New to the scene and am struggling with what products to buy?

[thomas0702]

I have just purchased a lovely (albeit second hand) 2005 swift kontiki. I cant wait to get it out and about, however I need some upgrades and I am unsure what to start with.

Refillable LPG system, Solar panels, Satalite TV??

Any advice?

 

[groyne]

Depends what you want to do. Use what you've got for a while and see if it fits in with your life style, then you'll know what upgrades, if any, you need. After a couple of continental trips, we knew we needed a refillable gas system.

 

[barge1914]

Extras

I have just purchased a lovely (albeit second hand) 2005 swift kontiki. I cant wait to get it out and about, however I need some upgrades and I am unsure what to start with.

Refillable LPG system, Solar panels, Satalite TV??

Any advice?

It depends to some degree on where you plan to travel most. We've got all these items on our Bessacarr.

Found our 70 litre gas tank very useful, saves the constant need to source cylinders, a real pain if you travel abroad where types differ from country to country. Fill up only every 2-3 months. Fitting a small tank however, like those 20 litre jobbies on Autosleeper's is not so useful as you run out too frequently and may be a problem mid winter and in areas with few lpg stations.

Solar panels, as big as you can accommodate. With only 120W we don't need hookup between mid march-Nov, which enables you to use free and cheap sites/aires without elec.

Satellite dish. Well, depends on how much you like TV. But be aware if you travel far abroad you won't get a U.K. service very far beyond France, Belgium and Holland.

Finally be careful to assess the impact of whatever you fit on your payload.

 

[Channa]

Depends what you want to do. Use what you've got for a while and see if it fits in with your life style, then you'll know what upgrades, if any, you need. After a couple of continental trips, we knew we needed a refillable gas system.

My sentiments too !! learn as you go and decide a wish list

Channa

 

[Dogeared]

You really need to try a weekend off grid meet, like the Hollingsworth this weekend, find out what you need to run electric wise, and how long it lasts you. We started of with single battery, no solar panel, used to last about three days. Now have two batteries plus 120w solar panel, can last about eight to ten days in Winter, weeks in summer.
're gas, most important thing is ensure you have propane/Lpg if out in Winter. Try on existing bottles to find out how long it lasts. Off grid in Winter you will need it for your heating so not last as long. On board refillable bottles/tank are ideal if you prefer being away from sites that have electric, massive saving in long run, but find out how you want to use the van before spending.
TV is a personal choice, just wait and see what you need. Satelitte systems aren't cheap and a bit of a luxury.

Most of all remember, most of us went through three vans before we found what was right for us, so don't jump to quickly into any upgrades.

 

[Jeff G]

Usage will soon give you an idea of what additions to make,but to be honest,the refillable gas is a must.

 

[Channa]

My advice is to see how you go without them. Your motorhome was designed without those things and has been used without those things up till now. So you ought to get by without them to see how it goes.

Refillable gas makes life a lot easier: you can top up at will, so no bottle changing, no decisions about whether to swap now and waste some.

Yes it will make the gas cheaper, but the payback period is measured on many, many months of use. If you might change vans, a refillable bottle makes sense. If you plan to keep the motorhome for a while, get an underslung tank.

Satellite TV?
Why not stay at home and watch TV, go away and don't watch it? Or get programs from the internet.

Solar Panel? If you have a problem with running out of power, start by fitting LED bulbs. You shouldn't need solar panels.

A really useful comment for someone making their first post to the site ...you have made a couple of posts recently commenting people were rude to you . Pot calling kettle black. Despite the fact it is hard to wander around in the pitch black it is November !! ,,,The OP or part of his party may well be disabled etc ...Why he want tv is immaterial

Channa

 

[delicagirl]

i find the peace in my tv-free van really wonderful, although i do have a radio, and a few CDs which i play on my laptop occassionally - but each to their own.

re "stuff" - you could well spend as much again on "stuff" for inside the van as you spent on its purchase. Any product with "campervan" in its title is bound to be 75% more expensive than if it didn't .......

my suggestion would be go to a meet, ask to look in other folks vans and get some ideas what others have done and what they find useful - we all love talking about our vans.... really we do... and so will you fairly soon...

 

[QFour]

You maybe limited to the size of gas bottles you can use. We had a Bolero and could only get the 6Kg bottles in the gas locker. Don't be tempted to rush out and buy loads of STUFF you may find that you don't use it. We found enamel plates work really well. You can put them in the oven and they keep food warm. THey bounce and are very light. You may also need a couple of watering cans ..

..

 

[Minisorella]

I'd echo what most people have said... don't rush out to buy everything but give it a go and see what's most important to you personally. It's a good suggestion from Dogeared to get yourself to a weekend meet to try things out and get some on-the-spot opinions and advice... as well as meet some of the lovely people on here.

For me, I consider a solar panel and refillable gas to be must-haves. In fact, I've had battery charging problems lately... not charging from the alternator and the mains charger died but the solar system is still working its little heart out, so worth its weight in gold until I get the other bits sorted. Installing the refillables is indeed an expense that would take time to recoup but I prefer to dismiss that as a one-off cost because there were other reasons to go for refillable... not least my pesky back, so no more heaving heavy bottles in and out. Refilling is around a quarter of the cost of exchange in my area. My van's cooking and heating is all gas, so I can cook to my heart's content and be cosy without having to worry.

Another thing I couldn't live without is a memory foam mattress topper! Have fun with your new home from home

 

[trevskoda]

For me i would say solar panels when time allows,but first thing id fit are usb cigy sockets to charge m/phones etc,get from ebay cheap and few hr to fit.
Next would be led bulbs all round if not already so,and a led step light on a remote key fob,handy returning to van at night,you can also wire to one inside light ,these also from ebay 12v 4 remote switching units.:wave:

 

[Deleted member 9849]

i find the peace in my tv-free van really wonderful, although i do have a radio, and a few CDs which i play on my laptop occassionally - but each to their own.

re "stuff" - you could well spend as much again on "stuff" for inside the van as you spent on its purchase. Any product with "campervan" in its title is bound to be 75% more expensive than if it didn't .......

my suggestion would be go to a meet, ask to look in other folks vans and get some ideas what others have done and what they find useful - we all love talking about our vans.... really we do... and so will you fairly soon...

Excellent advice or you will end up with a loft full of unwanted accessories like me,you'll also meet some helpful and friendly members.

Ignore the comment about not needing solar panels,they should be one of the first things on any motorhomers list.

 

[trevskoda]

Excellent advice or you will end up with a loft full of unwanted accessories like me,you'll also meet some helpful and friendly members.

Ignore the comment about not needing solar panels,they should be one of the first things on any motorhomers list.

I do agree but costly at first,bit daunting at first for some folk.

 

[RichardHelen262]

First thing we did was change bulbs to led,
Second thing was to fit solar
Third was to fit refillable gas bottles,
If you are having tv make sure it is 12 volt.
When you buy any chairs make sure you can fit them in your storage lockers, as I now have a lovely pair of reclining chairs for home, as they wouldn’t fit into any of the motorhome storage places

 

[Pauljenny]

Welcome to the website.
Use the search function to answer any questions.. It's all there, if you look.
Try putting in, " how to wild camp ", and see where that gets you.

 

[molly 2]

Not on your list but good quality external screens are a must for winter camping

 

[sasquatch]

Refillable gas ,useful when traveling in Europe,solar panel to keep batteries topped up especially engine one. I wouldn't bother with a satellite system,just a decent radio/CD player and insulating screens.

 

[jagmanx]

Yee Yes No

Solar Yes 120Watt enough for us

LPG/refillable Yes ...
I have 2 bottles and if nearly empty 33 litres to fill which lasts us over 1 month (in Spring summer Autumn)
But many just buy foreign bottles if abroad
LPG is less than 50% cost of calor so payback occurs

Satellite No

The above suits us:wave::wave::wave:

 

[Gnomus]

Increased storage for me. I am thinking of removing the factory fitted microwave and replace with a cupboard. Also dont use the oven, a grill and hob would do for me. Also not sure about having a TV ariel, may use the hole to fit a solar panel at some point.

 

[barryd]

If your going to be a wild camper then the one that is a no brainer is Solar power. I wish I had done that one straight away.

LPG refillables is a no brainer if you do longer trips and go abroad but if your only doing two or three weeks a year maybe not.

Satellite TV? A luxury really. We struggled with the TV and I got sick of not getting a decent signal in the UK and planned to go abroad long term so I got an automatic Dome fitted but this was nearly ten years ago before the footprints were greatly reduced and before It was as easy as it is now to download stuff to watch on laptops and usb drives etc. I could live without it now even on a four month tour. In fact you have to as apart from news channels and other stuff the regular BBC, ITV etc soon disappear in Europe. Some people swear by these satellite in a suitcase things you can get from Aldi for about sixty quid but they look a faff to me.

Getting online in the van is important for me so a decent phone or data contract, wifi extender / antenna is essential.

Sat nav and as many POI as you can get. Wild spots from here, Aires etc for Europe, supermarkets, LPG stations, Kebab shops etc.