How to thrive on a non 240v site!

I’m new to motor -homing and I have never gone off grid before. I have a 120w solar panel fitted to the roof, so that I can keep my 2 -110w batteries charged up. I m told I need an inverter. 

1 what size inverter do I need?

2. Where is the best place to purchase these from?

3. How much should I expect to pay?

4. Where do I plug these in or how do I use them?

It depends on what you intend to use it. The purpose of an inverter is to run stuff that cannot be run on 12v. Basically toaster, hairdryer and microwave, although the first can be done with gas and the second with 12V but it probably grow faster than you can dry it.

Cost depends on the output. Installation is best left to an expert if you want a trouble free experience. Like you, I'm new to MH, also with 120w of solar but atm only one leisure battery. I'm also thinking of an inverter for the microwave.

Take a step back.  Why do you need an inverter?    What are you going to be running on it?   An inverter converts 12v D.C. power into 240v AC power.  As such it can potentially hammer your batteries   I have heard of people installing inverters to charge phones or toothbrushes.   Most things have 12v equivalents, so we don’t use an inverter, but we do charge phones kindles iPads even watch tv off ehu.  

I would of thought this time of year a120W SP is going to keep up with demand it will help slow down the rate of discharge but not stop it.  Six months time it will keep up fine.

I would if I were you work out your answers to the following questions, 

1 When am I going off grid and for how long?

2 What do I want run that is mains powered?  

3 Are there alternatives?  For example we have a microwave which we use on ehu, off ehu we could source an inverter to power it.  But I prefer to use it as a bread bin, and heat the milk for coffee in a pan and steam the veg  

Your requirements are personal so it is hard to say what you might need  

That's a really useful post, Boff, thank you for it. I'd been thinking that after buying our folding solar panel an inverter was next on the list, but am realising more & more that in our low-tech caravan, (microwave - wot microwave?), we probably don't actually need one. We can do most things on gas or 12v recharging, other than the oil-filled 700W radiator, which would need power exactly when the panel/inverter combination would be least able to power it, so we'll probably have to stick to off-grid in the kinder months. Even without the heater the van's still warmer than the tent we've been using up until last year!
Your post tends to confirm my thinking, and save money and stressing about how to make it work as a very non-tech minded operator!

Anthony, Boff's post is very sensible in that you should really ask the 'why/what' questions before divng in for an inverter.

we do many weeks a year off grid at CL or THS temp holiday sites and manage perfectly well with roof mounted 100w solar panel and two 95AH leisure batteries.

almost everything can be powered by gas or 12v.

....heat/hot water/hob/oven/hob kettle by gas

....lights/water pump/charging ipads etc by 12v

yes, we do have an inverter....it runs the Sky+ HD box (these are mains only these days) and the chargers for our electric bikes....

it is only 500w but manages these two tasks easily.

no microwave, no hairdryer (when offgrid, OH has short hair....)

one useful point, ensure tour panel charges the behicle battery as well as the leisure batteries, great for leaving van on the drive and maintaining cab battey even when using alarm etc.

also, be aware that some fancy head units (incl my whizzy Pioneer jobbie) can draw a massive amount of current (mine 1.8 amp) even when in 'standby' so remove 'security panel' or turn off isolation switch.

good luck. 

PS......Hedgehurst, cant you heat your van by gas, i was confused by your oil filled radiator comment, dont power this for hours from an inverter..... 

if you use this when in storage try and get a mains supply to the van.

no hairdryer (when offgrid, OH has short hair....)

Blimey, how quick does it regrow!  

Thanks for the check BB! It's a very basic caravan. The only heating is a portable oil filled job, very effective when on EHU, but when we're heading off grid it'll simply get left behind. As I said, we'll stick to the warmer months for off-grid trips, as I'm currently ( no pun intended) minded not to go for the inverter. My wife has fairly short hair too, so hair dryer won't be a problem. No TV, no microwave. (Good heavens, these people are back in the mid-20th century!) There's a gas hob, fridge, & water heater. We might upgrade our old battery radio to a 12v one, and really push the boat out, though!

It's only a tiny van, so that little oil heater kept us nicely warm in the raw April winds of NW Scotland this year. Sadly, subsequent ill health meant that was our only real trip this year, and we've only had the van since this time last year, so we're now planning 2018, both on & off grid.

On a snowy day in North Oxfordshire had time on my hands!
Just to let the non EHU/off grid fans know that Nick at clsites.co.uk has now listed all the non EHU sites in our Non Ehu database (Oct 2017 version).
He has given each CL listed a free Basic listing. This is the only site I know of where listings can be sorted by “no electric hookup”.
Our latest Non EHU Database V4 is here - added filter by postcode, also have produced a google map of all the Non EHU sites in the V4 list is here
You can zoom in and click on icons, will give CL name, address and hopefully a link to CAMC website listing

For heating in a tiny van - just turn the oven/ hob on .

Be warm in no time !

 NO  NO  NO  !!!!!! Carbon Monoxide IS A KILLER !!!