The future may be an 'all electric' van.. ?

[scotjimland]

I'm a kind of 'keep it simple' person.. KISS = less cost, more reliability.

Been camping, caravanning and motorhoming most of my life... in the early years we only had a 12v supply from the car battery to the caravan or van starter battery, and that was just to power a couple of lights.. no TV, 12v water pump, and a manual flush toilet, no power hungry appliances .. it was a simple way of camping ..
At present we have a panel van with a couple of lead acid batteries and two solar panels..

The only kit that uses any significant 12v power is a small 60 lt compressor fridge.
We heat water and cook on gas.. a Webasto diesel heater for chilly nights..

Do I need a large expensive 12v set up .. no, what we have is more than adequate for our simple needs.
This is not having a dig at those who do have large power systems, all the more "power " to you.

The future may be an 'all singing all electric van'.. but it won't be in my lifetime and it's not one I aspire to.

 

[Gaston aires]

I get your point. I often say the Motorhome system can be over specified. Solar, air suspension, self levelling, This includes the van itself just more to go wrong. TPMS, Warning lights for everything, limp mode, etc. Older vans just seem to chug on regardless.
Phil

 

[scotjimland]

Older vans just seem to chug on regardless.

just like us old codgers .. and I have an old chugging van to match ,,

 

[rosalan]

I am loath to condemn progress with future power systems for when large scale production eventually takes place, I have no doubt better concepts will come along but to decry progress is surely to put your head in the sand before knowing where things are going. Electricity and hydrogen are only two ideas under development so far. Petrol and diesel are rather messy although after 120 years, efficiency has improved a little.

 

[busby]

I get your point. I often say the Motorhome system can be over specified. Solar, air suspension, self levelling, This includes the van itself just more to go wrong. TPMS, Warning lights for everything, limp mode, etc. Older vans just seem to chug on regardless.
Phil

Biggest problem with mine are the gas light mantles that keep breaking , BUSBY.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Old Gibber]

Biggest problem with mine are the gas light mantles that keep breaking , BUSBY.

Go back to candles like the rest of us then.

 

[Barclaybasher]

My 22 year old A class has one Lead acid leisure battery and one solar panel, Calor gas for cooking, heating and fridge. Other than lights and pump just a TV.

I don't use sites very often so not much EHU. I like to 'camp' when in the van, (different from home) and use little power. Cook on the gas hob, no microwave or any other appliances

For 6 years everything has been fine until I left the hab ceiling lights on a couple of weeks ago for so long they 'killed' the battery. The lights were all original halogen !

All 10 lights replaced with LEDs and a new larger lead acid battery - cost less than £200 - off camping tomorrow

 

[Gaston aires]

Biggest problem with mine are the gas light mantles that keep breaking , BUSBY.

The fun starts when the mantle’s blow out

 

[Swifter]

just like us old codgers .. and I have an old chugging van to match ,,

You are allowed to be old when you have been a member of Motorhome fun since 2007! Sixteen years !
Funster number 15 ! Keep posting !

 

[Gromett]

I am quite looking forward to the day when the 2nd hand market allows me to get a 150 mile range EV van to convert.
It will have an induction hob and a 800w 10 litre water heater. All of which will not have too much impact on the range.
Pop in somewhere to get a steady charge every 100 miles or so and perhaps spend a few hours in that location. Very relaxed and chilled.
No smelly diesel, no worrying about running out of gas or finding the next LPG station. It would suite me down to the ground.

And I would want one that support V2G so during a power cut I can self supply. If the van has 100Kwh of battery that is 10 days of the average households requirements but would last me a lot longer.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}