Welcome to Motorhomefacts, we are a thriving motorhome community (Largest in Europe). Why Not JOIN NOW and get instant access to more of the website. It costs nothing to join and only takes a few minutes. We have 200,000 different people visiting our site monthly and this amount of motorhomers in one place guarantees a fast response to any questions you may have. We also have unique facilities not found elsewhere such as our Online Logbook, stopover tracker, Motorhome directory with Ebay type feedback and the largest repository of motorhome campsites reviews found anywhere
Location: Somewhere between Nelson and Benalmadena Costa
Status: Offline
My advice would be to go solar. At the very least you do not upset your neighbours when camping. A good solar and a couple of deep cycle batteries will last for days with normal use. We have stayed for a few weeks without moving, in the uk in summer with a 85 solar and a couple of batteries and not a problem
Also you mentioned wild camping, if you left your generator out at night in some places it will not be there in the morning. So would you want to have to take it inside every night.
Our experience is that during the summer a 100 Watt solar panel linked to two 110 Amp Hour leisure batteries makes us self sufficient on the power front, even allowing for my better half using the hair drier via an inverter for a few minutes a day. Our need for a washing machine drives us to a campsite before we need the hook-up to charge the batteries.
Solar Solar Solar Solar Solar Solar Solar Solar then Solar.
As artona says, Solar power is FREE and that is unbeatable.
A couple of large leisure batteries, a Solar panel and LED lights mean that you are not humping a heavy generator that will cost as much as a Solar panel. You will not be carrying fuel to keep it running. You will not be losing your maximum weight load to a chunk of smelly metal but you may still be talking to your neighbours when camping, who do not like to listen to the noise of a generator or inhale the burnt gasses that leave its exhaust.
Recent inovations have provided better sources of energy and the ability to make more efficient use of it where previously a generator was essential without EHU's.
However, there are people to whom mains electricity is essential for medical or other equipment that depend on 230volts, in which case options are more limited, although an inverter can help.
Good luck
Alan
Solar is great in the summer when your outside all day, don't watch loads of TV, cook outside and use the sites facilities. In short when you only use the van to sleep in solar is great.
Autumn and Spring it can be useful.
Arriving with loads of battery capacity is great, enough to last the proposed duration if possible. This is fine so long as you have a split charging system capable of correctly charging batteries. This as previously mentioned could be a Sterling Battery to Battery or frankly a 200amp relay hooked up with starter cable which will produce the same kind of effect for a fraction of the cost.
The generator, when your wild camping in a closed car park up in the Alps at New Year when it is minus 15 outside is pretty usefull as well. The neighbours wont mind as they are all using gennies as well, as without one you wouldn't survive.
Personally? I have an RV which has loads of big batteries as standard, a big built in generator, with a 60amp four stage mains charger. The engine charges my batteries on tick over in excess of sixty amps according to the battery computer.
The battery computer is the best bit of kit for power management. It tells me how much power I am using, how much is left. Not important on an overnight stop, but important on a three or four day stay with no hook up.
For the summer I have the Phenix which is a automatic self tracking solar panel. The ability to follow the sun makes the Phenix five times more efficient than a conventional flat solar panel.
So in my opinion there is not one answer, and like religion there are plenty of opinions around. Some radical and crackpot some a little more tolerant, but what suits some, is disputed by others so you left to form your own idea really
I have been on many aires etc were people have used a generater some of them very old and very noisy. No one to my way of thinking used it excessively or undiscriminating.
Also been in situations were people use their car engines presumable for same purposes unless they are just trying to burn off excess fuel
Have always used solar power with extra batteries but in some instances that is not enough
So, I am fitting a Tec29 LPG "silent" generator which we can use when travelling and for emergency backup and to run our air con now and again to cool the van, may be when travelling to supplement the cab aircon/ recharge the bikes
I know there is a strong anti generator lobby here on MHF, but there are noisy dogs and noisier people and to me its all part of camping
Some you win some you lose, thats life
Consider others,show tolerance and buy whatever you feel will enhance your travels
If anyone has a flat battery we're in an Adria Coral with a MHF sticker in the window and will certainly recharge your van battery with our generator
Aldra
Ps have still not found out how to get a MHF penent
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You cannot attach files in this forum You cannot download files in this forum
All times are GMT + 1 Hour Page 2 of 2Goto page Previous1, 2
UK
