Essential/Useful Electrical items

[Twinkletoes]

Since the trend is for camp sites to have EHU included in the pitch price, Songbird and I thought we had best get kitted up. It seems silly to run the gas heater if electricity has been paid for.

I remember from a previous thread a De Longhi heater was recommended, a kettle is on our list, but any suggestions would be welcome.

We don't do much fancy cooking as we do enough at home, but I recall a skillet being debated, is this an electric powered item? Also what sort of wattage should we be thinking of for the heater etc.

We are happy without a TV. We are going to the Shepton Mallet show 1st April, so intend having a good browse, but knowing what to look out for and what to avoid would be good.

Ann

[glenw]

I totally agree, why pay twice to get heat, cooking etc so we use electricity on site virtually all the time.

Can't help with the heater but I can tell you the skillet regularly mentioned on here isn't electric, although it could be used on an electric hot plate. This is the website for it.
http://www.doubleskillet.com/

Our most essential electric item is the kettle, we bought a cheap low wattage one from The Range.

Another essential electric gadget for us, more so since Evie has started weening onto solid food, is the microwave. It's so easy to warm up her pre-cooked and then frozen mush and also for re-warming our cuppa's! We bought a low wattage one made by Quest.

We have a TV but its rarely used but we do take our laptop or netbook.

[Caz]

Leccy items in my van: 700 watt oil filled radiator, low wattage kettle, cheap Tesco toaster, cheap Argos microwave, slow cooker. In winter I boost the heating with a fan heater, but the rest of the year the oil filled one is enough.

Then there's the TV, DVD player, radio & laptop. Phone, torch and battery chargers.

Think that's it.

[Twinkletoes]

Wow Caz, that's a regular 'home from home' you have there. Thanks for the suggestions, I totally forgot toaster - now added to the list. I have an Argos just a mile away, so will look at their Microwave's.

[VonUK]

The double skillet is a brilliant piece of kit, but doesn't run on electricity. The Ramoska, from Lakeland does a similar job, and does. I have to own up, and admit we have both- we use the Ramoska when we have ehu, and the double skillet when we are dependent on the gas

[jayjay]

I have a small travel kettle and one of these: http://www.amazon.co.uk/DeLonghi-Bam...sr=1-1-catcorr I still use my gas cooker to cook on, I wouldn't have anywhere to put an electric ring cooker! Also chargers for phone, etc. And small TV.

[jessiem]

An electric hotplate would be useful to use with a double skillet. We also have an extension cable because we only have one 240v socket at the kitchen end. It comes in useful with both the kettle and toaster on. Just have to be careful with keeping the leads out of the way.

[lizzie]

Essential/useful electrical items

When I ordered my R20 I asked for an extra mains socket near the hob. I have found this invaluable especially for the kettle and Remoska which sit on the glass cover. Should also be useful with little radiator. It is possible they now put these in as standard but if ordering a new van would be worth
checking. One is not enough!
Lizzie

[1_man_and_his_dob(lo)]

Not much room in my 'van, so I stick to the gas (+ double skillet) for cooking and use EHU for

1. Kettle
2. Oil-filled radiator, which I'll be leaving behind now things are warming up, and just stick to the Webasto
3. TV
4. Laptop
5. Phone charger

[Twinkletoes]

Thanks for the link JayJay - a DeLonghi Bambino is definitely on the list. I see they do 500w and 800w, which do you have?

After the heater, a kettle is on the list, then microwave. With only one 240v socket I guess we must pack an extension lead. It is near the floor and I don't fancy heating a kettle down there. If the microwave will do toast, then we can dispense with a toaster.

We will enjoy browsing the equipment at Shepton Mallet, but unless there are bargains, will just check everything and buy on line through the link (I guess it's time to break my duck and use this facility).

[jayjay]

Thanks for the link JayJay - a DeLonghi Bambino is definitely on the list. I see they do 500w and 800w, which do you have?

After the heater, a kettle is on the list, then microwave. With only one 240v socket I guess we must pack an extension lead. It is near the floor and I don't fancy heating a kettle down there. If the microwave will do toast, then we can dispense with a toaster.

We will enjoy browsing the equipment at Shepton Mallet, but unless there are bargains, will just check everything and buy on line through the link (I guess it's time to break my duck and use this facility).

Hi Ann, I have the 500w Bambino heater, I find it very good, I rarely have it on full, I always have to turn it down! They are smashing for a small space, I used to plug mine in and sit it on top of the cooker top up out of the way for evening and overnight use, and down in the footwell opposite the fridge for in the daytime. My sis bought a cheaper version from B&Q but it didn't radiate the same amount of heat and she wasn't impressed with it so I guess you get what you pay for.

I also only had one electric plug socket, so had a twin extension socket. I didn't get a four-gang as I knew there would be a temptation to plug everything in at once, with a two gang, you can only plug two things in at once, so no chance of overload! I believe you can get four gang ones with a separate on/off switch to every socket though, so that might be better.

I also have a small travel kettle and have found it quite adequate for two people and it takes up less space than a low watt kitchen kettle. Oh and a clippie light! Very handy in a roma, although I've upgraded to a bedside table lamp in the caravan!


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lloytron-E88...0611236&sr=8-4


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mini-Clip-li...0611297&sr=1-2

By the way - you do have an EHU lead, don't you? Just wondered!!

[Caz]

Oh yes, forgot the clip on light - a socket on a big plastic bulldog clip from Wilkinsons - saves the 12v if I'm on EHU as the battery in my van doesn't charge from mains like it did on my caravans.

I did use a leccy hotplate when on EHU in the caravans, useful but now the kids don't come with me very often I don't take it as it's quite heavy and takes up space - not much storage in a pop top Transit. The microwave for quick jobs and the slow cooker for long ones, sorts all but my morning toast - hence the toaster.

I suppose if I needed to produce a gourmet meal for any reason I could always turn the gas on and use the cooker!

If I'm going away without EHU and can be bothered I take the microwave & heater out to give me more room.

[Annie van]

Hi Twinkletoes

We have a small size halogen oven which makes super sausage beans onion and jacket potatoes in one pot. It's worth taking for the jacket potatoes alone. The big size is more versatile, but too big for two, and too bulky to take in the R20. We bought the double skillet at Shepton last Sept, and it's so quick for doing just about everything if you've just got gas.

Mary

[Kipsy]

phone charger, kindle charger, Nintendo DS Charger ok happy now

[Robin]

When did you go back to a camper Caz? I thought you had a caravan.