Modern life getting you down? Could living off grid in a caravan help you re-connect with the world, and travel more?
Just as travelling is associated with freedom and a sense of independence, so is the off-grid lifestyle. Sure, it could be hard work. But it would be honest roots-of-the-Earth work. In this way, living “off-grid” has all the similar romantic trappings that travelling does. Both are ideals of “the good life” and even “how it should be”.
The idea of living off-grid in a motorhome or camper-van is even more romantic because it marries the two qualities of travel and independence. After all, a person who can manage themselves self-sufficiently and travel about may even be able to extend the good life for years or decades; maybe indefinitely.
But as romantic notions go, how realistic is the idea of living off-grid in a motorhome? Well, it all depends on what you define as “off-grid”.
Shades of freedom: defining the off-grid lifestyle
There are quite a few definitions for what really “counts” as off-grid living, and some are more stricter than others. Really, it counts on what you interpret it to mean.
The most common — and accepted — definition is simply a life independent of the public power grid. This is, quite literally, where the definition ‘off of the grid’ comes from. But some go one step further and avoid all public utilities, including public water sources. At the extreme end, some interpretations avoid all public infrastructure at all (including roads), and a complete independence of all walks of modern life, shunning even supermarkets and healthcare facilities.
Obviously for the dual motorhome and off-grid lifestyle, we cannot meet with the extremists and their definitions. But we can ponder the question about a motorhome life that avoids public utilities.
Powering up
This might sound incredulous to say, but being energy independent from the grid is actually pretty easy. Certainly, it is the easiest aspect of modern off-grid life — thanks to the development of recent technologies.
To be completely energy self-sufficient, you will need:
- A solar panel
- A refillable gas system
- A backup generator
A 100-watt solar panel wired into two 110-amp leisure panels will generate more than enough energy to meet your off-grid lifestyle. Which, I am sure you are aware, will come without the spoils of the on-grid life — meaning there will be no luxuries like toasters, a TV, coffee makers and so on (but don’t worry because you can use a laptop for TV and more practical ways to make coffee and toast).
There are lots of different solar panel models, but the briefcase and mounted ones are the most practical because they can be pivoted towards the sun as it moves in the sky, and then folded away neatly to prevent theft.
The second most important form of energy is gas. Gas can keep us cool in summer and warm in the winter. A refillable gas system won’t cost the Earth to install, but you will need to fill it up every three weeks or so. Gas refilling isn’t super expensive, but the costs can mount over the year.
A solar panel will be your primary energy source, but sometimes it won’t be enough. Especially on short, overcast winter days. In this case, generators make great backups. They are noisy and smelly, though. So you will have to think about noise pollution whenever you start one up. If you are economical, you might be able to live with just a 500-watt model. Invest in a good make, and you should get ten years out of it.
Powering up is straightforward, but it can get expensive. But it is not so expensive that, even if you work odd-jobs, or freelance digital jobs, it should be affordable to most.
Fetching water
Perhaps you can just drink from streams and lakes as part of your off grid lifestyle? The quick answer to this is: unfortunately, no. Even the clearest lakes and rivers are either polluted or riddled with microscopic parasites like Cryptosporidium that can make you seriously ill.
You could take a big risk and find an area with a high water table and start digging for a well, but this would only work if you are planning on settling down for an extended period. Both settling and digging are likely to be illegal and to the ire of the local authorities — and even if you had the digging equipment and the high-pressure pumps to extract the water, there’s no guarantee you will find any.
Even a lot of the most extreme off-grid lifestylers will source their water from public utilities from time to time.
Growing food
Food self-sufficiency is possible for interim periods. You can grow a surprisingly high yield of plants and vegetables from a raised bed even 24-inches wide. But this again suggests settling down, which undermines the romantic marriage of travel and self-sufficiency!
Though you can grow herbs and some edible fruits in planters and take them about with you on the road. This is actually far more satisfactory than a raised bed which — truth be told, will be subjected to the whims of Mother Nature, and all the diseases, pests, and rodents She sends forth to wreck your crops.
With a life on the road, occasional supermarket trips are inevitable.
Settling down
A life on the road is fun, but also tiring. Even the most ardent motorhome enthusiast will want to settle down and rest, or even just to get familiar with another place for a time. In these instances, you can look for a residential site or holiday home — some of them are open all year round. Or better yet, a motorhome or camp site with no electrical hookups. These places are almost always empty, even in the height of the motorhome season, not to mention very cheap. There you can live your off-grid lifestyle in peace for a few weeks.
Better yet, you could stop at a friend’s or family member’s. This is known as ancillary accommodation, and could be a good opportunity to sort out your legal documents, such as motorhome insurance, taxes, and so on.
Thoughts and conclusions
At the most basic and accepted definition, it most certainly is possible to live off-grid in a motorhome. Beyond power self-sufficiency however, the dream falls apart. Even at a fixed abode, sourcing water and food is very, very difficult. But the dream is still alive for those who just want to travel and have no orthodox energy bills at the same time.
About this guest post author:
Neil Wright is a writer and researcher. He has an interest in travel, science and the natural world, and has written extensively about off-grid living ideas and self-sufficient living on his website.
The post Is Living Off Grid In a Motor Home Possible? appeared first on Gone Travelling.
