How to thrive on a non 240v site!

Hi Merve. The lithium batteries certainly do make a difference. I'm sure in a caravan they'd be even more useful by saving weight. 

My compressor fridge is a Waeco CR50, and it pulls about 40 Watts when the compressor is running. Depending on the ambient air temperature and how I've set the thermostat the cycle is around 15 to 20 minutes out of the hour. When the compressor isn't running it's using a minimal amount of power just for the electronics and an LED.

Thats around 25 to 30Ah a day as the cycle is greatly reduced at night when it's cooler. 

My solar setup is 4 x 100 Watt panels on the roof rack of my campervan. I'm currently re-working the mounts as they were permanently flat against the roof which doesn't help the efficiency. 

When it comes to food I tend to eat cereal, sandwiches, sweets and things that only require boiling water so I get away with the one gas ring, I'm still on the same gas bottle I got 5 years ago 

Having a carvery near to a campsite means I'll probably eat there instead. 

As for running an inverter for my microwave, I really don't want to draw that much power from these batteries as they're only rated for 40Amp continuous draw (so 80Amp for the two batteries together) and a microwave on the inverter would be around 100Amps. 

Lithium Ion!  The batteries would be worth more than the van.

It's that last paragraph that leaps from the page? I'll have to check that out! Thanks. 

Yeah, it's something that people don't really take note of.  Even lead acid batteries have a maximum discharge rate or you risk warping the plates. 

Merve with you being so into health with your distilled water - it surprises me that you use a microwave at all!  The one that came with my caravan sits in my box room and is used to heat my beanbag neck comforter occasionally! 

Very nearly, although as I've put over £16,000 of diesel in my van since I bought it then it's not that much at all 

They're really an investment for me, mainly due to the weight.

These lithium batteries fit my use case a lot better, have the useable capacity of at least 4 AGM batteries, weigh less (fuel saving as I use my campervan for my daily commute). Oh, and 2000 cycles to 80% rated capacity, whereas my AGM batteries probably only lasted for 1000 cycles before being completely unusable. 

Pippah, I switch it on and remove myself from the area!  Never ever stand in front of a microwave when it's on!

Well that's a start but I am guessing you eat the food you cook in it?  I have worked with a Molecular Biologist and he was more eloquent on the subject than I could ever be - suffice it to say I prefer the molecules in my food to be cooked they way they have been cooked for thousands of years.  You may think it's old fashioned but it takes a few years for our bodies to evolve to accept different things - give it another hundred or so and I may join the microwave lovers! 

I only heat food in the MW, not cook it, and my OH has not noticed me glowing in the dark yet! LOL I steam my veg etc as its not only cheaper on gas (SAFEFILL) as you are only using one ring but it also stops the veg being contaminated by the water you use. They are cooked in steam or to put it another way - steam is as clean as distilled water. My water distiller arrived today from Amazon (ViaFosa). Now that IS something I'm going to miss whilst away totally clean water- unless I'm on EHU..........yeah, right!

Well, according to my electrician/electronics engineer, although good, Li ion is still being perfected!! Apparently, lead acid are far more robust for the large draws required and the last 3 years has proved that to me at least. Buying Li Ion batteries can be quite confusing as their are different grades apparently. I'll hold back on those for a bit and see what happens. Had a really good chat to him about USBs and chargers etc - its more complicated than you think!