I have a few questions regarding modifications that may help to promote independence and environmental friendliness both on and off the grid.  

A) I found a 2013 topic regarding a composting toilet...but not much ever came of the thread.  

We're considering installing a composting toilet in place of the "stock" toilet.  I was wondering if anyone had any experience with that.  

My initial thought is that it would probably be wise to preserve as much of the original toilet flange/structure as possible, in case we want to go back to the factory toilet.  

That might entail installing a plywood floor with a hole cut out for the toilet flange (as to not have the composting toilet rocking around on top of it) and bracketing the new toilet into that plywood instead of into the bathroom floor.  

Not sure how I feel about that in terms of moisture trapped between the wood and the floor of the bathroom, however.  

Does anyone have any experience or ideas about retrofitting an rpod with a size-appropriate composting toilet?  

B) Concerning the zamp-ready wiring on the newer models...it is my desire to not have to worry about running out of juice during a week-long, off-grid trip with our two younger children.  We'll be conservative of electricity, but at some point it is inevitable that the water pump will be left "on", that someone will leave the bathroom fan on, that we'll have some lights on at night for reading/games, etc.  

Do you feel that the stock battery, plus a 120P Zamp kit, would keep us going in ordinary, seasonal summer weather?  The 160P or even the 200P?  

Or...is it inevitable that we would need a 2nd battery worked into the mix?  (I'd prefer to stick with 12 volts and not customize a bank of 6V.)  

C) We hope within the next 2 summers to do our first "Yellowstone" loop across the country...with a "British Columbia" loop hopefully soon to follow.  Places that can get chilly.  If you found yourself wanting to run the furnace fairly regularly for about a week before you approached a convenient refill station...would you end up wishing you'd taken along a 2nd 20 lb tank?  (The fridge would need to be on LP mode as well during that time.)  

D) Lastly, we've also wanted for a long time to do a nice Everglades/bayou trip.  If we found ourselves wanting to power the A/C unit, we'd need a generator.  We would want the efficiency and the relative quietness of an inverter generator.  Could we get away with <$1,000 and an 1800/2000/2200 Watt generator?  Concerns about peak amperage draw and inability to start up the unit?  

Thanks so much for your time and input!  :)  

 

 

The blower fan on the furnace is the largest LP and electric (DC, off-grid) hog in the camper.  If you were conservative you could get by for a week on one tank, but don't plan on keeping the inside at 70 F.  The fridge uses very little propane and could run for a month on one tank.

 

Item D, you will want at the very least the 2400 watt Yamaha.  The 3000 Honda is even quieter.  I've had both.  2000 watts is very marginal but works for some.

If you are planning on going to Everglades after May or before November, I would strongly suggest:

Flamethrower, diesel fuel skin spray or small thermonuclear device might also be effective. 

fred

Thanks for the heads-up, Fred.  My wife teaches biology and environmental science, so I assumed that mosquito/tick suits would be included in our gear so that I could safely fulfill my tick-collecting/testing responsibilities.  Is that weird...or kind of cool?  :)  

Years ago, before hurricane Wilma and Katrina, there was lodging at the Flamingo Visitor Center at the very tip of Everglades National Park. We lived in South Florida at the time. One weekend we decided to take our boat to Flamingo for a weekend fishing trip. I think it was in June or July. They said, "Mosquito Level Moderate".

When we got there, we had to run to the office, run to our room and run to the boat launch. There was blood on the walls in the room. Never seen skeeters like that! Once out on the water, the place is indescribably beautiful..in a primordial kinda way. Take your camera! Oh, I remember waiting for one of the resident alligators to clear the boat ramp so I could launch.

Getting back to your original query, we carry a Yammy 2400, dual 6volt 230 amp/hr batteries and upgraded LEDs throughout. We don't look for electric hookups and have found little need for them so far. I think we have gone as much as five or six days in one spot on battery alone.

The composting toilet is a neat idea and I have looked into that myself. Black tankage hasn't been an issue for us yet as we have primarily camped where toilet facilities and dump stations were nearby. I tote grey water so we don't have to break camp for dump station.

Have fun!

fred

If anything, for the occasional week or so off-grid with the family, you might want to consider a portable toilet (with cassette tank) and using biodegradable chemicals that can be emptied into a outhouse.

I've had solar on a previous trailer.  It worked well... except (like Tekntrek) I tend to camp in the bush, which means a big hit on solar production.  I've got a second battery, which works well for 4+ days.  But, frankly, a generator is my recommendation - an hour or two every other day tops up a single battery (every day when running the furnace), and it works in the sun and the winter.

The stove, fridge and water heater will run for about 10 days on a single 20lb propane tank.  Add the furnace into that mix and you'll get 3-5 days (depending on how cold it is outside).  Bringing along a second propane tank on longer trips is a good idea - make sure to bring one you won't mind swapping as you're far more likely to find a cage full of propane tanks rather than fill stations in your travels.

Awesome.  We'll be there this July!