That's cool. I want to look into solar and batteries and inverters because I want to start going on road trips with some camping thrown in instead of sitting at home. Though I do grill in the yard instead of sitting and playing XBOX like I use to.
you should look at the 12v home depot bucket ac. that might be interesting to you. search it on youtube, it may be a cheap cooling option... by cheat I mean cost and wattage. the fan I use on mine is 12v and I think less than 2amp.
@@IH8CalSpa that bucket unit your referring to is an "evaporative" cooling system isn't it? It has the water pump where you put the ice water in the bucket. If that is it that throws alot of moisture in the air.
Indeed, although I'd go for lithium batteries now. 6 years ago that was a bit radical (and even more expensive!) so he made perfectly good choices for then. A small heat pump for heating (like the one out of a leaf or other EV) is a good way of getting more heat for less energy.
But if you live in the deserts of NV, AZ and CA like these people, the air con is not an option. These states are the last few places where you can boondock on blm lands safely. They also happen to be hot 🔥 in the summers
I run a 13,500 BTU rooftop air conditioner on my 854Ah battery bank, 3000/6000 watt inverter and 300 watts of solar.That’s a solid 4 hours. I’m adding another 400 watts of solar (for a total of 700 watts) and that will give me all day air conditioning. I also charge at 15 amps while driving. A/C is totally doable. I don’t know why so many people insist that it’s not possible. I do it almost every day.
Just getting a 100 watt panel with a 100ah battery (and charge controller) made living out of the van a WHOLE different experience. I only live out of it a week at a time usually but man life is a ton more enjoyable with that panel and battery.
Was watching this while eating dinner, Then again after dinner and now at 1:30 AM, I've never seen anything like this, Such a humble man, Great work Bob !!
Most of my adult life I been working in the electronics Engineering industry, It's time for me to put my knowledge to work and live my dream of traveling. Instead of making things for everyone else.
We out here in cyber land need to hear more from people like Jim who are operating their rigs on solar including A/C and other electrical appliances off grid. We don't need hearsay or opinions without experience. This video is really good Bob. People are hoping that solar is more useable and practical than we are hearing from other sources. Thanks, good job.
I use solar oven and save on energy even more. It takes longer to cook but it’s free solar heat that cooks and you get to save electricity for other needs.
I am flabbergasted!! How incredibly smart! Most of it went right over my head but how informative for somebody who gets it. I'm not a vandweller but hope others can take advantage of this information! Great video!
As usual Jim has found a way to cut more cost's out of off grid living. Thanks Bob for a very informative video. I am going to take Jim's advise and build my system according to my needs.
Like so many things in life, ignore the naysayers, do the math yourself and go for it. Worst you could do is make a mistake, learn from it and try again. While 2,000 bucks or so might be a fortune to some, it is nothing as much as I have heard in the past people needing to spend. Plus a good generator is at least 300-500 bucks. Plus the cost of fuel!
@@beepseatsfindingfoodtreasu8756 Mistakes, besides being expensive, take up valuable time which cannot be replaced and are made by amateurs because they have a healthy dose of wishful thinking and didn't have much of a plan on the front end , but have all the time and money to correct it on the back end.. Just another example of our society in decline..
I have watched at least 2 other interviews you've done with Jim. What a wealth of information he has! I rewatch with my cheapRVLiving notebook at my side, LOL. I'm rarin' to go!
I read an article that said that if you run an air conditioner on low and combine that with a fan you can still stay reasonably cool while saving on power usage. Basically, you're taking advantage of the wind chill effect. Maybe people could do this with vehicle solar systems, too.
Jim is willing to invest in quality equipment and he does the math. Solar, all electrical, is applied mathematics. I’ll plug Morningstar controllers. They seem to be very reliable and just work well. In my 26 years I’ve not heard of many failures. The one in my van just keeps doing its thing. Jim also mentions several times following the instructions of the battery company and setting the charge controller correctly.
great info. Maybe some sort of canopy system to go over or part of the RV to drop the temp down 10-20deg. Lived in Phoenix for 20 years and shade is your friend.
Jim - You Rock! Solar Nerd at it's finest, and I mean that in a very positive way :) Thank you for all the detailed information and for sharing your knowledge and setup.
We lived in 40 ft. Jayco 5th wheel. Two 100 w flat plate solar panels. 2 6v. Hi capacity batteries. Inverter and converter. Control panel. Could run everything on solar. Also a 2000w Honda generator for backup. Lived full time for 7yrs. Also included stackable washer/dryer. Tub and shower!
You should try using 32 cells of 38120S hooked up in 16 series 2 parallel. 51.4V battery will run a 48V Inverter. You'll use less amps for your ac unit and your panels will charge a higher voltage. You'll gain at least a 20% efficiency and enable 50A constant current without solar charge coming in, but your battery is only 51.4V 20Ah. Basically you just have 1kw available for night. These cells also last 20years maintenance free with a proper bms or just bottom balace the cells then full charge together and just check after 5 years and rebalance.
I would consider a slightly stronger window ac maybe a 6000 btu for more comfort. I saw a medium spot on top of his trailer home maybe a medium panel could go there to help power the stronger ac also he should have one of those magnetic curtains for if he needs to step outside it closes up behind him maybe a cloth version I'm sure it can be applied to keep the cold in
I was a special Projects at a lead smelter (now a super fund site) in Seattle. I did work for the chemist which involved chainsawing batteries open to gwt at the plates. I also saw old glass batteries.RSR Quemetco.
This man knows his stuff,,very intelligent and clever, well done my friend and enjoy the rest of your years out there,,gives me inspiration,,,many thx for sharing
I saw a video on your channel and the woman made so much sense. She didn't have her solar attached to her vehicle because she would have to be parked in full sun to charge the batteries. With solar that you can move around, you can charge while being parked in the shade.
Sunpower, American company makes 435W Panels, he might be talking about those. Available to the public in Australia even, i installed about 300x 435W panels 2 years ago
A medium size off grid system with backyard awning mounted panels putting out enough power for a window air conditioner and a small chest refrigerator could get me through a power outage and take a load of the grid the rest of the time, the hard part is the particulars. Access power could slow charge my EVs.
I am reminded of the solar array on the ISS space station. You may be able to put a rocket 🚀 on your rig. Thank you Jim. I’m going to look you up next year. I cannot live without AC in the boondocks.
Hey, man, I really hope you read this. You can conect your air conditioner to your water tank to save some energy. Basically running pipes through or by the radiator of the air conditioner will transfer heat to the water so both systems will work better.
Solar Boondocker what you did having solar on both the truck and trailer is smart and efficient, loved it....have fun out there, I just have a little van and no clue how to put solar for my small needs.... I'm in Nevada roughing it but I manage, hopefully I'll get solarized one day
Super cool, I'm 45 now and when I was 24 I lived in my motorhome to save money to buy my house. I stole a freeway mobile sign that had a battery pack and a solar panel.inverters were more expensive back then but I would try to buy everything DC to be more efficient.even though I have a house now I still miss my cozy motorhome.
Looks like your airconditioner has crushed fins on the condenser. You need a gill fin straightener to straighten them. Then your airconditioner will be more efficient.
Oops I had more to say. It’s very inspiring to hear this is possible. I just bought 4 panels at 335 watts each for $520. I’m going to get 2 more so I’ll have 2010 watts mounted flat on the roof. I just bought a bus for our family of 4 to live in full time. I’d love to do heating and cooling with solar as well as all the other stuff like fridge etc. great video thanks for sharing.
I built my own toy hauler from a 18 foot by 8.5 wide cargo trailer and installed a 12k mini split ductless and it draws max 15 amps. I have 1440 watts of solar and 280 ah at 48 volts of LiFep04 battery’s. I can run my AC 24/7.
Hi all the way from New Zealand. Great videos. I would love my own van to convert into a home to travel nz with my 2kids. Then eventually travel other countries including USA. God willing I will.
You can run your AC with solar day or night if it's a setup to store power for nite then just run a generator during the day for your AC . That's what I would do
I'm set up almost exactly the way this guy is at my house except my panels are at about 1.2 kilowatt and I have a 24 volt pure sine wave inverter on the high side on my HCPU and 12 volts also pure sine wave on the low side and the auxiliary regulated 12v for night lighting all off grid and I've been off grid now for 6 years I built it one piece at at time. This guy is great except I would consider pure sine wave inverter/s for much greater efficiency and his air conditioner will last longer in that heat. Modified sine wave will heat up you equipment more and in the desert, heat is an enemy. This is only of course a small part of my HCPU but I love it!!! GOOD WORK FELLA!!!!
I agree. This guy has the right approach. And, he is right 30 AMP circuit and looks like he has more like 50 AMP or bit more. If he is getting about 60 AMP (just for the sake of argument), stating the obvious, but that is like a house with 4, 15 AMP circuits or 1, 30 AMP and and 2, 15 AMP, circuits, frankly more than enough for a single person. I would love to have seen a drill down into his electoral setup. He did name the equipment. This really is inspirational.
Thank you for this encouraging presentation... bought my 21ft class C...loading it up now and will camp in my friends driveway for a month and I will be heading down the road soon.
That was great info! Thanks so much for the interview! Also, thanks for previous explaining in simple terms how solar works and is put together. Learning so much that hope to put to use in the near future. 👍☺
Great info, thanks for sharing. I've been working on an off grid camp for a year now. I just increased from 500 to 800 watts of panels as well as (4) 200Ah lifepo4 batteries in parallel and a 3000 watt inverter charger. Still evaluating it all but my wife is happy to have a functioning microwave lol. I haven't run my generator to charge now for a few weeks. Solar can be a lot of fun and allow you to live well self sufficiently. I do heat with propane still however.
radio/TV/DVD player/fans/house lights/ham radio qrp/ no AC yet working on Felser joint junction rig with dedicated panel at 100 watts keep it up there is no limit kv4li es
I appreciate you sharing your wisdom on solar. I'm having trouble grasping how solar all works together, but trying to learn as I go. I purchased a Bluetti solar generator lately and am deciding on the panels now.
jim if you could put a small white tarp to shade your rv im betting you could be in the 70's inside on hot days still keep pannels ontop of tarp. also a table barring would be assume for top of the van be like the lazy susan of solor panel alignment
Still say the way to do solar air conditioning is a direct drive system to freeze a tank of water into a block of ice. A 12, 24 or 36v DC compressor to pull voltage right off the panels so if the sun is out you are making ice. When needed you just need a blower fan to pass air over ether the ice itself or past a radiator pulling cold water from the ice block. The fun then is how large of an ice tank do you need and how large of a battery for running the on demand fan/fan, pump combo.
The window units are much easier to run than the roof mounted power pigs. My Honda 2000i generator will run a good size window unit but overloads on the roof ac on my class C.
I have researched a lot on RV solar, and though I had an inkling of what it is about. My knowledge just tripled! Cheers from Vancouver Canada , Mr. Canada Creek Ranch!
EAST TO WEST SOLAR FOLLOWS THE SUN EXCELLENT!! IM IN TOWNEHOUSE HOA COSTS TOO MUCH HOW CAN I SNEAK SOME SOLAR THROUGH EAST WEST WINDOWS AND VERY LOW VISIBILITY CANT USE ROOF NOT ALLOWED
I know zero about what he's talking about and never have done the gypsy life style but as an ex-math teacher he does sound more knowledgeable than the other videos about the solar systems.
Hi Bob Im heading to leadville next week,im in Florida right now.I got a Truck camper its handmade,i love it,i hope to meet you someday,been watching your videos.Molly
Unless you just want a bill from a power company, you will need to learn and do quite a bit to make this stuff work right. But you can do it, apply yourself and start small. Understand the math too, watts/amps/volts and the relationships. Voltage times Amps equals the wattage. So 120 volts times .5 amps will light a 60 watt traditional light bulb. But for more efficient LEDs 120 volts times .1 amp and you still get 60 watt equiv at cost of 6 watts.
It's all the right wires, hook-ups, meters etc. that are challenging especially with an ancient trailer. Not to mention the best place to purchase all this equipment. I can do it myself, but I want to do it right.
I wonder if a small trailer covered with solar panels and batteries would work and you could pull it with an electric car. Keep the car charged from the trailer. Stay in the car with the ac running while you need it. That may be a small enough area to heat and cool to keep it running overnight and not pull down the batteries to much. Maybe a small popup trailer that way you could have a shower and toilet also. A pop up tent over the car will help a lot to keep the ac running less.
Can a weekend handyman do this? The detail you speak of about each component is scary. But I've seen 1200watt kits sold for the diy person. I learned alot, it sounds like the main thing is to "keep your batteries happy ".
I bought my solar panels and got them for $1 per watt. I have about 4 kwh of panels plus another 1.4 kwh in wind generators. If one really understands these systems one can get a lot more out of these systems than the information out there provides. I began learning about solar many decades ago when I was in the 8th Grade and it was new. I kept up with them all these years as well.
Great video and system. As I’ve done several systems running AC. I’ll mention a couple things that got skimmed over. There’s never enough time to mention every detail and doing solar well is a lot of detail. They did a good job avoiding TMI, information overload lol. First, try not to get AC ambitious and buy a big AC. It’s difficult to find enough roof space needed to run more than a 5000 btu AC. Notice Jim was smart to add a big panel to his tow vehicle. Many RV folks place some panels on the ground. I run a 9000 btu AC but I cleared all the vents, antennas, etc from my roof of a 32 foot class A and covered nearly the entire roof with solar panels. That was a big job. Second, I may have missed it but I don’t remember hearing if he uses a Morningstar mppt or Morningstar pwm charge controller. The mppt model costs at least twice as much but is worth it in my humble opinion. Work better during low temperature and low light conditions. And other advantages but I don’t want to get into tmi here. Third, don’t expect miracles from your solar energy system. If the math doesn’t add up it’s not going to do it. Fourth, 12 volts is very low voltage. The automotive industry seriously considered switching to 24 volts but we are heavily invested in 12 volts. Low voltage requires higher current [amps] to get the same power as higher voltage. Thus low voltage systems require bigger wires and cables to minimize voltage drops. Don’t skimp on cable size and current carrying capacity. In fact it’s a good idea to oversize the cables slightly. Then you can change to more panels, bigger inverter, more batteries, bigger charge controller, etc, later without having to rewire everything. Also as mentioned voltage drops are minimized. Wiring correctly to code is much more difficult than it appears on the surface. It safer when oversized and no one is going to say you are violating code. You don’t want a brown out ( low voltage sag) condition due to undersized cables and equipment in your RV like some third world country. Leave a little headroom on everything if you can afford it. If you are running 2000 watts with the AC on and cooking lunch buy a 3000 watt inverter. Keep the DC cables, positive and negative, carefully balanced and the same length. Omg, tmi!! Fifth, consider a bidirectional (transformer based low frequency) inverter/charger if you can afford it. Sometimes called “.combis”, they have a quality built-in power factor corrected (PFC) AC powered charger that works seamlessly with the inverter. The control panel tells you what both the inverters and charger are doing. There are a few folks running only on solar and inverter with no AC powered charger or generator. They often have a second alternator however. And often have very expensive Lithium batteries. Sixth, Bob and Jim started to get into battery selection and care and did a good job condensing it and avoiding tmi. Be real careful here. Solar equipment is design and use is based around the limitations of the battery. Consider using second hand batteries on your first go around and read, read, read the manufacturer charge parameters. I practiced on lots of old batteries (careful to not try and charge a totally dead battery however, gets hot, they need to have some capacity left. Do the math. Read the charger and controller manuals and set the charge settings properly. Then when you buy new expensive batteries you will know more about it. As Jim mentioned twice use temperature sensors and voltage sense wires between the battery and charge controller is good practice. Too many new batteries get damaged quickly. I camped next a Canadian who had new batteries installed and cables of unequal length run to to house batteries split into two different groups. He had to have it redesigned at great expense a year later. Not going into Lithium batteries here to avoid tmi. I suggest Lifeline batteries also. They are “sealed” and can handle a micro equalization charge but I’ll leave it at that to avoid tmi. Seventh, consider “relative placement” of the equipment. If it’s crammed deep under a cabinet or bed is it going to stay cool, dry, clean? Can it be inspected easily. Connections tightened easily? Put the meter were it can be easily checked many times per day. I place my equipment in its own box that that can be accessed easily. And the meter is near the door where I can see it from inside or outside. I watched my friend throw away his inverter in his Sprinter van. Down by the floor moisture got into it. And he has no meter so has little idea what his system is doing. Eighth, have a dry chemical fire extinguisher nearby at all times. Double and triple check everything. A portable infrared temperature sensor and digital voltmeter are extremely useful. And feeling the case of the batteries or cables ( only the low voltage DC terminals, input from solar and all AC is high voltage) while under heavy load will tell you if anything is getting warm. Very important because anyone who has studied electronics can tell you as the temperature of the conductor goes up so does the resistance. Then it can get hotter and hotter unless the load is reduced. It’s called a cascade reaction. Very bad! Ninth, every conductor is supposed to have overcurrent protection. Either a fuse or a breaker. I won’t go into that as I’m still learning how fuses and breakers are classified. Tmi territory lol. Class T fuse and fuse block are recommended as the main fuse for the inverter. They are kind-off expensive but usually are not ever needed to be replaced. Ordinary automotive fuses rated to 32 volts DC are ok for the rest of the system except for the high voltage input from the panels to the charge controller. There I’ve been using the Midnite Solar DC rated breakers and Midnite Solar solar combiner box enclosure used in residential solar. These are rated to 150 VDC and I’m not sure what fuse I could use. Also with high voltage it’s scary and hazardous messing around with fuses. A DC rated breaker simply snaps into place and can be used as a disconnect when servicing the charge controller. Well worth the investment. The enclosure does take up limited space however it is outdoor rated. .
I want this for my sticks and bricks house but got a quote for ~$22k a year or so ago! Can't wait till this technology is streamlined so everyone can take advantage without breaking the bank.
Prices are down, installers are making the dough, i helped friend design 12.8KW grid tie system that cost 12000$ keep in mind it is 12.8KW of solar and 14KW SMA grid tie inverters (2x7KW) installer would quote 60000$+ you do the math how much they pocket!
Wonder if the A/C would work more efficiently if he hung tarps from the roof to the ground maybe tent stake them down so its portable, to reflect sun from an entire side of the RV and make a little shaded patio. I'm sure hes thought of it already...
I am curious of the technical details on how to run a 33 amp air conditioner off 1185 watts of solar and still be charging the batteries? Technically. Thanks
Wow! I used to work for this guy in Denver years ago. I'm glad to see he is doing well!
Im glad your such a positive person :]
He seems like he knows what he is talking about.
I love how the Sun just gives & gives an abundance of energy & never asks for anything back. I can see that Jim appreciates the Sun also.
I'm an electrical engineer, and have my share in solar system, batteries, nad inverters. This guy has the right approach.
That's cool. I want to look into solar and batteries and inverters because I want to start going on road trips with some camping thrown in instead of sitting at home. Though I do grill in the yard instead of sitting and playing XBOX like I use to.
you should look at the 12v home depot bucket ac. that might be interesting to you. search it on youtube, it may be a cheap cooling option... by cheat I mean cost and wattage. the fan I use on mine is 12v and I think less than 2amp.
@@IH8CalSpa that bucket unit your referring to is an "evaporative" cooling system isn't it? It has the water pump where you put the ice water in the bucket. If that is it that throws alot of moisture in the air.
Indeed, although I'd go for lithium batteries now. 6 years ago that was a bit radical (and even more expensive!) so he made perfectly good choices for then. A small heat pump for heating (like the one out of a leaf or other EV) is a good way of getting more heat for less energy.
@@IH8CalSpa - ??? Where would you get all the ice from???
I've been off gridding for 20 years now ! It's amazing how little power you really need for comfortable living! Get prepping!
But if you live in the deserts of NV, AZ and CA like these people, the air con is not an option. These states are the last few places where you can boondock on blm lands safely. They also happen to be hot 🔥 in the summers
I run a 13,500 BTU rooftop air conditioner on my 854Ah battery bank, 3000/6000 watt inverter and 300 watts of solar.That’s a solid 4 hours. I’m adding another 400 watts of solar (for a total of 700 watts) and that will give me all day air conditioning. I also charge at 15 amps while driving. A/C is totally doable. I don’t know why so many people insist that it’s not possible. I do it almost every day.
"If they can afford the solar it can change their lives." "You can have a very comfortable, electric RV!" Love it! Thanks Bob and Jim!
This would be good for a tiny house off grid. No need to pay for hookup from the electric company. Thanks again Bob.
This is one of the best discussions of Solar I've seen on TH-cam. Well done.
Just getting a 100 watt panel with a 100ah battery (and charge controller) made living out of the van a WHOLE different experience. I only live out of it a week at a time usually but man life is a ton more enjoyable with that panel and battery.
What brands ?
Was watching this while eating dinner, Then again after dinner and now at 1:30 AM, I've never seen anything like this, Such a humble man, Great work Bob !!
Most of my adult life I been working in the electronics Engineering industry,
It's time for me to put my knowledge to work and live my dream of traveling.
Instead of making things for everyone else.
danialphaomega so, how’s it going?
Best of luck!
We out here in cyber land need to hear more from people like Jim who are operating their rigs on solar including A/C and other electrical appliances off grid. We don't need hearsay or opinions without experience. This video is really good Bob. People are hoping that solar is more useable and practical than we are hearing from other sources. Thanks, good job.
I use solar oven and save on energy even more. It takes longer to cook but it’s free solar heat that cooks and you get to save electricity for other needs.
I use and teach solar cooking too
I am glad their are people out there like Jim testing products like this. Keep up the Great interviews Bob
I am flabbergasted!! How incredibly smart! Most of it went right over my head but how informative for somebody who gets it. I'm not a vandweller but hope others can take advantage of this information! Great video!
As usual Jim has found a way to cut more cost's out of off grid living. Thanks Bob for a very informative video. I am going to take Jim's advise and build my system according to my needs.
Like so many things in life, ignore the naysayers, do the math yourself and go for it. Worst you could do is make a mistake, learn from it and try again. While 2,000 bucks or so might be a fortune to some, it is nothing as much as I have heard in the past people needing to spend. Plus a good generator is at least 300-500 bucks. Plus the cost of fuel!
Mistakes are just attempts to find the right way to do something.
Learning from them is the answer to the question at hand.
@@beepseatsfindingfoodtreasu8756 Mistakes, besides being expensive, take up valuable time which cannot be replaced and are made by amateurs because they have a healthy dose of wishful thinking and didn't have much of a plan on the front end , but have all the time and money to correct it on the back end.. Just another example of our society in decline..
I have watched at least 2 other interviews you've done with Jim. What a wealth of information he has! I rewatch with my cheapRVLiving notebook at my side, LOL. I'm rarin' to go!
I build "Solar Farms" in Oregon 12 mega watt + He is correct. 100% Well done.
you've inspired me to bump-up my watts . i'm running a 400 watt renogy system and i wanna heat a mini-camper this winter
I read an article that said that if you run an air conditioner on low and combine that with a fan you can still stay reasonably cool while saving on power usage. Basically, you're taking advantage of the wind chill effect. Maybe people could do this with vehicle solar systems, too.
Jim is the first guy on youtube that has a clue how to setup and buy components for a economical practical solar electric RV off grid system.
Jim is willing to invest in quality equipment and he does the math. Solar, all electrical, is applied mathematics. I’ll plug Morningstar controllers. They seem to be very reliable and just work well. In my 26 years I’ve not heard of many failures. The one in my van just keeps doing its thing. Jim also mentions several times following the instructions of the battery company and setting the charge controller correctly.
seeing the air conditioner running , after hearing it couldnt be done . good job
The AC always runs - it's for how long that escapes most. The sun always shines but it's for how long that escapes most.
great info. Maybe some sort of canopy system to go over or part of the RV to drop the temp down 10-20deg. Lived in Phoenix for 20 years and shade is your friend.
I absolutely love....how this man is self sufficient...true inspiration!!!
Jim - You Rock! Solar Nerd at it's finest, and I mean that in a very positive way :) Thank you for all the detailed information and for sharing your knowledge and setup.
Solar nerd....I like it
We lived in 40 ft. Jayco 5th wheel. Two 100 w flat plate solar panels. 2 6v. Hi capacity batteries. Inverter and converter. Control panel. Could run everything on solar. Also a 2000w Honda generator for backup. Lived full time for 7yrs. Also included stackable washer/dryer. Tub and shower!
You should try using 32 cells of 38120S hooked up in 16 series 2 parallel. 51.4V battery will run a 48V Inverter. You'll use less amps for your ac unit and your panels will charge a higher voltage. You'll gain at least a 20% efficiency and enable 50A constant current without solar charge coming in, but your battery is only 51.4V 20Ah. Basically you just have 1kw available for night. These cells also last 20years maintenance free with a proper bms or just bottom balace the cells then full charge together and just check after 5 years and rebalance.
This day and time everyone should consider this.
Thank you both for your knowledge and skills! Jim's gonna be viral cause he's so easy to understand.
I would consider a slightly stronger window ac maybe a 6000 btu for more comfort. I saw a medium spot on top of his trailer home maybe a medium panel could go there to help power the stronger ac also he should have one of those magnetic curtains for if he needs to step outside it closes up behind him maybe a cloth version I'm sure it can be applied to keep the cold in
I was a special Projects at a lead smelter (now a super fund site) in Seattle. I did work for the chemist which involved chainsawing batteries open to gwt at the plates. I also saw old glass batteries.RSR Quemetco.
I like how everything is run off the solar. Saves a lot of money on propane. Great setup.
This man knows his stuff,,very intelligent and clever, well done my friend and enjoy the rest of your years out there,,gives me inspiration,,,many thx for sharing
All I can say is wow, and so much to learn. Totally self sufficient, no power bills!!!! Living free and comfy. Great investment.
I saw a video on your channel and the woman made so much sense. She didn't have her solar attached to her vehicle because she would have to be parked in full sun to charge the batteries. With solar that you can move around, you can charge while being parked in the shade.
Sunpower, American company makes 435W Panels, he might be talking about those. Available to the public in Australia even, i installed about 300x 435W panels 2 years ago
How many solar panels a lot
Jim is a smart dude! good stuff,,!
A medium size off grid system with backyard awning mounted panels putting out enough power for a window air conditioner and a small chest refrigerator could get me through a power outage and take a load of the grid the rest of the time, the hard part is the particulars. Access power could slow charge my EVs.
I am reminded of the solar array on the ISS space station. You may be able to put a rocket 🚀 on your rig. Thank you Jim. I’m going to look you up next year. I cannot live without AC in the boondocks.
I LOVE HIS SET UP...my goal is to have enough solar to run my trailer plus a dialysis machine.
Did you ever get on the 'road'? I want to go and am looking for a system to run an oxygen concentrator. (120 volts, 60 Hz, 3.4 amp).
Hey, man, I really hope you read this. You can conect your air conditioner to your water tank to save some energy. Basically running pipes through or by the radiator of the air conditioner will transfer heat to the water so both systems will work better.
Thanks Bob the video looks great! I will be explaining in more depth on my channel as well as showing the other things I do with the power.
With your batteries, how many amp hours do you have?
675 Amp hours. A newer set would have 765 Amp hours
Solar Boondocker what you did having solar on both the truck and trailer is smart and efficient, loved it....have fun out there, I just have a little van and no clue how to put solar for my small needs.... I'm in Nevada roughing it but I manage, hopefully I'll get solarized one day
Hey Jim, Nice set-up! Is a wiring diagram for this available? Thanks!
Great video , I wish you got a shot of his battery bank. Great job.
Wow! Excellent set up! Thank you Jim and Bob!
i wasnt yousing my batterys enough now there all ded i learn the hard way ... listen to this man he knows exactly what people need to kmow
Great setup. Happy that someone finally did RV solar seriously!
And good choice on the controllers! Morningstar makes good stuff.
Super cool, I'm 45 now and when I was 24 I lived in my motorhome to save money to buy my house. I stole a freeway mobile sign that had a battery pack and a solar panel.inverters were more expensive back then but I would try to buy everything DC to be more efficient.even though I have a house now I still miss my cozy motorhome.
Go figure. Francisco stole something from the government.
Im planning on fabricating a shipping container solar battery setp-up. Off Grid Welding, coming up
Looks like your airconditioner has crushed fins on the condenser. You need a gill fin straightener to straighten them. Then your airconditioner will be more efficient.
It was recently replaced with a more efficient model.
@@solarboondocker4597 which model?
Oops I had more to say. It’s very inspiring to hear this is possible. I just bought 4 panels at 335 watts each for $520. I’m going to get 2 more so I’ll have 2010 watts mounted flat on the roof. I just bought a bus for our family of 4 to live in full time. I’d love to do heating and cooling with solar as well as all the other stuff like fridge etc. great video thanks for sharing.
This Man is very humble..
This gentleman is so knowledgeable and explained everything that even I could understand. Thank you for sharing
I built my own toy hauler from a 18 foot by 8.5 wide cargo trailer and installed a 12k mini split ductless and it draws max 15 amps. I have 1440 watts of solar and 280 ah at 48 volts of LiFep04 battery’s. I can run my AC 24/7.
That is really cool ! I really like these videos with Jim !
Hi all the way from New Zealand. Great videos. I would love my own van to convert into a home to travel nz with my 2kids. Then eventually travel other countries including USA. God willing I will.
Jordarne Peri hello from Canada!
Hi
Hope to see you in the US!
if you come to the usa you will never want to leave so be prepared we have so much to see
O
You can run your AC with solar day or night if it's a setup to store power for nite then just run a generator during the day for your AC . That's what I would do
If I had to have A/C at night this is what I would do
Bob thanks for posting this video and Jim thanks for sharing your system details. Also thank you both for the recent cheap internet video.
Awesome, I'll try and write something nice when my envy subsides a little bit.
I'm set up almost exactly the way this guy is at my house except my panels are at about 1.2 kilowatt and I have a 24 volt pure sine wave inverter on the high side on my HCPU and 12 volts also pure sine wave on the low side and the auxiliary regulated 12v for night lighting all off grid and I've been off grid now for 6 years I built it one piece at at time. This guy is great except I would consider pure sine wave inverter/s for much greater efficiency and his air conditioner will last longer in that heat. Modified sine wave will heat up you equipment more and in the desert, heat is an enemy. This is only of course a small part of my HCPU but I love it!!! GOOD WORK FELLA!!!!
I agree. This guy has the right approach. And, he is right 30 AMP circuit and looks like he has more like 50 AMP or bit more. If he is getting about 60 AMP (just for the sake of argument), stating the obvious, but that is like a house with 4, 15 AMP circuits or 1, 30 AMP and and 2, 15 AMP, circuits, frankly more than enough for a single person. I would love to have seen a drill down into his electoral setup. He did name the equipment. This really is inspirational.
Bob, Thanks for sharing. Tell Jim To make some more videos. Awesome.
Thank you for this encouraging presentation... bought my 21ft class C...loading it up now and will camp in my friends driveway for a month and I will be heading down the road soon.
That was great info! Thanks so much for the interview! Also, thanks for previous explaining in simple terms how solar works and is put together. Learning so much that hope to put to use in the near future. 👍☺
Great info, thanks for sharing. I've been working on an off grid camp for a year now. I just increased from 500 to 800 watts of panels as well as (4) 200Ah lifepo4 batteries in parallel and a 3000 watt inverter charger. Still evaluating it all but my wife is happy to have a functioning microwave lol. I haven't run my generator to charge now for a few weeks. Solar can be a lot of fun and allow you to live well self sufficiently. I do heat with propane still however.
radio/TV/DVD player/fans/house lights/ham radio qrp/ no AC yet working on Felser joint junction rig with dedicated panel at 100 watts keep it up there is no limit kv4li es
I appreciate you sharing your wisdom on solar. I'm having trouble grasping how solar all works together, but trying to learn as I go. I purchased a Bluetti solar generator lately and am deciding on the panels now.
jim if you could put a small white tarp to shade your rv im betting you could be in the 70's inside on hot days still keep pannels ontop of tarp. also a table barring would be assume for top of the van be like the lazy susan of solor panel alignment
Still say the way to do solar air conditioning is a direct drive system to freeze a tank of water into a block of ice. A 12, 24 or 36v DC compressor to pull voltage right off the panels so if the sun is out you are making ice. When needed you just need a blower fan to pass air over ether the ice itself or past a radiator pulling cold water from the ice block. The fun then is how large of an ice tank do you need and how large of a battery for running the on demand fan/fan, pump combo.
The window units are much easier to run than the roof mounted power pigs. My Honda 2000i generator will run a good size window unit but overloads on the roof ac on my class C.
Good deal. Sounds like you've got it set up pretty nice.
I have researched a lot on RV solar, and though I had an inkling of what it is about. My knowledge just tripled! Cheers from Vancouver Canada , Mr. Canada Creek Ranch!
5/24/18.......THIS system imakes it seem comfy & practical. Trick is taking care of your batteries! GREAT INFO!
Look up solar efficiency charts to see what time/angle you should set your panel. You'd be surprised how much geometry effects efficiency.
I love it when you have Jim on... I learn so much
EAST TO WEST SOLAR FOLLOWS THE SUN EXCELLENT!! IM IN TOWNEHOUSE HOA COSTS TOO MUCH HOW CAN I SNEAK SOME SOLAR THROUGH EAST WEST WINDOWS AND VERY LOW VISIBILITY CANT USE ROOF NOT ALLOWED
Thanks for posting. It was a pleasure to meet Jim and Bob at RTR 2018. I appreciate ALL your help.
A well though out BUILD. Thanks for sharing Mr. Wells. Thumbs up 👍
Nice man with a ton of knowledge
I know zero about what he's talking about and never have done the gypsy life style but as an ex-math teacher he does sound more knowledgeable than the other videos about the solar systems.
Hi Bob Im heading to leadville next week,im in Florida right now.I got a Truck camper its handmade,i love it,i hope to meet you someday,been watching your videos.Molly
I love hearing this from Jim. Everyone tells me it can’t be done. Ac or heat on solar
I think I need a lot of help figuring this out and then a class on maintenance for the battery. Jim where are you now? I'm on my way!
I will be putting more on my channel, just click on my name
Unless you just want a bill from a power company, you will need to learn and do quite a bit to make this stuff work right. But you can do it, apply yourself and start small. Understand the math too, watts/amps/volts and the relationships. Voltage times Amps equals the wattage. So 120 volts times .5 amps will light a 60 watt traditional light bulb. But for more efficient LEDs 120 volts times .1 amp and you still get 60 watt equiv at cost of 6 watts.
Thank you. I have gone to your website and sent an email.
It's all the right wires, hook-ups, meters etc. that are challenging especially with an ancient trailer. Not to mention the best place to purchase all this equipment. I can do it myself, but I want to do it right.
Thank you Spirit One...I will go check it out.
Great info thanks. Others might consider a Kodiak solar generator. Many video here on YT about them. I was amazed when I found out about it.
You need to get a mini split AC unit at start up it draws 23amps while running it only needs 7-10amps
I wonder if a small trailer covered with solar panels and batteries would work and you could pull it with an electric car. Keep the car charged from the trailer. Stay in the car with the ac running while you need it. That may be a small enough area to heat and cool to keep it running overnight and not pull down the batteries to much. Maybe a small popup trailer that way you could have a shower and toilet also. A pop up tent over the car will help a lot to keep the ac running less.
Can a weekend handyman do this?
The detail you speak of about each component is scary. But I've seen 1200watt kits sold for the diy person.
I learned alot, it sounds like the main thing is to "keep your batteries happy ".
Nice job Jim.
Wow !!!!! I'm impressed, I thought you would need more.....
Nice system. Greetings from sunny Jamaica.
Great job! And thank you for sharing this great information on Solar. Very useful. :)
Put a little time on the AC hook up..better window connection. you'd have a even cooler than 84 degree inside.
Awesome setup, Jim! Thanks for sharing, Bob!
I bought my solar panels and got them for $1 per watt. I have about 4 kwh of panels plus another 1.4 kwh in wind generators. If one really understands these systems one can get a lot more out of these systems than the information out there provides. I began learning about solar many decades ago when I was in the 8th Grade and it was new. I kept up with them all these years as well.
Great video and system. As I’ve done several systems running AC. I’ll mention a couple things that got skimmed over. There’s never enough time to mention every detail and doing solar well is a lot of detail. They did a good job avoiding TMI, information overload lol.
First, try not to get AC ambitious and buy a big AC. It’s difficult to find enough roof space needed to run more than a 5000 btu AC. Notice Jim was smart to add a big panel to his tow vehicle. Many RV folks place some panels on the ground. I run a 9000 btu AC but I cleared all the vents, antennas, etc from my roof of a 32 foot class A and covered nearly the entire roof with solar panels. That was a big job.
Second, I may have missed it but I don’t remember hearing if he uses a Morningstar mppt or Morningstar pwm charge controller. The mppt model costs at least twice as much but is worth it in my humble opinion. Work better during low temperature and low light conditions. And other advantages but I don’t want to get into tmi here.
Third, don’t expect miracles from your solar energy system. If the math doesn’t add up it’s not going to do it.
Fourth, 12 volts is very low voltage. The automotive industry seriously considered switching to 24 volts but we are heavily invested in 12 volts. Low voltage requires higher current [amps] to get the same power as higher voltage. Thus low voltage systems require bigger wires and cables to minimize voltage drops. Don’t skimp on cable size and current carrying capacity. In fact it’s a good idea to oversize the cables slightly. Then you can change to more panels, bigger inverter, more batteries, bigger charge controller, etc, later without having to rewire everything. Also as mentioned voltage drops are minimized. Wiring correctly to code is much more difficult than it appears on the surface. It safer when oversized and no one is going to say you are violating code. You don’t want a brown out ( low voltage sag) condition due to undersized cables and equipment in your RV like some third world country. Leave a little headroom on everything if you can afford it. If you are running 2000 watts with the AC on and cooking lunch buy a 3000 watt inverter.
Keep the DC cables, positive and negative, carefully balanced and the same length. Omg, tmi!!
Fifth, consider a bidirectional (transformer based low frequency) inverter/charger if you can afford it. Sometimes called “.combis”, they have a quality built-in power factor corrected (PFC) AC powered charger that works seamlessly with the inverter. The control panel tells you what both the inverters and charger are doing. There are a few folks running only on solar and inverter with no AC powered charger or generator. They often have a second alternator however. And often have very expensive Lithium batteries.
Sixth, Bob and Jim started to get into battery selection and care and did a good job condensing it and avoiding tmi. Be real careful here. Solar equipment is design and use is based around the limitations of the battery. Consider using second hand batteries on your first go around and read, read, read the manufacturer charge parameters. I practiced on lots of old batteries (careful to not try and charge a totally dead battery however, gets hot, they need to have some capacity left. Do the math. Read the charger and controller manuals and set the charge settings properly. Then when you buy new expensive batteries you will know more about it. As Jim mentioned twice use temperature sensors and voltage sense wires between the battery and charge controller is good practice. Too many new batteries get damaged quickly. I camped next a Canadian who had new batteries installed and cables of unequal length run to to house batteries split into two different groups. He had to have it redesigned at great expense a year later.
Not going into Lithium batteries here to avoid tmi. I suggest Lifeline batteries also. They are “sealed” and can handle a micro equalization charge but I’ll leave it at that to avoid tmi.
Seventh, consider “relative placement” of the equipment. If it’s crammed deep under a cabinet or bed is it going to stay cool, dry, clean? Can it be inspected easily. Connections tightened easily? Put the meter were it can be easily checked many times per day. I place my equipment in its own box that that can be accessed easily. And the meter is near the door where I can see it from inside or outside. I watched my friend throw away his inverter in his Sprinter van. Down by the floor moisture got into it. And he has no meter so has little idea what his system is doing.
Eighth, have a dry chemical fire extinguisher nearby at all times. Double and triple check everything. A portable infrared temperature sensor and digital voltmeter are extremely useful. And feeling the case of the batteries or cables ( only the low voltage DC terminals, input from solar and all AC is high voltage) while under heavy load will tell you if anything is getting warm. Very important because anyone who has studied electronics can tell you as the temperature of the conductor goes up so does the resistance. Then it can get hotter and hotter unless the load is reduced. It’s called a cascade reaction. Very bad!
Ninth, every conductor is supposed to have overcurrent protection. Either a fuse or a breaker. I won’t go into that as I’m still learning how fuses and breakers are classified. Tmi territory lol. Class T fuse and fuse block are recommended as the main fuse for the inverter. They are kind-off expensive but usually are not ever needed to be replaced. Ordinary automotive fuses rated to 32 volts DC are ok for the rest of the system except for the high voltage input from the panels to the charge controller. There I’ve been using the Midnite Solar DC rated breakers and Midnite Solar solar combiner box enclosure used in residential solar. These are rated to 150 VDC and I’m not sure what fuse I could use. Also with high voltage it’s scary and hazardous messing around with fuses. A DC rated breaker simply snaps into place and can be used as a disconnect when servicing the charge controller. Well worth the investment. The enclosure does take up limited space however it is outdoor rated.
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Paul Baker excellent comments for those of us who want to add solar...
Thank you, Tommie
500 watts is plenty. 10 yrs for me now and the same batteries. 2500 watt inverter, 600amp batt bank.
I want this for my sticks and bricks house but got a quote for ~$22k a year or so ago! Can't wait till this technology is streamlined so everyone can take advantage without breaking the bank.
My concept for a home is a hi bred system that is not grid tied to the panels
Prices are down, installers are making the dough, i helped friend design 12.8KW grid tie system that cost 12000$ keep in mind it is 12.8KW of solar and 14KW SMA grid tie inverters (2x7KW) installer would quote 60000$+ you do the math how much they pocket!
All eqpt it's about $2/watt so 6k watts should be $12k diy. If the installer charges $60k they're making a killing.
Wonder if the A/C would work more efficiently if he hung tarps from the roof to the ground maybe tent stake them down so its portable, to reflect sun from an entire side of the RV and make a little shaded patio. I'm sure hes thought of it already...
Where has he gone??? He put out a few vids then nothing. Hope he is well.
Wow. This is so informative. Thank you, Jim and Bob. Happy New Year.
I am curious of the technical details on how to run a 33 amp air conditioner off 1185 watts of solar and still be charging the batteries? Technically. Thanks
First off look the solar mount. I'm looking something similiar for my 2020 rav4