Brighton based Newbie Needs a Guru! (1 Viewer)

[Animac]

I've just bought a campervan which has a few electric appliances - fridge, tv, lights. It has lots of sockets and a cable for electric hookup. The festival we're going to in June doesn't have electric hook up, and we're not allowed to use a petrol generator. There's a leisure battery installed, but I'm fairly sure this alone will not power the fridge. I'm not even sure what powers the fridge - it's an Igloo, but that's all I know.

I bought the van (2001 Ford transit LWB Hiroof) from my aunt and uncle, who planned on travelling Europe. They had lots of work done on it, but then changed their mind on travelling - it had been stood for 6 months. They bought it from a private seller and didn't even ask the basics, so I'm flying blind. It's a thing of beauty though (in the eye of the beholder), and I've wanted a CV for so many years.

I need somebody with experience of these things to help me understand my van, and offer advice as to what I can do. I know less than nothing about it, but I'm keen to learn. If you're able to help me, I will gladly pay for your time and wisdom! If I need solar panels or a couple more batteries, I'd need to know fairly quickly so that we're ready for June 10th.

Thanks in advance, Andrea (Brighton)

 

[MC 55 FUN]

No doubt the Guru's will be along soon . . . in the meantime &

 

[Mr B]

Hi there and welcome
Plenty of gurus on here

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[Peter JohnsCross MH]

You can always come to our workshop and get some advice and a quote for any work needed

Peter

 

[DBK]

Can't help due to distance but a quick Google suggests you might have a problem with your fridge as it might be electric only. Can you see any model number?

Do you know if you have any leisure batteries? If not they might be fitted if there is space but add in the necessary controller and the bill is going to be a few hundred pounds.

It can all be sorted but might come at a cost. Hopefully someone local to you can have a peek and advise.

Welcome and good luck! And remember in the good old days campers didn't have fridges or electrics - but they are nice to have!

 

[davidbaldam]

Hi and welcome to FUN, with luck your fridge might work off gas, the leisure battery will only last about 2 days so only use the lights you need, in June you should be alright as its light until quite late. Hopefully someone will be along with knowledge of your van.

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[scousebird]

 

[Animac]

Thanks for the lovely welcome guys - Peter, thanks for your quote offer.

Unfortunately, I can't see the model number of the fridge, only that it's an Igloo model. I've been looking at prices for a 3 way fridge, so as you can imagine, I'm hoping that ours not 240v!

I do have a leisure battery, but know little about it. As it came with the van, I'm not even sure if it's going to be any good - I know that you're not supposed to go below the 50%.

I know I'm going to have to shell out some dough, but obviously I want to try and save money by doing it the most economic way, as long as that gives me what I need.

 

[reckless]

Welcome Andrea

I think there are a few members near you who will hopefully be along later.

In the meantime it's well worth paying £15 subs on here for unlimited questions. You'll get all the advice you could hope for along with a lot you can do without!!

Lots of banter and fantastic support from everyone.

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[buttons]

Hi and Welcome.......

 

[ojibway]

Hi and welcome to our world
A good start is to change all the light bulbs for LEDs.
If you're going to a festival in june it probably doesn't matter if anything works or not. Just a cool box and some beers or you'll look really snooty in your 'flashmobile' (like the rest of us)
You could always go and have a peek at a dealers vans - Peacehaven on the A259?

 

[Dawn B]

Hi &

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[DBK]

You can always come to our workshop and get some advice and a quote for any work needed

Peter

I would endorse that.

 

[golly]

Welcome to MHF

is there any chance of a photo of the fridge ? I have a feeling that it won't be gas, and if it has 12v capability, it will drain your battery in no time. As previously said for 2 days, a decent cool box would probably be ok

 

[mitzimad]

i cant find any igloo fridges that run on gas so i think you will be going without a fridge if you freeze some 2 litre botttles and put them in the fridge it will stay cool for a couple of daysprovided you keep it shut as much as possible we used to do festivals without a fridge just take a few catons of long life milk and open one each day for morning tea and eat out the rest of the time in our festival days we used the van to sleep in nothing else

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[Animac]

I think I'll drive out to see Peter - just been having a chat with my neighbour who came out to admire the CV. He suggested getting an inverter and a couple of extra leisure batteries. Not sure if that'd run everything in there though? The TV isn't essential, and I'm not sure I need the fridge - a 12v cooler would be good enough, as you said. Where would that go though, and how do they work? Do they have to plugged into the cigarette lighter socket? I only have one working, the one on the dash is dead.

So far we have lighting and a cooker - as things go, that's plenty enough for a festival

 

[DavidG58]

you will get the advice you need from Johns Cross, but an inverter will not run the fridge for long enough to be any use

warm beer it might be, or stick to red wine and somebody elses beers

 

[The Dudess]

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[Carol]

Hello

 

[PP Bear]

Welcome to the house of Funsters

 

[gus-lopez]

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[Mr Colpot]

We are just up the road from you in Burgess Hill if you want a second pair of eyes on anything. Happy to meet up if you want.

 

[Anthea M]

We are just up the road from you in Burgess Hill if you want a second pair of eyes on anything. Happy to meet up if you want.

A kind and helpful funster! Great forum!

 

[redbox]

Hi.i am in Goring by sea.
If you wanted to head over to my way,be happy to have a look and i ll give you my tuppence worth?
I am just about 2/3rds through my Vw Lt35 bus conversion so have a fair idea about things!
Dave

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[Anthea M]

Hi.i am in Goring by sea.
If you wanted to head over to my way,be happy to have a look and i ll give you my tuppence worth?
I am just about 2/3rds through my Vw Lt35 bus conversion so have a fair idea about things!
Dave

Hello and welcome

 

[Lenny HB]

Hi, I'm in Lancing, you are welcome to pop over, my technical abilities are fairly good.

 

[TUCANO]

Afraid that I can offer you nothing more than a warm welcome here, from a cold Yorkshire.

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[WynandJean]

Hello and welcome from West Midlands.



Wyn

 

[TheBig1]

back in time, few of us had fridges in camper vans. we used to pack perishables with ice or cool blocks that you pre froze at home, and relied on one or more coolboxes. the other problem was battery power a lights. now solved with a couple of large leisure batteries and changing bulbs to low energy leds (cost 99p on ebay)