12v Vacuum cleaners , which one is the best overall?

Have a look at domestic dust busters. I don't know if you could recharge them direct from 12v but an inverter would do the job.

Hi Boo Boo. I posted this question on the Caravaners forum early last year and the majority of replies were for recomending the Dyson hand held. There were a variety of these and were fairly expensive. One reply recommended an Aldi brand one which was advertised for the following Saturday at $70 and was a 24v rechargeble upright/ hand held combo. We bought one and have used it extensively since and it is as good as you need in a Caravan with a charge that lasts around 25mins of use.(similar time to the Dyson) Like most Aldi elecricals, they only seem to come around once a year but if you are fortunate enough to find one they are damn good value.(I think it was around march last year) Regards, Bob.

I can't reccomend this approach as you will see Boo Boo but it is creative.

I have a short 75mm to 40mm adaptor hose which can quickly clip into the inlet manifold on my car , actually used to suck air when in deep water - lotta power and vaccum behind that suction though.
I suspect it would really do the job , but you would have to have a lot of faith in your air filter !

Bunnings sell an Ozito rechargeable hand-held vac for about $25. It gets hammered at our house particularly cleaning up after little Mr and little Miss have had dinner. Hasnt missed a beat. You'd just need to connect it to 240V to recharge it or get hold of a suitable transformer/power unit to charge it (output 7.5V 200mA)

As said above Dyson cause they just suck. And I've just brought a new one (cause the missus put the other one on the back bumper when she had finished using it and unbeknown to me that it was sitting there I took it for a ride to the local Bunnings shop, it fell off at the last corner into Bunnings. This was discovered latter on the rear in-car camera), an Animal 58 and it has a turbo boost to which it sucks even harder. And with the sales that have been on I paid less for the new one than the previous one five years ago.

Boo Boo,
We have been very disappointed with our hand held Dyson. Can't understand why they don't have a bigger capacity rechargeable battery sytem. Have nearly thrown it out when it cuts out part way through vacuuming the van etc. Worst $450 I have spent.

I've changed over a fair bit of cordless gear over to the Ryobi 18v li ion range from bunnings over the last couple of years. Last few camping trips we have taken the cordless vacuum and the cordless blower as a matter of course because they are just so darn useful. Recently I got a couple of their work lanterns as camp lights, and the grinder/drill/impact driver come along just because they should.
Good quality gear - we use it for trade use now - not top of the line, but honest enough for the $$$, and that little vacuum gets used on site and for camping. My yardstick is plaster dust - if it'll pick up plaster dust then it's good enough. This one does it easy.

Returned the Dyson for a refund it was so hopeless and short battery power
Bought Ryobi 18V vacuum cleaner and lithium battery and charger
Best system available
Now have torch, fan, drills, multi tool and the compressor.
Indicator light on batteries is awesome.

Further to my post above. Yes my first Dyson the battery life was 6 or 9 minutes so a phoned Dyson to complain and has immediately offered and sent a second battery at on cost whatsoever.

My new one the Animal 58, it say the battery will last for 22 minutes. And it still SUCKS.

Thanks for the replies fella's, I actually looked at the dyson this morning and the vac was the smaller dyson and was $299 and the attachments $99.

The final price was $320 for the lot, but for a car vac I thought it was a tad expensive.
I think the battery had a life of 15 minutes.

My SIL has an 18v Ryobi drill and I was impress with its performance a couple of weeks ago.

I think I'll have a look at their vac.

We have a Dyson and a Makita 18v unit plus a Makita 10.8v unit (came free with a drill purchase). Both the Makita units are better than the Dyson which hardly ever gets used.

Good Luck

http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/online-store/products/Hoover-Vacuum-Portable-12V.aspx?pid=131098#Cross

We use something similar to this handheld 'dustbuster' type unit to clean our tent and vehicle when travelling. We hook it to a 5m long 12v extension lead to make it reach from car to tent (if we can't park right next to the tent)

We can plug it in to the 'cigarette lighter socket' on the AGM deep cycle battery's powered box, or the socket in the front console of the vehicle with the motor running.
I can vaccuum for as long as their is fuel in the car/oomph in the AGM :D

Sometimes it is quicker to sweep everything into a little pile with my shortened broom, then just suck up the pile with the vaccuum. Depends on what we have been doing and whether it is in dusty, gravelly or sandy conditions.