I don’t watch a lot of TH-cam but I have been living off grid for 6 years and this guy knows what he’s talking about it’s probably because he’s not wearing shoes.
Thanks Keelan I'm 65 female and just starting out on the road. Your knowledge is easy to digest. Learn something everyday. Safe, travels to you and your family.
Main takeaways are at 16:33 - Use appropriately thick cable - Use MPPT controller if you have a large solar panel bank (otherwise PWM controller fine for smaller panels) and keep controller as close to battery as possible - Keep your solar panels clean
The very same 12v rules applies when you build an overland camper van too. Roof full of solar and a blanket and fat flex for the win. Especially true here in UK where the sun only really shines for 3 hours at the height of summer on august 12th, if we have a lucky day. Your island is a lot bigger than our island and seems to have eternal sunshine. Lovin' your channel.
I'm up on most things electrical, and as a 4WD and Van owner I commend you on your video explaining this to people who don't understand. I have seen some shocking installations over the years and what is surprising is that a lot of Caravan manufacturers are using the wrong size cable. Remember most Caravan manufacturers are like used car salesmen and will cut every corner they can. They don't even balance the wheels on your van from new.
thanks Andrew! thanks for the kind comment mate! glad you enjoyed it and I explained it semi well. its all about cost saving for most manufactures thats right! We are very happy Urban Caravans are always trying to improve an already good product and the R & D testing we do in the field is put into practice so the next customer gets an even better van than ours!! cheers mate
Have learnt more in your last two videos about solar, setting it , how it works and what to use than the research and watching other vids over past two months 😂. Again thanks mate !! When you finish being a sparky you need to teach it to people ! Doing a bloody awesome job 🙏☝️🍺
There are squillions of off grid videos, but this one is, in my view, one of the best I have seen. Explaining 12V systems is a blind spot in the other videos. Well done.👍
Mate I wish I had have watched this a few days ago. Great video!!! Just spent 3 days double checking all the wiring on my camper as it would not charge from my car. Itech 40amp dcdc charger in the camper. Turned out the auto elect put the smallest wires possible from my battery to the back of the car. All I did was use the right size wire and all good. Crazy difference
Thanks Keelan !! Your videos are way more helpful at putting an awesome solar generator into my pop up camper !! You are very smart about this solar stuff and love your videos on very knowledgeable about Solar power!! Keep making these videos!! And explaining it so well too !!
The easiest way to explain the difference between a PWM and an MPPT controller is that the PWM controller is pretty much limited to the voltage it sees from the panel, if the panel is proving a high voltage this type of regulator will simply clip it, the battery will charge but not as efficiently. These can work well in sunny conditions, in shady conditions these can limit charge to a point that they are pretty much ineffective. A MPPT charger on the other hand ( think ohms law ) can convert the higher input voltages from the solar panel, to the 14.4v / 13.8v ( charge profile specific ) and increase the amps, rather than just clipping it. It provides a better charge cause it makes use of excess voltage by converting into amps. This is why an MPPT charge controller will provide better performance in shady conditions. Especially when mated to a higher voltage panel. Keep up the good work! Keep living the dream!
Very true. I switched the pwm controller on my 200w glass portable panel over to a mppt. The difference was substantial and the reduced battery charging time quite notable.
I really appreciate these videos where you try to simplify electrical systems for those of us who know absolutely nothing about electricity. I’m so confused, but your videos help! Voltage, watts, current, amps, DC, Inverters, regulators, resistance, 12 volt… does my head in lol 🤦🏻♀️😂
One thing a lot of people don’t realise regarding the length of the cable is that with DC the run is both ways, so this has to be allowed for in your calculation regarding cable size
@@donherley1811 correct, which in short runs of 1 or 2 meters is no big deal, but if you have the appliance 5 meters away it is a run length of 10 meters which In most cases will require going up a wire size to prevent voltage drop.
Glad to see you taken your own time to explain this to users. Its so common that as you state you get suggested the correct amp cable but incorrect gauge of cable you need to use on distance and draw. Thanks great video mate cheers...
Great vid mate, I love learning about this. The difference the thicker cable makes is insane and something I’ll be taking into account on our next build.
@@SarahandKeelanTravels that's one wire of a 2-wire system - you don't mention earth returns at all & they corrode though usually slowly enough you don't notice till a big fault develops. Earth returns require an absolute minimum of the same thickness cable & they need to be dismantled & cleaned up regularly. Earths are frequently overlooked.
Gday Sarah and Keegan. That I think is the best explanation of how to get the most out of a 12 volt system that I’ve heard. I’d never heard or considered the voltage drop from the regulator on solar panels. Thanks for the tips 👍🏻
Thanks for taking the time to explain that in detail mate, that was excellent and confirmed what I believed I was doing correctly, was actually correct 😂 Good solid reminder to keep an eye on the panels and give them a cleanup regularly too. 🤙
Thankyou! Thankyou,! Thankyou!!! I have my car booked in this week to have a brake controller and Anderson Plug setup fitted, thanks to your video I will be asking them to use 35mm cable instead of the 6mm cable I can almost guarantee they would have installed. Awesome and informative video, thanks
Thats why I like my Kickass cabling kit for my Kickass battery and box.Itech DCDC charger not badly priced.might go for that.Sorry i missed catching you at the Sydney show.Saw you there but wifey rushed me through.
Lots of great info about wires and DC charging. As an electrician in the US I try and explain wire size like a garden hose. Larger diameter hose will carry more water. A thinner hose must have higher pressure to try and flow the same ammount of water. Of course even higher pressure can only do so much (resistance) will still not allow as much flow. I love the term "Sparky" I try my best not to spark myself when working...
Thanks Keelan - I know very little about this stuff - I'm one of the dangerous ones - so I learnt a lot - had no idea the thicker cables made such a difference. Excellent video. Liked the chilled presentation style too and the upfront acknowledgement of the iTechworld affiliation.
Thanks legend!! Glad you got something out of it! We are just trying to help as many as we can! Arm you with the right info to make your system better!
Awsome video mate. This is a massive issue that van companys arnt addressing when they sell people these big 12volts systems for their vans like what happened to me. Cheers for the info. Very well explained aswell. 👍👍
Thanks mate!!! Since we have been working and R & D testing vans at urban we have now made 16mm standard on drawbars on vans! 99% of all other manufacturers still use 6-8mm
M8 just came across your video today, and how easily you have made it for me to understand this, I take my hat off to you! How you explain it all is why I am now going to subscribe to your channel. It's my pleasure to see your videos and keep them coming. On ya m8, cheers! Great set-up you've got as well ! Enjoy the great outdoors.
I use a DC amp clamp and a thermal image camera for my installation. I use a DC-DC converter to charge and compensate for voltage drop, you need to current limit the charge. Using a 62V solar panel setup (560watt) with a MPPT, works great! Hello from the States!
I've just discovered your channel and wow! Super impressed with your passion, energy and sincere desire to debunk myths and help people, legend. Really enjoy your channel.
Some ways to help teach these principles might have focused on cable resistance per metre for various thickness of cable. Then show the voltage drop across the cable run. Then the DC-DC converter might have been presented as power in and power out, which would demonstrate the limits of lower input voltage. These videos have been good to watch, and are good tools to make peoples plans on powering up with.
Great video Keelan! I'd add that most wire manufacturers specify Ohms/foot. From that you can calculate total resistance for a run of cable and if you know source voltage and load resistance, you can calculate total current draw and voltage drop to the load.
Well explained...and of course voltage drop creates a higher current demand, further loading the cable. Also the AWG current loads on cables are rated at 28 degrees centigrade
Way to go!! Opening right up with V!! P=IE, awesome!! I went through 6 inverters before I finally found one that actually held 119VAC (USA) regardless of load or input voltage. I also see tubers building battery banks with bolted in fuses, and no disconnect...lol. Thanks for thoroughly demonstrating how important cabling is. I say the bigger the better! It hurts bad initially, but there's nothing like cool cabling, literally!
Watched two of your vids and learned more than watching dozens of other vids on the topic, with better and more practical explanations as well. Thanks!
Our first camper many years ago used no electric at all. Everything from the heat to the lights used propane and the water was a hand pump. We've come a long ways. Backwards. Good vid!
Nicely done. Good demo to show the effect of wire resistance on voltage drop. For the math, I just did a little calculation for 50 Amps across 20 meters of copper wire. For 6mm diameter wire, voltage drop is 3.3V, power loss is 165W. For 16mm wire, voltage drop (V = IR) is 1.21V, power loss (I^2R) is 60W. So, if you're running high current on a long wire run, and you want it to be efficient, fat is where it's at. Fat wire, that is.
Thanks great vid. I know a bit late to the game but thanks for coming to NZ loved that series. As you said the costs even living here half of the time the locals can’t afford some of the activities. Come back and see the north island.
Thanks Keelan, hubby really appreciated your top tips, especially the one about the regulator closer to the battery. I did give him a look 😲 when you said to clean the panels!!!! Top work and we love our itech world gear 👍
Thanks legends! Glad you got something out of it!! I would say the tips were in order from most important to least! Cleaning your panels you’ll get the most out of though for sure!! We do too! Such great value for money too
Nice one Keelan. Happy you mentioned regulator as close to battery as possible, proved I was right in an argument where mate reckoned since manufacturer fixed it onto back of panel not on end of cable that was where it “had” to be 👍👍
Thank you Keelan. Greatly appreciate your input. Just looking to purchase our first van and want to save where we can but also make sure it's quality and done right the first time. We've watched so many videos on what you get and how to do it yourself. Heading of to the Sunshine Caravan show to check some of these vans out. Soooo looking forward to hitting the road one day.
Awesome Vid Keenan, I have just finished my sons Canopy fitout with 12volt system and explained the importance of heavy cable to him! I did mine 3 years back and it works a treat. Thanks for sharing, we love your channel, cheers Pete
Excellent presentation! Cable size is #1 cause of insufficient charging/failure I've come across. The 2nd are connections. It's stunning how I've seen some connected. 100% copper is the best cable and lugs to employ. Buy once, cry once. Again, you really nailed it. Well done. Now one about those cigarette lighter sockets...dump those things....maybe your next video...
Thanks Keelan , that was very well done, the detail was excellent, love the 3rd point with dirty solar panels 😂, so very true , you should be an Electronics Teacher in your spare time 🤣 thanks again 👍
Great video Keelan. The only thing I didn't understand (as a person who just bought his first 4X4 and a trailer) - did you say you ran 35mm cables for your system? That's one heck of a wire.
Finally, it makes sense to me. Thank you. I am someone that needs to know the, "Why", behind how things work. If I want to learn more about the technical aspects behind electricity, is there an educational book or class program online that completely breaks it down with examples and an explanation of scientific terms, I could take as a complete novice that you would recommend?
thanks legend glad you understand it! im an electrician so a lot of the principles are transferable between 12v DC and 240VAC. I also have done a fair bit of work with DC in controls so understand it well! you could do your CERT 3 at tafe which takes around 4 years and you'll be a qualified electrician or Auto sparky
Thank you for this. I have been watching RV solar and other solar videos for a while, I got more information about how to 'set up' a system than I have in all the hours I have spent trying to learn about the systems.
A great video Keelan, so many people fall for this, very overlooked like you say, I always have a couple of rolls of 35mm laying about, I use it whenever I can over reasonable distance, really helpful tips mate, I just hope Urban do my Xgrid package with 35mm too?
Hi mick!! Thanks mate!! 100% agree! As for urban they will run 16mm standard and you can ask for 35mm to be optioned up!! Just one of the changes me and sarah have done at urban!! Bloody good company that is always taking advice and bettering them selfs!
Good information there Keelan. It would also be a good idea to point out that inferior plugs/sockets/connectors can be an area of large loss due to resistance & heat build-up. To add to that it is also a big fire risk. I will not use cigarette plug sockets due to the issues they have with insecure connection, genuine 50A Anderson all the way for me with an appropriate circuit breaker at each battery. I am really enjoying watching your travels, keep up the great content & stay safe. P.S. I will be ordering my new VX Prado tomorrow so I get to start a whole new build. :)
@@SarahandKeelanTravels It's a big subject, could make it 5 parts & still not cover it all. Not sure if I'm excited or scared of the prospect of starting all over. The trusty Triton has served me very well for the last 13 years but there's a few things I will do differently this time.
Great explanation video put in a simple language that no doubt helps many people. One of your best. Keep up the good work. Love most of your videos!!!!!!!
Hi guys thanks for the great explanation. I have just purchased a complete Itech 3 battery system for my truck. And can't wait to start my canopy set up. Cheers.
Great vid and tips here Keelan, it was good to see the difference the wire guage made in real practice. I use a lot of the cheaper Chinese type Anderson plugs & find some to be very dodgy, so proper connectors is probably a good tip too,as a suspect connector can give you variable throughputs as they move/ vibrate in transit, so when testing can appear to be ok,but when moving can greatly influence what can be drawn at the load end, meaning a fridge maybe working ok when you leave, but in transit it can be switching on & off & taking time to restart each time, so appear the fridge is not working correctly when in fact it is, voltage drop as you say, from thin wires or bad connections, Cheeers
Thanks mate! Glad you enjoyed it!! 100% sometimes you get exactly what you pay for. I personally think when it comes to solar there isn’t much difference between a panel that’s 1000$ and a100$ panel.. cheers Evan
@@SarahandKeelanTravels true that, but I also believe the flexible type are generally less reliable for various reasons, they seem to have a high failure/shorter life rate from what I can gather.
Makes sense with low voltage and moderate current to use decent cable. a 2V voltage drop at 240V, is nothing, but at 14V it's a massive percentage of your input voltage, so by increasing the cable size it makes sense. We are looking at our first "modern" large van, having owned an old 15ft van many years ago. We plan on a 21 or 22ft van and while we want to do mainly powered sites, we also want the ability to do the odd off-grid few days during our travel, so a decent 12V system is an absolute must for us. We plan on 240-300Ah of batteries and 400W of solar (I'd like 600W but not sure if it will fit), and the ability to charge from the car, while not critical, will certainly help extend our stay off-grid, and not have to skimp on the every day power usages.
Brilliant vid, everything explained in layman's terms and in real life scenarios, I was going the opposite way and installing cable way over capacity for what I needed, though probably will stick with my 50mm2 cable capacity on my longish run from leisure batteries to 1500w inverter.
@Liber Excogitatoris As a general rule mount the inverter directly to your batteries. Get a 240v extension cable. 240v has very little volt drop because of the low current needed. Your inverter can dray up to 150A, which can go up 30A for each volt drop, and that's lost power from your battery, even with 50mm2 you might get a volt drop over a longer distance whereas on the 240 side the volt drop will be less due lower current(Max 6A output at 240v vs 150A input at 12V). Basically, you can flatten your batteries faster using the same devices.
@@veneratedmortal4369 I'll second that! Much lower losses with higher Voltages (that's why utility companies use hundreds of thousands of Volts on long cable runs).
Thanks mate for the better explanation I had a electrical engineer teach me how to do this I couldn't understand why I had to do certain things but did them you have cleared it up unless you start on ohms law lol I just can't get that cheers
Nice video and absolutely right... I've had mates laugh at me for how thick i run wires then also wondering why their fridge cuts out early or their batteries take so long to charge. The other thing is most caravan 3 way fridges (often around 15amps on 12v) are wired with cable which is way too small for the run length. When we got our van our fridge used to gradually get warmer as we were driving (on 12v), i simply upgraded the wiring to the fridge and now it keeps the temperature no worries on 12v.
Haha that’s it!! If you don’t know you don’t know haha 😂 that’s it but 100%!! Send them this video!! Epic mate!! I think there are many other little tips I need to cover such as loose terminals and eddy loses ect!! Maybe a second video coming soon!!
I notiched my mppt regulator cranksupp the incoming solarelectricity by 9 times!! It takes voltages. Make sure there is enoug voltage. At most at morning&evening when the sun is low.
Something very few ppl realize is when the Sun goes down, the solar panels REVERSE flow. Yep they take battery power & start putting it out into the night. The easy solution is to put a rectifier on one side of the panels output cables. I put it on the Neg side. This allows current flow into the batteries during sunlight but stops current outflow at night. Rectifiers are cheap, make sure you get one large enough to carry the max current plus 20%-25% extra. If you're putting 50 amps through your cables use a 60+ amp rectifier. Night time solar panel drain is seldom addressed. Every mamp counts.
Don't use a rectifier(You only need a diode and don't use a diode either) as the diodes in a rectifier will rob you of about a volt. You want all that charge, don't turn any of it into heat. Just unplug it.
Every hard / glass solar panel I have opened the junction box on has had a blocking diode so you don't get discharge back through the panel. Not sure about the soft / flexible panels, but I would think any decent brand would have a blocking diode.
@@danostrom who doesn't use a solar controller? If they are connecting a panel directly to the battery, reverse flow is the least of their worries. Improper voltage and overcharging will ruin batteries.
I don’t watch a lot of TH-cam but I have been living off grid for 6 years and this guy knows what he’s talking about it’s probably because he’s not wearing shoes.
Hahah thanks legend!! I hate wearing shoes and love Solar ❤️❤️😂
Grounded🤙🏼
@@Offgridhippie Yep, he's down to earth.
😂
Yeah, live remote and I trust the local car wrecker as he wanders round his workshop and property looking for a part I want shoe-less
and just like that ! my solar charge is back to normal. i seriously dont know what i'd do without your helpful 12v episodes .
Thanks Keelan
I'm 65 female and just starting out on the road. Your knowledge is easy to digest. Learn something everyday. Safe, travels to you and your family.
Main takeaways are at 16:33
- Use appropriately thick cable
- Use MPPT controller if you have a large solar panel bank (otherwise PWM controller fine for smaller panels) and keep controller as close to battery as possible
- Keep your solar panels clean
and eat your veggies 😆😆
And don't wear shoes unless it's absolutely essential.
The very same 12v rules applies when you build an overland camper van too.
Roof full of solar and a blanket and fat flex for the win.
Especially true here in UK where the sun only really shines for 3 hours at the height of summer on august 12th, if we have a lucky day.
Your island is a lot bigger than our island and seems to have eternal sunshine.
Lovin' your channel.
I'm up on most things electrical, and as a 4WD and Van owner I commend you on your video explaining this to people who don't understand. I have seen some shocking installations over the years and what is surprising is that a lot of Caravan manufacturers are using the wrong size cable. Remember most Caravan manufacturers are like used car salesmen and will cut every corner they can. They don't even balance the wheels on your van from new.
thanks Andrew! thanks for the kind comment mate! glad you enjoyed it and I explained it semi well.
its all about cost saving for most manufactures thats right! We are very happy Urban Caravans are always trying to improve an already good product and the R & D testing we do in the field is put into practice so the next customer gets an even better van than ours!! cheers mate
❤Great stuff mate
I agree I wire and drive super yachts and this video is way more informative than anything I've seen
Have learnt more in your last two videos about solar, setting it , how it works and what to use than the research and watching other vids over past two months 😂. Again thanks mate !! When you finish being a sparky you need to teach it to people ! Doing a bloody awesome job 🙏☝️🍺
There are squillions of off grid videos, but this one is, in my view, one of the best I have seen. Explaining 12V systems is a blind spot in the other videos. Well done.👍
Mate I wish I had have watched this a few days ago. Great video!!! Just spent 3 days double checking all the wiring on my camper as it would not charge from my car. Itech 40amp dcdc charger in the camper. Turned out the auto elect put the smallest wires possible from my battery to the back of the car. All I did was use the right size wire and all good. Crazy difference
Thanks Keelan !! Your videos are way more helpful at putting an awesome solar generator into my pop up camper !! You are very smart about this solar stuff and love your videos on very knowledgeable about Solar power!! Keep making these videos!! And explaining it so well too !!
The easiest way to explain the difference between a PWM and an MPPT controller is that the PWM controller is pretty much limited to the voltage it sees from the panel, if the panel is proving a high voltage this type of regulator will simply clip it, the battery will charge but not as efficiently. These can work well in sunny conditions, in shady conditions these can limit charge to a point that they are pretty much ineffective.
A MPPT charger on the other hand ( think ohms law ) can convert the higher input voltages from the solar panel, to the 14.4v / 13.8v ( charge profile specific ) and increase the amps, rather than just clipping it. It provides a better charge cause it makes use of excess voltage by converting into amps.
This is why an MPPT charge controller will provide better performance in shady conditions. Especially when mated to a higher voltage panel.
Keep up the good work! Keep living the dream!
the difference in charge is significant. Just like the wire size. pwm just wastes juice!
Very true. I switched the pwm controller on my 200w glass portable panel over to a mppt. The difference was substantial and the reduced battery charging time quite notable.
You made that the easiest to understand that I have ever heard. Well done mate. Cheers 👍 🐕🤠
I really appreciate these videos where you try to simplify electrical systems for those of us who know absolutely nothing about electricity. I’m so confused, but your videos help! Voltage, watts, current, amps, DC, Inverters, regulators, resistance, 12 volt… does my head in lol 🤦🏻♀️😂
One thing a lot of people don’t realise regarding the length of the cable is that with DC the run is both ways, so this has to be allowed for in your calculation regarding cable size
Good point, so the run length is effectively double the measured length.
@@donherley1811 correct, which in short runs of 1 or 2 meters is no big deal, but if you have the appliance 5 meters away it is a run length of 10 meters which
In most cases will require going up a wire size to prevent voltage drop.
I cant believe I understood your enthusiastic explanation. Thanks.
I can Susan! your awesome thats why! back yourself! thanks for watching!
Keelan, this is the best video to help me understand further the use of solar panel in a 12volt system. Thanks heaps!
I have been a sparky sinse the late 70s. This is the best informative clip for the average person I have seen. Well done.
Glad to see you taken your own time to explain this to users. Its so common that as you state you get suggested the correct amp cable but incorrect gauge of cable you need to use on distance and draw. Thanks great video mate cheers...
about to make another video today on the topic! thanks for watching mate!!
Dirty solar panels could easily be overlooked! Great tip👍👍❤️🇦🇺🦘
That’s it!! Thanks Gail!! Hope you are going well!! 🤙🏽🍻❤️
Great vid mate, I love learning about this. The difference the thicker cable makes is insane and something I’ll be taking into account on our next build.
Thanks mate!! For sure! It’s cheap and can make your system perform way better
@@SarahandKeelanTravels that's one wire of a 2-wire system - you don't mention earth returns at all & they corrode though usually slowly enough you don't notice till a big fault develops. Earth returns require an absolute minimum of the same thickness cable & they need to be dismantled & cleaned up regularly.
Earths are frequently overlooked.
Gday Sarah and Keegan. That I think is the best explanation of how to get the most out of a 12 volt system that I’ve heard. I’d never heard or considered the voltage drop from the regulator on solar panels. Thanks for the tips 👍🏻
Thanks legend! Appreciate that feedback!!
Thanks for taking the time to explain that in detail mate, that was excellent and confirmed what I believed I was doing correctly, was actually correct 😂
Good solid reminder to keep an eye on the panels and give them a cleanup regularly too. 🤙
Thankyou! Thankyou,! Thankyou!!!
I have my car booked in this week to have a brake controller and Anderson Plug setup fitted, thanks to your video I will be asking them to use 35mm cable instead of the 6mm cable I can almost guarantee they would have installed.
Awesome and informative video, thanks
Got it Length X Girth = Bigger Bang 👍 Mate best explanation on 12 volt off grid power for campers / Vanners yet !
Hahaha that’s it mate! No fuse = even bigger bang 😂🤙🏽😂 thanks mate means a lot 🍻🍻🍻
Thats why I like my Kickass cabling kit for my Kickass battery and box.Itech DCDC charger not badly priced.might go for that.Sorry i missed catching you at the Sydney show.Saw you there but wifey rushed me through.
Itech dcdc is very well priced!! All good mate!! We will catch you next time thanks for the comment mate
WOW. This is my new addition to teaching physical science and creating a project for the my middle school students. Love it!
For part timers like us on a standard van it's our biggest gripe SOLAR
THANKS VERY GOOD 👍
Thanks legend!! Glad you enjoyed it!! 🤙🏽🍻
Mate that was great thanks for the lesson, some great tips that should Help me keep the most charging power whilst I’m out bush. Legend
All good mate glad you enjoyed it!!
Lots of great info about wires and DC charging. As an electrician in the US I try and explain wire size like a garden hose. Larger diameter hose will carry more water. A thinner hose must have higher pressure to try and flow the same ammount of water. Of course even higher pressure can only do so much (resistance) will still not allow as much flow. I love the term "Sparky" I try my best not to spark myself when working...
Thanks Keelan - I know very little about this stuff - I'm one of the dangerous ones - so I learnt a lot - had no idea the thicker cables made such a difference. Excellent video. Liked the chilled presentation style too and the upfront acknowledgement of the iTechworld affiliation.
Thanks legend!! Glad you got something out of it! We are just trying to help as many as we can! Arm you with the right info to make your system better!
Really helpful and informative for those of us that don’t understand anything about electrical information and off grid living
What amazing people you two are, a genuine credit to the 4wdrive public, and your episodes are amazing.
For the most sustainable use of a 3000w, Pure Sine~Wave Inverter, how many volts do you recommend, In relation to the [C-rate] 🍻 3:49
Legend, I like the way u explain things and KISS.. principle applies. Great video
Awsome video mate. This is a massive issue that van companys arnt addressing when they sell people these big 12volts systems for their vans like what happened to me. Cheers for the info. Very well explained aswell. 👍👍
Thanks mate!!! Since we have been working and R & D testing vans at urban we have now made 16mm standard on drawbars on vans! 99% of all other manufacturers still use 6-8mm
M8 just came across your video today, and how easily you have made it for me to understand this, I take my hat off to you! How you explain it all is why I am now going to subscribe to your channel. It's my pleasure to see your videos and keep them coming. On ya m8, cheers! Great set-up you've got as well ! Enjoy the great outdoors.
I use a DC amp clamp and a thermal image camera for my installation. I use a DC-DC
converter to charge and compensate for voltage drop, you need to current limit the charge.
Using a 62V solar panel setup (560watt) with a MPPT, works great! Hello from the States!
from a rookie- thankyou, gonna make my life much easier for my upcoming build 👌
I've just discovered your channel and wow! Super impressed with your passion, energy and sincere desire to debunk myths and help people, legend. Really enjoy your channel.
Some ways to help teach these principles might have focused on cable resistance per metre for various thickness of cable. Then show the voltage drop across the cable run. Then the DC-DC converter might have been presented as power in and power out, which would demonstrate the limits of lower input voltage.
These videos have been good to watch, and are good tools to make peoples plans on powering up with.
Great video Keelan! I'd add that most wire manufacturers specify Ohms/foot. From that you can calculate total resistance for a run of cable and if you know source voltage and load resistance, you can calculate total current draw and voltage drop to the load.
Well explained...and of course voltage drop creates a higher current demand, further loading the cable. Also the AWG current loads on cables are rated at 28 degrees centigrade
Thanks Paul tried to explain it but also not bore people haha it’s a fine line!
Mate one of the best explanations I have seen on TH-cam.
Thanks Jed! Appreciate it mate
Thanks!! That wire size test makes it very clear!
That was amazing, showing the difference in amps received, just from changing cable thickness. Thanks for making the video 👍
Way to go!! Opening right up with V!! P=IE, awesome!! I went through 6 inverters before I finally found one that actually held 119VAC (USA) regardless of load or input voltage. I also see tubers building battery banks with bolted in fuses, and no disconnect...lol. Thanks for thoroughly demonstrating how important cabling is. I say the bigger the better! It hurts bad initially, but there's nothing like cool cabling, literally!
Watched two of your vids and learned more than watching dozens of other vids on the topic, with better and more practical explanations as well. Thanks!
Our first camper many years ago used no electric at all. Everything from the heat to the lights used propane and the water was a hand pump. We've come a long ways. Backwards.
Good vid!
Backwards? The only thing backwards here is your attitude. Grow up you ******* ****
Wish I’d found this vid before I had my cabling done last week … now to see what size they put in. Thanks for the advice 👍🏻
Nicely done. Good demo to show the effect of wire resistance on voltage drop.
For the math, I just did a little calculation for 50 Amps across 20 meters of copper wire. For 6mm diameter wire, voltage drop is 3.3V, power loss is 165W. For 16mm wire, voltage drop (V = IR) is 1.21V, power loss (I^2R) is 60W. So, if you're running high current on a long wire run, and you want it to be efficient, fat is where it's at. Fat wire, that is.
Thank you for explaining it in easy to understand terms. Very helpfull.
Thanks great vid. I know a bit late to the game but thanks for coming to NZ loved that series. As you said the costs even living here half of the time the locals can’t afford some of the activities. Come back and see the north island.
Thanks Matt!! No worries at all we loved it there!! Thanks for having us!! Can’t wait mate!!
Great vid. Likely the best I’ve seen showing the real world examples hopefully will really drive home the importance of using the right size cable
Mate best explanation I have heard - everyone should listen to your advice - particularly voltage drop.
Much appreciated
Thanks mark!! Glad you enjoyed it and found some info in there!! Cheers mate 🤙🏽🍻🤙🏽
Thanks Keelan, hubby really appreciated your top tips, especially the one about the regulator closer to the battery. I did give him a look 😲 when you said to clean the panels!!!! Top work and we love our itech world gear 👍
Thanks legends! Glad you got something out of it!! I would say the tips were in order from most important to least! Cleaning your panels you’ll get the most out of though for sure!! We do too! Such great value for money too
Well done. Pay that man. I'll be checking our system after that.
You're absolutely right about cleaning the solar panels!!
Thanks mate.
Hahaha cmon show me the money 😂🤙🏽
Cheers Dave!!
Nice one Keelan. Happy you mentioned regulator as close to battery as possible, proved I was right in an argument where mate reckoned since manufacturer fixed it onto back of panel not on end of cable that was where it “had” to be 👍👍
Thanks mate!! It’s a very important point!! Often overlooked!! Haha silly silly
AFAIK the regulators bolted on the panels are 240V output so don't suffer the same Voltage drop because there's so much less current.
Great video and congrats on taking the time to explain this topic in depth. As a marine mechanic / boat fitter for over 30 years, Well done.
Great info, Thank you for the VOD. 👍👍 I'm just getting started, haven't even bought my tow rig yet, research, research,research.
Great talk Keelan, even an old fella like me who doesn't really understand the electric's learnt something out of your explanation thanks so much
Thanks Brian! Glad you got something out of it!! You can teach old dogs new tricks haha 😂
Thank you Keelan. Greatly appreciate your input. Just looking to purchase our first van and want to save where we can but also make sure it's quality and done right the first time. We've watched so many videos on what you get and how to do it yourself. Heading of to the Sunshine Caravan show to check some of these vans out. Soooo looking forward to hitting the road one day.
Good on ya mate!! Just gotta do your research and be armed with the right info and the right questions to ask! Go check out urban they are wicked aye
You just cleared up a heap of confusion that I have always struggled with. Thanks heaps. Subbed
Awesome Vid Keenan, I have just finished my sons Canopy fitout with 12volt system and explained the importance of heavy cable to him! I did mine 3 years back and it works a treat. Thanks for sharing, we love your channel, cheers Pete
Thanks Peter!! I’m sure it’s going to be an epic canopy!! Good stuff thanks mate
Excellent presentation! Cable size is #1 cause of insufficient charging/failure I've come across. The 2nd are connections. It's stunning how I've seen some connected.
100% copper is the best cable and lugs to employ.
Buy once, cry once.
Again, you really nailed it. Well done.
Now one about those cigarette lighter sockets...dump those things....maybe your next video...
Thanks legend!! Sounds like you’ve seen it plenty of times!! I hate ciggy sockets! The old Ando all the way
Thanks Keelan , that was very well done, the detail was excellent, love the 3rd point with dirty solar panels 😂, so very true , you should be an Electronics Teacher in your spare time 🤣 thanks again 👍
Cheers mate!! Haha sometimes the most obvious things are the most crucial haha!! Cheers Darrel
Great video Keelan. The only thing I didn't understand (as a person who just bought his first 4X4 and a trailer) - did you say you ran 35mm cables for your system? That's one heck of a wire.
Finally, it makes sense to me. Thank you. I am someone that needs to know the, "Why", behind how things work. If I want to learn more about the technical aspects behind electricity, is there an educational book or class program online that completely breaks it down with examples and an explanation of scientific terms, I could take as a complete novice that you would recommend?
thanks legend glad you understand it! im an electrician so a lot of the principles are transferable between 12v DC and 240VAC. I also have done a fair bit of work with DC in controls so understand it well! you could do your CERT 3 at tafe which takes around 4 years and you'll be a qualified electrician or Auto sparky
Awesome video mate, really helps a rookie like me, I'm currently covering to lithium in my camper, and just using solar. Thanks, love your work..
Thanks mate!! I’m still a rookie and still learn things too!! Glad you enjoyed it mate
Thank you for this. I have been watching RV solar and other solar videos for a while, I got more information about how to 'set up' a system than I have in all the hours I have spent trying to learn about the systems.
Excellent video! A follow up video for the scientific stuff would be great too. Clearly you know your stuff and your presentation is easy to follow.
Awesome will do mate Thankyou!! 🤙🏽🍻
Great pres bud, thanks for keeping it simple enough for old blokes like me to understand!
Awsome video, I like how the visual walk through with voltage drop by changing the wire sizes for all to see. Thank you.
Thank you. I am just getting into solar for camping this help me alot.
great info there keelan and well communicated for the beginner into these systems. keep safe.
Thanks Jason!! You too mate 🤙🏽🍻🤙🏽
The best advice is the simplest. Thanks mate.
Thanks legend glad you enjoyed it
Thanks for the explanation it does make sense and will help me next week when I go purchase and order/installation.
Thank you Keegan 👍🏼
No worries at all mate! Really glad you got something out of it!! Cheers 🤙🏽🍻🤙🏽
Awesome video for people to see Keelan thank you for this I knew this but it's awesome to watch, thumbs up mate
Thanks legend!! Appreciate the kind comment mate
A great video Keelan, so many people fall for this, very overlooked like you say, I always have a couple of rolls of 35mm laying about, I use it whenever I can over reasonable distance, really helpful tips mate, I just hope Urban do my Xgrid package with 35mm too?
Hi mick!! Thanks mate!! 100% agree! As for urban they will run 16mm standard and you can ask for 35mm to be optioned up!! Just one of the changes me and sarah have done at urban!! Bloody good company that is always taking advice and bettering them selfs!
great info Keelan, yes that is so important to use the heavier cable
Thanks Rolly!! Appreciate it mate
Good information there Keelan. It would also be a good idea to point out that inferior plugs/sockets/connectors can be an area of large loss due to resistance & heat build-up. To add to that it is also a big fire risk. I will not use cigarette plug sockets due to the issues they have with insecure connection, genuine 50A Anderson all the way for me with an appropriate circuit breaker at each battery. I am really enjoying watching your travels, keep up the great content & stay safe. P.S. I will be ordering my new VX Prado tomorrow so I get to start a whole new build. :)
I agree mate!! More things to cover in part 2 video maybe haha 😂 how exciting I bet you can’t wait for a clean canvas
@@SarahandKeelanTravels It's a big subject, could make it 5 parts & still not cover it all. Not sure if I'm excited or scared of the prospect of starting all over. The trusty Triton has served me very well for the last 13 years but there's a few things I will do differently this time.
Great explanation video put in a simple language that no doubt helps many people. One of your best. Keep up the good work. Love most of your videos!!!!!!!
Thanks Peter!! Glad you could understand the lingo!! Haha key word in there is MOST 😂😂
Just started watching your channel. I am soon going off grid in a tiny house and van so I need to know all this. Thankyou for sharing oxox
Hi guys thanks for the great explanation.
I have just purchased a complete Itech 3 battery system for my truck. And can't wait to start my canopy set up. Cheers.
Great vid and tips here Keelan, it was good to see the difference the wire guage made in real practice. I use a lot of the cheaper Chinese type Anderson plugs & find some to be very dodgy, so proper connectors is probably a good tip too,as a suspect connector can give you variable throughputs as they move/ vibrate in transit, so when testing can appear to be ok,but when moving can greatly influence what can be drawn at the load end, meaning a fridge maybe working ok when you leave, but in transit it can be switching on & off & taking time to restart each time, so appear the fridge is not working correctly when in fact it is, voltage drop as you say, from thin wires or bad connections, Cheeers
Thanks mate! Glad you enjoyed it!! 100% sometimes you get exactly what you pay for. I personally think when it comes to solar there isn’t much difference between a panel that’s 1000$ and a100$ panel.. cheers Evan
@@SarahandKeelanTravels true that, but I also believe the flexible type are generally less reliable for various reasons, they seem to have a high failure/shorter life rate from what I can gather.
Their all Chinese, when do you point out the expensive Chinese stuff?? Or are you stingy when using Chinese in good light?
Even the good ones are generally made in China, it’s the manufacturing people who want greater profit who have the Chinese build crap units.
Great tutorial video I learnt a lot....keep up the good work thank you❤
Thanks. I really wish I knew this stuff better BUT I learned much from your video.
Makes sense with low voltage and moderate current to use decent cable. a 2V voltage drop at 240V, is nothing, but at 14V it's a massive percentage of your input voltage, so by increasing the cable size it makes sense. We are looking at our first "modern" large van, having owned an old 15ft van many years ago. We plan on a 21 or 22ft van and while we want to do mainly powered sites, we also want the ability to do the odd off-grid few days during our travel, so a decent 12V system is an absolute must for us. We plan on 240-300Ah of batteries and 400W of solar (I'd like 600W but not sure if it will fit), and the ability to charge from the car, while not critical, will certainly help extend our stay off-grid, and not have to skimp on the every day power usages.
Great information, and all in simple terms that even a carpenter like me can understand.
Thanks Sean! Glad you got something out of it mate!!
Brilliant! Excellent communication and obviously very capable! Thanks, mate!
Wat.
Er finding its own level is a good premise.Demonstration to at least get you in the ballpark of understanding😊
Brilliant vid, everything explained in layman's terms and in real life scenarios, I was going the opposite way and installing cable way over capacity for what I needed, though probably will stick with my 50mm2 cable capacity on my longish run from leisure batteries to 1500w inverter.
Nice one mate! Thanks for the comment! 🤙🏽🍻🤙🏽
@Liber Excogitatoris As a general rule mount the inverter directly to your batteries. Get a 240v extension cable. 240v has very little volt drop because of the low current needed. Your inverter can dray up to 150A, which can go up 30A for each volt drop, and that's lost power from your battery, even with 50mm2 you might get a volt drop over a longer distance whereas on the 240 side the volt drop will be less due lower current(Max 6A output at 240v vs 150A input at 12V). Basically, you can flatten your batteries faster using the same devices.
@@veneratedmortal4369 I'll second that! Much lower losses with higher Voltages (that's why utility companies use hundreds of thousands of Volts on long cable runs).
Thanks mate for the better explanation I had a electrical engineer teach me how to do this I couldn't understand why I had to do certain things but did them you have cleared it up unless you start on ohms law lol I just can't get that cheers
all good mate glad you got some good info out of the video!!
Found this really intresting thank you, i am not very knowledgable on cabling 😊
Bloody great video mate. I know nothing about this stuff but you explained it in a way I could understand. Thanks.👍
Thanks Tony! glad you got some good info out of the video!!
Thank you - and I really mean Thank you - for sharing your knowledge with me.
Your a Champion to me.
Good job. You provide just the right level of technical background.
Thanks Scott!!
Thanks for the advice and information 👍 Greetings from south africa 🇿🇦 😀
Hey mate how are ya garn!!!
Cheers
@@SarahandKeelanTravels All good mate 👍
Thank you mate great info...... big help on where to actually position things
Thanks macca! Glad you got some good info out of it!
Nice video and absolutely right... I've had mates laugh at me for how thick i run wires then also wondering why their fridge cuts out early or their batteries take so long to charge. The other thing is most caravan 3 way fridges (often around 15amps on 12v) are wired with cable which is way too small for the run length. When we got our van our fridge used to gradually get warmer as we were driving (on 12v), i simply upgraded the wiring to the fridge and now it keeps the temperature no worries on 12v.
Haha that’s it!! If you don’t know you don’t know haha 😂 that’s it but 100%!! Send them this video!! Epic mate!! I think there are many other little tips I need to cover such as loose terminals and eddy loses ect!! Maybe a second video coming soon!!
@@SarahandKeelanTravels hi mate nice to meet you guys
Nice to meet you too 🤙🏽🍻
I notiched my mppt regulator cranksupp the incoming solarelectricity by 9 times!! It takes voltages. Make sure there is enoug voltage. At most at morning&evening when the sun is low.
Something very few ppl realize is when the Sun goes down, the solar panels REVERSE flow. Yep they take battery power & start putting it out into the night. The easy solution is to put a rectifier on one side of the panels output cables. I put it on the Neg side. This allows current flow into the batteries during sunlight but stops current outflow at night. Rectifiers are cheap, make sure you get one large enough to carry the max current plus 20%-25% extra. If you're putting 50 amps through your cables use a 60+ amp rectifier. Night time solar panel drain is seldom addressed. Every mamp counts.
The Solar controller, if you have one, should prevent reverse flows to the solar panels.
Don't use a rectifier(You only need a diode and don't use a diode either) as the diodes in a rectifier will rob you of about a volt. You want all that charge, don't turn any of it into heat. Just unplug it.
Every hard / glass solar panel I have opened the junction box on has had a blocking diode so you don't get discharge back through the panel. Not sure about the soft / flexible panels, but I would think any decent brand would have a blocking diode.
@@danostrom who doesn't use a solar controller? If they are connecting a panel directly to the battery, reverse flow is the least of their worries. Improper voltage and overcharging will ruin batteries.
@@chachi5975 Not using a solar controller would be another mistake then.