How easy is it to charge the caravan battery by using jump leads from my car?
I usually go to sites with EHU but want to spend a few nights on a site without any EHU. I considered buying a solar panel or a generator but wondered if my leisure battery needs to be charged can I simply use a set of jump leads from my car and run the car for half an hour or so.
------------- We camped for years. In 2019 we bought an Elddis Avante 454. We like it as it is short (6.9m) and fits in our driveway and has a fixed bed.
We had 127 nights away in the caravan in 2023.
Generators are generally regarded as anti social noisy things. Jump leads from your car ditto.
A freestanding suitcase style solar panel of around 100 watts will keep your battery charged.
Fridge, hot water etc run on gas.
for a few nights? how many is a few? we can last a week without charging the battery but then we dont use things such as tv, or the radio, its only lights and water pump and toilet, the rest is done on gas, and heating is without the blower on.
Thanks for the replies. I'd not thought of a suitcase style solar panel and that looks like a good way to go as they are not too expensive and obviously are silent.
As my wife sometimes spends a day in the caravan watching TV we need plenty of power. We like getting away and want the freedom of going to off grid sites.
------------- We camped for years. In 2019 we bought an Elddis Avante 454. We like it as it is short (6.9m) and fits in our driveway and has a fixed bed.
We had 127 nights away in the caravan in 2023.
Quote: Originally posted by trog100 on 06/5/2023
a dokio 200 watt folding panel is your best option... 100 watts isnt really enough..
trog
Thanks, I was looking at 200w especially as we usually stay in Scotland so not as sunny as other places.
------------- We camped for years. In 2019 we bought an Elddis Avante 454. We like it as it is short (6.9m) and fits in our driveway and has a fixed bed.
We had 127 nights away in the caravan in 2023.
the dokio panel is good value and easy to use.. just lean it against the van and move it around as the sun moves..
i have 300 watts on my van roof plus a 200 watt dokio panel if i need it.. the dokio panel is as good as the roof panels which are fixed and cant be properly pointed at the sun..
you do need a good battery to store what is available when its available..
you can buy what are called DC to DC chargers.. its a device that fits in the caravan and goes between the car battery and the van battery..
due to long cable lengths there is a voltage drop before the alternator current gets to a van battery.. as a result the van battery dosnt get much of a charge from the cars alternator..
the DC to DC charger takes whatever current arriving at the van and boosts it to provide a proper charge to the van battery.. mine is a 20 amp variant..
again this is all about how serious you are about off grid camping.. my van is set up for independence from mains hook ups so call me serious..
my van has 2 x 100ah lithium batteries.. 500 watts of solar.. 20 amp DC to DC charger.. 1000 watt inverter plus a battery monitor which tells me exactly what is in the batteries percentage wise and what is going in or out at any one time..
my van (Avondale mayfly) is quite old and i look at newer vans out of interest but each time i think about all the work needed to make them do what mine does i never buy one.. my essentials include a mover and on-board water tank
i have a list of what i call essentials no van currently available meets them.. so i am kind of stuck with keeping my old one.. good in some ways bad in others..
Quote: Originally posted by trog100 on 07/5/2023
again this is all about how serious you are about off grid camping.. my van is set up for independence from mains hook ups so call me serious..
Some people view grass pitches as opposed to HS 'off grid'!
I think you have to be serious about it - as yourself, and kit your van out properly, to do it right. The thought of somebody with their foot hard down on the gas for half an hour, well....... lets say you wouldnt be popular. And half an hour wouldn't do a lot anyway, apart from use a load of fuel. (and annoy the crap of anyone within 100 yards).
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Topic: battery charging
via mobile 05/5/2023 at 9:47pm
