Travelling with Camper-Caravan

Charging Second Battery system in Camper Trailer or Caravan

You will want to charge the second battery system whilst driving.

1. Use a DC Battery booster that has an on-board isolation ignition switch built in. This saves the cost of a second switch and still protects the primary battery.

2. Locate the Booster as close to the battery bank in the camper trailer/caravan as possible.

3. Have an external charging plug (Andersen Plug) fitted to the second battery so that the it can be used to charge the second battery while the ignition is off using solar panels.

If you have BOTH a second battery in the vehicle and are towing a camper trailer/caravan then you need to consider:

1. Installing a battery booster and multistage charge for each system independently. This will ensure that each battery bank can be charged to optimum capacity. The extra cost more than offsets the reduced battery life from combined systems that could be expensive. Sophisticated 3 way charging systems are very good  but expensive to install.

2. Use a cut over switch to combine the vehicle's second battery with the camper trailer/caravan battery system when in use whilst camping. When travelling, use this switch to isolate the 2 systems.

Have an external charging plug (Andersen Plug) fitted so that it can be used to charge the second battery while the ignition is off using solar panels.

12VDC Battery Booster and Multistage charger

Ranox Battery isolator/charger

Using a refrigerator in the back of the vehicle

Keep the fridge as full as possible of liquids as these create a thermal mass that keeps the space efficient. If your budget allows it, consider an “eutectic fridge”. Once initially started, these will operate for up to 23 hours without any power and maintain temperature. During this time the eutectic compound changes phase absorbing energy. After this time it will take power to operate and restore the eutectic state.

For longer stays use an andersen plug to connect the fridge in the back of the vehicle to the charging plug into the camper trailer/caravan. If you have sufficient battery capacity in the camper trailer/caravan then this current will reverse flow and power the refridgerator. When travelling, switch to isolate and run the fridge off the vehicles charging system.

(I have used this system for several years now with just a simple isolation switch and it has never failed me. I do carry large battery capacity in the Kamper trailer/Karavan).

Autofridge 73litre or 40 litre fridge/freezer

 240V Surge Protector

 Most off road powered sites and towns (Kunnunara for example) have a 240V power supply that gives spikes.

Nearly all Generators (including Honda EU10i) give a spike when they run out of fuel.

A power spike can blow the zener diode on the incoming power board for a lot of battery charges. Some will give protection to elevated voltages and currents but not the instantaneous 100's of Amps.

Install a Surge protector that complies to the Austrlian Standards for high spikes (including lightning) 

 240 V Surge Protector

Stand alone
(can plug yourself)

or

DIN rail Mounted
(need authorised electrician)

LED light mounted to side of caravan or camper trailer or inside tent

Plug this into any 12v outlet and connected to battery system. Most LED's are less than 3W of power which is approx one quarter of an amp. This is a quarter of the power consumed by most portable fluorescent lights.

Selected LED lights have NO UV spectrum in them and will not attract insects.

Try to get the LED pointing down on the subject area you want lit. Avoid the old fashioned "coleman style" miners lamps that radiate light horizontally. It is a waste of power and directly into your eyes. (every USA Trailer campsite has hundreds of these)

Try to have several task related LED lights that you can selectively turn on rather than the one big fluoro.

LED Camping Downlight

LED Flexistrip

LED Torches

Use this as a personal light and to Velcro onto shovel/stake to give light over cooking plate on open fire.

Try to buy the rechargeable type that dont need battery changes. A solar charge Torch is a huge Plus!

Solar Rechargable
LED flashlights
(2 Sizes)

Using Solar Panels

A solar suitcase of 80W will give about 4-5 Amps maximum of 12V power. A 120W Solar Suitcase is better with 6-8 Amps maximum. Typically most fridges use 4-6amps of power. The more efficient fridges don’t use less current but the cycle off for a longer time and thus use less overall power.

Use a lock to attach a security wire between the solar panels and a secure point on the vehicle. If the security wire is cut, your insurance policy may cover as it is “forced theft”. However, check your policy!

80W Solar Suitcase

120W Solar Suitcase

If Desert or high country travel

One of the major challenges for camper trailers and caravans is the condensation buildup under mattresses. There are also people with allegies from mould spores and find camping in winter difficult.

A 12V Membrane heater under mattress will eliminate condensation and keep the mattress dry. The amount of time for it to run is the only question you will need to resolve and this is based on your own comfort and the conditions. Typically, most people find 6-7 hours "on" about right. The Membrane heater consumes 1A approx for each side of the bed. So 6-7 hours for 2 people will consume 13Ah approx. 

Membrane Heater

Diesel hot water suitcase

Big advantage of these is ability to pump from billabong or stream as well as virtually instantaneous hot water.

This gives the ultimate luxury for the long showers when there is a billabong near by!They are a must for fisherman as the clean up is excellent.

A Filter can also be fitted with these to give easy filtered drinking water.

Diesel Hot Water Suitcase

Diesel Air Heater

 For those very cold nights in the desert or Victorian High Country or Tassie: consider installing a diesel powered heater. They use about 20Amps of 12V power on startup (and shutdown) for generally less than a minute, then after that use only the power to run the fan. So you do need a reasonable battery capacity of 140Ah+

They have optional ducting for directing the heat. I have camped in a Kimberley Kamper at 9,200ft in the US Rockies with the heater running (it has an alpine setting) with the heat directed to the Annex. It was toasty!

Diesel Air Heater 

Fuel Cell

The best eco charging system is a combination of Solar and the Fuel Cell.It  is simple and foolproof:
Solar panels as the primary energy source and a Fuel Cell for top up and back-up.

This technology from SFC in Germany has grown in maturity with over 15,000 in use. The fuel cell uses pure methanol as a fuel source.  The units operate as silently as a laptop and exhaust water (minute amount of CO2 equivalent to a baby’s breath!)

This unit has it’s own “intelligent battery condition sensor” and would be programmed to only come on when there was insufficient charge from the solar panels and the battery condition required charging.

EFOY 1600

EFOY 2200