Collyn Rivers – författare

Caravan & Motorhome Electrics is the totally rewritten successor of the original globally selling Motorhome Electrics. The book''s content now also covers every aspect of designing, installing and fault finding of the electrics in fifth wheel and conventional caravans and camper trailers.

The book explains how things work, and what they do (not what vendors claim they do). It shows how to dramatically improve charging performance, successfully install solar, and reduce energy draw of electric (especially) three-way fridges.

Essentially it provides solutions proven to work, not suggestions that may work.

The author shows how the ongoing move fully voltage controlled alternators necessitates dc-dc alternator charging. And that, post 2016, regulations are likely to limit or even preclude alternator charging with new vehicles. It covers the solutions in depth: i.e. solar, plus fuel cell''s 24/7 power generation (light and compact yet silent and non-polluting (and now existing in LPG form), needing only a small battery for peak loads.

As with all Collyn''s books, the content is thoroughly researched, technically accurate, yet in plain English, plus explanatory illustrations, many of the author''s own vehicles.

The author''s background includes automobile research, electronics and large scale magazine publishing (including founding the world''s largest electronics magazine). He was technical editor of Australia''s The Bulletin magazine in the 1980s - and has supplied Tech Notes to The Wanderer for a now 14 years.

Buying an RV is a major investment. It is likely to be second only to buying a house. Especially if this is your first RV purchase, where do you begin to get the information you need to make the right choice?

In How to Choose and Buy an RV you will find everything you need to become an informed and well-prepared buyer. Collyn Rivers, one of the foremost authorities on RVs in Australia,  breaks down the pros and cons of the many sorts of recreational vehicles available. He identifies the key questions you need to ask to work out what you really want and need. 

Collyn gives clear advice about how to inspect and negotiate for new or used RVs.  He discusses the extras you''ll want include before hitting the road and details the rules and regulations you''ll need to know before venturing around Australia.

You need expert advice before buying an RV.  This book will answer your questions and even the ones you hadn''t considered asking.

Collyn Rivers "has enormous knowledge of the subjects in his books and his writing is concise and not overdone with technicalities or difficult-to-understand jargon." 

Peter Poat, The Weekend West Australian

Caravans and their tow-vehicles have a unique type of accident (jackknifing and rolling over). The cause is known and long understood. The rig is triggered from its intended stabilising characteristic (understeer) into seriously escalating unstabilising oversteer.

In conjunction with caravan and other issues, your tow vehicle''s margin of understeer ultimately determines your rig''s stability and especially how it will act in an emergency swerve at high speed.

If understeer is reduced to zero (or minus) the tow vehicle will oversteer. If not corrected in time the rig may jackknife, especially at high speed.

Why Caravans Roll Over examines causes of caravan roll over in detail and in plain English. It provides ways to evaluate and improve the safety of your own rig.  It identifies high risk situations and gives clear advice about how to avoid the dangers that are very much a part of towing a caravan.

Essentially, Solar Success is about using solar energy to reduce the fossil generated electricity that we use: to reduce one''s carbon footprint. Throughout, it stresses the need to reduce what one uses unnecessarily before one thinks about generating more. This can be done by three associated and economically viable approaches:

• reduce energy usage by doing things differently

• reduce energy usage by using more energy-efficient appliances

• change the supply of energy to non-fossil fuel through appropriate technology.

The solar energy required is there; 7000 times more energy than the world currently uses is available. It makes every sense to use it and countries worldwide increasingly do.

Solar is also affordable. In California, Italy and Japan, solar power now challenges power generated through natural gas and nuclear energy. In Germany, home owners'' solar generated surplus fed back into the grid network and all energy generated is paid at close to five times grid electricity''s buying cost.

Australia''s solar take up is high in rural areas that lack grid-connection. Sales of systems that draw from and feed back to the electricity grid (i.e. grid-connect) proved even more successful than expected as installation rebates and feed-in tariffs were initially very generous.In mid 2014 the Australian Federal government virtually ceased paying rebates on the curious basis that the scheme was attracting many more takers than had been expected. There is now however a growing move to go off-grid as electricity prices continue to rise (and feedback payment drop).

Knowing what is practicable and what is less practicable with solar enables readers to evaluate what is offered. And to have an often necessary and educated say in the decisions. For those who wish to design and implement systems themselves, Solar Success shows how to do it, and how to avoid the traps.

However you finance the system, and no matter where or how you live, follow the guidelines in Solar Success and you will have an economic system that will supply clean and reliable power for years to come.

This version of the Caravan & Motorhome Book is an all-new replacement the Campervan & Motorhome Book (first published in 2002). It covers every conceivable aspect of camper trailer, caravan and fifth wheel caravan, campervan and motorhome usage.

Like all of Collyn Rivers'' books it is technically sound yet written in plain English.It was initially conceived over 50 years ago during the author''s epic trans-Africa trip that included two Sahara crossings. It takes in experience gained during Collyn''s subsequent twelve return trips across the centre of Australia from Broome to the east coast and back (24 journeys - each of 7000 km plus) in his converted OKA ex-mining truck. He and his wife (Maarit) did three more (return) trips in their 4.2 litre Nissan Patrol and Tvan. The author''s caravanning experience includes towing a 40 year-old caravan from Helsinki (Finland) to 750 km north of the Arctic Circle.