Monaco DIPLOMAT 2004 Owner's Manual page 61

• Place a large flashlight inside the front door for navigating through the
coach during the night without having to use interior lights. If interior
lighting is needed, use one light in a central location, such as the vanity.
• During the day it is still important to conserve on energy. Turn on the
water pump only when using water. Turn the pump off when not in use.
The water pump does not draw an abundance of power, however all
battery amp hours are important and should be conserved.
• If it is too early in the morning or too late in the day to run the generator,
use the inverter for AC power. Remember to turn off the inverter when
not in use. When the rest of the campers are up and about, turn on the
generator and run it for a couple of hours to help charge the batteries. The
generator may seem loud, however, the noise is minimal just a short
distance away from the coach. Run the generator during clean up and
preparation for the day.
• Check the monitor panel frequently and keep track of water usage and
battery consumption. Routinely check the LP-Gas level. Remember the
furnace uses more gas in cold weather.
• Careful management of water is critical when dry camping. Know the
motorhome tank capacities. Picture the amount of liquid in a gallon
container. Visualize that amount each time you run the water. If you are
dry camping for extended period, limit shower usage. Turn the water off
when soaping down in the shower. If water conservation is critical, take a
sponge bath. Conserve water while brushing your teeth. Chances are a
campground without hookups will not have large comfortable shower
rooms or bathroom, but it may only be equipped with primitive facilities.
However, if it helps to economize on water, use them.
• Do not fill the sink full of water to wash a few dishes. Use disposable
dishes whenever possible. Conserve propane by cooking dinner over the
campfire. However, if cooking over the campfire is not desired, use the
cook top or microwave. If you use the inverter to operate the microwave,
battery power will be consumed quickly. If possible, use the generator to
operate the microwave. It is healthy for the generator to operate under a
heavy load such as the microwave.
• Allow the generator to power up for a couple of minutes before applying
a load.
• To conserve on battery power, plan what is needed from the refrigerator
prior to opening it. If weather does not permit eating at the picnic table, or
if no picnic table is available, eat at the dinette table by candlelight.
• Leave shoes outdoors or at the entry step to avoid tracking in dirt. Open
windows during the day instead of using the roof air conditioner.
• Get back to nature and still enjoy the comforts of the motorhome. With a
little imagination, the ways to conserve available resources while dry
camping are endless.
DRIVING & SAFETY
DIPLOMAT 2004
2 • 61