Campsite Power and Lighting

A well thought out power and lighting set-up makes your campsite much safer and more practical. Let’s take a closer look at the available options!

To put things simply, the more solar power you have the better! Generators these days have some impressively low fuel consumption figures.

It’s no secret. With the right power supply and charging system, you can kick your camping game to the next level in terms of comfort and convenience. The big question is what options are available and which of those options is best suited to your typical style of camping escape. You’ll also need to know how much power you will actually need. Now, to work that out you’ll need to acquire a basic understanding of how things work, and well, that’s where we come in.

Learning the Lingo 

The world of electronics is home to some of the most confusing jargon around. So, before we dive into the deep end, lets break this alien language down into simpler terms.
In order to determine how much energy our electrical accessories will require in total we need to work out how much current each accessory actually draws. Now, current is usually measured in amps (A), which basically describes the volume of electricity flowing through the circuit. This information is often displayed on the appliance’s information label or under its specifications at the point of sale.

Next up, we have the term amp-hour (Ah), which is often used to describe the charge in a battery. In a nutshell, this is a measure of how much current a device draws in one hour. Another important unit of measurement is watts (W), which measures power, the rate at which energy is used or generated.

To put all that into real world perspective, if your camp light draws 2A and you use it continuously for one hour, it will use 2Ah of power from your battery.

Scaling your System

In a nutshell, scaling your system basically means to determine how much power all of your appliances with consume in total. So, you would start by determining the current draw of each individual appliance per hour, you can calculate its power consumption over a 24-hour period. However, there is a curve ball to be careful of. You see, not all appliances run permanently for the entire hour. Take your 12V fridge for example, it usually only has to cycle intermittently to maintain the desired internal temperature. So, you might find it only runs for 30miniutes over the course of an hour. If the fridge draws 4Ah when used continuously over an hour, it will draw 2Ah if it only has to run half the time.
The table below demonstrates the amp-hour consumption of several typical camping accessories to help you figure out your daily amp-hour consumption.

Crunching Numbers 

A simple equation to help you keep track of your current draw is Power = Current x Voltage. As long as you know two out of the three figures you can always work out the third. For example, most vehicles and camper trailers are powered by 12V batteries, so you only need to know the current draw to determine power consumption. So, if you were using a 24W light with 12V battery, you simply divide 24W by 12V to get a 2A.

Power Sources

For us campers, we need a way of storing power to be used remotely and that comes in the form of a battery. The type and size of battery will determine how effective it will be to power up your camping appliances. Now, it’s worth saying you don’t want to use your vehicles main starting (cranking) battery to power up your campsite. They’re designed to release short bursts of high current sparingly and then receive charge straight away, which is completely different to the requirements of camping accessories. Deep cycle batteries are designed to released smaller currents over a longer period of time, making them ideal for powering up things like fridges and lighting. However, the decision making doesn’t stop there. You see there are a heap of different options when it comes to choosing a deep cycle battery, but these days Absorbed Glass matt (AGM) batteries and lithium batteries are the popular choices.

Battery Capacity

Once you have decided on the type of battery you will install, it’s time to determine its capacity. This will depend on the total daily amp-hour power consumption and how long the battery needs to last before being recharged. It’s also a good idea to allow an extra 30% of battery capacity in your calculations if you’re using an AGM battery as they should not be completely discharged. So, if your daily amp-hour power consumption is 30Ah and you need your battery to last two full days without being recharged, you would need at least 60Ah battery capacity plus your additional 30% (18Ah) buffer. So, a battery with a 78Ah would be suitable.

Portable Power Packs 

While a permanently mounted dual battery system is the most popular of choices among 4WD and camper trailer owners, the range of portable power pack options are fast becoming a viable option for basic camping set-ups. Ideal for those that simply don’t have the space for a permanent battery bank, these power packs are basically a battery in a box. Several of these packs contain built in battery chargers, so they are able to be charged via mains 240V power, not to mention the ability to be charged via your vehicle’s alternator and solar panels. Some are even equipped with a 240V inverter, making this underrated little set-up quite the achiever in the world of camping and touring.

Long story short, a good quality portable power pack can power up your campsite, along with the ability to be relocated to your boat, caravan, 4wd or even a picnic!

Recharging with Solar 

Naturally, all batteries will need to be recharged at some point. In fact, we need to provide a method of recharging the battery at a quicker rate than the accessories can discharge it to prevent it going flat. Sure, your vehicles alternator can keep the battery charged while you’re on the move, but of you are stationary at camp for a while it’s time to look at other options. Solar panels are the popular choice these days. They provide a silent, efficient and environmentally friendly charging alternative that can be extremely versatile and will no ongoing running costs.

As solar panels use sunlight to produce electrical energy, the amount of power they produce depends on the amount of sunlight they are able to receive. So, if it’s a cloudy day, the solar panels simply can’t produce their maximum rated power output. Plus, they rely on direct sunlight, so permanently mounted solar panels are simply not able to be ideally positioned the entire day with shade from nearby tree limiting their efficiency.

Solar Panel Power 

The first decision to make is whether you want fixed or portable solar panels. If you prefer the portable option, you’ve got the option to go with sturdy fold-up panels, or a solar blanket for an even more compact option. Then of course, the size and maximum efficiency of the solar system is your next consideration. Let’s say your appliances consume 36Ah in a 24-hour period. This would mean our solar system would require a current output of 3A. As power = current X voltage, we multiply 3A by 12V to get a power output of 36W. Now, the problem is a 36W solar panel rating reflects the maximum amount of charge the panel can achieve under perfect conditions, but in the
real-world solar panels are typically only around 50-70% efficient thanks to the inconsistent availability of sunlight. So, in the above scenario you would need at least an 80W solar panel purely to maintain your batteries charge while its supplying power to your accessories.

The problem is solar panels don’t work at night, even though your accessories continue to draw power from your battery. This means your solar system needs the capacity to not only maintain your batteries charge during the day, but to also re-charge your battery the following morning. To put things simply, the more solar you have, the better!

Generators

At their most basic, generators use their own combustion engine to produce mechanical energy, which is then converted into 240V electrical power. Like any engine, it produces noise and requires fuel to burn which does come straight from your hip pocket. Now, like any other engine a typical rule is the larger the engine the more fuel it will consume so it’s worth calculating your electrical requirements and opting for the most suitable size generator, not just the biggest one you can find.

In saying that, if your appliances draw 800W of power, a 950W generator will work much harder than a 1200W model. The harder an engine has to work, the more fuel it will use, so it’s a delicate balance. In saying that, generators these days have some impressively low fuel consumption figures thanks to modern technology!

Which Generator suits you? 

One of the main reasons we go camping is for the peace and quiet, right? Well, the humming of a generator in the background is a great way to spoil the serenity! The good news is many generators these days have been specifically designed for camping purposes, with plenty of emphasis being placed on providing silent operation. Generator technology has really advanced over the last few years, with quiet electronically controlled 4-stroke and diesel-powered units with low emissions becoming increasingly affordable.

The appliances in which your generator will be providing power for should also be considered. You see some older, lower quality and more basic generators are notorious for producing output spikes or output voltages with variable frequency and voltage. This can be very harmful to sensitive electronic devices. If you will be powering up sensitive electronics, go for a quality made inverter-generator. It will provide well-regulated, clean power which is often better than you get from your own home. What size you ask? Well, that depends on a number of factors but a 2kVA petrol model is a popular option among campers thanks to its great balance of affordability, power output, size and weight.

Inverter Talk 

Inverters are designed to convert 12V DC power to 240V AC power, which allows you to use 240V devices from your 12V battery at camp. There are two types of inverters, you’ve got Modified Sound Wave and Pure Sound Wave. Modified Sound Wave inverters are generally the cheaper option and are perfectly fine for powering up simple electrical devices such as kettles and hair dryers. Pure Sign Wave inverters are more expensive, but produce an alternating current that is more accurate, which makes it a much better option for sensitive gadgets such as televisions and laptops.

Inverters Vs Generators 

To power up your 240V devices, you’ll need to choose between an inverter or generator. However, there are a few variables to consider, so let’s look at the basics. An inverter is quieter, cleaner and cheaper to run than a generator. The thing to remember is an inverter relies on the power available to operate. So, if you don’t have the battery capacity and charging system to ensure power is always available, the inverter can’t do its job. Now, remember that equation we read about earlier in this article; Power = Current x Voltage. Well, given that an inverters job is to change the voltage from 12V to 240V, the trade-off is there are power conversion losses, meaning your inverter will use approximately 10% more power than your appliance draws, so it’s not as efficient as pulling power directly from a 240V source.

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