"Necessary" Options

[padlin]

Deb uses a regular hair drier, just need to use MED on our 1000w inverter.

[Brian B-P]

While a hair dryer could be made to run on any voltage, what is practical is limited by the electrical connection. A typical "lighter socket" 12 V DC connector can only safely handle 10 amps, or maybe 15 amps briefly if you're lucky, so that's 120 to 180 watts... about one-tenth of ideal and much less than most people would consider adequate. Since almost no one is going to install a high-current 12 volt connector to run a hair dryer, no one makes high-power 12 volt hair dryers, and the result is putting up with the unnecessary inefficiency of 12 V DC to 120 V AC conversion (by an inverter) essentially just to use the inverter's high-power cable connections. Oh well... it works.

[EdColorado]

My wife and I use a solar powered hair dryer.

Shower in the morning then sit in the sun.


No electricity required.

[Lisa M.]

Thank you all for such good information. A number of you made me look at things differently. Donna said to think about how we may want to camp in the future, not how we have camped in the past and that makes such sense, but I hadn’t thought about it. Yes, if we are able to go some on the places we’d like to, we will need AC if it’s during the summer. My husband hates cold and snow so I can’t ever see us traveling/living where extra insulation, etc. is needed. I really thought the high-rise axle would be a good idea based on some past trips, but really, Tom is turning 68 (yeah, he’s a cradle robber!) and are we really going to be camping in remote places much longer? Thank you, Donna, for good advice!
Bea, you suggested thinking about what we miss most in our Casita, and that is pretty logical. Tom misses an awning the most! I’ll be happiest with more countertop—especially the fold-down by the door, and some underneath-the-bed storage. I really would like that drawer with the row of crates (Eggscape? CPAHarley? One of you built it!), even if it means getting someone to build it for me!
In addition, I am now convinced that the solar is not going to be that complicated and I will add it to my list because it really does make sense.
Finally, it has been suggested in this thread, and in past threads I have seen, that one wait until they have enough money to buy exactly what they want. Some have had very strong opinions as to not financing any percentage of it and to wait until you can pay cash. I absolutely agree, except...who knows how many days any of us have left to make memories? It now takes the fingers on both hands to count the number of teacher friends I’ve had who retired and died that same year, usually within a couple of months, or lost their spouse in that same amount of time. I think I’d rather have to make payments for a few years and bank the memories. But not everyone will agree, so we all do what works for us! Happy travels!