Caravanning

A 12V fridge running around the clock is usually the biggest single draw and often accounts for 100–130Ah a day on its own. Add lights, the water pump, device charging and a TV, and 240Ah is a realistic starting point for extended off-grid touring. If you're running an inverter for a coffee machine, induction cooktop or air conditioner, step up to 360Ah or 480Ah.

As a rough guide:

• 100–120Ah: weekends away, fridge and lights, powered sites between trips
• 240Ah: extended off-grid touring with a fridge, lights, pump and device charging
• 360Ah: adding an inverter for a coffee machine, induction cooktop or microwave
• 480Ah: long-term free camping, heavy inverter use, or running an air conditioner

Tell us what you want to run and we'll size it properly — it takes about five minutes on the phone.

Two things matter more in a van than anywhere else: payload and usable capacity. LiFePO4 delivers close to its full rated Ah, where lead-acid and AGM shouldn't be discharged much past half — so a 100Ah AGM realistically gives you around 50Ah usable. Lithium is also far lighter for the same usable capacity, which counts when you're already close to your ATM.

Sometimes. It depends on the charge profile and voltages your current charger uses, and a lead-acid profile can shorten a lithium battery's life or damage it outright. Send us the model and we'll give you a straight answer rather than a guess.

For a hardwired caravan kit, most people use an auto electrician or caravan technician. A portable power station or battery box needs no installation at all, which is why they suit camper trailers, hire vans, and anyone who'd rather not cut into their van.

The larger units in our range are specified to run caravan air conditioners, coffee machines and induction cooktops. Runtime depends on the unit's capacity and how hard the aircon is working. Call us with your aircon model and we'll work out the numbers with you.

Roof panels do the heavy lifting while you're parked, but the moment you pull into shade the roof stops producing — and in an Australian summer, you will park in shade. A folding solar blanket on a lead lets you chase the sun while the van stays cool. Remember that amps are what charge a battery, not watts: roughly, 100W is around 5A and 300W around 15A.

Yes. LiFePO4 batteries can be connected in parallel to increase total capacity, and several of our power stations take expansion batteries. Match model, capacity and age for the best result, and talk to us before mixing old and new.

A caravan kit is installed into the van and becomes its power system, charging automatically from the alternator, solar and mains. A power station is a self-contained unit you carry in and out. Kits suit long-term touring and higher loads. Power stations suit flexibility, smaller setups, and doubling as home blackout backup.

LiFePO4 cycles into the thousands of charges, against a few hundred for lead-acid, so for most caravanners that's many years of touring rather than a replacement every couple of seasons. Cycle life varies by model — check the figure on the specific product page.