# What do you do?



## 108526 (Nov 29, 2007)

This question may seem a bit daft, but I would really like to know how you go about things when you go off for a few days on these rallies, and there is no electric, shower block, toilets, chemical waste disposal etc? I would like to know and I'm sure others would to.
So could you help with some usefull tips or answers to our questions.
I'll start us off............

I have only one leisure battery, how do you make it last the longest period of time, without the kids driving you nuts?

How do empty the toilet cassette?

come on then anymore for anymore?


Zoe ( trying to make rally life a little easier


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## greenasthegrass (Oct 27, 2007)

When we go we can't last longer than 2 nights and we have 2 batteries. So for example in Flamborough we went into Bridlington and charged the batteries up a bit. We filled up with water when we got there. The toilet cassette will last two days easily. Waste water waits until we get home then pour cheap coke bottle in it and swish it around on way home and bod's your uncle. Any longer than 2 days and we stuffed!

We did not take the TV last time which meant boys drove us nuts so came home early but we have 2 rechargeable lanterns which last 6 hours so we can sit in the awning and look at each other all night 8O 

Hence my liking for leccy and a few mod cons. 8O 

Greenie


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## Steamdrivenandy (Jun 18, 2007)

Well.

We have no oven anyway, but no EHU means no Remoska, so it's hob cooking only (or fish and chips).

We don't have TV anyway (shock, horror) and to keep power consumption down we use minimal lighting and where possible rely on the two LED reading lights up front. Also, just in case we inadvertently leave a light on and drain the batteries we religously check the power is off at the Zigboard whenever possible.

We always start a trip with a 'fresh' loo.

We do miss a shower and it's just not the same with a 'good wash'. After two days I get to feeling ugh, even though I'm sure I'm clean and nicely fragrant 8O . Honestly it was the dogs!!!

Andy


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## carol (May 9, 2005)

We don't have a problem, we have just returned for another two weeks away - the first week, unusual for us was at Riverside in Plymouth (unusual as this will be the only paid site this summer).

We like to use the Holiday Sites that the C&CC run...we spent the last week at Brixham on Berry Head in a field attached to the Centry Caravan Site.

The rallies, normally have provision for fresh water, and somewhere to dump cassette, and grey water is dumped in the hedgerow...

We do have two leisure batteries and this time have a Sterling Battery to Battery Charger (we didn't have this on the Hymer and did the same thing without problems). 

We limit ourselves to maximum of 3 hours tv, but often have only an hour for news.... and use everything else as normal. We don't put ALL lights on, and we don't have an oven, so cooking is on the hob or bbq when weather is suitable, or salads...

We even had to run the heating one night on Berry Head, we were a rocking and rolling in the wind - then heard next morning that we had had a force 10...no wonder the omnivent roof vent was trying to lift off even though it was down tightly...

Any chance you can fit a second battery Zoe?

The loo only lasts us two days, but we do carry a spare one.

Carol


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## piper1 (Mar 29, 2008)

All will be well, we go to CC rallie and CCC meets never had aproblem, battery will be fine! we started going to rallies a few years ago and enjoy the flexibilty of these. Why not try a rally with all the site facilties? the CC seem to arrange all their rallies on thes sites and enjoy full facilties at discounted rates! We have two teenages and theuy love it, they have somone else to be with. And we also heard how friendly were? however we got lots of waves from the roadway and on a full site hardly anybody would talk to you! :? at the rallies it is alot easier going and you dont need to be away from site at a specific time! 

Piper 1


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## vardy (Sep 1, 2006)

Hi Zoe,

I had my first 'proper' stay in a rally field this weekend at Elvaston. It did have emptying points loos and water - but no hookup or extras. I was on my own, and the 'tuggers' were lovely. Only one of the (Harmony) M/H'ers spoke at all.

I made sure the van and powerpack were well charged up before I went, and I used the Halfords powerpack for plugging in entertainment stuff - didn't deplete the van (when the packs gone it's gone).

I couldn't easily walk to the facilities, so I filled up at home, and took the waste tank home to empty too.

However, I didn't realize that my boiler drain was a smidge open losing water at a trickle - but it only ran out a minute before I set off home.

AND I now know why it's called memory foam. They can stick it up their armpits! I can remember every lump/bump/pleat and crease. Saw the clock round for two nights. I'm off to get an automatic blow-up matress.

- Helena


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## 108526 (Nov 29, 2007)

This is why I posted the question.
The majority of rallies organised on here are in fantastic locations, and are really cheap to attend, but have very few or no facilities. So what then?

I usually do sites with facilities as a first choice, but it would be nice if we could attract more scaredy cats like me to the rallies!

Zoe


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## bobandjane (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi Zoe we have two 85ah leisure batteries and can go 3 days or more if that fails out comes the gennie, we have a spare cassette for the toilet and waste tank only fills up as far as the over flow which is ok on grass, waters the main problem as we like a shower every day! I think if you are on a rally field a gennie is a must or solar panel if you only go on a hot sunny weekend. bsb2000 was on here yesterday selling one the same as mine. Good Luck Bob.


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## 108526 (Nov 29, 2007)

Is it really easy to fit another battery then, and at what cost?
Do the two batteries need to be the same type, age etc?

Zoe


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## RobMD (May 9, 2005)

First off is to fit a Second Battery if at all possible, it isn't an expensive option and does help a lot.

Loo isn't too much of a problem as a suitable place can usually be found to empty it (and I Don't Mean downs drains etc.). Ours lasts around 3 days, and we use an Eco Friendly additive, so no problem with Septic Tanks or similar.

We rarely watch TV, and our Solar Panel generally keeps our Lecky Power topped-up.

Water can be our biggest problem as out Tank is very small, but as long as there is a tap within walking distance it isn't too much of a problem as I then put a couple of bucketsfull in daily.

All our internal lighting is Fluorescent, and our Awning Light is LED, so not too much power used there.

Gas is via 2 x 6Kg Gaslow Bottles (couldn't fit any bigger) and is sufficient for our use.

Consequently, we only use Hook-Up if we are paying for it anyway! Otherwise we manage O.K. (although in the colder weather we may use an Hook-Up so we can keep the elec. heating on all the time).


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## artona (Jan 19, 2006)

Hi

So where does motorhoming fall between camping and a hotel room :lol: 

Seriously I think its like anything - the more experience you get the more you know what is needed. We are looking to become totally off-grid so that we do not need leccy. As campsites go up and up in price we want to be able to live on campsites with low fees because they do not offer leccy.

We also love the idea of being self efficient. Out of interest Flamborough was the first MHF rally where there has not been an obvious place to empty the loo/waste, there might have been but G's mention has made me wonder, Southport might be the next, in fact I wonder if there is water there?


stew


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## Steamdrivenandy (Jun 18, 2007)

I remember PMing Lady J at the beginning of the season with our concerns about attending rallies because we have no real onboard shower and a 12V only compressor fridge.

I can't find her reply but if I remember correctly she did extract a few where there were more facilities.

Anyway we've attended two already and are booked for two more and we've enjoyed ourselves.

So, go on, dip a toe in and see.

Andy


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## TinaGlenn (Jul 7, 2006)

We have a couple of 40 watt solar panels on the roof to recharge the leisure battery in the van, there isn't space to put a 2nd battery but in all the times we have camped without EHU we have never run out of power. We changed all of the hallogen bulbs to LED's, and only use the lights we need, and changed our TV to a smaller flat screen. Although it is only used when the weather is bad and we put a DVD on or when Glenn is watching the news and weather.
We usually find our cassette lasts 3 days or 4 if we are carefull with flushing. We have got used to showering in a very small amount of water, only using it to get wet and then to rinse rather than letting the water run non stop.
We have a gas BBQ which is used a lot, but have also got used to cooking all kinds of meals on the hob, my double skillett has been the best buy ever for the van, although we do also have an oven.

Tina


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## 108526 (Nov 29, 2007)

Thats exactly what I mean Stew, What things have you put in place to make you more self sufficient, as we all know its a family you have and a really big vehicle now, what have you done to keep yourself hook up free for more than a day?

If you boil your water on gas, how do you stop everything tasting funny?


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

It's all about managing your energy resources.

We've attended rallies for several days, stopped on car parks, used aires and stellplatz etc. but never had an energy problem, it's all about knowing how much energy you have and knowing how much you are using.

The most difficult thing to manage is the WC emptying but it's unusual to have no WC emptying on a rally field. Habitual wild-campers will carry a spare cassette to double their capacity (and piddle in the hedge whenever possible).

We've two leisure batteries, an 80w solar panel and all LED lighting on the current van and so far we've had no problem whatsoever despite heavy use of satellite TV on occasions, however here are some tips for saving energy:

Ensure your leisure battery is in top condition (replace every couple of years if unsure).
Fit LED lamps to your most-used light fittings.
Use an LED headlamp if you like reading in bed.
If you only have one battery and like your TV, use a 7" TV instead of a 15".
Use the laptop off it's own battery when possible and re-charge every time you have a mains supply.
Don't use anything off an inverter (especially things like hair dryers etc.).
Lock the kids out of the van during daylight hours. 8) 
Fit a solar panel and an additional leisure battery.
Carry a small gennie and run it for an hour each day for the battery charger. If there is more than one of you on site, use the same gennie to charge several vans at once - and do it during the day when most folk are out and about. Offering other campers a hook-up to your gennie will usually keep complaints to a minimum.

The worst battery drainer in cold weather is the fan for the blown air heating, vans with a gas convector heater are a great advantage for winter wild-campers.

As Artona says, it gets easy with experience.


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## artona (Jan 19, 2006)

Hi

_If you boil your water on gas, how do you stop everything tasting funny?_ put the water into a kettle Zoe :lol: :lol: :lol: sorry could not resist :lol:

Water - its usually your tank which makes the water taste horrible and so a lot of people will use the water in their tank for washing and then use old lemonade bottles or more usually the 5 litre water bottles you get from supermarkets for drinking water. Others use milton tablets to clean out their tanks. We fitted a nature pure water filter in our last van and will be doing the same agaim. The nature pure one uses military technology and at boat shows they suck water from the canal through it and then drink that water.

Batteries - we have a bank of three leisure batteries in the van system for lighting etc. We also have two more 110amp hour batteries that are used for laptop and printers. In the future we will be fitting two large solar panels which will switch between the two banks. I was looking at a solar installation yesterday that even though it was very cloudy and dull was pumping in 7 amps. We are also looking at wind generators. I think a cheap genny as an emergency is a must. LadyJ has one battery and a small solar panel and has no problem for days on end.

Another addition could be the smart chargers, Dabs is an expert on these but in principle they link to your engine battery and when you are driving once the engine battery is fully charged the alternator still thinks it needs more but in reality it is charging your leisure batteries.

TVs need looking at (thats what they are there for lol)- some 12v ones actually use more power than a 240v through an invertor.

stew


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## teckie (Feb 25, 2007)

Hi Zoe... we were at Elvaston too from Thursday lunch till Sunday tea time (thought you were going to visit us !!! I had the kettle on waiting all weekend :roll: We didn't have any problems with anything (only the Derby weather)  Tank full of water, 2 x 85Ah batteries one for the water pump and lights..other for TV (approx 3 or4 hours a day) and charging Mobile phones via Inverter and emergency Gennie hidden away just in case... toilet no problem. With around 30 years rally experience we should know how to manage !, We hardly use sites with all facilities and don't like having to pay 20 quid a night to sleep on someone's grass !  


Vardy...

So you were at Elvaston then ! Surprised you didn't see my MHF poster proudly on display in the front window ! (We were exhibitors there just outside the Model Marquee) You could have had that cuppa that Zoe missed :lol: 

Cheers

Teckie


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## bobandjane (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi I think you should have put all your Rally Co-ordinators on a course Ken. Its little things like the outside light going on and off all night just put a switch on it, I should say you only have an 85ah leisure battery the same as we had.your best bet is do as we did take the seat out and see if like us you can turn the battery the other way and get 2 under there,if not put the other 1 as close as possible maybe under the other seat or under the bunk but as close as you can. Good Luck Bob.

Talking about headlights one of our daughters brough us these lights that clip on your book which are very handy!


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## 108526 (Nov 29, 2007)

This isn't all about me bobandjane  , it just seems that theres alot of tips and advice on here even for the most travelled amongst us. And I like it when we come together and share :wink:


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## carol (May 9, 2005)

Zoe68 said:


> Thats exactly what I mean Stew, What things have you put in place to make you more self sufficient, as we all know its a family you have and a really big vehicle now, what have you done to keep yourself hook up free for more than a day?
> 
> If you boil your water on gas, how do you stop everything tasting funny?


Zoe why should it taste funny? Stew has a nature pure which filters water (and we have fitted one to the new mh as I drink water all the time and it saves having to lug it around....

But previously I boiled the kettle and tea was fine

If yours tastes odd, perhaps you need to do a good clean of your freshwater tank and get some tablets for it, drive it around and empty it and then refill and empty and then try it again, it may take a couple of times to get rid of the purifying tablets.

Carol

Carol


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## 107088 (Sep 18, 2007)

I have a very simple method of dealing with Rally type circumstances.


I have a 75 gallon water tank, so thats good for 3 days.

My toilet is a 50 gallon tank.

I have a 65 gallon grey water tank.

And I got 125 litres of LPG.......so far as battery charging ...( and this is where I am going to admit risque behavior ) I set my genny going during the day to recharge. This is inboard and as quiet as they come, it only just ticks over when charging batteries, and takes about 30 minutes to fully charge the batteries when they're 3/4 used.

Mind you, getting to Rallys is the more awkward of the jobs I have, what with 8mpg and only the largest of entry gates is suitable, oh and A roads....and wet soggy grass isnt good either....and small areas to turn round....

OK.. I dont go to many rallys.


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## Steamdrivenandy (Jun 18, 2007)

bandaid said:


> I have a very simple method of dealing with Rally type circumstances.
> 
> I have a 75 gallon water tank, so thats good for 3 days.
> 
> ...


Bandaid's Anthem

Give me 30 acres and I'll turn this rig around


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## 107088 (Sep 18, 2007)

Excuse me......30 acres...



closer to 35 if truth be known.....I took the hgv test, but I fancy I should have taken a master mariners ticket.....certainly has the turning circle of a super tanker...... 8O  :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## 108987 (Jan 2, 2008)

artona said:


> Southport might be the next, in fact I wonder if there is water there?stew


Just checked what the Southport rally has and hasnt

Waste Drainage Facilities: Y 
Electrical Hookups: N 
Fresh Water: Y 
WC Emptying Facility: Y 
Hardstandings: Y

This will be our 2nd rally.


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## havingfun (Oct 31, 2007)

Hi, 
don't use sites ever,only rally meets shows and wild.Just done 5weeks wild camping round Ireland.surviving on regular top-ups for water,Food ect.but we do have a SOG Toilet and a 80lt.lpg tank under the floor this we toped just once (23lts.)as lpg is difficult to find in Southern Ireland.not a problem in UK & Europe.Now planning the next big trip "Europe"6months, 

still"Havingfun"


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Hi

We are just two and we are ex tent campers so we know how to be frugal with light and power, we rarely use sites and if we do we don't often use or need a hook up... we often do 5 days without a drive charge on two 85 amp batteries ...one wired to the necessities and one to provide entertainment (tv ect) if we flatten the TV battery we dont watch any more TV :wink: . I also use the vehicle battery for the laptop and internet via a device that always leaves enough power to start the engine. We have fluorescent lights as well as halogen but in a "make it last situation" just one florescent light at night is fine... switch off the spot lights they eat the power or if we get a summer sit out under the awning with some candles... very romantic ..always get me in the mood ...... for sleep I mean :lol: 

We never have the water heater on unless using the shower ...just heat a small quatity of water in the kettle to have an old fashioned all over wash, or often use the water as it is COLD...that really wakes you up :lol: ... some of you needed to have be around before plumbing was widespread to know what I mean :lol: ....if you have the water heater on you will use far too much water waiting for it to get hot to the tap :wink: 

The cassette can last us that time too, longer sometimes, But we do walk and cycle around a lot and always take the opportunity of using any decent loo's that we come across on the way ( we stop at a lot of pubs :lol: ) .... ok its not at your own convenience :roll: but you get the idea :wink: 

BIG TIP... the cassette will fill up very fast if you are not careful with the flush... so don't use it ... I have given this tip so many times it is getting boring :lol: ...get a trigger spray , fill it with water and some nice smelly stuff ...set it at a jet and use it to spray the bowl clean...it is very efficient without adding hardly anything to the contents of the cassette.....much more efficient than the normal flush.

Be careful when planning meals, or eat outside from the BBQ ...it takes far less water to wash up if you only have one pot and two plates to wash, think about it before you start cooking.

I can't think of any more tip at the moment ...... except perhaps leave the kids with Grandma, kids absorb power just by being there and they love to flush ... ( only joking :lol: )

Mike


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## artona (Jan 19, 2006)

Hi

_BIG TIP... the cassette will fill up very fast if you are not careful with the flush... so don't use it ... I have given this tip so many times it is getting boring Laughing ...get a trigger spray , fill it with water and some nice smelly stuff ...set it at a jet and use it to spray the bowl clean._

of course real, real campers use wet wipes :lol: :lol: 

stew


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

artona said:


> of course real, real campers use wet wipes :lol: :lol:
> 
> stew


Yep right on Stew ...forgot them, a couple of packs of babies non perfumed wipes is always part of our kit ( tesco ones are good). Multi purpose too... they will wipe all ...they do on babies 8O

But don't whatever you do DO NOT put them down the cassette... do as they do in Greece bin em.

Mike


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## mangothemadmonk (Aug 6, 2006)

We wildcamp all the time now.

We have two 80amp batteries and an 85w solar panel.

We have two toilet cassettes and I know its doesn't sound good but we do like we used to do in Greece and throw used toilet paper in a nappy bag and into the bin so its more room in the cassette. Some places where we stop have local toilets nearby. As we don't use chemicals in the toilet we pour down public conveniences (make sure the place is empty before hand), SOGs are great until you come to empty the cassette. (We only do this as a last resort and if both cassettes are full).

We fill the water tank fully before we go unless its a place we've been to before and know where we can get water from, just to save on weight = fuel consumption..

We empty our waste water down grids. I know some people frown at this but its only washing up water and bathing water.

We shower economically (wet, turn off, wash hair and lather up then rinse).

We changed most of the halogen bulbs to LED bulbs .

We have a 60 ltr gas tank and most of our appliances run of gas when wildcamping, fridge, hob/oven/BBQ, hot water.

We have 12v LCD tv sat and DVD which we use quite a bit. This is an Avtex and made for the leisure market so lowish power consumption.

We can get 3 days easy from the above. We only usually stop a couple of days max and then move on so we can get the batts charged up on a run.

If you are a member of the CC and C you can use their facilities for upto 3 hours for a £5 I think.

The best thing to do is stay local for a weekend and use like you would anywhere else and see how long things last and that gives you a starting point or at least the knowledge of how long on average your van amenities will give you.

Johnny F


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Hi

Just another thought on this problem... those of us who seem to have little problem using our vans for a few days without a hook up have by now worked out just what uses the most power and what to use and what not to use..... also we will have batteries that are in fine fettle...they have to be or we will end up in the dark on the second night. 

So what is the point I am making... it is this ...if you always camp with a hook up you will probably have batteries that are on the way out due to bad maintenance, overcharging and general neglect.... not your fault I know :roll: 

Also many of the motorhomes being produced today cannot stray far from a hook up as the power requirements for the van as delivered are only satisfied by having a hook up available ....or god forbid a generator :evil: 

Learn to love your battery...It will return the affection amply
mike


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## Steamdrivenandy (Jun 18, 2007)

spykal said:


> Learn to love your battery...It will return the affection amply
> mike


Mike,

When you say 'love your battery' what exactly do you mean?

We've got two leisure 80 ampers under the front seats but I'm blowed if I'm snuggling up and cuddling them :roll: They're just there and we use 'em when we need 'em and that's it really, apart from making sure we minimise demand when we can.

As they're under the front seats there's not really anything you can do to them that requires access. So what should I be doing to develop this relationship that I'm not doing already?

Andy


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## nukeadmin (Oct 10, 2003)

the biggest and best addon you can do on a van to enhance your power is to add another battery.

always remembering to add batteries of the same capacity in Ahs and also the correct method is to install sets of batteries at the same time, i.e. if you have a 1yr old battery in your van and you want to add another then you really need to bin that battery and install 2 new ones.

Some other little helping tips from Jue and I fulltiming
1. An LCD TV uses a lot less power than a similar sized CRT model
2. Switch off the water pump on your control panel once you have used it (Lesson learned by monitoring usage on a Victron battery monitor)
3. Paper plates save on water


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## Steamdrivenandy (Jun 18, 2007)

Thanks for that Dave.

Mmmm, I've had my van for just on 2 years, but it was a demonstrator for RWT for 3 months before that.

I had a second leisure battery (same size) installed about a year or so after the van was originally converted.

So now we have one 28 month old and one 15 month old battery. Is this a problem and what should I expect :? 

SDA


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## nukeadmin (Oct 10, 2003)

well i am no battery expert lol, but as a battery ages and has been charged / discharged multiple 100s of times the battery no longer charges to max capacity and deteriorates

So (and no doubt one of our resident experts will correct me) if you have an old battery in situ parallel mounted with a brand new battery then the issue you get is the new battery isn't being charged to its full potential.

Remembering that even if you have a 120Ah battery you only get a maximum usable capacity of 60Ah without damaging the battery slightly

lol I am always loathe to put anything techy on as always someone out there who is much wiser technically who will correct you


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## Steamdrivenandy (Jun 18, 2007)

Thanks Nuke,

How long should I expect the batteries to last under 'normal' ( :?: what's normal :?: ) circumstances. I notice one brand on ODB has a 5 year guarantee.

Shame Frunk isn't around, he'd have loved a query like this  

Andy


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## 108526 (Nov 29, 2007)

Bodandjane sent me this by PM and I thought there might be bits in here that are useful to. It seema to me that if I go and get myself another battery fitted, I'm just about sorted, 

" As I said I think another battery will do the job,a lot of people go on about solar panels, I would not bother, they are a lot of money and unless you are going to be off Electric hook up for a long time without moving, its money down the drain,when I mention Generator most of the time they bit my head off, but on a rally field great charge the batteries and turn it off, Kens gennie is about the cheapest one I have seen, mine is a Kiper (cheap honda look a like) about £200 I think and does the job, Solar Panels that do anygood on a sunny day £5/600. Its not often we go to rallies we went to Peterborough show with MHF 3 1/2 days on battery and we will be coming back from France early and straight to the Global Rally, we spend very little time in the uk but when we are in France or Germany staying on aires france passion we never worry if we have Electric or not, where as some will not go anywhere without electric. That was a good tip about running one Generator and all charge our batteries,thats another tip take a 3 pin uk adaptor with you when you hear one start up run over with you adaptor and lead and plug in the socket in their van. water use as little as you can we shower every day but we have just been to Denmark and the ACSI sites you get a shower inc they give you a swipe card with credit 2 swipes for a shower and you get 45 seconds a swipe its a job for Jane washing her hair! but you do learn to be quick. When I wash up in the van run very little in the sink and use a sponge we your bubbles and rinse off,just remember that the more water you use the more waste you get try not to flush the loo more than you need. We use to have a caravan when our girls were young and you had to try not watch to much TV to save battery, we have a TV but most of the time in Europe we watch DVDs on the Laptop but not through a inverter they use a lot of power get an power thing from Maplins they use less power. I could carry on all night and thats without a drink, I better not start on about Gaslow but even when its cold with the heating on I try not run the fan just the gas and save the battery. Good Luck Bob.

Thanks Bob some good info there

Thanks everyone else aswell this is becoming quite an education


Thanks

Zoe


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Steamdrivenandy said:


> Snipped :- When you say 'love your battery' what exactly do you mean?
> They're just there and we use 'em when we need 'em


Hi SDA

sorry for the slow reply ... so busy in Nuke Towers recently :wink:

Well in your words "They're just there and we use 'em when we need 'em " may mean that you do not love them at all  you do not monitor the voltages or the electrolyte levels... you may have never checked the SG of the cells... 
Thats Ok you don't yet have a real relationship going with them do you...you just use and dare I say abuse them :wink: ...which is OK by me but think of those cells all neglected and sorely abused like that... maybe get a multi-stage charger.. or check if yours is already multi stage. When the van is home do some de sulphating with a charger designed to do that...it is a bit like a having a facial or going to health spa .. it perks them up for weeks. 
When using them make sure that you do not work them too hard, check on the stress levels and ease up if they are looking a bit limp.. a 50% usage of their capacity is as far as I try to push them ..you would do well to do the same.

So I say it again "Learn to love your battery it will repay you in ample amps".... watt you waiting for , you know it makes sense.

mike


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## boringfrog (Sep 22, 2006)

*Maplins*

Hi Zoe,
We use a laptop to watch DVDs etc, what are these power "things" from Maplins you are on about. You got a link?.

Ian and Dawn


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## Steamdrivenandy (Jun 18, 2007)

spykal said:


> [ so busy in Nuke Towers recently :wink:
> 
> Just typical spend all day sucking up to the boss, did you get a good look at that new secretary on the 15th floor?
> 
> ...


SDA :?


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## Tucano (Jun 9, 2006)

Someone, or everyone even, please tell me that I am right in thinking that :-
whilst driving only the vehicle battery is being charged up, unless you have a battery to battery charger fitted which will then charge up the leisure batteries also. So, to charge up the leisure batteries you must use an EHU, in my van I have to ensure that I set the control box to leisure battery or I still wont get the things charged up.
It will be easier when I sell the van, yours in ignorance.
IF I manage to sell it that is  :roll: 
Norman


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

No can do, Norman :-(

With a box standard split-charge relay your leisure batteries are being charged by the alternator.

Dave


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## Tucano (Jun 9, 2006)

Thank you for your prompt reply Dave
Norman


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## Steamdrivenandy (Jun 18, 2007)

I wasn't sure Norman, van electrics are a mystery to me.

I do recall when we ran out of fridge and fan heater at a showground in Scooterland we drove home and had wamps and vatts of power from the leisure batteries when we arrived so it can't just charge from EHU.

SDA


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## Tucano (Jun 9, 2006)

Thank you Andy Mr Hymer owner :roll:


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## Steamdrivenandy (Jun 18, 2007)

TUCANO said:


> Thank you Andy Mr Hymer owner :roll:


I wish!

I think we've a long road ahead to get to that Norm. Mind I'm practicing my heel clicks already and I've put a long black leather coat on my Christmas list :lol:

Take care Norm.

Andy


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## bobandjane (Dec 29, 2007)

Re boringfrog 
Hi Ian and Dawn This is what you need. Good Luck Bob.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ModuleNo=36836&doy=11m7


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## Hampshireman (Apr 18, 2007)

We don't have a loo or shower. One leisure battery only and who wants TV while camping? It's like people camping with microwaves, that's not camping!

Read, draw, puzzles, scrabble - plenty of things to do.

3 Fluorescent lights inside and we rarely use more than 1. Standby recharged lanterns in the box.

Therefore rallies for us are limited to sites with toilets, that's all we need for a couple of days.


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## Chris_s (Jun 5, 2008)

Some great tips Gaspode!

A cooking one that I might add is that I use a steamer pan set - Argos - steamer pan set - similar to this one. It means I can cook a whole meal for the two of us (or more people with a larger set) on just one gas ring. I use one at home too for economy! The top tiers also double as a colander.

Might need to look at buying an extra toilet cassette!
Cheers
Chris


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