I love cooking outside, it doesn't matter if it's on a gas BBQ, a charcoal grill or an open fire. By using a cast iron Dutch Oven you can make some easy one-pot dishes with just a few charcoal briquettes on the ground. This is a simple (gluten free) Beef Lasagne in a Dutch Oven. The main thing to remember is that you want it to be juicy so that it doesn't dry out in the intense heat. Here's … [Read more...] about Cooking a Lasagne in a Dutch Oven
Equipment
Campervan Essential Equipment
Over the years we've amassed a myriad of camping, caravan and campervan equipment. We still carry some equipment dating back to our touring caravan days. As weight is a consideration when touring it's good to get everything out and evaluate what equipment is really needed. Shelter, sleeping, seating, cooking and eating is the highest priority for the campervan equipment, but there's always … [Read more...] about Campervan Essential Equipment
Campervan 12v Folding Solar Panel
It's been over two years since I last reviewed a portable folding solar panel for the campervan and things have certainly changed. The last folding solar panel for the campervan I reviewed weighed in at 20kg, the one I'm looking at today weighs in at 3.7kg! The Lensun ETFE 100watt 12volt Foldable Solar Panel comes well packed and protected in retail packaging and after removing the layers of … [Read more...] about Campervan 12v Folding Solar Panel
Lichfield California Drive-Away Air Awning
We've been using the Quechua Base Seconds XL as an awning for a number of years and were happy with the large living space it provided. Recently, we've started struggling with the kids sleeping in the popup roof of the campervan due to them getting larger! so we decided to look around for an air awning with the ability to add an inner bedroom. The search started with the popular (and expensive) … [Read more...] about Lichfield California Drive-Away Air Awning
Cheap LED lighting for the Campervan
Wow, it's been 5 years since I first posted about the LED lighting for the Campervan. I recently installed a really cheap LED lighting strip that is colour changing by remote control and thought it would be a good time to share a few pictures and links. The LED Lighting Power Supply For under a tenner I added a 12v car lighter adaptor from Amazon with 3 lighter sockets and 2 USB … [Read more...] about Cheap LED lighting for the Campervan
Outdoor LED lighting project
At a recent Scout Leader meeting it was mentioned that the Cubs were after a solution to light the mess tents at night without always having to use the gas lanterns. As a self proclaimed specialist in LED lighting and solar power I volunteered my services to seek a solution. My brief was to find six units that have a built in battery and can be charged via USB. I put together the following … [Read more...] about Outdoor LED lighting project
Fitting a Fiamma F45s awning to T5 Transporter
After nearly 5 years of owning VolksCamper the T5 Campervan we finally decided to fit a Fiamma F45s wind out awning. It's a fairly simple process once you've purchased the correct mounting brackets for the type of roof you have on the Transporter. Volkcamper has a pop top roof from www.poptoproofs.co.uk so we opted for the "Kit VW T5 Multivan UK Version" brackets from Fiamma (see below). Here’s … [Read more...] about Fitting a Fiamma F45s awning to T5 Transporter
Portable Folding Solar Panel
Since installing a Biard 100W solar panel on the roof of the campervan, I've experienced the benefits of solar power while away with the family. I've also noticed a few downsides to a permanently fixed installation and the biggest problem came when we needed to park the van in the shade due to the sun's heat or the physical location of the pitch - obviously when in the shade the panel … [Read more...] about Portable Folding Solar Panel
Campervan Solar Panel Installation
I've been running a rigid frame 50W solar panel at home for a number of years to provide 12V lighting with the intention of using it on the caravan and then the campervan but I just couldn't bring myself to mount such a big frame on the roof of a moving vehicle. After noticing a deal over at BestEcoShop for a Biard 100W Semi Flexible Solar Panel Kit I thought now would be a good opportunity to … [Read more...] about Campervan Solar Panel Installation
Fitting Side Steps on a VW Volkswagen T5 Transporter
We fitted Alyans XT2 Side Steps onto our VW Volkswagen T5 Transporter Campervan today. Here's a gallery of photos showing the process. Removal of the plastic splash guard from the Campervan. Instruction, bolts and brackets. Quite a complex fixing mechanism. Inserting the chassis bolts was tricky at the fronts, there isn't much room to insert the steel bars and then … [Read more...] about Fitting Side Steps on a VW Volkswagen T5 Transporter
LED lighting for the Campervan
In the caravan I fitted LED bulbs in the existing light units. This saves a massive amount of battery power when you are off grid - meaning you can stay away longer before you need to re-charge. Basically one 15 Watt halogen bulb can be replaced with a 3 Watt LED bulb meaning the battery will last 5 times longer on this bulb. The campervan came with halogen bulbs and no way to illuminate the … [Read more...] about LED lighting for the Campervan
Powermonkey eXtreme – Mobile Power Review
When I first saw the Powermonkey eXtreme listed in the 'coming soon' section of the Powertraveller website I got a little excited. I had previously seen they had a larger battery called the Startmonkey200 and thought this could be a backup power consideration for campers but I somehow thought they must be developing a dedicated mobile high power solution; they were. The Powermonkey eXtreme is a … [Read more...] about Powermonkey eXtreme – Mobile Power Review
6.5W Folding Solar charger MMP4
This week I've been testing a portable folding solar panel. It's called the "6.5W Folding Solar charger MMP4" it costs £110 and was provided on loan from @Select_Solar I'm trying to find a lightweight panel that can easily be carried and would provide a decent enough current to charge the Kensington USB battery. This panel actually outputs 12 volts and the operating current is 370mA - a … [Read more...] about 6.5W Folding Solar charger MMP4
Roaming into France
Bonsoir ... I'm in France and wanted to jot down a few of my experiences with roaming data and costs. As we sailed out on the ferry leaving Poole Harbour, the first thing I noticed was how far the O2 signal stretched. It seemed I could still twitpic at no extra cost (on the iPhone data bolt on) quite a long way away from land. The second thing worth noting was that when the signal did die, … [Read more...] about Roaming into France