Charge of the 48V caravan brigade
Australian companies are leading the RV revolution in 48V gas-free caravans48-volt caravan technology is rapidly being adopted by the Australian caravan industry, keen to entice new buyers to the joys of apartment-style comfort off the grid.
Gold Coast-based mobile power management specialist Safiery is currently working with eight RV manufacturers in Melbourne setting up original equipment, factory-installed 48V systems.
Queensland dealer Sunrise Caravans recently announced a new Melbourne-built, range-topping $109,900 Tropicana 22ft 4in luxury off-road caravan model fitted with two 200aH Safiery Canbus lithium batteries, 3000W Victron inverter and four 170W rooftop solar panels that, along with generator storage and three 95 litre water tanks will "enable you to free camp at your favourite destinations for longer".
"The system (also) allows for in-van and mobile phone monitoring, meaning, at any given time, caravan owners will be able to know exactly where they are, power and energy wise," said Sunrise Director Steven Andonovski.
Retreat Caravans and Mountain Trail are other southern manufacturers to introduce 48V models, using the Melbourne-designed OzXCorp technology first seen in 2019, while Spinifex, Wonderland, Sunseeker and Australian Off Road are working on factory-fitted 48V models in Queensland.
Separately, Safiery is installing aftermarket 48-volt Safiery systems in ZoneRV caravans, with six scheduled to be retro-converted in 2022.
So what is the motivation to lay down $100k-plus on an off-grid caravan that can run domestic appliances in the bush, when you can already do most of that for a few days with a large regular lithium battery and a big solar set-up for somewhat less?
Bruce Loxton, who ran Kimberley Kampers before setting up Safiery, very clearly believes that 48-volt RV power is the future.
Unexpectedly, Loxton says 70-80 per cent of the motivation for most customers moving to the new 48-volt technology is the safety of having a completely gas-free caravan.
“In many ways it has been an appliance-led revolution,” he said. "Air fryers are replacing microwaves and grillers and can also toast, while induction cooktops are rapidly replacing gas jets.
"Both require large inverters to run, which in turn need to operate for an extended period in conjunction with more powerful battery systems."
The latest 48V systems offer all this with rapid recharge.
The opportunity to banish dust from caravans because gas-free operation negates the need for mandatory gas ventilation, is another important factor, while free-spirited travellers who seek apartment-style living off the grid are also attracted to the technology.
So, should you ‘jump’ to future-proof your next caravan? Unless you’re wedded to the idea of a 21st Century hermit, perhaps wait until prices come down and this won’t be long with major players like Jayco and New Age reportedly investigating the new tech.
There are already some more affordable options hitting the market, including Australian/Chinese caravan brand Harvok RV which is offering a new range of family and couple, full-size off-road caravans with 48V hybrid power systems for under $100,000.
OzXCorp, which recently formed a partnership with RV parts supplier NCE, also recently introduced a more affordable 7.1kWh lithium battery version of its 48-volt DCX Power Platform for recreational vehicles, that costs around $6000 less than the original 14.3kWh powerpack used in Retreat's ERV caravan.
"This battery is well suited to caravans and RV’s with complementary gas appliances and gas/diesel heating where the battery capacity is sufficient enough to run the air-conditioner all night and still have headroom for domestic duties or bridging low solar energy days," OzXCorp says.
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