Ehu's

[Big Nick]

Is it weird to gear all your motorhoming around not having any hook up?

I really like the self sufficiency of managing your power and living without wires!

We stayed on a CL last weekend that had EHU's but we didn't use it (saving £3 a night in the process) and the owner looked at us in disbelief making me feel it was a strange thing to do!

We have 2 leisure batteries, a 120w solar panel, 2 refillable decent sized lpg bottles, a 12v tv and car chargers for our gadgets so I don't feel we really need to plug in

 

[HymerB544]

Much depends on how you plan your trips. You can't stay on aires for more than a couple of nights so would be on the move and charging your battery (or batteries) pretty regularly. We had a second leisure battery fitted but haven't (yet) gone solar, but as we either stay on sites with EHU or move every few days, we have managed very well. The other things we have done are replace all internal lights with LEDs and get low wattage appliances where possible (eg kettle). Many Funsters love the freedom of off-grid camping, but it's worth bearing in mind that if you are on EHU you can save your gas and use their electric for heating, hot water, boiling the kettle, etc. Gary

 

[irnbru]

We very rarely go on sites so rarely use a EHU. More fun wildcamping for us and often can park up nearer to where we want to be than the location of the campsite.

 

[mikebeaches]

It's great that everybody motorhomes and camps in different ways.

And when I mentioned in an earlier post that we went on a whole 5-week tour in Spain without turning on the gas, I have to say that is somewhat unusual, even for us. But we don't have gas available at home (oil for central heating), so we're used to electricity for cooking etc.

Anyway, I was thinking about the likely costs of preparing the van for long-term 'off-grid' camping, and came up with some rough ideas - perhaps Funsters' would put me right if I'm wildly out with my estimates?

Refillable gas cylinders fitted from about - £400?

2nd leisure battery fitted from about - £200?

Decent size solar panel and regulator fitted from about - £200?

Decent size inverter fitted from about - £200?

In other words, roughly a Grand; or would it be more if a dealer does all the installations?

 

[etap]

It can't be about saving money because a £1,000 spent on various items as shown above divided by say £12 per night on acsi site with ehu takes 83 nights to offset cost before any savings, £1,000 spent on same to save £3 per night is 333 nights to offset cost.
It's as has been said motorhome the way that suits you and others can do the same, the original poster was asking if it was weird to not use ehu.
Happy days

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[GeebeeJaybee]

If there is an EHU then we use it - if not then we can manage fine providing we are moving about as we have no solar.

10 days on aires in France no probs as we drove each day.

I have no issue paying for it - having spent thousands on a motorhome £2 or £3 a night is hardly an issue.

 

[HymerB544]

If there is an EHU then we use it - if not then we can manage fine providing we are moving about as we have no solar.

10 days on aires in France no probs as we drove each day.

I have no issue paying for it - having spent thousands on a motorhome £2 or £3 a night is hardly an issue.

My thoughts exactly, Gary

 

[Big Nick]

Not using EHU is nothing to do with saving money for me.
I bought a MH to have a lot of flexibility where I overnight in it, a second battery and solar help in that.
If I was always on 'proper' sites with EHU I probably would of got a caravan instead

 

[tonyidle]

I think some of it boils down to enjoying the feeling of being self-sufficient regardless of whether the extra kit is cost-efficient or not. I just like having a mobile home that can be used however I wish with no thought about whether EHU is available or whether it isn't. If it's there & included I use it. If it isn't I don't. MHing is about the freedom to do as you wish and to stop wherever you want (within reason!). So solar & extra battery allows me to do just that.

 

[Lenny HB]

If I may highjack this thread to ask a question. There are clearly a lot of you that have second batteries and solar etc. Do the initial costs outweigh the saving from not using EHU though?
If you are out a long time, and I can see from above that you can save, but on average? 183 days would be about 3 years for us.

Don't have much choice if you don't use sites you need the kit to suvive. All the kit you need for the cost of 10-20 nights on a site.
I'm not against EHU, but try to avoid anywhere on principle if they include it in the price and won't give a discount if you don't want it.

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[sdc77]

We often go away at short notice on a Friday night til Sunday night. Next week well probably go to Thetford. Wouldn't consider no EHU. Always use a site cs or cl in the UK. If we go abroad however we don't care if we have EHU or not. Much prefer the quality and setting of an aire.
All this talk of "if you want EHU you should have bought a caravan" is a little holier than thou in my opinion and comes around as often as grey water threads.
If you want to stay off grid... congratulations. . If you don't care or want to use the EHU feature of your motorhome then so what.
Freedom... freedom is what you want it to be.

 

[Big Nick]

All this talk of "if you want EHU you should have bought a caravan" is a little holier than thou in my opinion and comes around as often as grey water threads.

If that refers to my last post I said nothing about what others should do, I stated a caravan would of been a better fit for 'me'.
I personally wouldn't need a motorhome if all I stayed on was sites with EHU and having a car with you would be a much better fit in that scenario in my opinion.

 

[GJH]

Our van has some 240v sockets and a charger that works from the mains, plus the fridge is 3 way, but it is designed to be used mainly with gas and 12v electric. Space and water heating are gas only.

Since buying the van in February 2012 we have had hook-up on 5 occasions, on all of which it was included in the pitch fee. We have been on one CL site were it was available but optional. In each of those cases we used those particular sites for reasons of convenience. All we have used on those occasions is a small electric kettle and, once I think, a fan heater.

The majority of our touring is done using rallies and THSs with no EHU even available but we certainly don't miss it.

 

[mitzimad]

We have solar and extra batteries purely because it widens your choices of the hook up is included we use it if optional we don't and save a little cash towards important things like wine and beer

 

[ojibway]

On ehu when at home - to keep batteries topped up - otherwise hardly use it.

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[ianandkath]

use ehu all the time, but dont need to. as my van is quite big i tend to go to sites.
cant hide on a car park,lol.
but i have inverter and genny, so really can go without

 

[eddie]

I agree, why walk around in the cold and dark looking for a hook up point?

Push that button, and a 6Kva genny kicks in

Sorted