Generators are one of those gear purchases that inspires strong opinions. Ask in any caravan Facebook group and you’ll get people who insist a generator is essential and people who insist it’s dead weight. The truth, as usual, sits somewhere in between, and the right answer depends entirely on how you travel. This guide helps […]

☰ What’s In This Guide How Caravan Solar Works Fixed Panels vs Portable Panels Solar Charge Controllers: MPPT vs PWM How Much Solar Do You Need? Product Recommendations Getting The Most From Your Solar Solar panels are the primary way most Big Lappers recharge their batteries while free camping. With no mains power and the […]

An inverter converts the 12V DC power stored in your caravan batteries into 240V AC power, the same as a household power point. This lets you run appliances like laptops, coffee machines, hair dryers, power tools, and blenders without being plugged into mains power. For some Big Lappers, an inverter is the difference between a […]

You can’t manage what you can’t measure. That applies to budgets, waistlines, and most definitely caravan batteries. Without a monitoring system, you’re guessing how much power you have left, and the consequences of guessing wrong range from a dead fridge overnight to flat batteries that can’t start your water pump in the morning. A power […]

☰ What’s In This Guide Battery Types Explained How To Size Your Battery System Charging: How Batteries Get Filled Product Recommendations AGM vs Lithium: The Real-World Decision Installation & Safety Your house battery is the heart of your caravan’s 12V system. Everything that runs when you’re not plugged into mains power draws from it: lights, […]

The water you put in your caravan tanks on the Big Lap will come from a staggering variety of sources. Town water in capital cities is reliably clean. Town water in small regional centres is usually fine but can taste of chlorine or bore minerals. Water from station tanks, outback bores, and remote fill points […]

Water is one of the first things you run out of when free camping. A standard caravan carries 150 to 200 litres, and a couple using water normally will burn through that in two to three days. A family of four? Maybe a day and a half. That means either refilling constantly (which limits where […]

☰ What’s In This Guide Understanding Your Three Core Systems Power: Batteries, Solar, Inverters & Monitoring Water: Filters, Saving & Monitoring Gas: What You Need To Know Generators: Do You Need One? Stock Setup vs Upgrades: Where To Spend Your Money Power, water, and gas are the three systems that determine how independently your caravan […]

☰ What’s In This Guide The Basic Toolkit Spare Parts You’ll Actually Need Tyre & Wheel Gear Emergency & Safety Gear Going Remote: Extra Gear For Off-Grid Travel How To Organise It All Things break on the road. Screws vibrate loose on corrugated roads. Cupboard catches snap. Fuses blow. Hose fittings crack. Seals start weeping. […]