Proper food storage is a must for any living situation. The Ugly Truckling (@the_ugly_truckling) posted a video on TikTok showing their 1 million-plus followers how they upgraded an essential kitchen appliance after living off-grid for years.
@the_ugly_truckling It's taken us awhile to save up the money for a proper offgrid fridge, but I'm happy we finally did! We started our tiny house journey by getting a lot of affordable second-hand appliances, but the time has come to upgrade everything. #offgrid #tinyhouse #vanlife #dometic ♬ Summer and Brunch - ruuka
In the video, which has already garnered over 3,500 likes, Kai and Ben, the couple behind the social media account, proudly showcase a new fridge.
"Look at how clean it is — not janky at all," Kai says, while smiling.
The green-living couple documents adjustments to the fridge, such as making it open to the right.
Kai's husband, Ben, explains that the old one uses "400 watts, but the new one uses 30 or 40." Plus, the new one takes up less space.
Converting over to this more energy-efficient appliance includes disconnecting batteries, hitting the lights to test everything's off, and disconnecting the old fridge that "wasn't really good at cooling stuff."
Their happiness over such a find is obvious in the video. So much so that a commenter exclaimed: "Yasssss, love the excitement !!!"
"You know you are old when you get excited about appliances lol," another person said.
The search for a proper appliance that fits alternative spaces can be one of the challenges of the lifestyle. However, it didn't stop another couple from converting an old school bus into a home and adding a mini-split air conditioner.
A quick hack is to get a used camper with a stove and fridge already installed.
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Gas 🔥 Despite the extra work, others are building spaces basically from scratch with amazing results. One couple in Indonesia built a stunning island retreat complete with solar panels. A Texas couple built a "passive home" that reportedly generates as much energy as it uses.
This lifestyle allows for savings on heating and cooling since spaces are smaller. Many conserve water by collecting rainwater for showers or building wells.
Off-grid living also reduces one's carbon impact. It's easier to have more control over the building process and use cheaper, sustainable, locally sourced materials. Using salvaged items also helps by reducing waste.
While the energy expenditure of The Ugly Truckling's new fridge is a tenth of the old one's, the ultimate off-grid energy hack involves solar. The right solar panel and battery system means you can generate your own electricity with a backup supply.
Even with a traditional home, solar use can reduce an electric bill to at or near $0. Learn more from EnergySage, a free service that can supply vetted installation quotes and save up to $10,000 on solar installations.
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