Newbie with Several Questions

[LeighAZ]

Hi! I am new here. Just bought a 1975 Sovereign and I have a few questions. I hope this is the right spot! If not, please redirect!

My camper will be stationary. I have several acres of land along the Virginia Creeper Trail and the AS will be my "home away from home". I want to stay "off-grid" as much as possible.

My first question is, for this type of set up, what type of generator do you suggest? My first thought was propane, but I've read that they are expensive to run. I had thought of getting a 250 gallon propane tank set on the property anyway. In order to not disturb any of my new neighbors (and myself!) I would like to get the quietest one I can find. Any suggestions/recommendations??

Question 2 - underpinning. I can't recall EVER seeing an AS with underpinning. Any suggestions on this? Would a skirt work just as well?

Question 3. I would like to be able to visit the camper even during the winter months, but it would only be on the weekends. I actually live about 1.5 hours away. Is there a way to insulate the pipes and lines enough so that winterizing wouldn't be necessary?? Or is my safest bet to just have a 3-season getaway??

Thanks to all you AS veterans for all the helpful information on this site! It has been a Godsend already!

[nrgtrakr]

Welcome to AS world! Always entertaining!

I'd go solar and batteries - and know nothing about newer small generators available. In the military we used a 3kw diesel generator to power a mobile surgical unit, the noise was bearable.

The PO of my 75 Overlander made a skirt for it out of the blankets you put on a concrete pad in winter; it is held up on the rig using snaps. Don't know how good it works, but I wintered one year in a 5th wheel where the nights could get to -20F and the day only 0F. The 5th wheel had no belly skin, so I put tank heaters on the holding tanks, pipe heat line on fresh water in as well as dirty water out, and a skirt made from the plasticized paper that building lumber is shipped in. I had commercial AC always available, and kept up with the propane to keep it heated. Nothing froze.

The pipes in my 75 froze repeatedly for the PO in Boulder CO. I've replaced all of the plumbing. Unless it's heated, or properly winterized, it will likely freeze in VA - especially after one of those funny snow storms you get sometimes.