Winter upgrading.

Hi and welcome!

I looked into getting underslung LPG tank but decided it wasnt worth the bother with filling stations getting more sparse in Ireland and UK.... Fine in Europe.

Solar panels are one of the best upgrades you can do. Try to fit the largest panel/panels you can. I have a single 300 watt panel and even in winter performs very well...Even on cloudy days you will be getting energy from the available light. Recommend a decent MPPT Controller.

4 year old leisure battery?....If getting Solar would be a good idea to get 2 new matched leisure batteriess for sure or keep using the one you have till it dies....Dont worry, you will get plenty of warning before it dies completely.

There is nothing I know of that protects Decals, I work in the Body/Paint repair but would be best to ask whoever is fitting Decals as there may be something.

I have 2 gasit refillable 11kg (approx) cylinders, but as I live in N. Ireland we still have an adequate filling stations. We travel for up to 8 weeks at a time in France/Spain so refillable are a necessity. However if I was starting again I would install one gasit/gaslow 11kg and one Calor. Best of both worlds since I could simply use the refillable 99% of the time and switch to Calor for the short periods until I came across an Autogas station.

I have a 100 watt solar and a 90 amp Varta battery which is now entering year 6. The 100 watt supplies all of our needs in summer home or abroad, but at this time of the year by late evening the battery is heading for 12.5 volts and below. Usually we get sufficient to lift us for the next night. But I think that is more to do with the age of battery whose efficiency is beginning to decline. I certainly have it on my list of upcoming expenses. My van is totally LED, we use the tv to play a dvd or 2 and the heating requires some current as it is blown air. It is the variable in our use as you can imagine.

As an aside I posted recently on a forum that my top 3 accessories are Solar, refillable gas cylinders and a Silverscreen (brand) external cover for the windscreen.

Davy

It really depends on how you intend to use your MH. If you intend to only or predominantly stay on campsites either in Ireland or Europe then gas low is a convenience but an expensive one as two normal 11kg bottles will last months if you’re hooked up on a campsite, using their hot water and perhaps a small fan heater.

Likewise the only benefit of solar if you mainly use sites could be if you link it to a battery master to keep engine and habitation batteries charged if your van is parked on your drive or other outside storage solution. If you mainly use sites but might stay in your van every now and again not on a site then 2 matching leisure batteries would be more cost effective than solar.

But I would say if you intend to stay not on sites on a regular basis especially in mainland Europe that refillable gas bottles give you so much more flexibility and they can be removed if you sell your van.

Solar and one or 2 leisure batteries gives days/weeks of no electric hook up being required and with some sites in Ireland charging €5 per night extra for hook up you could get back the cost of the solar in a year or two and have far greater choice on where to stay.

I hope this post and the other posts on this thread help you going forward.

Thanks everyone. On gas was now thinking one 11kg and maybe keep a 6kg calor for flexibility. Case for solar seems a very bright idea (pun for fun). Will shop around for prices, I’m in County Down. Battery.. dealer told me two batteries only good idea if you have either solar or do largish mileages. Think I’ll buy an exact match battery as a spare, though it’s a bit of a nuisance to change as existing battery is under the seat....good thinking Mr Carado???!. New graphics going on today, phone call this pm to say a lot more work to get the old ones off. Incidentally Davy where did you get your gas installed ...in NI?

My gasit was installed by Donagheys when I was buying the van but installation is not necessarily difficult and many self fit and get a friendly gas fitter to test it.

http://www.gasit.co.uk/gas-it-dealer-network.html

I have no experience of either of the two firms on the map.

Hamilton gas in Bangor sell Gaslow at competitive prices although gaslow is more expensive than gasit.

https://gasproducts.co.uk/cata…w+cylinder

As you are in Co Down then the obvious company for supply and install is Simon at leisuretechnicalsolutions who is on the Moira road Lisburn in Knockmore industrial estate. Good quality work at sensible prices.

https://www.leisuretechnicalsolutions.co.uk/

They also install solar panels, he installed mine some ten years ago on our previous van. If you do go down the solar route, then future-proof your system by installing a regulator that can cope with the different charge rates needed by Lithium batteries which are getting more affordable by the year.

https://www.alpha-batteries.co…4-battery/

The cost of 2 good quality Varta batteries is about £356 These would supply the same amps as 1 lithium at 4 times the weight.

https://www.alpha-batteries.co…tery-la95/

I would nearly go for it except I reckon I need to upgrade the regulator making it not viable yet, but since you are starting from scratch it would make sense to have the right controllers in place for the future. If solar and Lithium appeal, make sure you do some research, be wary of firms stating lithium is a drop in. It is a bit more complex than that.

Davy

I had Had Gaslow and solar panel fitted by Simon at Leisure Technical, couldn't fault him, great job. I believe he works out of Lisburn, so not too far from Hillsborough.

Got new graphics put on today, full replacement £500. Installer recommended good quality wax for protection of vinyls and obviously never use power hoses and mild detergent only for general external washing. Onto gas then solar upgrades over the winter I think.

I must look inside mine, can’t really remember what it looks like

Took mine a spin around the North Coast, 120 miles just to keep it turned over. I only saw 2 other vans.

Can't wait to go bring on December 1st