Entry level RV

Why wait until you’re old enough to drive before beginning the Van Life?

At 15 years of age, Dutch National Quinten de Jong decided he couldn’t wait until he had a car before beginning his camping adventures – so he built a bespoke caravan to tow behind his bike.

Keen cyclist, he began by designing his van and collecting the necessary materials – timber and steel – in his parent’s shed.

Despite his lack of welding experience Quinten built the 2m x 1m chassis and began welding steel sheet to form the roof and sides. Internal timber-framing allowed him to form an aerodynamic curved roof.

The van is insulated to prevent condensation and features an advanced electric system – including a flexible solar panel and AC inverter.

Full Power

Lighting, TV and mains hook up.

BMV 700 Battery Monitor. The Battery monitor tells you all you need to know about the condition of your battery – voltage, state-of-charge, time remaining at current load, consumed amp hours – together with user-definable alarms and an extensive stored history of battery conditions.

The Blue Solar MPPT 100/20 Solar Charge Controller monitors the constantly-changing voltage and current of the solar panel to maximise the energy harvest – which is stored in the battery according to a multi-stage adaptive battery charge algorithm. A Battery Life feature can monitor the battery state of charge over a period of time. If it’s been a while since the battery was charged to 100% (essential occasionally for battery health) the Solar Charger can gradually raise the load disconnect level, breaking the depletion cycle, and ensuring that the battery receives a periodic 100% recharge.

In Quinten’s case, the battery he has is a Lithium SuperPack 60Ah – which has an integrated BMS and a safety shutdown switch for over charge, deep discharge, out of range temperature, etc – making it worry free and simple to install.

Lithium chemistry has many advantages over Lead Acid. Most noticeably for his rig is the weight saving – at just 9.5Kilos his energy dense battery is less than half the weight of an equivalent AGM or Gel deep cycle battery. It is also far more efficient, particularly when the typical discharge cycle is small – say down to 80% state of charge. The charge-efficiency from 80% SoC back to full charge can be as low as ‘half’ – two amps in for every single amp stored. The efficiency of the Lithium SuperPack will be 90% efficient or better.

These figures make a huge difference to the charge time when you’re solar-charging and off-grid.

MultiPlus 12/500 Quinten’s Inverter Charger provides an AC Power source for his TV, Lighting and personal chargers. Packed with advanced features in spite of its small size, the MultiPlus 12/500 has a peak power capability of 900W – allowing devices with high-start up current to operate normally;  and because it is a true sine wave inverter it can run sensitive equipment faultlessly. Working as a charger the MultiPlus 12/500 can charge his battery from the electricity grid at a maximum 20 A.Battery Switch On/Off 275A. When not in use the system can be shut down with this robust and professional switch in order to prevent losses on stand-by.Learning everything as he went, Quinten says the most difficult part of the build was actually painting his new van, on account of its size.

Quinten says: “I am happiest with the electronics in it from Victron Energy. I use the power for my small TV and for the lighting, alarm, etc. I sleep in it in the summer when I go to a campsite and take a gas burner with me as I enjoy cooking.” Is there anything he would change? “I would like to make a lighter caravan under 80kg because this one weighs about 120kg. For anyone thinking about making a bicycle caravan, build the frame from aluminum – because that is sturdy and lightweight – and use wood elsewhere.” Considering the determination shown by Quinten in achieving this project, and the independent travel adventures which followed at just 15, we really can’t wait to see what he will do next.

Quinten’s Victron distributor is Combi Noord.