How to thrive on a non 240v site!

Kevlon.  What you need to take into account is when is your Caravanning  season?   If you go away May, June and July then you are not presenting your system with that much of a challenge.  I would of thought that one battery is adequate.  I guess you have proved that to yourself.  I assume after 3 days away your battery was fully charged rather than being on its last legs?  Chances are that your battery is fully by about 10am.

It is a different situation if you like us go away for 4 nights over New Year.  In that case I found with our roof mounted panel I don't see the voltage start to rise until about 9 30 and stops after about 2pm.  It is only between those times when the sun is actually high enough for it to strike the solar panel.  I have 2 batteries fitted in parallel for that situation.  I accept that I am running at a debt in the sense that the batteries are at a lower state of charge at the end of the stay than at the beginning.   TBH this year I actually charged one of the batteries during the stay, but I think that it would have Lasted without.  I might fit a free standing panel to augment the fixed panel for use in the depths of winter but then again for consecutive weekends away the current setup works  during the depths of winter. 

Boff

I think it's fair to say that you are dealing with the extremes regarding your active season whereas the majority of users mothball their system throughout the winter months. We usually start around April through until October. My aim is to tailor my system to my needs (as you are). I feel the important issue is to convince those who are undecided about the benefits and relatively low costs involved in in installing a solar system.

My non-scientific observation is that the period April to October is exactly the period when our Solar setup copes easily,  by that I mean the battery is fully charged by about mid-day.  Obviously everyone's usage is different.  I deliberately haven't gone down the inverter route so perhaps my usage is going to be less than yours, but it sounds to me you have a system that works for you.  Which is great. 

Boff, no umbrage take, of course

like you, its the convenience and flexibility which is what we seek, and irrespective of the payback period, this is what we get....so happy

A few people have suggested that the club should promote off grid caravanning, either for economical or environmental reasons.  Some of you will have thought that there is no chance of this happening.

Following the rebranding exercise it appears that the club values are the following.

Pioneer

Inspire

Simplify

Inclusive

So isn't it time that the club stood up for these values because I think that going off grid just about fits into each of those categories.  So to stop it being yet more empty words and in terms that the Marketing types will understand:

You have talked the talk, isn't it about time you walked the walk?

trouble is, it doesnt fit with the majority of the the club site offerings.

however, a 'non-ehu' pricing system shouldnt be beyond the club, even C&CC can do this @ £4.10 per night.....so £28.70 saving a week, not bad.

I don't look for a return on the monies I have spent on items that allow me to go off grid. The fact that the Gaslow system allows me cheap gas and my solar panel and twin batteries give me "free" electricity is just a bonus. Convenience and the freedom to camp anywhere is what these items give me.
I have been off grid camping for over 25 years and in those early years sacrifices had to be made. Now, with a solar panel, I can keep my batteries topped up and charge up all the electric gismos we now can't do without and still watch the Grand Prix! I regularly do up to 12 days off grid, remaining static, with no problems. That is mainly March to October and for those other months I would be looking for EHU if camping more than 3-4 nights because the heating system is power hungry and long nights require a bit more tely.
I am shortly going off on a UK 6 week tour and only have 1 weekend and 1 week booked at events, the rest I will just turn up. My style of camping won't suit everyone but it is out there to be tried.
ps, Why let a hair drier rule your camping.

Excellent post boff, but, however much I want to think of me being 'included ' in the club, I don't really believe I am.  There are various reasons for that, not least of all the clubs reluctance to supply SENSIBLY priced pitches for those of us who have embraced the modern technologies and find that they really do work in the modern caravan. I would say the the club must be worried about the new technologies but they can rest assured! - If the average caravaner is the standard article. I have spoken to many an EHUer over the past 3 or 4 years and have found almost to a man that they are either locked into the orange cable and Calor or they are totally disbelieving of what I tell them. The vast majority of caravanners are set in their ways and have no incling of the fact that things have changed and no real attempt by the club has been made to alter that- why should they- why would they? Over two years ago I asked the clubs editorial dept to come and interview me, to photograph my van and the type of equipment in it and to write an unbiased article on the modern day ease of 'going off grid'. Not one entitled ' Back to Basics!!!'  I rang them again in the Autumn of last year to remind them and again I was promised some movement. I am still waiting!! Surprise surprise!! So, we who have done it and understand what it means to go off grid and be just as comfortable will just have to enjoy it for ourselves- uncluttered sites and very little difficulty booking them! - oh, and very reasonable fees! 

i think a while back MMM did an article featuring Clive Mott's Concorde, which is brimming with 'off gridding' equipment...

however, this was obviously aimed at motorhomers who are a little more adventurous when it comes to not being a slave to club sites and orange cables.

with CC, the core member plumps for typical site with a plentiful (paid for) electric supply and, as such, sees no reason to consider how to 'do things' differently, they work perfectly for them via hook up.

however, there are others out there who, whilst being members of the club, dont see these sites as their primary choices....

its these vanners who may choose non-ehu sites (CL/CS/THS and Aires overseas) and will investigate their options for making these work for them....investing to save money...

Kelvon, I think you describe the satisfaction of a job well done very well. Thank you. However, I must make one point having read the various posts since I last visited  this thread. We , the liberated few, know that power is a valuable resource and where ever power can be saved, and in this context I am talking about electrical power gathered from the sun, we should use another resource. That is LPG. (Safefill and Gaslow type systems) Boiling a kettle is definitely the job of LPG as is the fridge unless you happen to have a compressor fridge and an SP of at least 200w but that's another discussion. I am so pleased that you have discovered that total feeling of freedom, and caravanning as it should be done!