Going completely off-grid is difficult, especially with an EV. You can go almost anywhere with the right gas or diesel vehicle, and once you get there you can use solar energy for comfort, cooling and even cooking. But you’re still dependent on fossil fuel infrastructure and supply chains, so you’re not really off-the-grid. You will also run out of food and water at some point, unless you park next to a reliable stream and start a fairly robust farm.
While no motorhome company can give you a food supply, there is now a motorhome you can buy that takes care of everything else† Living Vehicle’s motorhome can not only give you a good dose of solar energy (enough to charge your EV tow vehicle), but it also comes with an innovative water supply that uses solar energy to give you several liters of fresh drinking water every day. to give, of thin air.
A robust solar system
Most solar powered RVs only have enough power to power their deep-cycle battery (usually a lead-acid battery, like the one found under the hood of a car). This deep cycle battery can only take care of things like turning on the lights. Heating, refrigerator, hot water and cooking are generally all powered by propane. Air conditioning? This is only possible if you find a campsite with power connections.
That has begun to change in recent years. Battery technology has improved dramatically and more efficient cooktops, water heaters and air conditioners can all run on less power. So if you can afford a good battery bank, you can now power most things completely off-grid without the need for propane.
However, as I mentioned earlier, most RVs are towed to remote locations by a petrol or diesel truck or SUV. You can now reasonably tow smaller trailers with EVs, and bigger ones are getting easier as electric trucks hit the market. But on back roads, you’ll often find yourself having to stay in an RV park to get a load rather than ‘boondocking’ or camping in the woods with no access to utilities.
This is true a motorhome with robust solar energy and backup options really shines.
The heart of their system is battery storage. As the skeptics say, “The sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow.” Huge batteries are of course very expensive, but not everyone will need the same. Living Vehicle gives buyers some guidance in deciding whether to use a battery as low as 14 kWh or go up to 60 kWh with heavier cells.
Input power needs also depend on how the motorhome is equipped, so there are options there too. You can only get 1,320 watts if you don’t camp much, don’t need a lot of power, or don’t think you’ll see much shade. Or you can go up to 3.5 kW peak power to make sure you have loads of power. If you do encounter too much shade or cloudy weather, you can also rely on a backup generator, a connection to an ICE truck alternator or shore power at RV parks to recharge the batteries.
With their largest battery and solar option, there should be enough power to charge your tow vehicle. With multiple inverters, lots of solar, and lots of battery, even a level 2 charge shouldn’t be a big deal as long as you’re not trying to add too many miles per day. So even the wildest backcountry adventures should be possible, regardless of infrastructure.
Extracting water from thin air
It doesn’t matter how big a RV’s fresh water tank is, it’s possible to camp away from a water supply long enough for the tank to drain. If that happens, you’ll either have to go into town to get water or have someone bring you some. Some people who boondock (camp away from utilities) spend every other or third night at an RV park to refill their water and batteries, dump their sewer tanks, and otherwise get ready for more boondocking.
If you want to stay in the woods for weeks at a time (most public lands in the US allow up to 14 days in the same spot), it would be great to have more water available, so Living Vehicle set to work on ways to think about supplying water.
It turns out that in most places there is water in the air all around us. If you’ve ever used a window air conditioner, you’ve probably noticed that it sometimes drips as the humidity in the air condenses into liquid water. By doing this intentionally, the onboard water generator can produce up to five liters of water per day. That’s not much, but keep in mind that the water you don’t drink on any given day is purified and pumped into the freshwater tank, giving you ‘rollover’ water you can rely on for longer, utility-free rides.
If you need to get water from a questionable source to replenish the air drawn in (or you’re somewhere with too little humidity to produce water), they offer you another option: a really good filtration and sterilization system. You can’t get water from a stream as it’s not designed for that level of cleaning, but it makes sure any faucet you plug the RV into doesn’t give you dirty water or germs.
If you’re using this as a survival shelter of sorts, you could probably add more filtration and feed that into their final cleanup system, but check with them before you do that.
You could make this at home
While most people camp on weekends or in their spare time, things are changing and many remote workers can now live on the road. Being able to park in any public lot or parking lot (with the owner’s permission and where allowed by local law) gives people a lot of flexibility in how they will live from day to day and where they will live.
People like Elon Musk may not be thrilled with you, but if you have an employer or other work to do on the go, this mobile power and water generation option gives you the ability to live off-grid and avoid expensive RVs. park rental or nightly rate. That makes it a lot easier to live in beautiful and nice places instead of in a city apartment or a suburban home.
Featured image: The vehicle’s water filter system on a test bench. Photo by live vehicles.
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