Inside this newsletter👉
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Good morning from Adelaide,
The Easter rush is over... chocolate is almost all gone, and it's the best time to plan your next trip while the crowds are away.
Tim here — quick one this week on something that trips a lot of people up when they're new to caravanning, or have never really stopped to think about it.
Your electrical system.
It sounds complicated, but once you understand the basics, it all makes sense.
240V vs 12V — here's the simple version
Every caravan has two electrical systems running side by side.
The 240V system works just like your home. Plug in your kettle, coffee machine, laptop, Starlink — anything you'd normally plug into a wall. You get this power from a caravan park hookup or a generator when you're off-grid.
The 12V system runs from your on-board batteries. It powers your lights, water pump, fridge, diesel heater, and USB outlets. How long it lasts depends on the size and number of batteries you have — measured in amp hours (Ah). The higher the number, the longer you've got
Quick question, would you like our weekly destination emails too? We cover the unique, scenic, adventurous locations and interesting facts.
How do the batteries recharge?
Three ways:
- Solar panels — fixed to the roof, charging automatically whenever the sun's out. Most of the time you don't need to do anything.
- Your tow vehicle — as soon as you connect the plug and start the car, it's charging. Just don't leave the caravan connected for too long with the engine off or you'll flatten your car battery.
- 240V charger — once you're plugged into mains power, your batteries start charging automatically.
Some vans have a smart management system that handles all of this and shows you exactly what's happening. Others are more manual. Worth knowing which one yours is.
When the two systems connect
Some caravans have an inverter — this converts your 12V battery power into 240V, so you can run 240V devices even when you're off-grid with no generator.
It's a handy bit of gear, but be aware: if your inverter is connected to all the GPOs throughout the van, it's easy to accidentally run too many devices at once and drain your batteries fast.
Take the time to understand what's set up in your van. Find out what turns on automatically, what's permanently plugged in, and how much draw your devices are putting on the system.
If you're interested, here are a few articles to have a read:
Your Caravan Electrical System Simply Explained​
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If you still find you need more power in your van, have a look at these generators with My Generator. We've used our generator many times, especially when we're off grid for extended periods of time in cloudy weather!
The other option is a portable battery pack. Bluetti has one of the best ranges we've seen. It's for that peace of mind for backup power - or, like I (Margie) does, work on my computer away from the van (and kids!). My laptop has terrible power consumption, so my Bluetti power station helps give me an hour or 2 peace!
Have a lovely day
Tim & Margie
PS Tim has created a great maintenance schedule guide checklist - from pre and post trip checks, 6 monthly checks and professional checks to help find any possible problem while you're in your driveway (and near a Supercheap or something!) and not in the middle of nowhere!
​Check it out here ​
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