Newbie question sorry
- Thread starter Nick555
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- Jan 6, 2008
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Hi, it means a panel van conversion 
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Thank you. So an RP Rebel is a PVC.Hi, it means a panel van conversion
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- Jan 6, 2008
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- 32,552
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- MH
- Autosleeper Warwick XL
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- A long time now
Hi again that make is indeed a pvc and after having a quick look online they look like a very nice pvc
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Thank you.Hi again that make is indeed a pvc and after having a quick look online they look like a very nice pvc
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Blue Knight
Free Member
Hi Nick....and a big welcome to the forum mate.
One thing to consider is what do you need your PVC or motorhome (MoHo) to do?
Will you want to be off-grid without external mains hookup (EHU) or are you intending to just use sites, or a bit of both.
Have a think about your actual usage requirements and build the requirement from there.
You can then think about storage in the van, seperate bed and work spaces, payload capacity, refillable gas, water usage, power harvesting and storage and perhaps even Lithium batteries for better sustained off-grid capability.
Not all PVCs are made equal. Most don't have insulation but instead they reply on the internal fitouts of the furniture, plastic walls, lined ceiling and flooring to maintain an element of insulation.
Ask as many questions as you want on here as there will always be someone who has 'been there and done it'.
All the best,
Andrew
One thing to consider is what do you need your PVC or motorhome (MoHo) to do?
Will you want to be off-grid without external mains hookup (EHU) or are you intending to just use sites, or a bit of both.
Have a think about your actual usage requirements and build the requirement from there.
You can then think about storage in the van, seperate bed and work spaces, payload capacity, refillable gas, water usage, power harvesting and storage and perhaps even Lithium batteries for better sustained off-grid capability.
Not all PVCs are made equal. Most don't have insulation but instead they reply on the internal fitouts of the furniture, plastic walls, lined ceiling and flooring to maintain an element of insulation.
Ask as many questions as you want on here as there will always be someone who has 'been there and done it'.
All the best,
Andrew
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Thanks you Andrew, some excellent points to make me think.
The main use would be for photo/drone shoots. I need a base vehicle to work from & may have to wait several hours/days for the right weather conditions. Sometimes staying overnight or for several days if a Film/TV shoot. I need to be able to charge batteries, run my laptop etc. This would mainly be in the Highlands with our single track roads. If parking up, it would always be off grid & I'd like to be as inconspicuous as possible.
The RP Rebel has 3" floor insulation, inboard fresh water & a good off-grid battery system. 90litre Fridge is compressor from the batteries, heating from the diesel tank or batteries, oven & hobs from gas tank. induction hob from batts. Off grid elecs, 2x 160A lithium batts, 2x 30A chargers, 3000W inverter, 1x 115W solar panel. Upgradable to 2x 200A lithium batts, 2x 115W solar panels, Leisure batts are auto charged from upgraded engine alternator, solar panels, or hookup. Toilet 19 litre with optional 2 extra cassette storage. 15 litre gas tank. 84 litre freshwater tanks, 100 litre grey water tank. I think freshwater tank is upgradable at the expense of storage space.
Payload is 400kg or 950kg depending on plating (3500kg up to 4050kg)
Initially I was excited about the 7m Wildax Elara with full time beds & a boot. But the daytime area at the front was pretty small & not really acceptable for laptop working. The 6m RP looks much better. Bench or U seating at the rear which converts to double or single beds. Very nice tables, making for a great workspace. Front has a small area, made bigger by the optional slide out bathroom.
Ideally I prefer 6m & with seating/tables enough to work comfortably. I would put up with having to make the beds.
What have I got wrong or not throught of please?
The main use would be for photo/drone shoots. I need a base vehicle to work from & may have to wait several hours/days for the right weather conditions. Sometimes staying overnight or for several days if a Film/TV shoot. I need to be able to charge batteries, run my laptop etc. This would mainly be in the Highlands with our single track roads. If parking up, it would always be off grid & I'd like to be as inconspicuous as possible.
The RP Rebel has 3" floor insulation, inboard fresh water & a good off-grid battery system. 90litre Fridge is compressor from the batteries, heating from the diesel tank or batteries, oven & hobs from gas tank. induction hob from batts. Off grid elecs, 2x 160A lithium batts, 2x 30A chargers, 3000W inverter, 1x 115W solar panel. Upgradable to 2x 200A lithium batts, 2x 115W solar panels, Leisure batts are auto charged from upgraded engine alternator, solar panels, or hookup. Toilet 19 litre with optional 2 extra cassette storage. 15 litre gas tank. 84 litre freshwater tanks, 100 litre grey water tank. I think freshwater tank is upgradable at the expense of storage space.
Payload is 400kg or 950kg depending on plating (3500kg up to 4050kg)
Initially I was excited about the 7m Wildax Elara with full time beds & a boot. But the daytime area at the front was pretty small & not really acceptable for laptop working. The 6m RP looks much better. Bench or U seating at the rear which converts to double or single beds. Very nice tables, making for a great workspace. Front has a small area, made bigger by the optional slide out bathroom.
Ideally I prefer 6m & with seating/tables enough to work comfortably. I would put up with having to make the beds.
What have I got wrong or not throught of please?
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After fun and games in the mud last week , the fact that it’s has a 4x4 option is a real bonus! Looks amazing.
We have an IH630RD which is a lovely PVC as well. We looked at the Elara and agree entirely and thought the finish was cheap as well.
We like the U shaped lounge for 2 of us as it’s cosier and also gives you a lot more boot storage space which is important for us but might not be for you. We go away for weeks at a time, pre covid.
PVC’s are great for maneuvering and insulation in the modern ones is excellent.
We have an IH630RD which is a lovely PVC as well. We looked at the Elara and agree entirely and thought the finish was cheap as well.
We like the U shaped lounge for 2 of us as it’s cosier and also gives you a lot more boot storage space which is important for us but might not be for you. We go away for weeks at a time, pre covid.
PVC’s are great for maneuvering and insulation in the modern ones is excellent.
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The IH630RD looks very nice.
With lockdowns & everything, I've not visited anywhere yet & not seen the Wildax or RP in the flesh. However the layout although seeming ok, just wouldn't work too well for us now. Very interesting what you felt about the finish - it looks nice in the photos..... :/
I have contacted Wildax, who were a bit offhand. I also contacted RP who couldn't be more helpful.
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If you are looking for a first van Consort and Vantage do similar to IH, Consort are new but a lot cheaper. Nothing to worry about because Scott Naylor started Vantage , sold it, travelled for a few years and has started up again! These are all UK vans. Lots on here will say they are overpriced and buy from abroad but some of us just like the.
Look at lots. It’s difficult with you being in Scotland as you have a long way to travel but worth it.
Look at lots. It’s difficult with you being in Scotland as you have a long way to travel but worth it.
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Blue Knight
Free Member
Firstly, I think we'll start asking you for advice with a list like that, lol.
I have a few notes:
1. David Wissel has a fantastic power set-up so I hope he'll be able to advice on your power specs.
2. There's no rule for solar with the exception of get as much as you can fit on top. You may also want to consider extra portable panels which can be affixed to the ground outside.
3. Don't be fooled by the payload figures on the Wildax, IH and RP vans etc. The secret is to understand what is contained within the payload figures and what weight is over the axles.
4. Opt for the heavier chassis every time and you'll never suffer from weight issues.
5. A 15 litre gas tank is not that great for continuous off-grid camping so the more the merrier.
6. 84-litres of water is not much at all. We have an 80-litre tank and we've added extra water storage tanks within the garage space to take that figure to 150 litres.
7. Water storage and kit storage means a garage requirement is on the cards.
8. The compressor fridge is a hungry little power monster so be prepared for it to eat 35Ah in every full 24hr period.
9. Our PVC is 6.34m long and is the max we would utilise for all of our off-grid adventuring. A 6m van would be better for the highlands & Islands but if there's two of you then the extra length does help when it's raining heavy and you're confined to the inside space. I wouldn't opt for any on these big 7m long PVCs for off-grid work.
That's all I have sir.
All the best,
Andrew
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If you're parked up for a few days consider making the solar panels tilt south, the output goes up massively when the sun is low in the sky. With the laptop and compressor fridge off grid you'll have to maximise solar output.
To give you an idea, our 150w panel produces just over 9 amps in full summer sun.
To give you an idea, our 150w panel produces just over 9 amps in full summer sun.
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- Apr 13, 2019
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That sounds absolutely fantastic
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Nice list to get me thinking, thanks!
1. Hope so!
2. Portable panels, I need to understand this more. I'm a bit lost when it comes to Watts & Amps.
3. Payload, this is all new to me. I think that the 2 fresh water tanks are under the seats next to each wheel arch. I think you can get bigger water tanks, with the effect of wiping out the under seat storage. I don't know where the grey water tank is located. I understand that the AWD vehicle can be plated heavier. I don't know why.
4. Yup AWD.
5. The 15 litre gas tank is only used for the oven & gas rings. At home, we have a gas hob. This is fed by twin 19kg bottles. 1 bottle (approx 35 litres), lasts us 18 months of cooking every day. I think that if we get the sliding bathroom option, the gas tank size is reduced.
6. Yes, it needs a fresh water upgrade. I don't know what options are available.
7. A garage would be nice, I think many 7m vans have a garage, I prefer a shorter van at the expense of a garage. The Rebel has a large over cab cupboard which I'm hoping will store the kit.
8. 35Ah fridge usage, I'm having trouble understanding this stuff. With 2x 160A batteries, how does this work out?
9. We do like the 6m size. It seems small enough to use to pop out for a day trip. 7m & it's small overhang, seems a bit more trouble. Also I spoke to a delivery driver today. He normally have a 6m high top for Highland roads, but this week he has a 7m. He said the difficulty for this size was fitting into the passing places. I feel that the 6m conbined with the slide-out bathroom would give us enough inside space. Subject to me being able to fit my drone somewhere.
Thank you.
1. Hope so!
2. Portable panels, I need to understand this more. I'm a bit lost when it comes to Watts & Amps.
3. Payload, this is all new to me. I think that the 2 fresh water tanks are under the seats next to each wheel arch. I think you can get bigger water tanks, with the effect of wiping out the under seat storage. I don't know where the grey water tank is located. I understand that the AWD vehicle can be plated heavier. I don't know why.
4. Yup AWD.
5. The 15 litre gas tank is only used for the oven & gas rings. At home, we have a gas hob. This is fed by twin 19kg bottles. 1 bottle (approx 35 litres), lasts us 18 months of cooking every day. I think that if we get the sliding bathroom option, the gas tank size is reduced.
6. Yes, it needs a fresh water upgrade. I don't know what options are available.
7. A garage would be nice, I think many 7m vans have a garage, I prefer a shorter van at the expense of a garage. The Rebel has a large over cab cupboard which I'm hoping will store the kit.
8. 35Ah fridge usage, I'm having trouble understanding this stuff. With 2x 160A batteries, how does this work out?
9. We do like the 6m size. It seems small enough to use to pop out for a day trip. 7m & it's small overhang, seems a bit more trouble. Also I spoke to a delivery driver today. He normally have a 6m high top for Highland roads, but this week he has a 7m. He said the difficulty for this size was fitting into the passing places. I feel that the 6m conbined with the slide-out bathroom would give us enough inside space. Subject to me being able to fit my drone somewhere.
Thank you.
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Think outside the box
Literally
A roof box / rack with solar on top. Gas struts to help with lift.
Literally
A roof box / rack with solar on top. Gas struts to help with lift.
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Hi and welcome.
I bought my van as a support vehicle for my photography too. The Rebel looks like a great van for doing that! I followed, for a while, a couple using one to tour the US and it was an impressive bit of kit for what's a pretty compact van. I'm mostly off grid in my van, and I'd say that your setup looks very good for being off grid. If you can afford the electrical upgrades I'd definitely go for them. They're the kind of things I think 'on my next van' about. The tables matter, if you're working on them. I can work on the table in mine, but it's not an ideal setup, so it's definitely worth putting thought into that.
In terms of bed - although it would be nice to have a fixed bed, in reality it takes me about a minute to change my seat from day to night mode and about two minutes to change it back again. And mine doesn't obstruct the fridge when it's down so I can make a cuppa if I wish although actually I always put the bed away first.
Fresh water. I have an on board tank on my van and I've never run out of water. I also carry 5 and/or 10 litre containers on board. I've asked if I can fill up my 5litre container before, at small farm shops etc, and it's never been an issue, which asking to fill my van's tank might be!! I wouldn't lose the storage space for water, to be honest, as if you really needed more water on a trip you could always use extra storage containers which you wouldn't always carry, but of course your location situations might be different to mine.
The extra toilet cassettes are an excellent idea!
The good insulation is key. My van isn't too bad, but I do remember one trip where the tailgate froze closed, and the gas also froze...
Good luck, and I'll be interested to hear how you get on.
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Thank you Tonks
I was thinking that I want to do the off-grid stuff right & try not to make too many mistakes with spec. Frozen gas tank sounds fun. what sort of temps is that a risk? I am hoping to use the van in Scotland 4 seasons.
Tables, ther Rebel has U shape or bench options. I'm not entirely sure how this affects things, but I understand that with U shape, you cannot use the larger table, whereas the bench version you can use any of 3 tables - which would be excellent.
Wifi/4G regarding uploading for clients (I use WeTransfer), do you use anything extra to assit coverage? RP offer a Maxview system.
Thinking carefully about water storage, would the water containers just as much space as a larger water tank?
Interestingly, RP are working on a pump & filter system to pull water from the grey tank & use it to flush the toilet.
If you are able, it would be great to see a plan layout of your van with an idea where you put everything. My camera kit, can really just fit in a Thinktank backpack, but the drone is in a number of cases. My aim is to use the storage above the cab for the 2x Duvalays & pillows, plus the main drone box. (the drone is mostly carbon fibre, so not too heavy).
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This is a key method of charging the batteries, especially in the darker months. There are two basic methods. The simple method just connects the leisure batteries to the starter battery with an electrical switch, so that the alternator charges all batteries equally.
For various reasons that's not good enough for Lithium batteries, so the alternative method is to use a proper lithium charger, powered by the alternator, to control the charging to whatever the lithium batteries require. This charger is called a Battery-to-Battery charger (B2B), also known as a charge booster or DC-DC charger.
These come in various amp ratings - 20, 30, 60A. Ideally you want one as big as possible, to charge your batteries with the minimum of driving time. There's a limit to how fast you can charge batteries, but with 320Ah of lithium you'll be unlikely to reach the limit even with two 60A B2Bs.
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Thank you! I saw somethign about DC-DC & I thought it was a misprint...! (gulp)
Here is a screen from the manual about the off-grid electrical kit. I'd appreciate your thoughts (options are available on top of this):
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The 30A DC-DC Charger isn't pictured in that page. It's probably something like this.
www.es-store.co.uk
There's an isolated and non-isolated version, and either will work OK in a motorhome. Isolation isn't required. Once installed and set up for lithium, you don't need to think about it, it just works from the alternator whenever the engine is running.
Energy Solutions | Orion-Tr 12/12-30A (360W) DC-DC Charger
Energy Solutions | Orion-Tr 12/12-30A (360W) DC-DC charger - Isolated - with adaptive 3-stage charger with built-in Bluetooth - 10-17V input - 10-15V output - ORI121236120
www.es-store.co.uk
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What a nice van I like the RP slide it looks very roomy with the bathroom slid out, seriously one to put on my wish list when considering down sizing
there might even be some used ones on the market by then?
there might even be some used ones on the market by then?Subscribers do not see these advertisements
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Thank you. Why would there be 2 of them?The 30A DC-DC Charger isn't pictured in that page. It's probably something like this.
There's an isolated and non-isolated version, and either will work OK in a motorhome. Isolation isn't required. Once installed and set up for lithium, you don't need to think about it, it just works from the alternator whenever the engine is running.Energy Solutions | Orion-Tr 12/12-30A (360W) DC-DC Charger
Energy Solutions | Orion-Tr 12/12-30A (360W) DC-DC charger - Isolated - with adaptive 3-stage charger with built-in Bluetooth - 10-17V input - 10-15V output - ORI121236120
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Yes the slide looks nice. It would give us a more comfortable area at the from for cooking of using the front seats. I think the shower only works when the slide is out. The driver's seat does not fully rotate without the slide. One minus point for the 6m layout is that the driver is unable to look back down the middle of the van.What a nice van I like the RP slide it looks very roomy with the bathroom slid out, seriously one to put on my wish list when considering down sizing
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I don’t think that’s a problem for me as having an A class I don’t have internal rear view mirror just use wing mirrors and cameras.
do they do it in a longer version?
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Yes, they are just completing a "Rebellion". On a Merc Sprinter 7m AWD base. No slide out, less overhang over the "beds", huge kitchen counter. Available as 2 seat or 4 seat version. Also I think an option for raised rear seating/bed with a big garage. But for me, the longer wheelbase affects the off-road ability & the extra metre gives some extra overhang. Would be great for people with trail bikes.I don’t think that’s a problem for me as having an A class I don’t have internal rear view mirror just use wing mirrors and cameras.
do they do it in a longer version?
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The more amps, the faster the batteries charge. The limits are how many amps the batteries will take, and how much the alternator can put out. I don't think Victron do a 12V-to-12V charger bigger than 30A, but they are designed to be paralleled. I'd guess your 2x160Ah Lithium batteries would be happy with 160A of charge current, and your uprated alternator will probably run out of steam before that happens. I have a similar sized battery bank, with a Sterling 70A B2B.
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