Jan. 12, 2011 Quartzsite, AZ Roughing it -- Part 2

It’s too cold to be outside, so I am going to share how we rough it living “off the grid” in Quartzsite, AZ.

We have two solar panels (80 and 100 watt) on the camper roof to charge the batteries.  We have 12-volt chargers for our cell phones and the computers.

To use 110-volt appliances, we start the Honda 2000i generator.  It’s been reliable and is conservative with gas. Larry rigged a shelf at the back of the camper to carry it.  The best part is that even I can start it!

Because it is close to the camper and emits exhaust, we also have a carbon monoxide detector inside the camper.

 

It runs on batteries and has a read-out pane to monitor any carbon monoxide in the camper as well as an alarm if the readings get too high.  We also use it to monitor the heater (see below).  We have had higher readings (38-42) from making stove-top coffee than any other function.

Today we started the generator so I could bake a loaf of bread.  My close friends know I “rescue” Panasonic bread machines from garage sales and thrift shops.  They make the best machine-made bread.  I make our bread at home and while staying in RV parks; I have cut the salt in the bread recipe (one teaspoon down to 1/2 teaspoon per loaf)--allowing Larry to enjoy two slices of toast with his breakfast and still have a sandwich for lunch. 

I rescue the one-pound machines because they no longer sold.  We like the one-pound loaves baked in the machine, and I use the two-pound loaf machines to make bread dough and bake it in the oven.

Don’t ask how many machines I have; it is a sore spot with Larry.  :).  There is always room for another Panasonic machine in our home!  I also pass them on to friends who might enjoy baking fresh bread—if they will use it.  If later they don’t want it—and I will find another happy home for it..

 

Here is our generator project.  It was delicious.  In the spirit of roughing it, we watched TV while it was baking. 

We have not enjoyed good reception with the new digital TV stations—even in downtown Salem, OR.  And we had even worse luck setting up the DISH tripod antenna.  The setup process was so frustrating, we didn’t bother bringing the satellite system.  And then the Winegard CarryOut antennas came on the market.  It seemed like an affordable fit for us.

The Winegard CarryOut has two lines, the 12 volt power line and the coax cable.  It actually finds the satellite by itself.  It doesn’t require our help—which is so amazing!   Another problem was the receiver.  We didn’t have a place for it in the camper—until Larry came up with this great idea:

He hung a basket from the ceiling for the receiver box and then ran a coax cable out behind the refrigerator box to the outside.  He made a 12 volt plug directly off the battery box—so the two cables for the CarryOut don’t come inside.  This year we are watching satellite TV instead of cursing the digital stations.

On cold days—we use Mr. Heater Buddy to warm our shoebox.  It burns the small propane canisters and has an oxygen sensor to turn the unit off if the carbon monoxide gets too high.  We keep a small window open for fresh air exchange and use the CO2 detector.  We couldn’t stay here dry camping in cold weather without this heater.

We don’t run it at night when we are sleeping.  We have had some 30 degree weather and we stay warm and toasty under our winter blanket, even when it is 40 degrees inside.  If it is really, really cold, we add stocking caps and sleep like babies—warm and cozy.  Larry is lucky, I get up first and start the heater to warm the camper before he has to get out of bed.  (Yes, he is spoiled, smile.)

As you can see, life is different out here without any hook-ups, but not really difficult.  With some modifications in the rig and in our attitudes, “roughing it” is fun.