VAN LIFE: SOLAR & OFF GRID POWER SYSTEMS EXPLAINED
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- Опубліковано 6 кві 2020
- Interactive Diagrams, Materials Lists & How to Guide ► kombilife.com/electrical
In this Van Tour, we're explaining mobile electrical systems and sharing the details of our entire off grid power system which we've designed to meet the demands of mobile living and working off the grid. We talk about how we recharge our Lithium LiFePo4 Batteries using Solar, how to get the most out of your solar panels as well as the most efficient way to generate 12v Power whilst we are on the move with our Alternator. We also discuss the best options for "shore power" to rapidly recharge our battery bank when we really need to hook up to the grid and also the best way to monitor our battery system so we can protect our investment and maximize our time off grid and on the move.
Part 1: Our 1 of our Electrical Systems Van Tour • Building The Ultimate ...
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PRODUCTS MENTIONED
Find our COMPLETE Materials list here - bit.ly/12vGear
Battle Born Batteries - amzn.to/38OOrEl
Alternator Charging Unit- amzn.to/2RV6sdU
AC Hook Up (Global Smart Charger) - amzn.to/2S3pAae
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Battery Monitor - amzn.to/36XaczR
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#VanLife #Solar #VanBuild
#VanLife #TinyHome #AlternativeLiving - Авто та транспорт
I hope this help those of you are currently building out your vans.
*LEARN HOW TO BUILD YOUR SYSTEM - Easy Step-by-Step Guide and interactive Diagram* ► kombilife.com/van-life-electrical-system-guide/
We'll have a new adventure episode out on Thursday for those of you who want to catch up with how Van Life in Africa is going.
How are you two doing? Still symptom free? Are you being treated OK in the country you're in now? Are you getting food and supplies as you need them?
This is a totally comprehensive energy system for a small RV, not to mention a very clean and compact install. These components are top notch, and those Battle Born batts are considered the best and worth every penny of their nearly $1000 price. But what I like the most about this video is the very clear explanation and camera work. Nice one Ben! Just remember no matter how good the episode it’s always better with Leah and Alaska in it.
Thanks Tom, I agree always better with the girls in the vid, they will be in the videos whenever I can encourage them to do so 🤭
These 2 videos are the absolute best I have seen about electrical. Thank you SO much for putting them out there!! I finally feel like I have a basic understanding.
So happy to hear that Jamie, best of luck with your project!
Hi Ben, thanks for the detailed video. Since you're a solar geek: a common mistake, which you made about 11 min into the video, is to confuse energy and power. Energy is stored in your batteries and is measured in Wh (Watt-hours) and power is the output or input measured in W. An analogy can be made to fuel, diesel is stored energy while the engine output is power.
thanks for that Thomas, you're right I use the terms interchangeably.
I have my own van and have watched loads of vids on this subject but this is the best explanation and easy to really understand.
Great - so pleased to hear that. Thanks for the feedback
Thanks for a well explained and thorough walk-through of your power system build.
I learned a lot from it, and will refer back to it when we're ready to go off-grid.
Safe Travels
Hi ,very informative and easy to understand .
I’m enjoying your videos while self isolating.
Stay as safe as you can.
Looking forward to more videos .
Thanks Richard, happy to keep your brain working during the pandemic .😁
Subscribing to you guys and getting a membership is the best idea I had in a while. Your videos are relaxing, entertaining and educative !
Glad to hear it. Thanks for your support and welcome to the Kombi Crew.
Thanks for the loads of information.
Thinking back to Capito's engines videos vs Boomerangs. Learning through experience and sharing your adventures. ⭐ Thanks 👍
Hope you are all three together, safe and healthy 🙏💛
♥️🇨🇦
Great video and explanation! We also love geeking out and monitoring our solar system :)
For someone who is currently planning his first van build, this is incredibly interesting!
Glad to hear it Elliot. Thanks for your support.
Congratulations Ben, very well put together episode explaining and demonstrating the required components for a good camper/caravan/motorhome system.
Whilst I can often find fault with most installs I have seen, (I do have some expertise in this area) I can find little that I don't like with your Boomerang install.
I feel so confident in the quality and accuracy of this video's content that I will be passing on it's UA-cam link to friends and fellow motorhome club members alike.
Great work Ben & Leah, Alaska and Boomerang too :-)
Great to hear it Val, thanks very much for the feedback.
Rocking the PV! Tech has caught up to my wildest PV fantasies!
Thank you so much for the explanation!! It helped me get an understanding of how a system works. I'm just beginning this electrical journey and need all the help I can get.
It can be a headache. Our guide book gives you all the info you need to build your knowledge and get the project done
You made this informative and interesting. I feel like I learned a lot.
Enjoyed geeking out, what a great system!
:) Thanks for nerding out with us 🤓
6 months ago jeez
Well explained and easy to follow. Thanks Ben.
Glad to hear it. Thanks
Explained very well, thanks Ben. :)
As Dad no doubt mentioned use properly sized fuses, breakers, connectors and wire - not the place to cheep out. Those 4 batteries would happily weld steel if need be...
yeah, safety first when building a van electrical system, for sure!
That's some technology in the car! Be safe :)
Very informative and educational 🙏🏾🙏🏾
This is great info!
Cheers ! so well done - thanx Axel
I find this stuff super interesting.... good job.
happy to hear that, thanks for watching
You can Connect the Battery Monitor and the Solar charge controler Via the App.
Connect a "Victron Smart network" so both devices Speak to each otter an share infos like Voltage, temperature, Usage and with that info the MPPT can optimize your charge even more!
Very informative.
Beautiful build system! 🙊👌
Very clear and concise very rarely comment on very rarely comment on this but thank you very much very useful.
Is there a distributor for battlebornin the UK or Ireland I don't see any information on their website
Transporter Energy is the UK battery distributor, based in Essex I believe.
I love these videos i hope to do this someday
hiya guys, just yesterday bought a 79 hiace camper and am planning on taking her on a trip around France in the summer (if the lockdown is over, fingers crossed). with all this free time was trying to plan a route and remembered seeing you guys use a map with recommended and free camp spots etc. was just wondering what this was and how to get access to it ? thank you and hope you are keeping safe morocco. best wishes from the isle of wight!
Try Park4Nite app
Great video as always! Eager to know you guys are doing alright over in Morocco
Whats the name and brand of the USB charging station?
it's link on our website, can't remember the brand off hand - kombilife.com/van-life-electrical-system-guide/
i've looked, (perhaps not hard enough) where did you get the outlet covers for your fresh water and shore power?
Got them from eBay. I’m working on a list of gear used. Will share ASAP
Would reflecting more sunlight with mirrors onto solar panels significantly increase electrical output?
I was thinking for a backyard setup. Mobile, mirrored Plexiglas panels on a wooden frame would be easier and cheaper to make than installing more solar panels.
I’ve also wondered the same thing. I would guess it would help but I’ve never tried.
I have not seen yr previous vedios before so what is the best battery that one can afford
kombilife.com/electrical
Why did you not go for victron charger& inverter aswell?
nice piece of kit, but we didn't choose it because of this: kombilife.com/van-life-electrical-system-guide/#invertercharger
Awsome system, and very informative video thanks.
Hey Ben you reckon your dad is helpng so he can get his quiet life back lol.
Ha ha
Ultimate set up.still a long way to india.looking forward for it 👍
can't wait for India - hope you are doing well over there.
@@KombiLife that's only the sad part,not in India right now,stuck in birmingham.but no worries I have combi life videos and tea by my side.
Cheers Ben's Dad
... sure hope you get to do this voyage... ... and we all get some travel restrictions lifted by summer/fall ... Cheers ~ S
oh boy Steve, so do we
Really Good Video and good explanation. VOLTMETERS = Back in time motor cars didn't have Alternators just Dynamos. These would only charge batteries when above 1000rpm. So sitting at traffic lights engine tickover battery not charging. So if you had headlights on, battery voltage would drop so along came the dash mtg voltmeter. Giving a rough indication of voltage. Which gave an indication to warn you to switch to side lights. Saving power etc. These voltmeters, along with rev counters, oil pressure,temp gauge, oil temp gauges became fashionable. Not really needed as simple Indicator lamp can show over temp, low oil, rev counter just listen to engine revs to change gear. Modern battery systems are excellent and voltage, current indicators are really only needed for initial set up. Soon gets boring looking at and checking power etc. Forgot to mention early voltmeters had a small heater inside which warmed meter needle which bent under heat. Hence how slow the needle moves and inaccurate. Cheers from old George
thanks for sharing the info George
Great video, but I did have one question that I didn't hear addressed. Do you ever have more than 1 source charging the batteries at the same time? For example, do you utilize the B2B (battery to battery) charger AND the solar panels both feeding into the positive bus bar? From the diagram, I see that each has an isolation breaker that interrupts the connection to the positive bus bar, so if you left all of them on, what would happen? Hypothetically, if the B2B charger were operating (output 12 VDC) and the solar were operating (output 15-16 VDC), then both of those sources feeding into the positive bus bar would, in theory, would allow the B2B charger to be back-biased with the solar voltage. In other words, you would be trying to push the solar voltage (15-16 VDC) into the B2B charger. I guess this could also happen if you forgot to isolate the shore power circuit after leaving, and switched to "on the move" or "solar". Again, with zero power coming into the ON GRID charger, but it still being connected to the positive bus bar, it would be subjected to the voltage source feeding the bus. Unless these devices have some internal protection built in, couldn't this damage some of the equipment? Thanks for the great series and best wishes for safe travels! Cheers!
we go into this in more details in our book. The short answer is that the Solar panel voltage is regulated by the controller before it connects to positive busbar. As long as the cabling has been designed to handle the loads, and the breakers are their to protect it all charging inputs can (and do) work well simultaneously.
more details - kombilife.com/van-life-electrical-book/
What happens to Tpp boris when he breaks down, What's your backup plan going to be in a remote area?
Yeah probably
Battle Born! Reno,NV
Hey Ben, is your starter battery a normal lead acid battery or lithium as well?
The starter is lead acid. We hope to get rid of it someday
Perfect timing-- they just showed up today-- so for this kind of money I think I will make them interchangeable with my other camper as well. Noticed in the instructions that the MPPT can get damaged if disconnected from the solar array- Have you a work around for that or is it a case of DON"T DO THAT
hmm interesting Bill. I'll send you a PM via Patreon to discuss
Hi My question is how much battery & solar panels and inverter do I need for 83” long trailer pleaseeee I’m stupid to this type of things, I will be running Apple home computer & full size fridge & stove & 2 bug screen tv & hair blow dry and lights, Apple TV & Mac Pro laptop & cell phones & 2 fireplace & ps5 and washer and dryer in the DIY tiny house that is made out of shipping container, I want the feeling of a house powering please help I’m so clueless, I don’t want to over buy nor under buy
Well done. My system is nearly the same. I love my AC to DC and DC to DC Sterling chargers. You've come a long way since the Peruvian coast!
Nice - yep that's true 😁
Great video but damn that’s a lot of equipment taking up storage space, woulda been nice if you could mount it in the engine bay or somewhere hidden, but I understand this makes presentation for the sake of video nice.
Thanks for the insights. And thanks for the discount code.
But 400Ah for more than 3500 dollars does not work out for me.
Plus all the additions...
Understandable. Do you really need 400Ah of Lithium? That's a heck of a lot of power
@@KombiLife right, i dont have a mobile video production unit like you xD
200 would be enough (plenty) i suppose.
Hey guys. Hope you are ok! Please give us a feedback letting us know you guys are ok. Just a 10 sec video saying "We are all good, living the life! Stay in home and keep safe everybody!", that would be more than enough. Take care!
I could be wrong but because your solar system is on a single MPPT your system will still be dragged down if one panel gets shaded. You could look at getting DC optimizers if it becomes a problem. Also, don't use adhesive tabs on the panel because it will eventually melt. Look for solar panel clips. The clenergy brands are the best.
Panels are in parallel so they don't suffer from partial shading issues. Thanks for the comment(s)
NOYCE!!! 😎👍
Can you provide a itemized price list?
yup - just go here, click the add to cart button and you will see the prices of the products you are interested in (obviously you don't have to buy them) kombilife.com/van-life-electrical-system-guide/#materialslist
What about ur internet ?? Where do u get ur internet !
You guys have a awesome system also hows everything in Morocco?
life's OK here - I''ll update you guys soon with what's been happening (we're filming everyday)
@@KombiLife ok awesome to here
Them battle borns aren't cheap! No colbalt either, didn't know that.You're mppt is obviously top dollar. When putting all this together did you not think it's over kill for your needs?
The project like this step by step is described on the Avasva website and many more plans you can find on that website.
If you have high quality Panels with 3 ore more bypass diodes in them you wont be affectet of partial shading
i got 1200 Watts of Solar on my Sprinter. 3 Panels connected in series to push down 125 Volts , mean i start charging very early in the day and it keeps charging even an hour after sunset.
if you got Battery voltage +5V you start charging and series brings your Voltage up to start sooner (also you can use smaller wires BUT you need Bigger, more expensive MPPT controllers)
good point on the need for a larger MPPT controller. I'd be interested to see how effective the bypass diode are in a real life test. If you ever see us on the road, let's go and make some videos :)
@@KombiLife i would really love to :) im a German Car-mechanic and hobby Photographer :) i tested my Solar by parking under a Tree and i only lost that Panel worth of wattage that was coverd in shade :) (which is 370 Watts per Panel) its even enough to run my Dometic AC unit :) im Kinda a technic geek. i went so far designing my own radient floor Water heating :P i follow you since the Start of hasta alaska, maybe you brought me into Vanlife. it all started with a 2000 kilometer Bycicle Trip from Germany to Sweden
I made it by myself. I used Avasva solutions for that.
Cheers to your dad🍻
I have to take the piss because I have been doing it to everybody. I noted in your text that you plan on driving across boarders. You may get arrested because boarders are people that rent rooms off you and that could hurt them. Driving across borders, however is perfectly legal. Stay safe.
with all that stuff under seat, no more need for a heater... :)
You got 1 month top before the adhesive on the zipties melts.
yep zipties should be considered a temporary installation. They're fine for none critical things like cable tidying though; especially when you use more than one
Them batteries better be good at $900+ each 😱
I know right, that's EXACTLY what I was thinking. But I'm happy to say they were worth the investment, 100% no regrets. Investing in the right power system is key to making the most out of mobile off gridding.
Im only at 200Ah :( Someday Ill make it to 400 haha
I think 200 is enough for most people, especially if it's Lithium
Boarders.
Your Vanlife will be perfect if you have this portable
recycling hot water shower Rewashower.
Search Google for rewashower
that would be nice
Nerd!😂🤙
There is some false information here. In van you want to wire panel in series. You mentioned shaded areas of panels, and if you have part of panels in shade the output from that panel drops significantly, thus lowering output voltage and energy, while if panels hooked up in series, you lose just part of voltage and current. The mppt charge controller should have higher voltage on input, that can be done with wiring panels in series, so in low sunlight or shaded panels can actually do something with that voltage. With parallel wiring you have 18v or something like that (depends on panel) on input of mppt in optimal conditions, and if you shade part of one panel, that panel drops quickly bellow 12v, and charge controller cant really make miracles. In series wiring, you get 36V on input of mppt, and if you shade part of panel, you have a lot of room before it drops bellow 12V. In the morning you have very low voltage on mppt , while in series there is n-times more voltage with which mppt can charge.
Decent panels with bypass diodes would help with the shading issue. Thanks for the watching and sharing your experience.
5:45 But keeping a Lithium battery topped up at 100% will rapidly reduce usable life...
You are right. We have out charging profile set up to make 100% a little less than true 100%.
How great would it be to be able to self isolate on the road travelling the world in a van ❤️❤️
P.s I'm a new British UA-camr 😊
the comments is 6 months old...
the video has been unlisted for a while - was just waiting for the pandemic to come because I knew everyone would want to build campervans ready to go exploring after 🤭
wtf man this is over kill 400 ah at 4 amp per /hr that = 100 hrs with no input ! besides that the pure cost of all that lot was how much ?
i have a rough guess it was around 3 k for the system . nevermind the fuel cost to top the batterys up on the road ! honestly if your bus /combi is giving you 16 mpg you lucky !
plus when you get out into the wilds and the whole lot goes down who are you going to call to get it fixed when your in the middle of god knows where !
you might think you have it all covered but your sure screwed if you think anyone knows how to mend it when it goes wrong !
ME PERSONALY WOULD HAVE BOUGHT A GENARATOR THAT RUNS OF VEG OIL OR DEISEL .
plus it would have been lighter than that lot !
Thanks for your comment Colin.
I think for the life of a generator and it's fuel and its weight that could produce this kind of clean sine wave - you would be way better off with the Battle Borns and controllers and no one yelling at you for all the noise/