Caravan Power Set Up For Travelling Family

Preparing to travel Australia in a caravan with your young family takes time and preparation. An adequate caravan power system would have to be one of the most important things to get right.  The last thing any family wants is rotten food, warm bevvies and a coffee machine that is useless because of an underperforming and inadequate onboard caravan power setup.

The Newbs’ family came to Outech knowing the frustrations and inconvenience of constantly micromanaging their caravan power and worrying about flat batteries. Having a power system with the capacity to provide the comforts of home meant upgrading the caravans’ existing 12-volt power system to suit their family needs to enjoy their lap around Australia.

Their brief: enough power to run their 240-volt appliances, especially their air conditioner, microwave, and coffee machine while free camping!

The caravan power system we designed and installed for the Newbs’ family is an excellent EXAMPLE of a typical power system needed for a family planning to live in their caravan while they travel Australia.

The Newbs’ Family - Viscount Caravan Off Grid Power Set Up:

• Over 1000W Solar Power - Roof Mounted, plus anderson plug at drawbar with connection to DCDC charger (with the CORRECT cable size to optimise performance!), plus extra external anderson plug for portable solar panels or a portable fridge.

• 2600W Enerdrive INVERTER Enerdrive INVERTER fully integrated and hard wired to all caravan 240 volt circuits, so that all of the caravan power outlets are live at the wall – literally plug-in 240 volt appliance, such as coffee machine, air conditioner, laptop at any power point in the caravan and there is power off grid and when on mains power.

• 12 volt Lithium Batteries by Custom Lithium (designed to enable the addition of more batteries) designed to be recharged via mains power, roof mounted solar panels or portable solar panels, and DCDC from the tow vehicle.

• 12V 40A DC2DC+ Battery Charger Enerdrive BATTERY CHARGER

• 12V 40A AC Battery Charger Enerdrive AC BATTERY CHARGER ePOWER

• Simarine Monitoring and Battery Management System SIMARINE Pico Monitoring System & control panels & with display for battery & load monitoring; (voltage, current, amp hours, battery capacity in %), temperature indications, Solar Current input, Load output, grey water and fresh water tank levels.  BMS wired to central point in overhead cupboard.

• The 240 volt is integrated = at ‘the wall’ power while off the grid, compliant with AS/NZ Standards AS/NZS3000:2018 and AS/NZS3001:2012.  Installed in house by qualified electrician!

• Monitors and Control panels wired to overhead cupboard at a central point for easy access.

• Integrated & hard wired 12V & 240V wiring & electrical components to customised control panel to incorporate the inverter display.

• The 240 volt is integrated throughout the caravan, enabling all electrical appliances to be plugged in at ‘the wall’ while off the grid!
  

This Outech Off Grid Caravan Power Upgrade gives the owners the freedom to camp from outback to ocean with all the power they need to run not just the lighting and basic 12 volt appliances, but also the air conditioner, microwave, induction cooktop, coffee machine, air fryer and even a hair dryer, straightener and blender if need be – all without plugging into mains power!

Read more about the Newbs’ family preparation to travel Australia with their 3 children.

We are here to answer your questions about caravan power systems, caravan 12 volt power, caravan 240 volt power, caravan battery management systems and all the electrical , including caravan accessories.  

We are qualified and licensed electricians approved to work on 12 volt and 240 volt power.

Ask your questions in the 'Comments’ below or contact our technical team directly.