EV towing LARGE caravan - range, and charging on campsite
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- Опубликовано: 16 июл 2024
- I tow an huge Adria Altea Dart with my Kia EV6 and compare how it affects the range compared with my own much smaller caravan.
00:00 - Intro
00:41 - Introducing the Adria Altea Dart
01:29 - Folkestone to Welwyn Garden City
02:27 - Charging an EV on a campsite and how long it will take
03:39 - Cost per mile example of towing with an EV
03:55 - Cholsey Grange CL Site - and the CL Booking Website
04:53 - An EV Charger on a campsite: Costs, and time it takes to charge
05:55 - Energy consumption and range of the EV towing the Adria Altea Dart
06:38 - Towing with the EV to Kingsbury Water Park
08:00 - Kingsbury Water Park Camping and Caravanning Site
08:41 - Overview, conclusion, and outro
If you'd have further questions about towing with an EV, please check out the videos in my EV Touring playlist:
• EV & Caravan Towing
If you'd like to know more about touring with an Electric Vehicle, please check my newsletter Electric Touring:
electrictouring.substack.com/
A huge THANK YOU to Adria UK for the loan of the beautiful Adria Altea Dart for this video. Please check it out at:
www.adria.co.uk/caravans/altea
If you'd like more details about the CL Booking website, please check it out at:
clbooking.co.uk/
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131 miles range its a laugh.
I'll be camping this year in Great Yarmouth traveling from south of London.
My diesel car range is 46MPG which gives me over 600 miles range on full tank.
I could go there twice and return on one tank and will take me 2 minutes to fill it up 😂
Guess your bladder is stronger than mine then!
Loving the appreciation of the EV haters🤣🤣👍👏
This would be informative and interesting,if only he didn’t use a computer voice for narration!
@@roserado8228eh? That's literally just the guy that owns the channel talking into a microphone. His real voice is in every one of his videos...
Don’t hate EV’s per se, I personally would panic every time I got below 50% range……..I do that now in my car! The big but is we have a tank gives me 300 miles of towing still.
This is my personal nightmare of running out of charge on British motorways…….😂😂😂
Hi, to be honest I watch you mainly for your excellent filming of Scotland , particularly the Outer Hebrides! Love Dougal and Ted too . Loved how Ted was tilting his head side to side at the sound of the birds😊 See the weather is not always worse in Scotland 😂 although love the sound of the pouring rain on the caravan window . Andrew please keep on sending us great footage , keeps us chilled out in a crazy world x
Many thanks!
I don’t hate EV’s as you put it, it’s the charging availability. We like to go off grid a lot so it means finding somewhere to charge on route which can’t be done because you have to unhitch or mess about going off site to find a charger. This hatred as you say, will disappear amongst the towing community when petrol forecourts have charging points where you can just roll on, roll off and carry on with your journey. EV’s are coming there is no stopping them but governments are putting the cart before the horse, banning petrol/diesel cars when the infrastructure for EV’s just isn’t there yet.
Totally agree 🙌
To be truly off-grid, I would simply put 3kW of solar on that caravan roof. You could camp somewhere for a week, then tow for another 100 miles, and so on, forever. No EV charging stations ever. And if you're already at full charge, you can just run the air-con all day in summer while the sun is out.
Thank you Andrew for mentioning our site here at Cholsey Grange CL and CL Booking - making it easier to book these small 5-van sites - and supporting the rural communities where they are based. It was pleasure to meet you and your canine companions! Next time, I hope we can arrange better weather and you can stay for a little longer to admire our views and walking opportunities.
Thanks for the video!
Not an EV hater but very thankful for petrol and diesel after watching the faff finding charging. The electric charging network market needs to consolidate as well as massively expand before I take the plunge over
Another issue is if you want to park the caravan and then drive to a location without a charger.
After watching all the EV stuff, I'm a bit puzzled where any energy savings are ;)
Have you seen his video regarding his trip from Scotland to London. There was a ‘charging hub’ with about thirty chargers, none worked, the place was deserted and in a right derelict state because no one was using it🤔🤔🤔
@@leecromer3289 Diesel is my favourite fuel, it's the most environmental, and overall the least CO2. But people need to stop seeing CO2 as bad, it's actually helping feed the world.
@@G-ra-ha-mElephant in the room they don't want you knowing about is CNG and it's why there are only 8 petrol stations that sell it at 42p ltr .
Boot space isn't a problem since twin tank technology.
I’ve just towed our 1800kg, 8ft wide, twin axle caravan for the first time this weekend with our XC40 Recharge.
We got 1.4mi/Kw which I’m very happy with. Considering it was 9C and into a 20mph headwind and the size/weight of it I’m very happy with that, but I’m hoping to improve upon it in the warmer weather still.
Interesting, cheers!
I thought the towing capacity of the XC40 Recharge was 1500kg, which is what put me off them.
@@RCrudi the Twin motor AWD is 1800kg. Single motor is 1500kg
Still towing 1800kg caravan with equal towing capacity car is risky/suicide it should be at least 200kg margin.
@@andykoldy8696 Absolute rubbish. The car is specified to be able to tow that much and there is no reason you shouldn't. I suspect you are thinking of ICE cars where their kerb weight is lower and so if you tow the max load you end up with a trailer heavier than the car which is less than desirable (but still legal and safe if done properly). This is not the case with EV's as their kerb weight is so high thanks to their batteries.
Happy to help grow the channel😂, as an EV sceptic I am enjoy watching you explore this alternative power source. Not for me with current capability but can see how it is ideal for some lifestyles. We don’t need to agree on everything to be kind and courteous, keep up the good work sir.
Many thanks Steve, and thanks for keeping an open mind. I aim to simply share my experiences and let people make up their own minds. It makes me roll my eyes when people accuse me of having an agenda. Why on earth would I? ;)
Really enjoying these honest ev/ towing reviews. We’re not ready yet to make the jump to an ev, but can see that this will be the way of the future. Thanks Andrew 😊
I am glad I rediscovered your channel. If reviews, positive or negative, are adding subscribers, that’s good. To be clear, I don’t hate EVs. In my view, the kind of vehicle one chooses to drive should be a personal choice, not mandated, prohibited, monetarily discouraged or subsidized by any governmental body. Personally, I would not want to be limited to slightly over 100 miles in range followed by hours of charging. I have neither the patience nor the tolerance for stress for it. If others have a different view and different priorities, fair play to them.
I just wish they would stop subsidising the oil companies that are destroying the climate. Personal choice also sometimes has to be limited if it’s hurting others but of course we need the capacity to give everyone an alternative first. In the meantime: churn out those greenhouse gases! :-)
Recharging every 100 miles just doesn't work for us. Too much faff. I'll stick with my current 450 mile towing range.
Interesting findings. I hope you'll get to test a low profile caravan in the future. Something like Eriba Touring could be a nice caravan to try out.
So nice to see Dougal really taking to Ted! ❤️
As always entertaining regardless of personal opinions about ev's! But no matter how many videos can't help, the need for another member called Jack.. your already from an island and have a Ted and Dougal, there has to be an additional jack waiting on the wings!! Looking forward to the next instalment.. till then stay safe.
oh god no, not a Jack 🤣I'm not sure these modern vehicles need them now and...I don't think the clan would tolerate the language of Fr Jack, Mrs Doyle however....if ever there's a stray cat taken in... ps hear about the Dublin taxi driver had to pay 14k for a replacement battery in a couple of years...people will tolerate a lot if they believe it's the only way to save the planet, but electric has a bigger cost all round that peeps realise
Good evening Andrew, Dougal & Ted….🐶🐶. That’s quite a surprising outcome, given how much larger the Adria is over your own caravan……👍🇮🇲
OMG!! I have not watched for a while. What a cute little addition you have!!
Always a pleasure Andrew, a very engaging interesting video once again. Keep well and safe.
Thanks, will do!
Excellent as usual ❤
Andrew, as ever a wonderful report. I can’t wait to get our EV and caravan together
Another excellent video and it confirms my theory that aerodynamics are more significant than weight. I certainly think my next vehicle is going to be electric. Thank you, Andrew.
Yes, it affects a lot, I have a small 300 kg shop trailer and being small aerodynamically it does not affect almost anything, consumption is quite good, surely if I took something like Adria, which unfortunately I cannot, consumption would go down by 50% further
All cyclists know that 90% of power used propelling you along, is used to push air aside.
Pleased to see the rest of the trip went well! 🙂
Really interesting episode, Andrew. Thanks! Ted seems to be growing up so quickly!
Thank you Adria. Great brand, we had an Adria back in the 80's.
Adria needs to open up shop in The USA!!!!!
I really enjoy your videos! As an ev driver with a caravan it's both very informational and entertaining 😊
Oh Andrew ! I'm one of those girls that likes to pump gas and go.
I have a Holden Spark, the smallest Holden, my foot print is not bad.
Lots of rain for your boys and you. Loved it even though.😊
Amazed to see it can tow such a large unit !
And things will only get better too!
Excellent, answering all the big questions!
Many thanks Becky. I see what you did there ;)
@@andrewjditton can’t claim it as my best one liner; will charge myself with finding something more electrifying next time ;-)
Very interesting review Andrew and beautifull caravan 👍😉
Loved it!
More, more and more of these videos! Hope to see a year end review as well. Can’t wait to get my first ev to tow with!
You got it!
What an outstanding weather! Love it! 😢😢😢
Thank you Andrew for posting such interesting and informative videos. As a fellow Xplore 304 owner I hope one day to join the increasing number of EV towcar owners and your real life examples have been great to watch.
Once again a well presented well produced informative blog from probably the best motor home channel on tube,no repeats,no b/s ,no boring non motorhome stuff
Cheers Colin!
Forgot to mention that I get about 1.8 mi/kWh with my much smaller caravan…
Your comment about aerodynamics is spot on. I live in Canada and tow a 2800lb trailer with a V6 petrol minivan. Weight is not an issue, but if I get a strong headwind performance is abysmal. Not surprised the same is true with EVs.
Great vid Andrew,
Great video thanks Andrew. 100% correct that aerodynamics play the biggest role in consumption and another point is that this is exacerbated as travelling speed increases.
We have a Swift Sprite Quattro EW and our EV6 arrives next month. Your videos have helped us decide it will work and it’s great seeing this one being a close weight to our setup.
Great stuff, bet you can't wait for the EV6! Remember the annoying pre-towing running in period...check with your dealer. I think it's something like 1200 miles before towing but don't quote me. Cheers!
Thanks, I remember seeing that on one of your early posts. Our next toe in end of July so plenty of time to do a bit of running in before hand. With a daughter in Uni 200 miles away should be easy 😁
Your videos have been interesting and reassuring for us. It’s been a long wait and we are very much looking forward to the awkward services recharge stops when towing 😆
Brilliance ❤. Loving it
Ted is so cute! Looking forward to seeing more of that caravan.
More to come!
We’ve just got back from a trip with our 6 berth 1300kg caravan with our Ioniq 5. It managed a 110 mile journey with about 20 miles range to spare, not too bad I thought. And the warden turned a blind eye to us trickle charging off the hookup. 😊
Cheers Daniel! Yes, that sounds about comparable with my experiences too. All the best.
What caravan are you towing Daniel?
@@commuterbranchline8132 A fairway 570 from about 2006.
Why would he need to turn a blind eye?
Off on our first EV tow at the end of the month. ID4 Pro Performance with an Eriba Triton 430... looking forward to it, and thanks for your informational and inspiring videos!
Excellent! Will be interested to hear how you get on, you should get a better mi/kWh return with the Eriba. Enjoy!
I agree that the weather and wind in particular is the big impact on range. Getting between 2 and 1.7 m/kWh with Tesla model y and 1500 kg Elddis affinity 550. Been on camc c site this week. Car filled up while I slept Total cost for 140 mile round trip of just under £5. It’s great to see the lack of fact checking by the ev sceptics. Keep up the good work.
We are considering a Model Y. Presumably you had the hitch option on purchase - would be interested to know if that option comes with the associated electrics for towing (including running fridge etc).
@@stockcroft its got the full electrics in the tow bar. At the moment the axillary pins are not powered. A fix is in the works and will be free when available but no time frame as yet. It does power all running lights but not the fridge or anything else running on aux - i.e. back up camera on van.
@@stockcroft Model Y was high on my list but the auxiliary electric issue was a concern given Tesla’s attitude to functionality and there was very mixed messages about when or even IF a solution was expected. As I was taking the car on a 4-year scheme I didn’t want to end up without ATC should Tesla do a Tesla so I ended up opting for an EV6
Great work mate thanks so much
Glad it helped
This is amazing and perfect timing for me. We have a Hobby 560KMFe which is about 7m long and that we load to around the same as the Adria you’re testing with. My Kia EV6 is finally arriving next month after 11 months on the order list and I’m so excited to get out on the road with the whole rig. To be honest I was expecting less than 100 miles range so I’m pleasantly surprised that you consistently hit a bit above that. Also great info about on site charging, which so far is my biggest concern. Thank you Andrew!!
PS watched your talk at the NEC last year which is where I bought the Hobby :)
Great stuff. Enjoy the EV6!
I do not tow or tour, but I do appreciate that you are doing videos with real purpose and service information.
Excellent work Andrew. No one else is reviewing larger caravans being towed by EV’s. I’m currently towing my Bailey Ranger 460/2 (approx 1200kg) with a PHEV. The Caravan Club having been giving confusing info out regarding charging on site. At first they charged £3 p/night for PHEVs and £9 for EVs. Next visit they got confused and didn’t charge me anything. Then they decided it was a flat rate of £9 even for PHEVs, which for my 12Kw battery in more than petrol so I don’t bother at all. Dedicated charging points that you pay per Kw, like you showed is the best way forward I think.
Keep up the good work 👍🏻😎
WTG, Another awesome video, I don't own an EV because I want/need a vehicle with more range, but I have watched every one of your EV and 304 video's quite a few times and totally love them, Can't wait for the next video on the weights and measures etc and to see the outcome of the trip, Keep up the good work, 👍
Many thanks! And thanks for keeping an open mind - I strive to simply share my real life experience to help people make up their own minds about what is right for them. All the best.
@@andrewjditton I just realized something that many of us seem to forget and that is when going on Holiday Towing a Caravan with a fuelled vehicle or with an EV, Is It is Not a race so really it does not matter how many times you have to stop to recharge the EV, So in all fairness my thoughts about needing a vehicle to to go further are sort of nul and void because the journey is part of the enjoyment, If we had to drive 300 miles between charging points like the Highways in the US and Australia this could be a problem, But using an EV in the UK and the EU should have next to zero effect all beit a couple more stops, The more I watch your EV Excursions the more possibilities I see, So Well Done.
That is a Honking Big Caravan for any vehicle to tow never mind an EV,, Having the V2L is a Game changer I don't drive one but I see how they are going to change how we do things and the bigger the batteries get the better off we will be, I love these series of video's and watch them over and over, Thanks Andrew for all the effort you put in to them.
Great video, have stayed at Ted’s - just shared video with a friend who’s outfit us used on his CL website
Just got an EV6 - first tow at end of April from Preston to Fully Charged Live - your consumption data has put my mind at rest I’ve planned route on 1.6ml/kWh 👍
Great stuff Andy! Good luck with the first tow.
I loved your videos long before the EV inception, and I look forward to the day when, in the U. S. EVs e built to pull the longer distances between destinations with charging ports at the campgrounds.
Very interesting comments about aerodynamics and the effect on range and economy.
Hopefully I'll be able to put it to a real test soon.
One more great informative Vlog Andrew, was surprise only 10% but as the weather worms up the battery's should perform better. two days and we are motorhome owner🥰😎
Hi Andrew!!!
Thanks for the great video, the Adria is incredible, and that the Ev6 handles it so easily
I have a Kia ENiro with a small shop trailer (sorry if the translation is weird, I use google translate) it weighs 300 Kg since my Kia Eniro doesn't allow towing more weight, and I have 204 Cv. My average consumption is about 17kWh/100km, with a 64 kWh battery it gives me to do 80 - 10% at a speed of 90 km/h, which is legal in Spain for vehicles with a trailer of about 280 km.
You make me very envious since I would like to be able to take even a simple caravan, but few EVs have the option like your EV6
I subscribe to see your trips and experiences :)
A very interesting and useful video. Thank you 😊
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for this information I never realized just how much more expensive they are to run compared to diesel cars.
Absolutely right about aero-dynamics. A freind of mine tows with a Vauxhall Vivaro van and he says the fuel consumption difference is minimal. The frontal area of the Vivaro is similar to the caravan so theres no additional aero penalty. Acceleration is more costly, but once upto speed it pretty much the same as driving solo. Try and stick to motorways and fast dual carriageways so you can stay at a constant speed, even if it means going a little further out the way. Comfort, wear and tear and economy all benefit.
Andrew thanks for a very informative video, worth mentioning that you can get 13amp charges which make quite a bit of difference to charging time and that your charger can charge at 10,8 and 6 amps when you temporarily need more power for the caravan !
13 amp chargers are not legal in the UK
@@birdingbilly interesting! I’ve own EV’s that come with 13 amp charger and at work we’ve LEVC vans which come with 13 amp chargers! 3000 watts is better then 2.2kw at times! They have thermal monitoring on the plugs! Strange that they are illegal!
@@christianmarler21 A domestic (can't comment on what you have at work) 13 amp socket is not suitable for sustained 13 amp use, this is why normal granny chargers only run at 10 amp ( I know "some/chinese" chargers can be switched to 13 amp but they should not) . You certainly would not want to run a sustained 13 amp load through caravan wiring, it is just not designed for it. If you want to go above 10 amp you should have a 16 or 32 commando socket installed with appropriate wiring. Ironically if you could plug in directly to the EHU on a site that would be fine but most campsites will not allow it ( for good reason). And as aside the idea of turning down a granny charger to say 6 amps often won't work either as many EVs will simply not charge at anything less than 8 amps and even at 8 amps the charging losses are so high it is barely worth it. If EV vanning is the future sites are going to have to make proper provision (and soon) as mass use of granny chargers is just not a sensible solution.
Another excellent and motivating video - thanks and much appreciated. We take our first ev and caravan trip this weekend (Weisnsberg 390 and Ioniq5) - caravan and camping site which last year had signs saying ev cannot be charged on site. Will be interesting to see how we get on. Also this Sa videos give great additional info in the comments- I was trying to work out if charging through caravan wiring could be a risk.
I've had no issues charging through the caravan so far. Remember you can only draw 10 amps from a 13 amp socket with an EV.
It went very well. 2.0 miles per kwh but with lots of traffic we weren’t going fast. Campsite want to add chargers but they say they are hard to get hold of at the moment. Enough public fast chargers in the area (Dorset/Devon) borders , usual challenges with apps not working or chargers not fully commissioned but we were ok.
Great video. Very informative but as a caravan owner I would not make the change to EV. I would like range to exceed 200 miles and for charging to be easier and quicker to feel comfortable with the technology. So for now I will stick to my F -Pace diesel.
All I strive to do David is to inform people so they can make up their own minds given the data available. Thanks for keeping an open mind! Your concerns are 100% valid. Thanks for watching.
Another good video Andrew
But all this charging it’s just to stress full even though it is well priced keep them coming
Intersting. Looks like we went to the same school Andrew! What a shame about the weather. It looked like the ducks you pictured were happy. I have been enjoying some lovely sunny weather for the last month or so here on the Costa Del Sol. Looking forward to a motorcycling trip in May/June through Spain, France, England and Scotland. Hopefully I won't have too much weather for ducks then.
You're a 'Woody'? ;)
I own an adria altea eden which is similar weight etc so found this great! Seems the vehicles are capable enough, but additional planning and time is essential. Still not appealing enough is the cost of a suitable vehicle for myself just yet and i can still tow at a better £/ mile with my 1600 diesel mpv. Fantastic content in this video.
For a while we took our motorhome and EV (BMW i3) on our camping trips; with my wife driving the EV. There were the usual stops and frustrations (downloading yet another app, chargers all full or out of service or ICE vehicle parked in the bays - all the things we are all too familiar with) to charge. The biggest issue we found was the look of horror on campsite owners faces when turning up in an EV and the days spent driving to find charging sites (hopefully rapid) so that we did not waste our relaxation time. In the end however on visits to Wales, Suffolk, Somerset and Devon it all became too much! Whilst we love our EV we have now purchased a small petrol tow car - so much better.
Really informative. Ta
It was great to meet you briefly at Blackhorse farm. I was hoping to catch you to see how you were getting on with the mileage and kw/mile as I have a Tesla Model Y - unfortunately my caravan is the Bailey Alicanto Porto so weight is the issue being over the towing limit of the car. Great videos as always, thanks Andrew. Regards, Chris
Cheers Chris! Hopefully the Tesla tow limits will start heading North soon. All the best.
Thanks for the video, informative and entertaining. On the subject of aero efficiency, try the extreme by towing a normal trailer loaded with with sand/soil/bricks etc. to simulate the 1.5T with the smallest aero profile...would be very interested to see how much this would prove your point.
;) Hating a way of powering a car... Sounds weired enough, but you are just right.
Luckily, I have access to cars of different sizes, principles and, most important for me, towing capacity.
I'm happy you are sharing your real world experiences.
Sometimes, you sound a little bit frustrated, but I guess the next generation of batteries and the hopefully fast grwoing numbers of fast chargers will keep up.
Thx for the vid!
cheers
Marc A.
I gotta comment that I absolutely love that European trailers/caravans (love that term!) have understated graphics on them. North American (read US built) ones seem to think “more is better” and splash giant stupid swooshes all over them. You also have brighter interiors & believe in windows💞.
Hari OM
Always enjoy your facts and figures vids, Andrew. Even though full-tow vanning is not in my future, I love this stuff! Am getting closer and closer to reaching out for the E-Transit I am lusting after... YAM xx
Exciting! :)
Thanks Andrew, great to seeing you exploring the EV change. 1.7 miles per kW is the stat I wanted to see. It’s early days, EVs aren’t for everyone, but clearly great for some. Also last week a new battery tech was announced that will achieve an energy density of 500 watts per kg, so twice that of current cars. So 500 mile range vehicles will be here soon enough which should translate to 200 plus miles with a caravan.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks Andrew that was really interesting. As you know our EV6 has been on order since February and it is interesting to note that only 10% was lost despite the extra weight. We still have the motorhome and at the moment will keep it even when we get the EV6, but this is more down to my dislike of towing anything. Keep up the good work
Cheers Geoff.. hope it turns up soon!
Hi Andrew, missed you again! If you don't tell me beforehand, I can't come to tea can I?!! I know, it's probably the reason you don't!! Anyway, shame about the weather but it's that time of year isn't it? Looks a lovely van, looking forward to your adventures with the boys! Dougal took centre stage before but now it looks like Ted is muscling in and taking top billing!! Never mind, I'm sure you don't mind either! Oh, mum celebrated her 91st birthday Thursday! So happy she managed to see it! Take care, love and hugs xxx 😘🥰🐶🐕
Sadly I was on a mega-tight schedule Anne...
@@andrewjditton Mmmm...... But I could have brought Holly to meet Ted & Dougal! Me too!!❤
Only 10% extra for a more civilized RV living standard well on your travels seems like a no brainer Andrew...when are going to trade up... Your invaluable information is making the investment in a f150 lightning to tow my 23ft 1800kg van a more feasible option in the future as I don't travel more than 200klm a day ever and would like to stop making C02 as soon as I can!!!♥️🇬🇧🇺🇦
Great review again Andrew, love the Adria, such a shame we cant get the Adria Twin Campervan now in Australia 😞 I ended up going for a local AUS campervan build which is OK, but not as nice as the Adria Twin. Cheers,
This is great, thanks Andrew. I was thinking of taking out the caravan with my i4, prior to our August break, just to see what efficiency I get. Our caravan is an Elddis Avante 574, at a max of 1460kg. Well inside the i4 1600kg limit. So seeing as the i4 is a similar size and efficiency to the EV6, I know I will get around the 1.6 m/kWh mark. I have already broken my planned trip to Cornwall into 3 chargin stops, 90 miles apart, so that should be ideal, and leave around 15% to 20% at each stop, after the initial 100% starting charge, and 80% therafter. 2 out of the 3 charging stops should be easy, for un-coupling the caravan etc, but the Gloucester Services, has the dreaded one-way system. Meaning, that after charging the car, I would have to make a quick dash, the wrong way, for about 50m, to get back to the caravan area. Alternatively, I would have to drag the caravan into the main carpark, and try to find a place to tuck it out of the way.
I have contacted Gloucester Services, and suggested a very small layout change, that would include the addition of a very small, one-way link road, from the main carpark, back through to the caravan area. Literally, a 10m or less stretch of hardcore, or tarmac, with an arrow on the floor.
I got a response to say they had passed my email onto their "team" and would get back to me shortly. That was 3 weeks ago, and after 2 more nudges, I still have had no response.
Services will have to do much better than this for us EV Caravaners.
Great stuff Nick, and well done for being proactive. If enough of us start nagging... ;)
@@andrewjditton Hi Andrew, I did a 50 mile test run a few weeks ago, from Stoke to Derby and back on the A50. I averaged 1.7 m/kWh in the i4. So I'm happy with that.
The biggest problem I'll have going to Cornwall is the lack motorway services with chargers over 150kW, that fall into the 90 - 100 mile range I'll have, leaving 10%.
Gloucester only has 3 50kW gridserv, and one was out of action the last time I checked. Collumpton, near Exeter has 6 350kWh Ionity, which will be fantastic, and then I'll have to use a 150kW Shell recharge at Penhale on the A30 in Cornwall.
It's tricky having to look on the satellite image to see if there is room to abandon the caravan at these locations.
I emailed Gloucester to suggest a small alteration to their one-way system, that would allow charged cars to get back to the caravan area, without abusing the one way.
They said they would look into it, but have not. Further emails have been ignored.
With the Gloucester stop, it may be quicker if I leave the wife and daughter with the caravan at the services, and drive to a 150kW BP Pulse 4 miles away. But to get back to the southbound services, I will need to go north on the M5 up to the next junction, and then back down again. Total charge detour of 12 miles. So that will be a 6 mile hit on my existing charge on arrival, and then a nother 6 mile hit from my 80% refill.
Trying not to stress about it too much.
Thanks for all your good info so far.
Thanks for sharing, very interesting. A lot of figures to digest. Being a diesel owner, I'd be too scared to work out my cost per mile when towing.
Ha ha! Cheers Graham. The way prices are going, I'm not far behind you on the price per mile and the gap is still narrowing :-/
Just watched the first 19 seconds. I am going to guess that the bigger van will not reduce the range very much. Maybe 10 percent, possibly a bit more. From my experience years ago of towing caravans with under powered cars, I found the wind resistance made the most difference, and the weight not so much. I will now enjoy the video and see whether I was somewhere near the mark, or if I got it horribly wrong!
Yay the leathers are back!
Interesting point about the aero impact vs weight. Makes we wonder how much effect a camping trailer would effect EV range, being not only much lighter, but also more aerodynamic. We are tent campers, with an Ansemms GT500 VT1 trailer. It’s not easy to find any real world data about what kind of efficiency / range hit to expect. Our EV cannot tow so can’t experiment, we keep a back up ICE just for towing.
It will be fascinating to see the caravan manufacturers and maybe some new ones wake up to the issue of aerodynamics and solve it in various ways. Self powered vans of some form or other are surely the future and I can’t wait to see it unfold.
My wife is really pushing for us to buy a caravan. I am resisting as much as possible as I really love my tent. You’ve had a perfect storm there to really test the range of your car as it was horrible weather and towing a heavy caravan. I have a BMW i4 and towing my sub 750kg trailer is quite easy in the summer as I was getting around 3.2 mi/kWh. However, I must add that driving to Cornwall from Kent this Easter wasn’t the greatest as I struggled to get past 2.4 mi/kWh in sub 15 degrees and rolling hills. Great video all the same. On another note though, I see more and more EVs on caravan and camping sites but not many are investing in charging infrastructure. I forgot my slow charger at home on this run so had to rely on public charging, which at the moment, is up to 85p per kWh at Shell Recharge in Cornwall. As it’s little to no cost for sites, I would like to see more dedicated AC chargers on campsites.
You and me both! I wrote a piece for an industry B2B magazine this spring about chargers on campsites and I hope this video makes a few campsite owners consider keeping ahead of the game - especially if they can get the chargers fitted for free! Thanks for watching.
Great video. I’m really surprised that big heavy thing only uses a tiny bit more power than the little 304!
You and me both!
@@andrewjditton interesting to hear your thoughts on what are the most aerodynamic caravans out there
I am not an EV fan but love your videos !! X
Thanks Sue. I simply aim to share my experience to help people make up their own minds. Thanks for watching!
Finally a good review of a large caravan on an EV. Certainly food for though. It would be good to know the battery capacity / range options the car has and that can be bought.
Please do check out my other EV videos for that info. Thanks for watching.
Cant wait till you get to do an Eriba Troll like mine, as 1400kg mtplm. I found a noticable difference compared to a previous similar weight Bailey with my fossil fuel vehicle, so as you say aerodynamics a big factor.
Great video. Very honest. I don't think I will ever get over the uncertainty of arriving at a place that is supposedly going to charge my vehicle, when it might be broken, or being used by someone else, or the app doesn't work, or some other problem. 5, 6, or 7 hours to charge, to just partially charge, a vehicle? Really? I have anxiety issues and electric cars just will never work for me. I think electric cars are a partial solution to the current issues, and will help in future but I think hydrogen power could be a more effective solution for most of us, as is being promoted by firms like Toyota. Much less polluting to build than electric cars and only water as the output from the exhaust pipe.
Caravan vs static vs motorhome vs camper van...apart from the size, are the caravans comparable for insulation if someone wants a 'tiny home'... I see some parks here only have these whereas some have statics...you did cover difference between motorhome and van re insulation and build... ps nice enjoyable vid, we come enjoy the scenery, the dogs, the chat...and go away buying a caravan we didn't know we wanted...lol
Another great video thanks Andrew but, I'm not an EV hater either. I used to be a complete petrol head with no desire to drive let alone own a diesel car. Now I have a diesel as the government of the day said they were far less polluting than petrol, diesel promised economy and diesel fuel was cheap. But, the government did a complete U-turn on diesel and now it's demonised as is petrol. However, the French German and Italians have very recently vetoed the EU parliament's planned European banning of the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles in 2035. The UK ban is supposed to be in 2030 so, is the UK government now going to do a U-turn on their plan. The London ULEZ expansion plans have just been scuppered with the threat of a High Court challenge by several London boroughs and Surrey Council. However, it's now likely that the government will be considering the scrapping of road tax and introducing a pay by the mile scheme backed by more ANPR cameras. So, we all lose out and EV drivers will lose one of the key benefits of EV ownership, no road tax. The whole thing is a total mess.
On a personal note, I'm off to Northumberland at the weekend with my caravan, a distance of 220 miles which means that, if I had an EV, I would have to recharge it enroute. I watched a video recently where someone planned to charge their EV at a motorway service area while towing a caravan. It proved impossible without detaching the caravan and leaving it unattended in the HGV park and then going off to join the queue for the charging point. Until the infrastructure to support the wholesale use of EV's is in place and the cost of electricity is brought under control because, we're all facing massive price hikes, I'll be sticking to my Euro 6 compliant diesel.
Looking forward to your assessment if more aerodynamic caravans.
Thought you might be interested in the stats I am getting with my EV towing. We met at the October NEC show after one if your talks.
My setup - EV6, rear wheel drive. Eriba Troll (the largest of the Eribas with a weight of 1400kg though I tend to tow with 1300kg).
Stats from my most recent trip, 5 April 2023
Newbury to the New Forest. Just 54.5 miles. Around 75% motorway and fast A dual carriageway. 25% regular A roads. A34 from Newbury is undulating hills but nothing major. But not flat either.
I drive in the left lane with the flow of lorries so between 50 and 60 mph. Easter traffic on the regular roads so bit of bumper to bumper crawling traffic at the beginning and end. 30mph on regular roads otherwise.
Weather was 11 degrees, a bit of rain, no wind. So not optimum but not bad.
Stats:
Set off with 100% charge
Arrived with 74% charge
Car reports back 2.6miles/kWh
This translates to 200 miles range
WOW! Very interesting thanks Neale. Can't wait to give it a go. Cheers.
Ok consider you have Holidays for 3 Weeks and you whant to go to the south of Europe, distance depending but estimate 1200miles. You could Drive 131miles on one charge. Well thats going to be a nice vacation just driving, because when you arrive at the Site you can immediatly leave to be Home in time.
Just to point out that towing a larger caravan with more berths would normally entail having more people in the car which in turn would add to lower efficiency of the vehicle. Excellent video though. Keep up the good work.
lol in Australia the only thing you tow a van with is diesel- Landcrusier 200 diesel 3.2 ton van 18 lph and 5 minutes to fill $280 to fill for 700 k range and it’s up to 40c.
Great insight into towing with an EV, I would never go back to a Petrol car now, EV car arguments are similar to the VHS & Betamax arguments in the 80s, like the EV’s the Betamax was better!
While I am not a fan of EVs it was interesting to see that 1 of the larger caravans can be towed by an EV. Being both a Navara owner and an Adria owner I will still with my oil burner until I am either forced into an EV or the whole world EV is not the answer to everything and look to convert existing IC Engines to run on alternative, renewable fuels and let people make the choice.
Great to see all options BUT…. No one has done a full review on a family of 4 with an EV towing a caravan lets say Staffordshire to Cornwall for a fortnight holiday this would a real and complete test of how practical an EV is compared to a diesel engine
I get your point, but a family to Cornwall is just one demographic of a diverse church. Maybe I shall try it some time but no, Phil, I'm not taking your kids away for you! ;@)
it would be informative and of interest, to see what the impact is of towing for example a Swift base camp 2 a folding camper such as the Opus and a tear drop camper such as the Hero traveller has on range. It would be especially interesting to see what effect bikes and water sports equipment would have on range. For the base camp these would go inside but on the Opus bike are mounted on top, and on the draw bar and on top for the Hero.
I'd love to do that Jonathan, but the logistics and cost/return ratio are frightening.
I am still a caravan sceptic and couldn't afford one anyway.
More of a campervan man I think, easier to get away from it all when you don't have capacity to take everything with you.
Interesting to hear the policies of the main caravan site providers. Given the choice between a location with EV charging and one without, I know which I would choose.
It's already happening with hotels and supermarkets - those that have chargers get more custom
Seem to remember back in the late 70’s, some tow cars were using roof mounted spoilers to lower the drag when towing. Not sure if they worked but caravan design needs to change - they are now 50% heavier than 30 years ago.
Yes and yes!
Wow. The caravan club states only 3% of sites with ev charging. Most coastal resorts have very limited points. We are too far away. As an electrical engineer i know ev limitations. No way would I buy one for my caravan, although as a vehicle for my local commute it's perfect. 131 miles what's the point, I want to get to Cornwall it will take 3 days if I can find charging points. Cornwall has a very limited ev charging infrastructure so getting back would be fun.......... keep youths diesel for towing at the moment and ev for commuting. Weight and mass are the key factors I'm afraid. But enjoy the optimism..