information please on power

Hi,
Can anyone point me in the direction of a good source of information on how the power works in a camper.
So, when to use gas, electric hook up, solar, leisure battery etc... I'm new and don't understand any of it. Can I just get Halfords to sell me the right leisure battery and then i use that for lights, heat and sockets when I've no elec hook up? And then gas is just used for cooking all the time anyway? Really haven't a clue and would love to read up on it all to understand.

Many thanks

If you use sites with electric at 230 volts, then your fridge and household 3 pin sockets will work as at home. You may have an option of using your heater on mains as well, but on older vans this is unlikely. You will be limited in the number of appliances you can use at one time depending on site amps which can be as low as 6 amp on the continent so kettles etc need to be low watt or you need to do your sums. The EHU (electric hook up) will also keep your battery supplied and topped up and possibly your vehicle battery too.

If you intend to do mostly sites with ehu then solar is not necessarily high on your list of priorities.

If you intend to wild camp or use aires (especially in France), then solar is a high priority in my view. Something like a 100 watt panel and a 95 amp leisure battery will supply most of what you need on a daily basis (winter excepted). Without a solar panel, you should survive for 3 to 4 days off grid depending on power use. Many people replace their interior lights with LEDs which is a good saving. People sometimes install 2 leisure batteries, and of course the bigger the amperage the longer they will last. Expect your batteries to have a lifespan of about 3 to 4 years, so buy cheap and often or buy higher quality like Varta silver frame. All the internal lights and things like water pumps and toilets run on 12 volt. Your 230 volt sockets will of course not work unless you install an inverter, but they can be power hungry. Usually your engine battery is on a separate circuit to your habitation (leisure) battery to avoid you having a flat battery to get started, on the up side, when you are driving, after the vehicle battery is replenished, the alternator will charge your habitation battery. The input will of course depend on the length of time you are driving so don’t expect a full battery this way.

The gas is primarily used for cooking and heating and for running the fridge when off site. It may have a 12 volt function but this should only work when the engine is running (ie driving A to B). It would be worth having a gas expert service and check any van for leaks and carbon monoxide if you love your family.

I dare say others will add more info, but I think I have covered it fairly well. Needless to say you should demand that the seller demonstrates that everything is working on the van. This will also help with your understanding of how it all works, and although you have not put your location (County is fine) after purchase you might find someone on here could give you a bit of assistance.


Davy

Thank you so much. That is so clear. Googling isn't always the right answer
I'm based mainly in Sligo and often Westmeath

Brilliant, thank you for this!