How To Plan A Caravan Power System Upgrade.

With more and more couples, families and retirees spending more time traveling Australia in a caravan it is little wonder they need a bigger caravan power systems than standard delivered by caravan manufactures.

A full upgrade needs to be thoroughly planned and designed.  A high level of design consideration will reflect in the final quality of power achieved in a caravan power upgrade.  While a scaled solution with the option to further upgrade down the track also needs to be well planned to avoid additional expense later down the track.  

The power system and electrical components need to physically fit into your caravan space; shortcuts will downgrade the quality of power achieved and usability of the system. Electrical components, such as; batteries, inverters and AC and DC chargers must be strategically placed to ensure optimal functionality, get this wrong and the system won’t deliver as expected.   

Knowledge of the caravan’s existing wiring diagrams will heavily influence installation of retrofitted electrical components and decisions to relocate components will save time, frustration and cost for the caravan owner.  A quality caravan electrical installation has monitoring screens and control panels integrated into overhead cupboards alongside existing switches.   Caravan owners need control panels and system screens out of reach of children and not installed in awkward or down low where access and viewing is difficult simply because of ‘ease of installation’.

Application of correct cable size, circuit breaker or fuses will most certainly impact on the safety and reliability of the caravan power system.  Manufacturer guidelines of electrical components must be considered to ensure correct function, be safe, and to not void warranties. 

Electrical Standards, Wiring Rules and Australian Standards must also be compliant and will have an impact not only on the quality of the caravan power system, but also on the caravan owners safety and on caravan insurance. 

 At the forefront of a caravan power upgrade is understanding the caravan owners needs.  It must be asked;  “What is it that you wish to do in your caravan?  Will there be short trips or doing a lap of Australia?  Will the caravan be a home, an office or both?  What type of electrical appliances will be used in the caravan?  Will the caravan be used in caravan parks or at free-camps and off the grid and how long at these camping sites?” 

The ultimate caravan power system is built to meet the owners’ desired power needs and requirements.  When this is achieved a shortcoming of expectation is avoided, resulting in a power solution that compliments individual caravan lifestyle.   

Above all, the functionality, usability and quality of a caravan power system depends on the experience and technical knowledge of the commissioning electrician and how the aforementioned points are applied to the caravan power upgrade.

If you are planning an upgrade to your caravan, big or small, book a time to have a chat with our electrician Dan.  He will review your existing caravan electrical power system and will give you a few different solutions to suit your needs and budget. 

@the_traveling_misfits caravan off grid power upgrade.