How does the campervan's power system work, and how do I get 220V electricity?

Here's how your campervan powers its living space, how long you can go off-grid, and how to run the 220V sockets.

Your campervan runs its living space off a leisure battery, separate from the engine battery, which powers essentials like the lights, USB ports, fridge, and water pump when you're not plugged in. On a full charge it typically lasts 1–2 days off-grid, depending on how much you use those appliances.

There are two sources of charging for the leisure battery, but they do not provide the same amount of charge:

  • Driving: The leisure battery receives only a small amount of charge while the engine is running, so driving should not be relied on to recharge the leisure battery.
  • Shore power: The recommended way to recharge the leisure battery during your trip is to connect the campervan to shore power at a campsite using the provided 220 V/230 V cable. This recharges the leisure battery and powers the 230 V outlets inside the campervan, which only work when the vehicle is connected to external power.

For full details, see our Leisure Battery Guide.

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