1st time non electric camping
Hi
Bought inexpensive motorhome last year in order to take grand kids away.
Took them to new forest last week where we had no electric and after 1st night leisure battery seemed to have died, all we used it for was night lighting so presuming it is old and needs replacing.
Can anyone reccomend any charging devices for phones ipads ,lighting, you know the usual things kids expect when away to save the beating i got from them after a couple of days.
However have to say we had a great time and maybe just me not knowing how to use aux battery effectivly.
Sorry for putting up a post you must have seen many times before.
Have seen other campers with large solar panels, any good??
Thanks for reading and maybe see you on a campsite soon.
Tony n Tina
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Most battery driven devices can be charged from a 12v sources and this is by far the best way of keeping phones etc charged. Visit you local phone shop or search the internet and buy the appropiate adapters. Alternatively buy a small inverter which converts 12vDC to 230volts AC but this is not as an efficient method of direct charging from 12v.
Finally if you intend to regularly go off grid fit a solar panel on the roof to keep your 12v battery topped up. See >this thread<
peedee
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Here you go TS, this ought to keep your grandchildren amused and topped up. You could do toast as well........
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where does the 12v power come from to charge your phones? certainly doesn't convert wood burning energy so has to be from some other source....connected to leisure battery?
simplest way for charging is to do as PeeDee says, 12v adaptor in a std socket..
a good leisure battery is essential for staying several days off grid, a 100w + solar panel will replenish it each day, so for just lights, water pump, charging phones etc, should be able to last indefinitely, even in dullish weather.
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The previous members have a lot more experience than me ..But an observation have you checked age of ,battery have you took it home put it on a battery charger see if it holds charge ? Being a tight wad i always check first . Enjoy your m/h
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No idea how that wood burner works, but it seems to have decent reviews. It’s something my OH would covet, he’d play hours with something like this, he craves a Kelly Kettle at times, another niche item. Me? I just plug my pad or phone into connection on car, and it charges on the go, or I use a power pack.
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Hi Tony, there is a story by me in the stories section on off grid caravanning - it might be just what you are looking for regarding tips etc.I suggest you read it. It all depends on how far you want to go with Off gridding but I can tell you that Solar Panels are one of the greatest inventions for caravanning ever ! As others have already said, a decent 12v battery will be able to charge phones IPads, toothbrushes etc. Just use the 12v sockets on board. If you get a liking for it, you can go all the way like me and live entirely off grid and at a much more economical rate. Best of luck
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We are off grid lots. So far this school holiday we have done 12 nights so far. When people tell you about off grid you have to be sure what you are comparing. We have a modern caravan with 80 watt panel on the roof. We watch tv every evening for about 4 hours and both have a shower each day. This time of year we have no problem as long as we don't have rain for more than 36 hours. So TV is 23 watts. All lights are LED. we charge everything off the leisure battery. Our battery is 110 amp hour category A. It is designed for off grid use. To charge phones get a 12 volt USB plug from car spares shop. That should do most things. It won't do lap tops that charge at 19 volts. Our panel is fixed on the roof. We also have a portable 90 watts that i use in winter as well. The latter is more efficient as I can point it to the sun and keep it clean and dry it off. The downside is that you have to store it when not in use and make sure it is secured to the van. The only thing we can't charge are the electric toothbrushes that need AC. So the old manuals come out. The other club run temporary holiday sites most of which are off grid. Ideal places for the grandchildren as they tend to be more relaxed and child and dog friendly.
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waffles, we use THS sites a lot too, we have a 100w solar panel on the roof, two large 95ah batteries which does all that you describe.
however, as you've discovered with your toothbrushes, sometimes you need a 230v supply.
we have a sky box that's mains only and have a small 500w inverter (connected directly to the leisure batteries) that powers this, and charges our electric bike batteries...I need a small low wattage hair dryer for the OH now....
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Depending on what style your OHs hair is BB, take a look at these. Work a treat once hair has dried naturally, refill canisters are cheap and last a long time. Great for those off grid days.
😁
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thanks, her pal has a set of these and the jury is out at the mo...I'm going to give the cheap low wattage hair dryer a go, not a lot to lose (but much for me to gain
)cheers.
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If you find one, let me know. Only ones I have used have been underpowered, however I had long hair then!😄
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If these are like mine Merve, they use rather less tooth paste than conventional brushes, so in a little while I'll be back in profit !!
As far as HAIR brushes go, use of these hi-tech things is above my pay grade so I've been and had my Summer Trim. Sparrers etc are busy making duvets already
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electric toothbrushes ?? whatever next
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For anyone "1st time non electric camping" there is now a Facebook group with 1770 members that can help! CAMOGG https://www.facebook.com/groups/CAMOGG/
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The OP bought an inexpensive motorhome so I shouldn't think that he wants to fit solar panels, extra battery etc. Main thing is to replace the leisure battery which sounds as though it’s had it. Depending on the age of the van it may have USB outlets on the mains sockets. Failing that, buy a universal USB adapter which plugs into the van 12 volt socket or even the cab socket ( cigarette lighter) when driving. Internet search for “cigarette lighter to usb”.
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