Everybody living in a vehicle needs a -30 F sleeping bag. It will keep you warm all through the night in the coldest weather. Get them from outdoor stores. I've spent weeks at a time living out of my car in the mountains for snowboarding. I would heat the vehicle up a little in the morning or while getting ready for sleep but not while in sleeping bag. It's a simple solution to stay warm the cold.
Matt, add a EV charger w/ 240v to 120v step down transformer to charge your van at standard EV charge station. Just need EV charger mount and a transformer and it connects to your van 120v charger. You can charge in stealth at EV charge stations! I'm adding to my Sprinter.
Yes, I saw that too. A step down. They shouldn't care, your paying for what you use. While charging you have a parking place usually in a well lit secure place. I'm going to look into it a bit more. Some charging stations have a time limit. I saw Tesla and it had a 2 hour limit. I don't think it would be a problem late nite.
charging time is determined by your van battery charger. Victron inverter/charger charges uptown 1kw hour... so 600amp is around 7.5kw... so around 8 hours of sleeping while charging
Get you one of those little Honda EU2200i generators as a backup power source. I don't live in a vehicle but I have one of those Honda generators for when the power goes out. That thing is a champ. I have Bluetti and Jackery too but they have to be charged and if the power goes out for several days there is no way to recharge them.
Of all the van life channels that I subscribed to I wanted to let you know that I look forward to your videos the most. Mostly it’s because your videos are about real life and the struggles that you experience. I’m amazed by how strong you are. Courage is facing your fears and you demonstrate that so often.
Hi Matt! Okay, this is "Super Thanks," Take 2! lol I did send you the pics of the receipt from the first one and a pic of the order #. Hoping the email made it's way to you..? Sending this second "Super Thanks" in case the platform admin doesn't get back to me anytime soon about where the first one went. I had mentioned in the original comment that you might want to consider reusable silicone food storage bags as they are heat resistant, so therefore healthier than transferring hot/warm foods to plastic bags or plastic storage bowls. And better for the environment than one-time use and everything else plastic. Just a suggestion in case you hadn't heard of them. Thanks for all of the great content! 😁
@@undertheradarvan Yay!! 😁 That's great! I really like the bags. They don't take up much room at all, and they seem to last a very long time. I hope they work out well for you!
Great video! I found this subject matter very interesting! The requirement for continuous high battery power in winter, the need to very frequently check battery useage and remaining power, and the options for replenishing batteries fascinated me! Like you, northern Canada and Alaska winter van campers stress the necessity of having heat backups AND additional backups for the backups, along with extensive knowledge and experience with the equipment. Heating in a northern Maine comfy residence can be tricky, even perilouss, but it’s a picnic compared to winter van life. I’m happy that you’re going to add solar panels soon!
That's dust, it catches the light. There's always dust in the van no matter how hard I try to keep it clean. Guess it happens when you open and close a whole wall of your house several times a day.
I use and Ecoflow power station with over 1000kw. I can fully recharge in about an hour. I've already purchased solar panels and a roof rack that I'll be installing soon. In the meantime I recharge it at work. Another option is finding random places to plug in. On android there is an app called plugs hare. Maybe there is something similar for apple. It's mostly used for finding EV charging stations but you can filter it to find 120v outlets. As far as staying warm, I have an electric heated bed (that pulls about the same as running a 12v fridge), and a big buddy heater but, I mostly use a warm sleeping bad set up (sleeping liner inside a zero degree mummy bag inside a 40-60 degree bag) for those super cold nights.
@undertheradarvan Sometimes you have to be pretty stealth about it, depending on the location. A lot of the spots in Boston are unfortunately in garages.
It was near 0F in my van the last few mornings. I’m toasty warm in my sleeping quilts. A hot water Nalgene bottle by my feet keeps them warm. Just get a warm quilt or sleeping bag. Make some changes and you won’t worry so much.
Hey Matt. Just wanted to let you know that I built my own roof rack out of super strut. It wasn’t very expensive and it was fairly easy. I then installed solar panels on those with no problems. You may want to look into that.
How ironic. Electricity is everywhere yet it’s difficult for someone like you to find a regular wall outlet you could plug in to. Or maybe it’s worth searching for some? 👍✌️😊
Hello. New subscriber here. I was wondering about how you charge when driving. In my van I recharge when I drive too. I have a 1000 watt inverter, connected to my starting battery. I only use it when the van is already running. I can plug in my jackery charger and charge it with 120V, like shore power. I charge everything while I drive. Jackery, phone, power banks for the phone, Camera batteries as well as keeping my fridge running on the 120V transformer. It is a lot faster than trying to charge stuff with the 12V. I'm in Wisconsin, it was -23 here this morning. Thank God I have a warm house. My prayers to you.
I did the same mostly to run a blender for smoothies which would run down the house batteries in seemingly seconds. Matt seems to drive a lot and this would really help.
I charge while driving using an 18A dc-dc charger. I initially had one that was twice as powerful but it got so hot on long drives it eventually melted and shorted. Others have said they are manufacture better now so I may consider upgrading again.
Matt, you truly are grace under pressure. Thank you for always inspiring me to remain more calm. A laugh or two from your videos- help as well. 😊 Ps; Did you ever find out what happened that there was a lack of charge to your system?
You should look into getting a USB powered graphene heater waistband. It’s like a back support waist band with graphene heating elements running through it. I have one and it does a good job keeping me warm in the bitter cold. You can plug it into your Jackery and it will run for days.
It wraps all the way around your waist and attaches with Velcro. It warms the blood at your core and the blood circulates to warm the rest of your body. It fits closer to your skin than your coat so the heat transfer is more efficient.
@ No, not after a year and trouble free. I have 400ah of batteries and doing great. I also have 2ga welding wire coming from the truck batteries to a breaker and then to the charger. Enjoy all the videos, keep’em coming. God bless!
My 600 amp hour battery has a warning at 30 percent. I’m at a BLM site in New Mexico right now and it does become problematic when you don’t drive for several days to recharge that battery. Down to 50% atm. It’s kinda wild that in order to keep our vans “alive” we need to keep moving. It’s like we’re sharks… we have to keep moving or we die.
Unless you have like a 600-800 watt solar system solar really isn’t a solution. I only have 240 watts so I rely on that alternator to charge my battery. My solar panels only keep my fridge juiced.
Yeah, there's no good solution. I will be going with at least 300W in solar which will definitely help. Anything to alleviate my reliance on the dc-dc.
Matt love your videos about your battery issue question why do you keep your inverter on ?? That takes a tremendous amount of of battery maybe you should turn that off keep up the great work
@ by using the inverter to charge your phone laptop etc you are using more power than you need with the inverter on that it’s self draws power plus your laptop etc you would save much more power by charging your equipment off your house batteries directly or off of jackery or something similar the only time I use my inverter is when I need it for a 120 appliance I think you should give it a try I think you will notice a difference 👍👍👍
Just use the jackery for usb charging, you have plenty of them. The inverter on that is a big power drag. I still say you need a bigger dc-dc charger and I don’t think that’s what ruined your last alternator. My alternator is smaller than yours. And yes, you still can’t take those batteries down to 0. And a bigger charger just needs space around it and ventilation.
It didn't ruin the alternator, it ruined the dc-dc unit itself... It got so hot it melted the plastic until it shorted. If I do go up to a 50+A dc-dc again I'd need some sort of fan system but even then i'm nervous to try it again. It gets insanely hot on the leads on those things.
@ Sure. Make sure the charger has auto shutoff for overheating. Use or make a box with ventilation. Get a computer muffin fan to blow onto the charger whenever it’s on. That’s all you have to do. I melted a hose that rested on mine so now it’s clear. No worries.
Idea: would a 2nd 18Amp DC-DC charger in parallel help solve the problem? Double the power, but also double the heat-dissipation, assuming you don't mount them on top of each other. I don't know if this is electrically sound, but another idea: maybe you can add a switch so the second 18A DC-DC charger only runs when you want it. Food for thought?
@@undertheradarvan I saw your video posted today that you're moving forward on solar- that'll give you a lot more diversity and redundancy than a second DC-DC charger. Good luck!!
Why don't you upgrade your alternator to a high output model and upgrade your DC-DC charger to a 60A model with an inline circuit breaker? Solar will not help much that far north in winter. For your Jackery charging you main house battery, it would be more efficient to use a DC out port if available. You will need to get a DC - DC charger than limits the draw to the Jackery max DC output. Good luck.
The problem is the heat that a 60A dc-dc charger produces. They get dangerously hot. My 40A dc-dc melted after I had it on for about an 8 hour drive. Very worrying.
@@undertheradarvan Hey man! FYI That is not normal. I have some experience designing electrical circuits. Any unit creating that much heat is defective or is improperly installed. As long as your alternator can put out enough amperage to maintain the Amperage draw, it should operate with minimal heat even at full power. Heat produced is determined by the heat=i squared r rule, where "i" means amps and "r" means ohms (resistance), so as long as your wire gauge and alternator can handle the current you are drawing, you should not see high heat. I would have to know much more about your installation to diagnose why you had such high heat but just know that this should not happen. FYI You can google a wire gauge amp capacity chart to determine what size wire you need based on the length of the run and the amps it will carry. Always use pure stranded copper wire, not that copper coated junk. Stay warm out there!
I would increase your AC to DC charger. You are running a 5amp NOCO charger. It will take 60 hours to charge 300ah of juice. I have a Victron 30amp AC to DC charger and it works nice. It does get warm but give it good ventilation and you'll be ok. That was probably the issues with Dc to DC charger you had, or perhaps wire size. 30amp would charge half your system (300ah) in 10 hours. They have a 15amp also which is better than the 5 you are running. Just my thoughts buddy. Good luck either way, see ya on the next one.
The Ford Transit has an option for a second alternator from the factory. That means that there are mounting holes and it is a relatively easy install. The embassy RV uses a Nations alternator that everybody raves about.
Going to have to look into that. I can't possibly imagine where they could cram a second alternator in there. Last time I looked under the hood it was like Kowloon walled city.
I saw a Vanlifer spend the night at a charging station. He managed to pull the cord into his van through the sliding door and close it. He was able to hook up to his powerstation with an adapter and charge up for a few bucks. You might want to look into it.
If your Jackery has a DC output, you would be far better off transferring power from your Jackery to your house battery via DC. Doing all of those DC/AC/DC conversions is wasting a lot of your Jackery's capacity.
I have 3 200Ah batteries. Plenty big but as I noted in this video, battery bank size is less important that your charging rate. I've nee running a deficit this winter.
Have you looked into plugging into an EV charging station? Seems like that would be a great source of electricity if you can get the appropriate converter to work with your battery system. FWIW, solar is great if you live in a place with wide open, unshaded exposure. But here in NE both low sun angle in the winter and difficulty finding open exposure really limits the potential.
Why do the "Housies" people who live in houses..not form a network where people can come and plug in..? If I lived on the east coast..I would be ready to share a plug in.. Is there an east coast network of people who ...care?
I don’t understand…in a recent video you left your Buddy heater on all day, 10 hours if I recall, and your battery power went down only 2%. So what’s different now?
It was the Espar heater he left running on all day while in a parking lot. It makes exterior sound and throws exhaust, so he didn't want to run near a residential sidewalk when this was filmed.
I realize you hardly ever plug into the grid for charging. That being said, if you're only gaining 5% by plugging in overnight, I would take a look at the charge controller. Even if you're drawing power while plugged in you should be gaining more than that. Think about how fast 2,000 - 3,600 Watt Hour portable power stations charge these days. You should be able to pump more power into your system in a shorter period of time. I really enjoy watching what an East Coast van dweller has to go through. Thanks for the honest look at your situation.
Yes My charge controller is only 5A which is pitifully low. They make 15A and even 20A chargers now, but replacing it would be a hassle. When I first built it out, I didn't think I'd be using shore power at all so I went cheap. Big mistake!
You need some solar panels, bro. I don’t see how you can avoid it any longer. Also, if I were you, I’d spend one night in a moderately priced hotel (or at a friends house if you can’t afford a hotel right now) and fully charge up everything I have.
Matt have you considered a diesel heater? I’ve seen a lot of guys use those and I’ve thought about it when I do my build, but it might make too much noise for stealthng
Hi Cindy, Matt has a Espar furnace which is very similar to a diesel heater. Matt's Espar furnace uses gasoline instead of diesel since his van runs on gasoline.
the transit is a 250A alternator. The problem wasn't the alternator is was the viltron unit itself, which got so hot on the leads it melted the plastic and shorted.
Look into an EV charger maybe? Or anyway you could book a spot at a campground 2-3x per month and hook up to shore power for one night and recharge everything? Just spitballing here 🤷♂️ eta: saw someone else mentioned the EV step down option
I haven't been able to find a EV station adaptor that drops the voltage down to 120V AC. As for the campgrounds, we don't have any in MA that are open in winter.
@ ahh I see. Here in Ohio we have quite a few state parks that have spots available year round. Good luck anyway I’m sure you’ll figure out a solution 👍
You need a Bluetti Power station , they cost around $2000 but they have so much power storage they could probably keep your van going for 3 days on 1 charge , A guy charged his small Electric car with one in only 3 hours so thats how much power they can hold.
Sounds to me like you are using the wrong gauge of cable if it's getting hot. Don't use a DC/DC charger that takes it from your vehicle battery (especially if you have Lithium house batteries and Lead acid vehicle batteries. Lithium will suck up as much Amps as possible without the proper type of Charge controller). That just puts pressure and wear and tear on your vehicle battery. Get a secondary high Amp Alternator and have a professional installer to install it to make sure it is connected correctly with the proper cabling, proper fuses, proper charge controller, etc. Doing it yourself without the proper knowledge in electronics will burn your van down. This isn't an area to be cheap. I have a 100 Amp 48 volt Nations Secondary Alternator and it charges my house 15.3 KWh Lithium batteries within two hours of driving. With a smaller battery bank it would be even quicker.
I was using 8 AWG which was the maximum thickness you could fit into the Orion charger I had, unless they have manufactured them differently in the last few years.
@@undertheradarvan Besides the Orion charger, were you also using something like a Wakespeed regulator? This is a very important step that covers what the Orion doesn't. The Wakespeed needs to be programmed with the particulars of your batteries. It can get a little complicated to do it right. That is why I recommend you have a professional who specializes in this to do it correctly rather than DIY and have a disaster. The extra cost will be worth it not only in peace of mind, but in safety in protecting your investment (ie van and you). There are plenty of van builds out there with secondary high amp alternators that work great and can charge your house batteries in far less time.
Yes you are right Netty. When Matt mentions the Buddy Heater he is speaking about the ; "Mr. Heater Portable Buddy 9,000 BTU Propane Space Heater". You should watch Matt's old videos, they are very good.
When you do add solar panels, put the max amount that there is room for, cover every part of the roof. You will not regret having too many solar panels.
Gotta get yourself a small gas generator as a backup. Honda Eu2200 is small and you can charge up your house batteries using it when in a pickle. Thats my plan at least. YMMV
Another guy I watch lives in his SUV. He showed how for his work he parked in the parking garage and on many occasions he would park and run an extension cord to an outlet in/on the parking garage wall!! Find a public parking garage and pay a hopefully small fee to park for the night, and try and find an outlet to park near!! Just a thought! But you definitely need to invest in solar panels soon!
Hi Collette, Matt's van is almost 10 feet tall. He has been looking for a parking garage that will take a van that high but he hasn't found one. If you know of a parking a garage in Massachusetts like that let him know.
Would be awesome but I've never found a garage with at least 9.5' clearance which is what I would need. Tallest garage in the Boston area is 7.5', they aren't an option for me.
I think solar panels would do you a lot of good. On my rv there is an outside connection for solar panels or a jackery. Im on constant shore power so I'll never use it but I thought it was neat that it's there
Please get a subzero sleeping bag as a backup to the backup. Even if all else fails, you can crawl into the sleeping bag and hunker down. Thanks for the videos and all the work you put into them.
From what I understand, there are newer DC to DC chargers that are "smart" and help protect against taxing the system. I think they will lower the draw if you are needing more amps for regular vehicle functions and still keep a safe overhead for peace of mind. Not sure what happened with your previous DC to DC charger but I'm surprised that the extra 40 amps would have taxed the system. I believe you have a 250 amp alternator. Anyway, I'm no expert but maybe there are better dc to dc options for you. Especially since you do drive regularly. Maybe there is a sweet spot for DC to DC draw and adding some solar in combo since you do have a pretty big battery bank. Looks like there was a factory option for a second alternator for your transit for $500 but is more like $2,000 to add later. That would probably provide the fastest charging based on your habits but would have to weigh cost. Someone mentioned an EV charger with step down which also sounds interesting. Could probably fill up power while at some of the shopping centers you regularly visit.
Buy a predator 2000 watt generator from harbor freight. Use it to charge house batteries. I use an EcoFlow 3600 delta pro. It charges at 1800 watts, jacket only does 400.
@ I’m guessing you have the older Victron. I have the new 50 amp Victron Orion XS dc to dc charger but I use the pin connectors at the end to insert into the slot. The new Victron does recommend 4-6 awg wire.
Solar would help but not so much around tall buildings especially during the winter . If you’re heavy on inverter use a 24 volt system would increase efficiency just add a step down xformer for any 12 volt usage . Bi-facial panels ( tilt able?) on that rack too . Any place you could cut in a box on your van for a small gas generator ? In a big busy city the noise of a generator would blend right in . Just put it on the driver’s side . Clever solar by nick has some good charts / graphs on mobile solar requirements . 🍀
Bough RV has great solar panels with 12v 400w solar panel kit for 1599.99 total (you already have the batteries). Kit includes: -2PCS 16BB N-Type 200 Watt Bifacial Solar Panel 1PC Sunflow 40A MPPT Solar Charge Controller 12V/24V 2PCS 12V 100Ah Group 24 LiFePO4 Battery 1PC 2000W 12V Pure Sine Wave Inverter Crap, I forgot it includes the batteries. Sorry! I'll find the price of just the panels. (Though, would another 200amh hurt? lol)
Everybody living in a vehicle needs a -30 F sleeping bag. It will keep you warm all through the night in the coldest weather. Get them from outdoor stores. I've spent weeks at a time living out of my car in the mountains for snowboarding. I would heat the vehicle up a little in the morning or while getting ready for sleep but not while in sleeping bag. It's a simple solution to stay warm the cold.
I was just going to say that 👍🏻
I have one! Great for an emergency for sure.
Matt, add a EV charger w/ 240v to 120v step down transformer to charge your van at standard EV charge station. Just need EV charger mount and a transformer and it connects to your van 120v charger. You can charge in stealth at EV charge stations! I'm adding to my Sprinter.
I saw another guy doing this. surprisingly non EV cars don't stand out sitting there plugged in. Genius
How long does it take to charge? Great idea
Yes, I saw that too. A step down. They shouldn't care, your paying for what you use. While charging you have a parking place usually in a well lit secure place. I'm going to look into it a bit more. Some charging stations have a time limit. I saw Tesla and it had a 2 hour limit. I don't think it would be a problem late nite.
yeah and park overnight while charging!
charging time is determined by your van battery charger. Victron inverter/charger charges uptown 1kw hour... so 600amp is around 7.5kw... so around 8 hours of sleeping while charging
Get you one of those little Honda EU2200i generators as a backup power source. I don't live in a vehicle but I have one of those Honda generators for when the power goes out. That thing is a champ. I have Bluetti and Jackery too but they have to be charged and if the power goes out for several days there is no way to recharge them.
is it loud?
Of all the van life channels that I subscribed to I wanted to let you know that I look forward to your videos the most. Mostly it’s because your videos are about real life and the struggles that you experience. I’m amazed by how strong you are. Courage is facing your fears and you demonstrate that so often.
Thanks, I am just rolling with the punches and recording it, glad someone is getting something out of it.
Hi Matt!
Okay, this is "Super Thanks," Take 2! lol
I did send you the pics of the receipt from the first one and a pic of the order #. Hoping the email made it's way to you..? Sending this second "Super Thanks" in case the platform admin doesn't get back to me anytime soon about where the first one went.
I had mentioned in the original comment that you might want to consider reusable silicone food storage bags as they are heat resistant, so therefore healthier than transferring hot/warm foods to plastic bags or plastic storage bowls. And better for the environment than one-time use and everything else plastic. Just a suggestion in case you hadn't heard of them.
Thanks for all of the great content! 😁
Thanks for supporting our dude.
Hi TCat13, I DID get this! HUGE thank you!!! I will take that advice and pick up those bags in my next video! Thanks again!
Yeah!
@@raymondwilliams9612 Sure, happy to! 😁
@@undertheradarvan Yay!! 😁 That's great! I really like the bags. They don't take up much room at all, and they seem to last a very long time. I hope they work out well for you!
Solar panels absolutely!
You should also get one of those little quiet generators from harbor freight as an emergency backup.
Solar panels are coming! Just need to make it a few more months
Perfect music for a cold winter day.
You should try charging the jackery at a public library. There are outlets almost everywhere you sit there.
Do that sometimes as well. Even did it in a restaurant once!
Thank you, you just keep spoiling us.
thanks for watching
Great video! I found this subject matter very interesting! The requirement for continuous high battery power in winter, the need to very frequently check battery useage and remaining power, and the options for replenishing batteries fascinated me! Like you, northern Canada and Alaska winter van campers stress the necessity of having heat backups AND additional backups for the backups, along with extensive knowledge and experience with the equipment. Heating in a northern Maine comfy residence can be tricky, even perilouss, but it’s a picnic compared to winter van life. I’m happy that you’re going to add solar panels soon!
It's definitely about survival in the winter. The key is to have backups that aren't dependent on electricity. For heating, cooking, etc.
Jackery full charge and an electric blanket should be your best bet for an emergency.
Kemosabe, check out the orbs floating around while you do your opening monologue in the Deathstar from 0:30 to 2:40
That's dust, it catches the light. There's always dust in the van no matter how hard I try to keep it clean. Guess it happens when you open and close a whole wall of your house several times a day.
I’m learning from you🙌
Thank you 🙋🏼♀️
I use and Ecoflow power station with over 1000kw. I can fully recharge in about an hour. I've already purchased solar panels and a roof rack that I'll be installing soon. In the meantime I recharge it at work. Another option is finding random places to plug in. On android there is an app called plugs hare. Maybe there is something similar for apple. It's mostly used for finding EV charging stations but you can filter it to find 120v outlets. As far as staying warm, I have an electric heated bed (that pulls about the same as running a 12v fridge), and a big buddy heater but, I mostly use a warm sleeping bad set up (sleeping liner inside a zero degree mummy bag inside a 40-60 degree bag) for those super cold nights.
Going to look for that plug share app - that's an awesome idea
@undertheradarvan Sometimes you have to be pretty stealth about it, depending on the location. A lot of the spots in Boston are unfortunately in garages.
Take care!
thanks
You got this Matt we are almost out of the woods! Hing in there🙂
Thanks for the optimism! If January can just end that would be a big milestone!
Matt, can adding another house battery help your low voltage issue instead of adding solar and add additional amps on your dc to dc charger…
The battery bank is big enough, the problem is charging them up faster than I discharge them through use. I have a daily deficit
Got me laughing there at the end "theres a jackhammer goin off". Geez if it aint one thing in Boston its another.
yeah not sure why they needed to do that at 11pm in 0 degree weather, couldn't have been fun.
It was near 0F in my van the last few mornings. I’m toasty warm in my sleeping quilts. A hot water Nalgene bottle by my feet keeps them
warm.
Just get a warm quilt or sleeping bag.
Make some changes and you won’t worry so much.
Hey Matt. Just wanted to let you know that I built my own roof rack out of super strut. It wasn’t very expensive and it was fairly easy. I then installed solar panels on those with no problems. You may want to look into that.
Good to hear! I'm going to try to hack something together with 8020
How ironic. Electricity is everywhere yet it’s difficult for someone like you to find a regular wall outlet you could plug in to. Or maybe it’s worth searching for some? 👍✌️😊
You take it for granted when you live indoors.
Probs a silly question but is there a converter so you can plug into an EV charging station? Love the cityscape and background music. How’s the drone?
I don't think so as the voltage is vastly different
Excellent battery option information! We all need to know about that!
I have 800 watts of solar panels. In Florida it’s been cloudy for 3 straight days and they still draw 100 watts in rain and cliuds
Hello. New subscriber here. I was wondering about how you charge when driving. In my van I recharge when I drive too. I have a 1000 watt inverter, connected to my starting battery. I only use it when the van is already running. I can plug in my jackery charger and charge it with 120V, like shore power. I charge everything while I drive. Jackery, phone, power banks for the phone, Camera batteries as well as keeping my fridge running on the 120V transformer. It is a lot faster than trying to charge stuff with the 12V. I'm in Wisconsin, it was -23 here this morning. Thank God I have a warm house. My prayers to you.
I did the same mostly to run a blender for smoothies which would run down the house batteries in seemingly seconds. Matt seems to drive a lot and this would really help.
I charge while driving using an 18A dc-dc charger. I initially had one that was twice as powerful but it got so hot on long drives it eventually melted and shorted. Others have said they are manufacture better now so I may consider upgrading again.
Matt, you truly are grace under pressure. Thank you for always inspiring me to remain more calm. A laugh or two from your videos- help as well. 😊
Ps; Did you ever find out what happened that there was a lack of charge to your system?
I've been running a power deficit this winter due to the excessive cold, more laptop use than usual, and less driving than usual.
You should look into getting a USB powered graphene heater waistband. It’s like a back support waist band with graphene heating elements running through it. I have one and it does a good job keeping me warm in the bitter cold. You can plug it into your Jackery and it will run for days.
is this something you wear? I have a heated vest
It wraps all the way around your waist and attaches with Velcro. It warms the blood at your core and the blood circulates to warm the rest of your body. It fits closer to your skin than your coat so the heat transfer is more efficient.
Matt
My Victron 50 amp dc to dc charger works great and comes in a small package. Mines working great.
You've never had a problem with overheating?
@ No, not after a year and trouble free. I have 400ah of batteries and doing great. I also have 2ga welding wire coming from the truck batteries to a breaker and then to the charger. Enjoy all the videos, keep’em coming. God bless!
My 600 amp hour battery has a warning at 30 percent. I’m at a BLM site in New Mexico right now and it does become problematic when you don’t drive for several days to recharge that battery. Down to 50% atm. It’s kinda wild that in order to keep our vans “alive” we need to keep moving. It’s like we’re sharks… we have to keep moving or we die.
Unless you have like a 600-800 watt solar system solar really isn’t a solution. I only have 240 watts so I rely on that alternator to charge my battery. My solar panels only keep my fridge juiced.
Yeah, there's no good solution. I will be going with at least 300W in solar which will definitely help. Anything to alleviate my reliance on the dc-dc.
Matt love your videos about your battery issue question why do you keep your inverter on ?? That takes a tremendous amount of of battery maybe you should turn that off keep up the great work
To charge my laptop and phone so I can make these videos.
@ by using the inverter to charge your phone laptop etc you are using more power than you need with the inverter on that it’s self draws power plus your laptop etc you would save much more power by charging your equipment off your house batteries directly or off of jackery or something similar the only time I use my inverter is when I need it for a 120 appliance I think you should give it a try I think you will notice a difference 👍👍👍
Just use the jackery for usb charging, you have plenty of them. The inverter on that is a big power drag. I still say you need a bigger dc-dc charger and I don’t think that’s what ruined your last alternator. My alternator is smaller than yours. And yes, you still can’t take those batteries down to 0. And a bigger charger just needs space around it and ventilation.
It didn't ruin the alternator, it ruined the dc-dc unit itself... It got so hot it melted the plastic until it shorted. If I do go up to a 50+A dc-dc again I'd need some sort of fan system but even then i'm nervous to try it again. It gets insanely hot on the leads on those things.
@ Sure. Make sure the charger has auto shutoff for overheating. Use or make a box with ventilation. Get a computer muffin fan to blow onto the charger whenever it’s on. That’s all you have to do. I melted a hose that rested on mine so now it’s clear. No worries.
Idea: would a 2nd 18Amp DC-DC charger in parallel help solve the problem? Double the power, but also double the heat-dissipation, assuming you don't mount them on top of each other. I don't know if this is electrically sound, but another idea: maybe you can add a switch so the second 18A DC-DC charger only runs when you want it. Food for thought?
It probably would and I might do that. I am just wary of any charge 30A or hotter.
@@undertheradarvan I saw your video posted today that you're moving forward on solar- that'll give you a lot more diversity and redundancy than a second DC-DC charger. Good luck!!
Look up nomad Brad. He is great on solar
Why don't you upgrade your alternator to a high output model and upgrade your DC-DC charger to a 60A model with an inline circuit breaker? Solar will not help much that far north in winter. For your Jackery charging you main house battery, it would be more efficient to use a DC out port if available. You will need to get a DC - DC charger than limits the draw to the Jackery max DC output. Good luck.
The problem is the heat that a 60A dc-dc charger produces. They get dangerously hot. My 40A dc-dc melted after I had it on for about an 8 hour drive. Very worrying.
@@undertheradarvan Hey man! FYI That is not normal. I have some experience designing electrical circuits. Any unit creating that much heat is defective or is improperly installed. As long as your alternator can put out enough amperage to maintain the Amperage draw, it should operate with minimal heat even at full power. Heat produced is determined by the heat=i squared r rule, where "i" means amps and "r" means ohms (resistance), so as long as your wire gauge and alternator can handle the current you are drawing, you should not see high heat. I would have to know much more about your installation to diagnose why you had such high heat but just know that this should not happen. FYI You can google a wire gauge amp capacity chart to determine what size wire you need based on the length of the run and the amps it will carry. Always use pure stranded copper wire, not that copper coated junk. Stay warm out there!
I would increase your AC to DC charger. You are running a 5amp NOCO charger. It will take 60 hours to charge 300ah of juice. I have a Victron 30amp AC to DC charger and it works nice. It does get warm but give it good ventilation and you'll be ok. That was probably the issues with Dc to DC charger you had, or perhaps wire size. 30amp would charge half your system (300ah) in 10 hours. They have a 15amp also which is better than the 5 you are running. Just my thoughts buddy. Good luck either way, see ya on the next one.
100% this
Yes, going to do that! Wish I had just installed the 15A initially, I never thought I would be so dependent on shore power so it was an afterthought.
And why don't you have a bigger alternator installed ? I have a 160 Amp in mine !
Put two dc to dc chargers in parallel to double amperage. I am assuming you had a defective unit before or loose connections.
How long does your van take to start on freezing cold mornings? Does it take longer when it hasn't been started for several days?
I have no problem starting the van, I drive it everyday at least for a little bit.
Do you get a propane odor when you use the buddy heater?
No, the propane smell would be unburned gas. It would only release that if it's leaking but not ignited.
I have an Ecoflow 2000 watts it charges in one hour and also charges quicker by automobile. Works great charges fast and is very safe.
Thanks, I need to get that and replace my older Jackery. Hopefully there's a sale soon!
You find places around newton?
I find places everywhere
The Ford Transit has an option for a second alternator from the factory. That means that there are mounting holes and it is a relatively easy install. The embassy RV uses a Nations alternator that everybody raves about.
Going to have to look into that. I can't possibly imagine where they could cram a second alternator in there. Last time I looked under the hood it was like Kowloon walled city.
I saw a Vanlifer spend the night at a charging station. He managed to pull the cord into his van through the sliding door and close it. He was able to hook up to his powerstation with an adapter and charge up for a few bucks. You might want to look into it.
Don’t get the flexible solar panels, I made that mistake on one rv I had, they are a waste of money
Exactly what I've heard online.
If your Jackery has a DC output, you would be far better off transferring power from your Jackery to your house battery via DC. Doing all of those DC/AC/DC conversions is wasting a lot of your Jackery's capacity.
Do you also charge your Jackery at work?
No, only because I mostly work remote.
In the spring get some solar panels!!
They are coming!
Not the black ice? How about paired with inexperienced winter drivers like we have in Texas. Terrifying!
How many batteries do you have?
Some vans use 4 batteries.
VancityVanlife channel has done some videos about batteries.
I have 3 200Ah batteries. Plenty big but as I noted in this video, battery bank size is less important that your charging rate. I've nee running a deficit this winter.
Dude you can look up what it costs to operate a vehicle per mile. It must be enormously expensive relative to solar panels.
In the long term, definitely.
Have you looked into plugging into an EV charging station? Seems like that would be a great source of electricity if you can get the appropriate converter to work with your battery system. FWIW, solar is great if you live in a place with wide open, unshaded exposure. But here in NE both low sun angle in the winter and difficulty finding open exposure really limits the potential.
they are a different voltage
Why do the "Housies" people who live in houses..not form a network where people can come and plug in..?
If I lived on the east coast..I would be ready to share a plug in..
Is there an east coast network of people who ...care?
That would be awesome and I wish we had public outdoor charging sites like we have public water fountains!
I don’t understand…in a recent video you left your Buddy heater on all day, 10 hours if I recall, and your battery power went down only 2%. So what’s different now?
It was the Espar heater he left running on all day while in a parking lot. It makes exterior sound and throws exhaust, so he didn't want to run near a residential sidewalk when this was filmed.
I realize you hardly ever plug into the grid for charging. That being said, if you're only gaining 5% by plugging in overnight, I would take a look at the charge controller. Even if you're drawing power while plugged in you should be gaining more than that. Think about how fast 2,000 - 3,600 Watt Hour portable power stations charge these days. You should be able to pump more power into your system in a shorter period of time.
I really enjoy watching what an East Coast van dweller has to go through. Thanks for the honest look at your situation.
Yes My charge controller is only 5A which is pitifully low. They make 15A and even 20A chargers now, but replacing it would be a hassle. When I first built it out, I didn't think I'd be using shore power at all so I went cheap. Big mistake!
You need some solar panels, bro. I don’t see how you can avoid it any longer. Also, if I were you, I’d spend one night in a moderately priced hotel (or at a friends house if you can’t afford a hotel right now) and fully charge up everything I have.
solar panels are coming, might take a hotel if I get dealt another tough night.
Matt have you considered a diesel heater? I’ve seen a lot of guys use those and I’ve thought about it when I do my build, but it might make too much noise for stealthng
Hi Cindy, Matt has a Espar furnace which is very similar to a diesel heater. Matt's Espar furnace uses gasoline instead of diesel since his van runs on gasoline.
the transit is a 250A alternator. The problem wasn't the alternator is was the viltron unit itself, which got so hot on the leads it melted the plastic and shorted.
definately should look into solar panels for your van
they are coming!
Get the Bluetti power one. It’s fantastic no more solar
Totally agree!👍
probably will.
Am I the only one who sees orbs floating around?
Look into an EV charger maybe? Or anyway you could book a spot at a campground 2-3x per month and hook up to shore power for one night and recharge everything? Just spitballing here 🤷♂️
eta: saw someone else mentioned the EV step down option
I haven't been able to find a EV station adaptor that drops the voltage down to 120V AC. As for the campgrounds, we don't have any in MA that are open in winter.
@ ahh I see. Here in Ohio we have quite a few state parks that have spots available year round. Good luck anyway I’m sure you’ll figure out a solution 👍
You need to get the bluetti charger one, it gives you batteries 500 watts when you're driving
You need a Bluetti Power station , they cost around $2000 but they have so much power storage they could probably keep your van going for 3 days on 1 charge , A guy charged his small Electric car with one in only 3 hours so thats how much power they can hold.
There’s a jackhammer going off for some reason 😂😂
Likely a water main break nearby.
Matt, my Jackery has solar panels to charge the unit. Not too pricey.
Sounds to me like you are using the wrong gauge of cable if it's getting hot. Don't use a DC/DC charger that takes it from your vehicle battery (especially if you have Lithium house batteries and Lead acid vehicle batteries. Lithium will suck up as much Amps as possible without the proper type of Charge controller). That just puts pressure and wear and tear on your vehicle battery. Get a secondary high Amp Alternator and have a professional installer to install it to make sure it is connected correctly with the proper cabling, proper fuses, proper charge controller, etc. Doing it yourself without the proper knowledge in electronics will burn your van down. This isn't an area to be cheap.
I have a 100 Amp 48 volt Nations Secondary Alternator and it charges my house 15.3 KWh Lithium batteries within two hours of driving. With a smaller battery bank it would be even quicker.
I was using 8 AWG which was the maximum thickness you could fit into the Orion charger I had, unless they have manufactured them differently in the last few years.
@@undertheradarvan Besides the Orion charger, were you also using something like a Wakespeed regulator? This is a very important step that covers what the Orion doesn't. The Wakespeed needs to be programmed with the particulars of your batteries. It can get a little complicated to do it right. That is why I recommend you have a professional who specializes in this to do it correctly rather than DIY and have a disaster. The extra cost will be worth it not only in peace of mind, but in safety in protecting your investment (ie van and you).
There are plenty of van builds out there with secondary high amp alternators that work great and can charge your house batteries in far less time.
😎
Solar panels are definitely the way to go moving forward. Thanks for continuing to put out great videos for your viewers too 😊
Solar panels are coming!
You should get one of those new more efficient DC to DC chargers as well as the panels.
Yes I agree the new Bluetti Power One is fantastic and charges super fast
In another video u had another source of heat tuck away in a draw..?
Yes you are right Netty. When Matt mentions the Buddy Heater he is speaking about the ; "Mr. Heater Portable Buddy 9,000 BTU Propane Space Heater". You should watch Matt's old videos, they are very good.
@ yes I have seen the buddy heater but he showed a small heater that he folded and put in draw
@@netty10453 Was it his cooking stove?
@@briang9904 no…he actually said it was a third source…but I dont think it last that long
@@briang9904 found it in his surviving New England winter ..its a space heater that blows hot air for 2 hours
I noticed that exit you just got off of the Mass Pike into Newton.
Circle of Death is my preferred exit!
When you do add solar panels, put the max amount that there is room for, cover every part of the roof. You will not regret having too many solar panels.
that's the plan!
why do we call it a jackhammer? who's Jack?
Gotta get yourself a small gas generator as a backup. Honda Eu2200 is small and you can charge up your house batteries using it when in a pickle. Thats my plan at least. YMMV
As long as its not too noisy
Another guy I watch lives in his SUV. He showed how for his work he parked in the parking garage and on many occasions he would park and run an extension cord to an outlet in/on the parking garage wall!! Find a public parking garage and pay a hopefully small fee to park for the night, and try and find an outlet to park near!! Just a thought! But you definitely need to invest in solar panels soon!
Hi Collette, Matt's van is almost 10 feet tall. He has been looking for a parking garage that will take a van that high but he hasn't found one. If you know of a parking a garage in Massachusetts like that let him know.
@@briang9904 crap, yeah, I hadn't thought of that, nor realized it was so tall and wouldn't fit in a garage. Do they post height limits?
Would be awesome but I've never found a garage with at least 9.5' clearance which is what I would need. Tallest garage in the Boston area is 7.5', they aren't an option for me.
I think solar panels would do you a lot of good. On my rv there is an outside connection for solar panels or a jackery. Im on constant shore power so I'll never use it but I thought it was neat that it's there
Solar panels are necessary for me at this point, they are coming soon
Please get a subzero sleeping bag as a backup to the backup. Even if all else fails, you can crawl into the sleeping bag and hunker down. Thanks for the videos and all the work you put into them.
I have one!
@@undertheradarvan I'm glad to hear it and feel better. Please keep up the great work.
The new Orion XS 12/12-50A DC-DC Battery Charger runs much cooler and would probably solve your problem.
I'll look into it but they seriously needed better engineering on those things.
I'm fighting charging issues too in Ohio. Getting that alarm sucks. It's happened twice to me.
Got to ask... did you take your name from the book? I live in Lakewood OH.
@beachbum200009 Yes, that and I travel all the back roads and try to stay off the highway.
1:38 There's some weird white orbs floating around in there. Dust or ice crystals? 🤔
Dusty, inevitable in a van so matter how many times you clean it! I open and close that cabin door dozens of times a day.
From what I understand, there are newer DC to DC chargers that are "smart" and help protect against taxing the system. I think they will lower the draw if you are needing more amps for regular vehicle functions and still keep a safe overhead for peace of mind. Not sure what happened with your previous DC to DC charger but I'm surprised that the extra 40 amps would have taxed the system. I believe you have a 250 amp alternator. Anyway, I'm no expert but maybe there are better dc to dc options for you. Especially since you do drive regularly. Maybe there is a sweet spot for DC to DC draw and adding some solar in combo since you do have a pretty big battery bank. Looks like there was a factory option for a second alternator for your transit for $500 but is more like $2,000 to add later. That would probably provide the fastest charging based on your habits but would have to weigh cost. Someone mentioned an EV charger with step down which also sounds interesting. Could probably fill up power while at some of the shopping centers you regularly visit.
apparently I can get a second alternator but not sure it is worth the cost compared to other solutions.
Buy a predator 2000 watt generator from harbor freight. Use it to charge house batteries. I use an EcoFlow 3600 delta pro. It charges at 1800 watts, jacket only does 400.
is it loud?
You need a treadmill that generates energy. Problem solved. :)
I don't know why those don't exist already
You don’t need a roof rack for solar at first just get some flexible ones I put them on my dashboard
Take a shot everytime he says jackery
They should be sponsoring me
@ I agree my friend
I would try again with 30 amp dc to dc charger with 6 awg gauge wire. 18 amps is way too low.
8 AWG is the thickest you can fit into the Victron chargers.
@ I’m guessing you have the older Victron. I have the new 50 amp Victron Orion XS dc to dc charger but I use the pin connectors at the end to insert into the slot. The new Victron does recommend 4-6 awg wire.
You wont get enough solar power from the sun in the winter. Bad angle to sun and less hours.
I know, going to try to rig up some sort of tilting mechanism on my own.
What a melt, get a sleeping bag...
Solar would help but not so much around tall buildings especially during the winter . If you’re heavy on inverter use a 24 volt system would increase efficiency just add a step down xformer for any 12 volt usage . Bi-facial panels ( tilt able?) on that rack too . Any place you could cut in a box on your van for a small gas generator ? In a big busy city the noise of a generator would blend right in . Just put it on the driver’s side . Clever solar by nick has some good charts / graphs on mobile solar requirements . 🍀
What about the exhaust for the generator? Cut a hole for it?
Bough RV has great solar panels with 12v 400w solar panel kit for 1599.99 total (you already have the batteries).
Kit includes:
-2PCS 16BB N-Type 200 Watt Bifacial Solar Panel
1PC Sunflow 40A MPPT Solar Charge Controller 12V/24V
2PCS 12V 100Ah Group 24 LiFePO4 Battery
1PC 2000W 12V Pure Sine Wave Inverter
Crap, I forgot it includes the batteries. Sorry! I'll find the price of just the panels. (Though, would another 200amh hurt? lol)
BougeRV 400 Watt 12V/24V Rigid Bifacial 10BB Mono Solar Panel for 529.99 for 1.
Nice, I would probably get at least 400W so I'll put that on the research list
Duel batteries