All-electric Trailer Owners - Happy?

[apfixer]

Hmmmm, wood heat in a Scamp.
In the marine world there are plenty of small boats with a wood burning stove in them.
I am surprised a resourceful egger hasn't done it already.
Or, more likely just hasn't posted it.
I may just have to do a google search, because my 'that's a crazy idea alarms' are a ringing saying, ah yeah, been there, done that, and don't want the t-shirt.

[LyleB]

Originally Posted by Sharon G

Back in the 90's I lived in an all-electric house when a winter storm hit that knocked out power for 5 days. We were in a rural area, so the pump didn't work. There was no fresh water, which meant we couldn't flush the toilet. The electric stove, heater and lights didn't work. I couldn't fix a cup of hot soup or coffee or hot chocolate. All I could do was lie in bed under piles of covers to keep from freezing.

After that I vowed I would never live in a home that didn't have, at least, a propane stove so I could use it for emergency heat (they are properly vented in a home) and I could cook and heat water for other uses.

I stuck to that vow, and have been through several winter storms that knocked out power. I stayed warm and well fed.

I carry that reasoning over into my Casita, which is a mini home on wheels to me. No matter if a storm or natural disaster knocks the park's power out, I will have lights, can cook and stay warm.

And I can do it without hauling around gasoline for the generator which scares the fool out of me!

Well, for home or in an all-electric trailer, a simple solution is a small backpack cook kit, gas lantern and a Mr. Buddy. Simple, efficient, cheap, compact, light weight. This would give you most of the comforts without the cost and space utilization that propane appliances require.

For myself, I have no problem with a propane system in a trailer, but there are work-arounds for emergency/occasional use to supplement an all-electric.

Another possibility for at home, one that I use, is kerosene heaters and oil lamps. The paraffin based oil for the lamps reduces the odor significantly.

[MarkyVasquez]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Different strokes for different folks group. As far as propane goes, just because you have it doesn't mean you have to use it... unless you change your camping style to more off-the-grid or have a power outage. If I lose power at home, I can move into the trailer and be completely comfortable. But I 99% camp where there's electric hookups.

The question to ask yourself is what's important to YOU.

It's unfortunate there will always be contrarians and can only see their own point of view....

I agree with Donna, an all electric trailer is not silly at all. We've owned 4 travel trailers and have never, and I mean never camped where we didn't have electricity. If we found an area we liked, we stopped, took pictures and went on our merry way. We also park the Casita, go back and hike the area we like. Sometimes we hike up to 20 miles a day. We also like to run 5K races in the state parks. In the spring and fall, we park our car and hike until we find a nice area and pitch a tent.
We don't mind paying the $10-$20 a night for hookups. If you put a pencil to the thousands spent on extra solar batteries, chargers, inverters, wiring, and solar panels, for an ordinary camper, it's not really a good investment. You can also loose 50% of a batteries capacity with a total discharge. This can happen by running the heater all night and having a few cloudy or rainy days.
I don't understand how being in a house without electricity for weeks has anything to do with an RV? If the electricity goes out, just hitch up and move! I don't understand why anyone would stay for weeks in an RV after power was knocked out? If someone chooses to say and get snowed in, that's a different story. When there is bad weather coming, you usually get several days notice
We've never turned the stove on in our Casita. We cook outside and use the microwave. We use an electric heater and run the refrigerator on AC.
As far as propane being safer than electricity? I don't remember crossing bridges or going into tunnels or driving into a gas station and seeing a sign that says "Do Not Use Electricity, Switch to Propane!" I've never met a person camping with a propane leak detector too. I've met a lot of campers with voltmeters. Most RVs have their propane detectors disconnected because they, discharge the battery, went bad, or go off with any hair spray, or deodorant. A hard rear end collision will also be very dangerous carrying two propane tanks next to your back seat.
I also don't get the lower resell value. I've seen fiberglass RVs sell without awnings, heaters, bathrooms, etc. I could sell a hydrogen powered FGRV and get top dollar.
If you bought an all electric Scamp, more power too you! Have a great time making wonderful memories.
Marky


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[sclifrickson]

I think it's great that different folks each find their own camping zen. One size does not fit all. I had previously considered all electric silly because I couldn't envision it possibly working with my preferred camping style, but this discussion has allowed me to see how it can work well for others. I suppose the answer to the OP's question needs must be the proverbial "It depends" and everyone must answer this question for themself, as only they truly can, no?

[steve dunham]

We live in Northern Wisconsin where it gets COLD. Our home is all electric IE : We do not have propane or NG .That being said, we would not own a trailer that did not have propane. Our summer camping season is short so we extend the season by camping in the spring and fall where night time temps are in the 20's and 30's. We often camp where there is no electricity and propane allows us this luxury. If one lives in a moderate climate , or are only summer campers or can afford camping sites with hookups then all electric is a viable option. We prefer to be able to camp ,when and where we want and not be tied to camping with hookups
In either case , camping in a FG trailer is still better than sleeping on the ground in a tent. IMHO.

[Glenn Baglo]

I find that "camping" with full hookups is better described as "parking".

[MarkyVasquez]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

I find that "camping" with full hookups is better described as "parking".

I guess you consider camping going out in a $20,000 RV with generator, solar, a full size bed, windows, ventilation fan, shower, toilet, microwave, refrigerator, heater, insulation, propane stove, awning, air conditioning, wood cabinets, dinette, coffee pot, and a wardrobe closet, roughing it? Hmmm!
Marky


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[redbarron55]

Camping is what you want to do. All electric or not
It takes all kinds.
Personally I consider my Scamp a motel room on wheels.
I like to travel and I like to stay in the same room every night.
Camping is what you what you want it to be. Call it what you will
Boondocking for some is what they are after, but not all.
It's whatever you want it to be.
So what if it's all electric, solar, generator, kerosene, or LP.
Personally I plan to have my Scamp mostly all electric with the tankless water heater on the tongue.
The reason? My wife is scared of LP in the trailer and I'll go with that.

[MarkyVasquez]

Exactly! We need to respect everyones idea of camping. It doesn't matter if the ice cubes in your apple juice were made with propane or electricity. The outcome is the same. Wether camping in a tent or a 2 million dollar motor home. We should never impose our values, likes, and ideas on each other but camp in harmony. We should help each other with positive ideas and experiences when someone asks. I look forward to sitting next to a campfire with everyone on this forum. The first round is on me! S'mores for everyone!
We use our FGRV as a hotel room with a great view. We use electricity because in Texas its over 100 degrees from April to November. If I'm connected to electricity and paying for it why use my propane. This week we have a cold front coming in so it will be 98 degrees all week. Woohoo!
One thing I would like to do this winter is to convert my water heater with the help from some of the professionals here) from pure gas to electric and gas. I've been reading the forum on this, but that's for another thread.
Marky
By the way this is my idea of relaxing! God bless America!



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[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by MarkyVasquez

I guess you consider camping going out in a $20,000 RV with generator, solar, a full size bed, windows, ventilation fan, shower, toilet, microwave, refrigerator, heater, insulation, propane stove, awning, air conditioning, wood cabinets, dinette, coffee pot, and a wardrobe closet, roughing it? Hmmm!
Marky

It's not what I bring with me, it's what I surround myself with. Generally, if the site has full service, it has RVs crammed together. It's not economical to provide services to widely dispersed sites and so they don't. If that's what you like, go for it.
I prefer a quiet clearing in the woods, along a river.
I'm not telling you where or how to camp, or park.

[k corbin]

The OP did ask what the all electric people thought about being all electric.

I could respond as to what I am choosing to do but they did not ask me to respond to what I am doing as I am not all electric.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

It's not what I bring with me, it's what I surround myself with. Generally, if the site has full service, it has RVs crammed together. It's not economical to provide services to widely dispersed sites and so they don't. If that's what you like, go for it.
I prefer a quiet clearing in the woods, along a river.
I'm not telling you where or how to camp, or park.

I am not a fan of the KOA style of camping ,too much like being in a Walmart parking lot. Camping out in the woods next to a stream ,river or lake is certainly a laudable goal. Unfortunately many people share the same goal and they bring dirt bikes ,4 wheelers ,
generators , boom boxes , guns , anything / everything that makes noise or burns fossil fuel. Evidently in order for them to have fun they must consume large amounts of gasoline and alcohol .The last time we camped at a nice secluded campsite , we got to enjoy the sounds of gunfire for 8 hours.
Next time I may camp in a Walmart parking lot , it's guieter , cleaner and easier to get to.

** Our rural county has allowed free dispersed camping on county land for,years. Recently the rules have changed and you need to get a permit and pay a small fee. There are several proposals to ban camping on county land except in campgrounds all together.
The idyllic notion of a guiet , clean , picturesque, remote campsite
is quickly fading at least in our area.

[Ice-breaker]

I am a big fan of propane and use it often to power up all of my trailer's propane appliances, including furnace, hot water heater, fridge, oven, and outdoor quick connect for my BBQ and fire bowl. As others do, I also enjoy camping away from crowds whenever possible and find that locations without services are more likely to be quieter, more scenic, and less difficult to book on short notice. I consider it to my benefit to have as many other campers as possible have only electric in their trailers, as they will congregate in the less desirable campgrounds with hookups, leaving more space in the less-crowded more scenic locations for me.

[Rich and Rei]

We have total electric on both our trailers.
We have a small solar panal that keeps our battery charged.
We prefer staying at sites with electric hookups.
If we stay in areas with no hookups we can still have lights.
We carry food that needs no refrigeration.
We carry jugs of water also.
We dont camp in really cold weather but do carry extra blankets just in case weather changes.
As far as campgrounds, we have met some nice people at campgrounds.
Do prefer smaller campgrounds but sometimes there is no choice.
Havent ever used propane so dont miss it. I prefer total electric.

[LionelAucoin]

We recently bought a 1976 Trillium 1300 and the heater, stove, and fridge had been removed (or missing many parts) so we are going all electric. I told my wife to think of it as a tent on wheels. :-)

We tent camped for years and cooked everything outside on our coleman or over the open fire anyways. We also have a 30' Prowler on a permanent site at a campground and still do 95% of our cooking outside.

If we have electric hookups, we have a microwave and a single burner induction range we can use inside. Other than that all of our lights are LED with a 12V charger to charge iPhones etc. Also a 40 Watt Solar panel to help charge the marine battery but even without that it would likely run the lights for weeks.

For heating I will likely pick up a Little Buddy Heater to warm things up on cool nights or mornings.

So electricity or not, we are good to go!

[Bluetang99]

The only thing we have running on propane is the stove. We use the stove just about every time we go camping and I'm very glad that I decided to replace the stove and run the gas line during the reno.

I would say for you to at least have a propane cooktop, for convenience of cooking during bad weather and emergency heat if ever needed. I really wanted to install a propane fridge but I wasn't about to shell out 1/3 of what we paid for the Scamp itself.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Bluetang99

...
I would say for you to at least have a propane cooktop, for convenience of cooking during bad weather and emergency heat if ever needed. ...

[War Eagle]

Our 2010 all-electric EggCamper works great for our current style of 3 to 4 day camping trips. We spend little time actually in the camper, mostly for sleeping and a refuge from brief spats of foul weather. It's more like a hard shell tent on wheels for us. Although when camping in July and August here in the southeast, we do make a point of finding a site with 120V electric for running the A/C. Full disclosure, we will soon be up-sizing to an Escape 21' for longer camping trips. While it will come fitted with propane, it's not clear to us yet how much we will actually use the various propane features. We're looking forward to finding out!

[David B.]

Amazing, this post is almost 5 years old
Dave & Paula

[JRTrillium]

It's simply a convenient thing for us. We love our three-way fridge in the event we do not get a power site - and, if we are unlucky enough to get a no power site in the fall our portable propane heater is WONderful. I love electric sites and would opt for them if I could - we are prepared if we can't get one.