Campervan Hire

Electrical Safety

During Your Trip

Just like your home, campervans and motorhomes have a number of electrical systems to run the vehicle, refrigerators, air conditioners and other equipment. Learn how each of these systems work, and when they can be used

12v vs 240v

A 12V power is one that all motorhomes and campervans have installed to run a range of equipment (see below).

240V power requires a connection to an external power source that is usually found at camp grounds or caravan parks.

When the 12V auxiliary (house) battery has a healthy charge [11-14V] the following equipment will operate:

  • fridge
  • house lights
  • water pump
  • house radio/stereo if fitted
  • toilet flush
  • rangehood
  • house USB ports
  • ignition for the water heater, diesel heater and electric hob for campers where fitted.

The following require a 240V power connection to operate:

  • electric jug
  • toaster
  • microwave
  • 240V electric sockets
  • reverse cycle air conditioner (only motorhome with shower/toilet)

Battery

Generally, all campervans and motorhomes will have a 12v battery. The length of time the battery depends on the climate and how often it is used. The 12V house battery supplies power to the fridge, house lights, water pump, water heater, stove ignition for electric hobs and USB ports, if fitted. It also supplies power to the LCD screen, DVD player, rangehood and toilet flush system for campers that have them.

Although the house battery receives a trickle charge while driving, it is not sufficient to fully charge it. It is important that you book into a campground on your first night so you can plug into 240-volt power to fully charge your house battery. Then plug into a 240-volt campsite every two or so nights, for around 14 to 16 hours to fully charge the house battery and avoid it getting too low. Remember, the harder your battery works, the quicker it will drain. So, turn off any appliances you aren’t using.

The house battery is a deep cycle battery, separate to the vehicle engine battery. So, if you flatten the battery completely in the living area it will not affect the driving battery, however you will need to plug the vehicle into 240V mains power for the battery to fully recharge.

Solar

Some of the vehicles have solar panel backup. Solar power panels provide a trickle charge to the 12V house battery power supply only; much like the engine battery does when driving. The solar panels will not charge over and above the current draw on the battery, nor will they fully charge it.

How do I plug in to mains with an extension cord?

The 240V power inlet is located outside. The extension power cord provided with the vehicle is a 15AMP power lead which can only be used in caravan parks, you will not be able to plug into a domestic power outlet.

Generators

None of our campervan providers supply generators with their campervans or motorhomes and they do not allow generators to be used with their vehicles.

Expert Tip

To extend battery life while off-grid, we recommend you turn off any appliances you aren’t using, keep the fridge filled and at a low setting, park the vehicle in the shade (when there’s no solar).

Make sure that you have unplugged the 240V extension cord before moving the van or motorhome.

Other Things to Consider

During Your Trip

When Hiring a Campervan Hire