Peter’s Real Story: Retired from Work, Never from Adventure

My name is Peter.

My wife and I retired in 2021, and like many retirees, we dreamed of staying active, taking trips, and relaxing. We had both travelled a lot during our careers, and traditional travel—airports, crowded resorts, rigid schedules—quickly proved tiresome for us. What did work for both of us was something quieter, slower, and closer to nature—Camping.

So we bought Kingsley, a 1977 GMC Motorhome. He was meant to be our retirement vacation home—a rolling cabin that could take us wherever the road led. As you might expect from a vintage rig, Kingsley came with a long list of repairs. One early problem was battery life.

No Power at Most Government Campsites

You see, in BC Canada, we have an excellent network of Government campsites, set in the mountains, lakes and forests of BC. These were built in the 1950s primarily. Post-war camping did not need electricity, and to this day the majority of these sites have no power.

Staying at modern powered sites can cost in excess of $70 per night. Some campgrounds charge $85 or more. It depends on the location and services offered. That is really expensive. A two week stay will easily cost $1,000.

So a lot of us campers prefer the far less expensive Government campsites, with (2025) fees of $35 per night. Most campers use a generator for two hours in the morning and two hours at night, just to keep up the batteries, as well as to power a coffee maker or a TV.

Enough of the Noisy Generator

Kingsley’s old generator was everything you don’t want while camping. It was loud, smelly, leaked oil, and burned fuel at an alarming rate—about 1.5 gallons (6 liters) per hour.

Twice a day, every day, it turned peaceful campsites into a headache. Worse still, even after all that noise and gasoline, our two aging 6V lead-acid batteries still drained quickly. More than once, we were forced back into expensive powered campsites—just to keep the lights on.

Kingsley was supposed to bring us freedom in retirement. Instead, power problems were draining both our budget and our joy. Something had to change.

Upgrading to Solar

I began experimenting with LiFePO₄ batteries, which immediately meant upgrading chargers. Solar was the obvious next step. If we could eliminate the generator entirely, we’d have a cleaner, more eco-friendly setup—and true independence.

I came across Renogy. In 2022, I bought two Renogy 200W N-Type solar panels, along with a Rover 40A controller. They are still pumping out clean power 3 years later. I loved how everything worked well together. Hook it up, it works.

The following year, I bought a used Renogy 3000w inverter. I removed the old generator and used the generator cabinet to hold batteries and the inverter. I now have clean, free solar power in 12V AND 120V. Hooray!

A 1,200-Kilometer Proof

That solar setup turned out to be more than just convenient.

In June 2025, while traveling, our engine alternator failed. To get home, we connected our LiFePO₄ battery bank—charged entirely by Renogy solar—to the engine battery. That solar-powered system supplied enough energy for us to complete the 1,200-kilometer return journey home.

That’s when solar stopped being a “nice upgrade” and became a critical safety net.

Expanding the System

This summer, I added a Renogy 50A DC-DC MPPT charger. Now we can harvest power from the engine while driving and have a backup charging option when weather limits solar input.

I paired it with two additional Renogy 100W panels (new, still in the box). The system is now more resilient, flexible, and future-proof.

All Worth It

If I could simplify that setup with all-same brand gear (engineered to work together) and maybe add some extra solar to the roof, I could go dry camping for a week at a time. No campsites fees at all! As retirees, we camp overnight more than 40 nights a year. With free electricity, we can recover equipment costs in less than three years—and enjoy quieter, cleaner camping every step of the way.

If and when the time comes to install solar on our home roof, there’s only one brand I’ll turn to — Renogy, powering our retirement adventures！

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