Off Grid Caravaning | Caravan Newbies Try It Out & Make Mistakes!
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- Опубликовано: 13 авг 2022
- We really want to try off grid caravanning, but still being very new to this, we have never tried surviving without the luxury of electric hook-up or on site shower facilities. Come along with us as we test out our van for off grid living and possibly make a couple of mistakes along the way!
Full disclosure - as we mention in the video, we didn't travel anywhere at all for this experiment, our caravan was still parked on the driveway! But, if you know of any good off grid caravan sites, we'd love to hear about them, so please do leave a note in the comments!
We hope you enjoy this video, we plan to make much more caravan content, so if that's your vibe please do stick around and subscribe. We also have tons of UK Travel vlogs which you can find here:
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Thanks so much for watching, we really hope you enjoyed it an appreciate you stopping by!
All the best
Mac, Sarah & Dozer
#caravan #caravanlife #caravaning
Many years ago we did 14 nights off grid in Cornwall using a spare leisure battery charged in the boot of the car on trips out. My wife used a 12v hairdryer in the car with the engine running. This was long before solar panels were even thought of.
Ha the good old days before it was a trend! Nice one!!!
If you like going off grid on cheap CL sites invest in a solar panel they are great for keeping the battery charged. Fridges only really work on 240v and even better on gas, but 12v is only really a keep cool when driving to site. Our lunar is the same layout as your coachman and the shower we always enjoy as the wife doesn't like site facilities. We sort of navy shower so to speak as we wash ourselves down, turn off the water and soap up then rinse off as the boiler only holds 10 litres of hot water. Great video guys 🥰 oh as an edit DO NOT get a 12v hair dryer as it will blow your charge unit....trust me I work in the caravan business 😉
Oh thanks for that last bit of advice!!! We haven't bought one and now won't!! Yep we definitely have solar on our list now, we've learnt a lot from great caravanners like you!! Thanks again, we're very grateful 👍🏼
Would just like to say,your dog is absolutely lovely.Keep the caravan vids coming they are fantastic.
Ah thanks Gazza, he's such a good boy and loves the caravan too! Thanks for watching, we've got loads more vids coming soon 😀
@@MacSarah ❤
There are several off grid sites in the new forest - we stayed at one last year, but can’t remember the name. It says clearly in the description when you research it off grid, no toilet block. It does have electricity though. Two aqua rolls are a must, also get a 25 metre electric cable, we have gone to several sites and needed an extension. Two gas bottles also is a big bonus, so you never run out mid cooking. A small portable solar panel is ideal - put it on the front of the a frame and charge the battery all day.
Thanks for watching and for the tips! We love the New Forest so that's a very good idea. 👍
Excited for your caravan adventures! Thanks for sharing the process!
Aww thanks both, we appreciate you watching!! ❤️
Really enjoyed watching your experience, looked like you both enjoyed it too. It's a bit of an outlay to begin with but do consider investing in a good lithium battery, solar panel and inverter and you can literally go off grid for weeks and not worry. The inverter gives me 230V from the battery that I use to power the fridge, coffee machine etc (trust me, I don't need a hairdryer 😊). I also bought a two ring induction hob for cooking so rarely ever use gas. In fact I've not changed my gas bottle for almost 2 years. Like I say it's a cost to start with but it soon pays for itself, if you decide to change vans, you can always take the bits with you. Cheers to you both.
At thanks so much, that's great advice and makes so much sense!! I think we'll definitely look into it and the costs etc. It's also a completely green way to do things too and I'm sure with the price of gas etc, wouldn't take long to pay for itself. Really appreciate your insight, thanks again!!
Brilliant, this has been really useful as we started caravanning 3 months ago and these are exactly the questions we have asked about going off-grid. Great video guys and thanks for doing these "experiments" for us 😀 👍
Ah thanks for watching, so glad it was useful. We've learnt a lot from other vlogs too so it's great to pay it forward!! All the best 👍🏼
When showering, turn the water off while you soap up and then turn it back on to rinse off. Out of a 40L Aquaroll, we get 2 showers and a sink to wash up. We also have 2 of them and I make sure a full one is connected when we go to bed.
That's a great tip, thanks.. good to know how your experiences pan out too. Thanks for watching and leaving us a comment 👍
Wonderful experiment to try your off grid capacity whilst at home. Our first off grid adventure was at a campground and we lost power within 24 hours - a learning moment in our rig. Happy boondocking!
Oh no, hope it didn't ruin the experience for you. We reckon we'll noew be brelave enough to give it a go 🤞🏻 Thanks so watching and commenting ❤️
Going off-grid, especially in winter, you are going to use more battery and a lot more gas. I might suggest you invest in a second gas bottle and a suitcase solar panel. If you run the heating, it consumes gas and battery quite heavily. Also, get a shower head with a water saving spray feature and an on-off valve. That way you can wet yourself, switch off, lather up, then switch on to rinse. The heads with the fine spray patterns use a lot less water at a time.
The show head tip is absolutely spot on, definitely going to get a water ssving head for it!! And yes, we are definitely leaning towards solar! A second gas bottle is on the list for sure, going to get that very soon!! Thanks for watching and for the tips!!
Really great video ❤️
Hey thanks Davina! We appreciate you checking it out ❤️
Hi Mac & Sarah, love your channel and content.
Great video this guys, we have still yet to go Offgrid and i cant bloody wait!!!! I think the 2nd waste is a must!!
Thanks!! We definitely want to get out there for real and give it a go. Som many people have left comments with great tips which really helps! Yes definitely agree that a second waste would be needed, hadn't thought about that before now!! Thanks for watching 👍🏼
@@MacSarah the community is fantastic isn’t it. Also funny how many things you don’t think about until your there and realised damn I needed that. We too are new to caravaning and set up our channel to document our journey. Funny we did it around a similar time. Our next one is our first trip away too. Lol.
@@thebigtow ah fantastic, we'll check it out for sure 👍🏼 we're off again today to Back of Beyond in Ringwood, can't wait. All the best fellow newbies 😀
@@thebigtow just subbed to your channel and added all videos to watch later they look great, so good to find other new caravanners sharing thier experiences 👍🏼
@@MacSarah that’s lovely of you Thankyou. I thought exactly same and subscribed. Enjoy both the videos and your trip away. Look forward to hearing about it.
The 12v side of the fridge is only meant to be used when connected to the car, and even then you need to pre-chill anything you want to put in it, it's not designed to run off the caravan battery
Thanks for that, yep we're learning a lot every time we use the van that's for sure! Thanks for watching and for your comment, we appreciate the help!
Hi, enjoyed the video, you gave us useful battery running time information, we just bought a caravan but won’t use it until spring, but I was informed by the caravan centre that a leisure battery is fully charged at 12.7 volts (100%) 40% at 12 volts and 0% at 10.5 volts and running on low voltage can damage the battery, I think we will get a solar panel too, if you don’t mind me asking - what wattage is your solar panel and does it add much charge to your battery (November nights) I ask because I don’t have access to 240 volts whilst it’s in storage and I don’t fancy the idea of having to remove the battery and bring it home to charge! Thank you in advance 🙂
Hi Mike, thanks for watching and dropping us a comment. Our battery gauge is pretty rubbing and isn't accurate enough to read 12.7v lol. Actually we don't have a solar panel at all, but we're super lucky that we can fit the van down the side of our house so can charge it up on mains. Exciting that you're just bought a caravan, so much fun ahead!! Thanks again, all the best
A few years ago I kept my caravan at my local gliding club and used it every weekend and occasionally longer. It was off grid, but worked very well. I did buy a second leisure battery and a 2kw inverter hooked up to a small solar panel which I left propped up in the South facing window. That allowed me to run my hairdryer and straighteners without any problems. I have never found a hairdryer which works well on 12v sadly.
Hey Gillian, a second battery sounds like a good idea, especially with a little solar panel! We definitely need an inverter too. Such a great idea to keep it somewhere like that, I wonder if there's a similar option near us? We are keeping our eyes open! Thanks so much for watching and commenting ❤️
Brilliant fun video again guys ! Sensible solution trying on the drive way. We use our shower most trips even on sites with facilities - we tend to get wet, switch off & soap up, switch on and rinse off - no more than 2-3 mins total - appreciate its different for the ladies! As for the fridge its generally only battery when hooked to the car - glad to see there was no Budweiser 🤑 on show this time ! Keep on caravanning ! Craig & Jen 😁
Haha not a Budweiser in sight this time 😂 Actually that's a great tip to turn in soap up and turn off, I'll definitely use that one. I think it's opened our eyes to using our shower even on sites with facilities too. Thanks for watching again, we appreciate your support!! 👍🏼
Great video guys, portable solar or power bank for hair drier.👍❤️
Thanks Mike! I think we're leaning towards solar 😀 thanks for watching
Hi, you can get small cigarette lighter inverter to 3 pin plug that pull the power up to match the wattage of your appliance, hair dryers, irons and microwaves are quite juicy, but I think you could do it with the right one. Get a solar panel, 175watt with a small battery charge controller, easy to connect and put on the roof with the special brackets and CTI sealant.
Hi Chris, thanks very much!! And inverter is a brilliant idea, will definitely look for one now. And we're definitely coming round to the idea of fitting solar, seems like a no brainer!! Thanks for watching and passing on some tips, we really appreciate it 👍🏼
Great vlog guys! a lot of people think the fridge will run of the 12v battery but that is only when towing & getting power from the cars alternator, gas or mains hook up only on site I’m afraid, we do a music festival (CamperCalling) every year that is 4 days off grid, LED lights & a solar panel has made the last couple of years a lot less stressful!
Ah I think we saw some posts about Camper Calling, it looks great maybe we should check it out! Yes I think a small soalr panel is a much for us now! We've had so much great advice since posting this video, everyone is very generous with tips! Such a great community!! Thanks so much for watching!!
I am taking the family away for a long weekend off grid soon. The plan is to run the heating (inc hot water) and fridge off the gas and use my portable 240v Allpowers battery to plug into the caravan to keep the 12v leisure battery charged as well as provide sufficient power to use the toaster, low power kettle, TV, microwave and of course hairdryer when needed.
Ah that sounds like you're well set up!! Hope it all goes well 😀👍
Hi, only just found your channel in last couple of days. A whistling kettle for the hob is great as is a ridge monkey sandwich toaster with removable handles - you can cook all sorts of things in it. A solar panel is a great way to top up your battery - we have one fitted to our VW van and it keeps the fridge going no problem - however it is a smaller fridge and we have a 175W solar panel. We are hoping to get a caravan shortly and visiting Sussex Caravans tomorrow following your video as they have one we have been looking for. It will be our first one, however we have had our VW for last three years and often go off grid so hope you enjoy the experience
Hi Suzanna, thanks so much! We're happy you found our channel ♥️ those are great tips, thank you! Especially love the sound of the sandwich toaster, gona look for that right now 😋 How did your visit to Sussex Caravans go?
@@MacSarah Hi, it went very well and we took the plunge and bought a caravan - very excited to start our new adventures and we will hopefully, be staying at Goffslands for a few days when we collect it just to get used to using the van and iron out any tweaks or issues. Thanks again, Suzanna
@@MacSarah We bought a Coachman VIP 520 and are excited - our pup is going to love it. They were so helpful at Sussex Caravans, thank you for the recommendation
Hi guys, great vlogs - love your whacky style and the hound!
We bought our first ever caravan between lock downs and spent a few days (& nights) in it to work out how to do everything & stress test the battery, aquaroll etc, like you did. I'm not sure if your shower is an ecocamel one, ours is and we can get 3 or 4 showers (if we need to on hot sticky days) plus washing up etc over 24 hours. As for lights, the Mrs likes her battery powered twinkley lights which is all we need to get a nice atmosphere going (& doesn't use the caravan battery) but for more than 2 nights, we found we needed a solar panel which we had fitted and use a lot.
I'm sure someone's probably told you, but for the 240 volt items you need an inverter and try to use travel versions of hair dryers etc which are lower wattage.
Anyway, great stuff, cheers for the vlog, our channel has vlogs of all the above, too, cheers and keep up the good work!
Hellooo! Thanks so much for watching and leaving us a comment! Very helpful tips, I reckon you're right about our shower, might look for a more water saving shower head!! Yep, now definitely got the message about a appliances and a solar panel (on the list), we're learning so much!!
We've just found your channel and subscribed too, looka like you have some great content for us to binge on 😀 Thanks again, see you on the road!
@@MacSarah Thanks for subscribing! - Binge??? you'll go blind!!! You might be interested in me stress testing the solar on mid winters day at Potters and you can see the Mrs drying her hair (gripping stuff!!!) while we were off grid in Bakewell - can't remember if it was part 1 or 2. Happy binging!!! - hope you don't get too bored!!!
Never ever power your fridge by the battery!. That is only for when you have the car in tow. You will wreak your battery!
Yep thanks, we know that now 🙂 learnt a lot on the last couple of years, some of it due to our lovely viewers 👍 thanks for watching
Hey guys, like your video - I would say yes get a solar panel for roof and a solar generator ie. jackery or the new Ecoflow delta 2 good luck - Ian and Sue
Hey Ian, yep we now agree with this. Judy need to save a few pennies 😊 thanks for watching and leaving us a comment
Just a thought maybe one of the portable power stations not cheap I know but if you don't have a solar panel it is an alternative to give you some 230volt power typically for a hair dryer. See the Trudgians Dan has a vlog on them
That's a really good idea actually, I've seen them about for a few hundred pounds which is not too bad if you get the use out of it. It would definitely enable the off grid stuff more easily! Thanks for the tip 👍🏼 all the best
Hi we are of grid not in the middle of nowhere but far enough away to have to take the water with us …….
We go away but come home every 4 days for showers washing clothes shopping and refilling water and changing anything extra we need.
Our first night we ran out of gas 😳the fridge was flashing so luckily we had another bottle this was full , just believed the sell saying 2 full bottles of gas 😂.
Put the solar out .. fold away one 🥰 it’s brilliant.
We were aware it had an alarm and the sensor was driving me crazy . So whilst Lisa went fishing, I went on the hunt for a wire to disconnect the sensor 😳😢🤪 I cut the wires yes I did the alarm is so blooming noisy Lisa heard it and came rushing back 25 minutes later she had discovered how to turn the alarm off.🎉 she really wasn’t impressed with my skills being as you only had to pull the wire out .
Apart from that we have to make the area more homely, we have just got petrol mower and brush cutter, stones and mulch to make some paths but most importantly we made a wonderful fire pit area priority….
Can’t wait to watch more of your videos.
Take care xx
Ah we loved reading this comment, thanks so much for telling us all about it! The alarm wire is definitely something I'd do 🤣
@@MacSarah thanks so much for your reply 👋
Enjoyed your video but must ask one question …… whilst I understand two showers may use more than the 40litres your Aquaroll will hold, what is the point of purchasing a second 2:38 Aquaroll unless you purchase a second Wastemaster?
Hi Ken, it's a reasonable question. I guess it saves one of two jobs, refilling but we would still have to empty the waste master... Thanks for watching
Great video but what I would advise tho', is not to swap from one bottle to another during a shower as there is a chance of an air lock in the pipe. If unsure, then swap over before the shower to a full bottle and top up afterwards. Welcome to the caravanning world. Enjoy🙂.
Hi David, that's great advice thanks! And thanks for watching too 👍🏼
What you want is a power inverter then you will be able to use some 240v appliances depending on how powerful they are
We definitely do! It's now firmly on our shopping list 👍🏼
So we worked out (with my husband on stand by to top up if needed) that i can get a shower and wash my hair with just about a full aqua roll…my hair is same length as Sarah’s , but i have to be very quick lol
Haha yep, speed showering is the way forward 😂
This is very interesting to see the difference in caravans in the UK vs Australia. Off-grid is a big thing down under. If you check out some Australian caravan RUclips sites you’ll be amazed by the technical side to caravans (Aussie Destinations Unknown or The Feel Good Family) But simply, just doing what you did in your driveway is all you’d need for a weekend away. Does your van not have a larger capacity water tank?
Hey, thanks for watching and for getting in touch! That's really interesting, we'll definitely check out those channels, thanks for the recommendations. Our caravan doesn't have an 'on board' water tank at all which seems quite common. The aquaroll which sits externally is the only source, unless on a serviced pitch. But we love the idea of going proper off grid!! Maybe we need a trip down under to give it a real go? 😊
Hi guys you said in the video about the amount of water you use in the shower. The secret is wet yourself all over then turn the shower off. Soap yourself all over and when you’ve done that turn the shower back on and rinse off. That will save you loads of water.🚿
Hi Dave!! That's such a good tip and makes perfect sense now I think about it 👌 cheers
Late to the party but second the sentiments about solar, max out on a decent battery. I precook my meals and vacuum seal them, I certainly don’t iron and hairdryer am afraid really is a big no no. Either that or get a jackery or equivalent as a secondary source for those little luxuries.
Fridges are a little weird I have a compressor 12v in my truck that runs on 12v and is ace. Caravan is as you found gas mains or 12v when engine is running.
Thanks for the tips Justin. We definitely still have much to learn but we're getting there 🙂 Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment, much appreciated!
Turn water shower off when you lathered up, only run to wet your sef and rinse
Superb advice, thanks Lynda, definitely a huge water saver!!
hi just curious why have you put shower curtains all the way round your already water sealed shower
Hi Chris, it's not only the shower, the sink, cupboards and toilet are all in the same space. But to be honest they probably don't need to go all the way round. They need to cover the door and ideally the area around the sink so we can leave stuff out... I reckon it will be a bit of trial and error 😊 thanks for watching!
@@MacSarah ok i see thought it was a bit strange lol .good luck
Why not have a go at rallying, if you fancy off grid, good fun
That's a good idea, we've never done that before!
Perfect video!!!👍👍👍
Thanks Darius, much appreciated!!
You can charge the leisure battery up with the car just leave the car running half hour or so .. obviously the car has to be connected to the caravan lol
Thanks for the tip and thanks for watching 🙂
I’m no expert in technical stuff, but hairdryer - Can you not let your hair dry naturally, or use a service station hand dryer to give a bit of volume? Failing that, hats, hair bands or scarfs.
Clothes are easy, as I travel a lot - non iron, ie outdoor or gym wear. Or even have the materials that look ok ironed or creased. Never take linen, as crease badly. Bamboo and some other fibres don’t need to be washed so much, so you can get a couple of days wear before they start niffing.
Looking forward to seeing how you get on when you go off grid 😊
Ah bamboo clothing is a great tip actually, thanks! I think I'll go for a 12v hair dryer and some dry shampoo, but absolutely, in a bind it's hairbands all the way haha! Thanks so much for watching ❤️
So 1 year on. How about an update
The update is not much in the way of off grid but have learnt a lot!!
Off grid sites try camping in the forest (new forest)
That's a good idea, it's only about an hour and a half from us too! Thanks for watching
I really want to say "get a life" but that would be cruel . We where a little scared in the beginning our selfs. Now 50+ nihts a year off gridding. You should try rallying next... Im sure im not the first to point out fridge runs of battery only when towing if you have then right plug..... If you don't know you dont know 😁😁 curious how long the battery lasts
So what was your battery reading, get some gas straighteners for your hair.. ironing 😂😂😂😂
Yes, not quite sure why you'd say get a life? Odd. But thanks for watching anyway
Maybe you miss read my comment. I didn't say that... Please just go away properly. Remember if you do run out of power . There's always torch's.. try it for a couple of nights you might enjoy it
Can I comment as a non expert on a few things?
Battery, you started with 12v…..that is the minimum, either you batt is stuffed or you didn’t charge it enough. You are looking for 12.8v, min. 12v.
Water in shower…you can either be quicker😬, or to help get one of those mist shower heads that save water. Water is a difficulty off grid…..never enough lol.
I’m sure 12v hairdryer is a solution, but maybe 100w-200w solar would help maintain plus keep voltage high in batt.
Fridges. These 3 way fridges are great with EHU, but not the most economical when off grid. The thermostat probably won’t work, but the battery will most likely maintain the temp as long as you don’t open the door too much…..some of these fridges only work when plugged into tow car, and some won’t work properly if not level…..a solution maybe one of those 12v cool boxes, some more expensive ones have compressors….
If you are wanting to brave colder weather, a Chinese diesel heater (£100 off Amazon or eBay) may be an economical heating solution, just make sure you exhaust away from window, or keep closest window closed.
Edit if you don’t already own one, a digital multimeter off eBay Amazon, (£10 ish) would be a sound investment😀
Hey thanks Richard, these are amazing tips and information! I think the battery was a little over 12v when we started but I rounded lol, not really knowing what the consumption would be... Yes, fridge, we definitely learnt a lesson there. I agree that a bit of solar would be a fantastic idea and will definitely look into it! Now, a mist shower head... That's a great idea!! Plus we could definitely be quicker lol. Thanks so much for taking the time to give us some tips, we really appreciate it! Have a great day
@@MacSarah re the shower I don't know if you did this already but if not you could try having a sailor's shower where you get wet, turn the water off while washing your hair and body etc, then rinse it all off afterward. That plus a decent low flow shower head might help. A second aqua roll will help too. You don't want to be doing a Richard Hammond where you have to fill the water up with shampoo still in your hair
Towel dry hair
Simple is often the best idea 😀