Front lounge PVC - day to day living

[Northernraider]

Trouble with diesel heating is it still needs a good bit of battery power to get it going, so if your batteries get low you're stuffed. Even Tam Northernraider is having fun with his mostly electric (domestic) MH at times despite him having a massive battery and solar set-up.

Yep the only heating that doesn't require battery power is a wood burner.

1100watt solar and 700ah batteries and I still need to drive every 3rd day in winter if no sun . But my biggest consumer is my 240v fridge freezer that runs 24/7 of my inverter.

But that said I've never been below 75% capacity on batteries as I won't let it go below that


Edited to say I have 2 battery banks , 1 solely for running the 240v side and its this one I need to run engine every few days for. My other bank that runs all the 12v side , lights pump , heating could probably last a week off grid with no issues. If I had a 3 way fridge I probably would not have any issues.

 

[Feltwell]

One thing hubby was ecstatic about when we changed from our PVC to our Carthago was the 3-ring hob!

We have a combi oven/grill and have to say it actually works very well, its a Dometic one though rather than the crappy Smev ones.

Oddly enough, I think we could live with 2 gas rings, very rarely do we need 3 simultaneously. Not bothered about a microwave, haven't got one at the moment and it's no great handicap.

The current cooker we've got is a SMEV and it was chuffin' useless at first - until I swapped the jets. Ancient thread here:-

https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/smev-oven-and-grill-problems-sorted.97141/

Your Dometic one works well as a grill as well as an oven? Can't be going without a bit of toast in the mornings!

 

[Feltwell]

Yep the only heating that doesn't require battery power is a wood burner.

Yes, I've had it so that my gas heating won't work because the power has dropped too low before now.

I'm wary of getting a van with a 12v compressor fridge. Current van has a 3-way, and since I fitted fans it copes OK on gas even in the hottest weather. I've got a compressor coolbox, which works very well and works better as a freezer than the 3-way freezer does, but it does sap the power.

Not sure I'll have a lot of choice though - compressor fridges seem to be the way they're all going. I expect Li-ion battery setups will come down in price though, which should help.

 

[Greasy Chap Butty]

On our Boxer PVC conversion, we in have one of the two from beds across the driver and passenger seat. We have IKEA bed slats that pull taught on the length, profiled so they don't catch on the dash. This is ok for anyone 5'10" or less.
Then you only need one single bed in the front area, and a double bed in the back.
This works nicely, as at least you can move around and use the side door, even with everybody in bed.

We've used that set up fine, and the kids are both University age. Works for us.

 

[Minxy]

Oddly enough, I think we could live with 2 gas rings, very rarely do we need 3 simultaneously.

Its nice to have 3 but we don't use them all the time however as the hob itself is bigger its easier to fit larger pans on at the same time rather than having to shuffle them about.

Not bothered about a microwave, haven't got one at the moment and it's no great handicap.

The current cooker we've got is a SMEV and it was chuffin' useless at first - until I swapped the jets. Ancient thread here:-

https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/smev-oven-and-grill-problems-sorted.97141/

Your Dometic one works well as a grill as well as an oven? Can't be going without a bit of toast in the mornings!

Just to clarify the Dometic is a gas oven/grill, not a microwave, and yes it does do a nice bit of toast ... we like it with butter and half a banana on top ... Also cooks pizza well.

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[Feltwell]

I'm torn for the future. Part of me does think the answer is wait until I retire then do my own conversion on a brand new van - I am very handy. But then you look at what the pro converters achieve, and then think can you really get to that level? They do have bespoke items, in the bathrooms especially, that I could not easily make - plastic mouldings in particular.

 

[uzsnowdrop]

I'm torn for the future. Part of me does think the answer is wait until I retire then do my own conversion on a brand new van - I am very handy. But then you look at what the pro converters achieve, and then think can you really get to that level? They do have bespoke items, in the bathrooms especially, that I could not easily make - plastic mouldings in particular.

Have a look at converters definitely. For quality look at Shorelinecampers website , based in Beverly up north ( Hull area ) they are perfectionists and you get what you need /dont need. Personally never need an oven and our microwave is an expensive breadbin!

 

[Bobbydaisy]

Have a look at converters definitely. For quality look at Shorelinecampers website , based in Beverly up north ( Hull area ) they are perfectionists and you get what you need /dont need. Personally never need an oven and our microwave is an expensive breadbin!

That’s payload you don’t need then , ditch them both and you’ll have 2 cupboards to store all the stuff you fry

 

[Grianan]

That’s payload you don’t need then , ditch them both and you’ll have 2 cupboards to store all the stuff you fry

We don’t have microwave or oven. We don’t fry much either - maybe dry fry salmon or Halloumi in ridge monkey …

 

[uzsnowdrop]

Ovens g

That’s payload you don’t need then , ditch them both and you’ll have 2 cupboards to store all the stuff you fry

Bobbydaisy you are right, The main appeal of our van was that it had one long bed 6 foot six as it was custom built just as importantly they didn’t have an oven so plenty of storage space and the microwave is now dead meat!

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[599]

pvc NO NO NO