Have you ever tried Itehil solar panels? I'd be curious to know what you think. I have some 100 watt and their 160 watt panels. I use extension cables. They come with a bunch of adapters.
Professor keeping it simple out it the field, like you always have. Your rig got bigger but you have the same approach and logic since the beginning, which any hobo can replicate at different scale. A few years ago I first bought a small propane generator, then after a few years bought the AC180, a 12v fridge, and a cigs 200w. I'm considering a 48v battery for extra power in the future. Being patient and watching reviews/ "showing up to class with the professor" seems to really pay off. Thanks Tom!
Love those little Bestek’s inverters. But hadn’t planned on using mine again, until watching this. Makes great sense using just enough to do the job, instead of bigger power drain for bigger inverter doing nothing for hours. The Professor strikes again!
WOW BEST video in a while. EXACTLY what all solar vids should be. Simple HONEST and clear. I also have a sae input to plug into on the side of my rv. What I reall wanted to know BEST FOLDABLE highest watts out there. Thanks.
Power Starlink 7x24 by 48V directly: The Bluetti AC200L has a 48V DC output port, this port may be able to power Starlink directly without using any power inverter (or DC to DC converter). That may be one of the reasons why AC200L is built/designed with this port, overlanding would become more wonderful with Starlink powered in the most effective way(AC200L is actually a 48V system). Hope Dr. Hobo can test it out, this would be the biggest and unique features of AC200L in the solar generator market nowadays! Thank you!
@@HOBOTECH Hi Tom, I've been watching your videos for a while and you were one of the few who spoke more about the 48V/8A outlet. EDIT - I've been waiting on BLUETTI - to find out what one can and can't do with it - before I pull the trigger and buy the 200L. [Having UPS, Wi-Fi, NO Brick and less noise is a plus in my book. No long having the 12V/30A I've come to enjoy/rely on is another story.] I'm living with my noisy 200MAX for now. GRIN Anyways, I'm curious why you don't remove those batteries and use that space for at lease ONE server rack battery. It would be a lot less wires and provide way more power. Plus some of them do offer there own heating source. Just an idea to bounce around. (I do understand that as a tester you get the power stations you have and you might need other equipment to use the 48V setup. But having to pack all that stuff and make sure you don't forget something and all the space they take up, not to mention any concerns about what happens when one might have to brake hard - I don't know - I don't think could deal with it all.) Thanks for all you do / share - it has been helpful. Sincerely, Tony
@@tonyshipman257 I got my AC200Max during Covid, and they couldn't get the parts for the usual noisy charger it comes with, so sent me a ~350w charger which just has a huge hunka steel as a heat sink. I beleive they now sell that charger seperately as the "silent charger", might be worth looking in to.
@@worldcomicsreview354 Thanks. The one fan on the left side of the 200MAX itself is extremely noisy - at least to my ears. I got it mainly to use in a small sleeper box. It's like being in a tin can at times. LOL
Wow, I just learned a lot😃 I would have assumed that a solar controller could keep itself turned off and not burn up if it wasn't attached to a battery, cut-offs for the solar input is a great safety idea, and using a low wattage inverter for constant smaller loads is another great idea.
I have been off grid full time since end of June 2023. I installed Ecoflow Powerkit with 3,150 watts of solar on my 34ft Avion Travel Trailer last June. I have 15kw of batteries and run my air conditioner on the system. Live full time in our rig. In the over 8 months I have not plugged into shore power or a generator. Totally of grid. Full time. Love my Ecoflow Power Kit
Thanks for showing us all the different products and how you use them. Super creative way to incorporate them all. This was very educational. (I have a Delta Pro + Extra Battery. I have decided to just add more solar, rather than add units. I have two 380 watt panels. I'm going to add either 2 or 4 more. I just found local 380w panels for $109. Much cheaper than adding another solgen. I love the DP+EB, because I plug into shore line and everything else just feeds off that. My son and I have run 2 trailers ... sans A/C ... with this setup. When cloudy, we use petrol genie to charge the DP. In 3 weeks, we only used 5 gallons of petrol. Like you, I don't like the noise. So I'm adding some panels.)
Just got our class c last june, put 400w solar on roof, and just installed 280ah lifepo4 house battery. That with my bluettie ac180 and ac200Max with 200w portable panel should be good enough for long weekend with no power. Very fun to learn about this stuff. Steep learning curve but a lot of us out here really enjoy your vids and learn lots. Thank you.
I use the Bluetti AC200MAX because I can plug my RV in and run pretty much everything but AC. I may buy the newer version like you have because, like you, I DESPISE that brick charger!!!! It's loud all the time. The slow AC charge rate means I would need to run my Honda generator for 4 or 5 hours to get it back to full capacity. We rarely boondock, so it's just a backup solution for us. Other than that ridiculous brick I've been very happy with it. I also have the EB3a, and I use it to run electronics on my bass boat.
I am installing a CIGS 200 watt on my RTT today based on your recommendations and use 2 AC180s. I also have 2 100 watt CIGS to install in the future. Love your how to videos and reviews.
Whoa Doctor!! You downloaded a LOT of info in this one! Hope you get multiple credit when I go back and rewatch a couple more times, and thank you for all the helpful practical info!
Great to hear from you! As for the 400w Montek, I spoke to Monte about that panel, and he advised me that unless I was going to mount it against a firm surface, to use two of the 200w ones instead, and, they just arrived. I am very satisfied with them, and they are easier to setup than the 110w EcoFlow. As with anything "Portable", it is not only about weight, H x W x D, efficiency and performance, but, environment!
I'm very glad i got the smaller ones as well (i had to because my Pecron ELP2000 has a weird voltage limitation of 30-75 volts according to Hobotechs video on it) . The 400w one looks like a winded old man about to fall over. it's just too much weight for that thin of a design.
Two thumbs up.. Sounds similar how i have my system set up 3 Redodos & 600 Watts Bouge RV 9BB on my roof along with an EB70 I had Bluetti foldable only it died ;( & they wont warrantee it over one yr old So i have to supplement with my Honda 2000 Want to do more but its all about the $$ OH and love my Victron!
Foldable are terrible, my 200w bluetti panels only output maybe 120w on a good day.. I've found the harbor freight 100w panels to be really good, and they come with legs making them a good portable option, I change the connectors to MC style and charge my bluetti with 2 of them
Great video. Thank you for putting it together on your vacation. There was a lot of great information packed in there and you did a great job showing practical uses for the equipment. I hope you have enjoyed your vacation.
Excellent video, HOBOTECH! I'm in the middle of my own boondocking truck setup. I have two Renogy 150w CIGS panels installed on the top of the truck cap and a 40A Renogy DC-DC charger from the starter battery to the house battery. The house battery is a Renogy 200AH LFP . The inverter is a Renogy 2000W PSW (the model prior to yours in the video). If I bring my Bluetti AC200 MAX + D050S charge enhancer, I can also charge the MAX from both the CIGS panels plus a couple of PV200 solar panels. I also use the Renogy 30A Rover solar charger.
Great video....oh someone already said that.....ps I use Bluetti, same reasons . I use 200w framed panels , again for stability leaned on vehicle . 1 ac500 ( 800w paneled )for everything ( micro, toaster oven , induction cooktop, tv, light batteries) ,no rv system . Several eb3a and ac 70 charged by one 200w panel for all battery lights 18v 6 amp milwaukee, laptop, and 18v 6.0 amp Ridgid fan , bluetooth speakers and headphones.
There is a "hack" to convert the Starlink to run on DC but it's a convoluted mess I haven't had time to try. This is the 4th comment on the topic so sounds like I need to tackle it and make a video.
I run a hybrid system like you do in my truck camper. A 100ah house battery with 500w of charging from a 12/48v up converter under my hood connected to a Victron 100/30. I also have an EcoFlow delta 2 for all of my large ac loads. I use a 300w inverter on the house battery for my small ac loads. I have ground mount solar as well, as well as shore power charging. It’s very small footprint and works very well.
23k views .... Folks, PLEASE HIT the "Thumbs Up" for these videos .... Tom gives us all MORE FREE Tech advise than ANYONE ELSE !!!!! And it's "Quality" advise ..... Have a GREAT day everyone 😀
Am glad mine is simple, two AC200P and 800W of solar are all I need for my van and the Bluetti's handle everything with no problem. Have fun, Mike in Oregon.
I have the EcoFlow 3 battery kit EcloFlow Pro and I have the dual fuel generator. The killer feature is I can either start the generator with my phone OR the master battery of the Pro 3 battery kit will send he signal to start when the battery level is low and then stop ittself.
@@__WJK__I think he means Ecoflow's own dual-fuel gnerator. Good luck getting one, Ecoflow love to trumpet about ancilliary products then only make a limited run and few spares.
Glad to see you do still get out camping and what not. I kinda miss your old vids, where you split up your content a bit. Not to say that your reviews aren't good, just good to see some of the rest of life too! I need to stalk you and get your input on my RV system. Enjoy the rest of your vacation!
Really enjoyed watching this. I've also contemplated converting Starlink to DC, but in the end as our camper house batteries are 24v, we got a Victron 24/250 which uses about 6w in idle and we leave it on 24/7 while camping as well. Thought about a step down voltage converter to 12v and getting a Bestek 300w pure sine but the net result in power usage would probably be too minimal to worry about. The Victron does just fine and I got it on sale 🎉. We also have a 24v 2000w inverter and a combo of other power stations that we purchased over the years based solely on your reviews. Now 3 years into off grid shenanigans. Keep up the excellent work sir, it really is appreciated.
I have the Ecoflow 400w folding panel and it works fantastic but the case/stand is absolute garbage. I really hate putting it up and messing with it all day. Im working on building an aluminum frame to stand it up rather than the case. I use the Delta 2 Max to run my starlink. I hadn't thought about using a smaller inverter instead, but its a great idea and I will definitely give it try. Thank you for another great video, Professor!
Thanks for the video. Im just getting into solar generators and really enjoying watching informative videos like yours. Have you tried the new jackery 1000 v2?
Excellent video as usual! I have the eco flow delta pro And I hate the fact that the USB's are on the frontside with the display and the A. C outlets around the backside! So I agree that they should put the outlets on the same side as the display. So I fashioned a mirror that hangs on the handle. So I can see what the display says!❤
Very helpful info. I'm glad to hear the Bestek inverter is holding up to continuous use. I have one I use occasionally and have wondered how this low priced unit will stand up to more use.
EcoFlow D Pro… with 400w panel gets me through. 320ah Li house with 400w on top. And jackery 300. NO generator! I leave that beast at home. Weekender. Good video.
Makes me wonder what you do all day if you have the need for all that power? I understand the generator for cloudy days but I guess we all camp differently, I suppose. I have a 36ft travel trailer that I take on the road for work when the weather allows. Have kept the original convertor but added a breaker to shut off charging functions to the 200ah battery and use a separate 110v wall charger if an outlet is handy. I hard mounted 480w of residential panels to my roof @ 36v in parallel to a 30a HQST controller (don't like it, will replace soon). Lastly, I plug it all into a 1500w inverter so that all of my outlets, clocks, and microwave function just as if I were at a traditional campground. So far, I've only boondocked once with this setup, but had no issues for the 5 days we were out. Of course, we didn't use the AC, but in Montana, its rarely needed!
Glad you mentioned the bad design of the ecoflow. Worse than the outlets being in the back is that the inverter button is in the back. I’m done with Ecoflow due to this poor design, the glitchy software and the not-so-great customer service. Instead of replacing my Delta 2 when the percentage numbers were wrong they simply explained how to reset it. But it needs to be reset every time I use it if I want correct data. I’m switching to Anker. Outbound Power has great prices fyi.
I have the Bluetti EB3a also. I used to use the fast phone charger on the top, but after doing that a few times my phone disabled the fast charging along with a message that it was overheating. So maybe that's another reason that Bluetti decided not to bother with it in the AC70. Thanks for sharing your setup!
Multiple moots and multiple inverters. Good for both optimizing charging as well as discharging. Plus it gives you redundancy. I have a small sailboat and was thinking of converting the housebank into lithium. But too many components need changing. So I’ll bring a EcoFlow max 2 for 1800 watt household appliances and a EcoFlow river with 512wh capacity to run the computer and camera gear. 600 watt of portable solar can recharge either one in a day. I have one of those Bestek 300 watt inverters. Good for the Starlink, like you said.
You need a full operation manual to figure that one out like we do in the 747 Cargo Aircraft I fly. Or talk to Nomadic Fanatic and RV Prepper Wayne to get 3000 continuous watts all the time or something like 6 batteries plus. Hi to Oden.
i made my own 4kwh 12v packs with 4x 280ah lifepo4 cells. 350bucks each 4kwh pack. same size as those 100ah batteries. i made a post on the chevy volt gen1 modifications section of the 4kwh one i installed in my car in place of the leadacid lol
Absolutely love the videos that show your RV solar setup and how your sharing what works well & what doesn’t. Regarding the SIGS panel that you recently tested, are you using that on the roof of your RV?
Love seeing the Professor Hobo's setup! Question about the Bluetti AC200L my good sir. I know its still very new so its still working out all the bugs and what not. Per specs it should be able to handle 6 - 200W Renogy solar panels. And after personally dealing with Jackery limitation nonsense I've recently abandoned their platform and just ordered the newer Bluetti AC200L to start off with but am wondering if the professor himself believes that the Bluetti AC200L can handle 138V from the combined 6 -200W Renogy panels wired in series in a real life scenario as opposed to just fancy verbiage from the makers. Once again I really do love seeing your real world setup and usage sir, would love to buy you a beer if we ever bumped into each other out in the wild. There's a lot of sponsored tech peeps out there selling everything, but I genuinely trust your research and intell my good sir. So cheers to you Professor Hobo! We need you more then ever these days and All hail to Odin!
My review listed in the description will tell you exactly how many volts the AC200L can take. In the field I have used the two 400w panels in both series and parallel and it handled it fine.
The AC200Max takes 10-145v, it says anyway, most I've ever put in is about 80. I imagine the L has similar specs. Where are you getting two 200w panels that total 138v?? Even the BougeRV Yuma would only make 60!
@@worldcomicsreview354 Not 2, but 6 - 200W Renogy panels. I previously was on the Jackery platform and they couldn't handle too many volts from solar. For what it's worth, I may be late to the party but from real life experience so far Bluetti > Jackery hands down.
Glad to hear about the problems with the jackery Canadian tire now carries this unit and the smaller unit as well I was waiting for them to start selling the bigger ones but maybe not so good
Jackery are turning into the Bose of power station. Slick design and good marketing, never mind the product! Their stuff shows up in places other sogens fear to tread in Japan, like "for the home" department stores, which always have an earthquake section with hard hats, MREs, wind-up radios etc. Jackery (or JVC who sell badge-engineered Jackeries, often the older models) are getting their products in there, while the others are content with normal electronics stores.
From what I can see it looks like you have a Mercedes Sprinter Chassis motorhome and they are normally diesel powered and therefore use the propane for the generator. My class C has the same setup. I just got back from a short four day dry camping and brought my Jackery 2000 plus for my 120 vac needs and used the coach batteries for my 12 volt needs. I did not run my Onan propane generator but instead brought my Honda 2KW inverter generator and only ran it for about 4 or 5 hours a day using about 3 gallons of gasoline in the four days of camping. I saved my propane for the fridge and hot water and space heating. I would suggest you bring a small inverter generator with you and a few gallons of gasoline to save your propane and avoid the noise and vibration of that built in Onan generator.
Just dragged one up onto my almost-totally-flat roof, with a taller building immediately to the south. Even under those far-from-ideal conditions it put 30%, circa 600wh, into my AC200Max! The goal is four of 'em, in summer I might even be able to run the (new, small and efficient) minisplit for "free"!
And the 30 amp cord from your rv plugged into the bluetti will charge your house battery to right? When I got my sailboat 30 amp plugged at the dock it charges my house battery plus I can use all my power inside
Thanks for the tour of your solar / battery, setup. I'd of thought you would have had unlimited power and product choices given the focus of the channel. Guess money to buy all this doesn't grow on trees...and of course the space to take it all with you out to the desert. Anyway, love your channel, and the aliens, and Oden.
All good info. I do not understand any of the electrical conversation. Any chance you could chat about what is what and why and how one needs these things. Thx
@@HOBOTECH my plan is a 48 v to 12v step down bye Victron and overall less Battery space needed as well as Maximum power Capacity for those Days of little on No Solar Charging Yes Will Have A Generator as Back Up only
I also will be Using the trailer to get work done The Table in the rear will be Mobile for rear of Property that you can not Drive up next too If it’s snowing or raining Tent will a Battery and The Generator as well from the Van
I have a truck camper with 600watts of solar . Would like to use additional portable solar panels. Would it be better to use a separate charge controller to connect to the batteries ? Or use a combiner box and use the existing controller. As long as my voltage does. Not exceed the voltage on the control controller. I heard if you mismatch different voltages sometimes you can take away what you already have in solar power . Or do you have any other suggestions how I can add portable panels? any information would be helpful. Thanks Roger.
@@HOBOTECH I watch that video and the way it looks if I didn’t use the portable solar panels the other panels would not charge. Could the controllers be hooked up without pairing them? Do the other controllers operate the same like a Victron or renogy . Do they need to be paired? Or could you wire them separately in case I didn’t hook up the portable panels. And would the controllers have to be of the same brand.
Thanks for sharing. I am planning my setup for boondocking. If you wanted to run a smaller AC with what you showed how much more do you think you would need to add?
I am newbie with some background in electronics as an audio sound engineer. Question. I just bought two 300 watt solar panels (both are same ELECAENTA ultralight) which I am going connect together in parellel. The current for each solar is 7.69a and the short circuit is 10.1a. I like to add fuses in this setup. I think I understand you multiple 1.56 x (10.1a value of short-circuit current) = 15.756. Thus I assume I should get a fuse rated at 15a at each panel and just to be safe have 30a at the solar controller charger. I have the Pecron E1500LFP.
I have 3 BougeRV solar panels. 180 w, 200 w and 120 w. I put them in series to increase the voltage. Should I be getting 500 watts? Or will the watts stay around 175? Any help I would appreciate.
Has anyone tried removing as much of the metal from as possible on the standard 100w panels etc to see how light they would be while staying rigid for just laying on the ground etc
Yea I'm probably going to upgrade my main Ecoflow delta 2 to the Delta 2 max and keep the delta 2 for backup... i as well have 200ah of lithium phosphate battery and it's just enough for like 2 days of low solar input for me.. but since I don't have a generator and I'm limited to 400w of solar i also have a 50A renogy dc to dc charger that uses my van's engine to charge my whole setup if needed and is much quieter than a generator.. i never run my van for more than an hr if needed to charge my batteries
I think the battery manufacturers need to start building their batteries in a power wall configuration to fit both in internal and external wall spaces. We could then fit more power into our campers and if mounted externally they would give you another layer of fire safety between us and our living space.
Hey brother, it’s Joe in Phoenix. Glad to see you’re out doing some vacationing. What in the world is wrong with Jackery? Why are they so behind the times? Thanks for the video. I did wonder how you guys manage to do this kind of stuff. I’d like to come out and spend a few days in Quartzsite or someplace like this.
you mentioned you had a lot of cloudy days. What do you do if you have 5 days of clouds i a row ? BTW i like Bestek a lot i use a Bestek 1000 Pure sign Wave inverter all the time for my DIY tiny system. BTW Bestek make a bigger inverter on i think its 2000 Watt pure sign wave .It would be cool if the company reaches out and has you review this kind of new product.
Good to hear I’m not the only one with multiple systems. I’m full-time in a fifth wheel 80 percent off grid.and use 4 100 amp hour lithium batteries for my house batteries with a 3000 watt inverter. I have an bluetti AC 500 as a back up. I have the original AC 200 that I use for my Starlink. I also have 2/ 2200i Honda generators. I have 8 Renogy biracial 115watt panels for house and I use 2 Ecoflow 220w biracial to charge the AC200. Oh and I forgot I also have two smaller solar generators that I use for miscellaneous items.
I returned to the jackery and bought the blue ettie. AC 200 max on your recommendation...... And then for the generator issue about a second brick. So I have roughly 900 watts charging on generator. What's your opinion on this set up Versus the blue Eddie, you're referring to in this video.
Prof, please my Bluetti AC200P 2000 wh/2000W stops working but the power button still switches on and shows blue light. However, the display screen doesn’t work any more. How can I make it work? I will appreciate your suggestions. Thank you.
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Products in this video:
LiTime 100Ah Mini LiFePO4 battery: gohobo.io/litimemini use code HOBOTECH Review: th-cam.com/video/yI6oseyjMcI/w-d-xo.html
BougeRV 200w Yuma CIGS solar panel: gohobo.io/yuma use code HOBOTECH28 Review: th-cam.com/video/sjTsq9M-66A/w-d-xo.html
Bluetti PV420 400w solar panel: gohobo.io/pv420 Review: th-cam.com/video/i4yA7sYPCGQ/w-d-xo.html
Montek 400w solar panel: gohobo.io/montek400w
Renogy 2000w Compact inverter: amzn.to/3UEJvfY
Bestek 300w inverter: gohobo.io/bestek
Victron Battery Monitor: amzn.to/42GAHIq
Victron Solar Charge Controllers: amzn.to/3wgZO8x
30A Automatic Transfer Switch: amzn.to/42EkpzF
Bluetti AC200L: gohobo.io/ac200l Review: th-cam.com/video/e4wtzD84jdo/w-d-xo.html
Bluetti AC70: gohobo.io/ac70ac2a Review: th-cam.com/video/smjcrhITT9M/w-d-xo.html
Bluetti EB3A: gohobo.io/eb3a Review: th-cam.com/video/_vxTRkWui_g/w-d-xo.html
Jackery 1000 Pro: gohobo.io/jackery Review: th-cam.com/video/3i8UnnRLWrc/w-d-xo.html
Have you ever tried Itehil solar panels? I'd be curious to know what you think. I have some 100 watt and their 160 watt panels. I use extension cables. They come with a bunch of adapters.
I literally live on three 100ah power queen batteries and 450w of solar. I can go a long time without my generator, indefinitely if it was sunny
Love the fact that you don’t just play with this stuff but live it! Awesome!
Solar power sure has been a game changer for me. I can't imagine my life without it now.
Professor keeping it simple out it the field, like you always have. Your rig got bigger but you have the same approach and logic since the beginning, which any hobo can replicate at different scale.
A few years ago I first bought a small propane generator, then after a few years bought the AC180, a 12v fridge, and a cigs 200w. I'm considering a 48v battery for extra power in the future. Being patient and watching reviews/ "showing up to class with the professor" seems to really pay off.
Thanks Tom!
Thank You Professor for All that you are doing for our Planet Earth.... Peace.. Shalom.. Salam.. Namaste 🙏🏻 😊 🌈 ✌ ☮ ❤
Love those little Bestek’s inverters. But hadn’t planned on using mine again, until watching this. Makes great sense using just enough to do the job, instead of bigger power drain for bigger inverter doing nothing for hours. The Professor strikes again!
Great demonstration on how to be creative with your solar power.
Awwww, the little EB3A around 14 minutes in. Totally love them for phone charging and running a fan.
WOW BEST video in a while. EXACTLY what all solar vids should be. Simple HONEST and clear. I also have a sae input to plug into on the side of my rv. What I reall wanted to know BEST FOLDABLE highest watts out there. Thanks.
Power Starlink 7x24 by 48V directly: The Bluetti AC200L has a 48V DC output port, this port may be able to power Starlink directly without using any power inverter (or DC to DC converter). That may be one of the reasons why AC200L is built/designed with this port, overlanding would become more wonderful with Starlink powered in the most effective way(AC200L is actually a 48V system). Hope Dr. Hobo can test it out, this would be the biggest and unique features of AC200L in the solar generator market nowadays! Thank you!
The 48v output has a data pin making it useless without a Bluetti accessory.
Looks like there would have another hot topic " Bluetti AC200L Hack"
@@HOBOTECH Hi Tom, I've been watching your videos for a while and you were one of the few who spoke more about the 48V/8A outlet. EDIT - I've been waiting on BLUETTI - to find out what one can and can't do with it - before I pull the trigger and buy the 200L. [Having UPS, Wi-Fi, NO Brick and less noise is a plus in my book. No long having the 12V/30A I've come to enjoy/rely on is another story.] I'm living with my noisy 200MAX for now. GRIN Anyways, I'm curious why you don't remove those batteries and use that space for at lease ONE server rack battery. It would be a lot less wires and provide way more power. Plus some of them do offer there own heating source. Just an idea to bounce around. (I do understand that as a tester you get the power stations you have and you might need other equipment to use the 48V setup. But having to pack all that stuff and make sure you don't forget something and all the space they take up, not to mention any concerns about what happens when one might have to brake hard - I don't know - I don't think could deal with it all.) Thanks for all you do / share - it has been helpful. Sincerely, Tony
@@tonyshipman257 I got my AC200Max during Covid, and they couldn't get the parts for the usual noisy charger it comes with, so sent me a ~350w charger which just has a huge hunka steel as a heat sink. I beleive they now sell that charger seperately as the "silent charger", might be worth looking in to.
@@worldcomicsreview354 Thanks. The one fan on the left side of the 200MAX itself is extremely noisy - at least to my ears. I got it mainly to use in a small sleeper box. It's like being in a tin can at times. LOL
i was camping not far from you, love that my RV is in the background in the beginning of the video :-)
Your RV setup is so cool. Thanks for sharing!
It was good to get to see you at Quartzsite. Great setup.
Wow, I just learned a lot😃 I would have assumed that a solar controller could keep itself turned off and not burn up if it wasn't attached to a battery, cut-offs for the solar input is a great safety idea, and using a low wattage inverter for constant smaller loads is another great idea.
Boy did I learn a lot from one video!! Thanks for the help!! 👍
I have been off grid full time since end of June 2023. I installed Ecoflow Powerkit with 3,150 watts of solar on my 34ft Avion Travel Trailer last June. I have 15kw of batteries and run my air conditioner on the system. Live full time in our rig. In the over 8 months I have not plugged into shore power or a generator. Totally of grid. Full time. Love my Ecoflow Power Kit
Thanks for showing us all the different products and how you use them. Super creative way to incorporate them all. This was very educational.
(I have a Delta Pro + Extra Battery. I have decided to just add more solar, rather than add units. I have two 380 watt panels. I'm going to add either 2 or 4 more. I just found local 380w panels for $109. Much cheaper than adding another solgen. I love the DP+EB, because I plug into shore line and everything else just feeds off that. My son and I have run 2 trailers ... sans A/C ... with this setup. When cloudy, we use petrol genie to charge the DP. In 3 weeks, we only used 5 gallons of petrol. Like you, I don't like the noise. So I'm adding some panels.)
Just got our class c last june, put 400w solar on roof, and just installed 280ah lifepo4 house battery. That with my bluettie ac180 and ac200Max with 200w portable panel should be good enough for long weekend with no power. Very fun to learn about this stuff. Steep learning curve but a lot of us out here really enjoy your vids and learn lots. Thank you.
Tough to beat the Bluetti's! Enjoy your vacation, you sure deserve it! Travel safe!
agree -
I use the Bluetti AC200MAX because I can plug my RV in and run pretty much everything but AC. I may buy the newer version like you have because, like you, I DESPISE that brick charger!!!! It's loud all the time. The slow AC charge rate means I would need to run my Honda generator for 4 or 5 hours to get it back to full capacity.
We rarely boondock, so it's just a backup solution for us. Other than that ridiculous brick I've been very happy with it.
I also have the EB3a, and I use it to run electronics on my bass boat.
Thanks for the real world information.
I am installing a CIGS 200 watt on my RTT today based on your recommendations and use 2 AC180s. I also have 2 100 watt CIGS to install in the future. Love your how to videos and reviews.
Whoa Doctor!! You downloaded a LOT of info in this one! Hope you get multiple credit when I go back and rewatch a couple more times, and thank you for all the helpful practical info!
Great to hear from you!
As for the 400w Montek, I spoke to Monte about that panel, and he advised me that unless I was going to mount it against a firm surface, to use two of the 200w ones instead, and, they just arrived. I am very satisfied with them, and they are easier to setup than the 110w EcoFlow.
As with anything "Portable", it is not only about weight, H x W x D, efficiency and performance, but, environment!
I'm very glad i got the smaller ones as well (i had to because my Pecron ELP2000 has a weird voltage limitation of 30-75 volts according to Hobotechs video on it) . The 400w one looks like a winded old man about to fall over. it's just too much weight for that thin of a design.
Glad to hear from the professor, enjoy your vacation because we're ready for more videos sir
Two thumbs up.. Sounds similar how i have my system set up 3 Redodos & 600 Watts Bouge RV 9BB on my roof along with an EB70 I had Bluetti foldable only it died ;( & they wont warrantee it over one yr old So i have to supplement with my Honda 2000 Want to do more but its all about the $$ OH and love my Victron!
Why did your Bluetti foldable die? I have three 200 watt Bluetti foldable panels that died! Why? Are they repairable?
Foldable are terrible, my 200w bluetti panels only output maybe 120w on a good day.. I've found the harbor freight 100w panels to be really good, and they come with legs making them a good portable option, I change the connectors to MC style and charge my bluetti with 2 of them
Great video. Thank you for putting it together on your vacation. There was a lot of great information packed in there and you did a great job showing practical uses for the equipment. I hope you have enjoyed your vacation.
Excellent video, HOBOTECH! I'm in the middle of my own boondocking truck setup. I have two Renogy 150w CIGS panels installed on the top of the truck cap and a 40A Renogy DC-DC charger from the starter battery to the house battery. The house battery is a Renogy 200AH LFP . The inverter is a Renogy 2000W PSW (the model prior to yours in the video). If I bring my Bluetti AC200 MAX + D050S charge enhancer, I can also charge the MAX from both the CIGS panels plus a couple of PV200 solar panels. I also use the Renogy 30A Rover solar charger.
Good Morning ! It doesn't look like I'm gonna make it down there this winter. Have a great time. TAKE CARE..
Great video....oh someone already said that.....ps I use Bluetti, same reasons . I use 200w framed panels , again for stability leaned on vehicle . 1 ac500 ( 800w paneled )for everything ( micro, toaster oven , induction cooktop, tv, light batteries) ,no rv system . Several eb3a and ac 70 charged by one 200w panel for all battery lights 18v 6 amp milwaukee, laptop, and 18v 6.0 amp Ridgid fan , bluetooth speakers and headphones.
Great overview! Hey isnt there a way to convert your router to 12v? Then you could get away from the inverter all together.
There is a "hack" to convert the Starlink to run on DC but it's a convoluted mess I haven't had time to try. This is the 4th comment on the topic so sounds like I need to tackle it and make a video.
This is a great real usage vid, thanks Hobotech I learn soooo much here👍🏻 enjoy your vacation !
I run a hybrid system like you do in my truck camper. A 100ah house battery with 500w of charging from a 12/48v up converter under my hood connected to a Victron 100/30. I also have an EcoFlow delta 2 for all of my large ac loads. I use a 300w inverter on the house battery for my small ac loads. I have ground mount solar as well, as well as shore power charging. It’s very small footprint and works very well.
23k views .... Folks, PLEASE HIT the "Thumbs Up" for these videos .... Tom gives us all MORE FREE Tech advise than ANYONE ELSE !!!!! And it's "Quality" advise ..... Have a GREAT day everyone 😀
Am glad mine is simple, two AC200P and 800W of solar are all I need for my van and the Bluetti's handle everything with no problem. Have fun, Mike in Oregon.
I have the EcoFlow 3 battery kit EcloFlow Pro and I have the dual fuel generator. The killer feature is I can either start the generator with my phone OR the master battery of the Pro 3 battery kit will send he signal to start when the battery level is low and then stop ittself.
Nice! So which duel fuel gen do you have that features App start from a phone?
@@__WJK__I think he means Ecoflow's own dual-fuel gnerator. Good luck getting one, Ecoflow love to trumpet about ancilliary products then only make a limited run and few spares.
Glad to see you do still get out camping and what not. I kinda miss your old vids, where you split up your content a bit. Not to say that your reviews aren't good, just good to see some of the rest of life too! I need to stalk you and get your input on my RV system. Enjoy the rest of your vacation!
Really enjoyed watching this. I've also contemplated converting Starlink to DC, but in the end as our camper house batteries are 24v, we got a Victron 24/250 which uses about 6w in idle and we leave it on 24/7 while camping as well. Thought about a step down voltage converter to 12v and getting a Bestek 300w pure sine but the net result in power usage would probably be too minimal to worry about. The Victron does just fine and I got it on sale 🎉. We also have a 24v 2000w inverter and a combo of other power stations that we purchased over the years based solely on your reviews. Now 3 years into off grid shenanigans. Keep up the excellent work sir, it really is appreciated.
Awesome video,exactly how I want to use my solar generators
Good video. I’ve gotten 414W at various times on my PV420. I’m very happy with my Bluetti.
Good information, thank you.
13:15; I just sold off my Jackery gear for the same reasons you stated.
The AC70 looks awesome and I am tempted.
thanks a lot always thinking
Great video- and it all makes sense.
Nice to see you at Quartzsite !
I'm the clown that hauled up in the red Toyota 4 Runner - just to say "Hi"
😆
nice set up
I have the Ecoflow 400w folding panel and it works fantastic but the case/stand is absolute garbage. I really hate putting it up and messing with it all day. Im working on building an aluminum frame to stand it up rather than the case.
I use the Delta 2 Max to run my starlink. I hadn't thought about using a smaller inverter instead, but its a great idea and I will definitely give it try.
Thank you for another great video, Professor!
Thanks for the video. Im just getting into solar generators and really enjoying watching informative videos like yours. Have you tried the new jackery 1000 v2?
I use a BLUETTI 180, an EB3A, and I just ordered the AC200L on prime day sale. I have a Jackery but don’t use it that much either…
Excellent video as usual!
I have the eco flow delta pro And I hate the fact that the USB's are on the frontside with the display and the A. C outlets around the backside! So I agree that they should put the outlets on the same side as the display. So I fashioned a mirror that hangs on the handle. So I can see what the display says!❤
Very helpful info. I'm glad to hear the Bestek inverter is holding up to continuous use. I have one I use occasionally and have wondered how this low priced unit will stand up to more use.
EcoFlow D Pro… with 400w panel gets me through. 320ah Li house with 400w on top. And jackery 300. NO generator! I leave that beast at home. Weekender. Good video.
Makes me wonder what you do all day if you have the need for all that power? I understand the generator for cloudy days but I guess we all camp differently, I suppose. I have a 36ft travel trailer that I take on the road for work when the weather allows. Have kept the original convertor but added a breaker to shut off charging functions to the 200ah battery and use a separate 110v wall charger if an outlet is handy. I hard mounted 480w of residential panels to my roof @ 36v in parallel to a 30a HQST controller (don't like it, will replace soon). Lastly, I plug it all into a 1500w inverter so that all of my outlets, clocks, and microwave function just as if I were at a traditional campground. So far, I've only boondocked once with this setup, but had no issues for the 5 days we were out. Of course, we didn't use the AC, but in Montana, its rarely needed!
Glad you mentioned the bad design of the ecoflow. Worse than the outlets being in the back is that the inverter button is in the back. I’m done with Ecoflow due to this poor design, the glitchy software and the not-so-great customer service. Instead of replacing my Delta 2 when the percentage numbers were wrong they simply explained how to reset it. But it needs to be reset every time I use it if I want correct data. I’m switching to Anker. Outbound Power has great prices fyi.
Thanks Hobo, Very Useful Information!!
I have the Bluetti EB3a also. I used to use the fast phone charger on the top, but after doing that a few times my phone disabled the fast charging along with a message that it was overheating. So maybe that's another reason that Bluetti decided not to bother with it in the AC70. Thanks for sharing your setup!
Multiple moots and multiple inverters. Good for both optimizing charging as well as discharging. Plus it gives you redundancy.
I have a small sailboat and was thinking of converting the housebank into lithium. But too many components need changing. So I’ll bring a EcoFlow max 2 for 1800 watt household appliances and a EcoFlow river with 512wh capacity to run the computer and camera gear. 600 watt of portable solar can recharge either one in a day. I have one of those Bestek 300 watt inverters. Good for the Starlink, like you said.
Thank you for the update. You have a point about working from the back and front of the EcoFlow.
PVC tubing/pipe, some elbows and some rubber cement are a easy way to make a prop/kickstand on most panels that are portable.
I bought the li time batteries 2x100ah work great. Thanks for your review on them .
Nice setup! I like to keep my Victron directly connected and just use the app to turn it off when I'm working on it.
You need a full operation manual to figure that one out like we do in the 747 Cargo Aircraft I fly. Or talk to Nomadic Fanatic and RV Prepper Wayne to get 3000 continuous watts all the time or something like 6 batteries plus. Hi to Oden.
i made my own 4kwh 12v packs with 4x 280ah lifepo4 cells. 350bucks each 4kwh pack. same size as those 100ah batteries. i made a post on the chevy volt gen1 modifications section of the 4kwh one i installed in my car in place of the leadacid lol
Absolutely love the videos that show your RV solar setup and how your sharing what works well & what doesn’t. Regarding the SIGS panel that you recently tested, are you using that on the roof of your RV?
Yes, I showed those panels on my roof.
Great adventure in Southwest America.
Kool....put me in Coach
Thank you for sharing your good ideas to save energy.
Like your T-shirt I was a master Helmsman aboard the USS Enterprise CVN 65
Love seeing the Professor Hobo's setup! Question about the Bluetti AC200L my good sir. I know its still very new so its still working out all the bugs and what not. Per specs it should be able to handle 6 - 200W Renogy solar panels. And after personally dealing with Jackery limitation nonsense I've recently abandoned their platform and just ordered the newer Bluetti AC200L to start off with but am wondering if the professor himself believes that the Bluetti AC200L can handle 138V from the combined 6 -200W Renogy panels wired in series in a real life scenario as opposed to just fancy verbiage from the makers. Once again I really do love seeing your real world setup and usage sir, would love to buy you a beer if we ever bumped into each other out in the wild. There's a lot of sponsored tech peeps out there selling everything, but I genuinely trust your research and intell my good sir. So cheers to you Professor Hobo! We need you more then ever these days and All hail to Odin!
My review listed in the description will tell you exactly how many volts the AC200L can take. In the field I have used the two 400w panels in both series and parallel and it handled it fine.
The AC200Max takes 10-145v, it says anyway, most I've ever put in is about 80. I imagine the L has similar specs.
Where are you getting two 200w panels that total 138v?? Even the BougeRV Yuma would only make 60!
@@worldcomicsreview354 Not 2, but 6 - 200W Renogy panels. I previously was on the Jackery platform and they couldn't handle too many volts from solar. For what it's worth, I may be late to the party but from real life experience so far Bluetti > Jackery hands down.
Glad to hear about the problems with the jackery Canadian tire now carries this unit and the smaller unit as well I was waiting for them to start selling the bigger ones but maybe not so good
Jackery are turning into the Bose of power station. Slick design and good marketing, never mind the product! Their stuff shows up in places other sogens fear to tread in Japan, like "for the home" department stores, which always have an earthquake section with hard hats, MREs, wind-up radios etc. Jackery (or JVC who sell badge-engineered Jackeries, often the older models) are getting their products in there, while the others are content with normal electronics stores.
From what I can see it looks like you have a Mercedes Sprinter Chassis motorhome and they are normally diesel powered and therefore use the propane for the generator. My class C has the same setup. I just got back from a short four day dry camping and brought my Jackery 2000 plus for my 120 vac needs and used the coach batteries for my 12 volt needs. I did not run my Onan propane generator but instead brought my Honda 2KW inverter generator and only ran it for about 4 or 5 hours a day using about 3 gallons of gasoline in the four days of camping. I saved my propane for the fridge and hot water and space heating. I would suggest you bring a small inverter generator with you and a few gallons of gasoline to save your propane and avoid the noise and vibration of that built in Onan generator.
How do you mount the roof panels? Thanks for the video.
I simply used the factory adhesive.
Very informative.
Any plans to replace the Renogy 2000W inverter with a Victron?
The Victron won't fit the space.
Thanks for the explanation, it is very helpfull!!! Doing a lot of testing on my new Ecoflow Ultra (house install) and enjoyed the info you provide!
Cigs are awesome!
Just dragged one up onto my almost-totally-flat roof, with a taller building immediately to the south. Even under those far-from-ideal conditions it put 30%, circa 600wh, into my AC200Max! The goal is four of 'em, in summer I might even be able to run the (new, small and efficient) minisplit for "free"!
My questions exactly!! Important information! Thank you!
And the 30 amp cord from your rv plugged into the bluetti will charge your house battery to right?
When I got my sailboat 30 amp plugged at the dock it charges my house battery plus I can use all my power inside
I think that’s actually what he’s doing(?)
I turn off my converter/charger and leave it off all the time except when I need to charge the house batteries with the propane generator.
Professor hobo and Odin rule the Wasteland....
Cool to see what you’re using. I’m sure it won’t be long before you upgrade your house battery capacity. 😁
Thanks for the tour of your solar / battery, setup. I'd of thought you would have had unlimited power and product choices given the focus of the channel. Guess money to buy all this doesn't grow on trees...and of course the space to take it all with you out to the desert. Anyway, love your channel, and the aliens, and Oden.
SAE plug and socket, genius.
Do you think the bluetti ac200pl is worth it? And will you be doing a video?
Very interesting video. Thank you.
All good info. I do not understand any of the electrical conversation. Any chance you could chat about what is what and why and how one needs these things. Thx
Have you thought about upgrading to 48v system
Why would I put 48v in a RV with all 12v appliances?
@@HOBOTECH my plan is a 48 v to 12v step down bye Victron and overall less Battery space needed as well as Maximum power Capacity for those Days of little on No Solar Charging
Yes Will Have A Generator as Back Up only
I live in Lincoln Nebraska and Winter Sucks But I love it Outside Anyway when it is above 0 degrees
I also will be Using the trailer to get work done
The Table in the rear will be Mobile for rear of Property that you can not Drive up next too
If it’s snowing or raining Tent will a Battery and The Generator as well from the Van
I get called any 2 pm at the Job asap
Work over Night then I drive Home or Get a Hotel
I have a truck camper with 600watts of solar . Would like to use additional portable solar panels. Would it be better to use a separate charge controller to connect to the batteries ? Or use a combiner box and use the existing controller. As long as my voltage does. Not exceed the voltage on the control controller. I heard if you mismatch different voltages sometimes you can take away what you already have in solar power . Or do you have any other suggestions how I can add portable panels? any information would be helpful. Thanks Roger.
If the panels are different or going to point in a different direction, you need to add a separate controller. Watch my HQST controller review.
@@HOBOTECH thank you for your reply and information😄
@@HOBOTECH I watch that video and the way it looks if I didn’t use the portable solar panels the other panels would not charge. Could the controllers be hooked up without pairing them? Do the other controllers operate the same like a Victron or renogy . Do they need to be paired? Or could you wire them separately in case I didn’t hook up the portable panels. And would the controllers have to be of the same brand.
Thanks for sharing. I am planning my setup for boondocking. If you wanted to run a smaller AC with what you showed how much more do you think you would need to add?
Good job as usual. Informative on your solar setup. You should do a review on the Bluetti MS320's , they are great portable panels
I am newbie with some background in electronics as an audio sound engineer. Question. I just bought two 300 watt solar panels (both are same ELECAENTA ultralight) which I am going connect together in parellel. The current for each solar is 7.69a and the short circuit is 10.1a. I like to add fuses in this setup. I think I understand you multiple 1.56 x (10.1a value of short-circuit current) = 15.756. Thus I assume I should get a fuse rated at 15a at each panel and just to be safe have 30a at the solar controller charger. I have the Pecron E1500LFP.
I have 3 BougeRV solar panels. 180 w, 200 w and 120 w. I put them in series to increase the voltage. Should I be getting 500 watts? Or will the watts stay around 175? Any help I would appreciate.
Has anyone tried removing as much of the metal from as possible on the standard 100w panels etc to see how light they would be while staying rigid for just laying on the ground etc
They're glued together. Just buy a BougeRV CIGS.
Yea I'm probably going to upgrade my main Ecoflow delta 2 to the Delta 2 max and keep the delta 2 for backup... i as well have 200ah of lithium phosphate battery and it's just enough for like 2 days of low solar input for me.. but since I don't have a generator and I'm limited to 400w of solar i also have a 50A renogy dc to dc charger that uses my van's engine to charge my whole setup if needed and is much quieter than a generator.. i never run my van for more than an hr if needed to charge my batteries
I think the battery manufacturers need to start building their batteries in a power wall configuration to fit both in internal and external wall spaces.
We could then fit more power into our campers and if mounted externally they would give you another layer of fire safety between us and our living space.
Hey brother, it’s Joe in Phoenix. Glad to see you’re out doing some vacationing. What in the world is wrong with Jackery? Why are they so behind the times? Thanks for the video. I did wonder how you guys manage to do this kind of stuff. I’d like to come out and spend a few days in Quartzsite or someplace like this.
Perhaps next year take the delta pro with the smart generator. Would only run when needed and it's automatic.
you mentioned you had a lot of cloudy days. What do you do if you have 5 days of clouds i a row ? BTW i like Bestek a lot i use a Bestek 1000 Pure sign Wave inverter all the time for my DIY tiny system. BTW Bestek make a bigger inverter on i think its 2000 Watt pure sign wave .It would be cool if the company reaches out and has you review this kind of new product.
I run a generator if there isn't enough solar. I plan to do an updated video on their products this spring.
@@HOBOTECH thanks
Good to hear I’m not the only one with multiple systems. I’m full-time in a fifth wheel 80 percent off grid.and use 4 100 amp hour lithium batteries for my house batteries with a 3000 watt inverter. I have an bluetti AC 500 as a back up. I have the original AC 200 that I use for my Starlink. I also have 2/ 2200i Honda generators. I have 8 Renogy biracial 115watt panels for house and I use 2 Ecoflow 220w biracial to charge the AC200. Oh and I forgot I also have two smaller solar generators that I use for miscellaneous items.
You mentioned a Renogy 400 watt panel in another video. Which one do you have? Do you have a video on that? Searched but didn’t find one.
Are your cigs in series? If so does shade on one affect the output of the other two?
Great Qs!
Yes all in series. Shading has no effect. Watch my review in the description.
Great video! Thank You!
I have three 200 watt Bluetti foldable panels that died! Why? Are they repairable?
I returned to the jackery and bought the blue ettie. AC 200 max on your recommendation...... And then for the generator issue about a second brick. So I have roughly 900 watts charging on generator. What's your opinion on this set up Versus the blue Eddie, you're referring to in this video.
Prof, please my Bluetti AC200P 2000 wh/2000W stops working but the power button still switches on and shows blue light. However, the display screen doesn’t work any more. How can I make it work? I will appreciate your suggestions.
Thank you.
Contact Bluetti support.