Visiting BC’s Wild Places With Petawatts Auto Marine RV

The pathway to off-grid living is easier than you might think.

Thinking about upgrading the electrical system on your RV or boat to truly unlock the full power of 12-volt living? Well, the timing couldn’t be better. A seasoned electrical conversion expert has recently set up shop in Vernon, and his new venture is quickly becoming a go-to destination for adventurers looking to turn their off-grid dreams into a fully powered reality. Petawatts Auto Marine RV is set to help with almost any battery-based electrification project—whether it rolls, floats, or is your much-loved backcountry hideaway.

When we caught up recently with Attila Molnar, the company’s owner and founder, one thing was abundantly clear—there is no end to the potential the company offers. Attila has a wealth of knowledge on all things related to 12V-24V-48V electrical upgrades and restorations, regardless of the platform. His main passion, though, lies in creating state-of-the-art recreational vehicles—whether through ground-up custom builds, restorations of vintage models, or the installation of high-tech upgrades to modern platforms.

A Business Based On Lived Experience

Attila Molnar picked Vernon as the home base for the company for a key reason—it is the epicentre of BC’s vibrant RV-ing, backcountry, and boating lifestyle. Molnar was looking for just such a place to put down roots, somewhere he could share his wealth of knowledge on solar panel systems and fully electric custom RV builds while enjoying all the area has to offer. His goal is simple: help others find the relaxed way of life he and his family tapped into, all within a sustainable, comfortable RV, boat, or off-grid setup. This business plan was developed in a very unique way—by first living out the dream themselves.

The Molnar family initially set off from their home in Budapest, Hungary, on a one-year mission to travel across Canada in an RV. The route was flexible; start on one side of the country and see where things go from there. Things went a long way, it turns out. Starting in Montreal, after crossing the country their epic tour turned north to Alaska, then reversed down through the states to Mexico, dipping into Central America for stops in Belize and Guatemala, and eventually coming full circle back to Canada.

One of the big takeaways from Attila and his family’s continental criss-crossing journey was discovering a large demographic of people who want to spend more time in their RVs but are constrained by the limited capacity of their unit’s power supply. Along their travels, Attila kept running into people who wanted to do what they were doing but lacked the right equipment or know-how. His background in high-end vehicle restoration and electrical system design was the perfect starting point to meet the demand he was seeing.

Human Solutions in a Digital Age

In an era when AI chatbots are often the closest thing a customer can get to speaking with a real human, Attila Molnar is something of a rare breed. His business philosophy is built on genuine one-on-one conversations and solving problems person to person. Attila and his team welcome potential clients to book a free consultation to discuss a project, but they’re just as happy to help someone who simply drops by with a question.

“When we were travelling, there were many times when we were so grateful to have the assistance of kind Canadians along the way, so this is part of our giving back,” he explains. The Petawatts team have a wide variety of projects arriving daily at the shop. “It can become really complicated for people when they start to look at what is needed to live and work off grid, and it makes us really happy to help people transform their experience, wherever that is.”

An Open Door for Custom Build Projects Big and Small

Petawatts Auto Marine RV also welcomes custom-build car and boat enthusiasts. Attila’s old-school approach to customer service doesn’t mean their builds are old-fashioned; the team has a passion for new technology, bodywork, engines, paint – and their shop is on the cutting edge of solar and electrical design. “We work with reliable brands like Victron Energy, Renogy, ePropulsion, Liquid Rubber and Cinderella,” Attila shares with us, clearly proud of the work that has gone into sourcing top brands for his builds.

Showcasing Technology – The Electric Pickup You’d Never Notice

To showcase the shop’s capabilities, Attila and his team recently converted a 1990s F-250 pickup to an all-electric platform. “The truck is our everyday runner for shop needs,” he tells us. “The truck looks like any other ’90s Ford truck, including the dents and dings, but underneath, it is built on a highly efficient electric motor and battery system.”

Attila hopes the project will help to illustrate a common misconception about electric vehicles: that range is always the most important factor. In many real-world situations, he explains, that simply isn’t the case. People considering converting a car or truck to electric often assume range will be the defining issue, when in practice it may not be nearly as critical as they expect.

“We have a range of 200+ kilometres in our truck, and for the vast majority of our driving days, that is more than adequate. Those rare days where we are exceeding a distance of 250 kilometres, we find we welcome a break—to give the truck a 30 or 40 minute top-up on charge, but also so we can have time for catching up on phone calls or rest stops.”

Making Boating More Affordable

As the business name implies, the electrical upgrades at Petawatts Auto Marine RV are not limited to land-based platforms. Attila is a long-time boat enthusiast, so incorporating all manner of vessels into their business plan was a natural fit.

According to Attila, enjoying boating in a silent, fume-free manner is the way to go, with the bonus that by electro-fitting boats, water enthusiasts can help preserve our crystal-clear BC waters. Going electric not only means no expensive gas, but it also ensures that there are no environmentally damaging spills to contend with. There are also no spark plugs to change, air filters to clean, or impellers to deal with. Going electric on the water means slashing your maintenance requirements as well as the overall cost.

Sustainability Built on Recycling

For Attila, sustainability doesn’t just mean reducing emissions; it means refurbishing something rather than sending it to the landfill. “We also want to improve BC sustainability by restoring classic boats, RVs and cars. With the option of converting them to electric, of course, but even just simply restoring a classic vehicle, boat, or RV is still a win.” Attila and his team have found that many older RVs, like Boler or Airstream models, are actually better built than some newer ones, so they offer packages to completely modernize and renovate them.

The same philosophy applies to his outlook on RV repairing. “Fixing a leaking RV roof can keep your unit in use for years—instead of leading to costly repairs, or even needing a whole new RV.” Attila is a distributor for top-quality roof coating packages from Liquid Rubber, products designed to keep the RV roof leak-free for decades.

Centrally Located for Province-Wide Potential

While the workshop is in Vernon, Attila and his team are already helping clients from across British Columbia; they have a reputation for quality components and work that go into every project. Are there any favourite projects so far? “Some of the older restorations are our favourites,” Attila shares. “We did a complete restoration and 12V rebuild on a 60’s Boler trailer that came out really well, and we are doing the same with a famous local boat. The reward we get from knowing that a whole new generation of people will get to enjoy these restorations is very special.” The message from Attila is that recycling older RVs, classic cars, and boats can offer a lifetime of memories to a whole new generation.

If you are interested in finding out how Attila and his team can turn your 12v or restoration dilemma into a polished reality, drop by the shop at Gateway Business Park, 5000 SilverStar Road, or call the shop to make an appointment at 778.692.3024. You can also shop online in their website’s online shop or check out Attila’s informative blog for ideas to get you going.

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