Guest Post by Outbax Camping
If you’re planning on an off-road holiday this year or want to build a holiday shack in a remote location you probably won’t have access to all the services we take for granted.
These include water, gas and electricity.
In this article, we’ll take a look at electricity and how you can make it for free all on your own!
Whether you’re thinking of living out in a rural location for over the weekend, or just don’t want the stresses of having to find a new place to ‘plug in’ every night on your vacation, then we have the perfect tips for you on how to generate electricity for your mobile home.
Wind Turbines
You may want to consider installing a wind turbine on the exterior of your mobile home – or your campsite.
These can slowly generate electricity to be stored in batteries.
You’ll be able to use the power that these turbines create to charge your smart devices, use the TV or even small fan.
This will save you from having to start up the engine to power such small appliances, cutting back on fuel consumption and giving you a little more freedom.
Due to their low output they are more suited to keeping your batteries charged when you are away than supplying constant power.
They may also be significantly affected by trees and other obstructions to the wind.
Solar Panels
Possibly the most versatile solution on our list is solar panels.
They’re completely silent, easy to set up and provide electricity all day – given that there’s plenty of sunlight.
Where the best part comes in is that they’re often more efficient at energy generation than other portable solutions.
That will mean you’re able to use the power coming from your solar panels whilst also having them top up your batteries with the excess power generated.
During the day you could be using electricity directly from the sun and at night switch to the battery packs that your solar panels have charged.
To make the most of the sun it’s best to choose flexible or fold-able solar panels like those from Outbaxcamping as these can be easily moved or spread over areas with the most sunlight, like the windscreen of the mobile home or the roof.
You can even move them every few hours, to follow the sun, and maximise the power generated
For owners of remote shacks they can be locked inside when you are away.
Water or Creek Turbines
Of course, these generators will only work when you’ve set up your mobile home near a fast flowing river or creek, but will generate energy all through the day and night.
Water or creek turbines combat just about everything we’ve come to accept as a part of energy generation via mobile homes.
They’re completely effortless to set up because all you’ll need to do is sit the turbines in the creek and tie them to a sturdy object and you’re done.
Energy production, while small, can reach 15W which is can charge essential devices like smartphones, GPSs and tablets.
Portable Generators
If you’re not looking to go the renewable, passive energy route, there are a whole range of portable generators that perfectly suit mobile homes.
You’ll be able to use these to power just about anything you can think of as they can often output more than 1kW, with larger models reaching up to 6kW.
A big advantage of modern portable units is their superior noise reduction.
Outside the mobile home, they’ll be barely audible and can remain operational through the entire evening – as long as you remember to top them up with petrol.
They are even quiet enough to set up outside a tent if you’re trekking away from the mobile home.
A gentle hum is what makes these portable solutions so attractive.