What Have You Done To Your Van Today?
- Thread starter Daneeyre
- Start date
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- mod modification mods retrofit
Didn't want gas in the van - we have underslung gas, but that's for the BBQ and the van heater.
Didn't want to cook in the van (unless forced), so we got a portable induction hob.
Wanted to maximise kitchen worktop space, so went for a boiling-water tap w/ drain, rather than a built-in hob and sink.
The air fryer makes excellent camping meals with little fuss and minimal washing-up.
The electric blanket is silent, unlike the van's blown-air heater and it's very efficient as it just heats us rather than the whole van
The milk frother? Well I'm an avid tea drinker, but @Drive Wayne introduced us to the delights of 'proper' coffee and we absolutely don't do black!
Bav, are you running an air fryer on your leisure electrics or only on hook up? How much power/battery does the electric blanket draw? I've been wondering about buying an electric throw/blanket and I'm intrigued by the air fryer - we don't have one at home but I'm wondered if they'd be any good in the van. Are they not really power hungry?
We run it on & off grid Dave - it's rated at 1300W (~5.5Ah @230v), but it does its business fairly quickly. Unsure about the blanket, but we don't have it on all night - just 10-15 mins at the start and end of the night is plenty for us in the shoulder seasons.
I've got a 300w panel and only in the last week or 2 have I seen anything even getting close to 100w peak.
The sun angle has a massive effect on the output, the sun is only just starting to get a bit higher in the sky now.
Very pleased that the new recently purchased spensive Dyson hair dryer works perfectly on our vans capabilities! Well, SWMBO is happy!Boiling-water tap, induction hob, toaster, air fryer, milk frother, electric blanket, laptop charger, BUT hair-straighteners and hair-dryer - over my dead body.
You must never repeat that in front of Louise!
With your new system Dave you could probably run this, or similar, we use an 'or similar' variety, worth the space in the van we think.
Pleasant sunny day in the West Midlands, our 180watt panel was respectable considering the low sun.
Okay, do similar. Presume as you say, low sun impacts
I've got this https://amzn.eu/d/0rPZMKa works great on 1000w inverter (and Jackery). I got that one as it was the perfect size for a cupboard in the van. Chips around a firepit in the evening. Lovely stuff.
Thanks @Bav @Drive Wayne @soldas I hadn’t realised that they could be as low powered as 1000w, I’d assumed them to be power hungry monsters. They’re cheap as chips too so it’s worth a shot. Storage space will be the question so I’ll take a tape measure to the van snd see where one might live.
That's an interesting question, Jon.
My insurer, Comfort, asked for the name of the converter and the name of the design I'd chosen, but didn't enquire as to any variations from the converter's standard offering (and I didn't think to mention them). TBH though, I don't think it matters from an insurance viewpoint, as the variations don't represent a material difference in risk.
Where it might be a problem is if I get a NIP for exceeding LGV speed limits. I can argue that the tap drain is, in effect, a small sink, but the absence of a built-in hob may foil an "it's a motor caravan" defence.
I only asked because at the end of last your when looking for insurance quotes (I cant remember which company) I was told for them to insure it, must be a fully converted camper and have a permanently fitted means of cooking and a sink.
As for the LGV speed limits even though your van does not have a sink etc it does fulfil the specs for a Dual Purpose vehicle and therefore is car speed limits. (Except, from memory, its a T32 and over weight but this did not apply to me so I didn't commit to memory).
Which insurer was that? Suspect they were trying to avoid the old "PV with a mattress thrown in the back" scenario.
I'd have to read-up on dual-purpose regs if the situation ever arose, but I suspect T32s don't qualify.
