i have spent the last year in my 20 foot camper (2 inch walls) without paid electric,sewer,water or other city accomidations.is'nt easy but it is educatinal in being self sufficent,solar to keep batterys up,rain for water,gray water recycle for garden,solid waste composted by secret means (custom blend of living black dirt, ashes,wood shavings)smell free. 6 mos put in comp pile,1 year into garden.(do have 3.5hp mower engine hooked to 100 amp auto alternater) 1 hour per pint of gas once per day during darker weeks of winter, kept me in lights ,computor, cell phone,tools and tv(43 in projectiion).lighting by 12v floresent,10&25 watt haligens.12v bildge pump for water up to holding tank,gravity fed pluming.warm water by copper coil (NEAR wood stove)fed from tank and spliter inline.also made furnace with my stove (enclosed in metal box with ducting for heat control)12v comp fan inside 4in duct with themostat (50-80 f)IF I CAN DO IT EVERYBODY CAN TO IF YOU CHOOSE ?
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Sure, if you don't mind living in a 20 ft camper. Most of us like being able to talk hot showers every morning and have our clothes washed in a machine. Also, not everyone can heat their homes with wood as it would take too many trees and would generate too much smoke, especially in cities.
I do have hot showers ,and citys polute by congestion,no city stench in my neiborhood,just like wild animals, people need x=space to be self suficiant. wood in winter solar everything else ,frensel lens cooking, boiling water instantly(larger volume longer time to boil) to many ways to list .(how much does that cost?) ask some one how much wood they use.=gas or fuel oil,BBQ'places in city ,suity bus and truck exauste,piles of trash,loose trash blowing around BEAUTIFUL.do you make you own elect to go online? camer is remodled one big room with full kitchen,full shower,toliet,what?I recycle 100% of consumables myself,.raw materials precious comodity,plastic bag rope,grey water garden,all glass ,metal,plastic,used again at home or returned(i buy little or no wasted packageing)bring my own containers to store for filling.(ps)i have little or no trash?and you?my biggest cost is gasoline (i'm working on that)
if you have kids they get there own (so you never have deal with their stuff)remodled for bedroom with amenitys,make there own elect to stand alone living?I dont want my kids dependent on me!or anybody!or government!but too stand alone!
greensleep, I'm sure you've gotten a feeling of satisfaction from being self sufficient. I understand that what you're doing is completely do-able with the right stuff to start with.
If you have a power-generation system that can make/save enough energy to run all of your appliances, that makes it tolerable. I can live without air conditioning or an electric dryer--the two most energy-using appliances--but I'd have a hard time without my workshop. Air compressor, welder, saws--I know these use lots of power for short periods. Also, I think wind would provide a larger quantity of power in a short term for less investment.
I can heat with wood, no trouble. Just means I wake to a cold house.
I also agree that hot-water is easy with solar, wood, etc if you've planned it and don't use too much. Also, I have a septic system, so no sewer is no problem.
But the one thing I don't understand is how you've gotten by without water? If you had a well or something I'd understand it, but I'm not into gray-water showers and don't want to fill a 40-gallon tank every three days at some gas station. I like clean cars and things too. How did you do that?
Using solar correctly, determine how much amp’s are consumed by home or (?) say 60amps @peak draw= 6600 wattage peak, now you need battery bank (10 min or more, 2x banks even better) of 1,000 amps x 10 deep cycle marine battery’s= 10,000amps @ 12 volts or 120 volts (to hot to handle not advisable) extra electric component's needed 12 volt inverter best (they have better cooling internally. now you need solar panels @ 7,000 watt’s power = extra 400 watts go into second battery bank, this covers darker days(combined covers darker weeks). You can have even more than one battery bank, I prefer 3 myself. Thank you(math is estimate)
WATER from rain,stored in well (8feet deep)and above ground tank(gets bleech1/4 cup 30 gal).12v marine bildge pump helps keep tank full.this feeds indoor tank,near celing for presure(12v air pump for more water presure).working on solar evaperater, distiler(plastic sheet streched and tilted over 10 foot dia grey water pond)to collect(pure) water for batterys.1 pint per day give or take. plus get water from mountain top streams for drinking.
When you rely on yourself you have no one to (steal from) take advantage of! And no one to take advantage of you!
MY neibor gave me a solar lawnmower,works on batterys and twin solar panels . twice weekly mowing 1/2 acre grass and trails.