Camper set up - anyone got anything similar

We are in process of redoing our RH drive Devon camper to suit us which will be predominantly for 1 to 3 night trips throughout the year. We don't want to rely on electric hook ups but want a fridge, cooker, sink and heating. We wish to retain the walk through.

So far we have sorted the bed by swapping out the Devon affair for a full width Rusty Lee. We have also moved the spare wheel out to give more width. The original headbanger and rear offside cupboards are still in place. A 100Ah leisure battery has been installed on a basic split charge relay.

We are thinking along the lines of a short offside kitchen unit for the sink cooker and waeco type fridge. On the near side, a buddy seat to house the ports potti for when royalty travels

To maximise interior space I am thinking along the lines of an underslung gas tank and underslung gas propex feeding into cab and rear existing vents (making current problematic heat exchangers redundant) This I think will also minimise cutting holes in the bus with just a gas pipe for the cooker.

If this set up is doable I think I can save money, space and holes by not needing a 240v hook up as we are not worried about TVs, hairdryers and the like!

Do you think this will work? Anyone got similar set up?

My leisure battery is on a ctek at home - will the battery cope with the draw of the fridge, propex, water pump, LED lights, radio and phone chargers? Or will I need to consider a solar panel to top up.

Cheers

 

If you are doing all that then surely a simple 240 v hookup solves a lot of you worries about battery draw, why are you against installing a hookup,just a thought

 

Cos I don't want to be tied to finding camp sites with hook ups! A few of my weekends are away with my canoe club where we camp as a group rather than individual pitches and rarely have EHUs.

 

sounds like what im aiming for, but im realising with a full width bed, storage is going to be minimal. alsdo id like both front seats to swivel. and i do have 240 hook up,

 

If it was me I would defenatly fit a hookup for when and if there is power, I would fit an inverter to run things on the go ie fridge, Tv etc and for when you are at the canoe club a solar panel

 

Yes storage is going to be tight and one of the reasons I am looking to get gas tank and heater underneath as well as save space of hookup. I know you use roof space for little ones, but I plan to put a removable shelf across pop top above seat so I can sling bags and coats etc up there. I thought about swivelling seats but don't think they will work with kitchen unit and buddy seat set up!

 

if the leisure battery and solar panel can cope with fridge and propex and other bits then I can't see the point of 240v as it is not going to be used.

 

Ive got full width bed, removeable cooker, sink, pumped water, cupboard for the toilet, propex in the walkthrough but hoping to put that undermeath. Gas under the bed and water in under cooker cabinet. Got a three way fridge in there as i already had that, got two swivel front seats.

Anyway... Its ok but a bit short on storage. Im probably going to put a small headbanger in and some sort of storage behind passenger seat that moves when the seats facing backwards.

 

Oh yes. Id have 240, its useful to keep the battery topped up at home, keep a small heater going to keep it all dry in there and does the fridge when at home pre setting off . All useful if your on a site with hook up. No biggy to carry a lead.

Incidentally, leisure battery a must. My fridge runs on 12 volt when driving. Cant advise on the leccy only fridge.

 

Mines home brew interior and still a work in progress. but will see if i can find some pics

 

Do you mean the whole kitchen unit with cooker and sink is removeable. Do you ever take them out? Saw something similar being sold by firm at Brighton Breeze which looked great but when we thought about it we couldn't see us ever taking it out.

 

we have just been talking about our interior, all original Weetabix devon tin top. all units down one side, tall one at rear door and headbanger up above.
if I were to re-do the interior I would just remove the headbanger and the tall rear unit, we don't use them anyway.
I would love to chuck in a weaco fridge where the water bottles go. we have split charge circuit and 240v.

your battery would cope for a weekend but it would be better putting in 240v and connecting your ctec to it, you may never use 240v but for the cost and the time it would take you to fit it I would do it. plug/consumer unit wiring £50 ish and 1 to 2 hours, that's how long it takes us non electricians.....

 

leisure battery is already in. Have 240v in garage and run ctek constantly whilst at home. Can also run heater from garage. Hook up lead is something else to find space for

 

we use head banger and rear cupboard so will definitely be keeping those.

 

No its not but only cos of fridge really. If going waeco it should be perfectly feasible to have a lift in unit although it would be quite large. No... My cooker unplugs so i can use it outside.

 

So do you then have to move gas bottle out from under the bed to run it?

 

No ive got another connection next to the door but the bottle unplugs too so i could use it away from the van

 

Nice touch

 

I run a compressor fridge a propex heater radio and led lighting off a 100amp/h battery fine for a long weekend but to keep it topped up I also have a 80w solar panel we have gone 6 days before moving on and still had a good battery

We have 230v hookup and built in charger but only ever use it to fully charge the battery before we go

 

That is great to hear. So I am thinking along right lines
There seems to be a trend here that putting in 240v even if not using to camp - but purely for convenience of charging at home.