Off-Grid Appliance Setup: What You Actually Need for a Tiny Home or Kiwi Bach
Going off-grid in New Zealand, whether it’s a tiny home on a rural block or the family bach down the coast, comes down to five things: gas or power, hot water, cooking, the fridge, and sorting out the loo. Nail those and the rest pretty much sorts itself out.
Offgrid Appliances stocks the Challenger range, built for NZ conditions and backed by local support. Here’s what to look at for each, and where a tiny home build and a bach build actually differ.
Tiny homes are compact and sometimes on the move (if you have a tiny home on wheels), so space, weight, and low power draw matter most. Think slimline califonts and 12V gear.
Kiwi baches are usually fixed in one spot and hosting the whole family over summer, so capacity and keeping it simple tends to win. Bigger califonts, full size gas fridges, multi burner hobs.
Hot Water: Gas Califonts
A gas califont only heats water when the tap’s on, so you skip the standing heat loss of a normal cylinder.
Tiny Home: the 5L Califont or 6L handle a shower and kitchen outlet in a small footprint.
Kiwi Bach: go for the 7L or 10L for three plus outlets, or the 12L Fan Flued for an indoor flued bathroom unit.
If you’re on tank water with a gravity feed, low pressure can stop a califont igniting, pair it with a 12V or 240V pump. And permanent gas installs need a certified gasfitter by law, that bit’s not a DIY job.
Cooking: Stoves, Ovens & Hobs
Tiny Home: the Domino 2 Burner Hob fits a narrow bench. Got a bit of power to spare? The 3 Gas 1 Electric Hob gives you one electric element too.
Kiwi Bach: the Silvereye 4 Burner Stove Oven or the bigger Moa 900mm will feed a full house without dramas. Just need a hob? The 4 Burner Hob with Wok is a solid middle ground.
The whole cooking range runs off standard 9kg or 45kg LPG bottles, with Flame Failure Safety Devices built in.
Refrigeration: 12V Compressor vs Gas (3 Way)
12V/24V compressor fridges cool fast and hold their temp in the heat, but need solar and a battery bank behind them. 3 way gas fridges run quietly off LPG for weeks, no battery needed, handy where there’s not much sun.
Tiny Home: the 43L Dual Zone or 75L Dual Zone give decent capacity without hammering the battery. Want it built into the cabinetry? The 68L Built In Fridge slots straight into a joinery cutout.
Kiwi Bach: the 60L 3 Way Fridge runs off gas, 12V, or 240V, so it keeps going whether the generator’s on or the place has sat empty a fortnight. Smaller crews could get away with the 42L or 46L portables.
Sanitation: Toilets & Waste
Tiny Home: if waste needs to travel a fair way from the fixture, the 250W Grey Water Macerator Pump can shift it up to 9m vertically or 90m horizontally, so the bathroom doesn’t need to sit right above the drain.
Kiwi Bach: the Swivel RV Cassette Toilet is low fuss if you’re not on mains sewer, paired with a service door for emptying from outside.
For anything permanent, get a registered plumber on board so it meets the Building Code.
Sample Setups
Compact Tiny Home: 6L Califont, Domino 2 Burner Hob, 43L Dual Zone Fridge, Grey Water Macerator Pump.
Family Kiwi Bach: 10L or 12L Califont, Silvereye 4 Burner Stove, 60L 3 Way Fridge, Swivel Cassette Toilet + Service Door.
Before You Buy
Check your water source (town versus tank or gravity feed) before picking a califont size. Let your solar and battery setup drive the fridge choice, no point in a compressor fridge running off two panels. And get a certified gasfitter or plumber for anything permanent, it’s normally a legal requirement and keeps things safe, as well as your warranty valid.
Offgrid Appliances has a califont selector tool if you want a size recommendation, and their team can help with parts and support once it’s all installed.
