5 Practical Tips for Travellers with Solar-Powered Caravans

Travelling can take a toll on everyone, especially when it takes hours to reach your destination — and that’s why Erldunda travellers prefer caravanning for quick access to relaxation and comfort throughout the long journey. When visiting the wilderness, the problem is you can’t always guarantee that there’s a nearby location for your caravan’s power source, and energy costs can also deplete your budget. For a cheaper and more secure alternative, you can opt for caravan solar panels. Here are some helpful tips to get your caravan solar-ready:

Test Your Caravan for Power Usage

Don’t rush to the nearest store to buy solar panels that end up being incompatible with your caravan. Before purchasing a solar panel, test how much electricity you use for your caravan — set it off with a fully charged battery while you’re on a short break, and stay away from electric hook-ups. Perform this test multiple times without deliberately overusing your appliances to get an average of how many hours or days your caravan’s power source can last.

Decide on the Type and Amount of Solar Panel You’ll Need

Knowing the amount of power you typically consume for your caravan, you can now browse different solar panels that will fit your caravan’s energy usage profile. Australian solar panels come in two categories — mounted or portable. Take note that portable panels allow you to store sun energy while solar-powered caravans with mounted panels (placed on the roof) usually needs to be parked in the sun to receive a sufficient amount of sunlight. Compared to mounted panels, portable panels are quite handy in areas with varying weather conditions or are not exposed to the sun for too long, which is why portable panels are preferred by people who spend holidays in the outback.

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Match Your Solar Panels with the Right Batteries

You’ll need to have large and durable solar batteries that can store the energy from your solar panels. The size of your solar batteries will depend on different factors such as your destination, travel time and how many appliances you will use at once. When going for an Erldunda trip, it’s recommended to use AGM deep cycle solar batteries for less frequent charging and high cyclic life. They are also very low on maintenance, and can withstand long and rocky rides.

It’s very important to charge your caravan’s solar system before heading out, since your battery capacity is useless without stored power anyway. You can easily determine the right size of battery for your caravan by estimating the running time of each camping appliance you use and multiply the wattage of each camping item by its estimate running time. Next, add the watt hours for each device to get an estimate of your total power consumption, and convert the total watt hours to amp hours to find out which battery size you need.

Choose a Solar Power-Friendly Caravan Site

You can’t simply park in the wilderness with your caravan! Even if you have enough energy to last your for days, you must be careful while treading through Uluru and the Olgas. Camping out is also fun as long you’re safe from any animal attack! No worries, as there are caravan sites available for travellers who want a safe place for solar-powered caravans while seeking the Erldunda experience.

Kimberley-Kamper-air-con

With these tips, your trip to the centre of Australia can be comfortable and environment-friendly. Have an immersive travelling experience by preparing your caravan for an exciting Erldunda adventure!

Searching for a safe parking site for that authentic caravan experience? Contact us at Erldunda Roadhouse for the easiest and affordable caravanning option.


References:

Images:

  • http://www.caravanworld.com.au/features/1504/battery-and-solar-power-101/
  • http://activebatteriesandsolar.com.au/
  • http://caravanandmotorhomebooks.com/caravan-air-conditioning/