Full time from Julyish, a few questions if you please? (1 Viewer)

[us2anddollar]

We are planning to go full time in Julyish, we have been doing a lot of research, hopefully got most of it sorted, but a few questions still remain, if anyone could answer that would be great.
TIA

1. Pure sine wave convertor, we only need this for a CPAP machine when off grid, seen loads on the web but know nothing about them, any pointers?
2. WIFI, Seen the KUMA Play 4G wifi kit, looks good has good specs, good price, again lots on the web, any one used it?
3. Cadac, Grillo chef, plan to BBQ (ok I know its not a BBQ) pretty much every meal, is the weight of it worth it?
4. Going to use a refillable LPG kit, is the outside filler kit worth the extra money? or just remove from cylinder from van, refill and replace?
5. Alarm, looking at Scorpion Sigma S34 as it links with the OEM keys central locking, any others?
6. The van comes with this head unit: XZENT X-F280 anyone fitted and amplifier to the RCA outputs?
7. Dog food, can we take dog food purchased here into Europe now that the UK is a third country?
8. Loo, I've seen chemical sachets and liquids, whats the pros and cons?

I appreciate that some of these points may have been covered elsewhere but I am hoping that I can get a full time point of view.

Cheers,
Adam

 

[VXman]

1. Going to use a refillable LPG kit, is the outside filler kit worth the extra money? or just remove from cylinder from van, refill and replace

Yes if you are in Europe ( and particularly France) and even UK possibly. Lots of garages don't allow filling of bottles or filling for 'non engine' use. If you have an external filler you will not attract attention to yourself. Also the expense isn't a lot in comparison with the whole system and does save hassle. Mine was only 12 quid for the adapter. £66 for the hose.

 

[Tombola]

Inverter.....if it is only for the use of the CPAP then go for one that puts just enough power for the machine, so save overuse of amps from the battery by getting a huge unverter

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[Jimbohorlicks]

You need the fixed LPG filler, don't lug bottles about as they may stop you trying to fill .my filler is inside the locker and had no issues in the EU.
Also it's easier to connect a local cylinder to your fill point .

Have you checked your battery bank is adequate, lead or lithium.

What about your solar power. You need to charge up those batteries when off grid.

For your loo,please don't use chemicals, just use bio washing liquid ,it's environmentally friendly and doesn't destroy nonchemic septic tank systems.its cheaper anyway.

 

[stevewagner]

For my CPAP machine I use a 12 volt adapter. In regards to the gas refills it is definitely worth fitting the outside filler as some garages will not allow direct filling of bottles

 

[us2anddollar]

Yes if you are in Europe ( and particularly France) and even UK possibly. Lots of garages don't allow filling of bottles or filling for 'non engine' use. If you have an external filler you will not attract attention to yourself. Also the expense isn't a lot in comparison with the whole system and does save hassle. Mine was only 12 quid for the adapter. £66 for the hose.

Cheers, where did you get the kit from?

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[us2anddollar]

Inverter.....if it is only for the use of the CPAP then go for one that puts just enough power for the machine, so save overuse of amps from the battery by getting a huge unverter

Thanks, would one of the plug in ones into the cigarette lighter do?

 

[us2anddollar]

You need the fixed LPG filler, don't lug bottles about as they may stop you trying to fill .my filler is inside the locker and had no issues in the EU.
Also it's easier to connect a local cylinder to your fill point .

Have you checked your battery bank is adequate, lead or lithium.

What about your solar power. You need to charge up those batteries when off grid.

For your loo,please don't use chemicals, just use bio washing liquid ,it's environmentally friendly and doesn't destroy nonchemic septic tank systems.its cheaper anyway.

Thanks, where did you get your LG kit from?

Batteries, at the moment its the one the van comes with, not 100% sure what it is.

600W panel fitted

Did not know about bio washing liquid, does it keep the odours at bay?

 

[us2anddollar]

For my CPAP machine I use a 12 volt adapter. In regards to the gas refills it is definitely worth fitting the outside filler as some garages will not allow direct filling of bottles

Cheers, one that plugs into the cigarette lighter?

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[Jimbohorlicks]

For the fill kit check out the gaslow website.
https://www.gaslowdirect.com/

For your batteries,you really need to know what you have got.andvwith your medical machine you need to understand how long you can run it for. This really is an important piece of kit for your motorhome .have you thought of installing a lithium battery for your CAP machine as a standalone.
I' m sorry but you need to check out your battery requirements. Best to write down what you will be using on a daily basis,TV,charging phones,laptop,heating etc all require power and if you are not moving around you will be reliant on your solar when not on EHU. Your solar sound ok at 600 w ,that's a lot of panels ,are you sure you have 600 w? If you have then you need to look at at least one more battery and check the ah that you need. You say a 600 w panel fitted.that must be some enormous panel.?are you sure ,it's very important to know what you have exactly.

We use bio wash capsules ,no issues with odours but you could always look at a dog system if your concerned about smells

 

[us2anddollar]

For the fill kit check out the gaslow website.
https://www.gaslowdirect.com/

For your batteries,you really need to know what you have got.andvwith your medical machine you need to understand how long you can run it for. This really is an important piece of kit for your motorhome .have you thought of installing a lithium battery for your CAP machine as a standalone.
I' m sorry but you need to check out your battery requirements. Best to write down what you will be using on a daily basis,TV,charging phones,laptop,heating etc all require power and if you are not moving around you will be reliant on your solar when not on EHU. Your solar sound ok at 600 w ,that's a lot of panels ,are you sure you have 600 w? If you have then you need to look at at least one more battery and check the ah that you need. You say a 600 w panel fitted.that must be some enormous panel.?are you sure ,it's very important to know what you have exactly.

We use bio wash capsules ,no issues with odours but you could always look at a dog system if your concerned about smells

Thanks, I will check out that Gaslow site.
Thanks for all the pointers, I will get the spread sheet out now!

Cheers

 

[rb62]

Cheers, one that plugs into the cigarette lighter?

I have seen people use ordinary 12v adapters but I bought the specific 'converter' for my machine,ResMed S9 and put in a dedicated cabling fuse and socket.The power usage is less than 1a/h so not really worth installing an inverter just for it unless you need a humidifier which increases the power usage considerably
Is your cigarette lighter socket live without the ignition on?

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[stevewagner]

Cheers, one that plugs into the cigarette lighter?

I fitted a two pin socket above the shelf by my bed and plus a two pin adapter to lighter socket

 

[adonisito]

Refillable gas is great but can be a pain if you are parked up for a while. We full timed for 28 months and would have preferred bottles, especially in the Winter, although in southern climes it might not be an issue. Mind you we had a little car as a run around and could have picked up bottles with that.

 

[us2anddollar]

I have seen people use ordinary 12v adapters but I bought the specific 'converter' for my machine,ResMed S9 and put in a dedicated cabling fuse and socket.The power usage is less than 1a/h so not really worth installing an inverter just for it unless you need a humidifier which increases the power usage considerably
Is your cigarette lighter socket live without the ignition on?

Cheers,
yeah i use the humidifier, boo!

Resmed s10, where did you get the specific convertor form?

I didi a google search, found it on the Resmed site,

Thanks!!

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[us2anddollar]

I fitted a two pin socket above the shelf by my bed and plus a two pin adapter to lighter socket

Cheers, when you say 2 pin can you clarify that please?

 

[us2anddollar]

Refillable gas is great but can be a pain if you are parked up for a while. We full timed for 28 months and would have preferred bottles, especially in the Winter, although in southern climes it might not be an issue. Mind you we had a little car as a run around and could have picked up bottles with that.

Thats a good point, we aim to Winter in the south med, North Africa, the heating runs off the diesel.

Cheers

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

Refillable gas is great but can be a pain if you are parked up for a while. We full timed for 28 months and would have preferred bottles, especially in the Winter, although in southern climes it might not be an issue. Mind you we had a little car as a run around and could have picked up bottles with that.

With refillables you can leave them in your van and when one bottle is empty you can connect a loose local exchange bottle to the system using the correct hose . Handy for Spain or the UK.then you are not pulling bottles out of your locker all the time but using an exchange bottle like calor or repsol .
If you check out the gaslow link there are details of what's required on their

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[rb62]

Cheers,
yeah i use the humidifier, boo!

Resmed s10, where did you get the specific convertor form?

ResMed Shop UK | CPAP machines & masks

Visit the ResMed UK Online Shop for all your Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) therapy needs including CPAP machines, masks & accessories

shop.resmed.com

Useful info here as to power usage

https://document.resmed.com/en-us/documents/articles/198103_battery-guide_glo_eng.pdf

 

[Tombola]

 

[us2anddollar]

Cheers,
very informative.

Might just have to go a diet to help!

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[mitzimad]

for the toilet fit a sog and use bio no smells that way
weve had various cadac and weve now got the cadac 2 cook which is the best weve had two rings or two griddles problem we found with the single burners is you often want to cook two dishes so wind up in the van for the second grills are big enough for two reasonable sized steak
yes best to have the external fill point

 

[jumar]

Good luck with your adventure, regarding LPG, you could install a system that has one fixed refillable and one removable....that should cover you, a Gaslow in our van lasts 3 weeks per cylinder...but we live in a fairly warm country...

 

[pampam]

This is an exciting and interesting thread ,i hope you keep us informed of your travels and experiences,

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[Shrimp]

Definitely refillable gas. Separate bottles are expensive as you never use all the gas in the bottle, there’s a percentage margin left, yes it’s still a % margin in refillable bottles but its cheaper to refill and easier. Use an outside filler point-not fixed in the door, constant opening of door will eventually break the hose also it’s easier to refill.
If you are worried about the smell when using the loo fit a SOG, that sucks the air to the outside and then use Bio liquid-cheaper and kinder to septic tanks and the environment!
Dog food shouldn’t be a problem, we never found it difficult, all the supermarkets stock it!

 

[MisterB]

I really do hope it all goes well for you, but to be asking important questions like these with only three months before you start full timing does appear to be really rushing into it. Would your time scales allow you to delay it a bit and try out all the bits you think you may need, so you can do any tweaks, changes etc that you might find you need to do?
With reference to some of your questions,

LPG - can you have an underslung tank fitted, will possibly give you a larger amount of gas, less frequent filling and trying to find somewhere, bit you def need refillable bottles and an external filling point. Have you thought about having a BBQ point fitted at the same time? Don't forget you will need the appropriate connectors to connect to the different types of LPG supply nozzles, you need to know which ones you will need for where your visiting. I would also carry some way of fitting a 'local' gas bottle to your system, just in case.
Cadac every time for me, very versatile - don't forget the pizza stone! We have several cadacs (for different reasons) but carry the smallest in the motorhome - safari chef, we have both versions but the original packs away so much easier and you can get leg extensions from ebay to raise it higher off the ground. We also carry a large 'hot plate' from a large cadac along with a pizza stone that fits it, that way we can do much larger pizzas ( we buy basic pizzas and add our own toppings - even left over chicken from BBQ's !!
Lithium batteries seem to be the way to go along with a B2B AND as much solar as you can fit in the roof. Perhaps you might want to consider a portable power bank aswell, but all of this might take time to fit, use and understand how it all works and fits in with your intended lifestyle.
Have you considered security cameras outside the van or even lights?

Best wishes and good luck

 

[us2anddollar]

for the toilet fit a sog and use bio no smells that way
weve had various cadac and weve now got the cadac 2 cook which is the best weve had two rings or two griddles problem we found with the single burners is you often want to cook two dishes so wind up in the van for the second grills are big enough for two reasonable sized steak
yes best to have the external fill point

Thanks very much for your help!

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[us2anddollar]

This is an exciting and interesting thread ,i hope you keep us informed of your travels and experiences,

Will do!

 

[us2anddollar]

Definitely refillable gas. Separate bottles are expensive as you never use all the gas in the bottle, there’s a percentage margin left, yes it’s still a % margin in refillable bottles but its cheaper to refill and easier. Use an outside filler point-not fixed in the door, constant opening of door will eventually break the hose also it’s easier to refill.
If you are worried about the smell when using the loo fit a SOG, that sucks the air to the outside and then use Bio liquid-cheaper and kinder to septic tanks and the environment!
Dog food shouldn’t be a problem, we never found it difficult, all the supermarkets stock it!

Cheers for the reply, when you say an outside filler point can you be more specific please? I understand about the door mounted type.

The bio liquid you mentioned, you are not talking about Bio fairy liquid are you?

Re the pup food, I was more concerned about crossing in the Europe with it! Well we both enjoy good food from Europe, why shouldn't the dog!

 

[The Wino]

I think you need a filling point for the gas ours is in the locker ( not on the door) and we have never had a problem filling. It's the same filler as if you fit it in the skirt it was just easier to fit in the locker and if we keep it when we swap MH it leaves no holes. If you fit an external gas BBQ point it would make it a lot easier to use the cadac as you will otherwise need a separate cylinder and if you do have to use a separate gas bottle ever you could feed in through it as long as there's a regulator on the bottle

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