Monarch SE 2004------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ S e ction 2 Driving & Safety | 53
• During the day it is still important to conserve on energy. Turn on the water
pump only when using water. Turn the pump off when not in use. The water
pump does not draw an abundance of power, however all battery amp hours
are important and should be conserved.
• If it is too early in the morning or too late in the day to run the generator, use
the inverter for AC power. Remember to turn off the inverter when not in use.
When the rest of the campers are up and about, turn on the generator and run
it for a couple of hours to help charge the batteries. Run the generator during
clean up and preparation for the day.
• Check the monitor panel frequently and keep track of water usage and battery
consumption. Routinely check the LP-Gas level. Remember the furnace uses
more gas in cold weather.
• Careful management of water is critical when dry camping. Know the
motorhome tank capacities. Picture the amount of liquid in a gallon container.
Visualize that amount each time you run the water. If you are dry camping for
an extended period, limit shower usage. Turn the water off when soaping
down in the shower. If water conservation is critical, take a sponge bath.
Conserve water while brushing your teeth. Chances are a campground without
hookups will not have large comfortable shower rooms or bathrooms. It may
only be equipped with primitive facilities, however, if it helps to economize
on water, use them.
• Do not fill the sink full of water to wash a few dishes. Use disposable dishes
whenever possible. Conserve propane by cooking dinner over the campfire.
However, if cooking over the campfire is not desired, use the cook top or
microwave. If you use the inverter to operate the microwave, battery power
will be consumed quickly. If possible, use the generator to operate the
microwave. It is healthy for the generator to operate under a heavy load such
as the microwave.
• Allow the generator to power up for a couple of minutes before applying a
load.
• To conserve on battery power, plan what is needed from the refrigerator prior
to opening it. If weather does not permit eating at the picnic table, or if no
picnic table is available, eat at the dinette table by candlelight.
• Leave shoes outdoors or at the entry step to avoid tracking in dirt. Open
windows during the day instead of using the roof air conditioner.
• Get back to nature and still enjoy the comforts of the motorhome. With a
little imagination, the ways to conserve available resources while dry
camping are endless.
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