How to thrive on a non 240v site!
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Off-grid we are unable to use the microwave or charge the E-bike batteries so it is a bit limiting without an inverter.
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we like THS sites that generally have no EHU and the ebike charging is important, too.
we've had Sky for ages and with a mains only set top box, we had the inverter for that in our fist van ten years ago, pre ebikes.
even a 500w inverter will do for the ebikes and is easy to install as ours came with nice thick cables to attach directly to the leisure batteries.
its mounted close to them, to minimise losses, and then I have an extension cable running back to the garage where the chargers live.
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I'm having problems with a 2 year old 11kg Safefill cylinder valve. If disconnected (to refill) then reconnected no gas flows. The only way is to screw the regulator back on tight and then partly unscrew a turn or so then open the valve to let some gas escape. Once it does I can screw the assembly back tight and no gas escape but it flows as normal.It seems like the valve is sticking. Anybody else had this problem.
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Are you sure it's not a problem with the regulator?
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Hi Steveo,
Sorry , I’ve been away for a time. I have to say that , like BB, my batteries stay full all year and I went to the Caravan yesterday at storage and the battery was full. I have an alarm running off the system at all times and my inverter is switched off at this time of year. I can’t see that the battery monitor is taking much power- is there anything welsh on the system.?.?
A 200 SP is a nice size and should be able to do the business. Mine is 135w and as I say, provides all the power I need ( although I am looking to upgrade) Although the winter skies are nothing compared to the summer skies there should still be enough bright days to maintain the batteries. Look at your system and check that you haven’t any ‘drain’ you don’t know about.
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As regards your last point Stevo, With the new 19/20 map and book out, I have spent a productive 3 or 4 hrs highlighting all the non EHU sites both in the book and on the map. I find it really useful particularly on the map as when I open it , it is immediately apparent where the non EHU sites are- saves time looking in the book as you know the number of the site immediately. I have emailed the club to see if it’s possi to use a different colour for non EHU sites both in the book and on the map- green would be my choice, It would be an improvement and would save time both for EHU users and non EHUers alike. I’m not holding my breath!!
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I think this happened to mine (7.5kg bottle) but I'm not sure because I'm new to Safefill and have a new Knaus Starclass that I'm still getting used to. It has an automatic change-over valve on the regulator and when I connected the bottle for the first time, nothing happened. I checked the handwheel connection on the bottle to make sure it was tight - which it was - and then slackened it off. There was a slight escape of gas and after tightening it again, the gas flowed.
My only reservation is that, according to the info at handover, the regulator has a safety feature that if there's a leak, it automatically shuts off - so it could also have been that.
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Should still be in warranty it's 10 year.
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No tin hat needed , just the realisation that in some far distant future when the equipment that is needed for what you desire, will be light enough when fitted to LAs that are far lighter than now on the market and all batt powered ,you might not be far wrong, but until then you can but put it on your wish list
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I have just attended a webinar held by Relion Batteries called ‘A deep dive into the advantages of Lithium batteries ‘ This was talking about the Lithium Ion Phosphate Battery or LiFePO4. They will be holding more webinars over the next few months. All I can say is thank goodness I made the switch. The advantages over the standard Lead Acid Battery are amazing. Half the weight, safety in that they are totally dry so no spills of acid or any fumes given off, (and no fire risk) deep cycles in their thousands, if charged- discharge at 2-3% a month, the ability to be able to partially charge a Lithium without damage unlike the LA which need a full charge, the amount of power available to the user far outstrips a LA battery, 10 times and more the life expectancy of LA batteries, making Lithium over a 10 yr period half the price and indeed less than that of a of a Lead Acid or AGM when maintenance costs and replacements are taken into account. The Lithium Battery is truly a leap forward. Don’t look at the initial price difference- look at, and research, the big picture and you will seriously think about getting one. They work out much cheaper in the end!
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If my age wasn't against me, I could be convinced notwithstanding the substantial capital outlay. Those of us with medical issues also are unable to project that far ahead to make it viable.
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+1 Merve👍🏻, in the future Batteries will(literally) become the new fossil fuel, it will sound the death knell of oil as a fuel.
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I sympathise with you Cyber and understand where you are coming from. Age, is something we have no control over but at 66 I thought it a move worth making and so far🤞- I am happy- very happy with it. I could have easily posted in the ‘tips to save money’ thread but it would have seemed strange to be promoting an item of £1k to save money but it really is cheaper if you are of an age to take advantage of it- I can only hope that I see a few years yet. Lithium phosphate batteries or LiFePO4 are, at the present time, the future but as I have said before, battery technology is moving very quickly and the chance of further discovery’s being made is higher than it’s been for quite some time. With the advent of the EV, needs must! It remains though, that at present, the Lithium Phosphate battery is, without doubt, vastly superior in every way to its old forbear- the Lead Acid.
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I sympathise with you too Cyber and wish you well. We do not know for whom the bell tolls and we could all find ourselves looking up at the underside of a bus
I too am looking into a lithium ion battery for when my lead acid battery gives up the ghost but note the exorbitant initial outlay. I wonder if I could set up crowd funding to pay for it? While I get further advice on that I have commissioned an architect to design a large extension to my money box. But things are looking up - only this afternoon I received notification from Euromillions that I had won the princely sum of £3. Sadly no zeros followed that digit but it was still a lovely surprise!
DD
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"10 times and more the life expectancy of LA batteries, making Lithium over a 10 yr period half the price and indeed less than that of a of a Lead Acid or AGM when maintenance costs and replacements are taken into account."
Not knocking LiFePO4 technology but how can this claim be possibly justified?
I suggest most users will get 5 years from a £120 lead acid leisure battery. Therefore, in ten years have a capital cost of £240. I am not seeing an addition maintenance cost over that of LiFePO4 other than a £1 bottle of deionised water if not buying into VRLA sealed technology.
So, the LA user in 10 years has a cost of £240, where is that LiFePO4 battery for half that cost?
I accept if into running a microwave that will hugely abuse any realistically sized LA batteries, thus getting a few months life from them, the arguments change, but not for the typical user.
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Hi Ocsid. Yes, I absolutely agree that the ‘normal user’ should get 5 years from a £120 Battery- I’d be miffed if I didn’t! But he’ll never do anything exceptional with it. He’ll take minute amounts of power from it to power his lights and pumps and probably his television and all the time have a 240v cable stuck in the side of the van.
However, let’s not compare apples with oranges. I know by experience that using a lead acid battery in the same way as I use my Lithium would damage that LA Battery in short order. I’ve done it. When they are new they are fine but they very quickly start to lose power. On a lead acid battery - even the best have about 300 deep cycles and each cycle will reduce the capacity of that battery. With the lithium those deep cycles are in their thousands and with no damage or at least no damage of any significance.
So, try using a lead acid in the same way as I use my lithium and very quickly, you will find that you are beginning to notice a reduction of power in the lead acid. To continue to get what I get out of my lithium time after time, you will need to go and spend another £240 on two batteries because don’t forget, you will need 2 LA batteries to acquire the same power because they are flat at 50% whereas the lithium (100ah) will go on right up to about 5% SoC without damage and can be quickly recharged and off we go again. They are amazing and they are the obvious choice for someone like me who has chosen to be offgrid. They are the natural choice. Now to deal with the cost comparisons.
Lithium they say, have a useful lifespan of 20- 25 yrs. the capacity is not degraded quickly like the LA. It keeps its capacity and even after 4 or 5 years, they are still at 99% capacity! Try that with LA that has been used in the same way! How many LA batteries are you going to have to buy in 20yrs to continue being offgrid efficiently and keeping up with the Lithium? £240 x 6? 7? 8?
That is where the 1/2 cost comes in and that’s not counting the small fortune saved by being able to use non EHU sites. Take us for an example. We are away about 60 nights a year. Instead of £15 I normally pay £5 or £6 but if it’s an exceptional site it might be £8! (but if it had EHU it would be £18) so I reckon that a saving of £10 a night is about right but let’s say £8 just to be conservative. £60 x 8 is £480. Now you will know that some of us are away many more nights than 60 so the savings increase. Even 60 nights has recouped almost 1/2 of my battery cost in ONE year has it not? So not only is my battery being paid for by site fee savings, I am also able to enjoy what the EHU supplies. But at a massively reduced cost. The famous saying is- “It’s like wild camping with hook up”
Your last paragraph says it all and thank you for that. You can’t compare apples with oranges or LAs with Lithium. Just as a footnote, I remember talking about lithiums few years ago and the overwhelming opinion at that time was that they were dangerous due to them having a safety issue regarding bursting into flames, The LiFePO4 battery or the Lithium Ion Phosphate Battery is not the same beast and is totally safe. It does not suffer with thermal run away. It’s the battery off gridders have been waiting for!
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To listen to the webinar regarding Relion lithium batteries, (not the make I have) go to YouTube and search for ‘ Relion 101 webinar recording’ It is full of useful info and comparisons. The sound quality is not perfect but you will be able to stay with it. It lasts for about an hour.
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Whilst the flexibility of being off grid is welcome, in order to obtain the financial benefits expounded it is necessary to specifically seek out non EHU sites. That actually restricts your choice rather than widens it as the majority of sites are EHU. Unless such sites offer a non hookup option, there is no saving.
The lithium route is, I submit, probably only viable for younger Vanners who can take a long-term flexible view. I regret not being able to use my microwave or charge our E-Bikes when not on EHU but those restrictions are overcome by using a location that has EHU every so often, otherwise "le monde ce'st moi huitre".
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"The lithium route is, I submit, probably only viable for younger Vanners who can take a long-term flexible view."
Or as in Merve's case where his need for very high current drains will quickly wreck any sensibly sized LA battery bank, making lithium in some form or other simply essential to meet his needs.
They also permit exploitation of a very big Wattage solar array by accepting charge rates that again would be wrecking sensibly sized LA. In this, if you can carry a large array, you can better garner the solar energy available.
However, this comes presently at very high cost relative to using LA for those more typical users who's usage is within the capabilities of LA technology.
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They also permit exploitation of a very big Wattage solar array by accepting charge rates that again would be wrecking sensibly sized LA. In this, if you can carry a large array, you can better garner the solar energy available.
I have gone from 135w to 300w on the new ‘van. The SPs didn’t cost me anything as it was part of a show offer that Coachman very kindly agreed to. What this means in reality is, as Ocsid has already alluded to, is that after a large drain on the battery like using the microwave or toaster, the battery, undamaged, will be returned to a full SoC more quickly, and be perfectly able to take that charge. As for the argument that seeking out non EHU sites reduces our choice, Many sites give reductions if not using the EHU, however, marking up all the non EHU site on the CMHC map, one can see at a glance that it is rare that there are no non EHU sites in areas we wish to visit.
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I thought this topic was about saving money ? new coachman ,lovely van ,but youve lost a few grand driving it of forecourt same as a car ,
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There is no doubt that Lithium batteries offer substantial advantages over Lead Acid; for one, I wouldn’t have my electric car if it had to use Lead Acid, however, you need to think very carefully about whether the cost is justified. I have a Lithium battery on my golf trolley - it packed up after 3 years and was replaced under warranty, however, the trolley has reached end of life. Fortunately the battery can be used on the new trolley otherwise the investment would have been wasted.
To do a retrofit in a caravan or motorhome is costly as you also need a completely new charging system. How many people would change their van before getting full use from the investment?
I also wonder about the life of lithium batteries. Cars have an extremely sophisticated battery management system which includes heating/cooling of the battery and very careful monitoring of charge state to protect the life of the battery. Maybe a simple lithium charger like I have with my golf trolley and you would get for a caravan will not maximise the life of the battery?
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Well, being as the old Bailey was 8 years old and had been taken in for the second time within a month for .... wait for it.... water ingress! I am glad I decided on a new van. Yes, the Coachman 575 is a lovely van but, had I not bothered to change from the Bailey, the damp in the Valencia Mk1 front lockers would never have been found and I would have gone past the 10 yr water ingress warranty with my service engineer telling me I had a ‘dry’ van- I’ll get to him in due course - . Bailey have picked up the two bills - nearly £600 the first time and goodness knows how much the second so I reckon I ain’t done too bad!! Having just come back from Wales I can report that I am totally happy with the performance of the electrics. We used all facilities on board, particularly the electric toaster and vacuum and the lithium battery was back up to 100% very quickly. I never went below 90% state of charge- It’s like wild camping with hook up🤣🤣 I agree that the van is now second hand but that’s just the way commerce works and this will be my last van so what the hell!!
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