What to know BEFORE buying an Airstream - SOLAR & LITHIUM!
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- Опубліковано 8 лип 2024
- What is wrong with Airstreams? Are they built for boondocking? Do they have solar?.. All of these are questions we wish we knew before buying our 22fb Bambi
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Airstreams are classic! The silver can on wheels draws eyes wherever it goes. Everyone who sees one dreams of romantic campsites away from everyone else with a fire in the evening and a delicious coffee in the morning. We had the same dreams. Unfortunately, we quickly realized that a stock Airstream has several short comings, the biggest issue being power. That's why we upgraded our batteries to Battleborn Batteries, installed an Victron 3000 watt inverter, and installed 200 watts of renogy solar panels.
In this video we share all the shortcomings of "stock" airstreams.
Thanks for watching! 👍You guys rock :) - Scott & Collette
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#Airstream, #rvlife, #solar, #lithium, #boondocking
0:00 Intro
0:43 What to know before buying an Airstream
1:10 Shortcomings
2:06 What is an inverter
4:09 Our Upgrades
5:51 Victron App
6:54 Running AC
@battlebornbatteries @VictronEnergyBV @RenogySolar @Airstream-Inc
Reality is that the power issue is not just Airstream. It’s almost any RV. You always have to put money into upgrading/installing a solar system but it’s not really an “Airstream” problem.
hmm..that's good to know. 🤔 We're rookies in the RV world so thanks for the info 😀
@@Roamaroo did you used a easy start as part of the upgrade?
Solution: rent a hotel room. I'm guessing the average cost of an airstream is ~$60,000. Let's say the average cost of a decent hotel room is ~$300. 60,000 ÷ 300 = 200. You could spend $60K on a trailer or have 200 nights in a hotel room. Hmm, but the math isn't that simple. The cost of gas for a truck that might only get 15 MPG with an Airstream hooked up, needs to be factored in. There's also recurring maintenance expenses: brakes, tires, clean water, dirty water, propane, batteries, wash/wax, lubricate bearings, etc. Then add the cost of parking in an RV park. Insurance. Recurring costs pile up very high. On the other hand, in a hotel room, running HVAC should never be a problem. Most hotels have a pool, gym, parking, wifi. Depending on circumstances, you might add the price of an airline ticket and rental car. Seeing a break even cost comparison between buying an airstream and all associated expenses vs renting a $300 per night hotel room would be interesting. Any Airstream owners interested in making this kind of comparison video?
@@RedondoBeach2 I did all that math but I think Airstream still better because it will last forever you can bring your dogs you can cook and eat whatever you want, have that million dollar view ocean front....... family memories and don’t get COVID
Thank you, when drag my AirSteam on a trip my goal is to be outside exploring or whatever, not in the AirStream didling around with devices that require electrical power, may as well stay home, but thats just me
Use a “soft start” on the ac and carry 10 gallons of fresh water. These is are not just Airstream related, any RV will most likely have them.
Dude, first off, lots of good info. Secondly, the video production was outstanding. Great cuts, humorous clips and I appreciate your dedication to content creation, I don't know if I would have spent the time to take the whole bed apart to show the inverter, lol. Great job.
haha! 😂 I struggled for a while deciding if I really wanted to take the bed apart. Collette was gone for a few hours so I decided I'd make a mess while she was gone. Glad you noticed it 👍👍
@@Roamaroo
You do know that an Airstream is designed for regular campgrounds and not Overlanding, right? Smh...
Nice video, well put together and highly informative. It is much appreciated.
The convenience of having a generator at the push of a button is the main reason why I’m going from an Airstream trailer to a motor home. I’m currently on my second Airstream and I enjoy all the compliments I get, all the good trailering manners and I’m about to enjoy the excellent resale value that Airstream is famous for this coming fall when I’ll list it for sale.
Great presentation highlighting what is needed for power if you boondock.
I think this applies to all smaller trailers including my inTech. Thank you for posting this. Ill be upgrading my InTech trailer to this system.
Once we figured out we needed all these extras added on to go explore the way we want to we were a little let down but decided to take things one step at a time and get all the parts as we go.
What are you upgrading first?
Very clear explanations, thank you!
Glad you enjoyed ❤️
Excellent video, but this is a power issue that is common to almost all RVs & Trailers and not at all unique to Airstream. This is because almost all campers do stay in RV parks and the extra cost of making a true boon-docker wouldn’t be worth it for most people. All in all Airstream is a great way to go if its in your budget. Even if you want to upgrade the boon-docking capabilities, Airstream is an excellent platform to do so. I wouldn’t position this as an shortcoming video, but rather a how-to video to amp up your boon-docking capabilities.
🙌You guys sure put your minds together finding the likenesses to incorporate into your review! 🙌
Thank you so much! ❤️
Nice video dude! I do lots of lithium and Victron installs on airstreams. Your spot on with this info, nice job of explaing things
Thanks so much. Looks like you're doing some great work! 😀
Great presentation style and tons of info! Thanks !
Hey Scott, Love that you added 3 Battle Born batteries, inverter and solar. That is a great fit and ability to boondock wherever you want . We love your vlogs and tips, since we meet you and Collette in Coalinga, CA in late December 2020.
RVing for Debbie and I has temporary came to a holding patern as we had to return to work .... but hopefully we will be out on the road in late March early April 2021.
Thanks for reaching out! Sad to hear you’re off the road but glad to hear you’re trying to get back out there.
Thanks!
Very informative helpful video
I shared it with the shop doing my airstream up. So fingers crossed I will get the right system too👩🔧
Thank you for the info- very helpful. 👌🏻
Thanks for a very well done, informative video. And I loved the added graphics.
I'm so glad you liked it! ❤️❤️
Great info!
I also have Bambi 22ft, this video is my bible for upgrade to lithium battery system. Thanks a lot!
So happy to hear! If I did it again, I'd increase our solar to 400+ watts
This is super helpful. WIth COVID, we aren't traveling like we used to and so we're getting the itch to do SOMETHING. With that I thought I would start to look at RVs to just start to go anywhere...somewhere! I will spend months looking at EVERYTHING so when hubs and I make a major purchase, we are pretty aware of pros and cons and best practices, etc.
Airstream life is a great option! 😀You'll have to let us know if you make the decision to go that way!
We live in a bus conversion, and Lithium+Solar has made off-grid AC possible for us. Your setup, 300Ah@12V = 3600Wh or 3.6kWh, so yeah, 1-3 hours runtime given you will only ever generate 200W from the sun. Our bus conversions' system, 220Ah@48V or 10.6kWh, gets us through a single night. But we've also got 3000W of panels on our roof- during a sunny day, AC is "free" directly from solar. Problem is, you don't always get sunny days... so we're upgrading to 6000W on the roof and a 43kWh battery, which should give us at least 3 days of standby.
Keep in mind our electrical was 100% DIY... But I honestly don't understand why more RVs aren't shipping with at least 500W to 1000W out of the factory. Lithium batteries in the last couple years have really closed the gap with AGM in terms of cost per watt, so here's hoping that RVs 10 years from now will have capable solar generation/storage systems.
Wow! That’s some serious power on your rig.. I have solar envy! I want to upgrade our solar to 600+ watts, that should eliminate the need for a generator.
@@Roamaroo My system's scale is uncommon on RVs, but not so much on larger conversions. There are a few out there like "The broccoli bus" (look 'em up, they used Nissan Leaf batteries) that have quite capable systems.
And battery innovation actually poses a long term problem: how do you charge such huge banks in a reasonable amount of time? Modern electric cars are shipping with 100+ kWh batteries, at most you can fit around 700W-1000W of panels on a small car (if you covered it). Such a system would take month(s) to charge even in relatively good sun!
A recent breakthrough seeks to ease this by improving solar panel efficiency up to a staggering 39%. Those will be on the market soon, making it much easier to fit more generation up top and the already quite cheap panels on the market will be even cheaper.
There are lots of bulk solar resellers out there already that take new or lightly used panels and resell them for less than $0.50 per watt. Look around on craigslist, you can find some really nice cheap panels out there!
Nicely explained. Thanks
Beautiful sharing and thank you 👍
Thank you for watching! ❤️
Finally I found someone telling the truth and real-world experience with their Airstream. Thanks. Subbed.
Why thank you! ❤😀
For generators you can convert the carburetor to burn nat gas or propane. This saves having to keep another fuel source and there is no oily mess.
Amazing!! Thanks!!
BRILLIANT! GOALS! Thanks for the great information.
You're so welcome! ❤️❤️
Thanks for the heads-up on Airstream. Planning on retirement soon. And I'm hooked on Airstream trailers. 😎👍
Great editing, really useful video to know the true power requirements for boondocking!
Glad it was helpful! Are you hitting the road soon?😀
super fun video, thank you!
My solution I’ve been brainstorming is the Point Zero electric generator. It’s about $7,000 with 2 huge batteries, has 30amp plug, solar, and you can use it elsewhere. It’s all contained in a modular unit that can be added on to. I think it’s 2,000-3000 wh.
this is not just an airstream issue, I keep reading in the comments. Ahhh, for the money spent on an airstream that cost should include the battery upgrades and solar. Notice I said, INCLUDE. Nice video and format was fun!! Merci
😀You're welcome!
Great video very informative I love how you did the solar
Thank you! If we did it again i'd increase the solar to 300+ watts
Dude, super cool and really informative. Tell it like it is..... Hard to find people who do that. Enjoy your Stream!
Glad you liked it!
Well done video, good information, but the only thing we occasionally need when off the grid is our AC. We have a 2018 Bambi that uses the older fridge that runs on propane. We carry 2 yeti coolers. Timed our limited off grid so we did not need AC. I think I will continue to contemplate a 3400 watt duel fuel generator
You're welcome! Good to hear you're still loving and using your AS! 👍👍
Nice place and awesome descrption........well done guys!!!!!!
Thanks so much! 😂
Great video. Thank you
You’re welcome!
Came for the Bambi upgrade info.
Stayed for his absolute adorableness. ❤👍
AWW! This is fantastic.. ❤️❤️
Agree. This dude is way way hot.
Be safe in your travels
You as well! ❤️👍
thanks for the info tips, I was looking into get this bambi model one.
That's awesome! Let us know if you get one! 😀
There's a company in AZ that makes an AC unit that's not typical it uses a 'chiller' mode which only uses the compressor to cool a water tank into a sealed forced-air piping system. The idea is by using the compressor to freeze the block overnight, you use the lowest power rates and during the day only used forced air to provide cooling. Now - the weight of this would preclude putting it on the roof - but it'd be interesting to see if they could make an RV model. It'd be a huge market for them to consider. (I've researched it for a commercial building and when combined with a water feature to tie into a heat-exchanger for additional cooling on the compressor the power savings are massive).
Just found your channel. Great job. Clear, concise and to the point. High five:-) -keith
Thanks Keith!😄
Great video. I need to reconcile the part about battery powering AC with other sources who claim longer run times.
You'd need 6-8 batteries to run the AC for any extended period. Or, you'd need to install a 12V AC unit. The best idea is to plan your journey around the weather. If it's in a location that is too hot, just park at an RV place with electrical hookups.
Now we have the Airstream Tradewind which is a real boondocker. If you’re independently wealthy, go for the Bolus Electra. Hyper expensive but has an insane battery bank.
Brilliant video! RV'ing for Dummies must watch!
Thank you! So glad you liked it 😀
Glamping 101 ,, boys love it
Nice video and definitely agree with the lithium upgrade. I'd recommend moving the two batteries from your A-Frame to the space under the bed next to your third one. If you find yourself camping when it's freezing out size your those batteries will stop working at -4ºF and won't charge if below 28ºF. Having them under the bed solves this because they stay warm from the house heat. They don't offgas so that's not a problem. Of course you loose a little storage. You also have the added benefit of keeping your batteries a little more secure. We've had a vintage Caravel and a '14 25ft Int'l and have gone smaller into the Basecamp. Loving it so far and the lithium batteries are inside the camper now. Hope this is useful and keep up the great videos!
Thanks for all the great tips. It's nice to learn from an expert like yourself!
I was going to ask what the colder weather plan was for charging the lithium. Granted the plan could be “we don’t camp that cold!”
Lithium batteries catch fire. Remember the Boeing 777? Also, a cargo airplane B747 was transporting lithium batteries from China. The cargo overheated, caught fire, and the airplane crashed, all on board died.
Added 400ah of lithium batteries and a 3000w Multiplus to my AS Flying Cloud. Game changer. 360 w of solar also helps. Use Battle Borne batteries and Victron electronics. More $ but worth it in quality
Thanks for the good info. I'm thinking of getting a trailer and info is power. In the long run the batteries upgrade is good idea. Again thank u for sharing.
Glad I could help. Check out Battleborn batteries here. bit.ly/3tNh3aE That's what we went with.
I want to make my Airstream a Basecamp Boondocking Bandit! Thanks for the great info.
Haha!! Yes! Do it 👍👍
@@Roamaroo can an RV service center install these items for me? Also, I have a pre order for a Bambi, I could have sworn it has a lithium upgrade option
@@futuremedia7400 Yes an RV service center should be able to install those for you. We had Sutton RV in Eugene, OR install ours. I think AS offers lithium as an upgrade now.
Awesome video! Can you show the solar and provide detailed specs?
Somebody went to uni to be an engineer and it’s paid off. nice going Scott.
😂 thanks Jan!
Our current truck camper has 2 lead batteries no solar power no inverter but it does have a 2500W generator on board. We are trading this camper in on a new 2022 Lance 1172 truck camper that we ordered last November. This one will have 2 100W solar panels 2 lithium batteries and a generator. Lithium batteries are better and also weigh less. We prefer boondocking.
Very informative…..
The best thing about Airstreams, you pay the huge price, use it for 10-15 years and still recoup most of you money back when time to sell. We are looking to get a globetrotter 23fb with the rear hatch.
the 23fb w/ the rear hatch looks amazing! 👍👍
😂 love the editing in this video!
Thank you! 😀👍
Great video, direct and to the point. I have a 2019 Sport 22 with the factory installed single panel solar (I believe it is 80 or 90W). The comments don’t appear to be searchable, but would you please share info on how much your setup cost and whether you installed it yourself or had the work performed by a shop? If you had the work done by a shop, what shop did you use. Thanks!
Since we were living in it we had it professionally installed at Sutton RV in Eugene OR. It was around $3k to have it installed.
First time to your channel...I have the same Sport 22. Excellent explanation of the power system.. Thank you
Glad you liked it! Where are you taking your Bambi next?
@@Roamaroo In 2019 Wife and I did a cross country trip from So Cal we went North then East all the way to Virginia and back. Since then just some local stuff and this month we are going to the Temecula CA area for 4 nights. We love the Bambi...it’s perfect for us. I did put a 3” lift in it before our long trip but we still only have the one lead acid battery. Happy Easter
@@40redfox40 How do you like the 3" lift? With all the boondocking i wish i did that already. what was the price? does the AS sway more when you're inside it?
@@Roamaroo No extra sway. It has worked out great. We don’t do any off road stuff but just getting in and out of the gas stations and other parking lots is much less stressful. I paid less than $200 for the parts and shipping because I bought the other half of someone’s two axle kit. I installed them myself. If you have the right tools it’s not hard. Definitely recommend for all your boondocking.
Love your video my wife and I have a 16th Bambi what works for us 2 wet cell batteries 2 100 watts portable solar panels a Honda 1800 watt companion generator with a 30 amp plug in , in eco mold a/c will start in low after start up turn a/c to high and run with no issues . Have boondocked the southern states , also high way rest stops , and also full hookup rv parks. Took us 2 years to reach this point your statement you could only run your a/c maybe 2 hours confirm the we have gone . How much did you spend on the upgrade ?
F-150 Powerboost ?
and Yes like the others said…
Great Vid ! Well Done 👍🏻
Yes! The powerboost would be a GREAT option. It wasn't available when we made this video.
A good rule of thumb for depth of discharge (DOD) is that AGM batteries have a 50% DOD and Lithium batteries have an 80% DOD. So 3 of those Battle Borns in parallel will give you 240Ah (300Ah x 0.8).
incorrect. battleborn rates their batteries in usable capacity, meaning you can use a full 300ah out of a bank of 3 100ah batteries with zero damage or degradation of cell life. the built-in battery management system will disconnect before damage can occur.
@@marzsit9833 I used to work for Airstream. My coworker, when he went on the vendor assessment trip to Dragonfly when they were originally getting setup with us (Battle Born's parent company), I asked him when he came back what the DOD of their battery should be considered and he said "80%".
Thanks for the battery breakdown. I live a few miles from an Airstream dealer and many of the RV's are still using those lead acid batteries. I forgot, I think they up charge the customer for swapping the batteries or I think the salesman said charge for the solar and include the batteries.
Great video, thank you for sharing! Since you go off grid have you experienced any problems with having just one axle?
No problems! However, I would love to raise the AS with a 3” lift kit. That would make it easier to access some camping spots.
We have a 25' Flying Cloud with a 30amp set up. On our last outing, our Boondocking neighbor had a 50amp 25' Flying Cloud with two AC units on the roof, as well as a $5000 dollar after market solar system add on. Ewe were considering solar before talking to him. We have no Solar at present, but we travel with a 3500w RV Ready Inverter Generator with remote start and w/100' power cord. After talking with him, I wouldn't trade our set up for his. Not in the heat near Joshua Tree or the endless days of cloud and rain near Vancouver BC or Seattle. Our set-up, for 1/5 the cost of his provides all the power we need 100% of the time.
That sounds like you have nice set up! 👍👍 One thing I like about our solar is we don't need to worry about our batteries when they're stored. There are countless ways to set up your power supply. It sounds like you're happy with yours and that's all that matters 😀 I'm jealous of your 25'... if we did it over again that's what we'd buy.
What is your exact generator unit if you dont mind me asking? And could a 3500w generator provide double duty to power most of your home in an outage?
Marce I agree with you the cost is very high with our two wet cell, two 100 watt portable solar panels and our generator we are set for any situation .
@@The_Draque We went with the champion 3400 RV ready remote start generator. It was $1000 at Cabela’s last February 2021
I would level of my motorhome out to fill the water tanks because I noticed if I was on a little slow the tanks weren’t selling up all the way
I'm through camping. Way too many people doing it now. All the campgrounds are full during summer time.
I think lots of folks got into RV travel as a safer way to travel during the pandemic. Boondocking or dry camping thins out the crowds, and winter camping is seldom crowded. I really dislike how far ahead you have to reserve spots these days.
Excellent and geeky stuff! Our plugs here are 240 volt; I wonder how much difference it would make if you were doing this in the U.K.!
Also, congratulations on 50,000 subs 👍🏻😀
The inverter works for 240 power as well! So it should work the same as long as you configure it correctly. 👍👍
But boobdocking is illegal in the UK. Well, maybe parts of Scotland you can get away with - but recall the midges! They like boondocking too
I own a top of the line (Classic model) 2007 Airstream. It comes standard with an inverter BUT the inverter’s job is to change 120VAC to 12VDC so as to keep the two batteries charged and to run all the 12VDC appliances (such as all the internal lights). So, you are correct, the Airstream is designed to go for one RV campground to the next. 120VAC is almost mandatory.
How long have you owned your AS? 😀
INVERTER???? More like a converter/charger for the batt's.
@@Roamaroo Since 2007.
@@dalebannon8503 a converter/charger is not an inverter.
Excellent video. Concise, well done and very informative. I’m also thinking of upgrading our travel trailer from lead-acid batteries to lithium. Our batteries are located in the traditional up-front-outside spot. Many people I talk with say the Battle Born batteries need to be installed inside because of environmental conditions (heat and cold). Apparently you haven’t had any issues with the lithium’s being outside. Can you comment on that? How do you keep them in the narrow temperature range they “require.”
Yes I can 😀. We haven't had any temperature issues with our batteries while camping. Please note we don't camp in extreme cold temperatures. Our coldest camping experience was in Alabama Hills (27deg F, 20-30 MPH winds at night - 50-60 during the day). We didn't have any issues there. If you're going to do more cold/winter camping you can get a heated battery - Battleborn just released these last year. One other note, We installed one of our batteries inside - mainly because of space restraints - but this also also give us one working battery if the two outside batteries got too cold. If you want to help us out please use our link... no charge to you. -bit.ly/3tNh3aE 👍👍
Could you install the batteries in an ice chest outside? If they need air circulation drill a few holes. Or does that defeat the purpose of the ice chest????
I’d like to know for my own. Purposes.
convinced me to keep the $$ in the bank & stick with hotels
If you’re willing to spend the money there are some super quite generators. I keep one just because sometimes solar isn’t an option.
Nice summary Scott; very informative. The Airstream is expensive out of the gate to purchase so what's the rough budget to add the battery upgrade and solar? Did you install yourself or have a pro do it? When you added the battery upgrade how did you add the 110 plugs for your devices? Did you have to mod the inside of the rig to install plugs in different areas? Sorry for all the questions...just trying to learn some of the details.
1. We had a professional install it because we were living in the AS. We couldn’t afford living outside of it for very long
2. The 110 plugs are already installed in the AS. The inverter is connected to those plugs
3. Rough budget is $5k for equipment and $2-3k for the install
The new inverter style dual fuel generators gas/propane (4500/4000)amp would be handy too to augment your 3(100) battery set up🌻I really like your video as we are in early planning stages of getting a Bambi ( 19 foot) should suffice ❗️
That would work 👍. Those bigger generators are really heavy.
I'm reading something called soft start to start up air conditioners, have you heard of soft start system?
@@jimmielittle877 Yes, they're a great option to use as well. We don't have one but lots of people swear by them. 👍
Hi thanks for the info. Did you buy everything from airstream and have them install it, or did you buy everything from Amazon and install it yourself?
No problems who wants to camp in direct sun? I have it made in the shade baby plug me in baby!
What type of camper do you have? 😀😀
I really love you guys! Me and my husband are deciding to buy a Bambi. My one question what are you have how are you are finding those beautiful places of the grid?
Check out the app Campendium. It will show you where you can boondock.
Would've loved to hear more about the insulation of it, like how it retains heat or cold air as well as more about the solar, and solar potential that it's capable of handling.
Great questions. The insulation is Okay.. We added a few extra "pads" of cheap bubble wrap insulation around the front bed area to keep the chill out during the cold months. Money well spent if you're planning on doing any cold weather camping. For Solar, there's plenty of space for more panels. I would think you could get 600-800 watts on the roof.
amzn.to/3yk7Pqy Here's the insulation i'm talking about.
I have both a 1978 Avion and 1978 Argosy. The Avion, being aluminum with good spray--in insulation, still acts like a toaster in the summer and what I call "the cryogenic facility" in the winter. There's no way around it. The only thing you can do is put up reflectix window sheets up. Other than that a couple small window a/c's (500 watt consumption each) and a propane furnace for the winter will take care of business. These trailers are typically not meant for 4 seasons, but you can work around it.
Airstream is certainly an iconic brand; for boondocking there are other probably more suitable rigs. It's worth looking around before you buy.
Hi guys! Love your channel. Thank you so much. We have a Bambi 22FB on the way and thought I saw in a prior post that you did your battery conversion installation with Sutton in Eugene Oregon. Is this the case? This is who we are buying our AS from And I’m basically looking to duplicate what you have already done. We have already ordered the battle born batteries for them to install on our behalf. Curious about whether it comes with a converter or not that will work for these batteries or we also have to have the dealer replace this for us? Just curious your experience in this regard?
It will work with your batteries but you’ll want to order an inverter as well. We have this one amzn.to/32xBcpP.. they also have 1k & 2k watt sizes to fit your needs
Wow. Great information! I am educating myself about solar and this was extremely helpful. If you have more than 200 watt solar panels I wonder if you can run the a/c off the panels and batteries then?
There are some set up where you can run the AC off of batteries but it requires a significant investment into solar, batteries, and usually converting the AC to a 12V system.
Excellent job on the video (both content and production). Since Lithiums can be charged below 32 degrees did you consider putting all 3 indoors?
you must have meant to say "cannot" be charged below 32 degrees.....
@@arminius301 Yes. Thanks for the correction!
This is exactly why I added 1500W of solar to my Classic 30’. Coupled with 7.6kWh of solar lithium 24V storage, 3000W inverter and and 2.8kWh of 12V lithium upgrade and I have plenty of power. Current plans call for adding another 1500W of solar so I can then charge the all-electric tow vehicle.
wow! That's some serious power! Very impressive 👍
I have a remarkably similar setup with a 3000VA multiplus inverter and I can vouch that the results are identical to what he says. I can run the big AC with a 13A generator running and most everything else without the generator. The multiplus allows me to run the AC without a soft start which is amazing but I am thinking of getting one anyway to eas the load on the batteries. Excluding the AC we can camp the same as if we were hooked up for 150AH per day getting us 2 days. WE typically run the generator for about 2 hours a day at 50 amps charging or we can recharge from dead zero in about 3.5 hrs. I have 320 watts of solar that gets me 15 amps of charging or maybe 75 AH per day with ideal sun. This reduces the generator run time accordingly. Solar alone will keep the lights on and 12V frig on indefinitely but that is about it. On travel days I get 20 amps of charging from the truck so usually no need for generator unless it is short time on the road.
So cool to hear and compliments on your set up! So since making this video I spoke with Battleborn. They recommend a soft start if you plan on running your AC off of the batteries to help extend battery life. We never ran the AC off our batteries.
Any plan to increase your solar panels?
Nice explanations, thank you. Does this mean you have to have a generator to run ac?
Yes we would need to run a generator (or plug into shore power) to run the AC
@@Roamaroo thank you!
Do you guys think rock guards are a good option? Standard with the Caravel but a dealer option for the Bambi’s…
What a clean install!! Did you that yourself?
Thank you! 😀 We hired it out. We were living in it at the time so we couldn't afford the mess and construction.
That new hybrid F-150 7200w generator is a game changer.
I wish they offered it as an add on to older trucks.
@@Roamaroo You would need the hybrid battery and associated powertrain changes as well. That’s how this is possible, the large hybrid battery directly powers the load.
Did you do the upgrade yourself or did someone else? Please recommend someone 🙏this is excellent information thank you
We used Sutton RV in Eugene, OR.
We have the same inverter, but I don't see the function in my app that yours has for the power assist mode. Was that a separate device you installed?
There’s no separate mode it does it automatically.
I wish airstreams still made motorhome versions of their trailers like they did in 1977
Do you run the power from tow vehicle to inverter charger to protect the vehicle alternator from overheating? I heard the lithium battery can pull to much current for the vehicle alternating.
Hmm.. that's an interesting question. I haven't had an issue but I need to check that.
Good afternoon and thanks for the great video. Very informative! We just bought a new 22FB Bambi last week and we're looking to do a lot of boondocking. Now that you've had your install in for several months, is there anything you'd do differently, i.e., more solar on the roof, higher wattage on the investor, etc? Also, did you do the install yourself? If not, can you share who did he work, your satisfaction level with their work and what your were charged for the installation? Thanks!
Since we were living in the AS we had it installed by a professional. If I did it again I’d up my solar wattage to 400 or 600. The 200 watts gets used mainly by the fridge.
Install cost was ~$3k
@@Roamaroo Thanks for your quick and accurate response :-). Did the $3K include all the hardware and labor? OBTW, Completed our trip home to Woodstock, GA from Tyler, TX, where we bought our AS. We spent 2 nights at the Grand Ecore RV Park in Natchidoches, LA. What a beautiful, spacious and exceptionally clean RV park. In addition, the laundry machines all worked and they were free. Paid $40.00 per night. Spent 5 days in Slidell, LA in a friend's driveway. They used to have a large class A so they had all the hookups :-). Traded our much-loved 2008 Honda Ridgeline for an F250 King Ranch (6.7 liter diesel) while in New Orleans. The GVWR of the Bambi was right at the top of the Ridgeline's rated towing capacity. While it towed very well on the relatively flat run from Tyler to Slidell, I didn't care for the performance while stopping. Yes, we had a brake controller installed. As one would expect, the F250 pulled it like there was nothing behind it. Stopping was amazing. Also, it was a more comfortable ride. We may the 7.5 hour trip home in one day. We were totally relaxed at the end of the trip having used a vehicle is designed for towing from the ground up.
@@danpetty2065 That's a BIG upgrade from a ridgeline to a f250. When we upgraded our hitch from a simple sway bar to a heavy duty wt. distribution. I would forget that the trailer was back there. Having the right equipment not only makes it more comfortable, it's also safer. Sounds like you guys had a Great trip. Thanks for sharing 😀😀
There are problems with all types of habitations, Airstreams included. As a current airstream owner and the former owner of 5 others types, i can say they are superior in almost all aspects. But the best part is their great resale value. Go ahead and buy one of the other poorly constructed brands. You will definitely “save” money on the day you buy it. Later well, not so sure..
There’s as many pros as there are cons! Prestige and resale value are the biggest pros. Cons are too numerous to mention. Let’s just say you always need a well stocked toolbox with you.
@@formerfarmer1718 I disagree. I say there are many more pros than cons. The big con is the price, but then one wonders why they are so high priced. Own a few other brands and it will become apparent. Note I did not say cost because the cost to own can be less than many other brands.
Yeah the dealership in North part of Virginia says 75% of all Airstreams are still registered to RV (since the very first Airstream was built)
@@anne_n_nimity Newer Airstreams have gone down in quality by a good margin, not the shell itself but they now use a lot of cheaper components especially when it comes to electronics. A friend of mine bought a 2019 Classic that has been nothing but a nighmare.
@@NimitzclassA RVs use components from the the limited pool of RV specialty suppliers. So this decline in quality of components would be endemic to the whole industry. I was referring to the structure of the trailer in my post which should have been obvious.
Victron make a 200AHr 12V lithium battery that has the same footprint as the typical lead acid 100AHr battery. ( the same (single) battery slot can be used for a significant capacity and peformance upgrade). These batteries require a seperate Battery management system (best from Victron)
One aspect often overlooked is when running higher power devices (eg inverter with a toaster or kettle) is that many of the cheeper lithium batteries will not deliver the required power output due to the design of the battery and its (usually inbuilt) Battery Management System (BMS)
- so you can get a cheep say 10 or 200 AT battery that will only deliver say 50 or 100A Max output - no good for toaster or kettle etc. and there is not much you can do about it.
for caravan batteries (regardless of lead acid or lithium type), for effective charging from the car or tow vehicle
- you really do need a competent dcdc charger (needs to cope with the particular alternator type and the type of battery)
- this means additional dedicated wireing in the car and the caravan (16mm2 wire, it think 5 or 6 gauge in the USA is recomended, as, if you undersize this wireing, the charger may get confused due to the voltage drop under load). I recomend 50A genuine anderson connectors for this. I have seeen the cheep knockoff anderson plugs mechanically fail.
Also, 200W of solar ( without generator or mains topup) is not going to cut the custard if you are cooking with the battery system on a daily basis, It just cannot keep up with the daily demand and the batterys will run down and need to be topped up with generator or grid power.
- 200W of solar is ok for fridge, lights, phone charging etc. I live in the tropics with really good sun, 100W with just the fridge and my battery will run down slowly ( > a week)..
In places of not good sun or shade or snow, the panel peformance would be reduced.
In the movie Waterworld, he recycled his urine. You could try that to solve your water problem.
Well that is perfectly clear!?
One advantage to an Airstream that solves the disadvantage of the power is that it's light enough to be towed with one of the new Ford F-150 Lightnings, and you would be able to use the Lightning to power it.
, yup, only requires ~ $120K for truck/airstream combo. RV lifestyle is awesome, but time and money are always in short supply.
I would love to try out the hybrid F150 with the large generator.
I see you have a fairly new truck, but I wonder how many of your power issues would be solved by one of the new hybrid f150’s with the pro-power onboard options
That would be my dream truck!
How much did all the battery, inverter, solar and the labor cost?
So, in a realistic scenario, what would you need in terms of batteries and solar, to run your AC for hours at a time almost indefinitely? (Assuming ample sunlight)
Interesting question. I believe there are some new low power AC options that just came on the market. With the installed AC it’s not really possible with only Solar and Batteries. If you had a low power AC unit you might be able to. I’m guessing like 6 batteries and 800-1200 watts of solar.