Off to W.A. next year.

Wandering Whitfields · Veteran Member

Off to W.A. next year.

neilnruth · Guru

Welcome Wandering Whitfields. How long is a piece of string? You will no doubt get lots of tips. Sorry I can't help with solar panels (but others will). Just browse through some of the posts and I'm sure you will find lots of help as these questions have often been answered.

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Look in the search facility above, theres been lotsa discussion about solar panels as well as various topics on WA.

barrie · Guru

watch your bank account deplete when your in WA

Happywanderer · The Master

I've just bought a set of portable solar panels 120wt for 259.00 of Ebay. After seeing how well they did for a fellow Grey Nomad at Gympie Camp I got the same as him.. I am really pleased with them although they are heavy. But they will solve my power problems completely. I will never run out of power again.

AmandaJayne · Guru

We live in WA and we used to travel 500k for a day out in my car... the bus has not been so bad, I found the service stations in the country cheaper than where I live in Mandurah altho we've not been too far up north yet.. only have gone as far as Sharks bay.... I adore the S/W of WA you see. We've had no trouble staying nights at rest stops.. can't say how costly the caravan parks are yet only know two... the one at Kambalda was 20.00 a night, washing machines were free and they do a dinner, all you can eat with a crib for the next day for 15.00 per person... the caravan site at wave rock was 35.00 a night (I thought expensive) but we needed shelter from the storm here so we took advantage of walking around wave rock in the wind and rain (LOL had to be there).. they did how ever throw in a discount on fuel at the local fuel station and the fee to look at the rock is included in the price of the stay... hubby said the showers on his side were nice and hot and the lights stayed on, the womens how ever were luke warm and the lights switched off after a short time leaving you in the dark!!!
Mind you, after we do the rest of Oz we may change our mind on the expense but you must remember to get anywhere in WA there be a few kilometers between places so the fuel prices will be higher.
As for solar panels, we bought ours on eBay and have both types and they work really well... we are pleased with them... as long as you have the battery power to cope with the ones you have and also a good inverter they should work well :) I am not too knowing on them, my hubby is... so all I know is.... I get to play on my computer for hours, watch tv when ever I want to and have a steaming hot coffee from our coffee machine in the morning... I is a happy little camper :) (oh we have 600wts)

jimricho · Guru

Happywanderer wrote:
I've just bought a set of portable solar panels 120wt for 259.00 of Ebay. After seeing how well they did for a fellow Grey Nomad at Gympie Camp I got the same as him.. I am really pleased with them although they are heavy. But they will solve my power problems completely. I will never run out of power again.

As long as the sun shines! wink (a period of cloudy weather may test the capacity of your system)

PS: I bought an 80watt folding panel off Ebay late last year for $209. have tested it and it works fine. I mostly camp on powered sites so I didn't want to spend too much money on one, but I would have gone for 120watts had I had the storage space to carry it.

Compared to more expensive ones it is not as structurally robust but I've done a couple of minor mods to overcome this.

-- Edited by jimricho on Saturday 16th of June 2012 08:09:04 AM

tezza · Senior Member

Hi, enjoy your trip. Think carefully about how much fuel you buy at Norseman. If you are turning north it is 25c a litre cheaper in Coolgardie about 160ks away. I think Coolgardie is usually as cheap as anywhere outside perth but they have a great site in the west , fuelwatchwa, that you can log onto and service stations have prices displayed that must remain till 4pm. You can check tomorrows prices at about 3pm.