RV MAIL
LETTERS FROM THE ROAD
ADDING AN ELECTRIC BIKE
I have an electric bike that I would like to mount on the rear windowless wall of my V1 Viscount caravan . I am advised by the dealership that it will require strengthening by the factory before one could be fitted .
John Griffin
Hi John , that certainly sounds correct . The frames of caravans are not necessarily built to support heavy loads such as an electric bike , and wherever you were to secure the mounts would indeed need to be reinforced . Even the framing to which a wall-mounted washing machine is secured requires reinforcement .
Just a word of caution : please be careful about adding weight to the rear of the van , as this could throw out its towing stability . Is it possible to fit the bike on the drawbar instead ? – Ed
CHARGED UP
My caravan is stored in a shed and I run a very small solar panel to keep charge in the battery , but we forever have a flat battery . Can I ask , is it right that the interior lights only work on 12V and is there a particular size solar panel I should use ?
Trevor Taylor
Hi Trevor , it ’ s not really a good idea to simply rely on a solar panel to keep your battery charged . The better bet is to hook your van up to mains power every so often to charge the battery properly . Be sure to use an approved 10A-15A power adaptor , though , if charging off a domestic electrical circuit or other 10A electrical supply . To answer your question about the interior lights , yes , it ’ s normal that they only run off 12V . – Ed
magazine , we ’ d like to hear it ! Email your feedback to info @ gorv . com . au
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