New bee shed arrived

[Brosville]

There is a teensie problemette with all solar - when you most need heat and light (midwinter), you're getting diddly squat from the panels (as I speak, my 3.96 kw of pv are giving a princely 180 watts, and the solar hot water collector isn't collecting anything worth the pump switching in) - which means that if you're looking for a cheap and pragmatic solution, go for a genny, wood or gas fire and stove, perhaps with a pv panel and battery for minimal lighting needs if you've got the spare cash*.
The idea of replacing the roof with translucent panels is frankly bonkers - you'll roast in summer, and freeze in winter - the caravan has windows, which should give reasonable light.

* I recently "did the sums" on another forum for someone wanting to light a container for use as a shooting range, which show that if you want to "do it properly" solar pv is not cheap -
"assuming you're going for all year round use, look at what's going to happen in Dec/Jan - let us assume your 12v lighting totals 36 watts, for 3 hours, that's around 9 ampere hours you'll need to generate per day - which means a minimum battery size of 100 ampere hours (200 would be better), and to be safe, something like a 150 watt pv panel - you'll need a controller to optimise the charging and look after the battery, and the lighting circuits - to do it properly around £500-worth!"

 

[the beehive lodge]

why not a genorator from aldi should just hook up to outlet of van electric
if already suggested sorry

 

[Brosville]

The "clever" way to use a gennie is to only run it intermittently (fuel is expensive, and a running generator can be annoying), so run it when you're using high wattage equipment, and charge your battery at the same time, then just use the battery for some 12v lights...(which you can then charge with a pv panel as well if you want to) - it's best to "start backwards" and do some sums to decide what your power needs are going to be then design the system accordingly - a good rule of thumb in something like this is to only plan to use electricity where there is no other reasonable alternative as it's expensive to generate and store (eg, if you want a 'fridge, get one designed for a caravan that'll run off bottled gas)

 

[Dishmop]

A wood burner isnt really practable for the visits when you just want to spend an hour or so in there...
Lights as mentioned are easy, 12 volt tubes from caravan.

I'd go for a small generator that will fit in the boot of your car. If you dont like the noise or it annoys other people, surround it with straw bales.

Security..... Its a bit of a laugh really with those vans.. You can cut the aluminium with a pair of scissors.

 

[Brosville]

You can pick up a "Carver" gas heater for a caravan off Fleabay for around £50 if you need instant and safe heat - they're not hard to install, and work really well!

I agree with the "security" problem - pv panels are very vulnerable to the light-fingered

 

[Tdf]

you could always put on a coat then no need for heating it at all

 

[m100]

There is a teensie problemette with all solar - when you most need heat and light (midwinter), you're getting diddly squat from the panels

Passive solar NOT photovoltaic for heating. All if what I mentioned has been proven in a real world installation in an exposed location in the wilds of Yorkshire for about five years now. (not based on a caravan but the principles are the same) Translucent panels can be shaded for midsummer use and provide plenty of light if the windows are not enough.

Ventilation ensures comfortable working conditions.

 

[Dishmop]

I doubt that th estandard Carver heater would do much to heat an area that size.. Very localised,
I would use an electric fan heater or....gas space heater.


The second item is an adaptor for filling propane cylinders from an Autogas pump as found on some garage forecourts.. Average price per litre is .70p as opposed to a 13 kg propane cylinder which is about £25 from Calor and contains 26 litres.

 

[Dishmop]

Once you have fitted all these little luxuries, you could use it as accomodation for a security guard.. Shed with a bed.

 

[Tom Bick]

You have to be very careful if using one of the adaptors to refill empty gas bottles from a garage and should not be recommended and most good garages will perhaps stop you using them.

 

[Dishmop]

You have to be very careful if using one of the adaptors to refill empty gas bottles from a garage and should not be recommended and most good garages will perhaps stop you using them.

Agreed but the only difference to filling a tank on a car is to remember to shut off the valve on the cylinder before disconnecting the filler nozzle, and some of them have an inbuilt check valve to stop overfilling.

I dont let the garage see me doing it.

 

[Bob Bee]

Once you have fitted all these little luxuries, you could use it as accomodation for a security guard.. Shed with a bed.

Security isnt a major issue on this site as there are two statics with people living in about 100 metres away we all use an eight foot padlocked gate for access and those living in have dogs and walk them twice a day past my patch. I know nothing is ever perfect but its about as good as it gets for a rural setting. I wont be leaving power tools etc. so it would be a lot of bother for a few frames and supers, a bit of ambrosia and some old camping kit........

Enjoying all this info on alternatives and gennies etc, thanks.

 

[Brosville]

I have one of those Carver heaters in my own caravan, to which I've added the "fan back" which allows you to duct warm air round the van, and it's too much for my 12' tourer - our party trick is to fill the loo with soggy clothing on hangers, shut all the other vents, and just leave the loo one open - half an hour on full heat and fan full tilt and you have dry clothes....

I've tried it out in sub zero temperatures, and within 20 minutes of being fired up I have a warm and toasty caravan- if you insulate the van as others have suggested, you'd go a long way to beat one of them for cheapness and practicality.........

 

[Dishmop]

I've tried it out in sub zero temperatures, and within 20 minutes of being fired up I have a warm and toasty caravan-

I agree that they are a good heater with the fan outlets, but this van is proabably twice the size of yours and I guess its just an empty box with no fixtures so quite a lot of area to heat, the heat will go straight up to the ceiling, lots of windows and I bet theres no floor insulation.

 

[Into the lions den]

Just be careful with the floors in these things. We buy them in for staff quarters (decent ones, maybe 1500 to 2000 each) and persistently get issues with the flooring giving out.

You might need to get a panel of 3/4 or even inch exterior grade ply and fit it, in place of the chipboard flooring they mostly seem to have, for strength, to stand up to the effects of supporting and operating an extractor. The floors also get damp and go all soft if not kept well dry. Not too difficult, floor replacement is not a job that we have to get tradesmen in for.

 

[Bob Bee]

Just be careful with the floors in these things. We buy them in for staff quarters (decent ones, maybe 1500 to 2000 each) and persistently get issues with the flooring giving out.

You might need to get a panel of 3/4 or even inch exterior grade ply and fit it, in place of the chipboard flooring they mostly seem to have, for strength, to stand up to the effects of supporting and operating an extractor. The floors also get damp and go all soft if not kept well dry. Not too difficult, floor replacement is not a job that we have to get tradesmen in for.

Ive got a couple of packs of cheap laminate T&G flooring left over from another job and figured id use that with a bit of the thin foam sheeting they use with that, the chipboard stuff does look like it wouldnt stand much usage on its own, but is still sound and complete at present.

 

[Luminos]

Shouldn't you go for an open mesh floor?

 

[itma]

By no means a complete solution, but maybe a useful small component, it might be worth noting that Maplin currently have a "half price" (so £9.99), offer on a waterproof (10) LED lamp and solar panel. The cable supplied allows the panel to be more than a metre away from the lamp.
The thing even has an infra red remote control.
But since it uses 3x AA rechargeable batteries as its storage element, a maximum of 3 hours light is claimed.
Might be useful for many 'off-grid' sheds - even if only so you can see to unlock the door.

Just a 'heads up' - I have no connection with Maplin.

 

[alanf]

Ive got a couple of packs of cheap laminate T&G flooring left over from another job and figured id use that with a bit of the thin foam sheeting they use with that, the chipboard stuff does look like it wouldnt stand much usage on its own, but is still sound and complete at present.

The laminate isn't structural and most of the cheap stuff is also based on a non waterproof fibreboard, as anyone who tried regularly mopping it will have found out.

 

[Bob Bee]

The laminate isn't structural and most of the cheap stuff is also based on a non waterproof fibreboard, as anyone who tried regularly mopping it will have found out.

Interesting. I've used this in holiday chalets and I'd say that on top of a plywood floor it is indeed structural, or at least strengthens the existing structure and spreads the load, 12 years on it has withstood regular sweeping and occasional mopping and misuse by holiday makers, so probably a pretty good short term, economical solution. (in as much as it will be technically free).