How long can I expect my battery to last without EHU
We don’t have a solar panel.
We would need to rely on gas and many caravan site don’t sell replacement gas .
I have made a list of what we would be without .
Kettle .tv I can charge my phone in car.
Is it worth doing ?
As this has been asked many times before if you use the Search Facility you can check out the results.
------------- XVI yes?
As well is two words!
How does a sage know everything about everything? or does he? or does he just think he does?
Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.
All depends on a multitude of things not least the size and health of your battery.
Kettle, hot water, on gas as required, no need to run continuously. Fridge a different matter, leave that on.
Gas can be obtained at several places, hardware shops, garages etc.
Best advice is get a suitcase style solar panel of around 100 watts or more. This will allow you to go for weeks at a time. They don't cost an arm and a leg and can be left at home when going to sites with EHU.
Quote: Originally posted by Mrs. Bonce on 17/6/2026
No way as we need it.
Likewise, as without it we have no fridge or hot water.
In response to the original question, it's like "how long is a piece of string?" The answer could be anything from 36 hours to two weeks. It depends on so many things. In our early caravanning days we used to be able to go a week without EHU because very few sites even had it. But we only had one battery powered light and our water pump. Our other lights were gas, as was our kettle, we didn't have a fridge, and our only entertainment was a transistor radio. We only had a car battery for power too. No problem with charging mobile phones as they hadn't been invented.
These days however most people want far more than we used back in those days, it's a very different world.
MH, but we lasted 2 days without (no solar in the old van). Didn’t use the water tank, as the pump drains the battery: took a canister for water from the tap. Used the fridge like an old fashioned cool box: dive in, get the milk (it didn’t work on gas, had been well chilled on previous EHU). Water heater off: Boiled water on the gas for washing up & washing us. Go to bed when it’s dark (that’s midnight up north). Didn’t bother with radio or tv - went for a walk to spot the otters at sunset. No heating: wear more clothes or go to bed early.
Think like a tent, think adventure & you’ll be fine. Plenty of threads with suggestions, as has been said.
Before we had our solar panel we could do a summer weekend without electric by really only using the battery for lights and the toilet flush and water pump. The fridge and water heater ran on gas and we used the gas ring to boil the kettle and cook.
I agree with Dave & Cyn, you can get a 100w panel with a PWM controller for £60, add a bit of cabling and some crocodile clips to connect to the battery and you will spend a lot less time worrying about your battery voltage
As other have said so many variables. In summer with just 12v compressor fridge & the odd use of low wattage led lighting we'd probably get 2-3 weeks without solar & driving. Gas for cooking & hot water. Manual flush for toilet as we can't get out of energy conserving mode.
We're generally touring so not static for more than a few days plus have solar so not exhausted our power yet. Plenty of redundancy & charge capacity is there for winter. Summer use barely registers.
But that's us & what we equip ourselves to do.
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Topic: Caravanning without electrics
via mobile 17/6/2026 at 3:08pm
