The workshop consumables checklist: what to keep on the shelf
When you are off-grid, your battery setup is your power source, not just a backup. Choosing the right combination of batteries and chargers can make or break your comfort on the road.
Key considerations
Answer these three questions first and the battery choice mostly makes itself:
- How many days off-grid between charges?
- What are you powering? Fridge, lights, fans, water pump, phones, a TV. Add up the daily amp-hours; the fridge is usually most of it.
- What charging do you have available? Solar on the roof, the tow vehicle through a DC-DC charger, or mains power when you reach a park.
Battery types for caravans
Each type has a place:
- AGM: easy fit-and-forget, maintenance-free, good for one or two day trips
- Gel: great for rough tracks and tight spaces, stable and safe
- Lithium (LiFePO4): lightweight and deep discharge capable, ideal for long trips and bigger daily loads
- Flooded deep cycle: cost-effective and ideal when the battery is easy to get at for maintenance
Size the bank, then the charging
A battery bank that is too small for the load runs flat on day two; one that is too big for the charging never gets full again after the first night. Work out the daily load, allow for the usable capacity of the chemistry you choose (around half for AGM, most of it for lithium), and then make sure the solar and DC-DC charging can put that much back in a day.
Short version: RedPoint matches your power needs with the right battery bank, including help with the load calculation and real-world advice from people who tour themselves.
