Welcome to the forum NFA

While you wait for someone with experience of those units do a search using the item in the blue bar at the top of the page under the ads. Try a few different search words and see how you go.

We are a happy lot in here and enjoy ribbing each other as well as helping to solve issues.

The polo shirts in the forum shop are a nice item, they look good and are very comfortable. They immediately identify you as a member to anyone else out and about.

frank

Yeah Doug, cooked in my Weber bbq and they are yummo

seems I am off the OP topic but on topic with Dougwe who has hijacked this thread (again)

chief of hijacking hey?

hehehe

KFT

No Fixed Address wrote:

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Hi Folks,

Very new at this...my 1st post!

Just in the process of buying a van and setting it up for touring and running most things on 12volt, just wondering if any one out there has had any experience with the EFOY Fuel cell system for recharging batteries.

Many thanks for any info.

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 Hi,

I have no experience with these fuel cells but I believe there is a member who has used them in Europe while touring there. They may reply for themselves.

However they do look to me like a great unit but at a great cost. If purchased here in Australia the cost is even greater, as is usual Prices overseas are still high. So solar panels look pretty good and that is what I use along with most others I guess.

Jaahn

I have an Efoy 2200 that we have been using for the last 2 years when the 'sun don't shine' in Europe.
Great bit of kit.
We bought it from a friend so got it at the right price. Very expensive otherwise.
It is installed inside the van.
It produces a constant 90W battery charge (7,5A at 12V) and can run 24/7 if required.
It is a very small and light 'package'.
It makes about the same noise as a compressor fridge.
The 'waste' products are a little CO2 and some pure water.
www.efoy.com/
The Australian agent is Kimberley Kampers. They offer them as an option.

Cheers,
Peter

I just got a quote from a dealer near Wollongong NSW, $7000 for a small unit $10000 for the larger unit (installation is extra) and $195 for a fuel cell which could last 2 to 3 months. But you still need solar or another form of recharging as well.

I then spoke to a company that installs these units to power remote comms equipment. (quote was similar price) This bloke was a tech and advised that there is virtually nil emissions and no heat due it's a catalytic process, a small amount of CO2 and H2O is produced, and it's extremely quiet. He also advised at this stage it is not worth the cost for a caravan type setup, like solar panels once they become common the price goes down. So unless you've got the cash to splash, a couple of solar panels and small petrol generator for a few hundred dollars to top up your batteries, etc seems the go.

Cover the roof of your van in solar panels, it'll cost a lot less, give you more power and cost nothing to run. Fuel cells will be great when the prices come down, but we have get so much sun down under that solar is the only way to go if you have the roof area to exploit.

From experience...
They emit a small amount of waste heat and CO2 which can be vented INSIDE the vehicle. There is also a small amount of PURE water which can be sent to waste or directed to your water tank.
The fuel is very high purity methanol which costs about $6/litre (I think) in Australia (less in Europe). It is necessary to use the fuel supplied by Efoy.
No maintenance is required. The reference to "service fluid" is a requirement that may be needed if the unit has not been used for a long time. Ours did not need any after 2 years not being used. "Service fluid" I believe is simply about 100ml of methanol in a special bottle.

The great value of this devise is that it can operate fully automatically (switch on when battery low, switch off when fully charged) and the very quiet operation.

There is nothing else like this that can charge your batteries virtually silently when there is no sun.
"Installation" took me about 10 minutes.

Cheers,
Peter

-- Edited by Peter_n_Margaret on Tuesday 13th of October 2015 05:23:03 AM

Long Weekend wrote:

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Hmm, methanol - isn't that another name for metholated spirits?

Murray

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 Hi Murray,

No ! That is actually enthanol with a bit of methanol in it to make it poisonous to drink as methanol is poisonous. The ethanol of course is what we like to drink as the active ingredient in boose of all types.

Methanol is used in racing fuel and making bio diesel and other processes. It can also be produced by mistake in bad brewing and kills people or sends them blind    

Jaahn