What gasless changes about the build
A gasless caravan uses electricity for the jobs LP gas usually does: cooking, hot water and heating. That needs a much bigger battery and more solar, and it puts more weight on the axles and the drawbar.
It suits people who camp away from powered sites for weeks at a time. If that is not you yet, a portable power station is a smaller step in the same direction. How to size one properly.
What 48V means
Power is volts multiplied by amps. Run the same appliance at 48V instead of 12V and the current drops to about a quarter. That allows thinner cable, and less energy turns into heat on the way to the appliance.
12V systems
- • The long-standing standard in Australian caravans
- • High-draw appliances need heavy cable and a large inverter
- • Voltage drop matters over long cable runs
- • Usually paired with gas for cooking and hot water
- • Every auto electrician has worked on them
48V systems
- • A quarter of the current for the same power
- • Thinner, lighter cable runs
- • Built around air conditioning and induction cooking
- • Usually sold as part of a gasless fitout
- • Fewer workshops have worked on them
A 12V van can run the same appliances given enough battery, enough inverter and heavy enough cable. The higher voltage makes that easier to build and lighter to wire. Makers use it when a van has a lot of high-draw appliances.
What runs without gas
Cooking
Induction cooktops replace the gas burners. They only work with flat, magnetic-base cookware, so budget for pans if yours are aluminium or copper.
Hot water
An electric element does the heating. Ask about tank size and how long it takes to reheat, because showers are the biggest single draw on most days.
Heating and cooling
Air conditioning and electric heating run off the battery bank rather than a generator or a gas heater. Vans that keep some gas often use a diesel heater instead.
The fridge
Compressor fridges already run off the house battery in most new vans, so this part usually does not change when the gas comes out.
Big-battery fitouts you can compare here
Published solar and battery figures from the makers' own pages, largest battery first. For scale, a typical van on our site has about 600W of solar and 333Ah of battery.
| Model | Solar | Battery |
|---|---|---|
| Bruder EXP-10 | 2,000W | 417Ah at 48V (20 kWh) |
| Gold Class Caravans AC22C | 2,090W | 1,380Ah |
| Latitude Motorhomes Meridian 30 | 1,890W | 1,380Ah |
| Titanium Caravans WS1 | 1,575W | 690Ah at 24V (16.6 kWh) |
| Signature Camper Trailers Omaru Family | 1,000W | 313Ah at 48V (15 kWh) |
| Signature Camper Trailers Kakadu 18 | 1,100W | 313Ah at 48V (15 kWh) |
A big battery bank does not tell you whether a van is gasless. Check the maker's spec sheet for which appliances are electric on the floorplan you are buying.
What changes for you
Charging becomes the routine
Solar output drops with cloud, shade, dust on the panels and short winter days. You can also charge from the tow car while you drive, and from 240V on a powered site. Ask what the van is fitted with for both.
Weight comes out of payload
Batteries, inverters and extra panels are heavy, and that weight is already in the tare. Check tare against ATM on the floorplan you want, and check the ball weight against what your car is rated to carry.
Servicing is a question to ask
Before you buy, ask who services the electrical system and where the nearest one is to home. Ask what happens if something fails a long way from a capital city. Get the answer from the dealer in writing.
The paperwork changes
A van built without LP gas has no gas installation to certify. Either way, ask what compliance documentation comes with the van, including for the battery and inverter installation, and keep it with the handbook.
What it costs
A large electrical fitout is usually an option. Price the same layout with it and without it, then ask the dealer for the difference in writing.
Gas bottle refills stop. In return you pay for the system up front. On a run of grey days you either pay for a powered site or drive somewhere to charge. Do the sums on your own trips.
Is electric right for you?
Worth a look if
- • You camp off powered sites for long stretches
- • You travel where gas suppliers are a long drive apart
- • You want air conditioning without running a generator
- • You have the payload headroom and the tow rating for it
- • You are comfortable spending more up front
Probably not if
- • You mostly stay at powered sites
- • Budget is the thing driving the decision
- • You would rather have gear any workshop has seen before
- • You travel in shaded or wet country for weeks on end
- • You need every kilo of payload for gear
Common questions about electric caravans
What is an electric caravan, the van or the tow car?
On this page it means the van, which uses lithium batteries and solar for the cooking, hot water and heating LP gas usually does. Towing with an electric car is a separate question about the tow vehicle.
What does 48V mean on a caravan?
The same appliance run at 48V instead of 12V draws about a quarter of the current. The cable can be thinner, and less energy is lost as heat on the way to the appliance.
What runs without gas in a gasless caravan?
Cooking moves to an induction cooktop and hot water to an electric element. Heating and cooling come off the same battery system.
Compare off-grid caravans
Line up solar, battery, water and weight side by side on the models you are looking at.