How do I power my bus conversion?

Unless you’re going to use propane for everything - cooking, refrigeration and lighting with no electricity then you’re going to need electricity. Or maybe not if you just don’t want to bother with electricity or propane.

I run a minimal solar system on my bus. It’s neat that I usually have a fully charged battery and don’t have to use fuel. Costwise, I’m not 100% certain it was the cheapest thing to do. Let’s go through three different methods of powering your home.

120v - this is simple enough. All the regular household type appliances run directly off a generator. Switch the generator on when power is needed, switch it off when it’s not. The bonus is there’s no battery involved and nothing to fuss about with aside from pulling a cord start. The downside is you have to plan your 120v usage. And of course you can just plug in when you get to a camp site providing 120v.

12v - this is more complex as the power has to be put into a battery to use then taken from it to use it and then further transformed into 120v. Let’s go over the main forms of power generation.

1. Solar panels - quiet, flat and expensive, these can be laid out in the sun or permanently affixed somewhere. They only work when the sun is shining.
2. Wind power - wind turbines can be big and bulky but the wind blows regardless of the sun though there are days when there is no wind whatsoever. They take time to erect and dismantle as you’re unlikely to want them permanently affixed. 
3. Generator - this has the advantage of being usable whenever it’s needed. It’s lower cost and higher practicality than solar or wind but unlike wind or solar has a daily cost associated with it.
4. Split-power. The alternator charges the house battery when the bus is in motion. The upside is there’s no additional cost other than a simple split switch or split relay. The downside is that if you decide to stay somewhere for a prolonged period, you’re going to run out of power.

Propane fridges, cookers and lights do exist and have been used for centuries. Their biggest problem is that propane is an invisible gas that can pool unexpectedly and explode equally unexpectedly.

Using the power... What do you need it for?

Low -power usage such as my own bus.

Lights, shower pump, USB charger, fans, ventilation fans.

High power usage

Microwave, fridge, freezer, cooker, TV etc

(This is what glampers want)

Solar power is unlikely to provide sufficient power to run a fridge or a microwave. For those, a generator is needed. This is where it’s better just to go with the generator and forget solar/wind power.

If your trips are short then most likely only a battery with a split charger is needed, assuming you can stay away from the temptations of glamping. Indeed, it might even be feasible to just port a 12v battery about and charge it off mains when at home.

For myself, I have a backup for my 12v system - D cell powered lanterns, D cell powered fans and D cell powered shower pump. For water heating in the absence of a 120v plugin I have a small butane cooker to boil water in a kettle.

Speaking of lanterns, don’t be fooled by the “lumens” figures given by companies. There is a correct way of measuring lemons and so far none of the lantern manufacturers use it. A better comparison would be candela because how that’s measured is very specific. In terms of lumens they say 1200 lumens is about equal to a 100w bulb. 

I have several lanterns and all claim to be brighter than my in-bus 12v lighting. Not a word of that is true. I have a 350 lumen lantern that’s far brighter than my 500 lumen lantern. I have a cheap and cheerful $1 lantern that is pretty darned bright. 

Until manufacturers can be honest about the light output of their lanterns - just don’t buy them. One of the most frustrating “features” of most LED lanterns is the brightness setting. Dim, dimmer and where-the-hell-is-the-lantern. Some are so dim on the lowest setting that it’s barely possible to tell that the lantern is turned on!