We're SO PUMPED about this!! Thank you Zack - you've seriously changed the game for us with our RV! Excited to test it to the max☀⚡🔋...even without that TV cable
Jerry just a tip usually fridges that run on propane consumes roughly 4 times more energy when switch to AC power instead of traditional ones that run just on AC. This is so since the propane fridge uses a heating element to cool down the inside of the fridge hence why they consume 4 times more. So with a battery that big 10kWh I would recommend to replace the fridge that runs just on AC power as with the propane one you would deplete the battery really quick!!
@@TheJurgys Your welcome but still do your own research. But in generally propane fridges when switched to AC consumes roughly 4 up to 4.5kWh per day while traditional AC fridges consumer around 1kWh per day.
Shore power term is used in shipping. When a ship is in dock, her generators may not be able to be run, because many of the equipment, which are needed for reliable operation of generator, may be under maintenance. Plus, the generator too may be under maintenance. So they draw three phase power from the yard. That's called as shore power.
For everyone, yes. 16 panels on the roof is possible. In my opinion it's better that they "only" took 8. The other 8 panels can be situated anywhere. If they park the RV in the shade the main panels will be hindered, they can unfold the others and place them in the sun. Ontop of this they can ALSO raise the angle on those panels, making the "ground panels" potentially more efficient when necessary. (Whilst driving you don't need everything full blast). Ontop of this, every panel is capable of catching wind, thus adding stress (potential pull) on the roof. This gets minimized by having less panels.
@@Gamer-nc8qp we only have the information that is given to us, which is 150V 30A. At this point I do not have information regarding the voltage of the panels, nor the amperage
@@mishaberendsen The best solar array is to connect 4pcs 400W rigid solar panels in series from ECOFLOW, the Power Hub will draw a maximum of 1600W of PV power per port
@@brucechen2388 pretty much every 400W panel has over 40VOC, 4 in series would equal 160VOC. If there would be an actual optimizement they would have went with 6 panels of 400W, 2x3 in series and put those parallel. Nevertheless, 400W panels are usually 1.1mx1.9m and add a lot of stress to the roofing, due to their high surface area and only 4 spots where it pulls on the roof. I do not disagree that they can put more panels on the inverter, I do disagree with people knowing better what would suit them. Heck, these people would most likely be happy with 4 on the roof and 4 portable
I wonder if those panels have optimizers built in (or added in) so the shade on one panel would not hinder the performance of the others. I've seen a lot of videos for home solar talking about how if they (panels) are not hooked up with "optimizers" per panel that shade on one panel will reduce the output of all panels in the chain. Just a noob here so maybe I am not understanding those other videos if I am misspeaking here.
All 50 states in the rv? damn, that's one heck of an RV to withstand the rough oceans on the trip to Hawaii and cold weather on the way to Alaska!!! Love the videos keep it up!
Damm man. This is the reason I don't miss your videos. It's not just entertainment it real life learning. I especially love your increased focus on sustainability
The sealant on the RV roof is called Dicor self levelling sealant. It's available in caulking gun style tubes from an RV dealer. Eternabond tape works very well too. That flex seal may not last.
You're the best Zack, you've taught me so much and helped me expand my mind and knowledge of electronics and technology as a whole. Thanks for everything!
Nice .. but with all the space on top of their rig, I would probably would go with much larger panels (300-400 watts) .. 8 x 100W feels a little underpowered, especially if they plan to use their AC.
it would be pretty easy to instead of having 800w on the roof to have 4kw of solars and just run all you want during daytime, why drain the battery if you can run solar only on daytime?
Zach, The concept behind a propane refrigerator is a process called ammonia absorption. The propane provides a heat source which is used to evaporate the ammonia in a closed system which cools when evaporated. It’s pretty crazy how it works. 👍👍
It's called shore power because it comes from the nautical meaning, particularly canal barges plugging into the power outlet on land, on the shore. Edit: I made this comment before he explained it and though I was correct, now I feel silly. 😂
@@ASoapyWaffle Some people turn canal barges into floating homes as we have a very extensive canal system here in the UK, that is my primary experience with the concept of shore power.
3:27 nice to see you're using srews to secure the panel, instead of just gluing it in place, that most usually do, which eventually gets blown off the RV when it's moving at high speeds.
Which can be legal. I wonder if Installing a pass though bolt with nut and water on the front side with a cable in the event the panel are ripped off? its highly unlikely but a good idea.
Maybe the space left on the roof 'Could' be used for some black solar water heater panels? Used in conjunction with a small pump, a well insulated tank, and hey presto, extra hot water when needed, and thus less drain on the batteries/electrical supply? 🤔 😎🇬🇧
I am an RV technician. if any of you do this, please dont use the sealant they used. That roof is going to leak after it's first year. Use a product called Dicor that is in calking tubes. Use self-Leveling for horizontal areas and Non-Sag for anything remotely verticle. Use a lot (I use 2 full tubes on a skylight). after applying go back after about 20-30 minutes and make sure you "bury" any screw heads that may have appeard as the self leveling spreads out.
@@uhjyuff2095 you need to use skylight sealant for between the skylight and the roof. Clean all surfaces to remove all old sealant. Put skylight down and mark the edges on the roof. Now when you put down the new sealant you can see where to put it. Putting down the sealant for it in one fluid bead with no breaks. Set the light down onto the sealant and when setting the screws don't tight them too tightm just enough to make the sealnt come out like smashing a marshmallow in a smore.
@@uhjyuff2095 now use discor on the top of the skylight. Make sure you cut the end of the cauly tube large. Put it and a 45 degree angle from the corner of the perimeter of the skylight. So as it settles some will spread toward the screws and most will fall down toward the roof. Go back and put a generous amount on top of each screw head. Done!
They used flex seal lmao. The solar system is like 15k and they used a 5 dollar can of flex seal instead of buying rubber gaskets lmao. This is ridiculous
It's nice that you are showing how accessible it is today to run your life on renewable electricity. Good education via practical demonstration. Thanks.
Like someone mentioned. They should really change the fridge to an compressor fridge instead of the absorbtion fridge they have today if they plan on only running on ac power. A compressor fridge draws like 100w max when it has reached its target temperature 😄
It's not a big deal to keep the fridge on propane. I bet the RV has LARGE Propane tanks specifically for the fridge as the primary load. That fridge looks awesome I would hate to have to rip it out just to save a few bucks on propane!!!
Compressor fridge uses a lot more then 100w when it is running (think mine a small one use about 200w according to how much the charging spikes)... On average over 24 hours they use about 1000 to 1500w total. Also a fridge uses about 1500w for a few seconds when starting and you have to account for that.
@@a64738 They use 100 watt while running and that is 50% so is 1200 watts a day. Yes a larger inverter is necessary for starting like 1500 watt. But they are like being at hone and not in the outback where you cannot open the door. They take for ever to cool anything down and forget making ice or eating ice cream plus the fire danger. They also have to be leveled or the whole thing stops. A few batteries and a small generator or panels. I mean you do want electricity.
7:15 A truck definitely has an alternator. Many trailers that have batteries (like dump trailers for example), have them charged off of the tow vehicle while the vehicle is running. That way the battery can stay charged up even though there's a high load on the battery when being used.
You right, but the truck and the trailer isn't wired for it, but it could be done if someone wants to run a large gauge wire from the truck into the trailer.
Most trucks are wired these days from the factory to charge a trailer battery. Generally at most you pop a fuse in or connect a ring terminal to a fuse box post.
I love stuff like this, I've just finished up my lvl 3 NVQ Electrical Installation course and I've been doing some work experience for the past 2 years so I've been about to some places and fitted some things but never really anything too bespoke. I'd love to at somepoint make my own liveable van or caravan but not a conventional one more like a van life style but less off the hippie side ( I mean no offence to that I just couldn't think of another description) and more of the intuitive and tech side of things like recirculating showers and solar setups (I've got some pretty good ideas on terms of efficient setups). Like just a baseline idea, have an EV terrain and instead of having another or different power setup for sockets ect. Run it off the main EV battery with the necessary protection required, and have a solar setup that charges the EV and intern your power setup, and things like the havii can make it even more efficient so when you battery is at full capacity or the set capacity you want, it uses the solar power or what ever the power source is, to power a storage heater, in an EVs case you could use it for heating or hot water storage, many use cases for something like the havii but ill use them once I get my capital, I mean I've just turned 18 and about to start an apprenticeship so nothings happening for a while but that just means more ideas and more critiquing.
You know what's more beautiful than the rig and the solar panels. This family, they're warm, loving and it's great to feel their companionship together.
Very neat installation. Before Ecoflow brought out this particular system, I did a similar install in my Airstream using an Ecoflow Delta Max with two smart batteries and 600 watts of rooftop solar (very limited space). Six Kwh of stored power. One point - a propane fridge on 110v is a huge consumer. Do the numbers on consumption. These folk will likely find a need for more solar than initially installed, and learn to spare the aircon. I purposely did not transfer the aircon circuits. Another point - use 3M VHB tape for mounting rooftop panels and spare the holes which will be prone to leakage at some point. Roof sealant has limited life.
Nice video and just the perfect setup for an RV! One short but important comment. A fridge or a freezer running on propane uses a technique called evaportation, this will make the fridge run on propane or electricity. However, its very ineffcient! I changed my propane fridge/freezer from propane (a small thing using 160W of power when on electricity instead of propane) to a full size fridge with freezer (only for electricity) and the new unit consumes 17W instead of 160W! On a 24hour base thats a HUGE difference when on solar and batteries. (Yes, I did a lot of reading datasheet for fridges when I bought it, and YES measuring with a energy meeter and on my battery bank I can verify only 17W consumed IE 0.4 kWh per 24h!) So a really nice upgrade to this RV would be to sell the fridge and freezer and replace with new ones that have a compressor instead of evaporation units. I dont even think you have to dig deep into the datasheets to find the ones with best energy efficiency as I did to note the difference!
If you want to claim 17 watts you could at least put down the brand and model or I call BS. My research for daily living is 1200 watts but if it is not opened you may be right. That would be a third at 400 watts.
@@timsteinkamp2245 The chest freezers that have a top open door are neat because they don't let a lot of cold air out when you open the door. Also some people modify the freezers to be a fridge and they use very little power like only 600 watt hours a day.
The shots of the remaining times seem a bit misleading because you're showing them while the minutes are still droppings like they were seconds. Which implies the system is still adjusting and realizing whether the load is a small time peak or the sustained load for the next few hours.
I was surprised he threw those numbers out as well. They were still calibrating like you mentioned. They’ll need those supplemental panels to run their Dual A/C units for sure.
I am working on a stealth mini RV project / radio shack with a 6X9 covered trailer. The solar panels will be retractible awnings and provide 17kw of PV and 550ah of LiFePO4 power. Everything is low voltage so no inverter.
Just for info " Shore power" is a naval/marine term used when ships dock in harbours and they connect shore/land based power! So your very nice RV would be " the ship " docking at the RV park/harbour supply. Oh love the videos keep them coming Jerry !
A few points: - what's the ideal number of solar panels? as many as you can fit on your roof. They have room to double their roof panels. - the big fridge was drawing 620 watts. That's about 3-4 times what a typical family of 4 fridge draws when compressor is running. If the doors are not opened regularly the duty cycle will drop down near 20-25%. - I live in the sub tropics so we can have 2 weeks of rain and cloud cover. So unless your solar system can carry you through 14 days of no sunshine, then you need a beefy generator (over 3000 watts) - Their fridge is probably the worst to have for off grid living. You are much better with top loading chest fridges and freezers, which are used on boats universally. These don't spill cold air out every time the doors are opened. - You can also reduce duty cycle by reducing door openings, and keeping empty spaces filled with water/ice, so cold air doesn't escape with door openings. The cold water/ice also acts to keep the contents colder for longer if power is lost. - propane is no joke. Always always regularly check lines and valves for faults. The only fires I know of have been due to propane lines failing. One of the saddest sights was a recent retiree who lost everything he owned in his winnebago due to a fault in the installation of propane tanks and lines.
its called shore power because of ships and boats. Nuclear submarines obviously can power themselves but it ages the nuclear core unnecessarily as the core is the limiting factor on how long before a boat gets a refuel or decommisioning. So instead they connect to the "shore" power grid when they can i.e in port
I think that having a connection to the alternator would be a good idea for another backup until theres a need for the plug for panels. I like redundency like that.
Great setup, though, why not install bigger or more solar panels and avoid having the portable ones? They will have to use shore/generator when it's cloudy
Really wish these solar companies came to Africa we always have sunlight in Kenya but the cost of installation is high because of companies taking advantage despite government waivers Great Video Really informative
Shore Power seems to have been borrowed from the U.S. Navy which uses that term when the ships are in port. As the engines need maintenance during those periods, we used to haul a huge thick cable from the dock to power the living spaces aboard when no energy is coming from the power plant. Yachts probably use the term as well, and since your fifth wheeler is essentially a "Land Yacht", it seems appropriate.
Shore power comes from small boats such as yachts. For on-board plug sockets to work at 120/240V they need to be plugged in at the *shore* - batteries on yachts are usually 12V. Similar idea was made for caravans/motorhomes so the name stuck.
I went off grid ten years ago and built my own home single-handedly. In June 2021 I bought a Tesla model 3 and wanted to charge it using the sun. Here is my setup: I have three 300 watt panels. I have a flat roof and leave them flat as I live in the middle of Oregon. (If I tried to point them south I would only get rays between 11am and 2 pm.) On a sunny day I get almost 800 watts. I feed this energy into a 60 amp MPPT charge controller keeping six 100 amp hour Battle Borne batteries charged. The key is using a 3500 watt inverter (pure sine wave). On a sunny day my Tesla wants 1500 watts if I set it to 12 amps and get 6 miles of range. On a cloudy day I need 1000 watts so I change the Tesla charging down to 8 amps and get 4 miles of range. I use thick wires so I do not loose current and protect batteries and inverter with 300 amp and 200 amp circuit breakers. If I tried to use 12 amps it would drain the batteries real quick so I keep it at 10 or 8 amps and it charges for 14 hours a day. This actually is as good as if not better than someone on the grid using 120 volts AC. Make sure you use a bonding plug (connect neutral to ground) if Tesla won't charge. Some inverters don't need one.
It's funny I was watching you when i worked at a phone repair company, now I work in solar and construction, and it always seems your doing something similar.
The term "shore power" was a nautical term. At yacht clubs it's literally power from the shore. The term became used on land to describe "plugging in" for RV's, eighteen wheelers kitchen and sleep areas, any RV park, or camping area.
Most RV fridge's that are produced have multiple ways of powering them, AC, DC and then propane. Dometic, Norcold, Furion are some of the main manufactures of these devices, with the propane system it operates in a sealed Ammonia setup, the propane heats up the liquid Ammonia which turns it to a gas and if you look inside the fridge, there are cooling fins which absorbs the heat inside the fridge, then by thermal dynamics causes the Ammonia to turn back into a liquid, completing the cycle...
Shore power was a term adopted from marinas and ports where a boat or ship would dock and turn off its engines and generators, but still require power, so they would plug in big 50 amp cords and get power supplied from the dock/shore. The Rv industry just adopted that lingo for plugging into an outside power source when you get to Rv parks that supply electricity.
if you wondering about truck charges rv battery it same as you plug into 7 pin on trailer to trucks there 12v on it u cant miss it is it fast or slow my question be on pending on battery In truck with alternative keeping up if stay at 2.500 rpm yah it would keep up if no just idles it wouldn't generator enough amp to it so keep it in mind i live in bus rv which u can find them everywhere
Insanely cool install. I would love to do something like that, in the future. No way those panels keep a 10kwh battery system fully charged, not when they are laying flat like that. Maybe they'll come close during the perfect summer conditions, but during winter or either shoulder season, that's just not enough solar to charge up those batteries from say 10% to 90% in a single day.
Really nice job, but instead of havinh the flex solar pannels only for emergency, why isn't on the roof all the time too? 800W for 10kWh maybe is enough for summer, but it will be more difficult on winter and they will need to use the flex solar panels really often
its fine, they have a backup generator that they can run for like 1-2 hours and get 10kwh charge EZPZ. Solar is really just the trickle charger for when loads are minimal, the gas generator is for when the big loads are used!
Should have run a DC to DC charger from the truck alternator to that open input slot, so you could make power while driving when the sun isn't shinning, like cloudy and night time driving. Love mine!
@@victor555117 why you replying on every comment His name is Zack ? Why do you care so much It doesn't matter even if people call him Zack zeck Zuku jerry jarru etc etc
Shore Power is a term that I believe came for the nautical environment. Boats would connect into "Shore" power to power their systems from the Electric grid so that they can disable their combustion based generators, save money on fuel and to perform maintenance that could not be performed underway. The idea was then translated to RVs as they would navigate the roads and would need to connect into the Electric grid to power their systems to get off the 12v power that was being provided by the Tow vehicle or the 12v battery on the trailer. Some RV Equipment, when I camped in one back in the 90s, had hot water heaters that could run off propane or electric and fridges that could run off propane full time or propane while traveling and then electric when connected to the grid. Not to mention a lot of the original RVs looked a lot like Submarines, Airstream being the best known.
Some ECOFLOW products were just banned in Europe because of the security flaws on their products (bad isolation between primary and secondary sides)... Bad timing for collab Zack. Edit: edited wording from 'many' to 'some'
Europe bans everything. They're a bunch of nanny state losers. There's a reason everything costs 3x as much, and everything gets done 3x slower here in Europe. Because of nanny state over reaction nonsense. People in the states don't care about nanny state stuff; especially when it's a non issue like in this case.
What does the cost of the RV have to do with anything? That's their home. That's like saying solar panels put on the roof of a house costs hUnDrEdS oF tHoUsAnDs oF dOLLaRs.
It benefits all of us. I'd prefer the rich to have an eco-friendly life than continue to destroy our biosphere with fossil fuels. And in due course, the tech will trickle down to the rest of us. Even poor people can own at least one solar panel and reduce reliance on the grid.
@@Liimpy brand new that toy hauler might MSRP at over 100k, but you can get great used units for under 40k, and the whole solar setup at new retail pricing is under 25k, and again you get find much better deals, especially if you buy raw LiFePO4 cells that are lightly used. So, assuming you spent top dollar for brand new everything, $150,000 max, no where close to “hundreds of thousands” of dollars, and the careful buyer with DIY skills can duplicate the setup for under $50,000.
shore power isn't the only thing in common for ships an RV's. they both require decent discipline of "lashing"- making sure that things are either closed away or held down before the vehicle starts moving...
2:18 I believe it's called shore power because it's the same system yachts use at marinas, plugging in to onshore power rather than using the boat's generator
Shore power is from the Navy; when you pull into port, you can run a generator (or nuclear reactor) to keep the ship (or boat) powered, or run shore-cables, to a shore power panel, and power the vessel from the shore (land) power! As a Navy Submariner, I can tell you that keeping the power plant running while in shore sucks for us in engineering, since we won't get to play on the shore.
So.... I made this switch 2 years ago. The two biggest consumers of energy in the rv is the fridge and hvac. Both are horribly inefficient - move to a household-type fridge as it uses 1/6th the power and works much better in warm environments. The other thing is to ditch the rooftop a/c units and install a multi-zone mini split (uses 1/3 the power of the rooftop units). With that done I found the sweet spot for storage is 25-30kwh but to be completely off grid I ended up with 3.8kw of solar, Sunpower - home-style panels, which in a 40ft 5th wheel you have plenty of room for after removing the rooftop a/c units. With the RV fully powered and acting like it's a normal home (hvac running 24/7, living life normally) we use 20-25 kWh daily. Before diving down this rabbit hole make sure your rig can support the weight this adds, and if the financial cost is really worth it to you as you can buy a lot of generator fuel for $8-$12k.
Yeah, I wish they would have done a energy audit of what loads they really need. The furnace fan and the lights are really the main loads to an RV 12 volt electrical system. If you think about being comfortable during a cold climate event off grid, its nice to have a surplus of battery power and not have to run a noisy generator to keep warm. Lithium batteries are really neat because even if they do get low the gas generator has the ability to charge them very quickly to full whereas lead acid has a hard time absorbing the last few drops!
100 watt panels are a good choice because 1) they are very cost effective (~$80 per panel), 2) they fit well into a lot of spaces (measuring 27" x 36"), 3) when one breaks (and they do break!), you only need to replace a single 100 watt panel, and 4) 100 watt panels have more rigidity compared to larger panels.
Nahnot space efficient needs more money in mounts connectors screws and time to install em. Sometimes they can be used depending on layout but it's rare.
Can’t wait to see these come standard this way. A nice 6kW system, attached to a single Powerwall, plugged into the back of a back of a bidirectional charger on a Cybertruck would be a dream come true!
it’s called shore power because on boats you have power from a generator hooked to the engine or solar but when you come into port you generally hook into a power main on the shore
@JerryRigEverything I'm watching your latest video (the wheelchair one), and I can't help but think how an amazingly cute couple you are. You're such good fit together. I'm glad for both of you that you found each other. ☺️😎👍🏾
It is called shore power because it is a term barrowd from boating. Boats when at dock will run a three phase power line from the ship to shore and get power from shore instead of making it on-board (this not only save fuel but also gives them time to do mantnince on the ships power generationbsystems/generators.
There's enough roof space on that RV to at least triple the solar input. I don't think 800W on the roof is enough, but you could probably add 1.6kW of panels for a total of 2.4kW on the roof, plus another set of 800W of folding panels, for a peak total of 4kW. You could run everything during the day without having to use the battery power till the sun starts going down.
Trains in the UK have "Shore power" also, for when they're stabled for extended times in a location, so then engines aren't required to be running e.g overnight
the term shore power comes from shipping. in harbour, ships do not use their own ressources. they are plugged into the shore harbour systems. both kinds of water, electricity, internet, everything.
awesome, i've just made a 48v solar system to run my entire room. pc, 2 monitors, 3d printers, lights, amp, drill, phones. i will never have to pay for a power bill ever again. This is the way to go if you no what your doing.
At 5:53 I was like, "Ohhhh thank goodness!", up until that point I was screaming, not enough sealant!! I will say though, I prefer to add sealant at every stage, including a big dollop at the screw stage.
I did a similar build on my motorhome. Except I built my 10 kWh battery myself using raw LiFePO4 cells and I installed 3,200 watts of solar on the roof.
A key point that seems be be glossed over, you should know the power consumption of every device onboard to size the system properly. Having a system larger than needed may not be a bad thing, but a system that is too small will waste money and produce a lot of anxiety. If your camper has a 50A plug, it’s really 2 lines of 120v (US) at 50A each. Maxed out, it could draw around 12,000 watts at 6000 watts per line. So the 10 KW system is about right. For those with a 30A 3 prong plug, you are looking around 3600 watts so a 3000 Watt system would be minimal 5000 Watt if you run power hungry devices. Very nice and clean installation, I hope they get many years of freedom and use out it.
Yeah, he glossed over a lot of the loads in this RV. I hope he only installed one A/C unit on the new EcoFlow electrical panel because this RV most certainly has 2 A/C units.
You could shave 3-5 amps off the AC using a Dometic Penguin II High Efficiency, The highest compressor load is 8.8 amps and the blower is a 2.6 amps. Most normal AC's are 12-18 amps on max, the do have the Dometic Penguin II in a heat pump but it's a normal unit and a heavy amp user. The high efficiency unit is 11000 BTU.
I just ordered a Dometic Penguin II a few days ago, mostly because of their efficiency, and it looks like a nice unit. It has not yet arrived. I’m installing it on a bus conversion.
There is so much more room on that roof too. You could maybe double the number of the panels up there if they ever wanted to expand in the future. That way the portable foldable panels won't even be needed.
I assume that somebody told you, but I was in the Navy, and it is called shore power, because when a ship pulls into port, it stops using the power generated by the ship (in my case, a nuclear reactor) and is plugged into power provided from the port, which is, of course, on shore. Hence...drum roll, please! Shore power. :)
In case you're wondering, the RV AC/propane powered fridge is way less complicated than you think. If it loses AC power it auto switches to propane and lights a burner. Instead of using a 120V mechanical pump to pressurize Freon like home fridges, it uses a small propane burner to increase the Freon temp which causes the pressure to go up, and then the Freon continues to go through the typical refrigeration cycle. It's not as efficient as a mechanical pump, but its stupid simple, few moving parts, and great when you need to use multiple power sources.
It is highly flammable and a major cause of RV fires. They always say when traveling and fueling to turn them off.They still can have a leak while moving but there is no flame to ignite the gasses. It is a technology that can work in remote areas but with solar panels and pure sine wave inverters I say most modern Americans want a fridge that cools quickly and they are not that power hungry for a smaller unit.These days people are always in the fridge and the propane cannot keep up. My propane ran constantly and could not keep ice cream hard but then I made Ice in mine. Propane fridge needs to keep the door closed and prechill all the food before putting it in. :-) Consider the leveling issue also. All RVs should come with a basic solar system for the fridge, cheaper cost as I paid less than $500 where these propane units can be $4000. Watching an RV go up in flames is enough for me. I still use propane for furnace, water heating and the stove.
This video is brought to us by EcoFlow, but the description says JerryRigEverything is sponsored by Anker. I wonder which one is better? Prices seem to be around the same when matching for KWh.
And I can only say this from experience. A those folks who mention 1 to 2 hrs max running bigger appliances - AC, fridge, esp the microwave - they are spot on with the time. Check back in 3 months with them and see how the solar is working on a normal life schedule.
A rig like that needs larger solar panels. On sunny days it might look great, but what if the sun doesn't shine and the ac is used? It will drain the battery pretty fast. The roof is big enough for that, plus with other type of panels it is easily done.
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We're SO PUMPED about this!! Thank you Zack - you've seriously changed the game for us with our RV! Excited to test it to the max☀⚡🔋...even without that TV cable
TV cable should be easy to fix.
what raptor is this? the inside looks so amazing and so spacious
I SAID DON'T TELL HER!!
@@ahaveland haha true! we really only watch a movie once in a while through OTT services anyway so not a big deal
@@DarkBebi We actually remodeled the entire interior! It's a Keystone Raptor 423 Toyhauler
Jerry just a tip usually fridges that run on propane consumes roughly 4 times more energy when switch to AC power instead of traditional ones that run just on AC. This is so since the propane fridge uses a heating element to cool down the inside of the fridge hence why they consume 4 times more. So with a battery that big 10kWh I would recommend to replace the fridge that runs just on AC power as with the propane one you would deplete the battery really quick!!
I learned something new today. Thanks! :D
Oooooh this is good to know! Noted! 🙏🏼
@@TheJurgys Your welcome but still do your own research. But in generally propane fridges when switched to AC consumes roughly 4 up to 4.5kWh per day while traditional AC fridges consumer around 1kWh per day.
@@rbug4117 woah! that is a big difference!!!
I was going to recommend this as well.
Shore power term is used in shipping. When a ship is in dock, her generators may not be able to be run, because many of the equipment, which are needed for reliable operation of generator, may be under maintenance. Plus, the generator too may be under maintenance. So they draw three phase power from the yard. That's called as shore power.
Sorry but why assume the gender of the ship?
@@tullo5564 colloquially, a ship is a she. God knows why, but that's just English being English. Or ship crew being ship crew. Idk
@@tullo5564 A ship is always referred to in feminine terms. It's not just me.
Commercial passenger aircraft use shore power as well.
@@squrrll Only Huge ones like 747 & A380 also small ones to when the batteries are dead to jump start the plane using a GPU (Ground power unit)
For everyone, yes. 16 panels on the roof is possible. In my opinion it's better that they "only" took 8. The other 8 panels can be situated anywhere. If they park the RV in the shade the main panels will be hindered, they can unfold the others and place them in the sun. Ontop of this they can ALSO raise the angle on those panels, making the "ground panels" potentially more efficient when necessary. (Whilst driving you don't need everything full blast). Ontop of this, every panel is capable of catching wind, thus adding stress (potential pull) on the roof. This gets minimized by having less panels.
why not more panels for a total of 12 ?
@@Gamer-nc8qp we only have the information that is given to us, which is 150V 30A. At this point I do not have information regarding the voltage of the panels, nor the amperage
@@mishaberendsen The best solar array is to connect 4pcs 400W rigid solar panels in series from ECOFLOW, the Power Hub will draw a maximum of 1600W of PV power per port
@@brucechen2388 pretty much every 400W panel has over 40VOC, 4 in series would equal 160VOC.
If there would be an actual optimizement they would have went with 6 panels of 400W, 2x3 in series and put those parallel. Nevertheless, 400W panels are usually 1.1mx1.9m and add a lot of stress to the roofing, due to their high surface area and only 4 spots where it pulls on the roof.
I do not disagree that they can put more panels on the inverter, I do disagree with people knowing better what would suit them.
Heck, these people would most likely be happy with 4 on the roof and 4 portable
I wonder if those panels have optimizers built in (or added in) so the shade on one panel would not hinder the performance of the others. I've seen a lot of videos for home solar talking about how if they (panels) are not hooked up with "optimizers" per panel that shade on one panel will reduce the output of all panels in the chain. Just a noob here so maybe I am not understanding those other videos if I am misspeaking here.
All 50 states in the rv? damn, that's one heck of an RV to withstand the rough oceans on the trip to Hawaii and cold weather on the way to Alaska!!! Love the videos keep it up!
Glad I wasn’t the only that caught that!
probably not the same rv. they can rent a rv in Hawaii.
@@redken12 or maybe there's some kind of a ferry?
Wild Thornberries did it soooo
@@myrealusername2193 ya it's funny how people think you can drive to Hawaii. Sure you put your vehicle on a boat but it's still driving to Hawaii
Damm man. This is the reason I don't miss your videos. It's not just entertainment it real life learning. I especially love your increased focus on sustainability
The sealant on the RV roof is called Dicor self levelling sealant. It's available in caulking gun style tubes from an RV dealer. Eternabond tape works very well too. That flex seal may not last.
Not only will it not last, flexseal will eat away at the rubber roof!
You're the best Zack, you've taught me so much and helped me expand my mind and knowledge of electronics and technology as a whole. Thanks for everything!
Thanks for watching!
His named zack you know 😂
@@deviabashidze4940 LOL wow 🤦🏻 thanks for correcting me.
Watch electroboom my guy 🙃
@@HorrorsofCody
He doesn't mind calling him Jerry
Nice .. but with all the space on top of their rig, I would probably would go with much larger panels (300-400 watts) .. 8 x 100W feels a little underpowered, especially if they plan to use their AC.
They won't be using AC with that solar sytem. They would maybe get 4-6 hours of AC run time max.
@@justinbaker6406 so like a whole day time?
@@Surtistuff a day has 24 hours FYI
it would be pretty easy to instead of having 800w on the roof to have 4kw of solars and just run all you want during daytime, why drain the battery if you can run solar only on daytime?
agreed, im pretty underwhelmed that all the solar on the roof AND the folding panels combined only generate about 1000w
Zach,
The concept behind a propane refrigerator is a process called ammonia absorption. The propane provides a heat source which is used to evaporate the ammonia in a closed system which cools when evaporated. It’s pretty crazy how it works. 👍👍
ammonia or lithium bromide 😉
It's called shore power because it comes from the nautical meaning, particularly canal barges plugging into the power outlet on land, on the shore.
Edit: I made this comment before he explained it and though I was correct, now I feel silly. 😂
This guy sails
I don’t see where canal barges come into play. Tug boats usually plug into shore power too.
@@ASoapyWaffle Some people turn canal barges into floating homes as we have a very extensive canal system here in the UK, that is my primary experience with the concept of shore power.
@E Van it's a modified sentiment from Silicone Valley but I'm sure you knew that already.
....and that trailer is definitely in the "land yacht" class.
Can I camp in my Tesla at their RV park? I’d like to visit.
YES! We'll have an adapter for you to charge it here too
3:27 nice to see you're using srews to secure the panel, instead of just gluing it in place, that most usually do, which eventually gets blown off the RV when it's moving at high speeds.
Those aren't normal screws.
airplanes are glued together btw and they are fine
@@jerrynovotnik but airplanes arent made in peoples backyards, and they arent glued they are riveted.
Which can be legal. I wonder if Installing a pass though bolt with nut and water on the front side with a cable in the event the panel are ripped off? its highly unlikely but a good idea.
@@TwatMcGee Composite parts on the 787?
Maybe the space left on the roof 'Could' be used for some black solar water heater panels? Used in conjunction with a small pump, a well insulated tank, and hey presto, extra hot water when needed, and thus less drain on the batteries/electrical supply? 🤔 😎🇬🇧
I am an RV technician. if any of you do this, please dont use the sealant they used. That roof is going to leak after it's first year. Use a product called Dicor that is in calking tubes. Use self-Leveling for horizontal areas and Non-Sag for anything remotely verticle. Use a lot (I use 2 full tubes on a skylight). after applying go back after about 20-30 minutes and make sure you "bury" any screw heads that may have appeard as the self leveling spreads out.
Ty my skylights need to be sealed up again. Previous owner used sealant that cracked and did not last.
@@uhjyuff2095 you need to use skylight sealant for between the skylight and the roof. Clean all surfaces to remove all old sealant. Put skylight down and mark the edges on the roof. Now when you put down the new sealant you can see where to put it. Putting down the sealant for it in one fluid bead with no breaks. Set the light down onto the sealant and when setting the screws don't tight them too tightm just enough to make the sealnt come out like smashing a marshmallow in a smore.
@@uhjyuff2095 now use discor on the top of the skylight. Make sure you cut the end of the cauly tube large. Put it and a 45 degree angle from the corner of the perimeter of the skylight. So as it settles some will spread toward the screws and most will fall down toward the roof. Go back and put a generous amount on top of each screw head. Done!
They used flex seal lmao. The solar system is like 15k and they used a 5 dollar can of flex seal instead of buying rubber gaskets lmao. This is ridiculous
It's nice that you are showing how accessible it is today to run your life on renewable electricity.
Good education via practical demonstration.
Thanks.
So cool and your friends seem like genuinely good people. I love his wife's reaction to everything...
They definitly are awesome!
appreciate you!
Especially the guy, classic douche bag thing about him
Like someone mentioned. They should really change the fridge to an compressor fridge instead of the absorbtion fridge they have today if they plan on only running on ac power. A compressor fridge draws like 100w max when it has reached its target temperature 😄
It's not a big deal to keep the fridge on propane. I bet the RV has LARGE Propane tanks specifically for the fridge as the primary load. That fridge looks awesome I would hate to have to rip it out just to save a few bucks on propane!!!
@@uhjyuff2095 good point. We're thinking this as well at least for now. If it ever crashes (hopefully not for a while!) we know what our next will be
Compressor fridge uses a lot more then 100w when it is running (think mine a small one use about 200w according to how much the charging spikes)... On average over 24 hours they use about 1000 to 1500w total. Also a fridge uses about 1500w for a few seconds when starting and you have to account for that.
@@a64738 They use 100 watt while running and that is 50% so is 1200 watts a day. Yes a larger inverter is necessary for starting like 1500 watt. But they are like being at hone and not in the outback where you cannot open the door. They take for ever to cool anything down and forget making ice or eating ice cream plus the fire danger. They also have to be leveled or the whole thing stops. A few batteries and a small generator or panels. I mean you do want electricity.
7:15 A truck definitely has an alternator. Many trailers that have batteries (like dump trailers for example), have them charged off of the tow vehicle while the vehicle is running. That way the battery can stay charged up even though there's a high load on the battery when being used.
You right, but the truck and the trailer isn't wired for it, but it could be done if someone wants to run a large gauge wire from the truck into the trailer.
Most trucks are wired these days from the factory to charge a trailer battery. Generally at most you pop a fuse in or connect a ring terminal to a fuse box post.
Looking at the prices for the ecoflow lineup, I fully understand where they get the money to sponsor so many youtube channels.
I love stuff like this, I've just finished up my lvl 3 NVQ Electrical Installation course and I've been doing some work experience for the past 2 years so I've been about to some places and fitted some things but never really anything too bespoke. I'd love to at somepoint make my own liveable van or caravan but not a conventional one more like a van life style but less off the hippie side ( I mean no offence to that I just couldn't think of another description) and more of the intuitive and tech side of things like recirculating showers and solar setups (I've got some pretty good ideas on terms of efficient setups). Like just a baseline idea, have an EV terrain and instead of having another or different power setup for sockets ect. Run it off the main EV battery with the necessary protection required, and have a solar setup that charges the EV and intern your power setup, and things like the havii can make it even more efficient so when you battery is at full capacity or the set capacity you want, it uses the solar power or what ever the power source is, to power a storage heater, in an EVs case you could use it for heating or hot water storage, many use cases for something like the havii but ill use them once I get my capital, I mean I've just turned 18 and about to start an apprenticeship so nothings happening for a while but that just means more ideas and more critiquing.
You know what's more beautiful than the rig and the solar panels.
This family, they're warm, loving and it's great to feel their companionship together.
Damn, what a killer setup!
Very neat installation. Before Ecoflow brought out this particular system, I did a similar install in my Airstream using an Ecoflow Delta Max with two smart batteries and 600 watts of rooftop solar (very limited space). Six Kwh of stored power. One point - a propane fridge on 110v is a huge consumer. Do the numbers on consumption. These folk will likely find a need for more solar than initially installed, and learn to spare the aircon. I purposely did not transfer the aircon circuits. Another point - use 3M VHB tape for mounting rooftop panels and spare the holes which will be prone to leakage at some point. Roof sealant has limited life.
Nice video and just the perfect setup for an RV! One short but important comment. A fridge or a freezer running on propane uses a technique called evaportation, this will make the fridge run on propane or electricity. However, its very ineffcient! I changed my propane fridge/freezer from propane (a small thing using 160W of power when on electricity instead of propane) to a full size fridge with freezer (only for electricity) and the new unit consumes 17W instead of 160W! On a 24hour base thats a HUGE difference when on solar and batteries. (Yes, I did a lot of reading datasheet for fridges when I bought it, and YES measuring with a energy meeter and on my battery bank I can verify only 17W consumed IE 0.4 kWh per 24h!)
So a really nice upgrade to this RV would be to sell the fridge and freezer and replace with new ones that have a compressor instead of evaporation units. I dont even think you have to dig deep into the datasheets to find the ones with best energy efficiency as I did to note the difference!
Totally right, when using solar and batteries, energy efficient appliances (LED light bulbs) are a thing to consider.
17W is insanely low...
If you want to claim 17 watts you could at least put down the brand and model or I call BS. My research for daily living is 1200 watts but if it is not opened you may be right. That would be a third at 400 watts.
@@timsteinkamp2245 The chest freezers that have a top open door are neat because they don't let a lot of cold air out when you open the door. Also some people modify the freezers to be a fridge and they use very little power like only 600 watt hours a day.
@@uhjyuff2095 Yes, I have one as a back up in the shed in case I find a good deal on a side of beef. :-)
All of the roof space I would have added more permanent panels. But just checked the price of this kit and it's insane and many better priced options
The shots of the remaining times seem a bit misleading because you're showing them while the minutes are still droppings like they were seconds. Which implies the system is still adjusting and realizing whether the load is a small time peak or the sustained load for the next few hours.
I was surprised he threw those numbers out as well. They were still calibrating like you mentioned. They’ll need those supplemental panels to run their Dual A/C units for sure.
I am working on a stealth mini RV project / radio shack with a 6X9 covered trailer. The solar panels will be retractible awnings and provide 17kw of PV and 550ah of LiFePO4 power. Everything is low voltage so no inverter.
Just for info " Shore power" is a naval/marine term used when ships dock in harbours and they connect shore/land based power! So your very nice RV would be " the ship " docking at the RV park/harbour supply. Oh love the videos keep them coming Jerry !
A few points:
- what's the ideal number of solar panels? as many as you can fit on your roof. They have room to double their roof panels.
- the big fridge was drawing 620 watts. That's about 3-4 times what a typical family of 4 fridge draws when compressor is running.
If the doors are not opened regularly the duty cycle will drop down near 20-25%.
- I live in the sub tropics so we can have 2 weeks of rain and cloud cover. So unless your solar system can carry you through 14 days of no sunshine, then you need a beefy generator (over 3000 watts)
- Their fridge is probably the worst to have for off grid living. You are much better with top loading chest fridges and freezers, which are used on boats universally. These don't spill cold air out every time the doors are opened.
- You can also reduce duty cycle by reducing door openings, and keeping empty spaces filled with water/ice, so cold air doesn't escape with door openings. The cold water/ice also acts to keep the contents colder for longer if power is lost.
- propane is no joke. Always always regularly check lines and valves for faults. The only fires I know of have been due to propane lines failing. One of the saddest sights was a recent retiree who lost everything he owned in his winnebago due to a fault in the installation of propane tanks and lines.
Jerry: starts doing electrical stuff
Mehdi: starts durability testing smartphones
His name is Zack 😂😂
@@victor555117 stop it,you're so annoying,copy-pasting the same reply to every comment
@@victor555117 we like Jerry
its called shore power because of ships and boats. Nuclear submarines obviously can power themselves but it ages the nuclear core unnecessarily as the core is the limiting factor on how long before a boat gets a refuel or decommisioning. So instead they connect to the "shore" power grid when they can i.e in port
I would suggest using Dicor Self-Leveling lap sealant instead of Flexseal. You will thank me later.
I think that having a connection to the alternator would be a good idea for another backup until theres a need for the plug for panels. I like redundency like that.
Great setup, though, why not install bigger or more solar panels and avoid having the portable ones?
They will have to use shore/generator when it's cloudy
Because it’s sponsored
I would not use the portable panels, I am lazy I would just start the generator for an hour and pump 10 kwh into the battery and be done!!!
@@uhjyuff2095 portable solar panels are a scam anyways, it's about $250 per 100w vs $50 - $80 for a normal panel
Really wish these solar companies came to Africa we always have sunlight in Kenya but the cost of installation is high because of companies taking advantage despite government waivers Great Video Really informative
"They've been to all 50 states in their RV.."
I'd believe 49. 😁
Lol. You got me on that one. Or maybe they just have a *Really* cool RV.
@@JerryRigEverything 👏👏👏
Shore Power seems to have been borrowed from the U.S. Navy which uses that term when the ships are in port. As the engines need maintenance during those periods, we used to haul a huge thick cable from the dock to power the living spaces aboard when no energy is coming from the power plant. Yachts probably use the term as well, and since your fifth wheeler is essentially a "Land Yacht", it seems appropriate.
That camper is pretty sick. And even better because it’s supposedly Lego compatible
Shore power comes from small boats such as yachts. For on-board plug sockets to work at 120/240V they need to be plugged in at the *shore* - batteries on yachts are usually 12V. Similar idea was made for caravans/motorhomes so the name stuck.
That camper is nicer than my apartment, holy cow
Seriously. How rich are these people? They Even have a child. That’s equally expensive
@@Woodshadow very rich. Probably 6 figures both
@@Woodshadow they invested early on with moderna.
I went off grid ten years ago and built my own home single-handedly. In June 2021 I bought a Tesla model 3 and wanted to charge it using the sun. Here is my setup: I have three 300 watt panels. I have a flat roof and leave them flat as I live in the middle of Oregon. (If I tried to point them south I would only get rays between 11am and 2 pm.) On a sunny day I get almost 800 watts. I feed this energy into a 60 amp MPPT charge controller keeping six 100 amp hour Battle Borne batteries charged. The key is using a 3500 watt inverter (pure sine wave). On a sunny day my Tesla wants 1500 watts if I set it to 12 amps and get 6 miles of range. On a cloudy day I need 1000 watts so I change the Tesla charging down to 8 amps and get 4 miles of range. I use thick wires so I do not loose current and protect batteries and inverter with 300 amp and 200 amp circuit breakers. If I tried to use 12 amps it would drain the batteries real quick so I keep it at 10 or 8 amps and it charges for 14 hours a day. This actually is as good as if not better than someone on the grid using 120 volts AC. Make sure you use a bonding plug (connect neutral to ground) if Tesla won't charge. Some inverters don't need one.
It's funny I was watching you when i worked at a phone repair company, now I work in solar and construction, and it always seems your doing something similar.
That RV is way roomier than some of the places I've lived in the past, crazy what you can do with a little bit of determination
I would first build a metal frame for the solar panels,like a rack
Extremely interesting and great use for solar and battery backup, also looking forward to their video on how well it works for them.
excited to share about it!
The term "shore power" was a nautical term. At yacht clubs it's literally power from the shore. The term became used on land to describe "plugging in" for RV's, eighteen wheelers kitchen and sleep areas, any RV park, or camping area.
Most RV fridge's that are produced have multiple ways of powering them, AC, DC and then propane. Dometic, Norcold, Furion are some of the main manufactures of these devices, with the propane system it operates in a sealed Ammonia setup, the propane heats up the liquid Ammonia which turns it to a gas and if you look inside the fridge, there are cooling fins which absorbs the heat inside the fridge, then by thermal dynamics causes the Ammonia to turn back into a liquid, completing the cycle...
Shore power was a term adopted from marinas and ports where a boat or ship would dock and turn off its engines and generators, but still require power, so they would plug in big 50 amp cords and get power supplied from the dock/shore. The Rv industry just adopted that lingo for plugging into an outside power source when you get to Rv parks that supply electricity.
5:53 Phil Swift would be proud
if you wondering about truck charges rv battery it same as you plug into 7 pin on trailer to trucks there 12v on it u cant miss it
is it fast or slow my question be on pending on battery In truck with alternative keeping up if stay at 2.500 rpm yah it would keep up if no just idles it wouldn't generator enough amp to it so keep it in mind
i live in bus rv which u can find them everywhere
Aw man, I have a dream to connect solar panels on the roof to the actual vehicle... Some day some day
Insanely cool install. I would love to do something like that, in the future. No way those panels keep a 10kwh battery system fully charged, not when they are laying flat like that. Maybe they'll come close during the perfect summer conditions, but during winter or either shoulder season, that's just not enough solar to charge up those batteries from say 10% to 90% in a single day.
Really nice job, but instead of havinh the flex solar pannels only for emergency, why isn't on the roof all the time too? 800W for 10kWh maybe is enough for summer, but it will be more difficult on winter and they will need to use the flex solar panels really often
Monies.
its fine, they have a backup generator that they can run for like 1-2 hours and get 10kwh charge EZPZ. Solar is really just the trickle charger for when loads are minimal, the gas generator is for when the big loads are used!
You could probably sit the external solar panels on the awning when it's rolled out to keep them off the ground.
Too heavy
The whole circuit breaker/fusebox under the kitchen sink seems like a safety issue. Or is it just me?
Should have run a DC to DC charger from the truck alternator to that open input slot, so you could make power while driving when the sun isn't shinning, like cloudy and night time driving. Love mine!
I love when Jerry does Science. ❤⚡️⚡️
His name is Zack..😂
@@victor555117 why you replying on every comment
His name is Zack ?
Why do you care so much
It doesn't matter even if people call him
Zack zeck Zuku jerry jarru etc etc
@@victor555117 I know Bro.
This is not the first time I am watching him.
Shore Power is a term that I believe came for the nautical environment. Boats would connect into "Shore" power to power their systems from the Electric grid so that they can disable their combustion based generators, save money on fuel and to perform maintenance that could not be performed underway. The idea was then translated to RVs as they would navigate the roads and would need to connect into the Electric grid to power their systems to get off the 12v power that was being provided by the Tow vehicle or the 12v battery on the trailer. Some RV Equipment, when I camped in one back in the 90s, had hot water heaters that could run off propane or electric and fridges that could run off propane full time or propane while traveling and then electric when connected to the grid. Not to mention a lot of the original RVs looked a lot like Submarines, Airstream being the best known.
damn, it only makes me wish these stuff were less expensive so most homes could use such stuff as well
True
Great 👍 information
just brought a Ecoflow for my Van, awesome little box, fitting the solar this weekend, wish me luck on the cable run,
Awesome as always. I’m curious why did you blur the background in some cases?
Maybe someone was having fun in the open 🤔 😆
I need a pick up truck and an RV, ugh I am so pumped watching this!
Some ECOFLOW products were just banned in Europe because of the security flaws on their products (bad isolation between primary and secondary sides)... Bad timing for collab Zack.
Edit: edited wording from 'many' to 'some'
F
Europe bans everything. They're a bunch of nanny state losers. There's a reason everything costs 3x as much, and everything gets done 3x slower here in Europe. Because of nanny state over reaction nonsense. People in the states don't care about nanny state stuff; especially when it's a non issue like in this case.
source? I just Googled "ecoflow ban in europe" and got nothing
Reference?
So, what security that is flawed do you need for a solar panel. Does jt run on the internet?
If you update the fridge to a DC compressor you can cut that almost 700W down to 100W.
Living a eco friendly life is a luxury for the rich. This whole set up would have cost hundreds of thousands.
What does the cost of the RV have to do with anything? That's their home. That's like saying solar panels put on the roof of a house costs hUnDrEdS oF tHoUsAnDs oF dOLLaRs.
It benefits all of us. I'd prefer the rich to have an eco-friendly life than continue to destroy our biosphere with fossil fuels.
And in due course, the tech will trickle down to the rest of us. Even poor people can own at least one solar panel and reduce reliance on the grid.
@@littlejackalo5326 I'm pretty sure he didn't think that's their home...
@@littlejackalo5326 It still cost hundreds of thousands so the points valid
@@Liimpy brand new that toy hauler might MSRP at over 100k, but you can get great used units for under 40k, and the whole solar setup at new retail pricing is under 25k, and again you get find much better deals, especially if you buy raw LiFePO4 cells that are lightly used. So, assuming you spent top dollar for brand new everything, $150,000 max, no where close to “hundreds of thousands” of dollars, and the careful buyer with DIY skills can duplicate the setup for under $50,000.
shore power isn't the only thing in common for ships an RV's.
they both require decent discipline of "lashing"- making sure that things are either closed away or held down before the vehicle starts moving...
2:18 I believe it's called shore power because it's the same system yachts use at marinas, plugging in to onshore power rather than using the boat's generator
Everyone deserve friends like Jerry.
That toy hauler is baller. Coming from someone who lived in one for a while man that thing is nice
Shore power is from the Navy; when you pull into port, you can run a generator (or nuclear reactor) to keep the ship (or boat) powered, or run shore-cables, to a shore power panel, and power the vessel from the shore (land) power! As a Navy Submariner, I can tell you that keeping the power plant running while in shore sucks for us in engineering, since we won't get to play on the shore.
as mentioned at 10;35
So.... I made this switch 2 years ago. The two biggest consumers of energy in the rv is the fridge and hvac. Both are horribly inefficient - move to a household-type fridge as it uses 1/6th the power and works much better in warm environments. The other thing is to ditch the rooftop a/c units and install a multi-zone mini split (uses 1/3 the power of the rooftop units).
With that done I found the sweet spot for storage is 25-30kwh but to be completely off grid I ended up with 3.8kw of solar, Sunpower - home-style panels, which in a 40ft 5th wheel you have plenty of room for after removing the rooftop a/c units.
With the RV fully powered and acting like it's a normal home (hvac running 24/7, living life normally) we use 20-25 kWh daily. Before diving down this rabbit hole make sure your rig can support the weight this adds, and if the financial cost is really worth it to you as you can buy a lot of generator fuel for $8-$12k.
Yeah, I wish they would have done a energy audit of what loads they really need. The furnace fan and the lights are really the main loads to an RV 12 volt electrical system. If you think about being comfortable during a cold climate event off grid, its nice to have a surplus of battery power and not have to run a noisy generator to keep warm. Lithium batteries are really neat because even if they do get low the gas generator has the ability to charge them very quickly to full whereas lead acid has a hard time absorbing the last few drops!
100 watt panels are a good choice because 1) they are very cost effective (~$80 per panel), 2) they fit well into a lot of spaces (measuring 27" x 36"), 3) when one breaks (and they do break!), you only need to replace a single 100 watt panel, and 4) 100 watt panels have more rigidity compared to larger panels.
Nahnot space efficient needs more money in mounts connectors screws and time to install em. Sometimes they can be used depending on layout but it's rare.
Can’t wait to see these come standard this way. A nice 6kW system, attached to a single Powerwall, plugged into the back of a back of a bidirectional charger on a Cybertruck would be a dream come true!
it’s called shore power because on boats you have power from a generator hooked to the engine or solar but when you come into port you generally hook into a power main on the shore
In less than 3 minutes he started punching holes in the roof of this beautiful RV. This guy is a destroyer. a true demolition man. a real vendal.
@JerryRigEverything I'm watching your latest video (the wheelchair one), and I can't help but think how an amazingly cute couple you are. You're such good fit together. I'm glad for both of you that you found each other. ☺️😎👍🏾
Never really liked fifth wheels until I saw the Luxe fifth wheel trailers. Those are really nice.
Do you saw the solar mobiles? You must see that! Some guys in Russian are racing on DIY solar mobiles. That's pretty cool!
It is called shore power because it is a term barrowd from boating. Boats when at dock will run a three phase power line from the ship to shore and get power from shore instead of making it on-board (this not only save fuel but also gives them time to do mantnince on the ships power generationbsystems/generators.
There's enough roof space on that RV to at least triple the solar input. I don't think 800W on the roof is enough, but you could probably add 1.6kW of panels for a total of 2.4kW on the roof, plus another set of 800W of folding panels, for a peak total of 4kW. You could run everything during the day without having to use the battery power till the sun starts going down.
Trains in the UK have "Shore power" also, for when they're stabled for extended times in a location, so then engines aren't required to be running e.g overnight
50 years ago I used to work at a Scout Camp across the river from Swan Valley in the summers... and canoe down the Snake River on weekends...
the term shore power comes from shipping.
in harbour, ships do not use their own ressources.
they are plugged into the shore harbour systems.
both kinds of water, electricity, internet, everything.
awesome, i've just made a 48v solar system to run my entire room. pc, 2 monitors, 3d printers, lights, amp, drill, phones. i will never have to pay for a power bill ever again. This is the way to go if you no what your doing.
At 5:53 I was like, "Ohhhh thank goodness!", up until that point I was screaming, not enough sealant!!
I will say though, I prefer to add sealant at every stage, including a big dollop at the screw stage.
The 7 Pin trailer electrical connector has a pin for 12V Auxiliary which makes a good for charging source for batteries in RV
Zack's head shinning on a solar panel would power an entire city 😎☀️🌃💡
I did a similar build on my motorhome. Except I built my 10 kWh battery myself using raw LiFePO4 cells and I installed 3,200 watts of solar on the roof.
How much did it cost you
A key point that seems be be glossed over, you should know the power consumption of every device onboard to size the system properly. Having a system larger than needed may not be a bad thing, but a system that is too small will waste money and produce a lot of anxiety.
If your camper has a 50A plug, it’s really 2 lines of 120v (US) at 50A each. Maxed out, it could draw around 12,000 watts at 6000 watts per line. So the 10 KW system is about right.
For those with a 30A 3 prong plug, you are looking around 3600 watts so a 3000 Watt system would be minimal 5000 Watt if you run power hungry devices.
Very nice and clean installation, I hope they get many years of freedom and use out it.
Yeah, he glossed over a lot of the loads in this RV. I hope he only installed one A/C unit on the new EcoFlow electrical panel because this RV most certainly has 2 A/C units.
You could shave 3-5 amps off the AC using a Dometic Penguin II High Efficiency, The highest compressor load is 8.8 amps and the blower is a 2.6 amps. Most normal AC's are 12-18 amps on max, the do have the Dometic Penguin II in a heat pump but it's a normal unit and a heavy amp user. The high efficiency unit is 11000 BTU.
I just ordered a Dometic Penguin II a few days ago, mostly because of their efficiency, and it looks like a nice unit. It has not yet arrived. I’m installing it on a bus conversion.
There is so much more room on that roof too. You could maybe double the number of the panels up there if they ever wanted to expand in the future. That way the portable foldable panels won't even be needed.
I assume that somebody told you, but I was in the Navy, and it is called shore power, because when a ship pulls into port, it stops using the power generated by the ship (in my case, a nuclear reactor) and is plugged into power provided from the port, which is, of course, on shore. Hence...drum roll, please! Shore power. :)
In case you're wondering, the RV AC/propane powered fridge is way less complicated than you think. If it loses AC power it auto switches to propane and lights a burner. Instead of using a 120V mechanical pump to pressurize Freon like home fridges, it uses a small propane burner to increase the Freon temp which causes the pressure to go up, and then the Freon continues to go through the typical refrigeration cycle. It's not as efficient as a mechanical pump, but its stupid simple, few moving parts, and great when you need to use multiple power sources.
It is highly flammable and a major cause of RV fires. They always say when traveling and fueling to turn them off.They still can have a leak while moving but there is no flame to ignite the gasses. It is a technology that can work in remote areas but with solar panels and pure sine wave inverters I say most modern Americans want a fridge that cools quickly and they are not that power hungry for a smaller unit.These days people are always in the fridge and the propane cannot keep up. My propane ran constantly and could not keep ice cream hard but then I made Ice in mine. Propane fridge needs to keep the door closed and prechill all the food before putting it in. :-) Consider the leveling issue also. All RVs should come with a basic solar system for the fridge, cheaper cost as I paid less than $500 where these propane units can be $4000. Watching an RV go up in flames is enough for me. I still use propane for furnace, water heating and the stove.
This video is brought to us by EcoFlow, but the description says JerryRigEverything is sponsored by Anker. I wonder which one is better? Prices seem to be around the same when matching for KWh.
And I can only say this from experience. A those folks who mention 1 to 2 hrs max running bigger appliances - AC, fridge, esp the microwave - they are spot on with the time. Check back in 3 months with them and see how the solar is working on a normal life schedule.
Most of the stuff Zack is posting is super inspiring !!! Thanks bud !!! 👍
with all the prices and cost surging, solar power is a real game changer. I need one for my house!
A rig like that needs larger solar panels. On sunny days it might look great, but what if the sun doesn't shine and the ac is used? It will drain the battery pretty fast. The roof is big enough for that, plus with other type of panels it is easily done.