Author: Vincent

  • Champagne Corner – Free Campground

    Champagne Corner – Free Campground

    This is a free campground just a short drive from Roxby Downs. Lots of space, and if you go over the sand dune, lots of flat spaces to choose from .

    Once you turn right into Andamooka Rd, turn right again to go over the sand dunes, the pictures here are of that side.

    • Website: N/A
    • Fee Category: Free
    • Booking: No
    • Dog Friendly: Yes
    • Amenities: Nill
    • Dump point: No
    • Pool: No
    • Fire pits: No
    • Telstra: Ok
    • Starlink: No problems
    • Generator: Yes
    Champagne Corner campsite at dusk
    Champagne Corner campsite at dusk

    Our Experience

    We stayed here for a full day, there were some people on motocross bikes buzzing around, but they stayed well away from us.

    You have to be fully self sufficient here, there are no facilities.

    While there is plenty of red dirt around, the ground is level, and there is plenty of space to spread out. If it is wet, I would not suggest coming here.

    There is minimal road noise, and having the town of Roxby Downs about 5 minutes drive away is a bonus. Most supplies that you would need will be available there, and at normal prices too.

    Today Roxby Downs, originally the name of the local station, is a pleasant modern town which houses mine workers and their families. It is a classic modern mining town which provides its residents with all the amenities. Being purpose-built it has an attractive wide main street, good quality housing, pleasant streetscapes, a modern school, a cinema, shopping centre, sports facilities, a hotel motel and caravan park

    https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/roxby-downs-sa

    We had a look at Andamooka which was about 35 Km drive away, when we were there, the town looked almost deserted, nobody around.

    We also chose to drive along the dirt road to Lake Torrens Lookout.

    A Few Pics

    Summary

    We thought this was a great place to hang out for a day or two. Even though we have no idea whose land this is, we found it quite central to two towns.


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  • Spuds Roadhouse – Our Experience

    Spuds Roadhouse – Our Experience

    It was a welcome relief to finally get here, after driving 370 Km from our last place Blyth Showgrounds.

    The campground looked well kept, but due to heavy usage, the facilities were getting a bit tired, they were clean and usable.

    • Website: Spuds Roadhouse
    • Fee Category: Donation
    • Booking: No
    • Dog Friendly: Yes
    • Amenities: Toilets / Showers
    • Dump point: No
    • Pool: No
    • Fire pits: No
    • Telstra: Good
    • Starlink: No problems
    • Generator: Yes
    Spuds Roadhouse outside pub area, view of the campground and gas station
    Spuds Roadhouse outside pub area, view of the campground and gas station

    Our Thoughts

    The campground next to Spuds Roadhouse is not actually run by them, it is managed by the Outback Communities Authority. Having a look at their website for details about his campground did not reveal any information.

    There are no bookings, so first come first serve. Take note that this place can fill up fast in the afternoon during peak travel season. You would want to get here by 2pm. We got here at 3pm, and managed to get one of the last spots available.

    At the roadhouse you can get a beer, meal, and a few supplies. Bear in mind it will be outback prices, and the selection is not the best.

    Petrol / Diesel is available, at slightly inflated prices, we paid $2.28/ L for petrol, Diesel will be similar.

    Some Pics

    As you can see there is a lot of puddles everywhere, there was some rain the previous day, so some campsites were just mud and hence unusable.

    All in all, it was a good campground with all the usual facilities, it felt safe, the ground was reasonably level, we would definitely stay here again when passing through.


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  • Blyth Sportsground RV Park

    Blyth Sportsground RV Park

    This is our review of this campground, which is a donation camp, we stayed here for one night. We would definitely stay here again, the whole campground and facilities are top notch.

    • Website: N/A
    • Fee Category: Donation
    • Booking: No
    • Dog Friendly: Yes
    • Amenities: Toilets / Showers
    • Dump point: Yes
    • Pool: No
    • Fire pits: No
    • Telstra: Good
    • Starlink: Good
    • Generator: Yes
    Blyth Showgrounds entrance
    Blyth Showgrounds entrance

    Our Experience

    The campground is well maintained, with great (near new) facilities, even including showers. It is about 140 Km north of Adelaide.

    You must be fully self contained, which means keeping grey water, and disposing of it down the dump point which is by the toilets.

    The campgrounds are reasonably level, quite, and felt safe. There is a notice about sports days, while the grounds are not closed to campers, it will become busy.

    The town Blyth is just a short 5 minutes walk away, there is unfortunately not much going on there, with a population of 300. Even the local hotel as closed down, maybe that’s temporary.

    The sporting facilities are top notch for a town with not many people in it.

    A more popular town for visitors is Clare, which is just 13Km down the road. It is a major wine town with about 30 wineries.

    Some pics

    Blyth town

    Blyth is a small town in the Mid North of South Australia, located 13 kilometres west of the renowned Clare Valley. The town is located on the lands of the Kaurna people, the indigenous people who lived there before European settlement.

    It has a population of 306, the farming community spanning the plains between the Clare Hills and the Barunga/Hummocks ranges.

    Located approximately 132 kilometres north of Adelaide, the district’s climate and soils are well suited to wheat, barley, legumes, hay, sheep, cattle and pigs.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blyth,_South_Australia

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  • Tooleybuc Sporting Club

    Tooleybuc Sporting Club

    We have stayed at the Tooleybuc Sports Club twice over the past year, and can recommend it to anyone wanting an overnight stay.

    This is about 470 Km to Adelaide.

    • Website: Tooleybuc Sports Club
    • Fee Category: Free / Paid for power hook up
    • Booking: No bookings needed, for power yes
    • Dog Friendly: Yes
    • Amenities: toilets and shower
    • Pool: No
    • Telstra: Poor
    • Starlink: May have problems with trees

    Our Opinion

    The first visit was in the middle of summer where the temps were hitting mid 30’s. It was hot, and also no power (powered sites already pre-booked).

    The facilities were decent, clean, so no problems there. You do have to be self contained as the is no water hookups, and also, where we parked there is no where to put the grey water. You park on a solid road surface. If it has been raining for a bit then this place will be good.

    There have been changes between the two times we have visited.

    The second time here and they changed the way you can park in the first area you come to. You now reverse in and the last two sites closest to the Golf shed are powered sites so don’t go in there unless you want power. More unpowered sites further down by the bowling green and toilet/showers.

    This second time was in winter, good thing though is we were on power, so we could run our A/C for heating.

    Town is a short walk away, about 5 minutes, and the Murray River is right nextdoor.

    Some pics

    If we are passing through, we would definitely stay here again. Just have to watch out for the weather, in summer it can get very hot, in winter overnight can get very cold.


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  • Budget Update – 5 Months on the Road

    Budget Update – 5 Months on the Road

    What does it cost to live full time on the road in Australia?

    A difficult question to answer as everybody is different in their setups, wants and needs. For us, a couple on the road towing a caravan with their dog, taking our time getting around. Below is a breakdown of what it has cost us so far.

    This is our second 5 months on the road, our first 5 months was covered in this post.

    Expenses – Jan to May 2025


    What Happened?

    Looking over these totals, you can see we have had a few unusual (one off) expenses. Below I will go through some of these.

    • Tolls: Due to an overseas trip in June, we spent some time going between Sydney and Oberon. Since we are towing a caravan and are unfamiliar with this area we stuck to the motorways which involved toll roads, expensive ones at that!
    • Experiences: We have pre-paid a Horizontal falls tour for September, that was expensive.
    • Subscriptions: We seem to have a lot of subscriptions, i.e Google, Microsoft, Binge, Netflix, the list goes on, need to look at this.
    • Medical: It’s a fact of life that as you get older, things don’t work as well as they should, both of us have minor medical issues that require medication and visits to the doctor and/or specialists from time to time.
    • Caravan repairs/Maintenance: No our caravan is not falling apart, it actually is holding up quite well. As you travel you can end up in places where some items you thought would not needed, suddenly become needed. i.e a gas heater, shade sail track for the right side of the caravan, Stone Stomper, this also includes a service and some minor repairs.
    • Dog Expenses: Shadow had to go to the vets to fix some problems, the other cost is mainly grooming. He does not malt, so he needs regular visits to the groomer, otherwise he turns into a smelly ball of fur.
    • Caravan Parks: As stated in the earlier 5 months, we are hoping to spend less in this area. In the first 5 months we spent $4,400, this time $3,400. That’s a good improvement.

    Things to Note

    Car & caravan insurance and registration, both are expensive. Registration is not something you can do anything about. After spending some time on getting insurance quotes from about 6 companies, we stayed with our present insurer RACQ, who turned out to be very competitive. We pay about $4,500 in total.

    Phones & internet – we are with Telstra. The phones, tablet and a mobile hotspot for the caravan are on plans. We only use Starlink when going remote otherwise it is paused. Our Telstra bill is about $230 / month. We are buying phones as part of the plan, about 1 year to go.

    Summary

    Now that another 5 months have passed, how are we going with our budget? Again unusual expenses crept in. The caravan modifications were a big one. Next week will be some new tires for the Patrol.

    Also, due to a previously planned overseas trip (planned 2 years ago), and also a Rugby British Lions game in Adelaide, we have been at the bottom of the country in the middle of winter when we originally planned to be north at this time of year. Once these 2 items have been completed, we will be heading back to the right area of Australia for this time of year.

    We did make progress on our accommodation expenses, with a reduction of about $1,000 over the 5 months.

    Takeaways was also improved on, another $500 or so saving there. We need to save more in this area. Maybe a seperate list of what we actually buy in this category will help.

    Fuel

    Fuel, a slight change there. we did 10,100Km which cost $4,000, which works out at $21/100Km.

    Subscriptions is an area that needs to be looked at. I think we have too many, currently running at $286 / month. Wow, that’s out of hand.

    So our new average per month, EXCLUDING the caravan mods, insurance, rego and phone plans is –

    Average/month = $5,582 or per week = $1,395

    Previous 5 months

    Average/month = $6,300 or per week = $1,600

    An improvement, lets see what the second half of this year brings.


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  • Sandy Point Reserve – Our Experience

    Sandy Point Reserve – Our Experience

    Our experience at Sandy Point reserve was a good one. In fact this campsite has to be one of the better free ones we have been to so far. If you are traveling through Hay, or want to stay a day or two, then consider this campsite.

    • Website: Sandy Point Reserve
    • Fee Category: Free
    • Booking: No
    • Dog Friendly: Yes
    • Amenities: Toilets
    • Dump point: No
    • Pool: No
    • Fire pits: Yes
    • Telstra: Good
    • Starlink: Trees may be a problem
    • Generator: Yes
    Just located and parked up at our campsite
    Just located and parked up at our campsite

    Description

    This campground is large, with plenty of sites available. I would be surprised if you got here and could not find anywhere to park up for the night. After saying that, I would be careful of the trees, they are large and there was a sign saying ‘beware of falling branches’. A few gum trees around.

    The toilets are actually pretty decent for free. In fact you could say they are better than some paid campgrounds we have been to, amazing.

    There is no dump point (see below) or potable water.

    Fire pits are everywhere, and since we were here in the middle of winter, it was nice to get a nice fire going in the evening.

    NOTE: No firewood collection on site so come prepared with your own supply.

    This campground is on dirt so in the wet it may not be a place to be. There are plenty of deep potholes around, which looked like when it was wet, people got stuck and struggled to get out.

    There are showers at the Information center and you can also ‘borrow’ their bikes if you want. A dump point at the SES center, about 2 minutes drive away.

    There is silo art that you see on the way in and very close to the camping area. Suggest setting up then take easy walk there.

    You are not far from the river and there is a day area where there are bbqs and picnic table. Very well set out.

    The town Hay is just a few minutes walk away.

    Hay is a wonderful sleight of hand. Drive through the town and you feel you are in a prosperous and substantial rural town. Drive out of the town and you are on the great, flat Hay plain with its low-lying saltbush. Every famous person who has visited or stayed has commented on the flatness of the surrounding land.

    https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/hay-nsw

    SomePics

    Drone Flyover

    It was a shame we could not stay longer (had to get to Adelaide), we will definitely be back, and stay for a day or two.


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  • Carcoar Dam – Our Experience

    Carcoar Dam – Our Experience

    This is our review of our stay at Carcoar Dam, a positive one considering how busy it was.

    We stayed here with friends over Easter weekend. It was very busy, we still managed to find a spot to camp and would recommend this campground to anyone. The dam itself is nice with not many mosquitoes around, were we just lucky? or far enough away from the water?

    • Website: Carcoar Dam – Water NSW
    • Fee Category: Free
    • Booking: No
    • Dog Friendly: Yes
    • Amenities: Toilets
    • Dump point: No
    • Pool: No
    • Fire pits: Yes
    • Telstra: Good
    • Starlink: Good
    • Generator: Yes
    Wind farm across from Carcoar dam
    Wind farm across from Carcoar dam

    Our Experience

    This campground is a reasonably large one, with some level sites, but also a large portion of the campground is not level, but manageable. If you are in a caravan, there is another large section which is not caravan suitable due to the slope of the land, even with leveling blocks you will struggle.

    The toilets are adequate / usable with some of them being broken, the showers are broken and are completely unusable, it is free so expectations have to be in line with this price point.

    The dam itself seems to be a water sports hot spot, plenty of water skis, boats, kayaks around and some people trying their hand at fishing.

    Carcoar Dam is stocked with Murray cod, golden perch (yellow belly), silver perch and trout. Redfin is the most common catch.

    https://www.waternsw.com.au/

    Some Pics

    A very popular place over Easter weekend, and I would imagine over most public / school holidays as well. A great place to check out if passing through.

    Weather

    Carcoar Weather Averages

    MonthJanFebMarAprMayJuneJulyAugSeptOctNovDec
    Temp Max C29.829.226.321.015.812.311.513.417.421.324.928.2
    Temp Min C13.313.210.76.53.31.40.31.13.35.98.511.3
    Rain Avg (mm)62.550.550.952.159.585.478.178.364.978.563.060.9
    This table will show the average temp min/max rainfall per month for Carcoar, NSW.

    Looking through these numbers, summer will be the best time, while for me personally I would avoid winter, the overnight temps are getting too close to 0 for me.

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  • Burraga Dam Thompsons Creek

    Burraga Dam Thompsons Creek

    This is a free campground by Thompson Creek, which is a short drive from the small village of Burraga. This is one of the better free-camps we have come across in our travels so far.

    We didn’t have a look at the village because this was only a overnight stop on our way to Oberon.

    • Website: N/A
    • Fee Category: Free
    • Booking: No
    • Dog Friendly: Yes
    • Amenities: Toilets
    • Dump point: No
    • Pool: No
    • Fire pits: Yes
    • Telstra: No
    • Starlink: Good
    • Generator: Yes
    Burraga Dam campground
    Burraga Dam campground

    Our Experience

    To get here we had to go along some winding country roads, nothing too serious. The road into the campground is about 1 km of dirt road, again nothing to worry about, any vehicle should be able to manage.

    This is a large campground with plenty of sites. You enter the main section where there is plenty of sites to choose from, then another track further on takes you to another section. the only thing to be aware of is that the campsite close to the water have a bit of a slope on them, so leveling blocks will be needed.

    Also, for us caravaners, don’t go too far into the campground as the trees are more closely packed together, with lower branches, we saw some spots where turning around could get tricky.

    We found 2 toilets here, a flushing one, and a long drop. We used the flushing one, it seemed to be well maintained and clean.

    There are fire pits everywhere, every campsite has one.

    Apparently there is fishing here, the dam would be ok for Kayaking, and also there seems to be some 4wd tracks leading from the campsite.

    Some Pics from camp

    Burraga Village History

    Burraga is a small village in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, located within the Oberon Shire. It rose to prominence in the late 19th century due to the discovery of copper in the area. The establishment of the Burraga Copper Mine transformed the village into a bustling mining town, attracting workers and supporting a growing local economy. At its peak, Burraga boasted a thriving community of approx 1800, complete with infrastructure such as a post office, school, and shops and 2 hotels, both of which have been burnt down.

    However, the prosperity was short-lived. As copper prices declined and the mine became less profitable, operations eventually ceased in the early 20th century. The closure marked the beginning of Burraga’s decline, and much of the population moved away in search of work elsewhere. Today, Burraga stands as a quiet rural village (population 80), with remnants of its mining past still visible.

  • Cowra Showground

    Cowra Showground

    We stayed at this campground for 5 days, and found it to be well maintained, quite, and safe. A good place to stay, at a reasonable cost.

    This follows on from Bredbo Inn Hotel

    • Website: Cowra Showgrounds
    • Fee Category: Cost
    • Booking: Yes – by phone
    • Dog Friendly: Yes
    • Amenities: Toilets / Showers
    • Dump point: Yes
    • Pool: No
    • Fire pits: No
    • Telstra: Good
    • Starlink: Good
    • Generator: ??
    Shadow on his walk by the Cowra showgrounds
    Shadow on his walk by the Cowra showgrounds

    Our experience

    Our time here was a relaxed one, with Cathy working her 3 days, we didn’t do much, a quick look around town…….

    The campground is a nice flat mowed grass area, with all the usual amenities available, grey water was just put on the ground somewhere around your campsite, water and power points are next to the campsite. A dump point is on site.

    The Cowra town is just a short 2 minute drive away.

    We didn’t do much around town to do, there is the POW campsite, not much left of it, also there is the Japanese Gardens, $20/adult we passed on it, unfortunately we are on a bit of a budget these days.

    Over the past three decades some country towns have grown and prospered, others have declined both in importance and population. Cowra has grown. Located on the Lachlan River it has become the commercial and administrative centre of a shire where livestock, wool scouring, vegetable growing and processing, vineyards and tourism are the main drivers of the local economy.

    https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/cowra-nsw

    I am sure there is more here, and at another time we will have more time to get a better look around.

  • Bredbo Inn Hotel

    Bredbo Inn Hotel

    This is our review of the Bredbo Inn Hotel overnight stay. We stayed behind this pub/hotel for a couple of nights. If you don’t require power or water, then it is free and no need to book, otherwise there is a cost and due to limited powered sites it may pay to book ahead.

    This campsite follows on from our previous post

    • Website: Bredbo Inn Hotel
    • Fee Category: Free / Paid
    • Booking: No / Yes for powered site
    • Dog Friendly: Yes
    • Amenities: Toilets / Shower for a fee
    • Dump point: No
    • Pool: No
    • Fire pits: Yes
    • Telstra: Good
    • Starlink: Good
    • Generator: Yes
    A view of the campground behind the Bredbo Inn Hotel
    A view of the campground behind the Bredbo Inn Hotel

    We stayed here for a couple of nights. The sites are flat, grass nicely mowed, a single toilet available which was clean. You can access a shower for a $5 fee.

    There was not much road noise, and the Hotel itself was good, serving big meals. We had a Chicken Parmy, which we shared, these days the meals can be too big for one of us.

    We found the pricing in the Hotel to be reasonable, 2 drinks and a meal was about $44.

    There is not much in the town itself, except for a busy and excellent bakery down the road, about 500M. The pies are yummy.

    There is Cooma, which is about an 1/2 hour drive south, which has the Snowy Hydro Discovery Center which we found to be excellent, but NOT dog friendly, so Shadow had to stay in the car, (it was a cool day) while we explored the center.

    Cooma is the largest town in the Snowy Mountains at an altitude of 800 Meters, it can get cold here. with a few things to see and do, we had a look at the Lookout, which had some short walking trails.

    Cooma is the largest town in the Snowy Mountain region and consequently is seen as the gateway to the Snowy Mountains ski fields, the Snowy Mountains Hydro Electricity Scheme and the Kosciuszko National Park. In recent times tourism and the snowfields have ensured that it is more than just a rural service centre. It is the base for exploring the entire area and a prosperous tourist town. Central to the town’s attractions are the Snowy Hydro Information Centre; the Centennial Park which celebrates the town’s historic multiculturalism; the excellent historic walk and the fascinating Correctional Services Gaol Museum

    www.aussietowns.com.au

    A few Pics

    Weather

    Below is a table of the average temps etc. Beware of the winter temps. We got caught out in early April with morning frost, and in a caravan with no heating.

    As you can see from the table below, it can get cold during winter.

    Early morning frost at Bredbo Inn
    Early morning frost at Bredbo Inn

    Cooma Weather Averages

    MonthJanFebMarAprMayJuneJulyAugSeptOctNovDec
    Temp Max C27.326.323.819.515.611.911.513.416.519.622.625.2
    Temp Min C11.010.68.34.20.6-1.4-2.6-1.71.23.87.19.2
    Rain Avg (mm)58.959.658.037.530.338.626.827.233.045.265.157.3
    This table shows the average Cooma temp min/max, rainfall per month

    Comments

    What do you think? have you stayed here, please leave a comment if you think I have left something out, or a correction is need.

  • Dr William Loftus Park

    Dr William Loftus Park

    Dr William Loftus Park donation campground is in a little town called Candelo, NSW. The town is very small, about half a dozen shops, (General store, Cafe, petrol Station), all in a rustic old time historical setting.

    This post follows on from our previous stay at Genoa Donation Campground

    • Website: N/A
    • Fee Category: Donation
    • Booking: No
    • Dog Friendly: Yes
    • Amenities: Toilets
    • Dump point: No
    • Pool: No
    • Fire pits: No
    • Telstra: Good
    • Starlink: Good
    • Generator: Yes
    Dr William Loftus Park entrance
    Dr William Loftus Park entrance

    Our Experience

    We had a little trouble finding the entrance to Dr William Loftus Park, it is just past the old style petrol station, if you miss it there is another entrance further down the road just after the school. Don’t do an us and drive around the block again.

    Once there, you will find the ground to be reasonably flat. It is just a matter of finding a spot along the tree line. You are requested to stay off the Oval fields.

    There are bins, and toilets, which are in pretty good condition when we where there. A bit of a walk there depending on where you park up.

    The town itself has the appearance of an old time 1960’s look and feel. Even the petrol station has 1 pump for petrol and 1 for diesel on the road side. When you arrive in, you drive over the air line that rang the old style bell to announce your arrival. What they had back in the day before computers.

    The General store is one to go into just to have a look. Very much a country store where you can buy fresh bread, farm eggs and many garden implements and food. The cafe was similar in style with creative seating outside.

    Up the road and round the corner is where you can fill up with water. It was free under a certain amount then you paid. Basically free for us. We have 2 x 95 litre water tanks.

    This is definitely worth stopping at for a night or two. And for those that like a beer and hot meal at the pub, it was just a short walk over the bridge.

    Pictures from around town

  • The Challenges of Running A/C Off-Grid in a Caravan

    The Challenges of Running A/C Off-Grid in a Caravan

    The running A/C off grid in a caravan can be a game-changer for comfort but doing this comes with serious power challenges. Whether you’re relying on solar and batteries, a generator, an understanding of power consumption, insulation and efficiency can help you get the most out of your setup.

    We have been on the road now for 8 months and have survived a summer – phew! A lot has been learnt, so I thought I would share what I have learnt and also what the realities are with the challenges of running A/C off grid.

    Be warned when trying to get a good electrical system capable of running A/C off the caravan batteries, it will be an expensive exercise. The number one thing you have to pay a great deal of attention to, is charging those batteries.

    As I will explain in this post, running A/C off Lithium batteries is relatively easy, it is the charging of those batteries which is in fact the biggest challenge.

    The Variables

    • Power & Energy – This is about Watts, Amps, Volts and battery capacity.
    • Air Conditioning – Power Consumption and Cooling Capacity.
    • Thermal heat – Temperature difference (outside to inside), heat load, thermal conductivity, insulation, external colour of caravan and direct sunlight on the van.
    • Charging – battery capacity, solar generation and generator.

    Power & Energy

    The latest vans now come with varying voltage – 12V, 24V and even 48V. What does all this mean as far as running an A/C or any other high power appliance system of grid?

    The Maths

    What I mean by the above statement is if you see a appliance with 1000W, then that number never changes, the volts and Amps change to provide that power.

    Voltage (V)Amps (A)
    12V DC1000W ÷ 12V = 83.3A
    24V DC1000W ÷ 24V = 41.7A
    48V DC1000W ÷ 48V = 20.8A
    240V AC1000W ÷ 240V = 4.2A

    1000W is always 1000W no matter the voltage.
    As voltage increases, current decreases proportionally.
    Higher voltage systems improve efficiency by reducing current draw and cable size needs.

    Battery Voltage and Capacity

    Case 1: 12V System (Parallel)

    • Two 12V 200Ah batteries in parallel = 12V 400Ah
    • Total energy = 12V × 400Ah = 4,800Wh (4.8kWh)

    Case 2: 24V System (Series)

    • Two 12V 200Ah batteries in series = 24V 200Ah
    • Total energy = 24V × 200Ah = 4,800Wh (4.8kWh)

    Watt-hours (Wh) vs Amp-hours (Ah)

    • Amp-hours (Ah) = How much current a battery can supply over time
    • Watt-hours (Wh) = How much energy a battery can deliver

    12V 400Ah = 4800Wh = 4.8kWh

    Since all Lithium batteries won’t let you go down to 0, they will generally shut off at about 10% remaining capacity, so in real world use, only 380Ah.

    4,800Wh x 0.8 = 3,840Wh (3.84kWh usable)

    Cost can be a major factor, with more power and higher voltages, the more expensive and complicated things can get. The higher voltage is good for the high current items but most, if not all items in the caravan are still going to be 12V.

    Running A/C off Lithium batteries in this day and age is not too difficult, all you need is a decent inverter.

    Thermal Heat (Caravan Construction)

    This is where we talk about how much heat there is to remove, and what a typical caravan A/C unit is capable of. Also whether the caravan is in direct sunlight, the colour and construction of the van can also make a big difference.

    Caravan Construction

    Construction typeEnergy AbsorbedA/C Power UsageTotal A/C runtime
    Aluminium Frame4000 (w/hr)1100 (w/hr)3.5 Hr
    Wooden Frame3500 (w/hr)1000 (w/hr)3.8 Hr
    Composite Panels2500 (w/hr)800 (w/hr)4.8 Hr
    Indicative figures – Caravan in Direct sunlight 36C day.

    Key Points

    Aluminium Frame = Least Efficient Cooling

    • Heat seeps in rapidly through the frame, forcing the A/C to stay on full power constantly.
    • 3.5-hour battery life

    Wood Frame = Moderately Efficient

    • Less thermal bridging, so less heat enters, and A/C can cycle off occasionally.
    • 3.8-hour battery life

    Composite Panels = Best for Off-Grid A/C

    • Highly insulated walls reduce heat gain, meaning the A/C doesn’t need to work as hard.
    • 4.8-hour battery life

    The composite caravan will be the best but also the most expensive. Parking in the shade will help with the cooling. Using a shade cloth on the fridge side of the caravan can help as well. Also there is the colour of the van to consider.

    Colour

    A study on vehicle heat absorption found that:

    • A black car parked in the sun reached 60-70°C inside.
    • A white car in the same conditions only reached 45-50°C.
    • Similar effects apply to caravans, especially with a large surface area exposed to the sun.

    In Short

    The best van to keep cool, would be –

    • Composite material
    • White colour

    How hard the A/C has to work depends on the colour and construction of the caravan, and also whether or not the van is in shade.

    There is not much you can do if you already have your caravan, it may be something to think about if in the process of deciding what caravan to buy.

    Solar requirements

    It is fair to say if you are taking 80A out of the batteries, then you will need a substantial solar/charging system to put it back. Especially since there will be large parts of the day when the solar system won’t be able to perform at full power, i.e shade, clouds, time of day.

    FactorImpact
    Panel efficiency losses-10% (heat, wiring, controller losses)
    Peak Sun HoursTypically 4-6 hours per day at best
    Weather, Obstructions & AngleCloudy days, poor angles reduce performance

    For a 12V system needing 80A: plan for at least 1200W+ of solar panels.

    For a starting point, that would be 4x 300W panels. I would also add that on a hot day, you will probably run the A/C for a lot more than a few hours. This amount of solar would be an absolute minimum. Depending on the size of your van, more would be better even if one or two panels are portable and need to be set up.

    You will need a powerful MPPT/DCDC charging system, not many caravans can run 80A plus charging systems.

    Specifications Needed for Off-grid A/C

    The below table would be the minimum specs needed to run A/C reliably and to be able to charge the batteries. It would be fair to say that this would be an expensive caravan, if bought today, in the range of $170,000+.

    ComponentMinimum Specs
    Battery bank600Ah+ @ 12V or 300Ah+ @ 24V
    Inverter2500W
    Solar1200W – 2000W total
    MPPT controller100A or dual 50A
    DC-DC Charger80A+
    ConstructionInsulated composite panels, minimal thermal bridging
    A/C UnitSoft-start, efficient (1000W continuous preferred)

    Our Experience

    Our van is small, 16 Foot, we have 3 panels on the roof (no room for any more) and a portable panel, all up we can get to about 42A, max, barely 50% of whats needed. Even so, that will extend our A/C time to about 5 – 6 Hours. Our AC and DC charging system is rated to 40A, well short of what is needed with the challenges of running A/C off grid.

    When the van is sitting in the sun the walls heat up (Aluminium Frame). If you try to cool the van down with the A/C, it works however as soon as the A/C is turned off, the van heats straight back up even if the sun has set, it takes some time for the built up heat in the walls to dissipate.

    On very hot days, the DC-DC charger can get hot, it may throttle back the charging.

    On the very hot days i.e 40 degrees plus, the overnight temps are not much cooler, so A/C will be needed over night.

    Trees are a big factor, they keep your van cooler, but kill your solar

    How we Cope with the challenges of running A/C off grid.

    Fortunately, in Australia, the seriously hot months are from late November to end of March. You can get away from a lot of the heat by being in the southern part of the country by the coast. Another place to be could be at altitude, think above 600 metres in places like Snowy Mountains. We haven’t tested this theory yet.

    Keeping a close eye on the weather forecasts – with heat waves you usually get a few days notice, time to find a caravan park.

    Caravan parks with powered sites. Yes they may not be everybody’s favourite but it is nice to have unlimited power.

    A generator – we have a small one being a Yamaha 1Kva however it can’t run the A/C. We didn’t get a bigger one simply due to size and weight restrictions of our setup. Also there are lots of places that don’t like you using them.

    If after a generator to run A/C then think 2.2Kva or larger.

    A swimming pool, river or lake is great way to cool down. Also wetting towels or tea towels or something to help cool you.

    All this is of course subjective, how tolerant are you of the heat? I have found the older you get, the less tolerant you become. Well, that’s our experience.

    What do you think? Leave some comments below if you have any suggestion or corrections.