regmcm Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 hi there...We are just about to take delivery of a 2018 challenger 288 FIAT 130 HP We plan to spend as much time as possible off grid on our epic journey from Cadiz to Turkey. We have a solar panel installed and second leisure battery. We will want to use devices such as laptops and tv in the evening. Will we need to buy an invertor to power these or will the MH have one installed as standard? Sorry if this is silly question but we are absolutely new to this malarkey! for example we are looking at buying one of these Link or one of these Link do we need or any recommendations? ta muchly (Edit: Links shortened to correct page width - Keithl) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 Most people will use a 12v tv. Not many MH's come equipped with a invertor, we fitted one last year to charge ebikes, but everything else such as laptops we have got 12v adaptors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceM Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 There is a view that a 12v to 240v inverter is inefficient and will cane the batteries so is best avoided for off grid use. For laptops we use a simple 12v to laptop voltage DC convertor. There are plenty on Ebay – I think ours cost about £8 – ours plugs into a 12v cigarette style 12v plug. We’d also use the same plug for a 12v TV if we had one, but we’re not fans of watching TV whilst away in the van preferring to use the van just for sleeping where possible. For mobile phones we charge off the usb ports. Our van did not have habitation usb ports as standard so we had a twin 12v to twin USB port installed and it works perfectly. It cost about £10 I think. If you let us know the spec of your solar installation then some of the electronics wizards on the forum should be able to give you insight into your off grid potential. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 Inverters are not 100% efficient so you would lose a fair amount of power converting up to 230 volts and then back to the laptops required voltage. Most laptops can be run directly off 12 volts with a suitable power supply and this would be far more efficient than an inverter. I would suggest you find ways to run appliances directly off 12 volts rather than use an inverter. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g3ttc Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 I'm not sure whether I'm allowed to advertise, but the classic motorhome/caravan television is made by Avtex. They're available in several sizes and receive terrestrial and satellite transmissions. They run off 12v or mains via their own power unit. A carrying case is also available. Other tv makes are available. Keith g3ttc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevec176 Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 I wouldn't call that advertising, unless you're plugging your own business, it's a recommendation. I don't know how well an invertor and batteries would cope with charging ebike batteries as my batteries take about 4 hours each to charge so think you might have flat batteries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 stevec176 - 2020-09-23 12:19 PM I don't know how well an invertor and batteries would cope with charging ebike batteries as my batteries take about 4 hours each to charge so think you might have flat batteries. OP made no mention of charging ebike batteries, that was me just posting as to why we fitted a invertor. Most (all?) ebike batteries charge at around 7amp, but as I've posted often before, a little and often is the way to charge them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conrad Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 Never mind the electrics, I'm just wondering how soon you plan to set off for foreign parts! Sounds like a great plan but.....would encourage you to have a few trial trips first to get used to motor caravanning and any snags with your new toy! Other than that, enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted September 24, 2020 Share Posted September 24, 2020 It’s worth highlighting that Mick (regmcm) is not a UK resident and is currently living in Cadiz (Spain). So UK-specific advice (say to TV makes) may not apply. Mick’s earlier postings will make his plans clear. https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/search/query.asp?action=search&searchforumid=all&keywords=&author=regmcm&days=&Submit=Search Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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