Anyone gone all electric? (1 Viewer)

[Prop]

Hi considering our next van.
I have seen posts elsewhere where people have massive solar and lithium battery set ups with invertors and dont use gas.
Thinking of this with a diesel combi heat/hot water.
Anyone got any experience of this type of set up or have any thoughts?

 

[Vic]

Also thinking along the same lines. Very interested in replies.

 

[68c]

Depends on how much you use the van in the winter, how long you stay in one spot without running the engine, how much cooking you do.

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[Guigsy]

The biggest issue is probably water heating for showers and dishes. A sink of hot water will cost you about 10Ah in battery.

 

[Prop]

Depends on how much you use the van in the winter, how long you stay in one spot without running the engine, how much cooking you do.

Normally 2 trips to Europe of 6 weeks a year sept/oct and feb/march and the odd week in the uk.
We cook in the van with gas and gas bbq a lot and move on every couple of days.
Normally Aires with the odd campsite.

We have upgraded to 350 w solar and 200 ah lithium and never seem to make a demt in it.
Thats what is thinking of ditching the gas.

 

[Prop]

The biggest issue is probably water heating for showers and dishes. A sink of hot water will cost you about 10Ah in battery.

Thought deisel combi heater heat and water

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[Guigsy]

Thoght deisel combi heater heat and water

Yeah, I think that's the logical solution.

 

[Prop]

I also saw that you could use a conventional domestic fridge, the benefit being they are more efficient?

 

[Guigsy]

I also saw that you could use a conventional domestic fridge, the benefit being they are more efficient?

Than compressor motorhome fridges? Maybe a little. But you've also got to run them off of an inverter.

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[BillandHelen]

We have moved much closer to gas free, we have a Truma d6e boiler for heating/water which removes the largest gas usage, an induction hob and microwave for cooking. However our fridge is still a 3 way and we still have 2 gas burners and our gas oven for when we need it. We have a 40 litre gas tank which I think will last about a year between refills! Off grid all electric from 200amp of lithium powered by 2000w inverter and recharged by 60amp b2b and 120w solar. We think we may have the best of all worlds.

 

[Prop]

We have moved much closer to gas free, we have a Truma d6e boiler for heating/water which removes the largest gas usage, an induction hob and microwave for cooking. However our fridge is still a 3 way and we still have 2 gas burners and our gas oven for when we need it. We have a 40 litre gas tank which I think will last about a year between refills! Off grid all electric from 200amp of lithium powered by 2000w inverter and recharged by 60amp b2b and 120w solar. We think we may have the best of all worlds.

That sounds perfect but we are looking at a 6m van so restricted to one or the other i think.

 

[BillandHelen]

That sounds perfect but we are looking at a 6m van so restricted to one or the other i think.

You should take a look at Wildax vans, there MAN model is gas free but they are very flexible about swapping around components on others.

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[Prop]

Than compressor motorhome fridges? Maybe a little. But you've also got to run them off of an inverter.

Here is a thread on them seems it would work for us as we will be having a big battery set up.

Using a domestic fridge for camping

I thought I would report back on my initial experiences using a domestic fridge for those with an interest in considering the same. I posted previously on the issue (3 way fridges) so this is an update. So far after a month or so of fairly heavy weekend off roading I've not experienced any...

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

 

[Prop]

You should take a look at Wildax vans, there MAN model is gas free but they are very flexible about swapping around components on others.

That looks really interesting, only drawback for us is we want to store our bikes inside so would need a raised fixed bed at the back.

 

[Tombola]

More and more people are doing it, they tend to use deisel for heat and water.

at least 400-600 ah, as much solar as you can fit plus decent b2bs

I have 400ah 600 solar and if wasnt in the uk could go all leccy all year full time no problem

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[funflair]

We very often go a few days without using our gas hob at all so that is electric for induction cooking outside, electric kettle, microwave, coffee machine etc etc, the fridge is still on gas but I reckon if it was compressor we would use up to 2.5Kwh per day, not all that comes from our 520watts of solar so we have 640ah of lithium, all that said every case is different so you really need to do your own calculations and don’t forget to consider what would happen if one of you was poorly for a few days and you had to stay put.

 

[EML]

My own view is that electric cooking is not practical at the moment (and expensive), so I use bioethanol for cooking. Doesn't smell, practical, clean, safe, but I'm happy cooking with two burners and nothing else, which I guess most people here aren't. However, these burners are getting very difficult to find now, and I had to import my Origo from a shop in Canada which had stock.

If you're happy with that, I'd say there's zero reason to have gas, and good reason not to use it, so I don't. I've got a cheap domestic fridge and run the inverter 24/7 to power stuff. Domestic fridges come in at less than 13W. This is, I think, a lot less than 12V fridges, but it's difficult to be sure because manufacturers go to extraordinary lengths to hide power consumption figures for 12V fridges.

However, inverters tend not to be particularly efficient at low outputs, so if you're constanly running at less than 50W you're going to lose something there. I'm just guessing, but efficiency might drop to something like 80%. My inverter is only 500W, so no hairdriers/toasters/microwaves/etc. Might think about upping the inverter and getting a microwave next time round.

I've never had a problem running the inverter 24/7, driving or not. Uncommon here, but more common in the US, I think.

I have an Eberspacher for hot water and heating. Expensive (about 2K with installation? forgotten), but lots of people use cheap Chinese kit, and I haven't heard of any problems.

Depending on how you use the van, you can get away with a very modest electric setup. I tend to be away for a week or a little longer, and never use sites (so no EHU) unless I need to empty the loo. Short shower (20L, takes some practice) and some clothes drying most days, which means the diesel burner has to be on for maybe 20 minutes, and maybe another 30 mins if you don't like cold mornings. Driving most days. With 100Ah Lithium, 150W solar, I expect the battery to be at about 80% most mornings, and a short drive will fill it, sun or not. The only real issue is water, which I have to find every 2 or 3 days. Ideally, I'd have a 150L tank, but fitting that in a PVC is difficult.

I have mainly Victron electrics, but I wouldn't recommend them unless you can't find anything else. I've got a list of niggling issues, but most people seem to think they're God's gift. One thing to watch out for is that very few people (including Victron) properly support LiFeP04 batteries, so you're constantly messing around with charge profiles, trying to work out if 14.4V is enough, and so on.

 

[BillandHelen]

That looks really interesting, only drawback for us is we want to store our bikes inside so would need a raised fixed bed at the back.

Our rear boot, pictured during lithium install. We carry 2 electric bromptons with us all the time, but you could get full sized bikes in with front wheels off I would think?

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[Prop]

View attachment 819015

Our rear boot, pictured during lithium install. We carry 2 electric bromptons with us all the time, but you could get full sized bikes in with front wheels off I would think?

That looks good, what size van have you?

 

[scotjimland]

No intention of ever going 'all electric'.. perfectly happy with the way we have done it for many many years ..

Gas for cooking and hot water, diesel heater , 12v compressor fridge , with a pair of FLA batteries and 150 watt solar .. works for us.

If the setup you have is reliable and does what you need why would you spend serious money on lithium batteries, inverter and charging kit to go all electric ?
As a keen cook I would never part with my gas cooker.

Not suggesting that upgrading existing FLAs to Lithium wouldn't be a worth while.. .. but not to go all electric.. no thanks.

 

[BillandHelen]

That looks good, what size van have you?

It’s a Mercedes sprinter, wildax Elara, 7m long, so same as the DPD drivers! We had a 6.36 Fiat van before, don’t find any disadvantages with the slight increase in length.

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[Spara4042]

I know Harvey Carpmart has gone pretty much 12V for everything, maybe he can give you some tips?

 

[BryanW]

We are all electric 320ah Roamer battery, 390w solar 3000w inverter, twin induction hob, Nespresso coffee machine, Toaster, kettle, hair dryer, diesel heating/hot water, compressor fridge + separate compressor freezer.
Didn't use EHU all summer in UK, France, Spain or Portugal, have been in Scotland for last 24 days and have used EHU for 6 days so far plus solar and DC-DC charger.
Wouldn't go back to gas. Just my view though.

 

[scotjimland]

Interesting thread with a good article

300amh Lithium Battery recharge

Hi We are worried about running out of power if we go all electric in the habitation area of our campervan. We would use the van as a daily vehicle as well as a campervan and would stay off grid as long as we could. The set up would be a 300ah Li-He TO-4 battery with inverter and a 325w solar...

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

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[Otter Spotter]

No gas, currently running 160w Solar but awaiting fitting 300w panel, 12v only Thetford fridge, Wallas Diesel heater hob for cooking, Bosch 800w Microwave via 3000w Pure sine wave invertor and 110ah lithium battery. All works well for us !

 

[DBK]

You can get diesel hobs from a couple of manufacturers. From what I've heard they aren't exactly perfect but I have no experience of them otherwise. Webasto make one and there is also Wallas who also make a diesel oven.

Wallas Diesel Hobs And Ovens Archives - Kuranda UK Ltd

Wallas Diesel Hobs and Ovens. Safe - There is no open flame in Wallas stoves. Moreover, they use non-explosive and non-pressurized fuel. Safety is guaranteed.

www.kuranda.co.uk

 

[Mzracer]

What is the objection to gas? Seems to work really well to me.

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[John and Jo]

What is the objection to gas? Seems to work really well to me.

I'm interested in this. For me I like the idea if self sufficiancy. It's free, from the sun/solar. Since we changed vans our heating is diesel so use very little gas anyway and this has prompted me to think this way.

 

[Mzracer]

I'm interested in this. For me I like the idea if self sufficiancy. It's free, from the sun/solar. Since we changed vans our heating is diesel so use very little gas anyway and this has prompted me to think this way.

OK I see what you are seeing up to a point.

It is free minus the capital investment and the loss on that investment when you come to sell.

Our MH has a small solar panel and small invertor and it is brilliant but any large demands are satisfied by gas.

When using the MH we have never used EHU, just plugged it in on the drive to test the systems.

 

[scotjimland]

I like the idea if self sufficiancy

only when the sun shines... else it's back to EHU.. or drive south

with gas , small solar panel and diesel heating we are self sufficient

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