RV FEATURE
• You don ’ t park under trees . Solar panels need light , not heat , to work at their optimum . So it might seem counter-intuitive , but necessary , to park your caravan in the open to capture the maximum amount of sunlight on a 40-degree scorcher , rather than to search for shade .
Anyone who has tried to free-camp for days on end in the beautifully shaded campground of Adele ’ s Grove near Queensland ’ s Lawn Hill National Park will understand . Without enough sunlight to send a charge though your panel to your battery , you are continually drawing down on your power reserves .
HUNGRY FOR POWER
Conserve your energy . You might have a large power inverter and all the 12V luxuries of home , but they are all power-hungry . The 12V compressor fridges frequently fitted to offroad caravans are one of the worst offenders .
These are all you need for two nights of free-camping , provided that :
• Your caravan is plugged into a separate Anderson plug on your tow car , which in turn is wired directly to its battery . This is essential , because if you are not pumping power back into your battery while you ’ re travelling , when you arrive at a new campsite , it ’ s possible your battery will be quite depleted .
Unless you have at least 200-250Ah of battery power , I ’ d prefer a good old fashioned three-way ( gas , 12V , 240V ) fridge for shortterm free-camping , as gas is readily available and it ’ s easy to carry a spare full 4.5kg or 9kg cylinder if necessary .
And don ’ t even entertain for a second the idea of running a second portable fridge as well for your drinks off the same meagre power source !
Those little things like your 12V water pump , which feeds your kitchen and bathroom taps and your cassette toilet flush , your interior and exterior lighting , perhaps a 12V fan , the piezo lighter that ignites your gas cooktop , and even that 12V radio and TV , can all drain away your precious battery power .
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