Solar Panels 1

Depends how much heating/hot water you use. Generally unless you are using refillable gas cylinders such as Safefill/Gaslow, it is cheaper to use on-site EHU. If going down the 'independent' route then the bigger the solar panel the better. It's not worth fitting one less than 80W and it wouldn't cost a great deal more to get one double that output. If you want a detailed account of life without the orange cable then Merve's your man.

A couple of observations

Gas it depends, Alde claim that a 6kg bottle should last a winter weekend, in my experience this is accurate.  So if you are using Calorlite you can add something like £12 per night to your site fee. Which is why people use either refillables or bigger bottles.  In the summer it's different because you aren't using much heating 

Solar panel imho like CY says the bigger the bettter same with battery. You will find the extra cost is minimal, if you shop arround.  Let Amazon or EBay be your friend. 

Its worth bearing in mind a freestanding panel is much more efficient when exposed to the sun than one mounted on the roof, this is particularly true in the winter months. 

If they aren't already fitted then Led lights are imho money well spent. 

I am sure other opinions will be along in a minute. 

I agree with CY, certainly if you are going to fit a solar panel go for a good sized one. I would also go for the largest battery you can fit when your current one wears out. FYI my requirements are similar to yours but I run two TVs from a 120w panel and charge a lap top via an inverter and the phones from 12v to USB plugs or from the USB output of the laptop.  I do have refillable gas cyclinders and save  between £4 to £5 less the cost of the exta gas used per night when off hook. In addition, at home, I have no need to worry about the batteries going flat when parked up.Currently I pay about 55p per litre of gas.

peedee

Just one thought.  Do you have a motor mover?  If so I think you will probably need a large battery anyway.

David 

Hi,

Many thanks for the replies, plenty to think about.  No, no motor mover, nor TV's.  Its literally, the lights, water pumps and charging up the gadgets when needed, and never all at once.  I was hoping one of those small 20W trickle chargers might do the job, especially in France.

Thanks!

Ian

We like most caravaners use the EHU when on site. As it is factored into the price you pay it makes economic sense to use it, rather than rapidly deplete your gas supply especially in winter. For that reason I cannot see how using your gas could be more economical. If you are on a site without EHU then of course you can do all the things mentioned using gas to minimise consumption and as other have said, use the biggest solar panel to maximise current generated. 

Colin

The economics of ehu and gas depend of course how much you save depends on how much less you are paying in site fees.  But for me money saving is not the only motivation for having the ability to go non ehu.

Wrt a 20W panel imho too small imho to do anything more than keep a battery topped up in storage. 

Thank you very much everyone for your replies!

the CCC run loads of THS (temporary holiday sites) throughout the year, making use of unused sports grounds, or similar, even during school hols.....

so they are cheap, no ehu, informal, plentiful and great fun.

a great place to make loads of savings with your new flexible outlook...

I use a 150w solar panel, also have a Safefill refillable cylinder, my local garage now closed, so having difficulty getting it filled, now using an 11kg Flo Gas cylinder. I use 5 van sites, rallies and temporary holiday sites, summer and winter with no EHU. Avtex TV uses just under 3 amp, so careful usage is OK