Living in Your Campervan

Your campervan has a leisure battery (also called the secondary or living-area battery) that powers the living area — lights, water pump, and 12V and USB sockets — separately from the engine battery.

How long it lasts

With no gadgets plugged in and the cooling box switched off, the leisure battery should power the living area for 1–2 days. How long it actually lasts depends on how much you use — the cooling box and charging devices are the largest drains, so heavier use means more frequent recharging.

The LED lights, water pump, and 12V and USB sockets are all designed to be energy-efficient.

What uses the most power

Not every appliance draws the same amount. Knowing the heavy hitters helps you make the battery last longer when you're off-grid:

• Highest drain: the cooling box or fridge — it runs continuously, so it's the single biggest draw on the battery.
• Moderate drain: charging phones, tablets, and other devices through the USB and 12V sockets, especially several at once.
• Lowest drain: the LED lights and water pump, which are designed to be energy-efficient and use very little.

Anything plugged into the 230V mains sockets is a separate case — those only work on external power, not the battery (see below).

If your battery is draining faster than expected, the cooling box is almost always the reason. Switching it off overnight, or running it only while you drive, makes a noticeable difference to how long the battery lasts.

How to recharge it

The leisure battery recharges while you drive, and when the van is connected to an external power source (a campsite hookup). If you're not driving much, we recommend recharging at least three times a week so the battery doesn't run low

The 230V sockets need external power

The 230V mains sockets only work when the van is plugged into an external power source. They won't run off the leisure battery alone, so when you're off-grid, only the 12V and USB sockets are available. 

Model differences

Use this as a general guide. Some models have appliances with different power sources, which can change how often you'll need to recharge. For model-specific details, see our vehicles.

Indie Campers campervans have two kinds of climate control: front systems that run off the engine while you drive, and independent (stationary) systems that work when you're parked with the engine off. Some vans also allow a portable electric heater as an add-on. This article explains each and — most importantly — when each one works.

Included van features

1. Front air conditioning & heating

Every campervan has air conditioning and heating in the front cab. These run off the engine, so they work while you're driving and switch off when the engine is off. For heating or cooling while parked, you'll rely on the independent systems below.

2. Independent (stationary) heating

Most of our fleet has stationary heating, which works when the van is parked and the engine is off. The exception is Adventure models, which have a rooftop tent and no stationary heating.

What powers it depends on your region:

• North America: propane, from a fixed built-in LPG tank.
• Australia & New Zealand: propane, from refillable gas bottles.
• Europe: either propane (gas bottles) or diesel. Diesel heating draws directly from the vehicle's main fuel tank.

To see what your specific model has, check the 'Included Features' section on our website. 

3. Independent (stationary) air conditioning

Stationary air conditioning is available on most vehicles in our North American, Australian, and New Zealand fleets, for comfort in warm climates. How it runs depends on region:

• North America: can run off-grid through the vehicle's 110V setup, powered by either a fixed generator (drawing fuel from the RV's main tank) or a portable generator (with its own separate fuel tank). 
• Australia & New Zealand: requires a direct shore power connection (a hookup) to run — it won't operate off-grid.

Water system

Your campervan carries its own fresh water on board and pumps it to the outlets — the kitchen sink and, where fitted, the shower. The important thing to know: the water pump runs on electricity from the leisure battery, so water only flows when the pump has power.

How it works

Fresh water is stored in an onboard tank. When you open a tap — at the kitchen sink or the shower — the 12V water pump switches on automatically and pushes water through, then stops when you close it. Used water from the sink and shower drains into a separate waste (grey) water tank.

The pump needs power

Because the pump draws from the leisure battery, if that battery runs low the pump can't work and no water will come out of the sink or shower, even with a full tank. Keeping the leisure battery charged (by driving or plugging into a hookup) keeps your water running. The pump itself is very energy-efficient and one of the smallest drains on the battery — see the Leisure battery section above for how to keep it topped up.

Fresh and waste water

• Fill up the fresh-water tank at campsites, service points, and many fuel stations before you run low.
• Empty the waste-water tank only at proper disposal points — never onto the ground or into nature.

If no water comes out

If neither the sink nor the shower is running, check these before assuming a fault:

1. Is the water pump switched on? If your van has a pump or master switch on the control panel, make sure it's on.
2. Is the leisure battery charged? A low battery is the most common reason the pump stops — recharge by driving or connecting to power.
3. Is there water in the fresh tank? Refill if it's empty or low.

If water still won't flow after those checks, contact our team.

Your camper has a fridge (or a cooling box) to keep food and drinks cold on the road. The main thing to know: it runs on power — so keeping your battery charged is what keeps it cold.

Fridge modes by category

All our campers keep your food and drinks cold — the difference is how much control you get. Fridges in the Comfort category offer more energy modes than those in the Active category, giving you extra flexibility over how the fridge runs and draws power. Check your vehicle's page for the category you've booked.

Whichever you have, the essentials are the same: it runs on power, needs a little time to get cold, and needs airflow around it — all covered below.

(Adventure vehicles carry a portable electric cooler powered from a 12V socket rather than a built-in fridge — it runs off the vehicle battery, so it only holds cold for a couple of hours with the engine off; run the engine to keep it going on longer stops.)

It runs on power

The fridge is the biggest single drain on your leisure battery, because it runs around the clock. If the battery gets low, the fridge is usually the first thing to stop cooling — even with everything else seeming fine. Keeping the leisure battery charged (by driving regularly or plugging into a campsite hookup) is the single best thing you can do to keep it cold. See the Leisure battery section for how to keep it topped up.

Give it time to get cold

A fridge that's just been switched on — or just loaded with warm food and drinks — can take a few hours to reach temperature. That's normal, so don't judge it too soon. Turning it to a colder setting doesn't cool it any faster; it just reaches the same point and holds there.

Keep it ventilated

The fridge sheds heat through vents, usually behind or beside it, and it needs air to move freely. Don't pack items tightly against the vents or block them — trapped heat is one of the most common reasons a fridge struggles to cool, especially in hot weather or direct sun.

If it's not getting cold

Before assuming a fault, run through these:

1. Is the battery charged? A low leisure battery is the most common cause — drive for a while or connect to a hookup.
2. Have you given it enough time? A few hours from cold, especially if freshly loaded.
3. Is it overloaded or full of warm items? Cool or pre-chill food where you can, and don't overfill.
4. Are the vents clear? Make sure nothing is blocking airflow around the unit.
5. Is the van reasonably level? On some fridges a steep tilt stops them cooling — reposition or level up where you can.

If it still won't cool after these checks, contact our team and we'll help.