I bought a 15 volt step up after watching your other video. I tried a 13.8 volt step, & now up to a 15 volt. Talk about a massive difference. I love how your videos are easy to understand
@@LockyourHubs4WDing It’s made the travel buddy so so much faster esp if you have hungry teenagers lol Beautiful spot down there. I live in Cairns so nice spot up here also.
Really interesting video. We have have discovered that a step up is really necessary for eninge off cooking but not needed when you are driving because of the extra voltage available. We use the 12v TB. Oh and we think preheating is a total waste of time. The oven is on so just put the food in as you turn it on. Frozen pies take 1 hour to be ready to eat not using preheating.
@@LockyourHubs4WDing Surprisingly not with the Travel Buddy, the pies always come out with nice crisp pastry. Give it a go, we have never had a problem with it and it saves a heap of power when you are doing engine off cooking.
@@LockyourHubs4WDing I probably should have noted that the TB works fine without a step up converter and the engine off if you have a decent solar array feeding power to the battery bank. The time we really need the step up is at night when there is no power from solar and none from the engine. We run one TB in the 4x4 and another in the Coaster which is where we need the step up most.
Great video and information. I am looking forward to more great content. I have been worrying that you may be discontinuing content. So glad you're back.
You know after trying the Engel on a 13.8v step up and getting better performance (though using more battery) the thought did pass my mind about 28v into the old Engel. Might give it a shot.
@@LockyourHubs4WDing both my fridges (2 different brands) say they run on 12v/24v using the same dc cable. Most 24v systems output about 27-28v when running so I don't think it will harm the fridge.
Great vid. I’ve got a 15V step-up on my sml tb. According to ur vid, the 15v step-up increases the amp draw to 11.3a. TB recommends using a 10A fuse. Do u need to use a larger fuse when using these step-ups?
Welcome back mate, this is a really informative vid. When people come into the shop looking at TB's, one of the biggest questions is power consumption and what is the most efficient way to run our Australian-made Travel Buddy 🇦🇺
I have been thinking about one of these for a while and seeing that Trev's shop is local to me I might go in and talk to him about them more.. Thanks for the info as always.. P.S. Great to see you back.
Thanks mate, it's been a little while I know..... But there's plenty more in the pipeline to come. Trev will sort out all your Travel Buddy and 4WDing needs, and he's a great bloke to boot!
but usually batteries are closer to 13v than 12, and when driving it will be around 14v with a dc to dc charger on the 2nd battery. so not much point with the step up for 1v i think. great video none the less.
Thanks for the video, very informative. I have a 24v lithium battery in my boat . Silly question, what would happen if i plugged my 12v oven into that ? can i expect a fire 🔥
Hi and thank you for the great information you continually post. I find it so good in helping me set up our Van and vehicle. Could you let me know if you can get the Road Chef Bertha in a 24 Volt version? If not would would you recommend a step up voltage set up and what size would I use. Thanks Again Brad
I understand the Big Bertha is only available in a 12v version. The Big Bertha manual actually states not to use a step-up with the oven. (Not sure if they have been watching the videos!) Though in the next breathe it also states the maximum input voltage is 15v......
@@LockyourHubs4WDing Understanding I don’t hold you responsible for the warranty. What size jump up would in your opinion give the best efficiency with the big Bertha ?
That depends on the input range of the step up, most will compensate and just regulate the output voltage to spec. You can however switch out the stepup when the car's running. There's a video about it on the channel.
whats the amps draw from 12 to 15, 12 to 24, 12 to 28 and 12 to 30.. that is the key measurement to make a decision on which combination provides the best return for watts drawn from your house battery, i believe for most the 12 to 15 is the best performance to watts drawn from the house battery.
No, work has been nuts, I've got about 5 or 6 half finished. Just thought I would share this video with my Patrons and FB group members first before it goes public on New Year's Eve. It's Christmas after all 🙂
Great video as usual, curious to see the efficiency of the step up converter if a 12v cooling fan from say a PC was ran across it, think it would be an easy build to box them up together
Great video as usual. What about the cable specs for running a 24/28 volts from the 12 volt system, it would no doubt be twice the current draw (for a shorter period) But can you give us a recommended cable guage sizing for these alternatives running off an anderson please as the old cigi port wont cut it anymore. Im assuming the 7.7 amps at 28 would be about 18-19 amps at 12 volts?
At 12v, the 7.7@28v taking into consideration the efficiency of the step up would be drawing around 23a. The necessary cable would depend on the length of the run. Though to be safe, stay with a calculated voltage drop of no more than 3% over the run and you'll be fine.
great data and presentation as always! cant argue with the facts 👌🍻 PS: hmm ive got an 18v step up here, itd be interesting to see if the "gain" is the same 15 v 18 as 28 v 30 (ie: tiny )
Hmmmmmm, I was a little hesitant to fire up the 12v TB with 15v for the first time! Not sure I want to throw 18v at it! Though let me know how it goes :)
Thanks for the video...i bought the 15V step up and works great. I have taken the 12volt Travel Buddy out of the boat i bought a few years back and use it in the 4WD but am now considering buying a 24V for the boat. The question is I have a 36V Trolling Motor and thought i could run the 24V off them. Will the 28 step up converter work or do you need a step down converter. I thought it was better to use the 36V set up rather than using all the 12V house batteries. What do you think?
You could use either, though you'll have to use an appropriate step up/down that'll take the voltage input you're using. You may have difficulties charging the 36v battery from your 12v system, so based on that I would probably prefer the 12v system to supply the power.
Thanks for the reply...There is a charging system for the 36V battery set up is already in place The 12V House battery charges the 3 Full River Batterys (36V) through the Sterling Power Pro Charge B (DC - DC) so i would assume would have no issues running the oven.
Thank you for the great info. With the 15V step up, will the supplied power cord be able to carry the extra current? Same with the fuses on a standard cigarette lighter power supply in my car? I have not yet installed a second battery, so I am limited on the current draw. Thanks again, your videos are always greatly enjoyed, as it is factual.
I would be hesitant to run a standard Travel Buddy off of a cig plug, let alone one with a 15v step up. The supply cord is fine though. You can run a power cord from the battery (fused near the battery) and run your TB off of a 50a Anderson plug. When you install the second battery, just swap the wire across.
Finally get my SMW 14v step up/down and bracket set up and you go and let me know it wasn't the full ducks nuts after all 🤣 Not sure I would worry about 24v oven and 28v step up I'm not that rushed as are cooking while driving anywhy But if I watched this before I definitely would have gone the 24v
thankyou for the videos. After watching your video I ordered the step up and 24v oven. did you test the draw from the battery side when testing the 12-28v step up? Upon connecting I placed a power meter on the oven side which reads what you pointed out in your video. 27.9v @ 7.9amp When connecting connecting the battery side I got the following readings 13.5v @ 18amps.
I’ve installed and used a 15v step up in my trusty old travel buddy but went to use it the other day and after an hour checked on it unit had turned off light etc , long story short opened up travel buddy and found the main power wire going to the timer on function had burnt off , and also the heat pads cable is brown as a posed to the red they show some signs off so I dunno if that is normal or if the cable burning off is normal as the 15 step up is great , gets hotter quicker as well as hotter in general and gets things to toast rather than steam sometimes , my question is since repairing the broken wire do I go back into 15v step up or , go back to stock , 13.8 v , how much can the timer unit handle power wise ?
My advice is make sure the power is appropriately fused and stick with the 15v step up. Don't get me wrong, the increased wattage would have exacerbated the issue, though it would have eventually happened down the track without the step up.
Min 9:32 the 30 Volt step-up actually performed worse than the 28 Volt step up !!! What do the blue and orange parts of the bar in the graph represent? I think the 24V solution is the most efficient. The 28V maybe 10 min faster but needs another 100Wh. Isn't there a step up from 12 to 24? Why do you only show a step up from 12 to 28 but when it comes to 24 you show a 24 source battery?
If you look at the start temps of the pies in the 4pie test, the pies for the 28v test were initially a little colder. You need to check out the gradient of the graph. The 30v was a little steeper, but not a lot. The 24v test was just a test to establish a baseline for the other testing. It was to stimulate a use test with a 24v power source like a truck or a bus. The reason it used less energy is because it didn't have the inefficiency losses of the stepup.
@@LockyourHubs4WDing Tnx I now understand the 24V was a baseline. Does a 24 V step up exist? If so how would it’s efficiency measure up against a 28V step up?
Who's now looking to get the 24V version?
Just ordered both 😂
Thanks again for your always informative and helpful content!!
Glad to help!
Ive been waiting for the right time to get one and now its definately going to be the 24 volt version. thanks 👍
I bought a 15 volt step up after watching your other video.
I tried a 13.8 volt step, & now up to a 15 volt.
Talk about a massive difference.
I love how your videos are easy to understand
I had pies on the beach in Robe SA yesterday from the Travel Buddy with a 15V step up, it's a hard combination to beat!
@@LockyourHubs4WDing
It’s made the travel buddy so so much faster esp if you have hungry teenagers lol
Beautiful spot down there.
I live in Cairns so nice spot up here also.
Really interesting video. We have have discovered that a step up is really necessary for eninge off cooking but not needed when you are driving because of the extra voltage available. We use the 12v TB. Oh and we think preheating is a total waste of time. The oven is on so just put the food in as you turn it on. Frozen pies take 1 hour to be ready to eat not using preheating.
Pastries should go into a preheated oven, unless you're into the microwaved pastry feel ! :)
@@LockyourHubs4WDing Surprisingly not with the Travel Buddy, the pies always come out with nice crisp pastry. Give it a go, we have never had a problem with it and it saves a heap of power when you are doing engine off cooking.
@@LockyourHubs4WDing I probably should have noted that the TB works fine without a step up converter and the engine off if you have a decent solar array feeding power to the battery bank. The time we really need the step up is at night when there is no power from solar and none from the engine. We run one TB in the 4x4 and another in the Coaster which is where we need the step up most.
Great video and information. I am looking forward to more great content. I have been worrying that you may be discontinuing content. So glad you're back.
Thanks mate, shortish.... Hiatus, but we're back!
Interesting. I think i might get the 24v model and put a victron 12/24 dcdc behind it for remote start and conversion 😂
That'll definitely work!
Hey simon , great to see you back , awesome video as always, cheers from Wagga Wagga
Thanks mate, it's been a little while..... But it's full steam ahead from here!
Great to see you back , great video
Thanks! There are more to come.....
Another great Video, would love to see the stats on running a 12v/24v fridge with a 12v>28v step up if you are interested in doing a video on that.
You know after trying the Engel on a 13.8v step up and getting better performance (though using more battery) the thought did pass my mind about 28v into the old Engel. Might give it a shot.
@@LockyourHubs4WDing both my fridges (2 different brands) say they run on 12v/24v using the same dc cable. Most 24v systems output about 27-28v when running so I don't think it will harm the fridge.
Great vid.
I’ve got a 15V step-up on my sml tb.
According to ur vid, the 15v step-up increases the amp draw to 11.3a. TB recommends using a 10A fuse. Do u need to use a larger fuse when using these step-ups?
On the supply side you will. You'll also need a fuse on the outlet side.
Welcome back mate, this is a really informative vid. When people come into the shop looking at TB's, one of the biggest questions is power consumption and what is the most efficient way to run our Australian-made Travel Buddy 🇦🇺
Thanks mate, start stocking up on the 24v models, they're going to become a hot ticket item!
@@LockyourHubs4WDing Sound like with 24v, even hotter lol
I have been thinking about one of these for a while and seeing that Trev's shop is local to me I might go in and talk to him about them more.. Thanks for the info as always.. P.S. Great to see you back.
Thanks mate, it's been a little while I know..... But there's plenty more in the pipeline to come.
Trev will sort out all your Travel Buddy and 4WDing needs, and he's a great bloke to boot!
but usually batteries are closer to 13v than 12, and when driving it will be around 14v with a dc to dc charger on the 2nd battery. so not much point with the step up for 1v i think. great video none the less.
I've actually tested running voltage (about 13.8-14v) and a 15v step up before, there were worthwhile gains to be had.
@@LockyourHubs4WDing so regardless of voltage in it's 15v out?
Yep, I was using it with tool batteries (18-20v)
Great video thanks for sharing, would love a 24v oven & step up but already have a 12v & 15 step up, love my buddy
There's nothing better than a pie at lunchtime on the tracks.
@@LockyourHubs4WDing absolutely buddy, brought up on them through school 🏫
Thanks for the video, very informative. I have a 24v lithium battery in my boat . Silly question, what would happen if i plugged my 12v oven into that ? can i expect a fire 🔥
It'll probably burn out the element at a guess
@@LockyourHubs4WDing That’s what i thought , seems obvious I guess 😂 Might cook as quick as a microwave to
Hi and thank you for the great information you continually post.
I find it so good in helping me set up our Van and vehicle.
Could you let me know if you can get the Road Chef Bertha in a 24 Volt version?
If not would would you recommend a step up voltage set up and what size would I use.
Thanks Again
Brad
I understand the Big Bertha is only available in a 12v version. The Big Bertha manual actually states not to use a step-up with the oven. (Not sure if they have been watching the videos!)
Though in the next breathe it also states the maximum input voltage is 15v......
@@LockyourHubs4WDing
Understanding I don’t hold you responsible for the warranty.
What size jump up would in your opinion give the best efficiency with the big Bertha ?
@@bradocarroll3565 I personally use a 15v (at my own peril! )
Great video yet again. Thanks again.
Glad you enjoyed it
What happens to the output voltage of the step-up when the alternator is running and the input voltage is 14V instead of 12v?
That depends on the input range of the step up, most will compensate and just regulate the output voltage to spec. You can however switch out the stepup when the car's running. There's a video about it on the channel.
whats the amps draw from 12 to 15, 12 to 24, 12 to 28 and 12 to 30.. that is the key measurement to make a decision on which combination provides the best return for watts drawn from your house battery, i believe for most the 12 to 15 is the best performance to watts drawn from the house battery.
Great video! some excellent and clearly passed on information as always.
Have all your recent videos been unlisted?
No, work has been nuts, I've got about 5 or 6 half finished. Just thought I would share this video with my Patrons and FB group members first before it goes public on New Year's Eve.
It's Christmas after all 🙂
Great video as usual, curious to see the efficiency of the step up converter if a 12v cooling fan from say a PC was ran across it, think it would be an easy build to box them up together
Hmmmm, good question. You might gain some efficiency using a cooling fan, though the fan itself would use some power as well.
Great vid! Love the info supplied.
Thanks mate!
Hi, love ur shows, very helpful and informative, Quick question for u, can u use a step up converter on a 12v fridge? If so is it worthwhile?
Great video as usual.
What about the cable specs for running a 24/28 volts from the 12 volt system, it would no doubt be twice the current draw (for a shorter period) But can you give us a recommended cable guage sizing for these alternatives running off an anderson please as the old cigi port wont cut it anymore. Im assuming the 7.7 amps at 28 would be about 18-19 amps at 12 volts?
At 12v, the 7.7@28v taking into consideration the efficiency of the step up would be drawing around 23a. The necessary cable would depend on the length of the run. Though to be safe, stay with a calculated voltage drop of no more than 3% over the run and you'll be fine.
@@LockyourHubs4WDing Cheers, thanks for that 👍
great data and presentation as always! cant argue with the facts 👌🍻
PS: hmm ive got an 18v step up here, itd be interesting to see if the "gain" is the same 15 v 18 as 28 v 30 (ie: tiny )
Hmmmmmm, I was a little hesitant to fire up the 12v TB with 15v for the first time! Not sure I want to throw 18v at it!
Though let me know how it goes :)
@Lock your Hubs 4WDing 15v is little difference to car alternators.
But 18v is definitely beyond any alternator...
Thanks for the video...i bought the 15V step up and works great. I have taken the 12volt Travel Buddy out of the boat i bought a few years back and use it in the 4WD but am now considering buying a 24V for the boat. The question is I have a 36V Trolling Motor and thought i could run the 24V off them. Will the 28 step up converter work or do you need a step down converter. I thought it was better to use the 36V set up rather than using all the 12V house batteries. What do you think?
You could use either, though you'll have to use an appropriate step up/down that'll take the voltage input you're using.
You may have difficulties charging the 36v battery from your 12v system, so based on that I would probably prefer the 12v system to supply the power.
Thanks for the reply...There is a charging system for the 36V battery set up is already in place The 12V House battery charges the 3 Full River Batterys (36V) through the Sterling Power Pro Charge B (DC - DC) so i would assume would have no issues running the oven.
@@andrewdurbidge1283 OK if you're already set up to charge 36V, you'll just need to source a 28V voltage reg that'll take the 36v input.
Thanks again...appreciate the content and advice.
Is it possible to run the 12v unit off a 24v battery setup or does this risk damaging the unit?
You could, with a step down to 13.8 or 15v, but running the 12v unit from 24v might let the magic smoke out!
My truck is 24v, considering the power efficiency, would you recommend keeping it at 24v without a stepup for the oven?
Charging voltage with the engine running should be around 28v, which is perfect for the 24v model.
@@LockyourHubs4WDing awesome, Thanks mate
Thank you for the great info. With the 15V step up, will the supplied power cord be able to carry the extra current? Same with the fuses on a standard cigarette lighter power supply in my car? I have not yet installed a second battery, so I am limited on the current draw.
Thanks again, your videos are always greatly enjoyed, as it is factual.
I would be hesitant to run a standard Travel Buddy off of a cig plug, let alone one with a 15v step up. The supply cord is fine though.
You can run a power cord from the battery (fused near the battery) and run your TB off of a 50a Anderson plug. When you install the second battery, just swap the wire across.
@@LockyourHubs4WDing awesome. Thanks for your advice.
Finally get my SMW 14v step up/down and bracket set up and you go and let me know it wasn't the full ducks nuts after all 🤣
Not sure I would worry about 24v oven and 28v step up I'm not that rushed as are cooking while driving anywhy
But if I watched this before I definitely would have gone the 24v
I do now .... :)
thankyou for the videos.
After watching your video I ordered the step up and 24v oven.
did you test the draw from the battery side when testing the 12-28v step up?
Upon connecting I placed a power meter on the oven side which reads what you pointed out in your video. 27.9v @ 7.9amp
When connecting connecting the battery side I got the following readings 13.5v @ 18amps.
I did, I would have to dig out the data, with the higher voltage, you're connected to a lithium right?
@@LockyourHubs4WDing lead acid full charge battery car running
@@brendenpatterson4275 the amperage, taking into account the efficiency losses of the step up, sounds about right.
Just think we don't have much time to recover you now in the zook now that the pies take less time to cook with the 24v set up now
Better get a shuffle on then! :)
I’ve installed and used a 15v step up in my trusty old travel buddy but went to use it the other day and after an hour checked on it unit had turned off light etc , long story short opened up travel buddy and found the main power wire going to the timer on function had burnt off , and also the heat pads cable is brown as a posed to the red they show some signs off so I dunno if that is normal or if the cable burning off is normal as the 15 step up is great , gets hotter quicker as well as hotter in general and gets things to toast rather than steam sometimes , my question is since repairing the broken wire do I go back into 15v step up or , go back to stock , 13.8 v , how much can the timer unit handle power wise ?
My advice is make sure the power is appropriately fused and stick with the 15v step up.
Don't get me wrong, the increased wattage would have exacerbated the issue, though it would have eventually happened down the track without the step up.
Can you just change element in a 12v system
I didn't have any luck buying a spare element from Travel Buddy.
Min 9:32 the 30 Volt step-up actually performed worse than the 28 Volt step up !!! What do the blue and orange parts of the bar in the graph represent? I think the 24V solution is the most efficient. The 28V maybe 10 min faster but needs another 100Wh. Isn't there a step up from 12 to 24? Why do you only show a step up from 12 to 28 but when it comes to 24 you show a 24 source battery?
If you look at the start temps of the pies in the 4pie test, the pies for the 28v test were initially a little colder. You need to check out the gradient of the graph. The 30v was a little steeper, but not a lot.
The 24v test was just a test to establish a baseline for the other testing. It was to stimulate a use test with a 24v power source like a truck or a bus. The reason it used less energy is because it didn't have the inefficiency losses of the stepup.
@@LockyourHubs4WDing Tnx I now understand the 24V was a baseline. Does a 24 V step up exist? If so how would it’s efficiency measure up against a 28V step up?
They do, but the 28v version would be a much better option.
@@LockyourHubs4WDing Tnx
The proof of the pudding is in the eating
Hahaha, I think both versions are acceptable! :)
I feel we’ve been through this before
@@lastknownlocation8760 I think we have.