TL;DR: I’m placing some ending touches on my journey setup to chase necessary cleantech and outdoor tales, and need assistance. Particulars and fundraiser are right here.
Earlier this yr, I requested readers to assist me get some gear collectively to make journey loads cheaper. The most cost effective manner I may give you was to make use of my EV to haul “glamping” gear round. The fundraiser didn’t meet the objective, however between what I did get from our wonderful readers and what I pitched in myself in subsequent months was sufficient to construct a customized trailer and take the setup on an preliminary shakedown cruise.
I’m very glad I didn’t soar ft first into an extended journey, as a result of I recognized a number of massive shortcomings in my setup.
First off, it grew to become obvious rapidly that I wanted higher storage administration. The unique plan was to stack issues up, put the extra fragile issues in hard-sided storage bins, and arrange camp or a cooking space on folding tables. However, one of many storage containers buckled beneath the load of a conveyable energy station, pushed to the edges, and pushed my moveable fridge towards the door of the trailer. The end result was a damaged fridge and varied kitchen gear strewn concerning the flooring of the trailer!
The answer? I want an costly 500-lb capability drawer slide and a few lumber to construct a roll-out kitchen that’s guarded from the remainder of the gear.
One other challenge I recognized was inadequate vitality storage from my Jackery 3000 Professional. It’s not Jackery’s fault in any respect, however working air con or a warmth pump simply takes an excessive amount of energy for even 800 watts of photo voltaic panels (actual output is 300-500 watts, however typically zero) to essentially sustain, and this results in even bigger energy stations changing into depleted in only a few hours. For that, I’m going to construct a customized aerodynamically environment friendly enclosure on the entrance of the trailer and put an influence inverter in it. This may then pull energy from the Bolt EAV, which has loads of vitality storage for many off-grid outings.
So, I’m going to wish extra lumber, some wiring, and a pure sinewave inverter.
One ultimate shortcoming comes from quick meals. The unique plan was to cook dinner meals whereas the Bolt charged (and at 55 kW max, the Bolt will give us loads of time). However, many charging stations have the temptation of quick meals close by, and typically proper subsequent to the station. Until there’s one thing to rapidly provide everybody to assuage their starvation, I’ll typically find yourself shelling out for quick meals as an alternative of saving cash by cooking. So, I’m hoping to additionally get an RV-rated microwave to put in subsequent to the little fridge.
All of this provides as much as just below $1,000. Lumber isn’t as low cost because it was, and the opposite electronics and {hardware} all provides up, too. So, I’ve posted a fundraiser at GoFundMe to assist cowl these ending touches and make the glamping setup much more bulletproof (figuratively talking).
Why I’m Asking For Assist With This As a substitute Of Ready
All of it comes right down to timing. I may spend one other month or two scraping some cash collectively to do these ending touches, however I must hit the highway loads sooner.
I can’t give full particulars, as a few of it’s beneath embargo, however I’ve an necessary journey a state over arising for mid-to-late September. And, it is a couple weeks after one other necessary journey two states over. I might be able to mix these journeys to save lots of just a few extra bucks and make it an extended, extra productive journey, and convey again much more necessary content material for everybody.
However, I’m going to wish each time to construct and take a look at these ending touches. So, if I don’t get the remaining funds in fairly rapidly, there can be no time to really make the enhancements earlier than the primary journey.
Luckily, I’m already over 10% of the best way to the objective (as of this writing), so it shouldn’t be an enormous downside to get this finished! Any further funds will go towards journalistic journeys in different methods.
What Readers Will Get For Their Cash (or Sharing This)
I’ve defined this earlier than, however I needed to share it once more for brand new readers and individuals who haven’t been following my undertaking. In a nutshell: The objective is to get on the market and do extra “boots on the bottom” journalism for CleanTechnica.
The unhappy truth is that it’s simple to get data from the web, combine it up a bit, add some necessary evaluation, and produce an article for readers. It might probably typically be a bit time consuming and tedious, however there are many necessary tales that begin and finish on the web for us. The web is solely that superior!
However, the web can’t inform each necessary story there may be to inform, and it typically can’t give us (and by extension our readers) the standard of first-hand data that may be had in individual. Higher tales and views, testing, and even higher images all can occur by getting on the market and placing boots (or, good sneakers in some instances) on the bottom.
It’s additionally necessary to get on the market and discover new tales to inform. I’ve come throughout quite a few tales touring that by no means would have gotten on my radar in any respect if I had stayed dwelling. On a protracted journey final yr, I reviewed a brand new EV charging station, reviewed an EV charging adapter, tried out Electrify America’s latest {hardware}, examined a set of tires, and discovered one thing necessary that might save lives. This wasn’t a worthwhile journey even staying at Motel 6 and consuming low cost quick meals that irritated my guts, however I nonetheless suppose this type of work is just too necessary to simply by no means do.
Lastly, it’s good to get on the market and present those that EVs, solar energy, e-bikes, and different clear know-how is as much as the job. Early adopters of EVs (that’s us right here at CleanTechnica) all know that it’s not solely ok, however typically higher than what got here earlier than, however most of the people remains to be questioning if it’s going to work out for them. Each individuals I’ll meet on the highway and individuals who’ll learn articles right here want extra reassurance that cleantech is able to serve their very important wants and even their needs.
In case you’re able to assist, I’d deeply respect it (you’ll be able to donate right here). If not, I’d respect sharing this simply as a lot!
Featured picture by Jennifer Sensiba.
I do not like paywalls. You do not like paywalls. Who likes paywalls? Right here at CleanTechnica, we carried out a restricted paywall for some time, but it surely at all times felt incorrect — and it was at all times robust to resolve what we should always put behind there. In principle, your most unique and finest content material goes behind a paywall. However then fewer individuals learn it! We simply do not like paywalls, and so we have determined to ditch ours.
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