Choosing a portable power station or solar generator
How do you choose the right portable power station or solar generator? What kind of things do you need to know so you don’t spend too much or get a lemon? This week’s StressLess Camping RV podcast is all about portable power stations and how to find just the right one for your RV adventure.
We also share a keto-friendly recipe for a flat bread substitute and share the first RV we’ve ever reviewed where we recommend you stay clear.
Other places to hear the podcast
Mentioned on this episode
Talking with Camp Carpe Diem - a beer-focused getaway with cool people
Our article: How much wind is too much wind for your RV’s awning?
How I routed our Starlink system in our Rockwood Mini Lite 2205s travel trailer
The portable power stations we have reviewed:
If you’re confused about solar, battery power or just want to upgrade your RV we have found the solutions from ABC Upfitters are both reliable and exceptional.
We have a podcast episode and video where you can learn more here.
Our trusted partners - RV Discounts and Deals
The video version of the StressLess Camping RV Podcast
Automated transcript of StressLess Camping RV podcast episode 254
Mark Ferrell
Welcome to the weekly podcast all about turning the great American RV adventure into stress less camping. Each week, we explore tips, tricks, ideas, and destinations, and talk to the happiest campers in the RV world. Pull up a seat at the campfire as we enjoy some stress less camping.
Peggy Barthel
Welcome to the Campfire.
Tony Barthel
I'm Tony.
Peggy Barthel
I'm Peggy.
Tony Barthel
And we're 2 RV industry veterans who travel part time, but not at the moment. Trailer.
Peggy Barthel
It's parked right there.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. Looking to share big adventures and help you with great tips Tricks. And discounts.
Peggy Barthel
We're getting ready though.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. We'll be
Peggy Barthel
gone in a week.
Tony Barthel
Yep. To Camp Carpe Diem. We have we talked about that a while back.
Peggy Barthel
Yep.
Tony Barthel
And they are starting to send some regular emails with all kinds of cool stuff, including a distillery tour. Yeah. And there's a beer swap type of thing.
Peggy Barthel
Yeah. And there's a hammock lounge.
Tony Barthel
A hammock lounge. That's right. And a bunch of other stuff. So we'll put a link, uh, down below or in the show notes to Camp Carpe Diem because Yes. I I don't know if you can still make reservations or not.
Peggy Barthel
But I don't know. But if you can, you should.
Tony Barthel
It'll be fun. And, plus, we'll be there, which is either a good thing or not.
Peggy Barthel
Well, great. You just talked them all out
Tony Barthel
of here. Yeah. Right? So we are recording outside as you can see with the desert in the background. If you're watching this, if you're just listening as most people are
Peggy Barthel
can't see that.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. But know that it's it's New Mexico. Of course, it's windy.
Peggy Barthel
Right. So if you're not watching, you might hear the breeze and the birds.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. Well, especially the birds. There are a bunch of nests around here
Peggy Barthel
Yeah.
Tony Barthel
And the birds are not happy when we're out here. But, hey, you know what? My name is on the title. So Check out my name. We have
Peggy Barthel
3 nests, I think, right here on the porch.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. Just right within
Peggy Barthel
Listening distance. The listening distance. Yeah.
Tony Barthel
Anyway, so we talked this week. We did a video about how much wind is too much wind for your RV awning.
Peggy Barthel
Any wind is too much wind for your RV awning.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. There's a whole story about it. But things like, you know, if you stake down your awning, does that solve it? And the answer in the story is no because we've seen them especially, remember, I used to work at a dealership handling warranties, and I had seen more than a few where people staked it down. It just pulls it right out of the side of the camper.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. I mean, what happens is, you know, people leave for the day or they go out, you know, or they go to bed rather at night and leave the awning out. And, man, that's just bad news. So
Peggy Barthel
Not a good idea.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. There's a whole story that you can find in the link below. Or if I figure out how to put the link to the story somewhere in this video, then that means I've learned something this week.
Peggy Barthel
Alright.
Tony Barthel
Uh, but I know how to do the links below, and so there'll be a story about how much wind is too much wind for your RV awning. And that's what a new feature we have is the share worthy story. So when you see people on whatever social media platform you like to troll and they ask that question, you can answer with an article. That's right.
Peggy Barthel
You can share it. You can
Tony Barthel
share the article from the website. So well, speaking of sharing, we are coming to you from the power of Starlink. And what I did this week, we have Starlink in our travel trailer.
Peggy Barthel
Yep.
Tony Barthel
And the way I did that is I routed the cable up through the baggage pass through in the front, drilled a hole in the side of the RV, and ran the cable. And what I thought I'd do this week is just take that cable back out and put it in the house. Right? Well, I did a really good job of routing that cable.
Peggy Barthel
And just so it doesn't frighten you, not really in the side of the RV, just in one of the pass through doors.
Tony Barthel
Right. And I'll put a link to how I did that.
Peggy Barthel
Yeah.
Tony Barthel
But, anyway, so what I did is I was thinking, well, I can run Starlink from the trailer to the office because they're pretty close to one another. Yeah. But then, you know, what am I gonna do? And I'm
Peggy Barthel
like We have power.
Tony Barthel
We have plenty of power, thanks to our ABC Upfitters Mastervolt power system. So right now, the system is pretty much keeping the fridge cold because we're loading up for our trip.
Peggy Barthel
Yeah.
Tony Barthel
And it is running our Starlink all off the grid. You're all There you go. Basically solar powered. So depending on how you want to run solar and lithium, ABC Upfitters can really configure a system that works well with how you like to travel. I would give them a call, if you're even at all curious, at 574-333-3225.
Tony Barthel
So again, a really solid, reliable solar and lithium system is possible, and ABC Upfitters has been doing it for a while, and they have actual engineers on staff. They use Mastervolt power systems, which are from the marine industry, so very low tolerance for failure. And, boy, some of the creative outfits I've seen from them are outstanding. So, again, if you're looking for a quality solar and lithium system for your RV of any size, Call ABC Fitter's or visit them on the Internet. 574-333-3225.
Tony Barthel
And they're just good people who will honestly answer your question.
Peggy Barthel
I love that we get to be outside, but I'm, like, really hating that I'm squinting.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. I we're recording in the morning, and the sun is doing its best job. And it's either this or sit in the office Right. And phooey on that because we have this I'm getting solar powered. We're getting solar powered.
Peggy Barthel
We're stealing a little bit of those solar panels.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. Oh, well, maybe not. No. Not really. There's plenty of sun to go around.
Tony Barthel
Well, at least right now here in New Mexico.
Peggy Barthel
Okay. So maybe you haven't received your solar package yet. You haven't talked to ABC or you have your appointment and you're not there yet. Uh, is there some other, like, portable kind of way that we could get
Tony Barthel
some power? We see a lot of people ask questions about solar generators. And if you're if you just cringed hearing that term Yeah. No Too. So did we.
Tony Barthel
But it's the commonly accepted term for these things. They're portable power stations. So we found a guest who, well, we've
Peggy Barthel
Well, we found this total nerd.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. And we're digging at the bottom of the barrel. And so without any further ado You get what
Peggy Barthel
you get. Yeah. You
Tony Barthel
get what you get. We have a guest talking about portable power stations.
Peggy Barthel
Let's hear from him. My guest today What?
Tony Barthel
Is a is a weirdo.
Peggy Barthel
Is a weirdo named Toner. I'm a nerd a geek. We don't really have someone to interview today because we wanted to talk about things that we can talk about without a guest.
Tony Barthel
Right. Well, what we're specifically talking about is portable power stations and some of you may call them solar generators, but they're really not generators at all. They are basically a battery and a way to use that battery.
Peggy Barthel
Right.
Tony Barthel
We see a lot of questions about how do I pick which one is the best? So I'm kind of a nerd. And if you're watching this on video, again, we have made the commitment to do these podcasts on video. You'll see behind me and us are 4 little portable power station.
Peggy Barthel
Well, you'll only see 3 in the Well, you may maybe
Tony Barthel
see the weest one.
Peggy Barthel
Oh, that's right.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. I brought them all.
Peggy Barthel
Okay. So we're just gonna talk about portable power stations, and we have quite a variety. Yeah. And we're gonna talk about why we have a variety and what you can use each one for.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. That's true.
Peggy Barthel
I mean, not specifically because your needs are different than ours, but kind of ideas about things that, you know, what can this do and what can that do?
Tony Barthel
Yeah. So first of all, the first thing to do is figure out what are you going to power. Right. What is the device that you're going to want to to charge or operate? You know, it could be as simple as, well, I I really just wanna recharge my phone.
Tony Barthel
So that might be just about anything out on the market can do Sure. 1 or maybe even 2 phones. And what Peggy's holding up is a Go Power Portable.
Peggy Barthel
It's 8 watt solar portable power pack. The solar part is built right in. These are for solar panels, and then this is the battery part. It folds up so that you can carry it around easy in a nice handy pack. You can plug USB or
Tony Barthel
Yeah. It's well, it's USB a.
Peggy Barthel
USB. This is the in port. Right.
Tony Barthel
So So
Peggy Barthel
you can also charge it with electricity or you can plug it into a USB. And so if you have a phone that charges with USB, that is a nice portable way to do it. The way that they advertise these in the beginning is to hang the solar panels out the back of your backpack. So when you're hiking, you're charging your packs.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. And so this this is very small. This basically is only for like, I can charge the GoPro. I couldn't charge 2 phones at once with this. There's a high speed and a low speed USB a.
Tony Barthel
This is old enough that it doesn't have a c. We've had these for a few years now, and they're that's what they're good for. They're phone chargers, and that's really the way to determine what you're gonna do. How much power do you need and for how long? Now the easiest way to do this is to break it down into watts.
Tony Barthel
Trust me.
Peggy Barthel
Do I have to?
Tony Barthel
Math. I know. As Jimmy Buffett said, math sucks.
Peggy Barthel
I love math. I'm I'm all on this.
Tony Barthel
Well, So depending on what all you wanna power, you're gonna wanna know how many watts it takes. So all of these things pretty much are rated in watts. And then how long that's gonna consume that power.
Peggy Barthel
Mhmm.
Tony Barthel
So, for example, our induction cooktop uses a 120 volts. It's a household plug and it uses, I believe, 1500 watts.
Peggy Barthel
K.
Tony Barthel
So if I get one of these, like, behind us are these larger portable power stations. I have, like, a Jackery Jackery 1500. Is that 1500 watts? 1500 watts of power in the battery reserves. So that means, in theory, I can run that induction cooktop for a full hour.
Tony Barthel
Right? It's 1500 watts. That's how much it's yeah. So it's 1500 watts in there, watt hours, and I can run it for an hour. Okay.
Tony Barthel
But think about, for example, if you're powering a portable heater
Peggy Barthel
Mhmm.
Tony Barthel
Those are often 1800 watts.
Peggy Barthel
But Too big for that.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. It might be too much draw, and also it may you know, those things cycle, so they go on and off. And, typically, what I found is that when you wanna change temperatures, it consumes a lot of electricity.
Peggy Barthel
Mhmm.
Tony Barthel
So portable air conditioners, portable heaters, all of those things might be too much.
Peggy Barthel
And even things like electric cookware. Right? Like, crock pots and
Tony Barthel
Well
Peggy Barthel
things like that.
Tony Barthel
Those cycle.
Peggy Barthel
Crock pots are Crock pots
Tony Barthel
are very efficient.
Peggy Barthel
But maybe air fryers might be hot.
Tony Barthel
Air fryers are probably and all of these so what you're gonna do wanna do is know how many watts you are going to want to draw, for how long, and what's the peak. Things to know is that things that have electric motors often need a big kick in the tail to get the motor Right. Running. So that's why, for example, you'll see, uh, let's say you have an air conditioner on the roof of your RV and you have one of those 22100 watt generators, and you know that the air conditioner only uses 1800 watts, whatever the numbers work out to be. But it was soon as the air conditioner kicks on, it trips that generator.
Peggy Barthel
Mhmm.
Tony Barthel
That's basically it needs a big kick in the pants to make that air conditioner run, to get those that motor started, get your motor run and
Peggy Barthel
And that number is usually bigger than the kind of overall rating of the air conditioner because that's kind of the average Right.
Tony Barthel
Number. So, for example, some of these devices have continuous running watts and peak watts. So some of these portable power stations do accommodate that kick in the pants.
Peggy Barthel
Okay.
Tony Barthel
Some of them don't. Okay. So, again, another thing to know.
Peggy Barthel
The way to know that is just to read the description of it and and know Yeah. It should
Tony Barthel
be able to tell you.
Peggy Barthel
Okay.
Tony Barthel
And the other thing is where and how are you going to use your portable generator. Right. For example, do you use it on the road? We use ours to power our portable 12 volt cooler.
Peggy Barthel
Right.
Tony Barthel
On the road. When we go to Costco.
Peggy Barthel
Yeah. Well, there's that, but but mostly on the road. Right. But, yeah, if we're making a big Costco run and it's gonna be a while to get home
Tony Barthel
If you're watching this on video, but we are near where the birds have their nests and they're not happy.
Peggy Barthel
And so we will throw the cooler, the 12 volt cooler in the back of the in the back of the truck and use one of these to power it to get us keep our frozen keep our ice cream cold Absolutely.
Tony Barthel
But but here's the other thing. I know some people will buy these for camping or RVing Mhmm. And then also anticipate using them at home for power outages.
Peggy Barthel
Right.
Tony Barthel
For example, I know this UGREEN will kick on our water pump, but the Jackery will not.
Peggy Barthel
So Because of that peak
Tony Barthel
Because of that bump. Kick in the tail.
Peggy Barthel
Kick in the pan.
Tony Barthel
So that's another thing. If you want to use this as emergency power supply in your house, know what the things you want to power
Peggy Barthel
Right. You're not just gonna plug this into the house and run the whole house.
Tony Barthel
Oh, gosh. No. No. No. It won't.
Peggy Barthel
Need to know what things you need to keep running. Maybe your refrigerator, maybe your
Tony Barthel
Well, especially
Peggy Barthel
CPAP or
Tony Barthel
CPAPs, oxygen machines, any medical appliances. That's and that's when you really wanna know how many watts you're going to be consuming and for how long. And in that case, I would even potentially think of 2 days worth of power because what if you can't charge it Right. The next day?
Peggy Barthel
Right.
Tony Barthel
So, yeah. No, especially if it's life critical, know what you're gonna be using it for and for how long. And these absolutely can power, uh, some of these medical devices. They would do a great job. And then that begs the next question.
Tony Barthel
How do you recharge them?
Peggy Barthel
Right. So if we're home and we're sitting around the house and there's outlets all over the house, all of these, everything can be charged just by plugging them in. But if you're at home and there's a power outage, the whole point is that you don't have power. But all am I right that all of these can be charged with solar panels?
Tony Barthel
All of them can be charged with solar panels, but how quickly is a variable as well? Right. So, for example, the Jackery has its own brand of solar panels.
Peggy Barthel
Mhmm.
Tony Barthel
So you could charge it with that. And it it takes about 10 hours of good sun to recharge that Jackery. The jack this now, that's not Jackery in general. That's this specific 1500 watt Jackery. K.
Tony Barthel
So know how long it's gonna take to recharge. The UGREEN and the Blue Eddie both have a fast charge mode, so they can charge more quickly. You can also charge these, let's say, you do live in an area where there's the power can shut off. If you have a portable generator, you know, gasoline, whatever, propane generator, that could charge these too. And the reason you would wanna maybe do that is overnight, you don't wanna hear that generator running
Peggy Barthel
Right.
Tony Barthel
But you do need the CPAP or your refrigerator Yeah. Or some other critical stuff to operate overnight. And again, you'll wanna know how many watts does the refrigerator take? How many watts does the CPAP take? You might have to have multiples.
Tony Barthel
So knowledge numbers are are really, uh, important thing here.
Peggy Barthel
Now can you explain if those have a fast charge option, why would you not do that? Is there a reason to not fast charge?
Tony Barthel
Well, that okay. That's the next section that we have here. Oh, sorry. Is the no. That's that your timing is fantastic.
Peggy Barthel
In there.
Tony Barthel
The quality of each of these things. You can get lost in the weeds of what type of battery, what type of charger, how many cycles you can charge.
Peggy Barthel
Mhmm. Mhmm.
Tony Barthel
And that is an important thing to know too because the higher quality units tend to have the provision to charge faster and can be charged more times. Right. So for example, this Jackery, the battery chemistry in this unit and the charge controller are probably the poorest of any of the ones we have. You cannot charge it and use it at the same time according to them, although I have. You need their solar panels to recharge it and their connectors because it does not use commonly available connectors.
Tony Barthel
It uses proprietary connectors. So let's say you break a connector on a solar panel, well, now you're out of luck. Mhmm. So this thing can recharge. I think it's 600 times, and that's it, which might sound like a lot and it's a lot, but it compares to
Peggy Barthel
how you're using it. If you're only using it when you
Tony Barthel
go camping once a month. Probably last you until you're tired of it.
Peggy Barthel
Yeah.
Tony Barthel
The other 2 that we have and there's so many brands. So we are not endorsing any specific brands whatsoever.
Peggy Barthel
Brands we have.
Tony Barthel
Right. They use a higher quality charge controller so it can charge faster. It uses a much higher quality battery. These will recharge, I think, 3,000 times.
Peggy Barthel
That's a lot more than 600.
Tony Barthel
That's a lot more than 600. It is a better, just a a better package altogether for a lot of reasons.
Peggy Barthel
It's a different battery battery chemistry.
Tony Barthel
Different battery chemistry. It's in what's called an MPPT charge controller, which means I can both charge it and use it at the same time. So in other words, I can stick the thing in the sun and also use it at the same time.
Peggy Barthel
Right.
Tony Barthel
So that's, uh, to me, a big plus. Those are some of the advantages. So when you're looking at this, look at how many cycles can you charge it.
Peggy Barthel
Mhmm.
Tony Barthel
Look at can it be charged and discharged at the same time, how quickly can it be charged up
Peggy Barthel
Right.
Tony Barthel
And how do you charge it up? Do you have to plug it into the wall? Do you only have the option of solar, which is uncommon? What kind of connectors does the solar have? Uh, are they standard connectors that you can find on for example, these 2 that the non Jackery ones that we have, I can use my Go Power Solar Panels and they have just standard connectors on them and I can just use them on these portable power stations.
Tony Barthel
So those are the things to look for, not any particular brand because, let's be honest, most of them are probably made in one of a few factories somewhere in China. So it's really a matter of components more than anything. So the other thing to look at
Peggy Barthel
We haven't talked about this little guy. Yeah.
Tony Barthel
You know, the size of what you wanna have is also important for a variety of reasons. How portable is it, and what do you wanna charge with it?
Peggy Barthel
Right.
Tony Barthel
This thing is kinda and how much power can you get out of it?
Peggy Barthel
And to a certain extent, what you can plug into it, for example Right. This, you can plug in. We showed you that other one, only USB a because it's old. Right. This one has USB a.
Peggy Barthel
It has the
Tony Barthel
US it has c also?
Peggy Barthel
USB c, and that one has two widths that I don't know what it's called. Uh, my Kindle charger.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. Well, this also has an induction charger.
Peggy Barthel
And, yeah, you can lay your phone right on it.
Tony Barthel
The phone right on.
Peggy Barthel
This one has a
Tony Barthel
This one
Peggy Barthel
has a
Tony Barthel
house outlet.
Peggy Barthel
Household
Tony Barthel
outlet. The and, by the way, we have a full review of this boojer v Juice Go, it's called. We have a full review, I think, of the UGREEN and of the Bluetti and of the Jackery. I think we've done full reviews of all 4 of these. So we'll put links to those down below.
Peggy Barthel
I don't know if you can see the
Tony Barthel
Yeah. It's
Peggy Barthel
the blue Eddie.
Tony Barthel
But it's there.
Peggy Barthel
It's there.
Tony Barthel
So this one has a household outlet. So one of the things someone asked, can this power a CPAP machine? And I would say no because it doesn't have enough battery reserves to run a CPAP overnight.
Peggy Barthel
Trying to find the number on it?
Tony Barthel
Yeah. I am. And I I did that in the review. But if I were out on the road and I wanted to recharge a drone or some phones, maybe even run the cooler for a few hours, A laptop? Absolutely.
Tony Barthel
A laptop. In fact, we ran our laptops off this Bujar V Juice Go for a while and this one does have USB c. It has a 30 watt and a 100 watt and USB a, and it's got the charge port AKA cigarette lighter. You can power this with a standard input from a solar panel. So it's a standard connector or you can actually recharge it with the USB c port.
Tony Barthel
Although, it takes 4 to Evers. It is so low when you use that port, but it is able to do it.
Peggy Barthel
That kind of gives you a hint though. Right? Like, what you can do with it based on what charge inputs it has Right. Or what use inputs it has. We couldn't ever charge
Tony Barthel
This?
Peggy Barthel
With that, it doesn't have u p u s u c. So this
Tony Barthel
It would only be for phones, I would think. Phones or the GoPro.
Peggy Barthel
This one, if it's got USB c, does that mean I can plug my laptop into this? You into this?
Tony Barthel
You could. And it would actually have sufficient power to recharge your laptop if memory serves 2 times.
Peggy Barthel
Okay.
Tony Barthel
So it's actually pretty good. The Lion Energy, which we bought in Quartzsite, we really like this. This one goes with us pretty much all the time. It's very light. It fits in a backpack.
Tony Barthel
It has all of the charge ports that we like, plus it's got an induction charge port. And then if we know we're really going for, like, a video shoot or something where we need more power, we'd probably bring this Bujavie Juice Go, And this would also power our cooler for enough time depending on how long we're going.
Peggy Barthel
Depending on if it's a day trip to do a video. If it's an overnight trip, then we're probably gonna go bigger and have the opportune because we're gonna have our cooler and our laptops that need to get charged so we can process the video and things like that. So
Tony Barthel
Yeah. So the bottom line is know what you want to power, know for how long you want to power it, know what type of connectors you need to make it go, then just shop based on that and then look at sales and reviews. It might seem very confusing. It's like, gosh, there's so many brands and there's so many sizes and blah blah blah And, really, it it's not that complicated, but, yes, there are a bajillion different brands, a bajillion different size. But if you know what you're going to need, you should be fine.
Tony Barthel
We have, by the way, you look at, for example, I'm we're sitting here on our back deck right now. We have a pellet smoker, and you might think, oh, barbecuing, changing temperatures, that consumes a lot of energy. No. Actually, I can run the pellet smoker with the Juice Go with that little brick, basically.
Peggy Barthel
Because the pellet smoker itself isn't changing temperature. Right?
Tony Barthel
Right. It's burning loads.
Peggy Barthel
A fire and what you're using the power for is the feeder to keep the pellets in the fire to
Tony Barthel
portable power stations and and shop carefully and look for sales and buy something that's got great specs, you know, and that should get you a good portable power station.
Peggy Barthel
Should. Now I just have one more question.
Tony Barthel
Okay.
Peggy Barthel
Will one of these, um, top off my RV battery if I'm if I had if I maybe I have solar panels on the roof, but it hasn't been very sunny. And I know I have this sitting in, you know, fully charged, ready for emergencies. Is that the kind of thing that it can do? Or
Tony Barthel
Yes.
Peggy Barthel
But not very much.
Tony Barthel
Well, it's the equivalent. Now if you let's say you have a travel trailer and you have 2 batteries on the tongue, but they're what they call flooded batteries, the old fashioned batteries where you can pop off the top and look at the water. Right. And let's say those are pretty low. One of these, like, the 1200 watt, is about the equivalent of a single lithium battery that you'd put on the trailer.
Tony Barthel
So, yeah, you could actually plug in a portable power station and fully recharge your batteries.
Peggy Barthel
Okay.
Tony Barthel
So that would actually be a good use for one of these.
Peggy Barthel
Now I'm gonna go a little too deep.
Tony Barthel
Okay.
Peggy Barthel
If you have a lithium battery and it's getting low, can this be a second sort of lithium battery for your RV?
Tony Barthel
Yeah. I guess.
Peggy Barthel
Like, you can run your lights off of this instead of?
Tony Barthel
Well, it would still use the battery on your tongue, but this could be, like, this could supplement that. Yeah.
Peggy Barthel
Okay.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. And then, in theory, if you buy a good portable power station where you can use the or you can charge it and use it at the same time, You theoretically could use this to recharge the battery in your trailer and put your solar panels out and and bing bang boom. And, honestly, that would be another good use for it.
Peggy Barthel
So this is powerful enough. If you keep it charged with solar, it will charge your RV.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. Depending on the size of the portable power station.
Peggy Barthel
Thank you.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. That is a good question. Well, if you have any questions about this or you're falling asleep or whatever
Peggy Barthel
it is. Sorry. It is warm out here.
Tony Barthel
Don't don't hesitate. We always appreciate your input, your comments, your questions. Yes. Uh, that's how we come up with this kinda silliness. And so, hopefully, you feel empowered.
Peggy Barthel
Oh. I feel all charged up. Oh. Oh,
Tony Barthel
this has been an electrifying segment.
Peggy Barthel
Here we go.
Tony Barthel
Oh, my gosh. Well, I'm glad for Peggy and her battery of questions.
Peggy Barthel
I got nothing.
Tony Barthel
You're fully discharged?
Peggy Barthel
I pretty much am.
Tony Barthel
Alright. But the
Peggy Barthel
solar charging is doing great for my back.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. It's a good day out here in beautiful New Mexico.
Peggy Barthel
Indeed.
Speaker 4
More than 50% of RVers suffer from CD. Many without even knowing it.
Tony Barthel
I used to get excited before RV trips, but then I started having issues. Camping issues. And it wasn't just affecting me. It was upsetting her too.
Speaker 4
Camping dysfunction or CD can affect any RVer anytime, anywhere. When you no longer have to suffer in silence, you can take action.
Tony Barthel
That's when I found out about Harvest Hosts. It's a network of more than 5,000 small business coast to coast where RVers can stay. Farms, wineries, breweries, attractions.
Speaker 4
With maximum privacy and safe, beautiful settings, 9 out of 10 dockers recommend Habit forming Harvest Hosts as the cure for sad camping. Do not try Harvest Hosts if you're allergic to Harvest Hosts, having fun, loving where you can. Side effects may include fewer arguments, better sleep, supporting small business, and even vow to go wow wow. Harvest Hosts, a more satisfying way to camp.
Tony Barthel
So hopefully, you enjoyed that Harvest Host ad once again.
Peggy Barthel
And hopefully, you enjoyed our special guest for the week.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. Yeah. I don't know about that guy. But, anyway, Estes Lavie.
Peggy Barthel
Estes Lavie. So, anyway, um, I hope that you enjoy our recipe this week. It's not sugar even though I have been kind of focused on those sugar recipes lately. And it's not cauliflower. I'm not going back that far deep into that.
Tony Barthel
That just undoes my innards.
Peggy Barthel
Yeah. What it is is a it's gluten free. Yeah. And so it's pretty much keto and it is a flat bread. I made it with I I saw a recipe and I tweaked it a little bit.
Peggy Barthel
You take one whole zucchini and shred it and let it dry or squeeze it out ideally, which I never take the time to do. Then you take a cup of shredded cheese, 2 eggs and a scoop of fiber, like all purpose, like psyllium husk fiber. Put that all in the blender and blend it till it's like a smoothie. Then put it out on parchment on a baking dish. We happen to have a, like, an 8 or 9 inch round dish for our convection oven, So I make 2 sort of tortilla flatbreads.
Peggy Barthel
But if you want one big flat one, you can just use a big cookie sheet or something, but do use the parchment because otherwise it kinda sticks to the pan. Bake it at 350 for 20 or so minutes ish, and you have a really good flat bread. It's not as thin as a tortilla. Like, I think it was originally a recipe for a tortilla, but I pour it a little bit thicker, make it kind of even in the pan and make it thick enough that we can roll food in it, like, to make a lunch wrap and not have it tear up.
Tony Barthel
Alright. So what I did with it this morning, though, is I made oh, what are those? Huevos rancheros? Yeah. So I got some green chile salsa because, hello, we're in New Mexico.
Tony Barthel
And I made some rice yesterday, I think. Yep. Then I put cheese, melted the cheese on the rice, put a bunch of salsa, fried an egg, and I also refried these tortilla things.
Peggy Barthel
Mhmm.
Tony Barthel
And, whoo wee, that was good.
Peggy Barthel
So last night, we used 1. Antoni made, basically, a stacked enchilada, which I had never really heard of until we moved to New Mexico, but it's pretty popular here. You can get your enchiladas rolled or stacked. So it's kind of more like lasagna, but with enchilada flavors. La's
Tony Barthel
las gelada.
Peggy Barthel
La's enchilada.
Tony Barthel
La's enchilada.
Peggy Barthel
And chilazania. We layered the flatbread and rice and chicken and salsa and guacamole and sour cream and it's really, really good. But so these things are pretty versatile. You can check out the recipe on our website on the food page, the recipes page. I forgot what it was called all of a sudden.
Tony Barthel
It's the sun. It's cooking your brain. It's cooking your think o matic. You know, I do regular RV reviews for a number of people, and I was looking at a floor plan. Now a lot of these RV companies, if a floor plan really hits, other RV companies will copy it.
Peggy Barthel
Sure.
Tony Barthel
And this is the case. But the neat thing about that is they might prioritize the bathroom or seating or the bedroom or whatever it is. You know, they all do things a little differently.
Peggy Barthel
Sure.
Tony Barthel
So this week, I looked at a floor plan that's pretty common and it's I'd call it a midsize trailer under 30 feet or about 30 feet. Bathroom spans the entire width of the back. Really big living room with a large slide and then a bedroom up front. It's something I think every RV maker makes. Yeah.
Tony Barthel
And I'm looking at this thing, and they put the fuse box in the bedroom. And it was In
Peggy Barthel
the bedroom that you can't reach with the slide closed? That's
Tony Barthel
I mean Interesting.
Peggy Barthel
So it's the first time and this was a Jayco 25 RB.
Tony Barthel
It's the first time I've actually said don't buy this thing in a Yeah. Review because that's just dumb.
Peggy Barthel
Yeah. I mean, who
Tony Barthel
I just so then it got me on a kick of this floor plan. Okay.
Peggy Barthel
So I
Tony Barthel
looked at the Keystone Cougar. That's a pretty good one.
Peggy Barthel
K.
Tony Barthel
Um, I had looked at it in the past. I looked at the Flagstaff Superlite 25 RBWS. That review will be out Friday. So if you're watching this Thursday or listening Thursday, uh, it'll be tomorrow that you have to see it.
Peggy Barthel
You have a mere 24 hours to wait.
Tony Barthel
That's the fact, Jack. I mean, it's just that Rockwood or the Flagstaff well, Rockwood and Flagstaff are the same thing. Right? Right. That Flagstaff and the Jayco, the Flagstaff is so much better in so many ways.
Peggy Barthel
Oh.
Tony Barthel
It's if you find a floor plan that you like, shop around because
Peggy Barthel
Yeah.
Tony Barthel
There are others who may do it who just knock it out of the park. And, I mean, I don't know. I I was just so disappointed. But then also, on Sunday, I believe, or Monday, I I lose when these things are coming out. K.
Tony Barthel
There's also an ember version of this floor plan, And they have they also knocked it out of the park. They have something they've done that's very, very unique. So again, that Jayco was was and, again, cheap buggy springs instead of a real suspension and so many things. And now Jayco had this neat thing where they used to have what they called J Smart Lighting, where they'd flash the taillights, the marker lights, and the side marker lights. Used to?
Tony Barthel
Yeah. They took it out.
Peggy Barthel
Why on earth would they take out such a great
Tony Barthel
thing like that? Because some accountant somewhere said, oh, let's save 7 months. So instead of having a competitive advantage, it's just gone.
Peggy Barthel
So just to be clear, if you have that Jayco with the fuse box in the bedroom and your slide is closed and you blow the fuse that runs the slide, let's say, how are you gonna you're gonna have to put it out manually in order to get in there to get to the fuse to fix it.
Tony Barthel
But, I mean, I wonder how many people know how to use the manual overrides on their slide.
Peggy Barthel
I mean, I wonder how many people know where their fuse boxes are.
Tony Barthel
Well, that's just yeah. Yeah. But still, I mean, it's I I was very disappointed.
Peggy Barthel
Yeah. Not a good plan. So last week's question of the week, we asked you to share your experience that you've had with overnighting in a rest area, including where you were, of course. And Gail said that she has, uh, slept in a rest area in, uh, near San Antonio, and they had great bathrooms, good drinking water, and it was well lit, uh, but it was kinda noisy as expected. Mary has stayed at 1 in Cottage Grove, Oregon, and it was small, but she felt safe.
Peggy Barthel
Tony said he was gonna share the Jimmy Buffett show, so let me finish the list and then he can do that. Diane pointed out that a lot of Colorado or most or all of the rest areas in Colorado have been closed down, and Yeah. She was trying to make it to one near Raton. And some people said that instead of using a rest area, they use Cracker Barrel, and that that makes sense. I think if you don't know the rules, there are states that don't like you, don't want you to sleep overnight in a rest area.
Peggy Barthel
So if you don't know, the Cracker Barrel is easier to get in touch with.
Tony Barthel
Well, maybe.
Peggy Barthel
Brian said he was driving a lot back and forth during COVID from New Orleans to Albuquerque in one day. Oh. And taking short naps in rest area and picnic areas along highway 287 in Central Texas. The rifle rest area in Rifle, Colorado had a dump station, but it was closed when we were there. Actually, I have been to that rest area with my grandfather, not to camp, of course, but to picnic on our way home from my mom's or to my mom's.
Peggy Barthel
And the Ohio Turnpike has RV lots with electric for a small fee.
Tony Barthel
That's pretty. Yeah. That's a great idea.
Peggy Barthel
Yeah.
Tony Barthel
And that's that's the thing about rest areas. The ones that we've been to kinda frown on sting longer than, uh, you know, a while. Right. Couple of hours of rest. Spending the night there.
Peggy Barthel
Right.
Tony Barthel
And I always expect the knock on the door.
Peggy Barthel
Sure. Yeah.
Tony Barthel
You know, middle of the night. And that's the I wish there was a better solution, but well, there is. And that's, uh, this week's question.
Peggy Barthel
Okay. But are you gonna tell us about your
Tony Barthel
Oh, do I have to?
Peggy Barthel
Well, you said you were.
Tony Barthel
Oh, dear.
Peggy Barthel
Try to make it PG, please.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. So I was going to a Jimmy Buffett concert in San Diego, and that's when I lived in, uh, Southern California. So basically LA. So it's, I don't know, what, 120 miles, whatever. So I'm driving home.
Tony Barthel
Well, I went to the Jimmy Buffett concert, so I had on, uh, like, a swimsuit. And it got really itchy and uncomfortable, so I'm like, I'll just take it off. So then I see a rest area and, well, I had to pay the rent on, you know
Peggy Barthel
The beverages you'd have.
Tony Barthel
Indeed. And I got out of the truck, locked the door, and closed the door, and that's when I realized
Peggy Barthel
Your swimsuit was locked inside?
Tony Barthel
Yeah. With my keys.
Peggy Barthel
Oh, nice. Yeah. And Thank goodness for key fobs now. Right?
Tony Barthel
Well, I guess, but this was back
Peggy Barthel
back in old Back in
Tony Barthel
the old days when
Peggy Barthel
you push the button.
Tony Barthel
That truck even had a stick shift.
Peggy Barthel
Yeah.
Tony Barthel
Well, anyway, I had to figure my way back into the truck minus pants.
Peggy Barthel
Porky pigging.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. Basically. So yeah. There are some people at that rest area who are like, boy, I'm glad that, you know, I I grew up more in a time when there were fewer cameras around.
Peggy Barthel
For sure. Alright. Let's hurry and change the subject. Yes, please. Question to ask for this week.
Tony Barthel
What creative boondocking sites have you found and are you willing to share?
Peggy Barthel
Oh, okay. So if you're if it's not a rest area and if it's not Walmart and Cracker Barrel
Tony Barthel
Well, those aren't creative. Those are
Peggy Barthel
well known. But not Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome. Then if after that, you have to get creative. So let's talk about your creative spots Yeah. Where?
Peggy Barthel
If you wouldn't mind.
Tony Barthel
What kind of cool places have you found?
Peggy Barthel
And if it's more than, what is it, 7 years, then it's past the legal limits. Well, I yeah. I just trouble for telling us.
Tony Barthel
Right? Let's hope let's hope it's more recent. And you can answer that question at our fun and friendly Stressless Campers Facebook group.
Peggy Barthel
You can. And you know, right, that we have a once a week newsletter and it is absolutely, totally, and completely free.
Tony Barthel
Yep. And we have links to the stories, videos, and podcasts that will help you get the most out of your RV experience. So to sign up, just visit our website and you can sign up on any page right at the bottom of the page and know that we would never share your email or contact or any private information or any information with anybody. That's just for us to send you our once a week Once
Peggy Barthel
a week.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. Newsletters. That's all we're really willing to do.
Peggy Barthel
That's right. We don't have time for any others. Also, while you're on the website, you can find the show notes for this episode, which is number 254.
Tony Barthel
254.
Peggy Barthel
And it's on the podcast page at stresslesscamping.com.
Tony Barthel
Absolutely. And that's also where you will find our discounts and deals for the best deals on the things you'll need on your stressless camping adventure.
Peggy Barthel
If you have a great deal that we don't already have on there, please reach out and let us know. We would love to add more and more deals on that page.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. But know that, again, the things that we pick are things that we use or would use ourselves.
Peggy Barthel
Right.
Tony Barthel
So we're not just taking any
Peggy Barthel
Correct.
Tony Barthel
Stuff. Because we do get a lot of those
Peggy Barthel
We get a lot of emails, like, do you wanna partner with us? Do you wanna and they're, like, not RV things or they're just things that we We tried a weird
Tony Barthel
one this morning. I don't remember what it was, but it was weird. I just dumped it. Anyway, we are in all the social places as well, but you can start at stresslesscamping.com. And from there, jump off to any of the social places you are.
Peggy Barthel
And of course, if you don't wanna miss a future episode of The Stressless Camping podcast
Tony Barthel
It's free.
Peggy Barthel
It's free to subscribe on any podcast app and we are saving you a seat around our virtual campfire.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. Oh, and, you know, Brian asked a good question this week on our Facebook group because Google
Peggy Barthel
is
Tony Barthel
Oh, yes. What is the term? Sun setting
Peggy Barthel
Okay.
Tony Barthel
Their podcast app. And he said, so if you're on Android, what do you use? And I think Spotify has been Might
Peggy Barthel
have been the answer.
Tony Barthel
Looking at the numbers, Spotify has been a very good place for people to find us. And apparently, they have now superseded Apple Oh. As the number one podcast source. So, I know.
Peggy Barthel
And of course, remember that a review will help others find this podcast. And more listeners means more great guests, not like that guy we had today.
Tony Barthel
Yeah. That guy was a little sketchy. So, did you hear something you liked? Share what you find on our website or in our social posts. And if you would like to know how to share, we have tips for that, oddly enough, in our newsletter.
Tony Barthel
Hey. Hey. Well, I hope this episode kinda empowered your Oh, again. Adventures. Yeah.
Tony Barthel
We appreciate your being here with us and most of all
Peggy Barthel
Stressless camping.
Mark Ferrell
We hope you learned a lot and had some fun and got some tips for your next stressless camping adventure. We're honored by your reviews on Apple Podcasts, which helps others find us too. Don't forget to subscribe so you won't miss out on the adventure, and we look forward to your joining us next week. Until then, happy camping.
Peggy Barthel
That we have a once a a once a week newsletter.
