Fit-out: Layout | Appliances | Accessories | Suppliers
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Who’d uv thunk it? How things have changed!
Back in the day camping meals were centred around open fires, camp ovens and jaffle irons. Who can forget toasting marshmallows on the open fire, skewered on the sharp end of long sticks gathered from local bushland! And maybe a cold shower or a dip in the ocean to start the day next morning – followed by a trip to the local store to round up some fresh ice for the Esky!
These days every camp site appears to be connected to solar panels feeding electrical current into rechargeable batteries, powering a wide range of home-style appliances to support our glamping holidays.
A Campervan or Motorhome takes comfortable camping to the next level – even in a compact layout. Here is an overview of our van’s built-in glamping appliances and facilities….
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Refrigerator – Dometic CRX 110L Ideal size for a Compact RV – 110 litres including a built-in freezer. This compressor fridge (12V / 230V) has a Tropical rating for reliable service in hot climates, and a Winter setting for efficient performance when the weather turns cold. See also: |
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Cooktop / Hob – Dometic HSG 3436 Popular combo unit to save space in a Compact RV. The glass lids close to provide additional bench space when the cooktop or hob is not being used. (Though I am not convinced that three burners are really necessary!) |
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Microwave Oven – Sphere 25L Not essential, but very handy when we are staying at a powered site – for morning porridge, warming tortilla wraps, or a pre-prepared frozen meal. 230V only. Suitable for use with an inverter. (We use the clock in the oven as our ‘indicator’ that power is connected to the van.) |
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Induction Cooktop – Ecoheat Smarttouch We recently added an induction cooktop to our kit – an Ecoheat Smarttouch. Only one hot plate, so not really suitable for preparing a full meal. Can be used with an inverter when off-grid if you have plenty of Lithium battery capacity. Settings for Simmer (500W), Boil (1000W), Cook (1500W) and BBQ (1800W). More info on our inverter page. |
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Outdoor Cooking – Weber Baby Q Oven Not a built-in appliance, but an indispensable accessory for outdoor BBQs, baked meals and home made pizzas when we are on the road. We carry a separate 2.5kg LPG bottle for cooking on the Weber away from the van. This bottle also acts as a backup for our main on-board LPG bottle.
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Sandwich press Handy for quick meals and snacks. Can run effectively from 12V batteries using an inverter.
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Shower Not an essential item, but the shower cubicle is a welcome glamping facility when free-camping. Dispenses water at the rate of 4 to 5 litres per minute, so you need to be vigilant with its use. (Choose a shower head with an on-off switch on the handle – eg Econamel Jetstorm.) If you are thinking DIY, the fibreglass bathroom unit is available from Ballina Fibreglass Supplies. See also: |
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Toilet – Thetford C220 Fitted in the bathroom / shower module, with an 18 litre holding tank. Swivels to provide more shower space. Works well for free camping, no more night-time whizz-bangs, and no more searching for public toilets in towns between destinations. |
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Hot Water System – Truma UltraRapid The Truma 14L hot water tank fits neatly under the bed in the back corner of the van. Runs on LPG or 230V, though when we are camped where we can connect to 240V, we tend to use the hot water in the local amenities. Heats to 70°C on 230V, or choose between 60°/70° on LPG. (Make sure you remove the external flue cover for LPG operation.) See also: LPG water heating at high altitudes. |
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TV / DVD – Sphere 19″ Onyx S2 We aren’t big TV watchers, but we do enjoy snuggling in on a cold night for a movie, or to catch up on news, etc. This 19″ unit (12V / 230V) fits perfectly in the van, has a great picture, and has one-button auto tuning to easily tune and store local stations. We have the option to connect it to a small Bose speaker (below) for cinema-quality sound. An HDMI input with a longer cable provides for access to streaming services using our iPhone or iPad. (We only use the 12V power option, avoiding continually changing power cables.) |
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Sound – Bose Soundlink Mini Bluetooth Speaker Fantastic sound from such a small device – use either connected directly to the TV / DVD screen, or as a standalone Bluetooth unit for radio or music through our phones. |
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Roof-top Air Conditioner – Dometic Freshjet Not really a necessity, but its cooling functionality has certainly been appreciated when camping in +40ºC conditions over summer. 230V only. (Heats and cools, but we use the diesel heater or a small ceramic fan heater for warming the living area in the winter.) |
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12V Fan – Caframo Sirocco II Keep the air circulating on warm nights when camped off the grid. Includes a timer so you can leave the fan running when nodding off to sleep. Very low power consumption (0.13 Ah on low setting), and very quiet. |
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Heating – Eberspacher Airtronic Diesel Heater We can keep our living area warm anywhere we travel with this built-in diesel-fuelled ducted air heater. The diesel heater is fuelled from the van’s main fuel tank and doesn’t rely on external power, providing cozy warmth when free-camping in cold regions. The heater uses 0.1 – 0.28 Litres of diesel fuel per hour and 0.6 – 2.8 Amps of 12V electricity per hour, depending on the ambient temperature and the stage of the heating cycle. (Eberspacher info) We also carry a small 230V ceramic fan heater for use when staying on a powered site. See also: |
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Essential installation if you have LPG appliances fitted in your van. Install at floor level – LPG is heavier than air. |
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More reading… |
Fit-out: Layout | Appliances | Accessories | Suppliers