Off Grid Reality | Winter Motorhome Life in the UK

Life on the road isn’t always about stunning views, exciting drives, and new destinations. Sometimes it’s about staying put, looking after yourself, and facing the reality of off-grid living — especially in the middle of a UK winter.

This week both of us were under the weather with heavy colds, which meant no driving, no moving on, and no exploring. Instead, we were parked in the same spot, paying for daily parking, and relying entirely on our motorhome systems to keep us going.

Battery Anxiety & Power Use

Our Dethleffs Just 90 is fitted with a 300Ah lithium battery. On paper, that’s a huge amount of capacity — but seeing the monitor drop to 30% still gives you a twinge of anxiety. That’s roughly 100Ah left, which is fine for the basics (lights, pumps, heating controls), but things look very different once you add in “extras” like an electric kettle, induction hob, or slow cooker.

We try to save gas wherever possible because refilling LPG is getting trickier in the UK. That means leaning on electric where we can — but winter off-grid life doesn’t make it easy.

Solar Limitations

At the moment, we only have 100W of solar on the roof. On a bright, sunny summer day that might be enough to tick along. But in winter, with short daylight hours and plenty of overcast skies, it barely provides a couple of amps.

We do plan to upgrade to 300–400W solar, which should make a significant difference. For now, it’s a game of balancing and supplementing with portable panels and even topping up power banks from the house battery.

Campsite Hook-Up: Not Always the Fix

When we finally plugged in at Littlehampton campsite, we expected a quick recharge. Instead, we discovered the site’s mains charger only delivered 12A — meaning it took nearly 20 hours to put around 200Ah back into the battery.

Compare that with a Victron Multiplus inverter/charger, which can draw 100A and refill a large lithium in just 3–4 hours, and you see the difference. For serious off-griders, investing in faster charging can make all the difference.

Power: Need vs Want

Ultimately, this week reminded us that off-grid living is about knowing the difference between what you need and what you want.

We could survive comfortably on the basics, but once the sun shines and the batteries are full, it’s easy to plug in the luxuries. When sickness or weather keeps you still, the reality bites a little harder.

Our Off-Grid Essentials

These are the products we rely on (affiliate links help support our travels at no extra cost to you):

• 🔋 Victron Multiplus 3000 inverter/charger – rapid charging & reliable off-grid power
• ⚡ AllPowers S2000ProPowerBank – portable power with a foldable 400W solar pannel when roof solar isn’t enough