May 22, 2026

Inside this newsletter👉 240V vs 12V — what's the difference and why it matters How your batteries actually get recharged Solar, 240V, and your tow vehicle — all explained Why you should get to know your system before you hit the road Join us on Skool — caravan tips inside​

Good morning from Adelaide,

How are things going?

This week I want to talk about something that confuses a lot of people when they first get into caravanning — the electrical system.

It doesn't need to be complicated, but it helps to know the basics before you're standing at a caravan park at 7pm wondering why nothing is working.

240V vs 12V — the basics

Your caravan has two separate electrical systems: 240V and 12V. They work independently, but can be connected.

The 240V system powers your appliances — kettle, coffee machine, Starlink, laptop. You get that power from the caravan park hookup or a generator.

The 12V system runs off your on-board batteries — lights, water pump, fridge, USB outlets, diesel heater. How long that lasts depends on the size and number of batteries you're carrying.

How do the batteries recharge?

Three ways:

• Solar panels on the roof (usually automatic — just let it do its thing)
• Your tow vehicle, once you plug in and start the engine
• A 240V battery charger once you're connected to mains power

Some vans have a smart management system that handles all of this automatically. Others need a bit more manual attention. Worth knowing which one you have.

One tip worth remembering

If your car charges the van even when the engine is off, don't leave it connected for too long without running the engine — you'll flatten your car battery. Learned that one the hard way.

For the full breakdown, head to the blog → Your Caravan Electrical System Simply Explained​

Want more caravan tips like this?

We've just set up our Skool community — Plan.Save.Travel — and one of the things inside is our caravan maintenance and tips guides. If you want practical, no-nonsense caravan info in one place (plus a community of people doing the same thing), come and join us. It's free.

Here is a little video I made of starting up Skool:

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Yes, please, I'd like to join

10 Things We Wish We’d Known Before Our ‘Big Lap’ around Australia​ Read More​

The Secret to a Happy Caravan Life: Finding the Right Caravan ​ ​ Read More​

Have a lovely day

Tim & Margie

PS If you need to find a way to complete preventative maintenance on your van, check out Tim's maintenance schedule. It lists everything that should be done on your van in post-departure, monthly, yearly and more sections.

​Find out more here​