I really wanted to find holes in your video because obviously I think I know better being in electrical engineering but you’ve come up with really practical advice. Nice one.
With the exception of the Sun revolving around the Earth statement, but…the solar blanket is an exceptional idea for maintaining the maximum efficiency of capturing the Sun’s rays.
Hi Keelan, I'm a 66 years old electrician and I've made several You Tube videos on the current draw from portable fridges and solar blanket inputs. I've explained why I changed my batteries from AGM to lithium and why appliances draw more current as the voltage drops, but you do a much better presentation than I do. Keep up the good advice because you're doing a great job.
Great to see, awesome reliable information, and finally someone who explains the ins and outs of the electrical setup. I've lost count of the number of times I've explained the same info to people who then choose to ignore it, more fool them. Keep up the great work.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on buying the simpler all-in-one portable systems like Jackery for ultra simple builds; e.g. I’m going to building a really simple teardrop for me and my wife for weekend trips, and I really only need something to keep a portable fridge and my max fan running over a weekend. (I’ll have propane for grilling, and small backup lithium batteries for our handheld devices, as well as tap lights for the interior of the teardrop.)
AGM is lead acid with glass reinforcement in the active media. In every other respect it’s the same old same. Extremely heavy and you only get about 50% of the charge as usable power. Lithium let’s you use 95% or more.
You might want to consider that if you're going on an extended weekend, solar is not as important compared to those who are living in their rigs. If you can charge a big battery system at home and live off that for a 4 day trip, you're golden. That being said, I'm very happy to see you promoting ground deploy systems. I agree 100% that's the way to go.
You touched on it a bit in the How Much Solar section. This was my biggest gripe and I feel incredibly ripped off not only by the panels but by other van lifers. So many people that are living in vans, all say the exact same thing. "I have 600 watts of solar. I have 400 Watts of Solar. I have 1kw of solar. That's enough to run my laptop for 30 hours straight!!!" But like how you said, THAT'S NEVER WHAT YOU'RE GETTING and I hate them so much for that. I built my system thinking that at noon, in summer, I'll be maxing out my panels. Nope. I have 1100 Watts and I've only ever seen 700W Max. That's 63%. That's embarrassing. If you sold me a car saying, it gets 30mpg but it only ends up getting 18mpg, I'm suing you into the ground. But that's how panels are rated. The Wattage is the Absolute MOST that panel will ever get under PERFECT conditions, which you will never see. I don't know how that's not fraud. It's winter up in the Northern Hemisphere still so I need to keep running my generator until I can build a new system that can tilt up towards the sun.
Take a look at the tall tale being told by neontravel202. He's claiming with 500w, by 1pm he has 4000wh. That's impossible. Perfect conversion would take 8hrs and that means those 500w panels would have had direct sunlight from 5am to 1pm: lying or clueless.
I spent the last 4 years traveling with my Dad in his RV. We used a 500w homemade portable solar array. (Five 100w flat panels in series). on good days charged full from 60% by 1pm. 4000Wh battery I learned to cook the big meal for the day while we had good solar coming in. we could last 3 days of rainy weather before needing to use the generator to charge back up. We learned that charging to 80 - 90 percent was better. the last bit getting to 100% took too long & was not needed. Thank you for this video.
This is impossible. You have 500w of solar and they are never 100%. But let's say they were, to get 4000wh from perfect 500w would take 8 hrs. But the sun would have had to be directly over the panels. At 1pm to get 8hrs, the sun would have had to been overhead at 5am. The sun would not be directly over your panels at 5am. Besides that the panels you have are typically only 60% - 70% even under the best of circumstances.
Thanks! Watched Keelans & Sarah's video on battery and the importance of CHARGING and how to go about it correctly. Absolutely spot-on advice and totally agree you need twice the solar wattage to battery amps. For every 120amp battery system requires a 200-240w solar system with a good MPPT regulator to operate well. You both give strong advice keep up the good work travel safe. Brian 👍
@@SarahandKeelanTravels You have people talking about 120amp battery ?????Really use the correct terminology, 120 amp Hr . and what about the max discharge current limitation of lithium batteries, Most seem to be up to 100 amps????
@@malcolmwaugh8678 Most of the LiFePO4 batteries on the market now are 1C discharge rate. meaning that a 100AH battery can discharge 100A continuously. My 200AH battery can discharge 200A continuously. If you parallel the batteries, increasing the AH total, you also increase the discharge for the pack. SO, 3X 200AH batteries could discharge 600A continuously. Then there are the peak ratings that offer 2-3X the discharge rate for short bursts.
A few thoughts: - More battery is good if you want to go more bad weather days or over winter. Spending money on more solar instead will only help if you live in a really sunny place like Aussie. You can always plug in to charge your big battery (overnight for example) so more battery will help. - My general rule is put as much solar on your roof as you can fit. As you say that is the cheapest... - Lithiums can be charged fast, but a smaller slower charger is better for them. They'll last for more cycles if you charge slower. So yeah no problem having a slower charger.
Yeh, this guy is purely speaking for what is good for him and it’s obvious. I wouldn’t trust what he says when he’s using words incorrectly lol 2 minutes in and he’s saying ‘reinterate that’ not even a word.
Up here in the northern bits of North America for half the year, I need 920Ah (11.77kWh) of battery to last me a long weekend trip with all the stuff I get up to (which, granted, is a lot) since it's just completely infeasible to recharge via solar, especially in snow/rain/storms.
@@AiChatbot443 Absolutely delighted to hear that mate. We have lived sustainably for decades on Fraser Island and it pisses me off that smart arse show pony misinforms people trying to learn something so he can subsidise his yuppie lifestyle as a narcissistic, hypocritical salesperson for tyre deflators. Have a nice day.
If your travelling it Manu’s sense to have more battery bc you get the alternator amps to tie you over longer when stored in the shade mentioned at all camp sites. 🤷♂️
You've nailed it I have 1450w of solar with 400 amps of batteries. you need to be able to cover your daytime use while collecting enough for night time.
One extra thing I would like to comment on is the daylight calc for solar power. We used to spend 3 months sitting on the north coast fishing. The van never moved in all that time and I decided to find out just how much solar we were getting under clear blues skies during different months. I measured solar input over a full day each time and it was quickly obvious that daylight is not the same in the early morning and the evening as it is during the middle hours of the day. The first two hours of daylight and the last two are almost useless for gathering solar and we eventually came to the conclusion that there were only 6 hours of peak solar during winter and 8 during summer. The difference in the position of the sun during different months was also a significant factor in the amount of solar energy it was possible to gather. Although the van was in exactly the same position for all the measurements I took and the days were clear and cloudless, there was less solar being gathered in June than in July and less in July than in August, That all came down to the position of the sun in the sky during diffrent months as all the other factors were as close to being the same as possible.
You've gathered research in the very area of interest I have. In addition the quality of the rays depending on where you are in the world and the weather patterns.
Errr, when I said the van didn't move at all I sort of meant from its position on the Earth - not quite sure if that was what you were referring to though :) @@suitinaute
@@WesternAustraliaNowAndThen Sorry mate. Was replying on my phone and thought I was replying directly to SKT Travels. :) (As the sun is revolving around the earth 😂 8:35 I think we dumped that theory quite a while ago.)
Were the panels flat .. (I'm not a flat earther 😻 .. been reading the other comments in this thread).. I'm in the UK.. Like Australia (but more rain & less lethal wildlife) for Sun in the sky time. Angling to the Sun's tangent at midday can X5~ the output.. also cleaning the panels helps.. (do this when they are cool, water evaporates quick when hot.. also damage can happen.. in various ways! Turning or tracking the Sun does increase output but not drastically unless you're near the equator. The speed of the Sunset on the equator is really quick compared to the UK. There are specific MPPT controllers that are better but can be very expensive and not worth it.. better to buy another battery.. in my case I bought a decent electronic battery charger, main thing is the input voltage can be 195v to 280v .. and it does 7 stage charging.. I use lead acid.. almost ready to go lithium (not cheap one) and lead acid.. just got to save up.
Only a few points to add: - More storage (if in budget) means you'll be fine if you have a few days that are overcast or if you don't have the ability to otherwise charge (i.e. camped for three days in the shade or if a storm comes along) - Modern lithium batteries like all lithium batteries have more life (cycles) if you keep them between 38% and 92% charge. By buying batteries with twice the capacity you need (so if you wanted to use 50Ah you'd buy a 100Ah battery) you're able to set the max charge % and minimum charge % to ensure that you get the most life out of the batteries. - Modern lithium batteries prefer to be slowly charged. Fast-charging dramatically shortens their life (cycles) the same as running them to charge %'s outside the 38% - 92% range.
When my area was hit with the remnants of Hillary, one of the people that I helped with their solar system was running out of power in the middle of the night, the cloud cover was just too much to get a decent charge on the batteries. Plus, he has flooded lead acid, golf cart style batteries.
@@shmayazuggot8558 not sure about the actual numbers, but it is advised to not fully charge or discharge them. From what I heard, the last 10% is what degrades them most. LiFePO4 batteries do have a different number of charge cycles depending on the depth of discharge.
@@shmayazuggot8558 Because outside the percentages I mentioned, the cell degredation accelerates and thus greatly shortens the life of the battery. For lead acid batteries its the voltage drop in the battery that you have to be careful of, not the percentage. For example a 12V lead acid battery who's voltage drops below ~11.6V will struggle to charge again.
Bloody hell, brilliant. Learnt more in the last 20 mins than i have talking with so called retail experts for the last 2 years. Wish i had seen this 12 months ago because i have been chasing my tail trying to sort my power issues in my bus. Well done ol' mate. Cheers. Glen and Di.
Good video. Most people have no idea of how to how to manage a 12v system. The more money you spend the better the system, how much should you spend, spend as much as you can afford to spend. I purchased my camper van with a system already installed, maybe not the best system but I make it work. In normal circumstances my truck alternator and solar will keep my battery charged. About 4 pm every day I check my battery storage level, if it is too low to last overnight I run my honda 2kw generator for 60 to 90 minutes, I normally charge to above 90% battery storage level, this system works well. Personally I think its important to know the health of your battery, I have a very good battery monitor which gives me a lot of information on battery charge and discharge. yes manage the system well and you will have less problems.
Thanks for the info, the way you explain it makes heaps more sense & easy to understand. Thank you also for the savings codes, we have purchased numerous big ticket (for us) items in the past year, on sale & with the extra discount it has helped us get what we wanted sooner. We don’t care about flash or fancy, just want safe & reliable. Really enjoy watching your channel with the info you share & especially your mad fishing; glad we aren’t the only crazy people who get excited pulling in fish or even better mudcrabs etc & we are close to twice your age haha Hope you are well over your cv cooties & take things easier for a bit, it can take more out of you than you realise sometimes. Take care you two
Shot bro. Mean info. Auto elect 20 plus yrs. Just enjoying instals and fitting these type of systems the last few years living In auz.. I love showing people how in efficient there setups may be just because they saw some stuff or told some things by someone. I Love installing systems my friends will never have issues with.
there are at least 3 other common ways to charge batteries. Generator, Alternator, Grid. These and some others are reasons some people might want to have more batteries than match upto the panels. Also you can draw more while stressing the batteries less. Generally this extends the discharge time and extends longevity. Having the fold out, roll out or by carrying extra panels are good options. Whats most effective is angling a panel into the sun on an extension cable. This way you can be parked in a spot that comes into the shade, or preferably in the shade all day but run your panels on a cable out into a sunny spot, walking over to them from time to time to realign the panel. Mono and poly panels on a flat roof are less than ideal unless close to the equator. Alignment by hand into the sun all throughout the day is in my opinion the best setup when camping out for a period in one spot.
It's great to see others who actually understand this. As you've stated the 2 problems people make are not having enough battery power to run through the night or a battery so big they can never get it charged. I recommend having more battery power and using portable panels as you have or even having a generator for days when it's overcast or rainy.
@@Thejonthomas I would match the generator to the battery bank. Get one that can charge your battery/batteries from 20% to 90% charge in 2-3 hours. I have a 6700w battery bank and a 3000w generator. Hope this helps.
Best vid I've seen on battery systems!! Real world scenarios makes it so much easier to understand. Been tossing up if we go a 600ah system and this pretty well decided it for me. Can't survive without that coffee machine 😜 and damn those Indian curry eating birds 😂 Great vid! Thank you.
thanks mate!! glad you enjoyed it!! I reckon you'll never ever regret getting the 600 ah, just make sure you have the solar ratio too!! 2:1 if not better and you'll have no issues at all!! hahah you don't want the pelicans eating curry mate
We do love your adventures and videos. Your advice is good and as an electrician I do know a bit about power, solar and batteries. I installed a 2nd 100 AH Optima AGM battery in our 4Runner with a Redarc 1225 controller 3 years ago. With 200 watts of solar it worked fairly well powering our ICECO fridge and lighting. Of course it won't compete with a Lithium battery (I may swap in a 100AH lithium, my charger can do lithium) We have a travel trailer now and I just upgraded the 90AH lead acid battery with a LiTime 300AH lithium battery a Victron MPPT 100/50 charge controller and a 3000watt Xantrex converter/charger. It is winter here so I did test everything by connecting the 200 watt panels we currently have. Will be putting the trailer in storage until spring. I was planning on 600watts of solar, but will definitely add a 2-400watt flexible separate panel. We don't use nearly as much power as you do, but I would rather have too much than not enough. Like any power system it needs to be balanced. Can't wait to try everything out in the spring...
My only disagrement with the add more PV is I am almost always camping in the woods. I use a generator to charge and having larger battery bank allows for longer times between charges.
You're that annoying person that runs a generator all day. 😂 That's why I try and camp where no one is. Last thing I want to hear is some dude's generator. 😂
So i glad i found & subscribed to this dude! currently 4640w solar on my 32' converted shuttle bus, 1860w of that is the awning, when parked runs an ac/dc mini split. just 600Ah of storage, proves longer to save $ for.
I’m an electronics tech by trade and I could talk 12v till the cows come home. Thanks mate great practical advice. Good old ohms law, love it. One exception worth noting when it comes to adding batteries rather than solar is for those who are doing weekend away and just need enough to last a few days and can charge on the trip home or plug in at home. Keep the videos and advice coming. I’m a big fan.
hey mark thanks for watching! for sure mate! We try make these videos as general as we can to try cover peoples best interests (weekenders, weekers, monthers, fulltimers) it's a hard balance trying to cater for all bases! cheers for the comment mate and watching the video!!
great vid, i do enjoy the electrical vids and did buy an itech system after watching your channel. please tell me have you ever had anything to do with wind turbine power generation for long term off grid ? pos and neg?
@@SarahandKeelanTravels um lol I actually did,, last year around the black friday sales I added your discount code as well and got a complete twin battery, dcdc,inverter,ac,etc kit for $2772.10,, so very much a massive win,( current price $3119.00),big thanks. It is for a camper Im building but did a test run at easter with a temp fit to our prado,, love the kit,, great gear. great buy. Great advice,,,Thanks
Just found your channel. I’ve seen so many solar videos and I’m thinking this is the best one by far. You’re not only a professional but you live in reality, and have years of real life experience in the trenches per say. I’m a solar amateur but I concluded myself that the most bang for the buck is solar panels, and also concluded I need some portable panels, as much as practicable. On my Jayco camper, I can add 2 panels with the current charge controller and factory wire. So my plan is to add 2 panels on the roof, the get the portable with built in charge controller to hook to the battery to add capacity without changing the internal wire in the camper. I will be referring back to this video, and go through others you have. No doubt the most accurate/informative solar video I’ve seen since I started looking into it, years ago.
Really good video! And I say this as a solar and renewable energies instructor. One thing you maybe sorta missed on was with MPPT you can step your voltages up (putting the panels in series instead of all in parallel) which lets you use smaller wiring to carry the same number of watts. The MPPT unit then steps it down to charge the batteries at the voltage they need. Also, Amazon is horrifically bad about peddling PWM as MPPT... which is just shameful. ANYONE getting into this needs to get some professional training or advice, and I commend you for pointing that out at the outset! Lastly, with your LiPos - I wouldn't hesitate to sleep on your bed... if I had lead acids, though... yeah, not so much... And I say this using lead acid for my little 200AH (and 400w of solar!) set up, and well aware of all the ups and downs. I live in an area where we can drop to -25C or 0F - LiPo doesn't like any charge below freezing, where lead acid is ok... it always about tradeoffs!
Just as long as your series wiring for panels doesn't take your voltage from extral low up to low voltage. (In Australia 120v dc ripple free) You then need a qualified electrician
@@robinkelly1770 Very true. Also, something a lot of people may not realize - in the USA all motorhomes, campers, trailers and the like fall under the NEC for wiring. Lots of details to worry on. Cheers!
awesome video--Just survived a Hurricane here in GA, US. Power down for a week and made it with a 600 solar generator and 100 Panel. Afterward added 1 K gen so I could electric cook next time. and 200 watt panel. Was going to get a 1O0 Ah battery but saw this video and decided to repair an old 160 watt panel. Got to get the power in first. Thanks for the very good advice.
Great to hear and see a common sense video on off grid set ups. A great presentation and hopefully more traveller's will think twice about what they need to survive the jungle of solar setups. Well done
Just caught you two first time today. What a genuine young couple of Aussies you are. You are both so honest and humble. Well done Sarah and Keelan and best of wishes for the future of the channel
Good video. If I would suggest something, it’s moving away from amp-hours to watt-hours. It doesn’t make sense at first, but when you think about it, overall its easier to calculate and understand loads, storage and charge sources. Just multiply your battery amp-hours by the voltage and bang you’ve got a unit that is easy to apply everywhere, including across an inverter into high voltage. This also allows easier computation with 24 and 48 volt batteries, which is what I recommend over 12v.
This vid has made my day I'm just about to build an offgrid cabin thank you thank you thank you so much good info in this one package 👊 and a fellow Aussie
That was very informative and you explained it well for gumbies like myself. Keep up the good work guys. I look forward to your videos when they come out.
Great video! I learned a lot! Regarding solar panels vs battery storage…I’m in North America, USA - Michigan, solar angle not too good, cloudy days, shade from tall trees…often we don’t get enough sun in summer to charge the battery bank. Spring Fall and winter are hopeless. Alternator charging and a good old generator are essential for me.
Omg, what a great video! I learnt 99% of how I should set up my system in this 30mins. I watched hundreds of other videos about solar but none of them are as clear as your presentation. You’re godsend! Well done! I am Melbourne based as well but the way😂
Nailed it, good to hear some common sense advice! When we left some time ago i put in 400ah of lithium and 1.6kw solar.. Been so many occasions when we have had a run of overcast days where others with much bigger battery systems have struggled to keep up charge, yet we were back to 100%. Solar is absolutely the heart! Safe travels. 🍻🍻🍻
Thanks legend, love your system! I have actually seen a video you have done showing your solar setup, it’s perfect! Fill the roof is the best advice haha cheers for watching
Hi guys. I'm brand new to your channel today and I've just watched a few videos - subscribed and liked! I'm hooked. Thanks soo much for this video, my understanding just went through the roof and I really had no idea before this in real terms!! :)
Good vid mate. Probably worth mentioning that you should design a system that can handle at least 5-7 days of bad weather. That's when you need a lot of battery power. Have 2-3 times what you need at least is safe for offgrid. But if you're happy to go without teh airfryer and the coffee machine in those cases fair enough, we weren't. Tasmania will test the best off grid systems with low sun angles and bad weather. You can get some awesome 48V systems from Safiery that they couple with the Scotty chargers and pull up to 3kw out of an alternator on the car and dump it directly into the batteries. That sort of stuff allowed us to camp off grid for weeks on end, in complete shade, still using the aircon etc. So if you want to have the cake and eat it too, it's possible, you just need something quieter and more powerful than a generator. 👍
If your goal is also to travel light, that means adjusting to lighter use sometimes. I'd consider using the sun through a magnifier or bouncing off reflectors to heat a stone to heat water for example. Or light a fire if there's no ban. Do what people did before electricity, bring a hot stone indoors to keep warm through a cold night. Use in place of the stone whatever you expect to be a good heat battery.
@@uncrunch398 I prefer the have the cake and eat it too scenario, life’s too short to use the sun to heat stones - no matter how many views that odd endeavour might get you. 😂
2:27...How his system works 3:01...First Misconception = Batteries are the Heart of the 12Volt System Vs SOLAR System 4:58.. Misconception #2 = Solar means nothing , without *Solar REGULATOR* . 6:35...Solar Business Industry issues (Solar Blanket vs Fixed Solar Panel ) 10:47...Amp Charger issue 11:46... Can't Charge Lithium Batteries/ Lead acid... off an AGM charging profile. 16:15...Design & run your own system / Calculate your Power Base line you will use in a Day . 19:27...Okay...I'm lost....this is where I just plug in the appliance..if it don't work...I go to an electrician , and dump the cash , to get the Power, amps, watts, Gauge diameter Cables, higher Invertor, fuses, monitoring equipment whatever, to get the damn appliance working. The end.
Clearest explanation I’ve heard. Thanks. However, I’ve heard so much bullshit from so many con artists that I decided some time ago to sticking with my esky & portable lights if there’s no mains electricity available. Otherwise I have an ac fridge & lights. This has weight advantages over heavy & expensive 12 volt systems. I guess if you’re living in a caravan for months on end it’s handy but I’m sticking to my 1997 80 series Land Cruiser and 2000 Millard caravan. I haven’t needed bells & whistles so far so why change. You’re a young bloke & you know what you’re doing so good luck to you & keep churning out the good oil.
Great vid! And you are spot on 👍 I was going to replace the solar that came with my van but have decided an extra solar blanket is a smarter choice, thanks for the 5% off
OMG! Thank you so much! I never thought I would be able to wrap my head around the way a solar system works. Something about the way you explained this has helped me so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Hi Keelan…I’ve heard this before but have not much idea of how it all works! Jim watched the whole episode with me and agreed with your presentation as that’s how our van is set up. We’ve been around Australia using this system so we can vouch for it working. You do a great job…keep up the good work and thanks for your generosity, luv ya ❤️
One additional thought there. The battery is what allows your system to work. If you dont have the battery connected, you can burn your regulator up. The Regulator usually sets voltage to the connected battery. This is why you must connect the battery first to the regulator and disconnect from the regulator last. Why is this so important? if there is no voltage on the regulator, when the regulator "wakes up" with solar power only, it sees that battery voltage is low and ramps up the charging rate attempting to charge the low voltage "battery" and will effectively burn the regulator out. there has to be some kind of voltage reference to the regulator or you will have serious problems. Batteries are more complicated. Your system is custom, no two systems are the same. As stated before, the battery is reference to the Regulator for voltage. NOW with the battery stabilizing the system, you can run in the day on the panels, say Air Con, Microwave, washer dryer, your big loads can be supplied through the regulator, but only if connected to a battery for stabilization. At night, the load normally is much less and you can equip the battery storage that you need to get through the night. Now if you are running heat from your system, you battery bank will become larger to cover that need. Seems systems using the mini split seem to work pretty well but you need the solar panels and the batteries to back it up. HAhahaa a fat pidgeon lays a wet one on the panel, yea, that can cut solar production So voltage wise. IF your system is small, that is you do not have a lot of load going through your inverter, the DC load is sort of low so your dc cables won't get hot. On the other hand, if you have a lot of load, you may need to upgrade your DC cables and equipment to 24 volt which will cut the DC load in half and help keep the cables from getting hot. Some systems are 36 volt or 48 volt. It all depends on the systems involved and the loading. Running equipment off of battery voltage, lets say 12v, is much less expensive load wise than running through the inverter. Remember there is no free ride. upping the voltage from 12 v to 120v ac will jump you amps up a lot, which is why you should be concerned about your cable sizes feeding the inverter.
The ratios will vary depending on what part of the world your system is located in and what kinds of conditions you have. For me I get two to three good hours of sunlight being in the middle of the Woods so I have 21 KW of solar panels which manages to keep my 42 KW hour battery bank at full charge under most conditions like hazy sunshine bright overcast and of course fully sunny days.
Bro!!!! Great video!! I just found your channel and subscribed. All your topics were on point!! Thanks for clarifiying all the myths and teaching from your experience! Ill share your channel on my channel. Keep it up.
Excellent presentation. I’m a retired sparky and agree with your logic. I’ve also been running Itechworld lithium under bonnet and in the van for several years. I also have a lithium starter battery under the bonnet of the Cruiser. Still having arguments with people who assure me that the batteries will catch fire and kill us. Still waiting 😅
On the fire topic… it’s another misconception right? Lithium batteries don’t cause/start anymore fires than other batteries. But if something else causes a fire and the lithium catches it’s bad, real bad, no way to put out. Like I wouldn’t put a winch isolator close to a lithium battery.
Likewise, running Itech winch/starter lithium under bonnet in Troll & Itech auxiliary batteries in rear storage system and Itech lithium in van. Obviously mine is yet to detonate still also. What is ignored by the conspirators, I'm yet to see a lithium battery to explode, however I have witnessed a lead acid explode in my garage, showering all within the garage with acid, 2 people straight into a cold shower, 2 cars immediately subjected to detailed wash, many tools washed and lubed, acid crystals still formed in nokes & crannies for years after the event. I'll notify you when a lithium copies it, should I survive, 😂.
Keelan i’m a 53-year-old electrician in the US….. been doing van life for about eight months now I’m in the process of building my van while living inside of it and you’re right solar panels are key👍😎 you explain stuff really well maybe it’s because we speak the same language😁….. I just subscribed. I’m gonna check out some more of your videos.👍😎
To quote Keelan “as the sun revolves around the earth…” 😂😂😂 they did teach me about that in school, but you re right not the 12v stuff! Seriously, a very helpful video. Enjoy watching your videos each week with my 5 year old son, he gets a massive stoke from watching and just wants to go camping all the time - love it!!! THANKYOU ❤❤❤
that one was a mouth typo, we don't do retakes normally so I was like stuff it, its going up hahah cheers for watching!! what a little legend! thanks for the support
this starts good , 600 lithium and 1050 solar . i ve been living in a van with 200 agm and 450 solar :) ( so 100 usable ) . switching to 200 lithium just because i need replacement on old battery and lithium price is the same as agm . i live offgrid for 2,5 years now in europe. been cooking on butain gas , cost me 90 euro a year . i also charge while driving . on vanlife you drive a bit and during the day im outside doing stuff , you dont need a full time job when you live in a van . so during the day , to keep basics running / fridge . at night : laptop , in summer ventilator. i feel like the biggest thing living offgrid or vanlife is : its not a house. dont pretend you have unlimmited connection. i feel like all these ppl who tell you you are wrong , live in a house. not offgrid. so your video is correct for offgrid vehicles . its 100% depending on needs. and the new tech is awsome. get a good solar scharger , good pannel , good batterys. for living 100% . for 2 day weekend trips , you dont need anything much if you like what you do during the day , you only need a safe space to sleep , a 30 bucks cooker and a laptop.
Awesome vid Keelan, we've just started our indefinite lap and totally agree with everything you've said. We ended up with 400ah, (probably should have gone 600), but my big thing was having enough solar. 800w on the roof and 2 300w itechworld blankets. I run on the assumption of 5 hours of useable sun, (I think 6 hours was being generous :) .. The blankets are the thing for me that really keeps the system humming along nicely. Being able to reposition is excellent. And multiple chargers is a must. I have a 30amp BMS and a 40amp DCDC charger to take care of it all, (Redarc gear on that front, batteries, blankets and inverter are all itechworld) Love your presentation style, humour and knowledge mate.
how exciting mate how good is road life!! we would struggle to go back to a house haha I tried to be pretty accurate with my estimations and calculations to stress to people you don't get optimum conditions all the time! thanks for the comment mate!!
Loving your honest and straight forward explanations on this subject. Hopefully people will come across your video before they start their 12 volt systems as this is probably the best explained one i have seen so far. Thanks
Hi there, I’m in the process of setting up my 12 volt system, Renogy 3000w inverter, victron 30amp charger, victron 30 amp solar mppt, 4x 300 solar panels, victron lynx distributor, redarc 50amp BCDC and the best thing - Power Paul 2x 280ah batteries. Cant wait to see how this works
Hi Keelan. I'll do something not often seen. From one TH-cam travelling channel to another, I appreciate what you have done here!! Thank you for sharing your professional knowledge on 12v systems, lithium batteries and solar panels. We are full time on the road and currently need an upgrade, and this has helped us greatly! Thanks again buddy. Really hope to see you and Sarah in the wilderness sometime. My shout for a coldie 🍻 Love from us @Camp Winnie
Holey moley that is a BIG system compared to what we have used. Great information for people on this video. I am no electrician but I have been living with and building my own solar/wind systems since the 1990s and that 2:1 ratio is very important. This is probably the best video I have ever seen on building a solar system the right way. I was very interested to hear about the changes that allow litium to charge off and AGM systems because that has been the one thing that has stopped us going to lithium batteries. We have 3 different systems on 3 different vehicles and the cost of changing the AGM gear out was just prohibitive. Now we can start planning to make the change next time the batteries need replacing. It is amazing how quickly solar systems are changing. I remember the first panel I bought was huge, it cost $1200 and was only 120w!
Nice presentation, well thought out and simplified for folk beginning to figure this stuff out. Obviously slightly biased by your own experience in a sunny climate, but good nonetheless. I generally tell people to size their battery banks using your method, then add 20-30% for stuff they’ve forgotten and to allow for inverter issues. The batteries should be able to run for a “reasonable time” without needing to be charged. Exactly what constitutes a reasonable time will vary from one person to another and one location to another and can be tricky to work out, but 24 hours is a minimum. Adding charging sources will extend the time you can use the system and most people will have at least one source they can charge from away from base. Car alternator, portable genny, site hookup, solar, or wind. The more different options you have, the greater your chances of not running out of power. But you do need enough storage to cope with total collapse of your charging system for long enough to fix it. So, figure out your minimum battery size, to manage for your own “reasonable time” then figure out how to charge it adequately to avoid ever actually using the full capacity.
Hey guys just want to say I love all your content. Love how you explain everything whether it’s travelling or content like this . Please keep up the amazing work . Thank you both . 🤙🍻
finally the truth. you bloody legend. we now know what to ask for with out being sent down a big black hole. 400amph 800W minimum on the roof more if it'll fit. House panels with heat sink, mitt regulator for simultaneous charging. Thank you very much.
Hi Keelan and the excellent camera person Sarah, Thank you for this informative video. It took me some time to get my head around solar power for my horse float and then I realised that I needed more solar panels because my fridge was using more power than I had charging the batteries. You have also pointed out information that I wondered about with regard to using electrical items during the daylight hours when the batteries are charging. My system currently is 348 Ah AGM batteries, 450 watts portable solar panels with MPPT regulators which is working but I might get another 200 watt panel. I got AGM batteries because I read the lithium batteries didn’t like high temperatures but perhaps that has changed and the lithium batteries were much more expensive. I am a 65 YO female. I laughed at the term you used “as much use as boobs on a bull”. I have done some work on a large dairy farm and momentarily wondered how to fit the milking machine on the bull. Kind regards, Alexandra.
Thanks, Mate. This was very informative and direct. The misses and I are old-school propane ice chest weekends, but we were thinking of moving up to longer trips as we are preparing for retirement, and this no-BS really helped.🤙🤙
Hi Keelan, I’m a Power Engineer and pioneered solar PV for Telstra outback communications systems in the early 1970s. The cost of modules (panels) was $100 per watt then. Now it is $1! Anyway, very good treatment. Better still, what a beautiful neat installation.
I remember those days... Luckily I wasn't buying them. My uncle installed 8 of the 30 watt panels available back in the late 1970s. My first home solar install was around 2001 and the panels themselves were a great deal at $4 U.S. per watt.
You would probably remember solarex in villawood. I worked there in the 90’s it was research and development back in them days. Manufacturing was changing almost daily to make better cells
@proletariat9467 Are you confused about the grid not being available? Or are you confused about the general concept of multi-faceted decisions? Both of those are simple concepts and smart people are not confused by them.
Thank you for this video - first one I have been able to get all the way through without being bamboosaled. Kept me entertained and informed. liked and subscribed.
As an electronics tech, your wearing of rings disturbs me. I’ve not worn a ring in all my working life. I don’t have a wedding ring. I recall 60 years ago when a friend got the metal band of his watch across the positive terminal of a battery and earth in his car. The current flow was enough to severely burn his wrist.
WOW, so much I didn't know! I've got 2 panels being installed, LOL and I thought that would be enough! I don't even know if they're flat or have a heat sink. Thank you for opening my eyes. I've been worried about this ever since I ordered my RV. I have subscribed to both, even though I'm out of the competition!! Quick question though: How did you know what the wattage was for the various appliances you showed us (your air fryer, etc)? Now I need to know more about this "simultaneous charging" business!
Hi Keelan I’m an old electrician as well Great job mate !!! You did a great job explaining the technicalities I’ve done my van using similar ideas and works brilliantly Thanks and good job !
Loving your videos mate. My wife and i are planning a lap and have zero idea on what we are in for but with thanks to you and your informative videos we are the little more wiser
G'day guys I'm an electrician and just im amazed by how well you explained this. You nailed every detail to the tee. Keep up the good work ya mad dogs. Love your work 🤙
Great video and thanks for the information. I just purchased the DCDC itechworld charger and will be upgrading my AGM battery to the 120amp hour lithium battery. I only intend on powering a fridge and a few camping lights.
Hey SK Team! Love your work and this vid is why. You make this complex topic simple enough for us mortals to understand. Entered the comp and would love to install that battery in the back of the cruiser! See you on the lap!
Bloody bang on video!! Just a few small things I would add is, and something to think about, heating from DC is inefficient, when using a 12v system to heat you will be drawing more current from the batteries vs when using a higher battery voltage (eg. 48VDC) you will be drawing less current from the battery(ies) ONLY because you have a higher input voltage ( I do understand that you run a dedicated 12V system for ease of use and integration this is just another point and one which people do not differentiate on leading to further confusion). The only other thing, make sure you differentiate AH from A (this does confuse the hell out of people), Amps, how fast can you put it back in or take it out and AmpHours, how much can you put in or take out before it is full or empty, is usually how I explain it in layman's terms. Then, what I have found not on RV but my house is, in winter because of the cooler temps solar panels tend to work better, this is exactly where your over spec'ing of your MPPT's comes in because in cooler temps your panel actually can hit max MPP and if your solar controller is marginal it can totally damage the solar charge controller again, I have only ever seen this in winter not summer because of the heat exactly as you have described, Would be good to know if this happens with RV solar. Again, bloody bang on video!
@@SarahandKeelanTravels Your version of reality is closer to your rectum than your head. Try putting the latter in the former, instead of subsidising your yuppie lifestyle by vlogging tyre deflators at the expense of people trying to learn something. Have a nice day, show pony.
Howdy from the lush green Willamette Valley of Oregon PNW!🌲💚🌲 First time viewer here who wanted to leave a comment to say THANK YOU and boost your algorithm! Admittedly, I am NOT an electrical engineer by any means, but I am trying to learn as much as I can while I'm in the planning process for a personal conversion build for nomad life. I've wanted to know how to plan for going above and beyond my energy consumption needs and what kind of solar panel system I would require for practical application, not theoretical. This video was invaluable in helping me to realize I actually do "know more" than I'm giving myself credit for and when others tell me "you're going overboard" then that means I'm right on par with where I want to be. 😅 I'd rather plan on "too much" than getting out under daily application and finding out the hard way that it "wasn't enough" because I was following someone else's advice rather than going with what my personal needs are. I look forward to watching more of your videos and I'm sure I'll watch this one a couple more times in order to cement in what you're teaching. I genuinely appreciate that you're sharing your knowledge (based on credentials) and real-world (tested) application. You're a shining gem and I value what you're doing! Thanks again & Blessed Be! ✨️
Thank you soooooooo much for this video!! Planning to start Vanlife in Australia soon (through necessity) and I’m so confused about the electrical setup. Your video is very clear and it’s finally starting to make sense! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
He forgot about the current beeing drawn all day long by the 12v/230v inverter. And the battery loosing power because of the bluetooth working and the bms calculating and so on. And those appliances draw more power than they advertise. So a Rice cooker for instance will say 450w but will draw up to 750w as long as it runs. A coffie machine will say 1550w but will draw 2000w until the water boils. So coffie + Rice and you will fry your 2000w inverter. Think bigger (but bigger also means more daily consumption) Also, depending where you live, there can be 1 or 2 or even 3 days, without sun. Think of 2 or 3 days of fridge, water pump and so on. Whatever you end up buying, just account for that little bit extra.
Just an FYI. If the regulator is closer to the usable input power, it is indeed more efficient. So going bigger on the regulator is not always better. If the system can only make 50 amp max input, get a 60a mppt controller, over an 80a mppt controller. Hope this helps some :)
unless you want to upgrade it later... but yes if it is set in stone with the system size then I agree... also you can use multiple controllers on the same battery bank... just get a system that can work together (Victron does it and it is amazing)
Hey Keelan I’m chiming in from the United States.I’m pretty savy when it comes to this stuff.And you did on of the easiest videos to understand on TH-cam.Very well done sir thank you.I will be liking and subscribing as well.I might have a few questions on the simultaneous charging.Again I just found your channel maybe you already made that video.If so please let me know.I will be staying tuned.God bless
This is great, well done explaining this. Alot of people certainly get this wrong. We have just gone through all this with our build for the Mog. Great episode it's funny to see a serious Keelan, hope your feeling better.
Greta video!!! Agree on everything. Except batteries work great in areas that are not a sunny as Australia! Tons of great information!! Now the key is how much did your system cost???
Hi Keelan, great video and excellent advice for the whole battery to solar ratio. Your excellent advice of a 1:2 ratio of solar to battery is just as applicable to a fixed home system. (Of course lots of other considerations to work into that if you are grid connected but the basic principle of making sure that you maximise your generation to support the storage capacity) Have you also included a water (heat) storage capacity to your system? When you’re at maximum generation and nearing full (~80% charge), divert energy into a hot water storage system. I realise that this would need to be sized for your travel needs; however, by having a store of very hot water slows for the ability to use this when your not generating and this in turn make your stored energy go further. Awesome video and keep up the great work. (Ps wish we had as much useful sun over here in the UK 😊 )
Hey Keelan, one valid point that you didn't cover was the fact that in a 12v system if you want to add extra capacity then you only have to buy one extra battery. However in a 24v system you need to buy 2. Other than that , nice work 👍
Thanks for taking the time to post this. There is one big problem with your set-up. From a health perspective, sleeping on top of devices that give off electromagnetic and radio-frequency radiation can, over extended periods of time, cause serious health issues. So, if possible, relocate your wi-fi router somewhere else and create a faraday cage around your components so that you are not exposed to this radiation while on the bed. You might also want to keep an extra fire extinguisher or two nearby as well, just in case. That, or a bag of marshmallows. :))
Hi, decades of experience with big radio gear. The magnitude of the radiation is negligible, less than walking in sunlight for a few minutes. I'd be more concerned being within 10 metres of a running microwave oven for 2 minutes a day. Or being outside while Jupiter is overhead. Wifi is nearly nothing. For more into, read the ninionising radiation safety standard on ARPANSA. You're ridiculously overstating the hazard and fear mongering.
Great video. You also need to factor in the inverter efficiency, 85% is typical, so for you to get 1000W of AC power on the output of the inverter, the input power that the inverter will be drawing from the batteries will be 1000W/0.85 = 1176W which will be about 98A of current draw from battery.
Thank you so much Sarah and Keelan you just saved us $250 of an already highly discounted i tech system with your skt code, and thanks for some solid advice, love the channel keep the good times rolling guys your awesome
Keelan i think you explained things very well. We live totally off grid so we became aware early about the best system for your needs. Bravo from Victoria Australia
I've camped with panels for a decade. Your video is accurate. Portable is better. Camping having a rig in the shade while panels are in the sun is huge. What you should have stressed if you're aware is why your panels were 22v rather than 14v for a 12v system. It works in weaker sun which means cloudy or even morning and evening because it still hits it 12v charge rate. Which can change the 6h charge window you talked about. I've charged in the rain and mostly cloudy.
Loved the video and how clearly you explain things. I just bought my Ford Transit 350 with dual alternators (250 amp) and dual batteries (70 amp-hr) and planning my build. Typically stay no more than 2 nights in one place. Since driving will charge what ever size house battery bank I install, would the size of the battery storage be more important than maxing out the van roof with solar?
Thanks for the great information, will watch again as many times as I need till it sinks in. Will also look to swapping out the AGM for drop in Lithium but will have to drop into the BMPro non lithium management system supplied in my Urban. Not off grid for more than a few days at a time but thanks I can now calculate what extra I may need to somehow add into the system. Well done, I have watched your videos since the first van.
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I really wanted to find holes in your video because obviously I think I know better being in electrical engineering but you’ve come up with really practical advice. Nice one.
With the exception of the Sun revolving around the Earth statement, but…the solar blanket is an exceptional idea for maintaining the maximum efficiency of capturing the Sun’s rays.
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What about the alternator / regulator shorting when it was under water, I just never thought about it before.
@@kelinrkpnn
@@WSallai yes this! I hope he just misspoke
Hi Keelan, I'm a 66 years old electrician and I've made several You Tube videos on the current draw from portable fridges and solar blanket inputs. I've explained why I changed my batteries from AGM to lithium and why appliances draw more current as the voltage drops, but you do a much better presentation than I do. Keep up the good advice because you're doing a great job.
thanks mate!! that means a lot! im sure your videos are unreal and have helped a lot of people!! cheers for watching mate
@@SarahandKeelanTravels Derek has helped me Kee. He's a good bloke
Great to see, awesome reliable information, and finally someone who explains the ins and outs of the electrical setup. I've lost count of the number of times I've explained the same info to people who then choose to ignore it, more fool them. Keep up the great work.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on buying the simpler all-in-one portable systems like Jackery for ultra simple builds; e.g. I’m going to building a really simple teardrop for me and my wife for weekend trips, and I really only need something to keep a portable fridge and my max fan running over a weekend. (I’ll have propane for grilling, and small backup lithium batteries for our handheld devices, as well as tap lights for the interior of the teardrop.)
AGM is lead acid with glass reinforcement in the active media. In every other respect it’s the same old same. Extremely heavy and you only get about 50% of the charge as usable power. Lithium let’s you use 95% or more.
You might want to consider that if you're going on an extended weekend, solar is not as important compared to those who are living in their rigs. If you can charge a big battery system at home and live off that for a 4 day trip, you're golden. That being said, I'm very happy to see you promoting ground deploy systems. I agree 100% that's the way to go.
Excellent video. Learnt more in 30 mins than I did watching 100 other TH-cam videos on 12V solar systems. Thanks.
You touched on it a bit in the How Much Solar section. This was my biggest gripe and I feel incredibly ripped off not only by the panels but by other van lifers. So many people that are living in vans, all say the exact same thing. "I have 600 watts of solar. I have 400 Watts of Solar. I have 1kw of solar. That's enough to run my laptop for 30 hours straight!!!" But like how you said, THAT'S NEVER WHAT YOU'RE GETTING and I hate them so much for that.
I built my system thinking that at noon, in summer, I'll be maxing out my panels. Nope. I have 1100 Watts and I've only ever seen 700W Max. That's 63%. That's embarrassing. If you sold me a car saying, it gets 30mpg but it only ends up getting 18mpg, I'm suing you into the ground. But that's how panels are rated. The Wattage is the Absolute MOST that panel will ever get under PERFECT conditions, which you will never see. I don't know how that's not fraud. It's winter up in the Northern Hemisphere still so I need to keep running my generator until I can build a new system that can tilt up towards the sun.
Take a look at the tall tale being told by neontravel202. He's claiming with 500w, by 1pm he has 4000wh. That's impossible. Perfect conversion would take 8hrs and that means those 500w panels would have had direct sunlight from 5am to 1pm: lying or clueless.
I spent the last 4 years traveling with my Dad in his RV. We used a 500w homemade portable solar array. (Five 100w flat panels in series). on good days charged full from 60% by 1pm. 4000Wh battery
I learned to cook the big meal for the day while we had good solar coming in. we could last 3 days of rainy weather before needing to use the generator to charge back up. We learned that charging to 80 - 90 percent was better. the last bit getting to 100% took too long & was not needed.
Thank you for this video.
This is impossible. You have 500w of solar and they are never 100%. But let's say they were, to get 4000wh from perfect 500w would take 8 hrs.
But the sun would have had to be directly over the panels. At 1pm to get 8hrs, the sun would have had to been overhead at 5am. The sun would not be directly over your panels at 5am.
Besides that the panels you have are typically only 60% - 70% even under the best of circumstances.
Love the way keelan doesn't talk over sarah..loved up couple..great show..10/10. BigThanks..
Thanks! Watched Keelans & Sarah's video on battery and the importance of CHARGING and how to go about it correctly. Absolutely spot-on advice and totally agree you need twice the solar wattage to battery amps. For every 120amp battery system requires a 200-240w solar system with a good MPPT regulator to operate well. You both give strong advice keep up the good work travel safe. Brian 👍
thanks Brian! appreciate the comment and the super thanks mate! glad you got good info out of the vid!
@@SarahandKeelanTravels You have people talking about 120amp battery ?????Really use the correct terminology, 120 amp Hr . and what about the max discharge current limitation of lithium batteries, Most seem to be up to 100 amps????
@@malcolmwaugh8678 Most of the LiFePO4 batteries on the market now are 1C discharge rate. meaning that a 100AH battery can discharge 100A continuously. My 200AH battery can discharge 200A continuously. If you parallel the batteries, increasing the AH total, you also increase the discharge for the pack. SO, 3X 200AH batteries could discharge 600A continuously. Then there are the peak ratings that offer 2-3X the discharge rate for short bursts.
A few thoughts:
- More battery is good if you want to go more bad weather days or over winter. Spending money on more solar instead will only help if you live in a really sunny place like Aussie. You can always plug in to charge your big battery (overnight for example) so more battery will help.
- My general rule is put as much solar on your roof as you can fit. As you say that is the cheapest...
- Lithiums can be charged fast, but a smaller slower charger is better for them. They'll last for more cycles if you charge slower. So yeah no problem having a slower charger.
Exactly!
Yeh, this guy is purely speaking for what is good for him and it’s obvious. I wouldn’t trust what he says when he’s using words incorrectly lol 2 minutes in and he’s saying ‘reinterate that’ not even a word.
Up here in the northern bits of North America for half the year, I need 920Ah (11.77kWh) of battery to last me a long weekend trip with all the stuff I get up to (which, granted, is a lot) since it's just completely infeasible to recharge via solar, especially in snow/rain/storms.
@@AiChatbot443 Absolutely delighted to hear that mate. We have lived sustainably for decades on Fraser Island and it pisses me off that smart arse show pony misinforms people trying to learn something so he can subsidise his yuppie lifestyle as a narcissistic, hypocritical salesperson for tyre deflators. Have a nice day.
If your travelling it Manu’s sense to have more battery bc you get the alternator amps to tie you over longer when stored in the shade mentioned at all camp sites. 🤷♂️
You've nailed it I have 1450w of solar with 400 amps of batteries. you need to be able to cover your daytime use while collecting enough for night time.
Do you store all of your electricity together or do you have multiple systems?
Do you mean 400Ah of battery storage? Amps is Current.
You are a little light on batteries according to his 2 to 1. You need another 300 to 400Ah assuming you are 12v system.
@@jerrymyahzcatseems pretty obvious that he's got 400ah of batteries. 😂
One extra thing I would like to comment on is the daylight calc for solar power. We used to spend 3 months sitting on the north coast fishing. The van never moved in all that time and I decided to find out just how much solar we were getting under clear blues skies during different months. I measured solar input over a full day each time and it was quickly obvious that daylight is not the same in the early morning and the evening as it is during the middle hours of the day. The first two hours of daylight and the last two are almost useless for gathering solar and we eventually came to the conclusion that there were only 6 hours of peak solar during winter and 8 during summer. The difference in the position of the sun during different months was also a significant factor in the amount of solar energy it was possible to gather. Although the van was in exactly the same position for all the measurements I took and the days were clear and cloudless, there was less solar being gathered in June than in July and less in July than in August, That all came down to the position of the sun in the sky during diffrent months as all the other factors were as close to being the same as possible.
You've gathered research in the very area of interest I have. In addition the quality of the rays depending on where you are in the world and the weather patterns.
Excellent content mate. Loved it. Good bit of humour too.
One thing only. Earth moves around the sun 😂😂😂. Otherwise, 10 out of 10.
Errr, when I said the van didn't move at all I sort of meant from its position on the Earth - not quite sure if that was what you were referring to though :) @@suitinaute
@@WesternAustraliaNowAndThen Sorry mate. Was replying on my phone and thought I was replying directly to SKT Travels. :) (As the sun is revolving around the earth 😂 8:35 I think we dumped that theory quite a while ago.)
Were the panels flat .. (I'm not a flat earther 😻 .. been reading the other comments in this thread)..
I'm in the UK..
Like Australia (but more rain & less lethal wildlife) for Sun in the sky time.
Angling to the Sun's tangent at midday can X5~ the output.. also cleaning the panels helps.. (do this when they are cool, water evaporates quick when hot.. also damage can happen.. in various ways!
Turning or tracking the Sun does increase output but not drastically unless you're near the equator.
The speed of the Sunset on the equator is really quick compared to the UK.
There are specific MPPT controllers that are better but can be very expensive and not worth it.. better to buy another battery.. in my case I bought a decent electronic battery charger, main thing is the input voltage can be 195v to 280v .. and it does 7 stage charging.. I use lead acid.. almost ready to go lithium (not cheap one) and lead acid.. just got to save up.
Only a few points to add:
- More storage (if in budget) means you'll be fine if you have a few days that are overcast or if you don't have the ability to otherwise charge (i.e. camped for three days in the shade or if a storm comes along)
- Modern lithium batteries like all lithium batteries have more life (cycles) if you keep them between 38% and 92% charge. By buying batteries with twice the capacity you need (so if you wanted to use 50Ah you'd buy a 100Ah battery) you're able to set the max charge % and minimum charge % to ensure that you get the most life out of the batteries.
- Modern lithium batteries prefer to be slowly charged. Fast-charging dramatically shortens their life (cycles) the same as running them to charge %'s outside the 38% - 92% range.
When my area was hit with the remnants of Hillary, one of the people that I helped with their solar system was running out of power in the middle of the night, the cloud cover was just too much to get a decent charge on the batteries. Plus, he has flooded lead acid, golf cart style batteries.
Since when does a LifePo4 last longer by keeping charge state above 38%? Lol this is what needs to be considered for Acid batteries.
@@shmayazuggot8558 not sure about the actual numbers, but it is advised to not fully charge or discharge them. From what I heard, the last 10% is what degrades them most. LiFePO4 batteries do have a different number of charge cycles depending on the depth of discharge.
@@shmayazuggot8558 Because outside the percentages I mentioned, the cell degredation accelerates and thus greatly shortens the life of the battery.
For lead acid batteries its the voltage drop in the battery that you have to be careful of, not the percentage. For example a 12V lead acid battery who's voltage drops below ~11.6V will struggle to charge again.
Bloody hell, brilliant. Learnt more in the last 20 mins than i have talking with so called retail experts for the last 2 years. Wish i had seen this 12 months ago because i have been chasing my tail trying to sort my power issues in my bus. Well done ol' mate. Cheers. Glen and Di.
Good video. Most people have no idea of how to how to manage a 12v system. The more money you spend the better the system, how much should you spend, spend as much as you can afford to spend. I purchased my camper van with a system already installed, maybe not the best system but I make it work. In normal circumstances my truck alternator and solar will keep my battery charged. About 4 pm every day I check my battery storage level, if it is too low to last overnight I run my honda 2kw generator for 60 to 90 minutes, I normally charge to above 90% battery storage level, this system works well. Personally I think its important to know the health of your battery, I have a very good battery monitor which gives me a lot of information on battery charge and discharge. yes manage the system well and you will have less problems.
Thanks for the info, the way you explain it makes heaps more sense & easy to understand.
Thank you also for the savings codes, we have purchased numerous big ticket (for us) items in the past year, on sale & with the extra discount it has helped us get what we wanted sooner. We don’t care about flash or fancy, just want safe & reliable.
Really enjoy watching your channel with the info you share & especially your mad fishing; glad we aren’t the only crazy people who get excited pulling in fish or even better mudcrabs etc & we are close to twice your age haha
Hope you are well over your cv cooties & take things easier for a bit, it can take more out of you than you realise sometimes. Take care you two
Shot bro. Mean info. Auto elect 20 plus yrs. Just enjoying instals and fitting these type of systems the last few years living In auz.. I love showing people how in efficient there setups may be just because they saw some stuff or told some things by someone. I
Love installing systems my friends will never have issues with.
I fit alot of itec gear too. Great systems for the price. .
Epic video. thanks Keelan. Appreciate your time and effort putting these together. Entered competition.
all good mate! as long as it helps someone out there im happy as a pig in poo!! cheers for the comment legend
there are at least 3 other common ways to charge batteries. Generator, Alternator, Grid. These and some others are reasons some people might want to have more batteries than match upto the panels. Also you can draw more while stressing the batteries less. Generally this extends the discharge time and extends longevity. Having the fold out, roll out or by carrying extra panels are good options. Whats most effective is angling a panel into the sun on an extension cable. This way you can be parked in a spot that comes into the shade, or preferably in the shade all day but run your panels on a cable out into a sunny spot, walking over to them from time to time to realign the panel. Mono and poly panels on a flat roof are less than ideal unless close to the equator. Alignment by hand into the sun all throughout the day is in my opinion the best setup when camping out for a period in one spot.
It's great to see others who actually understand this. As you've stated the 2 problems people make are not having enough battery power to run through the night or a battery so big they can never get it charged. I recommend having more battery power and using portable panels as you have or even having a generator for days when it's overcast or rainy.
What kind of generator might you recommend for those cloudy days?
@@Thejonthomas I would match the generator to the battery bank. Get one that can charge your battery/batteries from 20% to 90% charge in 2-3 hours. I have a 6700w battery bank and a 3000w generator. Hope this helps.
Hi mate, your channel popped up on my feed. I'm a yachty, not a caravaner. What an outstanding lesson in 12v systems. Thanks.
Subscribed !
glad you found us! welcome to the channel! glad your enjoying our videos! thanks for the support!
Best vid I've seen on battery systems!! Real world scenarios makes it so much easier to understand. Been tossing up if we go a 600ah system and this pretty well decided it for me. Can't survive without that coffee machine 😜 and damn those Indian curry eating birds 😂
Great vid! Thank you.
thanks mate!! glad you enjoyed it!! I reckon you'll never ever regret getting the 600 ah, just make sure you have the solar ratio too!! 2:1 if not better and you'll have no issues at all!! hahah you don't want the pelicans eating curry mate
EXCELLENT VIDEO!!! Real World experience is always better than the books. Hey combination of both is even better. Everybody has their two cents to add
Great episode Keelan & Sarah. Great information about solar & battery systems. Thanks. 😊
cheers for watching Debbie!!
We do love your adventures and videos. Your advice is good and as an electrician I do know a bit about power, solar and batteries. I installed a 2nd 100 AH Optima AGM battery in our 4Runner with a Redarc 1225 controller 3 years ago. With 200 watts of solar it worked fairly well powering our ICECO fridge and lighting. Of course it won't compete with a Lithium battery (I may swap in a 100AH lithium, my charger can do lithium) We have a travel trailer now and I just upgraded the 90AH lead acid battery with a LiTime 300AH lithium battery a Victron MPPT 100/50 charge controller and a 3000watt Xantrex converter/charger. It is winter here so I did test everything by connecting the 200 watt panels we currently have. Will be putting the trailer in storage until spring. I was planning on 600watts of solar, but will definitely add a 2-400watt flexible separate panel. We don't use nearly as much power as you do, but I would rather have too much than not enough. Like any power system it needs to be balanced. Can't wait to try everything out in the spring...
My only disagrement with the add more PV is I am almost always camping in the woods. I use a generator to charge and having larger battery bank allows for longer times between charges.
You're that annoying person that runs a generator all day. 😂
That's why I try and camp where no one is. Last thing I want to hear is some dude's generator. 😂
Thanks!
Thanks legend!!
Exceeding your battery bank size is for the cloudy / overcast days. You could even run petrol motor to charge up your batteries.
So i glad i found & subscribed to this dude! currently 4640w solar on my 32' converted shuttle bus, 1860w of that is the awning, when parked runs an ac/dc mini split. just 600Ah of storage, proves longer to save $ for.
I’m an electronics tech by trade and I could talk 12v till the cows come home. Thanks mate great practical advice. Good old ohms law, love it.
One exception worth noting when it comes to adding batteries rather than solar is for those who are doing weekend away and just need enough to last a few days and can charge on the trip home or plug in at home. Keep the videos and advice coming. I’m a big fan.
hey mark thanks for watching! for sure mate! We try make these videos as general as we can to try cover peoples best interests (weekenders, weekers, monthers, fulltimers) it's a hard balance trying to cater for all bases! cheers for the comment mate and watching the video!!
Yeah, I get you 100% like I said “top job”. It’s always best to get qualified, unbiased advice from a pro such as yourself. Keep it up.
Weekend warriors require storage and charging via vehicle normally big alt. So heart is the battery...
But nice work
Mate u r a natural teacher,I'm a 63 builder n I've never understood 12v.Thank you.U will save so many people
great vid, i do enjoy the electrical vids and did buy an itech system after watching your channel. please tell me have you ever had anything to do with wind turbine power generation for long term off grid ? pos and neg?
Thanks mate!! Hope ya got a good SKT discount!! Save some coin!
No I havnt aye and I will look into it
@@SarahandKeelanTravels um lol I actually did,, last year around the black friday sales I added your discount code as well and got a complete twin battery, dcdc,inverter,ac,etc kit for $2772.10,, so very much a massive win,( current price $3119.00),big thanks. It is for a camper Im building but did a test run at easter with a temp fit to our prado,, love the kit,, great gear. great buy. Great advice,,,Thanks
Just found your channel. I’ve seen so many solar videos and I’m thinking this is the best one by far. You’re not only a professional but you live in reality, and have years of real life experience in the trenches per say. I’m a solar amateur but I concluded myself that the most bang for the buck is solar panels, and also concluded I need some portable panels, as much as practicable. On my Jayco camper, I can add 2 panels with the current charge controller and factory wire. So my plan is to add 2 panels on the roof, the get the portable with built in charge controller to hook to the battery to add capacity without changing the internal wire in the camper. I will be referring back to this video, and go through others you have. No doubt the most accurate/informative solar video I’ve seen since I started looking into it, years ago.
Excellent work mate. You’re a champion. Just getting set to do a lap on a working holiday. Invaluable info cheers. Safe travels
Really good video! And I say this as a solar and renewable energies instructor.
One thing you maybe sorta missed on was with MPPT you can step your voltages up (putting the panels in series instead of all in parallel) which lets you use smaller wiring to carry the same number of watts. The MPPT unit then steps it down to charge the batteries at the voltage they need.
Also, Amazon is horrifically bad about peddling PWM as MPPT... which is just shameful. ANYONE getting into this needs to get some professional training or advice, and I commend you for pointing that out at the outset!
Lastly, with your LiPos - I wouldn't hesitate to sleep on your bed... if I had lead acids, though... yeah, not so much... And I say this using lead acid for my little 200AH (and 400w of solar!) set up, and well aware of all the ups and downs. I live in an area where we can drop to -25C or 0F - LiPo doesn't like any charge below freezing, where lead acid is ok... it always about tradeoffs!
Just as long as your series wiring for panels doesn't take your voltage from extral low up to low voltage. (In Australia 120v dc ripple free) You then need a qualified electrician
@@robinkelly1770 Very true. Also, something a lot of people may not realize - in the USA all motorhomes, campers, trailers and the like fall under the NEC for wiring. Lots of details to worry on. Cheers!
awesome video--Just survived a Hurricane here in GA, US. Power down for a week and made it with a 600 solar generator and 100 Panel. Afterward added 1 K gen so I could electric cook next time. and 200 watt panel. Was going to get a 1O0 Ah battery but saw this video and decided to repair an old 160 watt panel. Got to get the power in first. Thanks for the very good advice.
Great to hear and see a common sense video on off grid set ups. A great presentation and hopefully more traveller's will think twice about what they need to survive the jungle of solar setups. Well done
thanks legend!!
Just caught you two first time today. What a genuine young couple of Aussies you are. You are both so honest and humble. Well done Sarah and Keelan and best of wishes for the future of the channel
Good video. If I would suggest something, it’s moving away from amp-hours to watt-hours. It doesn’t make sense at first, but when you think about it, overall its easier to calculate and understand loads, storage and charge sources. Just multiply your battery amp-hours by the voltage and bang you’ve got a unit that is easy to apply everywhere, including across an inverter into high voltage. This also allows easier computation with 24 and 48 volt batteries, which is what I recommend over 12v.
This vid has made my day I'm just about to build an offgrid cabin thank you thank you thank you so much good info in this one package 👊 and a fellow Aussie
That was very informative and you explained it well for gumbies like myself. Keep up the good work guys. I look forward to your videos when they come out.
thanks mark!! cheers for that support mate! cant do it without ya!
Great video! I learned a lot!
Regarding solar panels vs battery storage…I’m in North America, USA - Michigan, solar angle not too good, cloudy days, shade from tall trees…often we don’t get enough sun in summer to charge the battery bank. Spring Fall and winter are hopeless.
Alternator charging and a good old generator are essential for me.
I am loving the salesperson voices hahaha
Hahah that was a jockey voice mate hahah could win the Melbourne cup with that vocal pitch
Omg, what a great video! I learnt 99% of how I should set up my system in this 30mins. I watched hundreds of other videos about solar but none of them are as clear as your presentation. You’re godsend! Well done! I am Melbourne based as well but the way😂
Nailed it, good to hear some common sense advice! When we left some time ago i put in 400ah of lithium and 1.6kw solar.. Been so many occasions when we have had a run of overcast days where others with much bigger battery systems have struggled to keep up charge, yet we were back to 100%. Solar is absolutely the heart! Safe travels. 🍻🍻🍻
Unfortunately many don’t have the space for the size solar arrays being discussed here. You need lots of real estate for large solar.
Thanks legend, love your system! I have actually seen a video you have done showing your solar setup, it’s perfect! Fill the roof is the best advice haha cheers for watching
Hi guys. I'm brand new to your channel today and I've just watched a few videos - subscribed and liked! I'm hooked. Thanks soo much for this video, my understanding just went through the roof and I really had no idea before this in real terms!! :)
welcome Robert! thanks for watching mate! feel free to have a look at some of our travel videos too! cheers mate
Good vid mate. Probably worth mentioning that you should design a system that can handle at least 5-7 days of bad weather. That's when you need a lot of battery power. Have 2-3 times what you need at least is safe for offgrid. But if you're happy to go without teh airfryer and the coffee machine in those cases fair enough, we weren't. Tasmania will test the best off grid systems with low sun angles and bad weather. You can get some awesome 48V systems from Safiery that they couple with the Scotty chargers and pull up to 3kw out of an alternator on the car and dump it directly into the batteries. That sort of stuff allowed us to camp off grid for weeks on end, in complete shade, still using the aircon etc.
So if you want to have the cake and eat it too, it's possible, you just need something quieter and more powerful than a generator. 👍
If your goal is also to travel light, that means adjusting to lighter use sometimes. I'd consider using the sun through a magnifier or bouncing off reflectors to heat a stone to heat water for example. Or light a fire if there's no ban. Do what people did before electricity, bring a hot stone indoors to keep warm through a cold night. Use in place of the stone whatever you expect to be a good heat battery.
@@uncrunch398 I prefer the have the cake and eat it too scenario, life’s too short to use the sun to heat stones - no matter how many views that odd endeavour might get you. 😂
2:27...How his system works
3:01...First Misconception = Batteries are the Heart of the 12Volt System Vs SOLAR System
4:58.. Misconception #2 = Solar means nothing , without *Solar REGULATOR* .
6:35...Solar Business Industry issues (Solar Blanket vs Fixed Solar Panel )
10:47...Amp Charger issue
11:46... Can't Charge Lithium Batteries/ Lead acid... off an AGM charging profile.
16:15...Design & run your own system / Calculate your Power Base line you will use in a Day .
19:27...Okay...I'm lost....this is where I just plug in the appliance..if it don't work...I go to an electrician , and dump the cash , to get the Power, amps, watts, Gauge diameter Cables, higher Invertor, fuses, monitoring equipment whatever, to get the damn appliance working.
The end.
Mate you broke it down very good a lot to take in but easy to understand
thanks Brendan!! glad you enjoyed it mate!
Clearest explanation I’ve heard. Thanks. However, I’ve heard so much bullshit from so many con artists that I decided some time ago to sticking with my esky & portable lights if there’s no mains electricity available. Otherwise I have an ac fridge & lights. This has weight advantages over heavy & expensive 12 volt systems. I guess if you’re living in a caravan for months on end it’s handy but I’m sticking to my 1997 80 series Land Cruiser and 2000 Millard caravan. I haven’t needed bells & whistles so far so why change. You’re a young bloke & you know what you’re doing so good luck to you & keep churning out the good oil.
Great vid! And you are spot on 👍 I was going to replace the solar that came with my van but have decided an extra solar blanket is a smarter choice, thanks for the 5% off
for sure mate! solar blankets are awesome! enjoy mate and you're welcome!! thanks for watching and supporting
OMG! Thank you so much! I never thought I would be able to wrap my head around the way a solar system works. Something about the way you explained this has helped me so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Have entered my details. Thanks for running this. Fingers crossed
Best of luck Jason!
8:37 As the sun is revolving around the earth - made me smile
Hi Keelan…I’ve heard this before but have not much idea of how it all works! Jim watched the whole episode with me and agreed with your presentation as that’s how our van is set up. We’ve been around Australia using this system so we can vouch for it working. You do a great job…keep up the good work and thanks for your generosity, luv ya ❤️
thanks legend! thanks for being locals on the channel!! we appreciate all your comments and kind words!!
One additional thought there. The battery is what allows your system to work. If you dont have the battery connected, you can burn your regulator up. The Regulator usually sets voltage to the connected battery. This is why you must connect the battery first to the regulator and disconnect from the regulator last.
Why is this so important? if there is no voltage on the regulator, when the regulator "wakes up" with solar power only, it sees that battery voltage is low and ramps up the charging rate attempting to charge the low voltage "battery" and will effectively burn the regulator out.
there has to be some kind of voltage reference to the regulator or you will have serious problems.
Batteries are more complicated. Your system is custom, no two systems are the same.
As stated before, the battery is reference to the Regulator for voltage.
NOW with the battery stabilizing the system, you can run in the day on the panels, say Air Con, Microwave, washer dryer, your big loads can be supplied through the regulator, but only if connected to a battery for stabilization.
At night, the load normally is much less and you can equip the battery storage that you need to get through the night.
Now if you are running heat from your system, you battery bank will become larger to cover that need. Seems systems using the mini split seem to work pretty well but you need the solar panels and the batteries to back it up.
HAhahaa a fat pidgeon lays a wet one on the panel, yea, that can cut solar production
So voltage wise. IF your system is small, that is you do not have a lot of load going through your inverter, the DC load is sort of low so your dc cables won't get hot.
On the other hand, if you have a lot of load, you may need to upgrade your DC cables and equipment to 24 volt which will cut the DC load in half and help keep the cables from getting hot.
Some systems are 36 volt or 48 volt. It all depends on the systems involved and the loading.
Running equipment off of battery voltage, lets say 12v, is much less expensive load wise than running through the inverter. Remember there is no free ride. upping the voltage from 12 v to 120v ac will jump you amps up a lot, which is why you should be concerned about your cable sizes feeding the inverter.
The ratios will vary depending on what part of the world your system is located in and what kinds of conditions you have. For me I get two to three good hours of sunlight being in the middle of the Woods so I have 21 KW of solar panels which manages to keep my 42 KW hour battery bank at full charge under most conditions like hazy sunshine bright overcast and of course fully sunny days.
Bro!!!! Great video!! I just found your channel and subscribed. All your topics were on point!! Thanks for clarifiying all the myths and teaching from your experience! Ill share your channel on my channel. Keep it up.
bloody oath thanks for watching mate!! far out you legend!! Cant wait to see that! cheers for the support mate
Excellent presentation. I’m a retired sparky and agree with your logic. I’ve also been running Itechworld lithium under bonnet and in the van for several years. I also have a lithium starter battery under the bonnet of the Cruiser. Still having arguments with people who assure me that the batteries will catch fire and kill us. Still waiting 😅
Thanks mick!! Good on ya mate, we get told the same things haha you might be waiting a long long time haha 😂 cheers mate
On the fire topic… it’s another misconception right? Lithium batteries don’t cause/start anymore fires than other batteries. But if something else causes a fire and the lithium catches it’s bad, real bad, no way to put out. Like I wouldn’t put a winch isolator close to a lithium battery.
Likewise, running Itech winch/starter lithium under bonnet in Troll & Itech auxiliary batteries in rear storage system and Itech lithium in van.
Obviously mine is yet to detonate still also.
What is ignored by the conspirators, I'm yet to see a lithium battery to explode, however I have witnessed a lead acid explode in my garage, showering all within the garage with acid, 2 people straight into a cold shower, 2 cars immediately subjected to detailed wash, many tools washed and lubed, acid crystals still formed in nokes & crannies for years after the event.
I'll notify you when a lithium copies it, should I survive, 😂.
Keelan i’m a 53-year-old electrician in the US….. been doing van life for about eight months now I’m in the process of building my van while living inside of it and you’re right solar panels are key👍😎 you explain stuff really well maybe it’s because we speak the same language😁….. I just subscribed. I’m gonna check out some more of your videos.👍😎
To quote Keelan “as the sun revolves around the earth…” 😂😂😂 they did teach me about that in school, but you re right not the 12v stuff!
Seriously, a very helpful video. Enjoy watching your videos each week with my 5 year old son, he gets a massive stoke from watching and just wants to go camping all the time - love it!!! THANKYOU ❤❤❤
that one was a mouth typo, we don't do retakes normally so I was like stuff it, its going up hahah cheers for watching!! what a little legend! thanks for the support
Yeah I know… but that’s why you guys are doing so well. Authenticity. We all make mistakes. Nothing wrong with it!
I had a chuckle but knew what you meant.
this starts good , 600 lithium and 1050 solar . i ve been living in a van with 200 agm and 450 solar :) ( so 100 usable ) . switching to 200 lithium just because i need replacement on old battery and lithium price is the same as agm . i live offgrid for 2,5 years now in europe. been cooking on butain gas , cost me 90 euro a year . i also charge while driving . on vanlife you drive a bit and during the day im outside doing stuff , you dont need a full time job when you live in a van . so during the day , to keep basics running / fridge . at night : laptop , in summer ventilator. i feel like the biggest thing living offgrid or vanlife is : its not a house. dont pretend you have unlimmited connection. i feel like all these ppl who tell you you are wrong , live in a house. not offgrid. so your video is correct for offgrid vehicles . its 100% depending on needs. and the new tech is awsome. get a good solar scharger , good pannel , good batterys. for living 100% . for 2 day weekend trips , you dont need anything much if you like what you do during the day , you only need a safe space to sleep , a 30 bucks cooker and a laptop.
Awesome vid Keelan, we've just started our indefinite lap and totally agree with everything you've said. We ended up with 400ah, (probably should have gone 600), but my big thing was having enough solar. 800w on the roof and 2 300w itechworld blankets. I run on the assumption of 5 hours of useable sun, (I think 6 hours was being generous :) .. The blankets are the thing for me that really keeps the system humming along nicely. Being able to reposition is excellent. And multiple chargers is a must. I have a 30amp BMS and a 40amp DCDC charger to take care of it all, (Redarc gear on that front, batteries, blankets and inverter are all itechworld)
Love your presentation style, humour and knowledge mate.
how exciting mate how good is road life!! we would struggle to go back to a house haha I tried to be pretty accurate with my estimations and calculations to stress to people you don't get optimum conditions all the time! thanks for the comment mate!!
As a fellow electrician... 100% Agree!!! Love this video :)
Loving your honest and straight forward explanations on this subject. Hopefully people will come across your video before they start their 12 volt systems as this is probably the best explained one i have seen so far. Thanks
thanks mate!! fingers crossed we can help as many as possible
Hi there, I’m in the process of setting up my 12 volt system, Renogy 3000w inverter, victron 30amp charger, victron 30 amp solar mppt, 4x 300 solar panels, victron lynx distributor, redarc 50amp BCDC and the best thing - Power Paul 2x 280ah batteries. Cant wait to see how this works
Hi Keelan. I'll do something not often seen. From one TH-cam travelling channel to another, I appreciate what you have done here!! Thank you for sharing your professional knowledge on 12v systems, lithium batteries and solar panels. We are full time on the road and currently need an upgrade, and this has helped us greatly!
Thanks again buddy. Really hope to see you and Sarah in the wilderness sometime. My shout for a coldie 🍻
Love from us @Camp Winnie
thanks legends!! Safe travels!
Holey moley that is a BIG system compared to what we have used. Great information for people on this video. I am no electrician but I have been living with and building my own solar/wind systems since the 1990s and that 2:1 ratio is very important. This is probably the best video I have ever seen on building a solar system the right way. I was very interested to hear about the changes that allow litium to charge off and AGM systems because that has been the one thing that has stopped us going to lithium batteries. We have 3 different systems on 3 different vehicles and the cost of changing the AGM gear out was just prohibitive. Now we can start planning to make the change next time the batteries need replacing. It is amazing how quickly solar systems are changing. I remember the first panel I bought was huge, it cost $1200 and was only 120w!
Love ya work! Best of luck to all the entrants!
Cheers legends! thanks for all the support!!!
Nice presentation, well thought out and simplified for folk beginning to figure this stuff out. Obviously slightly biased by your own experience in a sunny climate, but good nonetheless.
I generally tell people to size their battery banks using your method, then add 20-30% for stuff they’ve forgotten and to allow for inverter issues.
The batteries should be able to run for a “reasonable time” without needing to be charged. Exactly what constitutes a reasonable time will vary from one person to another and one location to another and can be tricky to work out, but 24 hours is a minimum.
Adding charging sources will extend the time you can use the system and most people will have at least one source they can charge from away from base. Car alternator, portable genny, site hookup, solar, or wind. The more different options you have, the greater your chances of not running out of power. But you do need enough storage to cope with total collapse of your charging system for long enough to fix it. So, figure out your minimum battery size, to manage for your own “reasonable time” then figure out how to charge it adequately to avoid ever actually using the full capacity.
Hey guys just want to say I love all your content. Love how you explain everything whether it’s travelling or content like this . Please keep up the amazing work . Thank you both . 🤙🍻
finally the truth. you bloody legend. we now know what to ask for with out being sent down a big black hole. 400amph 800W minimum on the roof more if it'll fit. House panels with heat sink, mitt regulator for simultaneous charging. Thank you very much.
Hi Keelan and the excellent camera person Sarah, Thank you for this informative video. It took me some time to get my head around solar power for my horse float and then I realised that I needed more solar panels because my fridge was using more power than I had charging the batteries. You have also pointed out information that I wondered about with regard to using electrical items during the daylight hours when the batteries are charging. My system currently is 348 Ah AGM batteries, 450 watts portable solar panels with MPPT regulators which is working but I might get another 200 watt panel. I got AGM batteries because I read the lithium batteries didn’t like high temperatures but perhaps that has changed and the lithium batteries were much more expensive. I am a 65 YO female. I laughed at the term you used “as much use as boobs on a bull”. I have done some work on a large dairy farm and momentarily wondered how to fit the milking machine on the bull. Kind regards, Alexandra.
Thanks, Mate. This was very informative and direct. The misses and I are old-school propane ice chest weekends, but we were thinking of moving up to longer trips as we are preparing for retirement, and this no-BS really helped.🤙🤙
Hi Keelan, I’m a Power Engineer and pioneered solar PV for Telstra outback communications systems in the early 1970s. The cost of modules (panels) was $100 per watt then. Now it is $1! Anyway, very good treatment. Better still, what a beautiful neat installation.
Sleeping above that electro mass, maybe not the best ideal.
I remember those days... Luckily I wasn't buying them. My uncle installed 8 of the 30 watt panels available back in the late 1970s. My first home solar install was around 2001 and the panels themselves were a great deal at $4 U.S. per watt.
You would probably remember solarex in villawood. I worked there in the 90’s it was research and development back in them days. Manufacturing was changing almost daily to make better cells
@proletariat9467 The smart people know that decisions are based on more than comparing cost, such as availability of "the grid."
@proletariat9467 Are you confused about the grid not being available? Or are you confused about the general concept of multi-faceted decisions?
Both of those are simple concepts and smart people are not confused by them.
Thank you for this video - first one I have been able to get all the way through without being bamboosaled. Kept me entertained and informed. liked and subscribed.
thanks for watching! welcome to the channel
As an electronics tech, your wearing of rings disturbs me. I’ve not worn a ring in all my working life. I don’t have a wedding ring. I recall 60 years ago when a friend got the metal band of his watch across the positive terminal of a battery and earth in his car. The current flow was enough to severely burn his wrist.
Wow that’s so interesting.
He's just better than you,.
WOW, so much I didn't know! I've got 2 panels being installed, LOL and I thought that would be enough! I don't even know if they're flat or have a heat sink. Thank you for opening my eyes. I've been worried about this ever since I ordered my RV. I have subscribed to both, even though I'm out of the competition!! Quick question though: How did you know what the wattage was for the various appliances you showed us (your air fryer, etc)?
Now I need to know more about this "simultaneous charging" business!
Hi Keelan
I’m an old electrician as well
Great job mate !!!
You did a great job explaining the technicalities
I’ve done my van using similar ideas and works brilliantly
Thanks and good job !
thanks legend!!
Loving your videos mate.
My wife and i are planning a lap and have zero idea on what we are in for but with thanks to you and your informative videos we are the little more wiser
G'day guys I'm an electrician and just im amazed by how well you explained this. You nailed every detail to the tee.
Keep up the good work ya mad dogs. Love your work 🤙
Thanks legend
Great video and thanks for the information. I just purchased the DCDC itechworld charger and will be upgrading my AGM battery to the 120amp hour lithium battery. I only intend on powering a fridge and a few camping lights.
Hey SK Team! Love your work and this vid is why. You make this complex topic simple enough for us mortals to understand. Entered the comp and would love to install that battery in the back of the cruiser! See you on the lap!
thanks for watching James!! glad you got something out of it mate! good luck in the Comp!!
Bloody bang on video!! Just a few small things I would add is, and something to think about, heating from DC is inefficient, when using a 12v system to heat you will be drawing more current from the batteries vs when using a higher battery voltage (eg. 48VDC) you will be drawing less current from the battery(ies) ONLY because you have a higher input voltage ( I do understand that you run a dedicated 12V system for ease of use and integration this is just another point and one which people do not differentiate on leading to further confusion).
The only other thing, make sure you differentiate AH from A (this does confuse the hell out of people), Amps, how fast can you put it back in or take it out and AmpHours, how much can you put in or take out before it is full or empty, is usually how I explain it in layman's terms.
Then, what I have found not on RV but my house is, in winter because of the cooler temps solar panels tend to work better, this is exactly where your over spec'ing of your MPPT's comes in because in cooler temps your panel actually can hit max MPP and if your solar controller is marginal it can totally damage the solar charge controller again, I have only ever seen this in winter not summer because of the heat exactly as you have described, Would be good to know if this happens with RV solar. Again, bloody bang on video!
Thanks for keeping everyone real. We love watching you guys, you make so much sense. Get better soon
thanks legend! will always keep it real.. even if it gets us in trouble haha cheers
@@SarahandKeelanTravels Your version of reality is closer to your rectum than your head. Try putting the latter in the former, instead of subsidising your yuppie lifestyle by vlogging tyre deflators at the expense of people trying to learn something. Have a nice day, show pony.
Howdy from the lush green Willamette Valley of Oregon PNW!🌲💚🌲 First time viewer here who wanted to leave a comment to say THANK YOU and boost your algorithm! Admittedly, I am NOT an electrical engineer by any means, but I am trying to learn as much as I can while I'm in the planning process for a personal conversion build for nomad life. I've wanted to know how to plan for going above and beyond my energy consumption needs and what kind of solar panel system I would require for practical application, not theoretical. This video was invaluable in helping me to realize I actually do "know more" than I'm giving myself credit for and when others tell me "you're going overboard" then that means I'm right on par with where I want to be. 😅 I'd rather plan on "too much" than getting out under daily application and finding out the hard way that it "wasn't enough" because I was following someone else's advice rather than going with what my personal needs are. I look forward to watching more of your videos and I'm sure I'll watch this one a couple more times in order to cement in what you're teaching. I genuinely appreciate that you're sharing your knowledge (based on credentials) and real-world (tested) application. You're a shining gem and I value what you're doing! Thanks again & Blessed Be! ✨️
Thank you soooooooo much for this video!! Planning to start Vanlife in Australia soon (through necessity) and I’m so confused about the electrical setup. Your video is very clear and it’s finally starting to make sense! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
how exciting!! thanks for watching and safe travels!!
He forgot about the current beeing drawn all day long by the 12v/230v inverter. And the battery loosing power because of the bluetooth working and the bms calculating and so on.
And those appliances draw more power than they advertise. So a Rice cooker for instance will say 450w but will draw up to 750w as long as it runs. A coffie machine will say 1550w but will draw 2000w until the water boils.
So coffie + Rice and you will fry your 2000w inverter. Think bigger (but bigger also means more daily consumption)
Also, depending where you live, there can be 1 or 2 or even 3 days, without sun. Think of 2 or 3 days of fridge, water pump and so on.
Whatever you end up buying, just account for that little bit extra.
I’m new to 4x4ing and learning heaps. Mate this was an excellent video! Gave me a good NO BS understanding of 12V systems. Cheers!
Just an FYI. If the regulator is closer to the usable input power, it is indeed more efficient. So going bigger on the regulator is not always better. If the system can only make 50 amp max input, get a 60a mppt controller, over an 80a mppt controller. Hope this helps some :)
unless you want to upgrade it later... but yes if it is set in stone with the system size then I agree...
also you can use multiple controllers on the same battery bank... just get a system that can work together (Victron does it and it is amazing)
Hey Keelan I’m chiming in from the United States.I’m pretty savy when it comes to this stuff.And you did on of the easiest videos to understand on TH-cam.Very well done sir thank you.I will be liking and subscribing as well.I might have a few questions on the simultaneous charging.Again I just found your channel maybe you already made that video.If so please let me know.I will be staying tuned.God bless
This is great, well done explaining this. Alot of people certainly get this wrong. We have just gone through all this with our build for the Mog. Great episode it's funny to see a serious Keelan, hope your feeling better.
Greta video!!! Agree on everything. Except batteries work great in areas that are not a sunny as Australia! Tons of great information!! Now the key is how much did your system cost???
Hi Keelan, great video and excellent advice for the whole battery to solar ratio.
Your excellent advice of a 1:2 ratio of solar to battery is just as applicable to a fixed home system. (Of course lots of other considerations to work into that if you are grid connected but the basic principle of making sure that you maximise your generation to support the storage capacity)
Have you also included a water (heat) storage capacity to your system? When you’re at maximum generation and nearing full (~80% charge), divert energy into a hot water storage system. I realise that this would need to be sized for your travel needs; however, by having a store of very hot water slows for the ability to use this when your not generating and this in turn make your stored energy go further.
Awesome video and keep up the great work.
(Ps wish we had as much useful sun over here in the UK 😊 )
Hey Keelan, one valid point that you didn't cover was the fact that in a 12v system if you want to add extra capacity then you only have to buy one extra battery. However in a 24v system you need to buy 2. Other than that , nice work 👍
Thanks for taking the time to post this. There is one big problem with your set-up. From a health perspective, sleeping on top of devices that give off electromagnetic and radio-frequency radiation can, over extended periods of time, cause serious health issues. So, if possible, relocate your wi-fi router somewhere else and create a faraday cage around your components so that you are not exposed to this radiation while on the bed. You might also want to keep an extra fire extinguisher or two nearby as well, just in case. That, or a bag of marshmallows. :))
Hi, decades of experience with big radio gear. The magnitude of the radiation is negligible, less than walking in sunlight for a few minutes. I'd be more concerned being within 10 metres of a running microwave oven for 2 minutes a day. Or being outside while Jupiter is overhead. Wifi is nearly nothing. For more into, read the ninionising radiation safety standard on ARPANSA. You're ridiculously overstating the hazard and fear mongering.
Great video. You also need to factor in the inverter efficiency, 85% is typical, so for you to get 1000W of AC power on the output of the inverter, the input power that the inverter will be drawing from the batteries will be 1000W/0.85 = 1176W which will be about 98A of current draw from battery.
Thank you so much Sarah and Keelan you just saved us $250 of an already highly discounted i tech system with your skt code, and thanks for some solid advice, love the channel keep the good times rolling guys your awesome
Thanks legend for watching and supporting us! Enjoy the goodies mate
Keelan i think you explained things very well. We live totally off grid so we became aware early about the best system for your needs. Bravo from Victoria Australia
I've camped with panels for a decade. Your video is accurate. Portable is better. Camping having a rig in the shade while panels are in the sun is huge. What you should have stressed if you're aware is why your panels were 22v rather than 14v for a 12v system. It works in weaker sun which means cloudy or even morning and evening because it still hits it 12v charge rate. Which can change the 6h charge window you talked about.
I've charged in the rain and mostly cloudy.
Loved the video and how clearly you explain things. I just bought my Ford Transit 350 with dual alternators (250 amp) and dual batteries (70 amp-hr) and planning my build. Typically stay no more than 2 nights in one place. Since driving will charge what ever size house battery bank I install, would the size of the battery storage be more important than maxing out the van roof with solar?
Thanks
Thanks for the great information, will watch again as many times as I need till it sinks in. Will also look to swapping out the AGM for drop in Lithium but will have to drop into the BMPro non lithium management system supplied in my Urban. Not off grid for more than a few days at a time but thanks I can now calculate what extra I may need to somehow add into the system. Well done, I have watched your videos since the first van.