green boondockin'

[richie rich]

Feeling in a very environmentally correct mood,I ask the question,does anyone boondock green? Of course a generator is a no no. But what else can I do to camp green and save the planet?

[SteveH]

Don't know if you're going to "save the planet", or anything else for that matter, but if you want to go green, go solar. The solar panels will keep your batteries charged and that will power your trailer, all except the microwave and the air conditioner.

[Boondocker]

I would argue that boondocking in general is very green. It is low impact, water use is usually reduced as is power usage. In fact, I would dispute the idea that generator usage is inconsistent with being green. When you are running off 12V, you tend to watch how much power you are using. Using all the power I want, a 5 gallon tank of gas goes for weeks. Water lasts me a week.

[warbler5]

Originally Posted by SteveH

Don't know if you're going to "save the planet", or anything else for that matter, but if you want to go green, go solar. The solar panels will keep your batteries charged and that will power your trailer, all except the microwave and the air conditioner.

I agree with SteveH....solar is the way to go! Our trailer has one permanently mounted panel on the roof and one that can be moved around, for times when the AS is parked in the shade. We removed the two batteries that came with our trailer and replaced them with 4 AGM batteries (liquid-free). We seldom need to worry about our electrical use, as long as there is sun during the day....including HDTV use and internet!

When I was growing up, I recall boondocking in my parents' SOB, and they had a gas light with a mantle for light! I think LED conversions would also save on electrical use these days.

Cheers

[rgesch]

Don't get hung up on the Green nonsense. It is a farce and at this point nothing more than a marketing ploy. If the green-weenies were honest, they would tell you that anything you travel in less than a three cylinder Geo(Chevy) Metro (which I do when I a not camping) is environmentally incorrect. Please don't be conned into anything.
Camp on.
Of course, anything you can do to simplify you camping experience will enhance your enjoyment!

[FLYNCLD]

Thank you for posting your questions and interest in "going green". Yes there is a lot of hype, but there is also a lot you can do. I agree that boondocking is conservative by nature, but solar power, composting toilets, biodegradable soaps, and many other waste reducing measures can all help lessen our impact on our campsites and on the environment. To see more about what we have tried to do, visit out website at www.ecodiscoverytour.com


Best,

FLYNCLD

[BAB BMRZ]

Green Wennies unite, Darth Vader lives.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, my opinion is that if you want to boondock GREEN you should just camp in your driveway or yard. With all the fuel used to get anywhere, going camping in the first place, [I get 11.5 MPG] you are far from being GREEN. This reminds me of a co-worker, many years ago, who would buy and eat, a full box of chocolate donuts and drink a "diet" Pepsi. Tow your trailer to the camp sight with a bicycle, that's GREEN.

[richie rich]

I knew the term "green" would cause some controversy.I do in fact boondock in the backyard many times during the year.Still tied down to a time consuming form of employment, the 100'x175' backyard serves me well as a boondock.The question remains,when I am out and about and the '63 Safari rolls to a stop,what can I do to avoid waste.Solar power answers alot of questions.Using a small generator and conserving fuel over an extended stay is admirable as well.Posing the question how can I boondock green shows me where Airstreamers heads are at.Judging from the replies,it is a good place.Going into the deep end of the pool now, the green question is not so much about fuel as it is about water.The idea of a compost toilet sounds like a pain in the ass.Dump stations in hind sight also make me pucker.I would be happy as you know what to avoid the whole scenario.With 'destain' ,I would suggest a 'waterless movement'.Knowing full well the prospect will cock a few heads,I see no other choice.How else can the 10 mpg money pit be equalized?

[TBRich]

Actually, the toilet in an AS uses much less water (if used properly) than those in our homes (which use 2-3.5 gals of water per flush depending on the type)...since there is really no "flush" per se...so using the toidy in the AS is greener than using the one at home! Go figure. We have a fairly small fresh water tank, so we really work to conserve water when we are dry camping.

[kstampa]

You will always use water in the AS for handwashing, dishwashing, bathing etc. A composting toilet would be an unnecessary conservation measure if the gray water was used to evacuate the toilet. There are already sepearte tanks for gray and black water. All you would need to do is tap the gray tank and plumb it with a 2nd on-demand pump to the toilet supply. You could retain the potable water supply to the toilet in case you had no gray water for use. This could easily be done at the factory or during a major renovation.

As an architect, we know that the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program developed by the USGBC has promoted gray water reuse as a conservation measure in our built environment. To learn more about green buildings visit: www.usgbc.org

[richie rich]

Good points all. Airstreamers do care,as if there were ever a doubt.Camp on, my bauxite buddies,and GO in peace.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Stream'n IS green, it's the house with no wheels thats a problem.

[warbler5]

Our gray water tank is always the first tank to fill. I have thought that using gray water to flush would help with both saving fresh water and lessening the load on the gray water tank.

I have found that some of my water-saving habits in the Airstream are beginning to find their way into my home!

[Gene]

Going green and towing several tons down the road create some difficult decisions. My answer is to do the best we can. We have replaced a majority of bulbs with LED's—that reduces power consumption when hooked up to the grid and is good for boondocking. Boondocking reduces water use out of necessity. Camping close to home reduces fuel consumption. Avoiding processed foods at home and on the road reduces energy consumption and is more healthful. Traveling light as possible saves fuel and as much as I don't like it, driving slower save fuel.

I think staying at motels and especially at "resorts" is not green because these places are not built for efficiency. Since they are often at the edge of towns, they contribute to sprawl which is neither attractive nor efficient.

Since "green" is not a well defined term, I suppose it is an attitude. It requires thinking differently. When I was young throwing stuff out of the car window was not unusual, but there was a national change in attitude and I don't see it nearly so often. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen and I have to pick up trash along our road frontage of more than 1,000 feet (I notice beer bottles are the most common trash). I try to think of more ways to conserve resources and protect the land, air and water. It's not easy because I was trained long ago to not even think of such things.

I don't think I'm a "green weenie" and don't think conserving equates with weakness. It's just smart traveling and living.

Gene

[Boondocker]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

......I don't think I'm a "green weenie" .......
Gene

I know Gene personally, and I can attest that he isn't green.......

[tallytwo1994]

[quote=kstampa;739044] A composting toilet would be an unnecessary conservation measure if the gray water was used to evacuate the toilet.[/quote]

No, the purpose of a composting toilet is not just to conserve water but also to compost the waste to a point it can either be reused or be disposed of in a less impacting manner. Water, even gray water, should not have to be treated as sewerage either in a home environment or in your camper. Anything that avoids this would be conservative.

Originally Posted by kstampa

As an architect, we know that the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program developed by the USGBC has promoted gray water reuse as a conservation measure in our built environment. To learn more about green buildings visit:

Originally Posted by kstampa

www.usgbc.org

All the large scale gray water reuse programs I'm familiar with use advanced treatment (very expensive) in order to be able to reuse the water on golf courses, home lawns .... Not using the water in the first place is the only true conservation measure.

I would suggest a better use of the water in your gray water tank would be to take it home and water your fruit trees and flowers...

Carol

[richie rich]

The response to this thread is more than I anticipated! The most worthwhile recommendations being: the usage of solar power & the reuse of gray water as a flushing agent.On a tangent,the thought of implementing airstream conservation in the home is certainly noteworthy.If all the 'green' suggestions were commonplace in residential America I just might not feel the need to boondock at all.I might add that going any greener, when already in a boondock situation,would verge no longer on camping techniques but survival techniques.Would anyone care to take a stab at the use of survival or even hunting gear as green boondocking armament.

[Gene]

Originally Posted by Gen Disarray

I know Gene personally, and I can attest that he isn't green.......

"It's Not Easy Bein' Green" (lyrics by Joe Rapposo)

It's not that easy bein' green;
Having to spend each day the color of the leaves.
When I think it could be nicer being red, or yellow or gold-
or something much more colorful like that.

It's not easy bein' green.
It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things.
And people tend to pass you over 'cause you're not standing out like flashy sparkles in the water- or stars in the sky.

But green's the color of Spring.
And green can be cool and friendly-like.
And green can be big like an ocean, or important like a mountain, or tall like a tree.

When green is all there is to be
It could make you wonder why, but why wonder why? Wonder,
I am green and it'll do fine, it's beautiful!
And I think it's what I want to be.


Not green, but I do have some "liver spots" on my hands: Liver spot - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Moving on to composting toilets, wouldn't is be very difficult to set that up in a trailer that moves? All the toilets I saw on the internet seem to be for stationary installation. For more:
Composting toilet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There's a mention in the Wikipedia article of dessicating toilets. A friend tells me many years ago he had a set up when he lived in a step van that attached to the exhaust pipe and turned "stuff" to ash from the heat. That wouldn't be green in a trailer because you're not getting a second use of the heat generated by a motor vehicle, but an interesting idea for a motor home.

Gene

[FreshAir]

Green is good, even if I think it's over done......but I am more into conservation. My mother was perhaps way ahead of her time but from necessity. She and Dad had too during the 'great' depression. I was born towards the end of it but mom was always stressing conserving (saving?) with teaching my brother and I not to be wastefull even when we had plenty. I chuckle silently and I am sure my mother is smiling someplace when I hear my grand kids being asked by their parents, "Did you turn off Gramps and Granma's bathroom lights when you were through?" Mom and I will applaud when I (we) hear that question asked in their home.
Neil