This article applies to campervans in Australia and New Zealand. If you are renting a campervan in the USA, please refer to your in-vehicle manual.
Your campervan is equipped with two batteries:
- Engine/main battery - Powers the engine, headlights, window wipers and front cabin accessories e.g radio, heater/AC, cabin lights etc. This battery receives charge from the alternator only.
- House/secondary battery (12v system) - powers the living appliances in your van, including living area lights, outdoor light, fridge, water pump and USB plug ins (where applicable).
Please note: your microwave and 240V power points will only work while you are connected to power at a campsite. To read more about how to connect to 240v power, please refer to this article.
Your house battery receives power mainly from charging up at campsites. It also receives some power from the vehicle’s alternator while you are driving, but please note this is usually not enough to fully run it for your whole trip, even when driving very long distances.
How do I charge my house battery?
The best way to fully charge your battery is to plug into 240v power at a campsite overnight. If you are charging for the first time, please refer to this article to learn how to connect the van up to a power source. Just driving, even for long distances, is not enough to fully charge the battery and will not be enough to run your appliances for the duration of your trip. Please plan ahead and book campsites where you can charge your battery, especially during peak seasons, to avoid the inconvenience of a flat battery.
How long should my battery last?
This will largely depend on your usage, and other external factors such as very hot weather. As a general estimate, your battery should last 2-3 days with moderate usage. We recommend you charge the battery at a powered campsite every third night at a minimum. If your campervan does not have a fridge and electric water pump you should be able to last at least 7 days without connecting to a powered camp site.
Tips to make your battery last longer
Your fridge is the biggest user of electricity in your van, so setting it at higher levels will drain your battery faster, in hot weather the fridge will have to work harder to keep the temperature, and will use more energy. To optimise your battery charge, turn down the fridge to the lowest setting while you sleep, run it usually at level 3 (unless the weather is hot, when you will have to use a higher setting), do not leave the door open for longer than you need, and do not over fill it.
Be also mindful of how many devices you are charging from the USB ports and try not to leave them connected overnight.
Troubleshooting
If you have recently charged your battery overnight and it lasts less than two days, please contact our customer care tea for further assistance. Our contact options can be found at the bottom of this page.
If you are having trouble with your campsite connection or any of your appliances, refer to this section for troubleshooting steps.