# I'm new to motorhomes!



## wz4jc3 (Jul 12, 2011)

Hi all,

I purchased my first motorhome at the weekend, and I don't know much about it really. The family are looking to go away for our first night on Saturday into the Peak District as it isn't too far from our home in Staffordshire.

Some sites don't have the option to hook up to an electrical source. Our camper has 2 batteries, how long do you expect this to last? I know it depends on how we use the batteries, but let's say for typical family use. I assume it would be fine for one night's stay?

I am looking to stay around the Carrsington Water area, as we are familiar with the area and like it. Does anybody have any sites they can recommend?

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Hamlyn.


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## Hobbsy (Jul 12, 2011)

it also depends on the size of the batteries, mine is a 110 amp hour battery. anyway, i should expect that one of these batteries would run a 12v tv and signal booster along with the taps and lighting my family use (as we leave one on overnight) two nights without a charge. thats say using the tv for about 7 hrs a day roughly! and my fridge would be on gas! hope this helps? there is a simple calculation to figure out how long your battery we last!

Watts of your appliance / 12 (Voltage) = Amp hours 
example
10 watt tv appliance=
10 / 12 = 0.83 amps per hour

therefore a 110 amp battery will power the tv for 110 / 0.83 = 132 hours
if you have an 85 amp battery then it would be 85 / 0.83 = 102 hrs


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## Campervanman (Jul 12, 2011)

Hi... Welcome to the forum and congratulations on getting your first motorhome...now the fun starts and you'll wonder why you never got one sooner. 

As far as how long your batteries will give out their power... its a case of suck em and see, but I think you'll be okay for one night at least. 

Camping sites... well... most of us here are wildcampers which means choosing a good layby or car park somewhere, far more fun than boring camp sites in my opinion.

Have a great first trip and come back and let us know how you got on.


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## wz4jc3 (Jul 12, 2011)

Thank for the help all. I will take a look at the battery spec.


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## lotty (Jul 12, 2011)

*hi*

Hi and welcome :welcome:
You will find some helpful and friendly people on here.
We do a little wilding and some sites. If we have no hook up we run our fridge off the gas. this saves the battery a little. We don't bother with a tv. We have managed for 3 days this way and still had power left in our battery.
Have fun, don't forget to wave, maybe we will see you about, (we are from Staffordshire too).
Lotty
:wave:


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## maingate (Jul 12, 2011)

The calculations given earlier by hobbsy are wildly optimistic I am afraid.

For a start, you should avoid discharging your batteries by more than 50%.

If you have one battery rated at 110 amp hour, it will be nearer 90 ah when new (it is a marketing ploy to make them seem bigger). Therefore you should only consume 45 amps before recharging.

If you have a built in voltmeter in the van, 50% is equal to 12.1 volts. This will be lower when using 12 volt equipment, that figure is the battery at rest (without operating anything). A fully charged battery (after it has settled down a bit) is 12.6 volts, although it will read higher for a while after being charged up.

A 15" 12 volt TV will use about 3 - 4 amps. If you have Halogen lights, change some of them to LED lights as they use about 1/8th of the power.

I have stayed on sites around Carsington Water but they were CC or C&CC sites and you need to be a member. There is a pub near there, I cannot remember the name but it is popular with m/homes and caravans. There is no hookup. Somebody (hopefully) will read my post and give you the name of the pub as I cannot remember it.

There is also a nearby pub called the Black Horse at Hulland Ward who will let you stay over. They do good meals (or did a few years ago). I will do a google for the name of the other pub  when I get a chance.

BTW, welcome to the forum. :goodluck:


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## Deleted member 775 (Jul 13, 2011)

hi and welcom ,i hope you enjoy your van as much as we did .anyway as you want to go to carsington water ,why not nip down to matlock bath its not far and try a night in the railway car park .its a great way and a safe place  to start off wilding ,and there are some nice pubs in matlock bath .as for the life of the batteries when not on hook up lots on here will go into the tech side but one big no no is leaving the fridge on 12v when parked up ,will flatten any battery in no time . you will have fully charged up batteries i asume after your trip from home ,so depending on what you use ,ie tv lights radio or cd and also the condition of your leasure batts will determing how long they last ,but you will be ok for a night or two .one thing that will eat into your power reserves is one of those large power output inverters ,we had one used it very little you will soon get used to how long your batteries last using the things you normaly take with you  but if you should run low of power you can always start your van and give your power reserves a bit of a boost .anyway enjoy your first trip . and if you can try matlock bath do so we spent many a happy  weekend there and have many fond memories of our times there .


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## kimbowbill (Jul 13, 2011)

its a suck it and see for me, cant do all this techni garb, very clever but way above me, have a pack of cards and a torch ready in case you use too much, only tip i will give is.... dont let it dominate your time wilding, my fella was timing stuff, voltimeter on batteries all time, drove me bananas, use low wattage items and have loads of fun finding out.

Jen xx


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## Firefox (Jul 13, 2011)

Hi. 

What I would do is practice camping in your drive for a couple of days before you take it out on site. This way you can check out the batteries because even on a new or newish van you don't know what state they are in. Hence all the calculations in the world could be irrelevant, but I'd expect anywhere from 2 days to 5+ days on good batteries. Use the lights and TV etc as you would normally. Use computer or other electrical gadgets you may use such as charging phones or games. You'll quickly get a feel for the battery life while you have the ability to charge up from the house.

You will also iron out any obvious problems. The last thing you want is to be stuck away from home and find that the fridge, cooker, or toilet is on the blink, or some strange electrical problem like the starter battery is getting flattened.


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## tommy0121 (Jul 13, 2011)

*motorhomes*

hi new to it!  you have had some good advice from all the above, the best being suck it and see,, -with care. i would add! wherever you are keep your eye out for a nice pub with a decent car park. forget hiding around corners, ive done that, but most publicans will let you overnight in a corner, even use the toilet and sink. ive always found this a great advantage, normally, quite, and safe. if your a teetoteler, or dont want a meal forget it. but if your happy to spend on a couple of drinks you will find the gaffer quite friendly,--they need the trade.


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## Deleted member 775 (Jul 14, 2011)

pub car parks are ok but one drawback ,you have to spend in the pub no way are you going to get away with a quick half and a bag of crisps for a nights kip in his carpark are you ,  we all know that can be expensive with beer at over 3quid a pint and a meal costing up to what 10 quid each .so if thereare two of you you will easy  demolish the best part of 30quid a night.  best bet is find a nice quiet pull in and have a meal cooked in the van and a few tinnies  or a glass of wine after all that is  what your van is for we have found many fantastic places in the past  one comes to mind we used  in the brecons many a time .a layby with picnic area with tables overlooking a resavoir sun setting over the water a wonderful summer evening ,a nice meal  from the van and a couple of cans of beer or bottle of wine, pestered by wasps  and other biting insects ,and the odd cheeky magpie and other birds trying to nick you food  but heaven  better than some old grotty pub car park after being fleeced on the price of a pint and supper . but  enjoy what ever you do .


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## kimbowbill (Jul 14, 2011)

mandrake said:


> pub car parks are ok but one drawback ,you have to spend in the pub no way are you going to get away with a quick half and a bag of crisps for a nights kip in his carpark are you ,  we all know that can be expensive with beer at over 3quid a pint and a meal costing up to what 10 quid each .so if thereare two of you you will easy  demolish the best part of 30quid a night.  best bet is find a nice quiet pull in and have a meal cooked in the van and a few tinnies  or a glass of wine after all that is  what your van is for we have found many fantastic places in the past  one comes to mind we used  in the brecons many a time .a layby with picnic area with tables overlooking a resavoir sun setting over the water a wonderful summer evening ,a nice meal  from the van and a couple of cans of beer or bottle of wine, pestered by wasps  and other biting insects ,and the odd cheeky magpie and other birds trying to nick you food  but heaven  better than some old grotty pub car park after being fleeced on the price of a pint and supper . but  enjoy what ever you do .


 
Aw Mandrake, i love reading your posts, you've had some fantastic times, my eyes well up every time a read them, you must really miss the lifestyle

Jen xx


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## Campervanman (Jul 14, 2011)

Could not have put it better myself Mandrake! well said. And Jen...



> my fella was timing stuff, voltimeter on batteries all time, drove me bananas,


 That just about sums up some of us guys, this is me fiddling around with the meters and regulators seeing what the suns output is and whats left in the batteries etc etc and yet it's not costing us anything.


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## iwm (Jul 14, 2011)

maingate said:


> There is a pub near there, I cannot remember the name but it is popular with m/homes and caravans. There is no hookup. Somebody (hopefully) will read my post and give you the name of the pub as I cannot remember it.



I might be the

Knockerdown Inn & Restaurant, Carsington Water, Derbyshire.

Cheers

IanM


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## just jane (Jul 14, 2011)

I guess it would be Knockerdown, they have ostriches in the field next to the campfield(not sure what they charge) and they hire out the field for rallies and private meets.

I go to a music festival that started there as a birthday party and the following year they put it on as a charity event with 500 people and 3 stages(including a dance patio:cool1. Its now just had its 4th year and moved to Keddleston Hall.


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## Guernsey Donkey (Jul 14, 2011)

Hi Hamlyn - I see you have already got plenty of help on you question so I will just say :welcome: and enjoy.


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## maingate (Jul 14, 2011)

Thanks iwm and Jane, that is the place. I got a good meal or two in there also.

There are various events through the summer on the field at Carsington Water as well.


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## Deleted member 775 (Jul 14, 2011)

kimbowbill said:


> Aw Mandrake, i love reading your posts, you've had some fantastic times, my eyes well up every time a read them, you must really miss the lifestyle
> 
> Jen xx


 thank you  but i dont want to drive you to tears .yes we do miss our van but other family commitments come first but i do intend getting another van in time .mabey i will do a sef build ,always somthing i have wanted to do but never got round to it ,i am shure i will find plenty of help and ideas on here ,good bunch of friends i have made here thanks all in  a couple of years time untilk, then i will listen to all your escapades ,and sit here pea green with envy at you all .i realy slipped up buying a car i aught to have chose an estate at the very least .my first idea was to get a people carrier but dident realy fancy one so my second choise was an e class diesel mercedes , but non about in my price range well decent ones at the time so i got a c class merc 250d saloon and guess what as soon as i got the car there seemed to be a glut of the e class estates on e bay  ,that always seems to happen .ps i do miss the van but i love this car 50+ on a long run and upper 30s knocking about round home and rather powerfull when needs be   big change from upper teens local and low 20s on a run with the van  sorry to the o.p if i seem to have pinched a bit of his thread


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