Before starting your caravaning holiday it’s important to know which appliances will work while driving, while free camping or when hooked up to mains power. This post will give you a summary of the difference so you can get the most out of your holiday.
All caravans from Victorian Caravan Hire are fitted with batteries and solar panels, allowing off-grid/free camping. Most appliances will work while living off-grid, but there are some that will not work. The table below shows you the differences.
Appliance
While Driving
Free Camping/12 volt
Mains power/240 volt
Fridge
Yes (if car fuly wired)
Yes (on gas)
Yes (on 240 volt)
TV
Yes
Yes
Lights
Yes
Yes
Shower
Yes
Yes
Kettle
No
Yes (on gas)
Yes (on 240 volt)
Cooling & Heating
No
No
Yes
Power Points
No
No
Yes
Microwave
No
No
Yes
Caravan fridges
All caravans from Victorian Caravan Hire are fitted with 3 way fridges. They can run from 3 different power sources (240v, car engine or gas). The fridges in most caravans select the power source automatically, while some require a manual selection.
240v – when the caravan is connected to a mains power supply.
12v – when connected to a car with a fully functional 12 pin trailer socket, wired correctly, and with the engine running. Your car may have an isolator built in that disconnects the power supply to the caravan when the engine is switched off, or it may not. Unless you are sure that it has a working isolator it is recommended to disconnect the trailer plug if you stop driving for more than 20 minutes. If not disconnected when you stop driving, the caravan fridge will flatten the car battery within 1-2 hours.
Gas – it runs from the gas cylinder stored on the caravan. NOTE: It is not permitted to run the fridge (or any other appliance) on gas while driving.
If your car does not have a fully wired 12 pin plug then the fridge will not operate while you drive. Depending on the climate, the fridge should remain cool for up to 6 hours after cooling overnight.
The fridges require a level surface and a minimum 5-6 hours to cool down. They operate best out of direct sun.
Caravan TVs
The TV / DVD players use a 12v plug and run from the caravan battery. Some caravans have an antenna that is a factory-fitted wind up style while others have an antenna that is fitted to the van exterior that you will need to set up. Please take note reception may not be available in some areas due to signal strength.
Please feel free to call us if you would like to talk about this in more detail or have any other questions about your upcoming hire.
Trailer socket on car
There are 3 main types of trailer sockets on Australian cars. Below are photos of each. Only the 12 Pin socket can run the fridge, and it will need to be wired according to the standard Jayco wiring specification in the link below.
We strongly recommend you have an auto electrician check the wiring to your car’s trailer socket before coming to collect the caravan
Got a question?
All our caravans have a comprehensive instruction booklet to refer to when you are on the road. We also provide on road assistance, should you have a problem. If you are thinking of going off grid and you’d like to know more about using solar, we’re here to help. Call us on 0493 499 588 or send us an email.
