Off-Grid Campervan Basics: Power, Water and Heat Without a Hook-Up
The short answer: off-grid is a budget, not a switch. The leisure battery comfortably runs lights, water pump, fridge and phone charging for 2–3 nights; driving tops it back up. Water is the real limit — plan around 10–15 litres per person per day. Heating is diesel/gas, not battery, so cold nights are fine.
Power: what the battery does (and doesn’t) run
Runs happily: LED lights, the water pump, the compressor fridge, USB/12 V charging, the heater’s fan. Doesn’t: kettles, hairdryers, induction hobs — anything that makes heat from electricity. That’s what the gas hob is for.
The habit that matters: glance at the battery readout each morning. Above 12.4 V resting, carry on; consistently below, drive somewhere (an hour’s drive is a meaningful charge) or take a hook-up night.
Water: the actual constraint
The fresh tank covers roughly two days of two people washing up, making tea and quick rinses — showers change the maths entirely. Refill anywhere reasonable: campsites (often a pound or two), fuel stations if you ask nicely, public taps. Dump grey water only at proper disposal points or down a sink-connected drain — never on the verge, even though it’s “just washing-up water”.
Heat: the bit beginners overrate worrying about
The heating runs off the fuel/gas supply with only a small fan draw, so a frosty night costs little battery. Run it ten minutes before bed, again with the kettle at breakfast, and winter vanning is genuinely comfortable — arguably better than summer: no midges, empty sites, long fires.
The off-grid rhythm
Morning: battery glance, water check. Driving day: tanks brimmed when you pass a tap. Evening: park level, gas on, dinner, lights low. Every third night: a campsite for showers, water and a full charge. That rhythm will take you round Scotland without a single hook-up panic.