Ducato Our Self Contained Ducato Campervan

[AsdaPricey]

Hello @666tomanderson

Looking good - loving the colours.

It amazes me, the reach around the world of the Ducato.

Is your system complete or is there more on the cards to assist your off-gridness?

 

[666tomanderson]

Hi Asda, the colours are very er "beachsidey". It works for us and we've inherited a bunch of blue spray cans from the previous owner. With regards to being off grid, there's more that could be done but we're pretty good so far. Down the track will be an air conditioner and that will require quite an upgrade .. second 300Ah Lithium battery, a suitable 24volt inverter and wiring to step down 24 volts to 12 volts for the gear that uses 12 volts (USB chargers, water pump, lights) In the nearer future I want to add ammeters to display solar input and amps out at any one point in time. That doesn't really affect our off-gridness but it's useful to be able to monitor power in and out (and it's pretty cool ... had a setup like that in a 4x4 motorhome based on a Mitsi Canter light truck )

 

[AsdaPricey]

…the colours actually reminded me of a motorcycle trip across Europe I went on. As I travelled through Germany into Luxembourg I saw wind turbines painted very similar, white at the top, sky blue in the middle and green at the bottom in an attempt to blend them into the countryside.

I like the sound of the Canter - those I see here in the uk are often refrigerator trucks.

Your plans sound good - mine own camper is a along way from being off grid.
it’s an older IH van conversion, I company that holds a somewhat skewed ideology that they build quality - Also from my experience, it’s harder to work with something already commercially converted. I’ve spent hours rectifying poorly thought out and fitted electrics - Ive started with my own off grid mess. My hot water is 240v & 12v and my plan is to use the excess solar dump system I’ve built. For now it only provides 12v hot water when driving via the alternator, as the flexible solar panel fitted by previous owner barely keeps the batteries topped when stored, never mind providing enough to heat water - I’ve got space for two panels once I’ve managed to remove the badly fitted flexi-panel. After that it will be a B2B & Inverter

What brand of solar controllers, B2B’s, inverters etc do you tend use down there in the lower hemisphere?…..

 

[666tomanderson]

…the colours actually reminded me of a motorcycle trip across Europe I went on. As I travelled through Germany into Luxembourg I saw wind turbines painted very similar, white at the top, sky blue in the middle and green at the bottom in an attempt to blend them into the countryside.

I like the sound of the Canter - those I see here in the uk are often refrigerator trucks.

Your plans sound good - mine own camper is a along way from being off grid.
it’s an older IH van conversion, I company that holds a somewhat skewed ideology that they build quality - Also from my experience, it’s harder to work with something already commercially converted. I’ve spent hours rectifying poorly thought out and fitted electrics - Ive started with my own off grid mess. My hot water is 240v & 12v and my plan is to use the excess solar dump system I’ve built. For now it only provides 12v hot water when driving via the alternator, as the flexible solar panel fitted by previous owner barely keeps the batteries topped when stored, never mind providing enough to heat water - I’ve got space for two panels once I’ve managed to remove the badly fitted flexi-panel. After that it will be a B2B & Inverter

What brand of solar controllers, B2B’s, inverters etc do you tend use down there in the lower hemisphere?…..

Hi AsdaPricey, I'm glad the van colours remind you of positive experiences. I was in Europe for about a year many years ago travelling in an ex-Post high roof Mercedes van. One of a series of motorhomes and campervans.

The solar controllers commonly used here are the Victron brand and that's the brand I've gone for. The residential solar panels I got cheap as they were left over from a job. I've got 2 x 450watt and they do a wonderful job. Lots of sun here negating the need for a B2B set up. The inverter came with the van .. a generic 2500 watt that happily runs a microwave and induction cooker. The 300Ah battery is a local (Kings) branded Chinese one.

This is a photo of my MPPT controller, digital clock and switch/fuse panel with voltage gauge. The small panel in the middle is a Victron Solar MPPT control display that provides all sorts of information ... present time current in and out, cumulative in and out etc.

It's a bridge too far to heat enough water for a shower with solar and showers use a lot of water. We boil a kettle, pour the water in a bucket and have a cat bath with a cloth. That seems to be enough so that we don't stink each other out.

All the best with your conversion

Tom

Here's a photo of the 4x4 Canter. (I liked to hide in the bush hence the camo paint job!)

 

[Communicator]

Hi AsdaPricey, I'm glad the van colours remind you of positive experiences. I was in Europe for about a year many years ago travelling in an ex-Post high roof Mercedes van. One of a series of motorhomes and campervans.

The solar controllers commonly used here are the Victron brand and that's the brand I've gone for. The residential solar panels I got cheap as they were left over from a job. I've got 2 x 450watt and they do a wonderful job. Lots of sun here negating the need for a B2B set up. The inverter came with the van .. a generic 2500 watt that happily runs a microwave and induction cooker. The 300Ah battery is a local (Kings) branded Chinese one.

This is a photo of my MPPT controller, digital clock and switch/fuse panel with voltage gauge. The small panel in the middle is a Victron Solar MPPT control display that provides all sorts of information ... present time current in and out, cumulative in and out etc.

It's a bridge too far to heat enough water for a shower with solar and showers use a lot of water. We boil a kettle, pour the water in a bucket and have a cat bath with a cloth. That seems to be enough so that we don't stink each other out.

All the best with your conversion

Tom



Here's a photo of the 4x4 Canter. (I liked to hide in the bush hence the camo paint job!)

With a 300Ah lithium battery, I suggest that you consider a B2B, otherwise you could cook the alternator if it is called upon to recharge the battery. Or do you not have a facility to recharge via the alternator?

The water conservation is applaudable. I think that too many people shower as a routine, rather than as of need. The same applies to washing clothes. In temperate climates once a week may be all that is necessary. The selfish habit of use once perhaps for a few hours, then wash must be reconsidered if we are to prevent excessive global warming.

 

[666tomanderson]

With a 300Ah lithium battery, I suggest that you consider a B2B, otherwise you could cook the alternator if it is called upon to recharge the battery. Or do you not have a facility to recharge via the alternator?

The water conservation is applaudable. I think that too many people shower as a routine, rather than as of need. The same applies to washing clothes. In temperate climates once a week may be all that is necessary. The selfish habit of use once perhaps for a few hours, then wash must be reconsidered if we are to prevent excessive global warming.

Hi Communicator ... With 900 watt of solar that feeds into the battery whenever the sun is up, charging from the alternator is not really needed. We've got plenty of sun in Australia and, where we are in Western Australia, there is only a short period of the year when it rains with any regularity. We're firm believers in the "Keep It Simple Smarty" principle and that applies to power and water.