One has to be self sufficient when their RV or sailboat is far from the beaten track. When you are docked you can enjoy the comfort of shore power, but once you leave your power expenditure profile goes up and you need to apply power management.

Sailboats are equipped with gear that requires more power than what used to be typical a decade ago. Lighting a boat was always a struggle, but now you have smart gadgets like chart-plotter, autopilot, electric winches and as many other contraptions as you are willing to operate. These are all pieces of equipment that are vital for preserving your physical strength. Ditching the autopilot during a shorthanded off shore cruising means each member of the crew gets less hours of sleep. Getting rid of the electrical anchor chain winch means that one of you will have to break a sweat to retrieve the anchor into the locker.

Solar cells efficiency has gone up within the same time frame, while the prices of panels are going down. Yet, running boat appliances without a boost coming from diesel generator, engine alternator or other alternative means is hard to imagine.

Bottom line – power on a boat (or an RV) has to be managed. Despite your well meaning and conservative projections of average daily amperage use the sea is unpredictable. You will face situations in which extra juice is needed to power through.

This is where the best universal mains charger on the market come into play. Advanced models have an automatic multistage battery charger. They are fitted with separate battery banks (up to 3) and they are programmed with different charge algorithms. So you can practically isolate the charging and have separate application for each bank. These days good universal mains charger also has a smart output regulator based on the current loads.

Everyone is after ‘set and forget’ modules so you can easily find one. Beware though, for you will have to follow a predetermined charge sequence to use the system past it’s 2 year warranty. This multistage charging process (boost, absorption, float and maintenance) is recommended for fast charging and long service life of the system.

If you have an RV or a boat you know most of these batteries (Lead-acid, gel, AGM, deep cycle) have to be kept in flux to increase their lifespan. For example, you are always trying to avoid sulfation with lead acid batteries. Therefore manufacturers do their best to prolong service life.

You can use battery charger as an aid in your power management scheme. If you ought to keep the current or battery bank at certain level these kinds of portable chargers can be very handy.

Camper van motors and diesel engines on boats have alternators. They are electric generators which operate when the engine is running. The catch is – they are fitted on the vehicle to produce power that is needed to run it’s systems. Most of them are low-output alternators because the requirements (such as those of car lights) are fairly low.

And there is an added disadvantage to using them. The engine needs to run to generate power, so if you’ve parked your RV or your boat is picking up some wind, you will have to use fuel to get some electricity. You can run your engine every twelve hours to generate electricity to be spent by your autopilot, however this is not the most efficient use of fuel on a boat.

Speaking of fuel, it’s not uncommon for live aboard cruisers and RV’ers to have a diesel generator as a back up power source. Obviously, investing in a fall back system when you are off grid is very prudent. But do you really want to go for diesel?

Truth be told you can easily find diesel at almost any given port. Or maybe you got a second hand boat that was already fitted with generator and you can’t be bothered to replace it. Most often budget restrictions leave you with little to no choice.

There are a lot of downsides to generators though. First you need to carry extra fuel in jerry cans. This will take some of your storage space, that is very limited regardless if you are on a boat or an RV. Then, you regularly splurge cash on fuel. And last but not least, when your generator fails, and this does happen, you better put on your mechanic coverall and start the tedious troubleshooting.

Don’t forget that the cruising lifestyle is not about being cheap, but being cost effective. There are multitude of alternative means to get power when you are out and about. And they are available to you at little to no expense.

Let’s talk wind turbines. They do have a reputation of being too loud, however you can get some of the more slick and advanced designs that don’t produce much noise. Sometimes the fault is not in the wind generator per se. Installers (whether this is you or a professional) can set improperly balanced blades hence the noise.

One obvious downside of tapping into the elements is sheer exposure. Wind turbines are electrical mechanical devices and they take quite a beating surrounded by salt water. No one will extend a warranty longer then three years to you, so go figure. Fitting an RV with portable wind turbine might be more forgiving.

If you are on a boat, then why not tap into the power of water? Styles and design of hydro generators can vary significantly, but you are already splicing the water so giving it a go is very logical, though not much common. Some models can be fastened to the transom, just like you would do with an outboard motor at the stern. Others can be towed in the wake of your boat (as simple as a propeller on a rope) – it sounds fairly straightforward to me.

The downside to hydro generators is the fact they are not widely used, so you need to study more carefully if you don’t want to experience buyers remorse. It’s the last thing you want to do if you are outfitting a vessel on a budget. Over time the price of hydro generators will probably fall, but you need to weigh your power management options in the meantime.

Of course, solar panels, but you probably already have those if you are checking out battery chargers. Everyone has their preferences and most vagabonds have limited space to fit all the gear. So make your decisions wisely.