efoy fuel cells (1 Viewer)

JohnM

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Does any funsters know anything about using efoy fuel cell for 12v power charging etc,checked online sounds good.We are in the process of changing our autotrail and next van has a 1600 efoy fitted.:Smile:
 

Swift

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I looked at them but was not really impressed with the price of £4k to be honest, also the running costs of around £18 for a 5 litre cartridge, this amounted to between £1.30 and £2.60 per day to run it :Eeek: Plus of course you have to carry the very dangerous cartridges about, I went Solar instead, oh and a bit of Kippor :thumb:

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JohnM

JohnM

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Hi Jim checked online and spoke to road pro they recon the fuel cell will last quite a long time,the unit is securely fitted in the garage.As i said it is allready fitted and has around 4ltrs of fuel left so i might as well see how it goes,i will try to contact previous owner when i collect the van. :thumb:
 

scotjimland

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Hi Jim checked online and spoke to road pro they recon the fuel cell will last quite a long time,the unit is securely fitted in the garage.As i said it is allready fitted and has around 4ltrs of fuel left so i might as well see how it goes,i will try to contact previous owner when i collect the van. :thumb:

Good luck and I look forward to your report.. :thumb:

first hand reports are worth a thousand chatterers on forums :roflmto:
 

chrisgreen

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Hi Jim checked online and spoke to road pro they recon the fuel cell will last quite a long time,the unit is securely fitted in the garage.As i said it is allready fitted and has around 4ltrs of fuel left so i might as well see how it goes,i will try to contact previous owner when i collect the van. :thumb:
although the cost of the fuel cell's are dear ,dont be put off they are a good peice of kit and the running cost are not that bad?
i have done a lot of research into efoy,but the cost of the things new swayed me not to buy one:Eeek:
if you ever remove it and decide to sell ,it can i have first refusal please:thumb:

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Terry

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Hi all, I remember CLIVE on the darkside got one fitted a few yrs back and gave it very good feedback :thumb: Very expensive to buy (2/3 grand) but if I remember right it was very economical to run with about 5 ltrs of Methanol costing about £40 ish but lasted around a year.He may well be a member on here as again if memory is right he was/is a professional writer/reviewer,writing articles for mags etc.
terry
 

Swift

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I was thinking of going nuclear myself :ROFLMAO:

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EthnGeoff

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I had the EFOY 1600 fitted as an option on my van from new. Yes it was not cheap but convenience made up for the initial expense. However, I have just asked about buying some more methanol today and where I have been paying about £34 for 2 x 5ltr containers in the past I am now being quoted nearly £60 for the same amount of fuel. A check online reveals that the cost of methanol cartridges was increased by 30% yesterday. I think that Efoy have just priced themselves out of the market.:Angry:
 

chrisgreen

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I had the EFOY 1600 fitted as an option on my van from new. Yes it was not cheap but convenience made up for the initial expense. However, I have just asked about buying some more methanol today and where I have been paying about £34 for 2 x 5ltr containers in the past I am now being quoted nearly £60 for the same amount of fuel. A check online reveals that the cost of methanol cartridges was increased by 30% yesterday. I think that Efoy have just priced themselves out of the market.:Angry:

i know efoy recomend useing their methonol,but can you use race methonol at £36-- 25lt??

http://www.trinity-research.co.uk/index.php?cPath=21_49&osCsid=f7a6b2acc24b4dbf9fb5b6ca7af8a3dd
 
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JohnM

JohnM

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Hi Chris it would be worth looking into as i cant find a supplier up here.Thanks for all the info. :thumb:
John

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EthnGeoff

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John, you can download all the information and manuals for your EFOY in pdf format here:

Link Removed

Geoff.
 

eddie

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EFoy

Our workshops are installing the new 210 EFoy unit tomorrow

240 amps available every 24 hour period, which is an awful lot of power available.

Our customers are of the opinion (and I tend to agree) Generators have a limited use given the number of people that kick off even if you lift one out of the locker, and that Solar simply is not a viable alternative in the Northern Hemisphere in the Winter months so EFoy becomes a front runner.

I was anti due to the poor availablity of fuel which is now much better and the insurance complications seem to have be resolved as the product has become more mainstream and frankly, understood.

Most of the people that we have installed EFoy's for don't want compromise, want to spend a few days off hook up at say Passion sites without getting paranoid about turning things on and off, have upper range vans and can afford it so don't get dogged down by the usual price verses performance arguements.

I started selling EFoy in 2004 and Van Bitz were the first business to exhibit the units at shows in the UK That unit produced........30 amps per day:ROFLMAO: (mind you 10 times the output of a solar panel in February!

Eddie

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scotjimland

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Our workshops are installing the new 210 EFoy unit tomorrow

240 amps available every 24 hour period, which is an awful lot of power available.


Eddie

I didn't quite understand that so I looked up the specs , from Efoy

The newest performer in the EFOY family has arrived – the new EFOY 2200. Our new addition to the EFOY family delivers 90 watt. It packs 38% more power than the EFOY 1600 and features a charging capacity of 2200 watt hours a day.

90watt x 24 comes to 2160

to put it into perspective..

90 watt at 12v = 7.5A = 180AH per day .. about the same as a 1kw genny running for two hours..

Rated Output 90 watts
Maximum charging capacity per day 600 watts / 180 Ah
Nominal output voltage 12V
Charging current at 12V 7.5Ah
Standby current consumption 15 mA
[HI]Methanol consumption [HI]1.1 litres per kW hour[/HI][/HI]

Methanol cost £5.30 per liter ... that is expensive leccy .. even if you are rich..
you pay about 8p per kwh off the grid...

perhaps someone with a genny can tell us what it costs for per kwh ?
 
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eddie

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Hi Jim LOL 240 was a typo The new Efoy Comfort which is literally just released is the Efoy 210

Called the 210 because it charge capacity per day is 210Ah with a charge capacity of 8.8A

The new 210 unit has a Five year quarantee

Efoy claim that on average the 10L cartridge will last about thirty days based on the usual usage that people put the systems to when travelling around.

I agree that the Efoy option is expensive but it is only expensive if you can't afford it. If you can enjoy it and enjoy freedom that comes of being free from power constraints.

Remember that if your not paying to stay on sites ( and some Aire Du Repos) that you can save that money to pay for the methanol!

Not for everyone, but most that have Efoy's are very happy with them

Eddie
 

chrisgreen

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I didn't quite understand that so I looked up the specs , from Efoy



90watt x 24 comes to 2160

to put it into perspective..

90 watt at 12v = 7.5A = 180AH per day .. about the same as a 1kw genny running for two hours..

Rated Output 90 watts
Maximum charging capacity per day 600 watts / 180 Ah
Nominal output voltage 12V
Charging current at 12V 7.5Ah
Standby current consumption 15 mA
[HI]Methanol consumption [HI]1.1 litres per kW hour[/HI][/HI]

Methanol cost £5.30 per liter ... that is expensive leccy .. even if you are rich..
you pay about 8p per kwh off the grid...

perhaps someone with a genny can tell us what it costs for per kwh ?
a 1000w genny will produse about 1.7kwh on 1lt petrol:thumb:

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scotjimland

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I agree that the Efoy option is expensive but it is only expensive if you can't afford it.

Eddie

Can't argue with that Eddie.

The capital cost can be justified and is transparent.. but there may be those who will save up for an Efoy then discover it's a lot more expensive to run than they thought.. it just makes it easier when you can compare running costs and know exactly what it is costing..

I think it's great technology and hope one day it becomes a lot more affordable and runs on LPG ... lets hope it's not too late as all hydrocarbon fuels are rising in price and becoming scarcer

Solar must be the future .. but it needs more investment to provide us with cheaper and more efficient ways of collecting it.. one day our kids may look back at the solar panels we use and laugh just as we do when we see technology our grandparents used.
 

Lord Brown

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Hi
Efoy cells are great. Fully automatic coming on when voltage drops to around 12.5 and switching off at around 13.7. I have the 1200. Fuel can be expensive unless you look around. The best I have located is at Caravan Movers 08454636175. 10lts for £39.50 plus £4.95 delivery. A lot of suppliers will not provide to private addresses, only business. I priced fuel at the Western motorhome show and was quoted £70.00 for 10 ltr. so beware!! If you find anything better please post.
Lord Brown
 

EthnGeoff

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Hi
Efoy cells are great. Fully automatic coming on when voltage drops to around 12.5 and switching off at around 13.7. I have the 1200. Fuel can be expensive unless you look around. The best I have located is at Caravan Movers 08454636175. 10lts for £39.50 plus £4.95 delivery. A lot of suppliers will not provide to private addresses, only business. I priced fuel at the Western motorhome show and was quoted £70.00 for 10 ltr. so beware!! If you find anything better please post.
Lord Brown
I've just returned from a trip to France, having been shocked by the hike in methanol prices over here I thought I would enquire about the prices they were charging over there. Called at one motorhome dealer named 'Jaqueline' in the village of Boos on the outskirts of Rouen, they had M10(10ltr) cartridges on sale for 39 euros, needless to say I snapped up 2 of them. A word of warning though the same dealer was selling 5ltr bottles for 32 euros.
Geoff.
 

Bailey58

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Going off on a tangent here but I have an 1800w inverter that feeds a roof mounted air-con unit while the van is in motion, it also does a good job on site on 240v. as well as providing heat when we forget our fan heater.

I've just installed a mains socket into the take-off feed to give me an alternative source of supply when we're not on EHU. It's interesting to watch the amp display as different things are used. Charging laptops, phones etc. takes very little of course while the hairdryer, 1000w kettle etc. will run quite happily with the engine on tickover and still putting in more amps than is going out.

Cheaper than a gennie, not so noisy and handy for a quick stopover and cuppa when on the road and saves having to turn the gas on.

Might be a cheaper alternative for those who move on a lot - and you don't have to buy the aircon!
 

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