12V Sockets what are these used for? Thanks

12 volt sockets : agree with IanH.

Inverter : Again I agree, to a point. You can enjoy a perfectly happy holiday using 12 volt only, and of course 230v AC when or if on EHU. We used to live full time on 12 volts DC when we lived on a narrow boat, FIFTY YEARS AGO!  We even tediously rewired a string of fairy lights to run on 12 volt! Those were the days?

Nowadays and in the 21st. century almost every narrowboat or larger pleasure boat built has a full mains circuit via an inverter. Washing machines, dishwashers etc. are normal. You can use almost any household mains appliance of your choice from hairdryers upwards, just as at home. The only constraints to doing the same in a van are space and weight capacity for the additional battery(s) needed.

The big but is that you will need to have a greater off-grid charging capacity, by solar and engine alternator, and bigger battery capacity, and all that will require a thorough re-vamp of the van electrics. You will also need a thorough understanding of electrical loads and capacities and you will need to plan loads. Our van has a 2000 watt inverter installation with upgraded batteries, charging and cabling, and 350 watts of solar. We cook 90% electric, we charge the e-bikes etc using standard mains chargers, watch a cheap mains TV from Curries etc. The ultimate destination is a gas free van.

I’ll be honest that I have developed a bit of a thing about gas, having spent half my working life investigating boat fires and explosions, sometimes as the body bag was being loaded into the black van, so I have more of a motive than many for moving away from gas, even though vans are somewhat safer than boats (because you can drill a hole in the floor for a gas drop). I still have a gas fridge and boiler in the van but they will be replaced shortly, and certainly before I have to shell out £1000 for a new gas tank.

The up-front professional cost (if you are not a competent electrician yourself) for a full mains upgrade would be prohibitive short term and certainly not viable in an older van, but there are various other advantages to all-electric apart from safety. Occasional poor gas availability, lack of fumes and lack of condensation to name some. However I would not advocate all-electric in small vans like ours if you want to wild camp and stay in the same place for more than a day or two. You need to have itchy feet like me and keep the van rolling (and charging), especially if there is no sun for the solar.

I would reiterate that it is certainly not as simple as just connecting up an inverter, and if that is all you do then there will be risk of electrical overloads elsewhere in the charging system.

So for many IanH’s answer of “No” would correct, but not in all cases!