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

[Bailey58]

Couple of alternatives to Gaslow are Gas It and Autogas Leisure. We all have our favourites.

 

[us2anddollar]

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

Thanks so much for the reply!

As the saying goes 'if not now when?' can not tread water for ever! Whats the worst that can happen?

We are planning at least 3 months in the UK before we go abroad to do a 'shake down' that way we can iron out any issues, get any more kit fitted we feel really necessary that we may come across before we head off to chase the sunshine for the winter months.
We really dont want to over plan or over think the adventure ahead.


The van comes with an external BBQ point, yep got all of the gas fittings in a list of bits to get, we are looking at getting the

Cadac 5650-41-EU Grillo Chef​

I have BBQ'd on charcoal for years so this will be a bit of blasphemy for me! The pizza stone is a great idea, I am also going to get a smoking box for it, but we may also take a small Konro grill to satisfy my charcoal needs!
I have been looking at the Lithium batteries, still weighing up wether the outlay in the first few years is worth it? Van is coming with a 140w solar panel not sure if that will be enough for what we need yet, I am sure we will be able to get more fitted if we think we need it.probs only going to be off grid for a few days at a time, well I have no idea actually!
Who knows where this trip will take us, one of the main ideas with us deciding to do this, is to not know where we are going or whats going to happen.

Yep lots of outside lights, window locks, alarms, microwave sensors, immobilisers, probs going to get a cover fitted over the OBD, tracker and a very big pointy stick!

Thanks again for taking the time to respond, muchly appreciated!

 

[us2anddollar]

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

Cheers! Thats the same idea we had about holes in the van, want to keep that to a minimum.

 

[us2anddollar]

Couple of alternatives to Gaslow are Gas It and Autogas Leisure. We all have our favourites.

Cheers, I have seen all of those, the all seem to do the same job? If thats correct I suppose it will come down to price and service.

My favourite is espresso, my machine is one of the first things on the packing list, after the dog!

 

[Lenny HB]

For you CPAP best to go with a 12v adaptor, if you go the inverter route buy a good quality one like a Victron, more efficient & reliable.

For gas an external filler is best to avoid problems filling up.

A single (probably 100 ah) batteries not going to cut it you are going to need 3 to 4 times that a better solution would be to fit Lithium.

Solar no way will you have a 600 watt panel it would be huge, if it's a standard fit probably 60watt.
600 watt would be good to aim for but I doubt if you could get that much on the roof unless it's an RV.

For data if you are not technically minded talk to Motorhome WiFi.

For the loo fit a SOG then you won't need chemicals, roof mount ones are best.

Edit:
Just saw your other post say it has a 140 watt solar panel I think you will need an absolute minium of 300 watt.

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[Jake Royd]

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

My wife uses a Respireonics CPAP machine. It runs directly off the leisure battery system and takes relatively little energy. Check yours it likely runs off 12v DC.

 

[us2anddollar]

For you CPAP best to go with a 12v adaptor, if you go the inverter route buy a good quality one like a Victron, more efficient & reliable.

For gas an external filler is best to avoid problems filling up.

A single (probably 100 ah) batteries not going to cut it you are going to need 3 to 4 times that a better solution would be to fit Lithium.

Solar no way will you have a 600 watt panel it would be huge, if it's a standard fit probably 60watt.
600 watt would be good to aim for but I doubt if you could get that much on the roof unless it's an RV.

For data if you are not technically minded talk to Motorhome WiFi.

For the loo fit a SOG then you won't need chemicals, roof mount ones are best.

Cheers for the reply!

Going to get the resmed specific for the CPAP machine and lay off the pies!

Yeah there is a 100ah battery coming with the van, I am weighing up the Lithium route as I type

You are correct I made a mistake, its a 140 w one that is coming with the van

I am pretty tech minded, Just wanted to know if anyone had used the Koda kit, I have chatted with the guys at Motorhome Wifi, still unsure what route to take yet.

Ill have a look at the SOG system, any pointers?

 

[us2anddollar]

My wife uses a Respireonics CPAP machine. It runs directly off the leisure battery system and takes relatively little energy. Check yours it likely runs off 12v DC.

Chhers,
yep got that sorted now I think, getting an OEM one.

 

[jwells]

You may find the following useful :-
https://climbingvan.co.uk/nomadic-energy/ they also do a book for van conversion lots of very useful information and very helpful people!

 

[us2anddollar]

You may find the following useful :-
https://climbingvan.co.uk/nomadic-energy/ they also do a book for van conversion lots of very useful information and very helpful people!

Cheers, thanks so much!

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[Lenny HB]

I am pretty tech minded, Just wanted to know if anyone had used the Koda kit, I have chatted with the guys at Motorhome Wifi, still unsure what route to take yet.

The Poynting MIMO V2-12 & V2-15 are very good aerials and the Teltonika Mifi routers are very, there are a few threads on hear about them.

Ill have a look at the SOG system, any pointers?

As I said the roof ones are the best option a bit more difficult to fit but no filter needed.

Roof-model

www.sog-systeme.de

 

[scotzsue]

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

Why an inverter for CPAP John's runs on 12volt, kit all supplied by hospital, much more effective than when we had the old machine where we used an aldi £30 modified sine wave for a few years. Ask at your hospital, ours was very helpful.

 

[KiwiKampers]

In my opinion (and that of a few others in here) the Cadac is very disappointing. After my experience of using one I would even go as far as to say it is dangerous.

 

[Tombola]

Why an inverter for CPAP John's runs on 12volt, kit all supplied by hospital, much more effective than when we had the old machine where we used an aldi £30 modified sine wave for a few years. Ask at your hospital, ours was very helpful.

yes agreed.
I was replying to hi original post stating he was using an inverter.
Some inverters cant be run from 12v

 

[Tombola]

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...

I did one and one, and works well. I actually bought the 2 bottle refillable kit but decided to try one and one and worked so far.

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[The Wino]

I did one and one, and works well. I actually bought the 2 bottle refillable kit but decided to try one and one and worked so far.

I think if I had space for two I might well have a one bottle refillable and small spare ordinary just in case. Maybe the smaller one could do the BBQ as well

 

[scotzsue]

yes agreed.
I was replying to hi original post stating he was using an inverter.
Some inverters cant be run from 12v

Hadn't read all the posts still trying to catch up after some time away, just knew we had used an inverter originally, and that the 12V CPAPs are much more energy efficient.

 

[Tombola]

Hadn't read all the posts still trying to catch up after some time away, just knew we had used an inverter originally, and that the 12V CPAPs are much more energy efficient.

oh yeah , the first thing I did soon as I found out they were available for my wifes cpap. prior to that I was through my large inverter, but I do have a good battery bank.

 

[VXman]

Cheers, where did you get the kit from?

Bottles, hose and filler points here....

Gaslow Refillable Gas Cylinder Systems | Caravan & Marine | gasproducts.co.uk

Buy Gaslow Refillable Gas Cylinder Systems online from gasproducts.co.uk. Fast UK and European delivery.

www.gasproducts.co.uk

 

[Shrimp]

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?

Filler point mounted in the bodywork/skirt if van rather than locker door!
Clothes washing Bio, we use the cheapy form Aldi/Lidl or cheaper if found, only a capful!

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[Jimbohorlicks]

Filler point mounted in the bodywork/skirt if van rather than locker door!
Clothes washing Bio, we use the cheapy form Aldi/Lidl or cheaper if found, only a capful!

We find the Aldi bio washing capsules very convenient ,no spills no mess and come in a handy lidded box.

 

[us2anddollar]

Hi all, we ahve been having a dig around the web for storage ideas, came across this ace German couple who have the same van as we care getting. They have some Euro box storage crates in a shelving system thats held in place by screw fit compression pads.

Anyone know where we can get the shelving system from, the Euro boxes are easy to find but we woul like the shelving in the video below:

 

[Garry - June]

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.

You can have both.... Gaslow do a "Remote cylinder attachment hose" ...which we screw in to the outside filler point and then with the relevant adaptor( Gaslow do many types) we can attach a Calor bottle...we do this when on site over winter as we get the large 47kg bottles delivered direct to the site so it saves us having to move around...

 

[Garry - June]

BBQ's....we fulltime and have been through the lot... in the end they are more trouble than they are worth both storing and cleaning...all we use when cooking outside now is a small single electric hotplate when on EHU...or the small single CampinGaz burner with gas cartridges... so so much easier and simpler.. cleaning takes seconds and take up very little space..

 

[us2anddollar]

I managed to find some images of the shelving that we would like, can this type of shelving by purchased in the UK?
These are from a company in Germany:

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[Adtan]

Hi Fiama do something similar used it in our last van but the boxes sit on the storage don’t slide out

Fiamma awnings, Fiamma Bike Rack and Fiamma Ultra-Box for motorhome and caravan from Agent Fiamma

 

[Orion]

The Poynting MIMO V2-12 & V2-15 are very good aerials and the Teltonika Mifi routers are very, there are a few threads on hear about them.

As I said the roof ones are the best option a bit more difficult to fit but no filter needed.

Roof-model

www.sog-systeme.de

There’s a decent YouTube video about the Teltonika RUTX12 router being used in a MoHo as well - the Poynting MIMO-V3-17 would make the best match for it and include the GPS/Tracker facility:



The Alugas refillable cylinders would be a good option if you are considering an onboard refillable system - especially if payload is tight. They can be difficult to source at the moment but the LPG SHOP, being associated with Carbon Zorro in Poland, can be a good place to start. They were also the best option for the fittings etc. for me when I went shopping - set of European adapters for £24.49 as an example.

Out of interest can you give a link to the German supplier of the pull out racking system you’ve posted?

 

[Lenny HB]

There’s a decent YouTube video about the Teltonika RUTX12 router being used in a MoHo as well - the Poynting MIMO-V3-17 would make the best match for it and include the GPS/Tracker facility:



The Alugas refillable cylinders would be a good option if you are considering an onboard refillable system - especially if payload is tight. They can be difficult to source at the moment but the LPG SHOP, being associated with Carbon Zorro in Poland, can be a good place to start. They were also the best option for the fittings etc. for me when I went shopping - set of European adapters for £24.49 as an example.

Out of interest can you give a link to the German supplier of the pull out racking system you’ve posted?

That wasn't me but I think they are manufacturers options I don't think you will find them on the aftermarket.

 

[Orion]

That wasn't me but I think they are manufacturers options I don't think you will find them on the aftermarket.

Wasn’t linking you to it, just adding further to your post.

They’re all features (and lots more) available with the various combinations of Teltonika routers and the Poynting MIMO antennas that can be purchased from multiple aftermarket sources.

I’m no tech nerd but after buying an RUTX12 dual modem/dual SIM off eBay and the MIMO-V3-17 from a U.K. distributor, have found it relatively easy to activate GPS/Tracking, SIM failover, load balancing, router VPN, etc. etc. and linked to our iPhones, iPad and laptops for monitoring and programming. Performance is pretty much as stated in the video - blistering!

 

[us2anddollar]

There’s a decent YouTube video about the Teltonika RUTX12 router being used in a MoHo as well - the Poynting MIMO-V3-17 would make the best match for it and include the GPS/Tracker facility:



The Alugas refillable cylinders would be a good option if you are considering an onboard refillable system - especially if payload is tight. They can be difficult to source at the moment but the LPG SHOP, being associated with Carbon Zorro in Poland, can be a good place to start. They were also the best option for the fittings etc. for me when I went shopping - set of European adapters for £24.49 as an example.

Out of interest can you give a link to the German supplier of the pull out racking system you’ve posted?

Thanks for the info, Ive had a look at the LPGSHOP this morning.

Here is the link:

Wieners Regalsysteme - Stauraum, Ordnung und System in Ihrem Wohnmobil

Die Stauraumexperten schaffen Ordnung und System in Ihrer Heckgarage. Regale für Wohnmobile und Kastenwagen - Stauraum durch Aluregale, Stapelboxen, Auszüge

www.wieners-regalsysteme.de

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