Caravan and Motorhome Electrics

Caravan and Motorhome Electrics, in its fourth edition, is intended primarily for buyers, owners, designers and builders of camper trailers, holiday and other cabins, fifth wheel and conventional travel trailers, camper vans, and motorhomes. It also bridges the still existing gap between the auto-electrical and alternative energy disciplines.

It provides an insight into major components such as alternators, regulators, batteries and their charging and monitoring, solar energy and motor-generators. It explains why solar modules are rated as they are - and what they really produce. It warns of unrealistic expectations, such as using electric stoves and air-conditioning away from mains power and/or power from large motor-generators.  It shows how to dramatically improve charging performance, successfully install solar, and reduce energy draw of electric (especially) three-way fridges.

In essence Caravan and Motorhome Electrics shows how to design affordable systems that really do work, how to install them and how to identify, understand and (often) fix anything that does not work as it should.

While RV electrical systems are not overly complex, competent installation and service, particularly for the increasing number of RVs with solar, can still be hard to find. Caravan and Motorhome Electrics’ content therefore includes the installation and rectification of solar systems: this is increasingly necessary, not least as solar technician training does not include vehicle charging systems. Nor do auto-electrical courses cover RV electrics, let alone solar. In most recreational vehicles these systems interact and the general lack of such training leads to many RVs having system problems reported by many owners as being hard to identify and repair.

As with all Collyn’s books, the content is thoroughly researched, technically accurate, yet in plain English, plus explanatory illustrations, many of the author’s own vehicles.

The author’s background includes automobile research, electronics and large scale magazine publishing (including founding the world’s largest electronics magazine). He was technical editor of Australia’s The Bulletin magazine in the 1980s – and has supplied Tech Notes to The Wanderer for over 15 years.

Paperback version

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Any bookshop, whether online or bricks and mortar, can order copies of Caravan and Motorhome Electrics.  Just ask, ISBN: 978-0-6483190-8-5

Electronic versions:

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