Glossary

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A redheaded woman in rural Iceland smiles at the camera with her white Ford cargo van visible on the road in the background

This glossary is a quick reference for terminology used on this wiki.


  • Filter →   All terms  •  Acronyms  •  Electrical  •  Vehicles

Showing 72 terms:

4WD
4-wheel drive
AWD
All-wheel drive
Absorption voltage
The voltage the battery bank is held at until the Absorption stage is completed. Abbreviated Vabs.
Ammeter
An instrument used to measure the current in a circuit.
BLM
The Bureau of Land Management, a Federal agency in the United States.
BMS
Battery Management System
Black water
Sewage, or water that is heavily contaminated with human waste, pathogens, or other hazardous material.
Boondocking
Parking your vehicle for free on public lands or other areas without any connections to the power grid or other utilities, and not in an established campground. Also known as dispersed camping or free camping.
Bulkhead
In a vehicle, a wall or partition that separates the front cab (driving area) from the cargo area, living area, or passenger seating area.
CDH
A Chinese Diesel Heater, a term for a generic or inexpensive brand of parking heater.
Current at Maximum Power
The current obtained when solar panels are producing their maximum power, abbreviated Imp.
DEF
Diesel exhaust fluid, required in some regions to reduce harmful diesel engine exhaust emissions.
Depth of Discharge
How low a deep-cycle battery is taken between full charges.
Dispersed camping
Parking your vehicle for free on public lands or other areas without any connections to the power grid or other utilities, and not in an established campground. Also known as boondocking.
Dump stations
Facilities where sewage may be emptied from a vehicle's black tanks.
FF
The Fill Factor, a measure of the efficiency of a solar panel.
Fill Factor
The efficiency of a solar panel cell: a ratio of its Maximum Power Point to the product of the Short Circuit Current and the Open Circuit Voltage.
GAWR
The Gross Axle Weight Rating of a vehicle.
GCWR
The Gross Combined Weight Rating of a vehicle, trailer, occupants, and payload.
GTW
Gross Trailer Weight, the combined weight of all trailers connected to a vehicle.
GVWR
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of a vehicle.
Gray water
Water that has been used for a non-sewage purpose, such as showering or washing dishes, and which may contain contaminates like soap, dirt, and grease.
Gross Trailer Weight
The combined weight of all trailers connected to a vehicle. Abbreviated GTW.
Ground clearance
The distance between the ground and the lowest point of the vehicle other than the tires.
HVAC
Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning
Imp
The Intensity at Maximum Power, which is current obtained when solar panels are producing their maximum power.
Intensity
Electrical current, expressed in Amps, and abbreviated as "I" in Isc and Imp.
Isc
Intensity of Short Circuit, or the Short Circuit Current in an electrical system.
LFP
An abbreviation for "LiFePO4", or lithium iron phosphate, a popular battery chemistry.
LTVA
Long-Term Visitor Area operated by the Bureau of Land Management in the United States.
LiFePO4
LiFePO4 is the chemical symbol for lithium iron phosphate, a popular battery chemistry.
MPPT
Maximum Power Point Tracking, a method used by solar charge controllers to increase the solar harvest from solar panels.
MSW
Modified Sine Wave, which refers to a type of AC (alternating current) power output from an inverter.
Maximum Power Point
The maximum amount of power a solar panel can deliver during its standard test condition.
Maximum Power Point Tracking
A technique used with solar panels to maximize energy extraction as solar light changes throughout the day.
NPS
The National Park Service, a Federal agency in the United States.
Nomadic living
A lifestyle characterized by moving from location to location. In the context of this wiki, nomadic living includes residing in a vehicle instead of in a conventional house or apartment.
Non-potable water
Water which is not known to be clean and safe enough for human consumption.
PSW
Pure Sine Wave, which refers to a type of AC (alternating current) power output from an inverter.
PWM
Pulse Width Modulation, which refers to a type of Solar Charge Controller.
Passthrough
A vehicle layout which allows a person to reach the cargo or living area of the vehicle from the driving area, without a solid wall or other obstruction between.
Pm
Maximum Power Point of a solar panel.
Pmax
Maximum Power Point of a solar panel.
Potable water
Water which is clean and safe for human consumption.
RVs
Recreational vehicles, which includes motorhomes and travel trailers.
SCC
Solar Charge Controller
Setpoint
A configured number stored in a device which guides the device's behavior, such as charging voltages in a solar charge controller.
Shore power
An electrical connection to the conventional power grid. This term is borrowed from marine use, referring to a docked boat connected to power.
Short Circuit Current
The value of the current when the positive and negative terminals of a solar panel are connected to each other through an ammeter in series.
Sillcock key
A tool that allows you to open a tamper-resistant water valve, such as a water spigot on the exterior of a commercial building.
Skoolies
In the United States, used school buses that are converted for nomadic living.
Snowbirds
People who travel to warmer climates during the winter and to colder climates during the summer.
Solar noon
The moment when the Sun reaches its highest position above the horizon, when shadows cast by sunlight are at their shortest for the day. It is usually not at 12:00 noon.
Stealth
The ability of a vehicle to pass for an unoccupied, non-residential vehicle when needed, to allow its owner to park and sleep in plain view in the city without attracting undue attention. Also known as urban camping, stealth camping, stealthing, and stealth parking.
Sticks and bricks residence
A conventional dwelling, such as a house or apartment.
Sticks and staples
A derogatory reference to low build quality of many RVs.
TPMS
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
TW
Tongue Weight, the amount of weight a towed vehicle puts on the hitch ball of the towing vehicle.
Thermal bridge
In an insulated wall, a material such as a metal fastener or rib that will conduct heat or cold quickly, degrading the overall performance of the insulation.
Tongue weight
The amount of weight a towed vehicle puts on the hitch ball of the towing vehicle.
USFS
The US Forest Service, a Federal agency in the United States.
Urban camping
Parking and sleeping in a "stealthy" vehicle in plain view in the city. The vehicle appears from the outside to be a non-residential unoccupied vehicle.
VIN
Vehicle Identification Number, permanently attached to every motor vehicle.
Vabs
The absorption voltage, which is the voltage the battery bank is held at until the absorption stage is completed.
Vehicle clearance
The overall height of a vehicle, including the height of anything mounted on the roof like roof vents and solar panels.
Vmp
Voltage at Maximum Power, the highest voltage a solar panel can supply under standard test conditions.
Voc
Voltage at Open Circuit of a solar panel without connected loads.
Volt
The unit of electrical potential, electric potential difference (voltage), and electromotive force. Abbreviated "V".
Voltage at Maximum Power
The voltage available when a solar panel is connected to a load and is operating at its maximum capacity under standard test conditions. Abbreviated as Vmp.
Voltage at Open Circuit
The voltage as checked with a voltmeter across the output terminals of the solar panel module, without connecting any load. Abbreviated as Voc.
Water filtration
The process of removing particulate matter from water, such as dirt, sand, and other visible contaminates, but does not remove pathogens and other very small particles that can make you sick.
Water purification
The process of removing or killing the germs, bacteria, and other contaminates in water that can make you sick.