by Al Christensen | Apr 19, 2023 | Cooking, Electrical
I SAW A HEADLINE announcing a battery-powered microwave, and immediately thought of all the nomads who want to be able to nuke their food but don’t have enough off-grid power to do it. Could this be a solution? Cordless power tool maker Makita had cast its eyes with...
by Al Christensen | Apr 13, 2023 | Electrical
AT LEAST TWO COMPANIES that I know of have released a compact version of the popular 12.8V / 100Ah LiFePO4 battery. They’re about 2.75 inches shorter, 3 inches narrower, but about a half inch taller. Also, about 5.25 pounds lighter. Since space is always an issue for...
by Al Christensen | Feb 13, 2023 | Build-Outs, Electrical, Gatherings, Heating-Insulation, Mental Health, Minivan, Organization & Storage, RVs, Skoolies, Solar Power, Supplies
IF YOU’VE EVER BEEN TO A GATHERING OF NOMADS you know there are always people who need a little help with something. A repair, an addition, a modification, some troubleshooting, just an extra pair of hands… It was at such a gathering that some people who wish to...
by Al Christensen | Jan 19, 2023 | Electrical, Heating
I WAS READING AN ARTICLE ABOUT ELECTRIC VEHICLES when I came across a statement that applies to us nomads. The story was about the intersection of two problems when heating EVs. One, the lithium-ion batteries used in EVs produce less electricity in cold weather,...
by Al Christensen | Jan 17, 2023 | Boondocking, Electrical
IN CONVENTIONAL LIFE we got used to almost limitless electricity being only an outlet away. We rarely thought about how much power our stuff consumed until we blew a fuse, tripped a circuit breaker, set something on fire, or got the electrical bill. But living...
by Al Christensen | Jan 6, 2023 | Electrical, Pest Control, Sanitation
IF YOU’VE BEEN PART of the mobile living community for any length of time you’ve probably heard warnings about rodents invading someone’s rig, taking up residence in the ductwork, leaving foul smelling pee and poo everywhere, breaking into the food supply and, worst...
by Al Christensen | Sep 13, 2022 | Electrical
SO, YOU’VE ASSESSED YOUR ELECTRICAL NEEDS, weighed the alternatives, familiarized yourself with the pros and cons, and decided a 1,000 Watt portable inverter generator is the best answer for you. But woo-mama! Nearly a thousand bucks for the popular Honda...
by Bob Wells and Al Christensen | Aug 16, 2022 | Electrical
WE’RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A TRANSITION from good old lead acid batteries to lithium batteries. We like lithium batteries — specifically Lithium-Iron-Phosphate-4 batteries (LiFePo4) — because we can use nearly all of their capacity, as opposed being able to use only half...
