I started this list for a friend who is new to RVing then decided maybe you’d all like to read it as well.
Water:
Put a bowl in the bathroom sink to catch rinse water. Use that water to wet your hands for washing. When the bowl gets too full, use it to flush the toilet
Put your toilet flushing water into a spray bottle for cleaning your toilet. Adding the spray power to the soapy water increases it effectiveness.
When brushing your teeth, first remove the bowl from the sink. Fill a coffee cup with water. Use that to brush your teeth. You can wet your brush in it. Rinse your mouth from it. Rinse your brush in it. Splash it over the edge of the cup to rinse the cup. Then swirl it down the sink to rinse the sink. Remember to put the bowl back.
If you brush your teeth before taking a shower you won’t need to run the shower as long for the water to get hot.
When taking a shower, use a washcloth. Put your sink bowl in the shower before you begin. Wet the washcloth in that saved water, soap it well and use it to wash with. You won’t need to turn on the shower until you are ready to rinse. Again save the cold water in the bowl and use it to flush the toilet.
If you keep a separate washcloth for your face, you won’t need to rinse the soap out of the one you use for your shower.
Use hand sanitizer and moist towelettes instead of water when appropriate.
Anytime you need to run water in your kitchen sink for it to get hot, catch the cold water while you are waiting in a clean bowl or bottle. If you can put that water back into your fresh water system do so. If not, use that water for cooking or washing.
If you can burn or compost trash, you might want to use paper plates when water is at a premium.
Electricity:
Use daylight as much as possible.
Figure out which lights to use for what. LEDs take less energy than halogens. Halogens takes less than incancesdents. Halogens produce a lot of heat; think about that when deciding where to use them.
WalMart sells LED lights that look like UFOs and run off small batteries. You can hang those under your cabinets and have lights that don’t use your house electric.
Turn off lights when you finish the task you turned them on for.
Only turn on your TV when you plan to watch a specific program.
Turn off as many things as you can so as not to drain your batteries. Any appliance that has a clock is using energy. Anything that is checking to see if you want it yet is using electricity. Anything that has a standby mode is using electricity.
If you have solar panels, clean them with something that leaves no residue.
When running off 12 volt use 12 volt appliances rather than convert to 110.
Propane:
Plan meals for minimal cooking time:
Eat cereal for breakfast and salads/sandwiches for lunch.
Eat fresh fruits and vegetables for side dishes instead of ones that need to be cooked.
When you cook, cook extra of things that the leftovers can be eaten cold. Like meatloaf.
Cook over a campfire. A pie iron can be used to make egg sandwiches for breakfast.
Your furnace is the biggest user of propane. Put on more clothes and turn down the thermostat.
Do your generator and/or furnace maintenance to maximize efficiency.
Put a fan in your RV refrigerator to maximize its efficiency.
A full refrigerator/freezer is more efficient than an empty one as long as the air can circulate.
Find out if a space heater would be best for you.
TTYL,
Linda
Great list o’ ideas, Linda! Thanks for pointing us to them.