As an electrician and one who has an EET degree, the description I like most for Amps, Volts, and Watts is: Volts are like water pressure in a pipe (potential for flow), Amps are like the volume of water that can flow (capacity for flow), and power is the combination of the two for the amount actually flowing (power).
@@earlwright9715 converting DC energy to AC loses energy. The better inverters will be more efficient and also give you the ability to use more of your battery power. Cheaper inverters will stop while still having more battery power left to use safely.
This is hands down the BEST DIY off-grid electrical video I’ve seen in the 8 years I’ve been doing tiny homes/vans. You did a fantastic job of explaining all the components, and I can honestly say that even though I’ve done electrical myself before, I understand how it all actually works much better after watching this. Nice work! 👍🏼🖤
Hey Savage, let me tell you how much I love your videos.... And I am one of those 3 girls watching your videos and am trying to learn as much as I can because I am also building my own camper van. Much love your way ... And any girl would be lucky to have you at her side just know that.
Basic knowledge + humor is a priceless combination. What you're explaining is absolutely necessary to know before even thinking about these kind of diy projects. It took away a lot of newbie fear on this topic. Thank you so much!
I'm a few months away from building my van but i'm here paying attention anyway. Very good information! Really helped me understand. I'm gonna try to do it myself with a basic system for a year or so before attempting solar. Don't want to waste money. Thank you!
Haha me too, funny you brought this up ... I thought so much about this analogy and almost used it ... the challenge I have w this analogy is that water pressure is the same thing as water flow rate (I.e. higher pressure is higher flow rate). This is not the same for amps/volts.
Based on this I plan a similar system for house battery charging: 1) DC to DC charger (e.g. 12v van battery - DC to DC charger - 12V house battery), 2) solar panels, 3) inverter charging with 30 amp shore power. As such, my build excludes a factory 2nd battery with cut/off relay and excludes a second alternator. Comments on this much appreciated. I need to finalise my new Sprinter build tomorrow. Ps. Really enjoyed visiting Healdsburg on my California road trip earlier this month. Thanks for all the excellent content.
This is one of the most helpful videos I've come across in my 2 years of van conversion research, thank you so much for breaking it down in such a digestible way!!
I think this is my favourite video explaining the theory of electrical systems ever The use of potatoes was inspired 😂 I made this comment near the beginning and now I'm near the end I absolutely feel this is the best off grid electrical system explanation video I've seen, and during my research for van life I have seen a lot! Seriously, I wish I could like this a million times! Thanks for all your hard work making this!
Buddy, this was awesome! I was clueless about how this all worked, and you explained it so clearly and concisely. I’m also more of a visual learner, so this was of big help to me.
If there is a better DIY off-grid video, I'd like to know. Having watched a dozen or more since starting my bus conversion - I have say WITHOUT hesitation your's is the BEST and the most comprehensive. Simply saying THANK YOU, does not seem enough, so Dhanyevaadh (India), Gamsahabnida (Korean), Arigato (Japanese).
Were you a teacher in a previous life? I think you're excellent, Since I've read that one of the hallmarks of genius is the ability to discuss or complicated matters in a simple, easily understood manner, that makes you an excellent genius. Thanks
Congratulations, I have watched quite a few videos on this subject and yours was by far the most thorough and detailed description. Much appreciated... now on to your next video. :)
on the roundtrip explanation to calculate the wire guage, it is i think MOST helpful to instruct people to just double the length of the wire run. that is the most straightforward way to use that blue sea chart. great vid btw.
Excellent video. I knew all this already, but you put it all in one place for newbies, nice. I’d like to buy you a beer next time I see you on the road.
Yo.... Thank you for this! This is by far the most well layed out and easy to understand explanation of these diagrams I have ever seen. It's going to help so much. Now I just gotta watch it like 3 more times.
This is by far the best & easiest video I've watched on setting up an electrical system. My bus has a solar power system but with this video there will be major improvements.
10:57 AC uses also two wires (it switches polarity at the AC circuit frequency). We add the grounding for safety reasons, due to more voltage and amps present in the circuit. This can bring also a lot of static electricity that has to be discharged somehow (in the "ground"). But two wires are sufficient (think of a light bulb: it has only two connectors).
I've got some pretty hefty solar panels, albeit not designed for portable use, and figured I'd put in an electric water heater as a dump load. It also means that if I want a shower urgently, I just disconnect the batteries and dump the lot directly without straining the batteries. I suppose I could also have an alternative circuit running from the inverter for use at night. Kind of solves all the problems at once, I think - so long as the panels are as powerful as they are supposed to be.
Awesome job describing the basic electrical system. Both how you broke it into sections and the descriptions/analogies used. I could only give one thumbs up on TH-cam but you have two real thumbs up from me
@15:50 gauge measurements mean how many times that the object went through the gauge..... the more it went through the gauge the smaller it gets. also it depends on the object some material are harder then others. For example 18 gauges wire diameter will be smaller than 18 gauge steel.
Seven - thanks for this and your other videos - exceptional. As a complete newb who is (hopefully) going to begin a build, I can't tell you how much I've learned from your vid's - very much appreciated and I look forward to each one!! Cheers
Thanks for the long, detailed guide! I've watched so many videos on this topic, and after watching yours I think I finally understand it to the point of memorization! As a visual/hands on learner, I appreciate the amount of effort that went into this. Thanks much and keep up the good work 👌
After watching I felt much more educated when making decisions about my airstreams electrical needs. I was even able to better compare prices. Huge thanks!
Brilliant explanation, thanks a lot! I'd recommend this video to anyone who wants to understand (or be reminded of) the basics of how to design and spec a whole system.
OMG! Thank you so much for this video! I've watched many others and researched on the internet and still didn't understand it until now. So thank you thank you thank you for the wonderful explanation!
This optimistic former potato sincerely appreciates your description of amps, volts and watts. Don't know if I quite graduated to an asparagus yet but my amps are itching to carry enough volts across the finish line quick enough to feed the brain's need for a fixed wattage of understanding. Errr or something like that! Cheers brother!
If you are working on live electrical terminals (say, on a battery), wrap your spanner in electrical insulation tape. Make sure to cover the entire spanner behind the end you're using on the nut. If you drop the spanner, you won't short circuit your terminals.
Good info but my only concern is when you mentioned shore power from a home which is only 15-amp and most rv air conditioner run off 30-amp. I recommend installing a soft starter so you don't short out the house breaker when mooch camping
Hello. I'm going to do my van in some time and have some experience living in caravan. For fast build, I made 12v system (that's actually that was in caravan) But with use of more powerful devices, like water heater, microwave, conditioner etc, I was thinking about making 48v (or 24 at least) system as storage. This will lower current from battery and all you need extra dc-dc convertor. Some
Hi this is just what I asked for so far! I'm the one who asked if you were doing a beginners guide to an Electrical system in a previous video. So simple and easy to understand. BTW I decided to do the drinking game and went for shots of alcohol. So needless to say I got pretty cut
5:11 I think it's the other way around: volts (potential difference/electrical tension/voltage) show the "speed" aka pressure/electrical force and amps (current intensity/volume of electrons) show the "density". That's why they say: amps are the killers, not actually the volts. So, it is not the volts that are the dangerous part of the equation, but the amps (electrical flow or how much electricity is traveling per unit of time). The chapter "Batteries and Terminology" is mixed up badly, one has to replace "volts" with "amps" in order to grasp the concepts correctly. For example, at 7:53, it is not the increased voltage that makes more "potatoes" on the wire, but the amperage. What voltage does: it increases the impulse with which a "potato" will travel the wire, it will provide a bigger force. You can have 12V and 120V with the same amperage (same number of "potatoes"), but with different capability of providing work (120V will give more energy). A certain device needs a well defined voltage and also amperage in order to function properly or as designed. If you are giving it a lower voltage but the correct amps, the "potatoes" do not have the needed force to produce work. If you are giving it the proper voltage but less amps, there are not enough "potatoes" on the wire to produce the work.. Now, you can provide more amps and it will still work (il will drain the amount needed), but if you increase the volts, it will burn inside due to too much electrical force. So, when a device needs a certain amount of power (or current intensity aka amps) in order to work optimally and assuming you have the right amount of volts, what you can do is to add more batteries to the circuit (more "potatoes" bags), wired in parallel (as you keep the voltage constant in parallel wiring, but the amps will increase, or the number of "potatoes" traveling the wire per one second). To sum up: think of voltage as an arc coil used to "launch" the potatoes and amps are the number of potatoes capable of being launched with that coil. The stronger the coil and more tension can provide, the farther you can launch the "potatoes" (more volts, more energy to do work). If more "potatoes" can jump at once, then they can "hit" a bigger "surface" at the other end.
I was reading comments on Amazon and the author stated his battery management system (common to nearly if not all Li batteries) was limiting his bank to the rating on the individual batteries. So a bank of 3 100A batteries will never be able to draw more than 100A without shutting off. In short, after realizing this issue they upgraded to a 230A "Plus" battery to run their microwave. I'm not sure this is accurate since I"m still sizing my system but I thought I'd mention it since this concept seems to be glanced over @3:50 in the video.
Great video. I'm watching all videos I can find on building my 12v system in our transit van. Ours is very simple, two 100 Ah batteries, one dometic fridge, one max air fan, probably about 4 AC connections for computer/microwave/hair dryer type things. I see your creation and I get overwhelmed. We do not have solar at this point but may in the future. Use a Jackery sometimes too. Where can I find a very basic schematic ---- in an easy terminology?
@19:25, on a diagram, you might see red, black, and green for the hot/neutral/ground, but in real life, your neutral should be white or grey (there are some limited circumstances where it's not). Black, Red, or Blue wires are traditionally the colors for your hot wire in 120VAC systems.
I have been watching tons of conversion videos, yours for sure, and have been trying to understand the technical side of things - this video came out at the perfect time - thank you! Question: How did you learn how to do all of this? Not just electrical, but everything?
It's never a small undertaking trying to educate the internet. Big props for your efforts and thank you.
As an electrician and one who has an EET degree, the description I like most for Amps, Volts, and Watts is: Volts are like water pressure in a pipe (potential for flow), Amps are like the volume of water that can flow (capacity for flow), and power is the combination of the two for the amount actually flowing (power).
As an asparagus, I concur
%
I understand what your saying. Why can’t I remember it when I need it?
So, is it true that all of the 120 volt devices that are connected to the inverter will less less from the batteries?
@@earlwright9715 converting DC energy to AC loses energy. The better inverters will be more efficient and also give you the ability to use more of your battery power. Cheaper inverters will stop while still having more battery power left to use safely.
just want to say as an electrician personally, your extremely detailed vids for the layman are amazing. keep up the fabulous work.
This is hands down the BEST DIY off-grid electrical video I’ve seen in the 8 years I’ve been doing tiny homes/vans.
You did a fantastic job of explaining all the components, and I can honestly say that even though I’ve done electrical myself before, I understand how it all actually works much better after watching this.
Nice work! 👍🏼🖤
Thank you grace!! Made my day 🙂
I agree this was a great video.
I'll just keep coming back everytime I need a refresher. Got shocked the other day. Safety first folks!
Hey Savage, let me tell you how much I love your videos.... And I am one of those 3 girls watching your videos and am trying to learn as much as I can because I am also building my own camper van. Much love your way ... And any girl would be lucky to have you at her side just know that.
Thank you so much for the kind words!! Really appreciate it :) and glad you enjoy the videos!
Basic knowledge + humor is a priceless combination. What you're explaining is absolutely necessary to know before even thinking about these kind of diy projects. It took away a lot of newbie fear on this topic. Thank you so much!
Thank you!
You are a wonderful teacher. I have attention deficit and my neurons and synapses were really firing. Thanks for making these great videos!!!!
I'm a few months away from building my van but i'm here paying attention anyway. Very good information! Really helped me understand. I'm gonna try to do it myself with a basic system for a year or so before attempting solar. Don't want to waste money. Thank you!
You'd be surprised how long I had to search for an informative video like yours with just the right amount of gifs
I've always liked the pipe analogy for describing volts and amps, volts ~= water pressure, amps ~= water flow rate
Haha me too, funny you brought this up ... I thought so much about this analogy and almost used it ... the challenge I have w this analogy is that water pressure is the same thing as water flow rate (I.e. higher pressure is higher flow rate). This is not the same for amps/volts.
Based on this I plan a similar system for house battery charging: 1) DC to DC charger (e.g. 12v van battery - DC to DC charger - 12V house battery), 2) solar panels, 3) inverter charging with 30 amp shore power.
As such, my build excludes a factory 2nd battery with cut/off relay and excludes a second alternator.
Comments on this much appreciated.
I need to finalise my new Sprinter build tomorrow.
Ps. Really enjoyed visiting Healdsburg on my California road trip earlier this month.
Thanks for all the excellent content.
“WAV” ... Watts = Amps x Volts 🎈Great work!!!
This is one of the most helpful videos I've come across in my 2 years of van conversion research, thank you so much for breaking it down in such a digestible way!!
This guide has been BY FAR the most insightful 2 part series I have watched for van electrical so far. Thank you so much for the thorough insight 🙌
I think this is my favourite video explaining the theory of electrical systems ever
The use of potatoes was inspired 😂
I made this comment near the beginning and now I'm near the end I absolutely feel this is the best off grid electrical system explanation video I've seen, and during my research for van life I have seen a lot!
Seriously, I wish I could like this a million times!
Thanks for all your hard work making this!
🙏🙏🙏 SO glad to hear this! Thanks Misty!
Seriously, you’ve got to market the “Savage Potato” bobble-head. Great video, excellent concept presentation!
Buddy, this was awesome! I was clueless about how this all worked, and you explained it so clearly and concisely. I’m also more of a visual learner, so this was of big help to me.
Agreed
This video really takes away the mystification of off grid electricity
Omg! I literally got up and had my face in the screen when you talked about the high resolution image below! Bahaha... excellent video! Thank you!
Haha, love it!
Thanks. This is one the best explanation of electrical system 101 I have watched. Fantastic job!
So happy to hear it. And thank you for the super like!!
If there is a better DIY off-grid video, I'd like to know. Having watched a dozen or more since starting my bus conversion - I have say WITHOUT hesitation your's is the BEST and the most comprehensive. Simply saying THANK YOU, does not seem enough, so Dhanyevaadh (India), Gamsahabnida (Korean), Arigato (Japanese).
Thank you so much!!
Were you a teacher in a previous life? I think you're excellent, Since I've read that one of the hallmarks of genius is the ability to discuss or complicated matters in a simple, easily understood manner, that makes you an excellent genius. Thanks
Thank you William Gates! So happy to hear you found this useful
Congratulations, I have watched quite a few videos on this subject and yours was by far the most thorough and detailed description. Much appreciated... now on to your next video. :)
This is the most clear amd easy to understand explanation of an off grids system I watched. Good job and thanks
Brilliant! I have been needing this info for a long time...the wait is over! Thanks
Really enjoy the tutorials and the energy you bring! No pun intended ha. Thank you!
on the roundtrip explanation to calculate the wire guage, it is i think MOST helpful to instruct people to just double the length of the wire run. that is the most straightforward way to use that blue sea chart. great vid btw.
Excellent video. I knew all this already, but you put it all in one place for newbies, nice. I’d like to buy you a beer next time I see you on the road.
Glad it helped! 🤙
subscribersss?? you deserved it!!! best explainations..step by steps...this is what i'v lookin for
Thank you!
I love you for making this video. So well thought out. Thank you for your efforts! Going to go take a nap.
This is SUPER helpful. Thank you, my potato is cooked! Onward to part 2 tomorrow!
Yo.... Thank you for this! This is by far the most well layed out and easy to understand explanation of these diagrams I have ever seen. It's going to help so much. Now I just gotta watch it like 3 more times.
🙏 thanks tango gun that’s awesome to hear.
This is by far the best & easiest video I've watched on setting up an electrical system. My bus has a solar power system but with this video there will be major improvements.
10:57 AC uses also two wires (it switches polarity at the AC circuit frequency). We add the grounding for safety reasons, due to more voltage and amps present in the circuit. This can bring also a lot of static electricity that has to be discharged somehow (in the "ground"). But two wires are sufficient (think of a light bulb: it has only two connectors).
Awesome video! Thank you!!! And I love your van! Your shower is 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
What a cool video, 10/10 potato analogy and great presentation!
Nice overview. Explained clearly. Thank you!
You are an incredible teacher!! Thank you!! Keep going!! Just subscribed!
I've got some pretty hefty solar panels, albeit not designed for portable use, and figured I'd put in an electric water heater as a dump load. It also means that if I want a shower urgently, I just disconnect the batteries and dump the lot directly without straining the batteries. I suppose I could also have an alternative circuit running from the inverter for use at night. Kind of solves all the problems at once, I think - so long as the panels are as powerful as they are supposed to be.
You are awesome. I used your amazon links. Thank you! I hope to see you on the road soon!
Awesome job describing the basic electrical system. Both how you broke it into sections and the descriptions/analogies used. I could only give one thumbs up on TH-cam but you have two real thumbs up from me
We are currently building our van and your videos are a god send.
@15:50 gauge measurements mean how many times that the object went through the gauge..... the more it went through the gauge the smaller it gets. also it depends on the object some material are harder then others. For example 18 gauges wire diameter will be smaller than 18 gauge steel.
Strong work bud, ya got my thumbs up👍🏼. And for the record, I love asparagus 😅. Keep the vid coming.
You are a legend! Love this, informative and funny at the same time
I must say, this video was very well explained and detailed. Very well done
Dude, you're amazing. Thank you so much. I learned a ton.
Seven - thanks for this and your other videos - exceptional. As a complete newb who is (hopefully) going to begin a build, I can't tell you how much I've learned from your vid's - very much appreciated and I look forward to each one!! Cheers
This is so damn helpful. I never understood simple electrical stuff like this. Now I do.
Thanks for the long, detailed guide! I've watched so many videos on this topic, and after watching yours I think I finally understand it to the point of memorization! As a visual/hands on learner, I appreciate the amount of effort that went into this. Thanks much and keep up the good work 👌
Appreciate it imminent 🤙
This was super helpful. Thank you very much!!
Thank you for this great explanation everything makes sense now finally
You're pretty amazing 😊 You just made me very thankful I bought more than 1 battery. I'm almost ready to set my van up with solar
Thanks Michelle that’s awesome!
After watching I felt much more educated when making decisions about my airstreams electrical needs. I was even able to better compare prices. Huge thanks!
So cool to hear! Thanks for sharing 🤙
You are my new hero. Batman never explained even one of his Bat equipment.
Haha thank you! Love it
Nice video... I just sent it to a friend that is starting his van project
Brilliant explanation, thanks a lot! I'd recommend this video to anyone who wants to understand (or be reminded of) the basics of how to design and spec a whole system.
Seriously thank you! So helpful!
Best explanation I have seen. I have looked all over and most explanations are too complex in their approach. Great charts and flowcharts
That actually helped a Lot! Thanks
gj man, i learned a lot and slapped the like!
Top Notch! thanks for that.
OMG! Thank you so much for this video! I've watched many others and researched on the internet and still didn't understand it until now. So thank you thank you thank you for the wonderful explanation!
Thanks
This optimistic former potato sincerely appreciates your description of amps, volts and watts. Don't know if I quite graduated to an asparagus yet but my amps are itching to carry enough volts across the finish line quick enough to feed the brain's need for a fixed wattage of understanding. Errr or something like that! Cheers brother!
You maked it very clear to me, TY so much ❤
Another great video. Learning a lot. Looking forward to part 2 & also the Cruise n Comfort A/C installation in the Zombie Apocalypse van ...
Verry well explain never see better .
So smart. So much information. So super. So good good.
Thanks for the content. It helps for sure. I'm looking forward to applying it's information to my build! A+
Very well done. Thank you.
Sick video dude. 🎉
If you are working on live electrical terminals (say, on a battery), wrap your spanner in electrical insulation tape. Make sure to cover the entire spanner behind the end you're using on the nut.
If you drop the spanner, you won't short circuit your terminals.
Awesome video! Thank you:) I got hungry during poptato talk...
Thank you! Excited for part 2.
Awesome video as always!! I can't wait to start my build!
Awesome info... we'll presented...even for old gals like me 😵💫...thank you so much young man😃
Great video! You really simplified things and were very thorough with your explanations. Thank you.
this is so helpful!!!!!!!!!!!
Good info but my only concern is when you mentioned shore power from a home which is only 15-amp and most rv air conditioner run off 30-amp. I recommend installing a soft starter so you don't short out the house breaker when mooch camping
Your videos are the best.
Awesome video! Learnt a lot!
Very good explanation
Hello.
I'm going to do my van in some time and have some experience living in caravan.
For fast build, I made 12v system (that's actually that was in caravan)
But with use of more powerful devices, like water heater, microwave, conditioner etc, I was thinking about making 48v (or 24 at least) system as storage. This will lower current from battery and all you need extra dc-dc convertor. Some
Than you Seven, you are the best! Love all your videos. hope I don't mess my van up with my Owen electrical DIY. lol
Dude. Thanks!! Best can how to. I’ve wanted to understand what the crap I’m about to do.
Hi this is just what I asked for so far! I'm the one who asked if you were doing a beginners guide to an Electrical system in a previous video. So simple and easy to understand. BTW I decided to do the drinking game and went for shots of alcohol. So needless to say I got pretty cut
So happy to hear this helped! Hopefully you got to finish the video before it kicked in 😂
Best of the best
Thank you for the info.
Very interesting and informative. You make it understandable.
Thanks
Awesome video. Well done explaining the concepts.
Wow
Amazing
Merci.
Hâte de voir la partie 2
👍🎁🙋♂️🌏
5:11 I think it's the other way around: volts (potential difference/electrical tension/voltage) show the "speed" aka pressure/electrical force and amps (current intensity/volume of electrons) show the "density". That's why they say: amps are the killers, not actually the volts. So, it is not the volts that are the dangerous part of the equation, but the amps (electrical flow or how much electricity is traveling per unit of time).
The chapter "Batteries and Terminology" is mixed up badly, one has to replace "volts" with "amps" in order to grasp the concepts correctly. For example, at 7:53, it is not the increased voltage that makes more "potatoes" on the wire, but the amperage. What voltage does: it increases the impulse with which a "potato" will travel the wire, it will provide a bigger force. You can have 12V and 120V with the same amperage (same number of "potatoes"), but with different capability of providing work (120V will give more energy).
A certain device needs a well defined voltage and also amperage in order to function properly or as designed. If you are giving it a lower voltage but the correct amps, the "potatoes" do not have the needed force to produce work. If you are giving it the proper voltage but less amps, there are not enough "potatoes" on the wire to produce the work.. Now, you can provide more amps and it will still work (il will drain the amount needed), but if you increase the volts, it will burn inside due to too much electrical force.
So, when a device needs a certain amount of power (or current intensity aka amps) in order to work optimally and assuming you have the right amount of volts, what you can do is to add more batteries to the circuit (more "potatoes" bags), wired in parallel (as you keep the voltage constant in parallel wiring, but the amps will increase, or the number of "potatoes" traveling the wire per one second).
To sum up: think of voltage as an arc coil used to "launch" the potatoes and amps are the number of potatoes capable of being launched with that coil. The stronger the coil and more tension can provide, the farther you can launch the "potatoes" (more volts, more energy to do work). If more "potatoes" can jump at once, then they can "hit" a bigger "surface" at the other end.
Second time. Still really useful.
Big help brother! I can’t wait for the next one.
I was reading comments on Amazon and the author stated his battery management system (common to nearly if not all Li batteries) was limiting his bank to the rating on the individual batteries. So a bank of 3 100A batteries will never be able to draw more than 100A without shutting off. In short, after realizing this issue they upgraded to a 230A "Plus" battery to run their microwave. I'm not sure this is accurate since I"m still sizing my system but I thought I'd mention it since this concept seems to be glanced over @3:50 in the video.
Great video. I'm watching all videos I can find on building my 12v system in our transit van. Ours is very simple, two 100 Ah batteries, one dometic fridge, one max air fan, probably about 4 AC connections for computer/microwave/hair dryer type things.
I see your creation and I get overwhelmed. We do not have solar at this point but may in the future. Use a Jackery sometimes too.
Where can I find a very basic schematic ---- in an easy terminology?
@19:25, on a diagram, you might see red, black, and green for the hot/neutral/ground, but in real life, your neutral should be white or grey (there are some limited circumstances where it's not). Black, Red, or Blue wires are traditionally the colors for your hot wire in 120VAC systems.
I have been watching tons of conversion videos, yours for sure, and have been trying to understand the technical side of things - this video came out at the perfect time - thank you! Question: How did you learn how to do all of this? Not just electrical, but everything?
Thanks! That’s awesome to hear. I learned from TH-cam and trying things out
dude, Thank you!!