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Post by joncloudvanman on Oct 5, 2015 12:08:34 GMT
Greetings. My name is Ray & i'm about to embark on a van life... type of thing ....which is nice ! Here's the lowdown. I bought a camper van, quite nice too, a Renault Trafic 1.9. It's pretty well sorted but there are some alterations i want to make for my travels. Some of those can be done on the road & so not urgent but there are 2 things which are burning issues & i'm on a limited time span before i set off in this cabin. 1. Solar. The van is already 12v wired & leisure battery fed but i want to go off grid solar & i'm trying to work out if i can hook up some panels into my existing power management box rather than intall an entire system right through. I have the cash for new batteries, panels & whatever monitoring gadgets are needed. I have until the end of October to get it going. 2. Heating. The van has no heating & i just know i'm gonna want some. I am looking for sound advice about that because i've seen that it can be kinda expensive but hey, i don't like being cold....not one little bit ! Anyway, i'm new & green here but i have done some van life before & i'm also a practical & handy type. I've come here to seek pointers & help in getting me kick-started. With all the stuff i need to do in a short time space my head is a bit fried right now but i'm working through it. Oh yeah.....Hello & blessings.
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Post by Firefox on Oct 5, 2015 13:42:02 GMT
Hi jon and welcome!
You should be able to hook up a panel(s) direct on your battery via a regulator. The regulator takes the voltage from the panel, often between 20-30v and gives a steady 14v or so just right for charging. The regulators aren't expensive, anything between £10 and £70 depending on how many bells and whistles you want. But you will need one.
Heating - running the van engine - or boiling a kettle/cooking a stew or hotpot can take the chill off as a temporary measure. As a more permanent measure, the cheapest is Propex heat source HS2000 blown air from gas. Around £400 new from Just Kampers (often the cheapest) or less on ebay 2nd hand. Other ideas could be an external petrol genny giving you 1000w or 2000w for a small fan heater - not always suitable for wilding. Or maybe a diesel heater like and eber or webasto - not so cheap to buy and can be noisy/pricey to run.
I lived in my van for 3 years with no heating other than the gas ring. Put on outdoor clothes and have a double duvet - does not suit everyone though.
Have fun on the forums!
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Post by joncloudvanman on Oct 5, 2015 21:09:26 GMT
Hello Firefox. thankyou. Still thinking on...
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Post by billieblue on Oct 8, 2015 8:46:09 GMT
Welcome to the forum. Hope you sort your van and enjoy your travels. Am sending this from France where I've been travelling round for a month in my Citroen relay SWB camper which has everything I need except a really comfy bed! It does the job but haven't the space to make it better...
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Post by Firefox on Oct 8, 2015 11:15:46 GMT
Forgot to mention the woodburner route.
It suits people with a fair amount of time on their hands. It does take time to collect wood and attend to your stove, but it's great if it suits.
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