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Caravan Chronicles

~ not just another caravan blog

Caravan Chronicles

Category Archives: Reviews

Getting All Charged Up – Update

02 Sunday Jul 2017

Posted by Simon Barlow in Accessories, Caravan Electrics, Electrical, Off Grid, Product Review, Projects, Reviews, Technical, Towing, VW Amarok

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

Caravan Electrics, Leisure Battery Charging, Modifications, Sterling Power Wildside, VW Amarok


The best laid plans….

We had originally intended to spend a week down at Glastonbury which would have meant the 5 hour drive down would have been an excellent test for the Sterling Power Wildside unit’s first outing. However we had to cancel the trip literally the day before we were due to set off. In the few days between installing the Wildside unit and our planned trip to Glastonbury I had been exchanging emails and phone calls with Charles Sterling talking about some of the aspects of the Wildside unit and the direction that caravan electrics was heading in.

Continue reading →

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Getting All Charged Up – Part 1…

25 Tuesday Apr 2017

Posted by Simon Barlow in Boondocking, Caravan Electrics, Caravan Servicing, Electrical, Gadgets, General, Maintenance, Modifications, Off Grid, Product Review, Reviews, Technical, tow vehicle, Uncategorized, VW Amarok

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Euro6 Engines, Leisure Battery Charging, Maintenance, Project, Regen Braking, Sterling Power Wildside


If you are a regular reader you may remember a couple of posts I wrote about leisure battery charging in caravans and motorhomes (Smart Alternators: how they affect Caravans and Motorhomes…. and NEC Show Roundup – it’s all technical…) and I linked to a few videos that Charles Sterling from Sterling Power has produced covering charging topics and Euro6 engines. At the recent NEC show Sterling Power were featuring a new product that would soon be available that would solve all the issues for caravan owners that were experiancing towing with vehicles that had “smart alternators” which were are standard on Euro5 and Euro6 engines and the issues around regenerative braking on Euro6 engines. Charles promised to send me one of the first pre-production “Wildside” Battery to Battery chargers specifically designed for caravans. Continue reading →

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Fit2Go Tyre Pressure Checker…

05 Wednesday Apr 2017

Posted by Simon Barlow in Accessories, Gadgets, General, Maintenance, Product Review, Reviews, Technical, TPMS

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Caravan, Fit2Go, Maintenance, Touring, Towing, TPMS, Tyre Monitoring, Tyre Pressure


Back in December last year I did a write up and little video with Andy Harris from RoadPro about the Fit2Go tyre pressure monitoring system. In the video he promised to send me one of the new Fit2Go Tyre Pressure Checker units as soon as they were released. Well Andy kept his word and yesterday I received a little package from Road Pro. Continue reading →

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Fit2Go Tyre Monitoring Review….

26 Monday Dec 2016

Posted by Simon Barlow in Accessories, Product Review, Reviews, Technical, TPMS

≈ 23 Comments

Tags

Caravan, Caravan Tyres, Fit2Go, RoadPro, tow vehicle, Towing, TPMS


A couple of weeks ago while we were at the Chapel Lane Caravan Club site Andy Harris from RoadPro came over and brought a new product for us to try. It had been launched to the caravan and motor home market at the NEC show in October and while talking to Andy at the show he introduced me to a couple of people from Fit2Go to chat about the product. I really liked the idea of it as there were no wires involved, little set-up or programming and more importantly it was easy to install the dash display in any vehicle as the unit fitted on the windscreen and was the same size as the old tax disc. No suckers…. no bean bag thingy…. no screwing mounts to the dash or finding a space to install the display. Continue reading →

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Once In A While…

22 Monday Feb 2016

Posted by Simon Barlow in Accessories, General, Product Review, Reviews, Travelling In Europe, Travelling in the UK

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Bundle Bed, Caravan, Caravanning, Caravans, Touring


Once in a while something comes along and makes you think…. ‘what a good idea’. I was contacted by James Clark and asked If I’d like to take a sneak peek at something he and his friend, Lucy Bartlett have been working on.

bed Continue reading →

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Is it humid in here?…

28 Monday Dec 2015

Posted by Simon Barlow in Accessories, Gadgets, Modifications, Product Review, Reviews, Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Camping Accessories, Caravanning, Caravans, De-humidifier, Maintenance


WedFeb6130934UTC2013Just finding time to catch up on a few things that I haven’t had time to write about over the past few months.

One of the things we bought a while ago – sometime last year I think, was a cheap de-humidifier from ALDI. I was a little sceptical about the performance of such a small and low priced device initially but it seems to work as advertised. We haven’t been leaving it plugged 24 hours a day  but just using it when we are out for the day and in the evening. Usually we just plug it in when we get up are and leave it running stood on in the bedroom area on a low shelf near the bathroom door and in the evening move it into the bathroom and put it on the floor. We don’t leave it running overnight.

Each day it averages just over two cups of water. Now that doesn’t seem much, but that water was in the air and it has to go somewhere, usually in the form of condensation. One thing we have noticed is that in the morning when we open the blinds, even when it’s down to a few degrees above freezing outside there isn’t any condensation on the lower edge of the windows or window frame. In the colder months usually we put the towels used from showering over the heated towel rail in the bathroom to dry and I’ve always worried about condensation forming in the caravan, but I think this little unit might have eased my concerns somewhat. I don’t think a de-humidifier is worth running 24 x 7 in a caravan as there are so many vents, but taking the moisture out of the ‘van from day to day living can’t be a bad thing!

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Something for the Bank Holiday Weekend?…

29 Saturday Aug 2015

Posted by Simon Barlow in Accessories, Car Trailer, Gadgets, Maintenance, Product Review, Reviews

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Caravan, Caravanning, Caravans, Maintenance, monitoring systems, Product Review, Towing, Tyre Pal, Tyre Pressure, tyre pressures, Wheel Solutions Ltd


If you are a regular reader you may remember that on our last trip out we had a bit of an issue with tyre pressures with the caravan (“When Things Don’t Go To Plan…”). Well, a few days ago I was contacted by Charlotte from Wheel Solutions Ltd the people who make Tyre Pal – the tyre pressure monitoring system, asked me if I’d like to test out and review one of their pressure monitoring systems.

SPB_5D_098380With the recent trip still in my mind and especially the difference that just 10 PSI can make in the towing experience I jumped at the chance. Charlotte arrange for one of their TC215B units with 6 sensors to be delivered on loan for a few weeks while we try it out on our next trip. From saying “Yes”, the package containing the TC215B unit, mounting bracket, charging lead, accessories and sensors arrived the following day.

So, this weekend I’ll mainly be unboxing, evaluating and installing the unit and sensors and posing about the install and setting it up  which, from my brief scan through the comprehensive user manual, looks like it’s going to be a breeze.

In a few days time we will be setting off for Plough Lane Caravan Site, one of the Tranquil Touring sites and I’ll report back on how it performed on the trip and giving my thoughts about it.

Now, “in a bit of an exclusive” (I’ve always wanted to say that!) for Caravan Chronicles we will have a special offer from Tyre Pal at the end of the review… just in time to get yourself an early Christmas present… so keep checking back.

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Product Review: Goodyear 12 Volt Air Inflator

15 Saturday Aug 2015

Posted by Simon Barlow in Accessories, Gadgets, General, Product Review, Reviews

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

12 Volt Air Inflator, Accessories, Goodyear, Maintenance


In my last post I discovered that the caravan tyre pressures were low and didn’t have a portable means of inflating them. I’d looked at the offerings from a well know auto store and reading the blurb on all the boxes discovered that getting an inflator that would be capable of inflating above normal vehicle pressures would not be a straight ‘off the shelf’ item… well not off the shelves of the auto store I was in at the time. Continue reading →

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Now then, here’s a couple of deals for you…

06 Friday Mar 2015

Posted by Simon Barlow in Accessories, Gadgets, General, Reviews

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Camping, Camping Accessories, Caravan, Motorhome


WedFeb6130934UTC2013For the past couple of months we have been trying out a dehumidifier for the caravan. We bough it from ALDI last year and it seems to be working well. It works off 240 volts, but can also be used on 12 volts. There is a fan in the unit which isn’t too noisy but we chose to run it when we are not in the caravan. During the cooler months it means we don’t have to have any of the windows open on their night setting as running the dehumidifier during the day when we are out seems to work very well. We have been very pleased with it, it really does make a difference…. especially when my alter ego “One Hairy Caravanner” has been cooking pasta in the caravan!

With that in mind, I was rather pleased ALDI will have a range of other products for caravanners and motorhomers as part of their “Special-buy” events on the 26th March. Continue reading →

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Caravan Chronicle Stats

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Recent Posts

  • Getting All Charged Up – Update 2… January 29, 2018
  • The Caravan and Motorhome Show 2018 January 5, 2018
  • End of Year Catch Up… December 28, 2017
  • Is A Euro 6 Engine Killing Your Leisure Battery?… July 21, 2017
  • Getting All Charged Up – Update July 2, 2017
  • A Step In The Right Direction… June 3, 2017
  • Getting All Charged Up – Part 3 “The Install”… May 30, 2017
  • Getting All Charged Up – Part 2… April 26, 2017
  • Getting All Charged Up – Part 1… April 25, 2017
  • They Say Things Come in Three’s…. April 11, 2017
  • Fit2Go Tyre Pressure Checker… April 5, 2017
  • Fitting A Bike Rack to the VW Amarok – Finale… March 12, 2017
  • Fitting A Bike Rack to the VW Amarok – Part 2… March 4, 2017
  • Fitting A Bike Rack to the VW Amarok – Part 1… March 3, 2017

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