How to thrive on a non 240v site!

Thanks guys. I'll have a look.

I'm looking at buying a 12v TV to use in the new caravan (Elddis Supreme 482) when it's delivered. I'll have a 110Ah battery and 100w solar panel fitted. I'll only be using the battery for lighting, radio and charging e-readers, etc - hopefully nothing too taxing. I want to use the TV on 12v when 'off grid' and ideally it should be simple and 'idiot-proof' to tune in when away, as there will only be Penelope Pitstop and I to operate it! .

Would you be kind enough to make a recommendation based on your experiences, please? Any comments would be most gratefully received. I can then attend the NEC armed with information, prices etc, to see if there are any deals there. 

Many thanks,

DD & PP

We have an 18" Avtex tv which I believe consumes about 30 watts and we have been able to watch a max of 3 hrs using a 110 amp battery with a 120 watt solar panel. This was in the late spring through to early autumn when there was still some evening light available whilst the tv was in use. Often the battery is fully recharged by mid morning. The TV has a good auto tuning system, including 'Easy Find" which gives a red to green light so you can manually move a sat dish to locate a satellite.

The negatives about my Avtex is the high price ((£400 5 yrs back) and the picture has a yellow bias which no amount of adjustment can properly rectify. The range has been updated so you would need to check the specification but they are generally considered to be good for low consumption and tuning but expensive compared to other alternatives.

I also have an Avtex it is certainly easy enough to tune.  I am very low use on lights when off EHU preferring candlelight anyway - candles that float in water to be extra safe.  Also I would look at the energy saving bulbs at the NEC.  I  do quite a bit of charging when in the car out and about but it isn't nearly as hard as some people think to thrive off grid! 

 Dick ,,there is a 12v/240 TV + suitcase 'Sat' on Ebay !!  Have a look !!.

Tirrel, thanks for a well balanced & objective summary. I had Avtex in my sights and its good to hear the pros and cons from users. Pippah, thanks for your enthusiasm regarding 'thriving' On non-ehu. I'm a non-ehu novice atm but hope to enjoy 'self-sufficiency' in comfort this season. My lights are all LED but I intend to maximise my time at the NEC pricing up kit and listening out for top tips and advice. Tricky, I can be thick at times- I hadn't thought of surfing Ebay for 12v TVs or other caravan stuff!  CT is great - thanks for your help everybody.

DD & PP

DD -Yes, I would go with the members that recommended Avtex. I have one and find it very easy to tune and economical on the batteries. We can certainly watch 2or 3 hrs of tele if wish too but I'm normally outside with my Weber go anywhere BBQ using it as a fire pit and singing a verse of 'cum by yar' ( not really)  You'll have a busy day at the NEC but it'll be worth it. Remember, always a good idea to spend on quality! Best of luck mate.

As promised, I said on the old blog (before it was conveniently 'lost')that I would keep folk up to date with my progress with the CC to put an up to date and properly researched article on modern, non EHU caravanning or Motorhomeing in the Club Mag. I have offered complete freedom and access to my caravan, for them to take as many photos as they want but with me being involved with copy. I think the rope is now long enough!!

I am disappointed with the apparent reluctance of the CC to, through me, engage with a sizeable section of the membership who have decided to look at, research and fit the new technology to their vans or M/H's thereby, being able to enjoy their hobby, anywhere, without a 240v hook up. In the 3 years that I have been off grid, I have been to a fair few off grid sites and believe me, there are many off grid users that we never even hear from. So the numbers are larger than we are led to believe. Now, as I previously stated, it was over a year ago I contacted the editor of the Caravan Club Magazine to ask him to run a properly assessed article on non EHU caravanning. I did it because I was rather annoyed with a misleading article that appeared in the Mag about 15 months ago. For those who saw it, you will need no reminder.For those who didn't see it (or have no interest in seeing it) let me paint a picture. The article was called 'Back To Basics' - straight away giving an idea of rougher living and boiling all water for washing etc on a gas ring! Not only that, but reading through the article, it was obvious that sound bites from other sources had been pasted in. It was uninformed, out of date and dare I say - a little self protective - and to crown the whole thing off - a wonderful photo showing a classic caravan interior complete with old kit including an enamelled bucket! Then, to just push the point, a second article appeared a couple or so months later which wasn't as prominent called - you guessed it - Back To Basics! 3 or 4 months ago, I contacted them again and asked to talk to the editor (Gary) - he wasn't available but I spoke to a staff member and I was apologised to for not being contacted. I was promised that I would be contacted. - you guessed it - it hasn't happened.

Is this an admission by EG Towers that they really don't want to carry an article that tells you the up to date truth of Non EHU camping? Of how comfortable you can be with lashings of hot water and much cheaper heating through using gas from your self filled Safefill or the like ? Or of how you can run 240v appliances like toasters, microwaves, blenders and vacuums like we do and with great succecss? Of how all of this can be obtained without spending a small fortune on an EHU hookup, which, costs pounds per day but very little electricity is actually used and gas cylinders where 75% of what you pay is for the cylinder? That people who have taken to this new way of doing things have been astounded by how good it is and how well it works? Would they really prefer me to go away and die? Yes, I think they might. Are they saying to me that within a period of 15 months they have not been able, due to total pressure on the resources and copy to even ring me to arrange this meeting or even just ring me to say 'Hello Merve, we haven't forgotten about you but we have so many articles to get into the mag, you wouldn't believe! keep hanging on and we'll be in touch!' NOTHING! At the very very least its bad manners and shows an uncaring attitude towards its members who are genuinely trying to add to the diversity of the club. - oh, and I haven't noticed a burgeoning in size of the club Mag as they try to get all these articles into it - rather the opposite!

Having said all that, It goes a little deeper than even this though. I wonder how many sites we really could have if this was really brought to the fore? How many farmers, landowners and the like have thought about a CL but then had second thoughts when they saw the cost of installing EHU? Maybe none although that would be going against the experience of my own son in law who owns a lovely farm near to Edinburgh with lovely views and didn't carry through with it because of the cost of EHU - my point is that they really have no worries now. -We bring our own power.

I am not now expecting any communication from EG Towers. This is a shame. If this was a true club, the interests of the minority, and I accept that we are a minority, would be catered for. This is blatantly not happening. I am not bothered for myself - I have already found with others, the great open road of non EHU caravanning, but, they have denied others who are not members of the forum, or, if they are, never look at it, the chance to have it bought to mind through an article in the mag. The reason? If you had spent millions on sites and EHUs, would you? The irony here is that as caravanners, we are very much aware of our environment. Making your own electricity , however insignificant, helps us NOT burn fossil fuels - or worse. Our forefathers? What would they have given for something that would generate electricity whilst out on site. Or being able to fill their own cylinders at literally a fraction of the price of hired ones? I would bet that the original folk who bought and used that Classic Caravan shown in the article would have snapped at it. The technology is here to allow us to do this and it should be advertised as loudly and as widely as possible. The 'status quo' is holding on at the moment but for how much longer? How much longer can the CC protect its profits before new technology starts to push its way in? Ignore it at your peril.

Whilst we haven't gone off grid, we tend to use CL's and therefore try to keep costs to the owners down by using gas were possible. We have used three bottles so far since Christmas (Yes, we are on Safefill)

We are soon to stay at a club site for a few nights but we will be running on electric instead of gas.

The reason, because the club have no interest in promoting anything where they will not make money, be it "Off Grid" camping or CL use.

Don't hold your breath Merve waiting for a realistic article.

Merve.Have you thought about getting in touch with Practical Caravan they may be interested in running an article about off grid as they seem to do led lights etc.

Mike