[VAL] RE: VAL Digest V1 #179

["Lee Pierce" <leefrankpierce@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have been using my A.S. as a hard sided tent for a couple of years.
Works great. I am just now getting around to putting in the water. In
fact I have decided against putting in a normal tolet and black tank. I
figure if I am going to have to haul the stuff in a tot-tank anyway, I
might as well not have to transfer it in the first place so I am using a
large port-a-potty. That helps to eliminate one need for the water pump.

Is the output of wood fires acceptable? That would solve all the heating
issues. You can cook in a Dutch oven, have a big kettle to create warm
bath water, and use old fashoned bed warmers to warm up the bed. ( An old
fashoned bed warmer is a pan with a long handle and a locking lid. You
scoop up hot coals from a fire, lock the lid, and stick it in the bed.
Once you want in, you pull it, wrapp it in a blanket and put it at your
feet. )  I have replaced my shower with a camper corner bathtub. It is
big enough to actually sit in and uses little enough water to be warmed
by a large kettle of boiling water.

I was wondering what your tow vehicle is?

I would consider having a battery pack that I would load into the tow
vehicle and then run a large set of wires from the battery pack. Do be
aware that for DC power, length and gage of wire will equal voltage drop
and power loss, so keep the wires short and fat. I would suggest using
house wiring like "Romex" in at least 10 gage. I have seen connectors on
the front of service vehicles for jumpstarting other cars. That would
make it most convienant. You could make this as easy as parking, removing
the trailer light plug and connecting the jumpers.  There is a 12V power
connection on the trailer light plug so would suggest that you leave your
tow vehicle trailer lights disconnected so not to drain it. There are
automatic battery isolaters from boat shops that would allow you to
charge your pack while driving. I would also suggest that if you have an
enclosed tow vehicle, use the Optima style batteries. That would
eliminate the gasses and overall mess created by using a normal Lead Acid
batteries.

I think you will find that marine places will be very helpfull as they
don't have any place to plug in while anchored at a favorite spot in the
lake. Also fiberglass rosin burns very well and they dont like the idea
of sleeping in a flaming, floating, incenerator so they generally dislike
having any type of flames on boats. They will have circulation fans that
have their own photo cells, have large cloth scoops that you put over
your roof vents that channel air into, or draw air out of your cabin from
the slightest breeze and their sinks/tolets/showers have hand pumps. I
never checked on how to heat as I am in Texas and don't have to worry
about that much.

I really see your issues as more of a rethinking of how to use each
system. Isolate each system, and think of how to make it run
independantly.

Good Luck and let us know how it all works out.

Lee from Dallas