OODNADATTA AND FAR BEYOND
“ The van stood up to everything we threw at it , and we threw a fair bit ,” Mitch said . Among their adventures was the full length of the Oodnadatta Track , the Mereenie Loop , the Gibb , and various mining roads on the west coast .
“ The couple of weeks we spent on the Gibb was an awesome time – so much to see , the gorges , the waterholes …. every day , you see something different ,” Mitch said .
The van has a 300Ah lithium battery with a BMPRO BatteryPlus 35 HA battery management system , a 3000W inverter and 440W worth of roofmounted solar . Mitch also had a DC-DC charger fitted to augment energy input during driving days . While the 12V system was able to run the reverse-cycle air-con , as well as any other 240V appliances , the couple only used the AC for an hour or two at a time to take the edge off the heat , while leaving enough juice in the battery for other uses .
However , using an air-fryer on one occasion depleted the battery quite significantly , Mitch said . But the roof solar , as well as using a portable panel now and then , helped to keep the battery between 90 and 100 per cent .
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