There’s a heap of Electrical 4WD accessories that can be installed, and having a basic understanding of how they work, and whether you really need one is the best place to start. 12V electronics have come in leaps and bounds over the last few years, and electrical systems can be far more complicated today than they’ve ever been.
On this hub page, we cover a huge range of electrical topics, and try to explain things in a simple and easy to understand way.
What’s a DCDC Charger, and do you need one?
If you’ve heard the term DCDC Charger and don’t know what it means, or aren’t sure if you really need one, in this post we cut through the marketing rubbish and explain it plainly and simply. They are a fantastic bit of kit, but you don’t always need one.
Ultra Gauge
On our most recent build, we fitted an Ultra Gauge. At the time they weren’t very popular, but they are now, and for good reason. If you don’t have a way of clearing codes, and monitoring your 4WD, you should seriously consider it.
Camping Air Conditioner
Want to run a caravan air conditioner from your battery system, off grid? You actually can, and lots of people are doing it today. If you want a camping air conditioner, see what your options are here.
How to install a permanent solar panel on your 4WD
One of the best things you can do to a 4WD set up for camping is to mount a permanent solar panel that keeps up with your demand without you having to lift a finger. Find out everything you need to know here.
Amaron Battery Review
If you are in the market for a cranking battery, we’ve just purchased our second Amaron Battery in an N70 size. Our first one failed after about 4.5 years, and we’ve done a full review here.
Bushman Upright Fridge Fan Failure
One of the issues we had in the first year of owning a Bushman Upright Fridge was the fan on the condenser jammed up and broke. On a 40 degree day, jammed in my canopy at Horrocks I wasn’t overly happy about it, but here’s the full story and fix.
Power AGM battery review
On our soft floor camper trailer we ran two 135aH Power AGM batteries, and I have to say they were pretty good. If you are in the market for a budget AGM battery, these have a great reputation, and we’ve got some more comments here.
Why we went with a Renogy Lithium Battery
After much deliberation, we purchased two Renogy Lithium batteries for our Hybrid Camper Trailer. We looked at every single brand out there, and came back to Renogy for a number of reasons, which you can check out here.
Cut your cigarette plugs off
If you buy an electrical appliance and it comes with a cigarette lighter plug, seriously consider cutting it off. They are garbage, and here’s why.
Stedi ST4K Light Bar
4WD Light technology has come in leaps and bounds, and there are now some products on the market that are not only great quality, but cheap enough for everyone to be able to afford. On our newest build, we fitted a 40 inch Stedi ST4K LED light bar. Find out our thoughts here.
How to run 240V appliances when you are camping
Believe it or not, but you can actually run a number of 240V appliances off a 12V system when you are camping. What you can run, and for how long depends on a huge number of factors, but if you are wanting to run some 240V gear off grid this post will explain everything you need to know, in detail.
Solar panels vs blankets
The age old question; are solar blankets better than solar panels? Well, it really depends! If you want to know what is most suitable for you, check this out.
Are you damaging your 12V batteries?
Just because your fridge is still running in the morning doesn’t mean you are doing the right thing by your batteries. Regular, deep discharging significantly reduces the lifespan of your batteries, and you have to find a balance that suits your requirements.
Enerdrive DC2DC
We’ve been running an Enerdrive DC2DC 40 amp charger in our Reconn R2 for a couple of years now, and have done a full review of the product, and what we think about it.
Projecta Inverter Review
Being able to run 240V appliances when you are camping and miles from the nearest power point is fantastic. We’ve been using our Projecta Inverter for a number of years now to charge camera batteries, laptops and a heap of other gear.
eBay Solar Panels; how to avoid getting ripped off
Not much really upsets me, but seeing most of the solar panels being sold on eBay false advertised really makes the blood boil. Don’t buy a single solar panel off eBay unless you’ve read this, or you will get ripped off!
Projecta IDC25 DCDC review
Our latest build included a Projecta IDC25 DCDC battery charger. We’ve had it for a couple of years now, and it hasn’t been a perfectly smooth run. Find out what we think of it here.
Victron MPPT Review
Victron make premium gear, and they are well known for it. We ran the 100 | 30 MPPT unit on our old camper trailer for several years, and had a brilliant run with it. See the full review here.
How long will a 100aH Battery last?
Wondering how many days you’ll get out of your secondary battery? Working out battery capacity against different appliances isn’t always easy, and in this post we look at a 100aH battery and see how long it will go for when running various appliances.
Auto reset circuit breaker problems
If you run auto reset circuit breakers in your 4WD, you should be paying close attention to them, as we’ve had a few issues now and also had the potential for a nasty car fire. Want to know more? Check this out.
Enerdrive Inverter Review
We’ve run an Enerdrive Inverter now for quite some time, and its time to do a review of how its gone, why we purchased it, and whether we’d get another one.
Redarc Brake Controller Review
Brake controllers are compulsory when towing any trailer over 750kg that runs electric brakes. Redarc is by far and away the most popular option. The thing is, are they deserving of their market position?
Bushranger Air Compressor Review
After running a Bushranger Compressor for more than 10 years, its time to do a thorough review. We also compare it against 3 other compressors that have been in use in the family or with friends and family for a similar time frame
