We are loving the vlogs. We have just ordered an EV and you are explaining what it is like to drive one in reality in terms that are so easy for my husband and myself to understand. Thank you so much.
When you sat down next to Dougle with your tea and toast you could see the joy on his face at the chance for a warm snuggle lol - he may never smile but he has a cheeky tinkers face
Hi Andrew, enjoyed the lovely journey with you & even when it's Raining the Scenery is still Beautiful! Always a good pick me up, nice cup of Tea the Toast with Almond Butter & Raspberry Jam sounds lovely, I will have to try that. Think I would have been feeling a little Seasick with this Ferry Crossing. Hope you enjoyed the well earned rest!!! Looking forward to seeing Isle of Mull. Lots of Love to You & Dougal 💖💖💜💜 XXXX
Hi Andrew. I find the idea of a charge being required at 100 mile intervals as being really stressful, particularly when so many charging points are not working. I will stay with my Adria Compact SL Plus for the foreseeable future as it has a 700 mile range when tank full of diesel. Great video by the way.
Gosh Andrew and Dougallllllls, really enjoyed this one , so informative and educational , say it again lovely outfit you got there and yes it was very interesting , remember those single, track roads sooo, well , caravan in tow ,hugs
Andrew, these are brilliant, thoughtful, and insightful videos. I really feel like we are on the journey with you. Keep them coming!! Very interested to see how far you can go on the motorway network. We drove from Stranraer to London last year (solo) and while the car could do the journey of 600miles without needing refuelling, we couldn’t and we stopped 4 times so stopping itself isn’t an inconvenience it’s a necessity . The ability to charge with the caravan attached is going to be key I believe.
Thanks Damien. You're absolutely right, I don't think we need much more range now with EVs, we need a more robust and reliable charging network! So far nobody has thought about EVs towing... hopefully that mindset will change this year. It's one of the reasons I'm doing what I'm doing. All the best.
Have to disagree. Our limit is normally around 350 miles or so. We drive 2 hours on and 2 off, switching drivers. We only stop for 45 minutes for lunch and essential toilet use (on board) or refuelling. An EV will never work for us.
thanks soooo much for the explanation of the miles per Kilowatt hour - clearest explanation I've come across! Also good for my non-driving husband to see it's not only me who finds driving tiring ;-)
This is a fascinating series, thanks Andrew. While I have no short term plans to replace my "mild hybrid" petrol BMW, actively enjoying the "slow touring" concept which is enforced by the limitations of EV battery range is probably something that we could all learn from. These days I am more interested in hopping across to Normandy or Brittany, or maybe the Vendée at a push, rather than burning extra tanks of petrol (and paying lots of tolls) in the race to the more reliable sunshine of Provence...
I would love to travel back to the islands with our motorhome. Love Mull spent wonderful time there but by car... I think I would be to nervous to come back with the M/home the older I get the more nervous I get on the roads today...So I will enjoy your travels as I always do. Drive safe.
Hi Andrew, I love your videos of de caravan and de Kia EV6. I am planning to go with my caravan and mij Kia EV6 from the Netherlands to Zweden this summer. Your videos are verry helpful to see wat to expect.
Wow very brave to tow with an EV, My EQC Merc only does 2.9 without towing because it is quite heavy car. We are about to buy a Caravan but think I will tow with my wife’s car. Chargers in the UK are a nightmare with a lot not working or throwing out less then 50kw. Great watching your blogs keep up the great work.
Bingo! We've just been to Mull and today went to the visitor centre at Arisaig, so some of your journey looks very familiar. We've seen some stunning scenery en route, only spoiled by the terrible road surface on many of Scotland's road. (I thought England's roads were bad!). I have to say, the Morvern peninsular (Fishnish/Lochaline ferry) was out of this world - so remote and unspoilt. Hope the weather improves for you and us.
This series is absolutely brilliant. Actual real world experience of towing with an EV. We will all be doing this in years to come. I personally had totally discounted the idea of an EV as my next car as I didn't think it was possible to sensibly use it as a tow car. Maybe with enough thought put into how to do a journey while towing it really will be possible, if not quite as easy and convenient as with a ICE vehicle. I'll be very interested to see your final thoughts and conclusions on this trip.
Thanks Phil. Yes, there IS more of a planning element, and there is the need to slow down a bit and make more of the journey - but that's something I am embracing rather than berating. I'd never had gone into Arisaig and found that fab cafe if I wasn't checking out the charger!
If we are all doing it in years to come imagine the size of the car park needed for people to un hitch there caravans and charge there cars. Its more likely that caravaning will become none existent as the infrastructure is unlikely to accommodate caravans on a massive scale. As on Andrews blog there was one charger at his first stop with only half of it working. Don't hold your breath.
I think this video is a huge help to those caravaners thinking of buying an EV. Those who travel frequent shorter trips or those who make the journey part of the holiday will be perfectly happy with an EV. Those who prefer slightly longer trips and going directly A to B , legs down, kettle on, feet up - an EV is unlikely to appeal to them but the information you have given will help them decide correctly what is best for them. Well done Andrew. Maybe you could borrow the Bailey D4-2 again and do some comparisons towing a lighter caravan, and possibly a pop-top and even a folding caravan like a Gobur. Light, small, low profile caravans - might become much more popular. Maybe persuade Caravan Club mag to commission an article and get some dealers on board with a real-world test.
Thanks. Yes, I have plans in my head to try towing different kinds of caravan to see what the effect is. They would be real world tests though as I can't afford to hire out Millbrook Proving Ground like the big boys!
@@andrewjditton Give it time Andrew - Rome wasn't built in a day. As you are one of the few reviewing towing with an EV lets hope other YT channels don't steal your content as happened previously.
Of course it's "allowed" to charge over 80% SoC at a fast charger, but if people are queuing up for a charge it's common curtesy to charge to about 80%. And if charging over 80% it's also good to stay within viewing disting from your EV or leave a phone number in the window or at the charging flap. :-)
Again a really enjoyable watch. I felt for you on that road! The single track didn’t seem to have many passing places either. I really needed that Isles and CalMac ferry fix today and I see you are on my favourite ferry next week The Isle of Mull. It’s been too long. Surprised how many charging points aren’t working.
We are caravanning in North Uist in the summer - 644 miles from our home. That's 8 charges at a minimum of 45 minutes per charge adding 6 hours minimum to our journey time (not counting unhitching and hitching). Added to that the eye watering price of an EV capable of towing and constant battery anxiety makes the EV scenario a no go for us but we are following with interest.
I appreciate your point, but your going to make a vehicle decision based on 1 trip a year? think of the cost saving and extra options available utilising the vehicle to load 240v supply.
@@stevefarrimond Cornwall 4 times, Scotland twice, North Yorkshire, Northumberland to start. This doesn't count long distances to visit family etc without a caravan. We have family in Scotland. Caravanning and the ability to move freely around the country is a big deal for us. The sense of adventure. An EV just doesn't stack up. I'll happily have one at the right price for local journeys but they are expensive, the charging infrastructure is abysmal and the whole concept is ill thought out. The country can barely provide enough electricity for our current demands let alone 60 million electric vehicles. I'm not jumping on this band wagon until battery storage capacity is bigger and cheaper.
@@cyclinggardener totally agree, ev is not a practical choice for regular caravan enthusiasts. The best option is probably hybrid to get best of both worlds.
I test drove an EV6 last year, decided not to buy due to the poor range on the car when towing. You confirmed my estimations and I am so glad I did not buy one, great for short trips but poor for longer journeys. We travelled to Shropshire from Durham last year and it would have taken about 3 days.
Hi Andrew. Another great vlog with lots of good information for EV owners. Although I'll have to stick with my diesel driven van a number of years yet, it's very interesting for me all the same. Being an electronic engineer originally all things electric interests me. Even though I'm now retired, once a nerd always a nerd 😉 BTW: Nice to see a lot of familiar places en route to Kilchoan, but I must admit I got something in my eye 😉 Oh how I'm missing Scotland, hopefully it won't be too long now 😊
Another great video, at this early stage of electric vehicles I would be a little nervous that some charging stations would be out of order but I'm sure this will improve as more motorists take up this option. I wonder if the Kia has "trailer stability control" and sometimes this safely feature is incorporated in the caravan itself. And congratulations for being so honest and specific with your review👍
Hi Andrew really enjoying your trip this time in the electric car and towing the caravan very interesting seeing how it all works out Let’s hope the sunshine comes out for you on your next part of your journey
Yet another eloquently presented vlog sir. I have to admit the figures regarding range and probably varying terrain too is for me, putting me further off electric vehicles. Constantly calculating kWh and the concern for next charging point ; that is functioning, would impact on my touring pleasure big time. When I fill up my motorhome , I can aim for over 500 miles passing scores of fuel stations along my route. I need to contribute to saving the planet by other means I suppose. Many thanks and keep up with your brilliant vlogs
Thank you Andrew, lots of useful information there. I am here for the scenery, the places you pass through, and visit. I won't be getting an EV though. The stress of finding the next charging point would spoil the journey for me. I wouldn't want to be forced to spend time waiting for the batteries to fill up, I have no patience for that. Love to Dougal. ilona
Did that same road, from Kilchoan, 4 years ago on an even worse day than when you did it and vowed never to do it again. Haven’t so far but as it’s now just on the doorstep so to speak after our move to Mull I’ve a feeling we’ll be back on it at some point.
Great to hear of your progress with the ev towing and the practical experience. Watching these with great interest and enjoying the scenery and commentary and hope Dougal recovered from the crossing. We now have our Weinbsberg 390 - really pleased with it. Skoda Enyaq not due for a few months yet- I’m thinking we might expect similar range as you for our rig - lower towing capacity but lighter van. Can’t wait for the next.
Hari OM Both useful and informative, Andrew - as well as entertaining! Driving those sheeptracks are daunting enough in just the powered vehicle - towing another that may or may not choose to follow is a whole other level. At risk of sounding repetitive - thanks again for breaking this ground for us. Ear chooks to Dougal... YAM xx
Really well explained Andrew. I can see the reasoning, that when touring you ofted don't do too many miles in a day. However, sadly I can't see me ever caravaning with an EV. Unless I win the lottery that is. And that is pretty unlikely, as I don't gamble. Having just retired, I have bought an economical petrol car, a 1984 Ford Escort Mk 3 with a 1.1 engine. So sadly the Merc will soon be going, and my caravan. Back in the day I had the same model car, and I towed a 5 berth 15' caravan, albeit rather slowly.
Watching your vlogs I realise it's funny what you get used to. I have been driving an EV for 2 1/2 years and have got used to the seasonal changes and having to rely on the public charger network. I still don't like driving single track roads, which you seem to be very comfortable with.
Watched all of you EV vlogs with interest. Very interested to see vlogs on next trip on motorways. Some motorway services I use has the caravan car park after the main car park which has the charging points. Not very helpful! The EV6 is certainly a nice looking car 👍🏻
At 3.46 you are literally driving past my house. Yes, this road was carved out of the rock in 1998. The next part to Kinlochmoidart was a farmer's track until the 70s. After that you see how all roads here were until the 80s
Hi Andrew, excited to see another road trip series - really enjoyed the recent Italy trip - highlight of this episode.. your reaction to eating toast! Safe travels and looking forward to the next one already
Thank you for pioneering electric towing. Having an electric car as a local run about has converted me to going all electric, it has been the thought of towing the caravan that has meant keeping a diesel tow car. This is showing that touring with a caravan pulled by an electric car is becoming a real possibility.
Cheers Jamie, it is indeed, but you might not want to be towing to the Costa del Sol... However, slow travel and more local holidays are GOOD in my book :)
Hi Andrew, as ever an informative and entertaining vlog. As a now owner of a motorhome - I started watching in prep to hire one years ago! - Its so interesting to see the roads and scenery, then the sites when you get there. Added bonus is the electric vehicle info too, I've always been a diesel car, fill it up for 2 mins and get 700 miles range at 60+mpg kinda guy but interested in the future of how things are done, as next car might well be an electric one with diesel prices. I can do Somerset to Inverness currently with 1/4 tank fuel remaining! I've already scoped out that road to Kilchoan in the car and that was exhausting enough! In just over a week I we go up via Mull but have to go back that way for the ferry to Skye! Looking forward to the next installment.
Hi Andrew, looks like your having a great time with your Kia Ev6 & towing your caravan. My other half and myself saw your car at Fort William 16th May. We were staying at the Invercoe site with our Kia Ev6 towing the caravan, we averaged 2.1miles per kWh. Hope you enjoy the rest of your holiday and we look forward to your next video. 🙂
Cheers Brian! Interesting to know you're getting 2.1mi/kWh. I'm erring on the cautious side as, I'm sure you've experienced, there are enough people out there looking to find fault. Hopefully will see you on a site some time, that would be cool! (and you can then field half the questions!) ;)
I’m having all the flashbacks! Other half and I spent a week in Ardnamurchan last year, the little white cottage beside the distillery, and we found the roads to be quite unpleasant to drive, and I just have a Fiesta, never mind a caravan in tow! Don’t know how you did it my friend! 😂
Hi Andrew! Thanks for showing another great video about towing with an EV! You explain things very clearly and I can see you've adapted really well to driving electric as opposed to fossil fuel! I was going to ask you about costs but you answered that question at the end, well that it will be mentioned in the next video. That toast looked delicious! Almond butter and jam? Mmmm! I love all the nut and seed butters especially on toast!! Looking forward to the next instalment, great series, always professionally put together and never dull! Don't know whether anyone has told you about Ian from For the Love of Caravans? He's in hospital after suffering a major brain bleed, they stopped the bleeding and he's making progress slowly! We've all sent msgs of love and goodwill and we're all praying for good news. I think you've met him, such a lovely man, does some great vlogs! Another friend of Phil and Juliet! Such a shock to us all, I'm sure you'll join us in wishing him a speedy recovery and hope he comes out the other side! Love and hugs to you and Dougal and I hope your brother is improving also! xxx 😘🐕🥰
Hi Anne, thanks for the message and thanks for letting me know about Ian - I didn't know. Fingers crossed he fully recovers. A good friend of mine suffered one a couple of years back - she was one of the lucky ones who survived, but I know it can be a horrific experience. Hope you're doing OK xx
@@andrewjditton Yes thanks I am but my mum had another fall! She's struggling more & more lately. Anyway, give Dougal a hug from me and I'll send a virtual one to you! xx
@@andrewjditton oui la Ioniq 5 me plait beaucoup , juste une petite galére à Fort-william pour charger je n'avais pas la bonne carte 😤. Mon prochain road-trip sera du coté de Islay mais cette fois ci en Tesla model Y 😏
Over here in Oz, many small towns have had to reinvent themselves as the world has changed. Typically coming into town you will see an "RV friendly town" sign & deals like pay for 3 nights stay 4. Typically at showgrounds, it costs $15 (£3.50) per night +$5 for power. And they have decent amenity blocks.
I love that road out to Kilchoan, and then to Sanna Bay, driven it many times, but I would not fancy it with our Basecamp in tow! The Lochaline to Fishnish ferry is an easier sail than the Tobermory one and the road from Corran Ferry to Lochaline is better than the Kilchoan road, so we usually have taken that. Never with the Basecamp though, that’s for next year, as we are in the Outer Hebrides this summer. Spotted you and Dougal when we were at Bunree, those were a few wild nights weather!
Very interesting Andrew, looks for the moment like a very different mindset needs to be deployed, localised trips already look very possible. A longer trek would need so much more planning, which would stress me!. I'd be interested to hear your experience of the difference in road performance whilst towing and also the costs of charging and any likely advance in the speed of charging too. Thanks for the great videos and for being a great communicator!
Thanks Andy. I'll be talking more about charging speeds in the next one. Lots more to find out over the next few months, but glad you're getting something out of it. Cheers!
Hi Andrew, another really informative vlog, thank you. It is great that you are happy to share your thoughts and experiences of EV caravanning. Being an early adoptor of any tecnology is brave, hopefully your experience will help others to take the plunge.- including me! I commneted on your first vlog of this series that i thought 90-100 miles would be a realistic range towing a 1500kg caravan and look forward to seeing how a longer trip goes when you do have to stop a couple of times to get to your destinaton. travelling on dual carrigeways and mototorways. My thoughts are the even if it requires unhitching, charge times between 20 and 80% would be barelley longer than required for the usual comfort and food breaks required when travelling with kids (as in my case) Cheers Andrew 👋
Hi Rod, that's exactly my point too. I think the main issue is NOT the range, it's how robust the charging network is - and that's an easier one to tackle than making bigger batteries! All the best.
@@andrewjditton We live local to Salen and was there because Cafe Tioram in Acharacle was closed! Couldn't believe it when we saw our vehicle in your video. We used to live in Folkestone and love seeing your videos as you travel about the country x
Lovely roads and scenery, never disappoints. Your charging explanation and journey planning was very interesting. I can see where the whole electric car scenario is going. Those that travel like yourself and enthusiasts will get used to it and love it. Some will be inclined to not bother, as I have always been a keen petrol head, then that's me until that ends. Enjoy yours Andrew!
Another great video Andrew and a nice caravan, just a shame about the EV. 😂 Your experience so far has just reinforced my view that electric vehicles are still years away from offering a viable option to the touring caravaner. We usually travel a minimum of 250 miles between overnight stops and often 350+. Eighty miles between recharges is completely unacceptable for us. Also, I bet that your mileage will plummet in hillier terrain,with a head wind and at higher motorway speeds. Enjoying your channel as always though and looking forward to getting back to North Uist next month, ferry services permitting. 😊
Granted you might be high mileage Neil, but there are a lot of people for whom 125 miles point to point is more than enough. Maybe see you in Uist? Q: What's the difference between Uist and Alcatraz? A: It's easier to get a ferry to Alcatraz... ;@)
@@andrewjditton point taken Andrew, but I also think that there are a lot of caravanners who also feel like us. Living in the South East, most of our favourite beauty spots are a minimum of 250 miles away. Three days to get to the Lands End Peninsula (currently one), or five to get to Skye (two at the moment), would kill touring for us. We arrive at Lochmaddy last week of June, so who knows....😀
I suspect if you were using your old Airstream to do this same trip in your EV6 you'd have better efficiency numbers possibly even over 2miles/kWh due to it being better aerodynamically. You may just need to check analogy with petrol on energy and energy storage vs petrol. Bjorn covers it quite well, he's done it a couple times now over the years he has been YouTubing with EV's. Love your videos still part 3-6 to go yet.
Cheers! Yes, I'm very much hoping at some point in the future to do some comparisons with traditional caravan vs Eriba vs Folding camper. Glad you're enjoying the vids :)
Thanks for a great video! Hope you’re going to help lots off people to go electric! I have Hyundai Ioniq 5 coming at the end of the year, at the moment I tow with a Audi Etron that gives me about 110 miles per charge, I often drive it down to 3-5%, and charge it back to 95% because the Etron charges fast till high %, looking forward to testing the limits of my next car.
Great stuff! Although if you read the comments you'll see that many people need a car that can do 600 miles without stopping. Don't ask me how the driver stays safe... ;@) Hope you enjoy the Ioniq 5. Cheers!
Charge stations in disrepair seems to be an issue on both sides of the pond. EV manufacturers need to hold service providers accountable. Here in the US Ford has threatened to remove them from their app if they don’t get cracking. Happy trails and give Doogle a nice scratch for me. Thanks
Another well composed video. I aam glad to see the information you are providing. Not yet plunged into EV ownership. I will be interested to see what the situation is like, if you have to use a major services for chargin, once onto mainland motorway network. That is one of my concerns, being solo like yourself having to unhitch and leave van whilst going to the charger. Would be nice if we could see them putting trailer bays near the chargers , which we could unhook into. However i suppose space is a premium on old sites being adapted.
Indeed. Another problem is that nobody has even considered that EVs can tow. So far it's been news to Highland Council, some of the deck crew on the ferries, and even the owner of a large camp site! Hopefully this series will help raise awareness. Thanks for watching.
Hi Andrew, I'm really enjoying your road trip around the stunningly beautiful west coast of Scotland, I'm not a caravanneer myself, however, I do find it informative. Please can you do more of this type of vlog? Thanking you in advance 😎
Thanks Tricia! It's the kind of content I LOVE making, but it's all self-funded so I need to do the sponsored motorhome tours to pay the bills... and allow me to make videos like this :) Thanks for watching.
Thanks Andrew, interesting how the KW/hr went up when you were travelling very slow, that would be big plus if stuck in slow traffic or motorway traffic jam. Charger quality disappointing at one of your stops only one charging station with both DC chargers to be down an only a AC trickle charger available, possibly worth looking at who/how charging points managed and who’s responsible for maintaining, hope it’s not government or councils as their road infrastructure performance isn’t anything to write home about. Good luck
Interesting vid. Said to G we’d love to come to Arisaig in the van. Last time we were there in about 2006 was in the MX5. Interesting that the fridge is hinged left and not right? Great for grabbing a beer from the lounge side, less so for stood in the kitchen?
Hi Andrew, really enjoying joining you on your mini tour. Sorry if you've already answered this question elsewhere but is this current caravan the one you were waiting for or the one you started with when you first got your ev6? 😊
This is still the 'temporary' caravan Zoe, the new one has been delayed yet again. Same story for a lot of us! Fingers crossed for end July/early August.
Excellent video Andrew, love the use of the gimble when you were on the ferry as it demonstrated the rough crossing well 🤮 Quick question: Do you find it uses more power from the vehicles battery with the fridge running on 12volt? or does it not make any difference to the range?
TBH I've not done a comparison yet. But I don't think the fridge will make that much difference either, as putting the heating on in the car hasn't made as much difference as feared. There is an energy analysis feature in the car's software, so I'll have to try it out in future, thanks for the idea!
125mls from one charge to another. Well boss I am going to spain this summer. My vacations might take a little bit longer..Great Story. If EVs will be the future, we might have to reduce size and weight of the Caravan.
Great content Andrew. However the range anxiety that comes with electric vehicles makes it a real turn off for me. I travel to Scotland regularly (I am coming up on Friday) and can do 2000 miles in less than a week. Rather than taking in and enjoying the amazing scenery I would be plotting trips from one charging point to another all day and stressing between each one!
Absolutely. If you need to do big miles in a limited time, then it's probably not for you. But my take on it is to slow down and embrace the stops, making more of the journey. Swings n roundabouts... Thanks for watching.
Hi Andrew, unfortunately power consumed is a square of the speed. Driving on single track and narrow roads you are forced to drive more slowly and therefore you will get better range at slower speeds. You will find that on dual carriageways and motorways you can and will drive faster and your energy consumption on these faster type of roads will increase, per mile covered and not decrease apart from the actual stopping and restarting on minor roads. This is because the faster the speed you travel at, your vehicle has to push more and more air aside, the faster you travel to progress.
Thank you for these insightful videos. They are absolutely fascinating. May I ask what the contingency plans are if one miscalculates and runs out of charge en route? Clearly this would be disastrous with a caravan in tow and I wonder if the rescue services would be able to help?
The nose weight is 100kg so no need for a load equalizer, but there are friction pads in the head to combat sway and an electronic system that applies the caravan brakes if there is sway as well. Thanks for watching!
I did, John! But I had to site the caravan first. I'm just curious to see what charging options are available to us along the way. Enjoy the model X (I'm envious!) :)
Hi, when on the car park at the end of the vlog did you have to pay for the car and the caravan. On some car parks you might be taking up two spaces with the caravan, these extras would then add to cost of charging?? Looking forward to the next one.
Hi Steve, there was no charge for this car park. Yes, you'd have to factor this cost in and it's one reason that I'm after a smaller caravan that will fit into one parking space. I think the biggest issue is going to be the 2 hour limit in Motorway Service Areas, but that's to find out later in the summer...
Sad to see no campervan signs. We tend to stay on Campsites, but are we expected to stay put during the day? We might have to rethink our plans for next year?
My thoughts entirely Bob. I appreciate there have been wild camping issues in the area, but those signs (there were lots of them) were not welcoming. Surely 'No Overnight Parking Please' would be far more suitable?
Dose the ev6 have a fully populated 13 pin socket to keep the fridge cool And if so dose the intermittent 10amps to keep it cool effect range? or did you pop it on gas while waiting for the ferry and just relia on it staying cold between destinations? Looks nice area not sure I am brave enough to take my mini clubman with the lunar clubman down there though as it's quite a wide caravan at 7.6ft and those lanes were making me squrm 😬🤣
Hi Adam, yes it has a full 13 amp socket to power the fridge when on the road. I run it on gas when stationary but rely on it staying cold when on board the ferry as the gas has to stay shut off.
I suspect that when you try the motorways at 60+mph, you will lose another third of range. The wind resistance seems the main constraint. It may be wise to stay with the lorries and keep the speed down. Small reductions in speed seem to make a real difference. In an earlier video you described that the caravan connections on the EV6 are a bit of a faff. When you went to the car park to charge, how long did the whole unhitch/hitching operation take you?
Hi Alex, I have made some amendments to the set-up which I shall talk about in due course. But I'd say 'the faff' added about 5 minutes both sides of charging (including reversing carefully into the bay, which would have been much quicker with another person to help). Thanks for watching.
That seems very reasonable and adds very little time to the trips. Requires very careful planning of course and a few areas in the UK will remain out of range for now. The situation will improve over the next year - I can see a significant difference with a year ago (especially Gridserve).
“Better than a slap about the face with a wet kipper!” Is my new favorite phrase!
We are loving the vlogs. We have just ordered an EV and you are explaining what it is like to drive one in reality in terms that are so easy for my husband and myself to understand. Thank you so much.
Our pleasure!
When you sat down next to Dougle with your tea and toast you could see the joy on his face at the chance for a warm snuggle lol - he may never smile but he has a cheeky tinkers face
Really useful real world info Andrew, thanks for putting it all together and sharing it with us
Cheers Mo!
Hi Andrew, enjoyed the lovely journey with you & even when it's Raining the Scenery is still Beautiful! Always a good pick me up, nice cup of Tea the Toast with Almond Butter & Raspberry Jam sounds lovely, I will have to try that. Think I would have been feeling a little Seasick with this Ferry Crossing. Hope you enjoyed the well earned rest!!! Looking forward to seeing Isle of Mull. Lots of Love to You & Dougal 💖💖💜💜 XXXX
Hi Andrew. I find the idea of a charge being required at 100 mile intervals as being really stressful, particularly when so many charging points are not working. I will stay with my Adria Compact SL Plus for the foreseeable future as it has a 700 mile range when tank full of diesel. Great video by the way.
Gosh Andrew and Dougallllllls, really enjoyed this one , so informative and educational , say it again lovely outfit you got there and yes it was very interesting , remember those single, track roads sooo, well , caravan in tow ,hugs
Andrew, these are brilliant, thoughtful, and insightful videos. I really feel
like we are on the journey with you. Keep them coming!! Very interested to see how far you can go on the motorway network. We drove from Stranraer to London last year (solo) and while the car could do the journey of 600miles without needing refuelling, we couldn’t and we stopped 4 times so stopping itself isn’t an inconvenience it’s a necessity . The ability to charge with the caravan attached is going to be key I believe.
Thanks Damien. You're absolutely right, I don't think we need much more range now with EVs, we need a more robust and reliable charging network! So far nobody has thought about EVs towing... hopefully that mindset will change this year. It's one of the reasons I'm doing what I'm doing. All the best.
Have to disagree. Our limit is normally around 350 miles or so. We drive 2 hours on and 2 off, switching drivers. We only stop for 45 minutes for lunch and essential toilet use (on board) or refuelling. An EV will never work for us.
thanks soooo much for the explanation of the miles per Kilowatt hour - clearest explanation I've come across! Also good for my non-driving husband to see it's not only me who finds driving tiring ;-)
This is a fascinating series, thanks Andrew.
While I have no short term plans to replace my "mild hybrid" petrol BMW, actively enjoying the "slow touring" concept which is enforced by the limitations of EV battery range is probably something that we could all learn from.
These days I am more interested in hopping across to Normandy or Brittany, or maybe the Vendée at a push, rather than burning extra tanks of petrol (and paying lots of tolls) in the race to the more reliable sunshine of Provence...
EXACTLY THAT! Thank you for 'getting it' :)
Nice to catch up with you and Dougle, Andrew. Just back from a spell on Mull myself. Cheers, Paul and Molly
Good move Andrew, you even dodged the current fuel prices! Have a great time! Lyn
As always, enjoyed the video. Thanks for sharing! Hope you got a good night's rest 😴
Nice ferry lounge, that was quite some rockin n rollin though! Great to see how it’s all working out in real life :)
A great intro Andrew, short, simple and effective. 😁👍
Thanks! 👍
I would love to travel back to the islands with our motorhome. Love Mull spent wonderful time there but by car... I think I would be to nervous to come back with the M/home the older I get the more nervous I get on the roads today...So I will enjoy your travels as I always do. Drive safe.
I must say your ev car looks great with the caravan and the range is better than I would have imagined got me thinking now!
Thanks! I'll be giving a full run down of the good, the bad, and the ugly in the last episode (6) which will be out a week Sunday. Cheers.
Hi Andrew, I love your videos of de caravan and de Kia EV6. I am planning to go with my caravan and mij Kia EV6 from the Netherlands to Zweden this summer. Your videos are verry helpful to see wat to expect.
Sounds great! I'd love to go to Sweden some time. Enjoy!
Wow very brave to tow with an EV, My EQC Merc only does 2.9 without towing because it is quite heavy car. We are about to buy a Caravan but think I will tow with my wife’s car. Chargers in the UK are a nightmare with a lot not working or throwing out less then 50kw. Great watching your blogs keep up the great work.
Another fab vlog - thanks Andrew😊Hope you got smoothly to your campsite for a well-deserved rest and the early night. Travelling can be hard work!
In these conditions, especially Hilary! Many thanks.
Bingo! We've just been to Mull and today went to the visitor centre at Arisaig, so some of your journey looks very familiar. We've seen some stunning scenery en route, only spoiled by the terrible road surface on many of Scotland's road. (I thought England's roads were bad!). I have to say, the Morvern peninsular (Fishnish/Lochaline ferry) was out of this world - so remote and unspoilt. Hope the weather improves for you and us.
Have fun!
Lovely vlog! Enjoyed travelling with you! Thanks
Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Andrew Paolo and Roger here.... loved the video once again... we adore Dougal too lol.... hope all is well 'The Camp Caravanners' x
Thanks guys! :)
This series is absolutely brilliant. Actual real world experience of towing with an EV. We will all be doing this in years to come. I personally had totally discounted the idea of an EV as my next car as I didn't think it was possible to sensibly use it as a tow car. Maybe with enough thought put into how to do a journey while towing it really will be possible, if not quite as easy and convenient as with a ICE vehicle.
I'll be very interested to see your final thoughts and conclusions on this trip.
Thanks Phil. Yes, there IS more of a planning element, and there is the need to slow down a bit and make more of the journey - but that's something I am embracing rather than berating. I'd never had gone into Arisaig and found that fab cafe if I wasn't checking out the charger!
If we are all doing it in years to come imagine the size of the car park needed for people to un hitch there caravans and charge there cars. Its more likely that caravaning will become none existent as the infrastructure is unlikely to accommodate caravans on a massive scale. As on Andrews blog there was one charger at his first stop with only half of it working. Don't hold your breath.
I think this video is a huge help to those caravaners thinking of buying an EV. Those who travel frequent shorter trips or those who make the journey part of the holiday will be perfectly happy with an EV. Those who prefer slightly longer trips and going directly A to B , legs down, kettle on, feet up - an EV is unlikely to appeal to them but the information you have given will help them decide correctly what is best for them. Well done Andrew.
Maybe you could borrow the Bailey D4-2 again and do some comparisons towing a lighter caravan, and possibly a pop-top and even a folding caravan like a Gobur. Light, small, low profile caravans - might become much more popular. Maybe persuade Caravan Club mag to commission an article and get some dealers on board with a real-world test.
Thanks. Yes, I have plans in my head to try towing different kinds of caravan to see what the effect is. They would be real world tests though as I can't afford to hire out Millbrook Proving Ground like the big boys!
@@andrewjditton Give it time Andrew - Rome wasn't built in a day. As you are one of the few reviewing towing with an EV lets hope other YT channels don't steal your content as happened previously.
Of course it's "allowed" to charge over 80% SoC at a fast charger, but if people are queuing up for a charge it's common curtesy to charge to about 80%.
And if charging over 80% it's also good to stay within viewing disting from your EV or leave a phone number in the window or at the charging flap. :-)
Absolutely! Good idea about the phone number. I'll borrow that idea too for when leaving the caravan detached to take the car to the charger. Cheers!
Thank you Andrew very useful info and appreciate your honesty and humour in adversity
Again a really enjoyable watch. I felt for you on that road! The single track didn’t seem to have many passing places either. I really needed that Isles and CalMac ferry fix today and I see you are on my favourite ferry next week The Isle of Mull. It’s been too long.
Surprised how many charging points aren’t working.
Very honest information. Enjoying this series.
Glad you enjoy it! I'm not bright or clever enough to be anything other than honest ;)
Hi Andrew saw you at maragowan the car looks stunning really enjoying this tour with the ev
Sounds like CalMac Ferry operators are much like the Royal Mail… the unsung heroes who always go the extra mile!
Braver man than me taking a caravan down those roads 👍🏼
Love the videos Andrew
Stay safe
Phil 👍
Very interesting Andrew thanks 😊
We are caravanning in North Uist in the summer - 644 miles from our home. That's 8 charges at a minimum of 45 minutes per charge adding 6 hours minimum to our journey time (not counting unhitching and hitching). Added to that the eye watering price of an EV capable of towing and constant battery anxiety makes the EV scenario a no go for us but we are following with interest.
I appreciate your point, but your going to make a vehicle decision based on 1 trip a year?
think of the cost saving and extra options available utilising the vehicle to load 240v supply.
@@stevefarrimond Cornwall 4 times, Scotland twice, North Yorkshire, Northumberland to start. This doesn't count long distances to visit family etc without a caravan. We have family in Scotland. Caravanning and the ability to move freely around the country is a big deal for us. The sense of adventure. An EV just doesn't stack up. I'll happily have one at the right price for local journeys but they are expensive, the charging infrastructure is abysmal and the whole concept is ill thought out. The country can barely provide enough electricity for our current demands let alone 60 million electric vehicles. I'm not jumping on this band wagon until battery storage capacity is bigger and cheaper.
@@cyclinggardener totally agree, ev is not a practical choice for regular caravan enthusiasts. The best option is probably hybrid to get best of both worlds.
Great video and so informative. I see so much nonsense written about EVs and caravans. This is great! Thanks
Our pleasure Andrew. No agenda, just reporting back on real life happenings.
I test drove an EV6 last year, decided not to buy due to the poor range on the car when towing. You confirmed my estimations and I am so glad I did not buy one, great for short trips but poor for longer journeys. We travelled to Shropshire from Durham last year and it would have taken about 3 days.
Hi Andrew. Another great vlog with lots of good information for EV owners. Although I'll have to stick with my diesel driven van a number of years yet, it's very interesting for me all the same. Being an electronic engineer originally all things electric interests me. Even though I'm now retired, once a nerd always a nerd 😉
BTW: Nice to see a lot of familiar places en route to Kilchoan, but I must admit I got something in my eye 😉 Oh how I'm missing Scotland, hopefully it won't be too long now 😊
Hopefully you'll be back again soon Karl - although I hope in better weather!
Andrew, thanks for explaining the EV range, I didn't have a clue what it all meant..👍
Another great video, at this early stage of electric vehicles I would be a little nervous that some charging stations would be out of order but I'm sure this will improve as more motorists take up this option.
I wonder if the Kia has "trailer stability control" and sometimes this safely feature is incorporated in the caravan itself.
And congratulations for being so honest and specific with your review👍
Finding the stats really interesting, thanks for giving us the detail. The scenery even through the rain is glorious, looking forward to the next one
Hi Andrew really enjoying your trip this time in the electric car and towing the caravan very interesting seeing how it all works out Let’s hope the sunshine comes out for you on your next part of your journey
Thanks Dave!
Very interesting and informative, answers important questions about EV motoring that no one ever tells you!
Thanks Simon! Coming from you that is a huge, huge compliment :)
As ever, a wonderful vlog Andrew, really informative and very enjoyable to watch…..thankyou!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Yet another eloquently presented vlog sir. I have to admit the figures regarding range and probably varying terrain too is for me, putting me further off electric vehicles. Constantly calculating kWh and the concern for next charging point ; that is functioning, would impact on my touring pleasure big time.
When I fill up my motorhome , I can aim for over 500 miles passing scores of fuel stations along my route.
I need to contribute to saving the planet by other means I suppose. Many thanks and keep up with your brilliant vlogs
Thank you Andrew, lots of useful information there. I am here for the scenery, the places you pass through, and visit. I won't be getting an EV though. The stress of finding the next charging point would spoil the journey for me. I wouldn't want to be forced to spend time waiting for the batteries to fill up, I have no patience for that. Love to Dougal. ilona
Did that same road, from Kilchoan, 4 years ago on an even worse day than when you did it and vowed never to do it again. Haven’t so far but as it’s now just on the doorstep so to speak after our move to Mull I’ve a feeling we’ll be back on it at some point.
I guess so Paul. You certainly wouldn't want to be doing it in a hurry!
Great to hear of your progress with the ev towing and the practical experience. Watching these with great interest and enjoying the scenery and commentary and hope Dougal recovered from the crossing. We now have our Weinbsberg 390 - really pleased with it. Skoda Enyaq not due for a few months yet- I’m thinking we might expect similar range as you for our rig - lower towing capacity but lighter van. Can’t wait for the next.
Cheers Andrew! I'd love to put an Eriba on the back at some point to see how I do with that. Hope the Enyaq arrives soon. All the best.
Hari OM
Both useful and informative, Andrew - as well as entertaining! Driving those sheeptracks are daunting enough in just the powered vehicle - towing another that may or may not choose to follow is a whole other level. At risk of sounding repetitive - thanks again for breaking this ground for us. Ear chooks to Dougal... YAM xx
Thanks Yam! Repeat away, it's reassuring after all the naysayers!
Really well explained Andrew. I can see the reasoning, that when touring you ofted don't do too many miles in a day. However, sadly I can't see me ever caravaning with an EV. Unless I win the lottery that is. And that is pretty unlikely, as I don't gamble.
Having just retired, I have bought an economical petrol car, a 1984 Ford Escort Mk 3 with a 1.1 engine. So sadly the Merc will soon be going, and my caravan. Back in the day I had the same model car, and I towed a 5 berth 15' caravan, albeit rather slowly.
Sad to hear about the caravan going Neale, but I totally get it. It's really not getting any cheaper... All the best.
Watching your vlogs I realise it's funny what you get used to. I have been driving an EV for 2 1/2 years and have got used to the seasonal changes and having to rely on the public charger network.
I still don't like driving single track roads, which you seem to be very comfortable with.
Merci Andrew c est toujours un plaisir de regarder tes vidéos 👍🇨🇵
Watched all of you EV vlogs with interest. Very interested to see vlogs on next trip on motorways. Some motorway services I use has the caravan car park after the main car park which has the charging points. Not very helpful! The EV6 is certainly a nice looking car 👍🏻
At 3.46 you are literally driving past my house. Yes, this road was carved out of the rock in 1998. The next part to Kinlochmoidart was a farmer's track until the 70s. After that you see how all roads here were until the 80s
Wow! That's very interesting Mike, thanks for the info!
Hi Andrew, excited to see another road trip series - really enjoyed the recent Italy trip - highlight of this episode.. your reaction to eating toast! Safe travels and looking forward to the next one already
There is NO toast better than Caravan Toast! :)
Thank you for pioneering electric towing. Having an electric car as a local run about has converted me to going all electric, it has been the thought of towing the caravan that has meant keeping a diesel tow car. This is showing that touring with a caravan pulled by an electric car is becoming a real possibility.
Cheers Jamie, it is indeed, but you might not want to be towing to the Costa del Sol... However, slow travel and more local holidays are GOOD in my book :)
Hi Andrew, as ever an informative and entertaining vlog. As a now owner of a motorhome - I started watching in prep to hire one years ago! - Its so interesting to see the roads and scenery, then the sites when you get there. Added bonus is the electric vehicle info too, I've always been a diesel car, fill it up for 2 mins and get 700 miles range at 60+mpg kinda guy but interested in the future of how things are done, as next car might well be an electric one with diesel prices. I can do Somerset to Inverness currently with 1/4 tank fuel remaining! I've already scoped out that road to Kilchoan in the car and that was exhausting enough! In just over a week I we go up via Mull but have to go back that way for the ferry to Skye! Looking forward to the next installment.
Great report andrew as usual
Andrew, I’m loving this trip! Can’t wait for the next video.
Thanks for watching!
Hi Andrew, looks like your having a great time with your Kia Ev6 & towing your caravan. My other half and myself saw your car at Fort William 16th May. We were staying at the Invercoe site with our Kia Ev6 towing the caravan, we averaged 2.1miles per kWh. Hope you enjoy the rest of your holiday and we look forward to your next video. 🙂
Cheers Brian! Interesting to know you're getting 2.1mi/kWh. I'm erring on the cautious side as, I'm sure you've experienced, there are enough people out there looking to find fault. Hopefully will see you on a site some time, that would be cool! (and you can then field half the questions!) ;)
I’m having all the flashbacks! Other half and I spent a week in Ardnamurchan last year, the little white cottage beside the distillery, and we found the roads to be quite unpleasant to drive, and I just have a Fiesta, never mind a caravan in tow! Don’t know how you did it my friend! 😂
Slowly, Callum, slowly! :)
Hi Andrew! Thanks for showing another great video about towing with an EV! You explain things very clearly and I can see you've adapted really well to driving electric as opposed to fossil fuel! I was going to ask you about costs but you answered that question at the end, well that it will be mentioned in the next video. That toast looked delicious! Almond butter and jam? Mmmm! I love all the nut and seed butters especially on toast!! Looking forward to the next instalment, great series, always professionally put together and never dull! Don't know whether anyone has told you about Ian from For the Love of Caravans? He's in hospital after suffering a major brain bleed, they stopped the bleeding and he's making progress slowly! We've all sent msgs of love and goodwill and we're all praying for good news. I think you've met him, such a lovely man, does some great vlogs! Another friend of Phil and Juliet! Such a shock to us all, I'm sure you'll join us in wishing him a speedy recovery and hope he comes out the other side! Love and hugs to you and Dougal and I hope your brother is improving also! xxx 😘🐕🥰
Hi Anne, thanks for the message and thanks for letting me know about Ian - I didn't know. Fingers crossed he fully recovers. A good friend of mine suffered one a couple of years back - she was one of the lucky ones who survived, but I know it can be a horrific experience. Hope you're doing OK xx
@@andrewjditton Yes thanks I am but my mum had another fall! She's struggling more & more lately. Anyway, give Dougal a hug from me and I'll send a virtual one to you! xx
Merci pour ce voyage , j’y étais il y a un mois à Acharacle avec une Ioniq 5 hyundai . Vraiment une région magnifique 🤩
Très bien! J' espère que l'Ioniq 5 te plaît.
@@andrewjditton oui la Ioniq 5 me plait beaucoup , juste une petite galére à Fort-william pour charger je n'avais pas la bonne carte 😤. Mon prochain road-trip sera du coté de Islay mais cette fois ci en Tesla model Y 😏
Over here in Oz, many small towns have had to reinvent themselves as the world has changed. Typically coming into town you will see an "RV friendly town" sign & deals like pay for 3 nights stay 4. Typically at showgrounds, it costs $15 (£3.50) per night +$5 for power. And they have decent amenity blocks.
I wish some of the UK towns would adapt the same mentality! Cheers Bernie.
I love that road out to Kilchoan, and then to Sanna Bay, driven it many times, but I would not fancy it with our Basecamp in tow! The Lochaline to Fishnish ferry is an easier sail than the Tobermory one and the road from Corran Ferry to Lochaline is better than the Kilchoan road, so we usually have taken that. Never with the Basecamp though, that’s for next year, as we are in the Outer Hebrides this summer.
Spotted you and Dougal when we were at Bunree, those were a few wild nights weather!
You should have said hello! I was admiring the two Basecamps on site :)
Very interesting Andrew, looks for the moment like a very different mindset needs to be deployed, localised trips already look very possible. A longer trek would need so much more planning, which would stress me!. I'd be interested to hear your experience of the difference in road performance whilst towing and also the costs of charging and any likely advance in the speed of charging too. Thanks for the great videos and for being a great communicator!
Thanks Andy. I'll be talking more about charging speeds in the next one. Lots more to find out over the next few months, but glad you're getting something out of it. Cheers!
Hi Andrew, another really informative vlog, thank you. It is great that you are happy to share your thoughts and experiences of EV caravanning. Being an early adoptor of any tecnology is brave, hopefully your experience will help others to take the plunge.- including me! I commneted on your first vlog of this series that i thought 90-100 miles would be a realistic range towing a 1500kg caravan and look forward to seeing how a longer trip goes when you do have to stop a couple of times to get to your destinaton. travelling on dual carrigeways and mototorways. My thoughts are the even if it requires unhitching, charge times between 20 and 80% would be barelley longer than required for the usual comfort and food breaks required when travelling with kids (as in my case) Cheers Andrew 👋
Hi Rod, that's exactly my point too. I think the main issue is NOT the range, it's how robust the charging network is - and that's an easier one to tackle than making bigger batteries! All the best.
We were in the Salen Hotel (Ardnamurchan not Mull Salen) having lunch when you went by, wish we could have said hi to you and Dougle xx
Oh my goodness! Small world! Hope you had a nice holiday despite the weather.
@@andrewjditton We live local to Salen and was there because Cafe Tioram in Acharacle was closed! Couldn't believe it when we saw our vehicle in your video.
We used to live in Folkestone and love seeing your videos as you travel about the country x
Lovely roads and scenery, never disappoints. Your charging explanation and journey planning was very interesting. I can see where the whole electric car scenario is going. Those that travel like yourself and enthusiasts will get used to it and love it. Some will be inclined to not bother, as I have always been a keen petrol head, then that's me until that ends. Enjoy yours Andrew!
Another great video Andrew and a nice caravan, just a shame about the EV. 😂 Your experience so far has just reinforced my view that electric vehicles are still years away from offering a viable option to the touring caravaner. We usually travel a minimum of 250 miles between overnight stops and often 350+. Eighty miles between recharges is completely unacceptable for us. Also, I bet that your mileage will plummet in hillier terrain,with a head wind and at higher motorway speeds. Enjoying your channel as always though and looking forward to getting back to North Uist next month, ferry services permitting. 😊
Granted you might be high mileage Neil, but there are a lot of people for whom 125 miles point to point is more than enough. Maybe see you in Uist?
Q: What's the difference between Uist and Alcatraz?
A: It's easier to get a ferry to Alcatraz... ;@)
@@andrewjditton point taken Andrew, but I also think that there are a lot of caravanners who also feel like us. Living in the South East, most of our favourite beauty spots are a minimum of 250 miles away. Three days to get to the Lands End Peninsula (currently one), or five to get to Skye (two at the moment), would kill touring for us. We arrive at Lochmaddy last week of June, so who knows....😀
Great Video Andrew! 😊
Many thanks Armin! You know what is missing in these videos though... :(
I suspect if you were using your old Airstream to do this same trip in your EV6 you'd have better efficiency numbers possibly even over 2miles/kWh due to it being better aerodynamically. You may just need to check analogy with petrol on energy and energy storage vs petrol. Bjorn covers it quite well, he's done it a couple times now over the years he has been YouTubing with EV's. Love your videos still part 3-6 to go yet.
Cheers! Yes, I'm very much hoping at some point in the future to do some comparisons with traditional caravan vs Eriba vs Folding camper. Glad you're enjoying the vids :)
Thanks
Thanks for a great video! Hope you’re going to help lots off people to go electric! I have Hyundai Ioniq 5 coming at the end of the year, at the moment I tow with a Audi Etron that gives me about 110 miles per charge, I often drive it down to 3-5%, and charge it back to 95% because the Etron charges fast till high %, looking forward to testing the limits of my next car.
Great stuff! Although if you read the comments you'll see that many people need a car that can do 600 miles without stopping. Don't ask me how the driver stays safe... ;@) Hope you enjoy the Ioniq 5. Cheers!
@@andrewjditton they must have big bladders or catheters! I need to stop every few hours to use the toilet! And stretch my legs!
Charge stations in disrepair seems to be an issue on both sides of the pond. EV manufacturers need to hold service providers accountable. Here in the US Ford has threatened to remove them from their app if they don’t get cracking. Happy trails and give Doogle a nice scratch for me. Thanks
That charge point at Kilchoan must have been one of the first, I first saw it many years ago when no one had electric cars!
Another well composed video. I aam glad to see the information you are providing. Not yet plunged into EV ownership. I will be interested to see what the situation is like, if you have to use a major services for chargin, once onto mainland motorway network. That is one of my concerns, being solo like yourself having to unhitch and leave van whilst going to the charger. Would be nice if we could see them putting trailer bays near the chargers , which we could unhook into. However i suppose space is a premium on old sites being adapted.
Indeed. Another problem is that nobody has even considered that EVs can tow. So far it's been news to Highland Council, some of the deck crew on the ferries, and even the owner of a large camp site! Hopefully this series will help raise awareness. Thanks for watching.
Hi Andrew, I'm really enjoying your road trip around the stunningly beautiful west coast of Scotland, I'm not a caravanneer myself, however, I do find it informative. Please can you do more of this type of vlog? Thanking you in advance 😎
Thanks Tricia! It's the kind of content I LOVE making, but it's all self-funded so I need to do the sponsored motorhome tours to pay the bills... and allow me to make videos like this :) Thanks for watching.
Thanks Andrew, interesting how the KW/hr went up when you were travelling very slow, that would be big plus if stuck in slow traffic or motorway traffic jam. Charger quality disappointing at one of your stops only one charging station with both DC chargers to be down an only a AC trickle charger available, possibly worth looking at who/how charging points managed and who’s responsible for maintaining, hope it’s not government or councils as their road infrastructure performance isn’t anything to write home about. Good luck
Hmmm…….not convinced yet about ev……..sorry….🙁However that said great video. Keep them coming.
Very good. 👍
Many thanks Pedro!
Interesting vid. Said to G we’d love to come to Arisaig in the van. Last time we were there in about 2006 was in the MX5. Interesting that the fridge is hinged left and not right? Great for grabbing a beer from the lounge side, less so for stood in the kitchen?
Exactly that! I wish it was hinged on the other side :-/
@@andrewjditton can it not be swapped around or will that require a whole new top panel/button arrangement?
Hi Andrew, really enjoying joining you on your mini tour. Sorry if you've already answered this question elsewhere but is this current caravan the one you were waiting for or the one you started with when you first got your ev6? 😊
This is still the 'temporary' caravan Zoe, the new one has been delayed yet again. Same story for a lot of us! Fingers crossed for end July/early August.
03:55 _Oh no, Andrew is driving the wrong way…_ then I remembered that it’s the UK!
Excellent video Andrew, love the use of the gimble when you were on the ferry as it demonstrated the rough crossing well 🤮
Quick question: Do you find it uses more power from the vehicles battery with the fridge running on 12volt? or does it not make any difference to the range?
TBH I've not done a comparison yet. But I don't think the fridge will make that much difference either, as putting the heating on in the car hasn't made as much difference as feared. There is an energy analysis feature in the car's software, so I'll have to try it out in future, thanks for the idea!
125mls from one charge to another. Well boss I am going to spain this summer. My vacations might take a little bit longer..Great Story. If EVs will be the future, we might have to reduce size and weight of the Caravan.
Absolutely. But will anyone be able to afford the diesel to get to Spain soon?
Several years since I've been to Mull. How come you didn't stop for a pint in the Mishnish? De rigeur, surely!
Do you find you worry more using electric
Great video again ❤
Great content Andrew. However the range anxiety that comes with electric vehicles makes it a real turn off for me. I travel to Scotland regularly (I am coming up on Friday) and can do 2000 miles in less than a week. Rather than taking in and enjoying the amazing scenery I would be plotting trips from one charging point to another all day and stressing between each one!
Absolutely. If you need to do big miles in a limited time, then it's probably not for you. But my take on it is to slow down and embrace the stops, making more of the journey. Swings n roundabouts... Thanks for watching.
Hi Andrew, unfortunately power consumed is a square of the speed. Driving on single track and narrow roads you are forced to drive more slowly and therefore you will get better range at slower speeds. You will find that on dual carriageways and motorways you can and will drive faster and your energy consumption on these faster type of roads will increase, per mile covered and not decrease apart from the actual stopping and restarting on minor roads. This is because the faster the speed you travel at, your vehicle has to push more and more air aside, the faster you travel to progress.
Andrew, ever considered throwing a Honda petrol generator on board plus a 20 litre canister for those more sketchy distances? 😐
I gave my Honda generator away! If you ran a 2kW genny for an hour, you'd get less than 4 miles towing :-/
Ouch, Andrew, that's not far. Best Wishes.@@andrewjditton
Thank you for these insightful videos. They are absolutely fascinating. May I ask what the contingency plans are if one miscalculates and runs out of charge en route? Clearly this would be disastrous with a caravan in tow and I wonder if the rescue services would be able to help?
The same as running out of petrol I guess - call Green Flag! Or find a campsite with EHU before that happens :)
Hello Andrew, enjoy your videos. One question, do you use any kind of load equalizer hitch with sway control. Cheers
The nose weight is 100kg so no need for a load equalizer, but there are friction pads in the head to combat sway and an electronic system that applies the caravan brakes if there is sway as well. Thanks for watching!
Why didn’t you use the rapid at Mallaig. ps I drive Salan to Ardnamurchan light house in a Model X. Rough is an understatement
I did, John! But I had to site the caravan first. I'm just curious to see what charging options are available to us along the way. Enjoy the model X (I'm envious!) :)
Hi, when on the car park at the end of the vlog did you have to pay for the car and the caravan. On some car parks you might be taking up two spaces with the caravan, these extras would then add to cost of charging??
Looking forward to the next one.
Hi Steve, there was no charge for this car park. Yes, you'd have to factor this cost in and it's one reason that I'm after a smaller caravan that will fit into one parking space. I think the biggest issue is going to be the 2 hour limit in Motorway Service Areas, but that's to find out later in the summer...
Sad to see no campervan signs. We tend to stay on Campsites, but are we expected to stay put during the day? We might have to rethink our plans for next year?
My thoughts entirely Bob. I appreciate there have been wild camping issues in the area, but those signs (there were lots of them) were not welcoming. Surely 'No Overnight Parking Please' would be far more suitable?
@@andrewjditton exactly.
Dose the ev6 have a fully populated 13 pin socket to keep the fridge cool
And if so dose the intermittent 10amps to keep it cool effect range? or did you pop it on gas while waiting for the ferry and just relia on it staying cold between destinations?
Looks nice area not sure I am brave enough to take my mini clubman with the lunar clubman down there though as it's quite a wide caravan at 7.6ft and those lanes were making me squrm 😬🤣
Hi Adam, yes it has a full 13 amp socket to power the fridge when on the road. I run it on gas when stationary but rely on it staying cold when on board the ferry as the gas has to stay shut off.
good video, interesting !
Many thanks!
I suspect that when you try the motorways at 60+mph, you will lose another third of range. The wind resistance seems the main constraint. It may be wise to stay with the lorries and keep the speed down. Small reductions in speed seem to make a real difference.
In an earlier video you described that the caravan connections on the EV6 are a bit of a faff. When you went to the car park to charge, how long did the whole unhitch/hitching operation take you?
Hi Alex, I have made some amendments to the set-up which I shall talk about in due course. But I'd say 'the faff' added about 5 minutes both sides of charging (including reversing carefully into the bay, which would have been much quicker with another person to help). Thanks for watching.
That seems very reasonable and adds very little time to the trips. Requires very careful planning of course and a few areas in the UK will remain out of range for now. The situation will improve over the next year - I can see a significant difference with a year ago (especially Gridserve).
Nice compass Rally is it s 4 berth with side dinette ?
Yes, check out my 'new rig' video. Cheers!