It’s decided, you’re taking the plunge: you’re going to travel in camping with an electric camper van!
Whether you choose to rent a van individually, build a tailor-made trip with our advisors or opt for a surftrip in group, camping will be an inevitable stop on your itinerary, since wild camping is prohibited in France and requires special parking permits.
But how to optimize your time on campsites while traveling in an electric camper van? Let’s take a closer look at our tips for a successful trip.
Charging your electric campervan overnight
After a good day of surfing, hiking, or discovering the local cuisine for the more foodie among you, it’s time to set up your base camp for the night. Arrive in the late afternoon, before dinner (or drinks) and voilà, you’re there.
Here is THE advice we give to all our travelers: recharge your electric vehicle all night long! What could be better than waking up the next morning fully charged, ready to continue the adventure?
But be careful: it is not possible to recharge on all available outlets in the campsite. We will give you the keys in the few lines below for a successful recharge at the campsite.
Choosing the right amperage for the electrical hookups available at the campground
All campsites offer, depending on their capacity and type of clientele (mostly cars and tents or caravans), a specific amperage that can meet different needs. This usually starts at 2A and can reach up to 16A in the best-equipped campsites.
If you want to charge your electric van on the charging stations provided, please make sure that the amperage selected is equal to or greater than 10A. Otherwise, your charge will stop after a few minutes and you won’t be able to take advantage of this benefit.
Let’s take the example of our fully electric (75kW) camper vans. With a 10A power supply, you can recharge 2.5% of battery per hour, which means 36% if you stay from 9 pm to 9 am in the morning!
To refill water and recharge the batteries
All of our vans are equipped with a 30L water tank that allows you to cook, do the dishes or take a shower during any off-road trips. The stopover at the campsite is an opportunity to refill with water if you have run out.
In addition, you can recharge the internal (alternative) battery of your van. It allows you to power the lights, the fridge, and the various USB outlets in the living area of your mobile home.
Choosing campgrounds with electric charging stations
Another option: some campsites have chosen to equip their site with electric charging stations similar to those typically used to charge electric vehicles.
But if campgrounds need to catch up more with electric vehicles and improve their equipment to cater to this growing clientele, at The Family Van, we already work with different partners who are aware of this new way of traveling, which is more flexible and responsible.
And you, when are you planning your electric van trip with The Family Van?
