. However, although it pains us, we have concluded that the Los Olivos RV Park and location just don’t meet the needs of our members at this time.

Based on this information, we have decided that all of the Baja LTVA Kampgrounds will be beach-front and many miles South of any known criminal activity or area that would encourage any.

Any Members heading to San Quintín who require hookups and/or a temporary stay, Fidel’s El Pabellon has offered our members a reduced fee of $10 per night (1/2 the $20 Los Olivos Fee). To schedule a space or for more information, please write [email protected].

Microwave, Solar and the RV

So you have a solar powered RV and are considering using a microwave oven or want to know more about it. If you are not a Boondocker and prefer those full-featured RV “parking lots”, this article doesn’t pertain to you. If you are a boondocker and are living completely off the grid, there are a few things to consider in purchasing and using a microwave oven.

Will it fit?
What is on the electrical circuit and how much power do these consume?
What size is your inverter?
Is your Inverter Pure or Modified sine wave?
What will the total wattage load be at any one time?
What is the size of your battery bank?
When will you be using the microwave?
What wattage microwave to get (700 – 1100)?

Once you know the size and how much room is on the circuit, the biggest question is what wattage microwave to get?

Energy Used = Watts x Time

Dispelling the Myth: To heat/cook food in a microwave, regardless of the wattage of the microwave, will use the same amount of energy (electricity) to get the food to the same temperature. For the doubters:

Energy = 1100 Watts × 210 seconds = 231,000 Joules
Energy = 700 Watts × 330 seconds = 231,000 Joules

Also, note that due to a microwave’s inefficiency, they do not cook at the same energy as they draw. Connecting to a watt meter while running our 700W-rated Hamilton-Beach microwave gave a reading of 1050 watts. This has to be taken into consideration with your power requirements. Higher-priced microwaves may be more efficient but the only way to know is to check it using a watt meter while the unit is running.

Once we are armed with knowledge, and yes, we all want the food A.S.A.P., the choice comes down to the remaining factors.

What will we be running at the same time? If you have an electric coffee maker that uses 900 watts and you want to run the microwave at the same time, without anything else running, you would be at 2000 watts, or 1600 watts respectively for an 1100 watt and 700 watt microwave. Then add in the other electrical items you will have running and you will need approximately a 3000 watt inverter and if they are both on the same electrical circuit, that will have to be at least a 20 amp circuit (see your circuit breaker size).
Inverter Requirements: a) With a 3000 watt or larger inverter, and a 20 amp, or separate electrical circuits, you have part of what is required to run an electric coffee maker and microwave at the same time. b) For the rest of us, a 1500 watt inverter will let you use both your microwave and electric coffee maker, just not at the same time. This works fine with most existing RV electrical wiring that have 20 amp, or even a 15 amp circuit (look at your AC circuit breakers). c) Before you run out to get that new microwave, you have to have the batteries required to handle the load.
Battery Bank Requirements: Your battery bank is of great importance, more so if you will be using your microwave after solar hours. When your inverter makes power it draws directly from your batteries. Solar, wind or even hydro-electric energy sources simply recharge the batteries. If you have a watt meter hooked up to your solar system, you will have noticed that the batteries show more voltage when the sun is on them and less when you make coffee (yes, with an electric coffee maker). By now, you know when things are off and the sun is down, you get a true reading, not one inflated by charging, or deflated by a high load. While you can do it with less, we recommend a minimum battery bank, for using your microwave and electric coffee maker using a 20 hour rate at:
- Same time: 900 amps
- Separately: 600 amps.
Pure Sine & Modified Sine Wave Inverters: If you have old appliances, a modified sign wave inverter will work. On many, not all, new appliances, some will require a pure sine wave inverter. You may have the tool you need to test. If you use a generator not named an “Inverter”, you are most likely using modified waves. If all of your appliances work fine, you can use a modified wave inverter. Having said that, we highly recommend a pure sign wave inverter.

Conclusion: If you have a BIG RV and an unlimited budget, or are always plugged into power, the 1100 watt microwave is top shelf. Because of available space, sometimes old circuits, and the size of our inverters and battery bank, a 700 watt microwave is fantastic.

The RV Hobo Art of Boondocking

The Art of Boondocking — Gonzaga Bay, MX

Boondocking is camping at a place, preferably free, with no hook-ups for water, sewer or electricity. Places like Federal Parks and Forests, LTVAs, on the beaches of Baja and in the Provincial Parks of Canada. To stay at these places, your rig must be self-contained. As the BLM states in its Supplementary Rules, Section 17, “Camping is in self-contained units only. Self-contained camping units must have a permanent, affixed waste water holding tank of 10-gallon minimum capacity. BLM does not consider port-a-potty systems, systems that utilize portable holding tanks, or permanent holding tanks of less than 10-gallon capacity, to be self-contained”.

Update: In addition to the above-mentioned places to stay for Boondockers, if you like being on the beach and temperate weather, you’ll love the Baja LTVA. Full-time RVers can spend the summer or winter season here at campsites that start at only $300 for the season for beach access and views and a double-wide 45′ site. You can contact the Baja LTVA with questions, make a reservation and securely pay online at [email protected] while their website. bajaltva.com, is under construction.

The art of boondocking is to be able to stay in one of those places for as long as possible without having to break camp as well as enjoying as many amenities as possible. While we love being out in the wild, we are not willing to give up our TV, electric coffee pot, refrigerator/freezer, computers, Internet and other conveniences. The Art of Boondocking is an accumulation of our experience living completely off the grid with solar for power, cell phones, sat phones, MiFi and various antennas for communication, Internet and over-the-air TV as well as satellite dishes for TV and Internet, to maximize our stay without giving up many of our creature comforts.

We’ve divided our Art of Boondocking into the following sections:

Stay Small
Maximum Stay
Budget
Solar
Stay Kool
Stay Warm
Backup Plan

1: Stay Small

If you are planning to stay at Federal Parks and Forests, keep in mind that most Federal Campgrounds will only take RVs with a length of 20′ or so , as the sites were originally designed for tents. You are also limited access to many roads if you are over-sized, as it was assumed that tenters would be traveling in one maneuverable vehicle. We found this out when trying to camp at the great campgrounds we had read about in Denali Park, Alaska, where rigs over 20′ or towing trailers were denied access. We had a 12′ Lance camper but were towing an 8′ trailer, our solar power station. We had to stay in a campground that was basically a paved parking lot with pull-throughs and no length limits, right off the main highway. That was a real disappointment. While we chose 20 feet as the minimum we could use with us and our two Great Danes (please see our Camping with Two Great Danes article), only you can decide where you want to go and pick the RV that meets your needs.

Our Solar Rig — 12′ Lance Camper with 8’x4′ Towable Solar Station

A note on towing a vehicle or utility trailer. Many parks consider the towed item to be part of the overall length and therefore subject to length limits. Also, some parks only allow one vehicle and as your motor home will count as one, you may not be allowed to bring your tow vehicle to your campsite. Having said that, some parks do have parking lots near their entrances where you can leave your tow vehicle while camping.

2: Maximum Stay

This is not such an easy question to answer as it will depend on many factors. For example,

Will you have close access to water?
Is there a dump station close by?
How much gray and black water can you store?
How long will your propane last?
How long will your food last?
Last but not least, what is the capacity of your solar system?

Our 20' Motorhome — Our Current RV: 1977 Dodge Establishment, 20′

Our situation required two different answers to the “Maximum Stay” question. 1) When we were traveling throughout the Federal and Provincial Campgrounds, two weeks was the maximum we could stay without breaking camp, dumping and refilling with water. Our 7-1/2 gallons of propane would last much longer than two weeks, but we always topped off. 2) When at our lot in Mexico, we have a small septic system and access to slightly brackish water for washing and showers.

Box Van Workshop — GMC Box Van “Workshop”

We also have a box van (our workshop) and external propane tanks that can be refilled in town. So if you own or rent a campsite with access to utilities and have a “get-about” vehicle so you don’t have to move your RV, there is no limit to the length of your stay. But if you’re traveling, two weeks is a good guideline to try and achieve.

We should note that we have optimized our motor home to maximize our stay which is detailed in, RV Hobo: Maximizing Your Stay (coming soon). Here is a summary of the best things to do:

Have a solar system that meets your power needs.
Use the solar system to minimize propane use, i.e., electric rather than propane refrigerator.
Use a water recycling system where practical.
Use paper plates, cups etc., to minimize water use.
Have portable containers to lug water in and lug gray water out.

3: Budget

Everyone’s budget will differ. The biggest thing is to plan out what your expenses are and be as realistic as possible. Be sure to keep some money in reserve for emergencies and “rainy” days. We have a minimum budget we use available in the article, RV Hobo: Touring on a Budget (coming soon). We also highly recommend purchasing towing insurance with an accommodations rider or hotel discount, so your insurance will cover, or help cover, your hotel room if your RV takes more than a day to be repaired. After much research, we currently use Good Sam Roadside Assistance through Camping World. Although insurance is an extra expense that may never be needed, in the event of a breakdown, the expenses involved without insurance would certainly spoil even the best laid plans.

4: Solar

Motorhome Solar Panels — Dodge Motor home 2-250W Solar Panels on the roof

This is the heart and soul of Boondocking. A well-sized solar system, complete with hot water panels is, in our opinion, a requirement to both travelling on a budget and an enjoyable lifestyle while doing it. We have an all-electric refrigerator, led lights, three laptop computers, 24″ TV, Verizon MiFi (complete with a cell booster) Internet and an assortment of battery-powered power tools. Here is a list of what we are using. These items were bought after living and working off the grid in a remote location in Baja for over 10 years.

500 watts of 24 volt solar panels
4-300 AMP HR 12 volt deep cycle batteries
40 amp MPPT solar charger
1500 watt pure sign wave inverter
smart 80 – 2 amp battery charger/converter
2 – 2’x2′ hot water panels
RV Hobo Kool Kamper
3000 watt pure sign wave generator

Please be sure to check out the article, RV Hobo: Effective Solar (coming soon), for the how and why of all of this. What is most important to note is that we stay at many remote locations, well outside of normal cell tower range, with no hookups other than what we carry, and do so in style! We use our IP phones, have Internet access, watch TV and build and repair stuff on a regular basis. And both my wife and I work right from our ‘lil motor home which has a full computer network on board.

5: Stay Kool

Most RVers will like to stay where it is warm. The desert LTVAs and Mexico Beaches are favorite destinations for many of us. Staying kool in the desert and at the beach is the subject of an entire article (coming soon). Remember that you will be off the grid and an RV cannot carry enough solar panels to run its air conditioner. Add to that the fact that the desert and beaches generally do not offer an abundance of shade. See the problem? The easy fixes found throughout the web are pretty obvious:

Cook outside
Vent your refrigerator, even add a fan
Important: paint your roof white
Install an awning and window awnings.

The “basics” are required, but for us, it wasn’t quite cool enough. We wanted to keep comfortable, or at least as comfortable as we could be. My wife has her masters degree in engineering and is a former JPL engineer. I was a Senior Computer Scientist at a Los Alamos Think Tank. Putting our heads together, we thought there has to be an inexpensive, efficient way to stay cool. This is a problem that has plagued us for years, including when we lived in our home in Baja Mexico where summers were in the very high 90s with humidity about the same.

We found the answers for the RV Hobo Kool Kamper (article coming soon), not from the new state-of-the-art technology, but from the ancient world. These techniques have been used by everyone from the Romans to the Bedouins to keep kool. While the details of the RV Hobo Kool Roof (article coming soon) are available here on the RV Hobo Network, here is the short version:

Slow down the RV’s absorption of the sun’s heat.
Move air inside the RV.
Draw air from the koolest source.
Use evaporation to really kool things down (low humidity environment only).

Now think about doing all of this with little (5 – 10 watts) or no draw on your solar system. We have developed a way to combine various ancient kooling techniques for use with an RV. We actually use the heat from the Sun to kool an RV, and we’re talking 10 – 30 degrees kooler! Sound too good to be true? See the article, RV Hobo Kool Kamper (coming soon). Anyone with minimal carpentry skills can create an RV Hob0 Kool Roof himself. Our cost was less that $400. An RV Hobo Kool Roof will solve problems for those RVs with leaking roofs, or RVs with older roofs that don’t have plywood underneath and can’t be walked on. An RV Hobo Kool Roof will also strengthen your roof which is a must for a solid solar solar system installation.

6: Stay Warm

Yes, even Baja and Southern California can get cold! While staying at all of those nice, warm southern locations, we have endured many a cold night, and even a few unexpected cold days. Checking average temperatures for the months you’re intending to stay will give a good indication of what to expect.

ProCom Vent-free Propane Heater, 10000 BTU, 300 sq ft

Like most RVs, our standard RV heater used far too much electricity, so we removed ours and replaced it with a propane heater. In reality, most of the time we needed heat was when we got up in the morning. Experience taught us that we turned the heat on for an hour or so, then the sun warmed things up. But there are times when you need heat throughout the night. Being in the over-regulated state of California, we couldn’t get our first choice of propane heater, the ProCom Vent-Free Heater. This was the one we used in our office trailer in Massachusetts for three winters. We ended up buying a Mr Heater instead, which worked fine for warming up mornings, but without a thermostat, was not suitable for leaving on at night, since it would burn through a small propane bottle within four hours. As soon as we got out of California, we purchased our first choice, the ProCom Vent-Free Heater, complete with thermostat and a connection hose that we adapted to our RV. One of the side benefits we enjoy from this heater is watching it when lit, kind of like watching a fireplace.

Please see the article, RV Hobo: Staying Warm in Style (coming soon) for the details and how-to. We did one other thing with our heater that really made a difference. Since the ProCom does not have a fan, we installed a couple of small, low-wattage fans to blow the heat from the ceiling back to the floor. This not only made us very comfortable, it significantly reduced the amount of time the heater came on, resulting in lower propane use and costs.

7: Backup Plan

Everything, with a little maintenance, works just as planned for us. But, as the saying goes, even the best laid plans often go awry. Consider the following:

No Sun
No Cell Reception
You Breakdown
Air Conditioning

No Sun. With no sun, our choice of using a 4.5 cubic foot, electric-only, Energy Star refrigerator is already in jeopardy. For this reason, we would never use an all-electric refrigerator without a backup generator and smart solar battery charger/converter. You will have cloudy days or be in a campsite covered by trees, so be prepared. See the article, RV Hobo: Solar and the Generator (coming soon). The backup generator is used to recharge the solar batteries. Even in the worst of cases, 2 – 4 hours of running the generator daily will meet all of our electric needs.

No Cell Reception. Even with our cell booster, it is a frequent occurrence to not have cell reception which is also needed by our MiFi Internet connection. Most of the time we can get by without it, as we have an Intranet Web Server so we can keep writing articles for you. But the long and short of it is, what happens in an emergency, when you are in the boondocks with no cell reception? As a solution, we keep a minimum subscription with our Globalstar Sat Phone. We have used this phone from above the Glaciers in Alaska and Northern Canada all the way to Baja Mexico. Check out the RV Hobo: Globalstar Sat Phone article.

You Break Down. If you break down far from civilization, the costs of repairs can be staggering, but the towing and lodging costs can more than double your breakdown costs. This can ruin your trip. We use Good Sam Roadside Assistance through Camping World which includes discounts for hotels and rental cars. Whatever you choose, make sure it will cover where you expect to travel. Good Sam touts service anywhere in the US, Canada, Mexico, US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Air Conditioning. I was contemplating removing our RV’s air conditioner when my wife stepped in. She brought up the recent and unexpected hot spell we had just had. While our RV Hobo Kool Kamper works great, when temperatures sore above 100 degrees (we’ve experienced 130 degrees in Baja) in a humid area, you’re still going to get really hot. Because our destinations were so varied, we elected to change our generator purchase from a 2000 watt generator to a 3000 watt generator that could run our air conditioner. We also installed a separate plug for the air conditioner, off of the solar system. We figured if it were that hot we would have an abundance of Sun. This allowed things to work normally and the generator to power the A/C. This also works in campgrounds with electric hookups.

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