Join the Caravanning Revolution
Statistics are showing more and more people are hitting the road and preferring to explore the diverse geography of Australia, rather than travelling overseas and to big cities. More and more travellers are asking about caravan electric modifications for solar, airconditioning and heating, so they can travel further and in increased comfort.
A population of grey nomads are hitching up the caravan and hitting the road in their retirement – trading a narrow and staid retirement in the city for one filled with adventure and meeting new people on the road. Perhaps you’re one of them! The Caravan Industry Association of Australia have reported the number of people traveling to the outback by caravan increased by 60% in 2015-16, with the Darling Downs in Queensland receiving the second highest increase in numbers during the same period.
Caravanning In Style
Caravans today are increasingly more robust and made with better materials. They are more like fully equipped tiny-houses with technology, than the basic vans of the past. And people who previously turned their noses up at the idea of slumming it are now opting for caravanning in style. Some caravan manufacturers report that people are investing between $80,000 and $140,000 in purchasing a new caravan and the Australian caravan industry is estimated to contribute 19 billion dollars to the Australian economy.
As you’d expect, the number of registered caravans on the road has steadily increased each year since 2014. Caravan Parks are also improving, catering for more than just the basic washing and toilet facilities of the past. Larger parks now provide a high standard of recreational and cooking facilities, as well as wifi, so people can stay in touch with loved ones and remain connected.
While some people prefer to stay at parks with the best facilities and power to plug in, there is increasingly the ability to venture further afield if you have solar panels, a really good battery, inverter, charger, back up generator and of course enough water storage.
Self Sufficient Caravanning & Camping
An impediment for many to travel further afield has been power. But with the price of solar panels coming down more and more, caravan service centres are increasingly fitting solar panels.
Depending upon how many solar panels you fit, as well as your battery capacity, a solar set up on your caravan that allows for cooking, refrigeration, lights and regular computer use, is an affordable option. Once you are set up, there are lots of free camping sites where you can stay, minus the camp site fees.
Caravan Electric Modifications – Batteries, Chargers and Solar Products
The basic equipment for self sufficient power will include solar panels, an inverter, a deep cycle battery or two, and a reliable back-up generator. The price of getting quality caravan electrics will vary, depending on the quality and brand of all the products and accessories you install.
The cost of caravan electrics for solar power is a one-time expense and can save you hundreds of dollars in site fees. Solar panels last for many years, have no moving parts and are virtually maintenance free.
We only use specific brands for all our caravan electric modifications, because we know they work. There are always cheaper products, but if you want a robust set up, paying a little more for quality is what we always suggest. A really good quality battery and charger is essential. We use Camec deep cycle batteries because we know they are high quality and last for years. A battery charger is something that is fitted once and then left to do its thing. Battery chargers can fail and do have problems. We use and always recommend Enerdrive battery chargers. They are the best value for money, we’ve been using them for years and we’ve found them consistently reliable for all our customers. Enerdrive also make high quality inverters for your solar system.
Selecting The Right Sized Solar System
Selecting the right size of solar system to install on your caravan depends upon how long you are intending to camp without access to electricity, as well as the appliances you will be using. The best way to work out the capacity of the system you require is to calculate your daily usage on appliances. You will also need to consider the time of year and where you will be travelling to consider how much solar energy you would expect to be able to generate each day to charge your batteries.
For more information about caravan electrics or installing solar power on your caravan, contact us at Emu Caravan Repairs.