Jennifer,

why you don't try a solar panel to recharge the battery?

KARL

----- Original Message -----
From: "jennifer dumpert" <undine@HOTMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, October 11, 2003 5:35 AM
Subject: Power Source: Westfalia as mobile office

> As a consultant, I do most of my work from home, or in cafes, or in my '86
> Westy, which I drive down to the beach so I smell and hear the ocean while
I
> work. Idyllic, for an office.
>
> My big problem, however, is that the battery on my laptop only runs for
> about two hours. To really make my Westfalia a reasonable mobile office, I
> need to be able to power the computer (24 volts, 1.875 amps) for at least
> five or six hours at a time. I have considered getting a deep cycle
battery
> (like the ones folks use on boats) and wiring an inverter to it to plug
the
> computer into. I think that would work fine when I'm just leaving the
house
> for the day, but I would have to charge the battery frequently so I would
> have to come back home every night instead of taking small road trips
while
> I work. I also thought about a quiet generator, but that would have to run
> outside the van and those seem a bit bigger.
>
> Does anyone have advice/experience about this?
>
> Jennifer Dumpert
> '86 Westy, "Baby"
>
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