Sorry mate, you missed the major reason for increasing voltage, and the only reason that justifies. It’s when you go to bigger Inverters. The caravan world is increasingly going Gas-less. AC, induction cooktops, microwaves, airfryers etc. 3000W inverters are becoming undersized. 5000W inverters will become the norm and at 12V that’s 400amps, and serious cable sizes between battery and Inverter. So when you go upto 5000W then 24 or 48v is the optimal voltage. I also think your thinking to much in itechworld terms with your Pros and Cons, Victron components can easily go 24V and are readily available. And as a fellow sparky, I think the headline of a “Scam” is misleading,
great point, I tossed up if I should mention that but I didn’t for the following reasons. I have a 12/240v 3000w inverter that does 5000w for 20 minutes in my current van. We run the aircon, air fryer and microwave at the same time and I could easily substitute that with induction. I could easily upgrade that again on my current 12v system at go 5000w constant with peak of 7000 plus watts.. sure I’ll need to run big cable and that will add 300 grams of weight to my 3.5t van. I’m Running multiple high current 240v appliance combinations at the same time what more could you want
Problem is the cable size for 5000w with 7000w surge, get such high currents that the cables become huge or need doubling up, so they become impractical to install. It’s not about weight.savings. And as a sparky you would be well aware when currents get so high you are at high risk of high resistance joints, and major failures. You can’t be seriously suggesting 400-600 amps is preferable to 24v amps being halved. Also think how hard your inverter is working, and the heat generated when up around 400amps. Personally I would rather be down around 200amps and have the gear cruising. You watch, there’ll be multiple 240v GPO circuits in the future as well. My first van had a 1000w inverter, the next van 2600w now 3000W with 4500W surge, vans are now coming out with 5000W with 7000W surge. The electrical industry is alway evolving. 24v and 48v is future proofing, it’s not a scam
@@hsvme6508but that’s where layout comes into play. And at the end the only big cable is between your battery and inverter. Keep the length under 1m and a 95mm2 weld flex will do the trick easily and safely. Anyone who puts batteries and inverters on opposite sites of a van and then argues cable size should not be listen to
@@andrefischer5025 You’ve got your facts wrong there, 5000W inverters at 12v typically requires twin 95mm from 0-5m not a single 95, check the Victron specs. And Nobody would install batteries opposite side of the van with big inverters. Got nothing to do with layouts. The facts are higher voltage is the way the industry is moving for bigger inverters and reduced current. And any Sparky knows, high currents equals more component and cable heat, and higher risks of failure.
i use a 40w battery charger to charge my phone it has solar panel thats all need to watch sarah an keelan and play games to cook use gas and sleep in a tent setup cosy me 30 bucks
Considering the options, a 12V/5000 MultiPlus at $2800 versus a 48V/5000 MultiPlus at $1100 is a significant price difference. The wiring requirements are also different: a 12V setup would need two 95mm cables, whereas a 48V setup only requires a single 70mm cable, making it simpler and potentially less expensive. Low-cost high-frequency 12V inverters are also a fire risk. When installing DC-DC converters and chargers, it’s essential to ensure they’re galvanically isolated. If not, you could encounter issues that require a VSR (Voltage Sensitive Relay) to protect the system. Charging a 48V system with solar is straightforward, especially if you use AC-coupled micro-inverters. This approach lets you safely run 240V AC from the panels directly to the inverter/charger, avoiding high-voltage DC and the risks associated with it. While a 12V system might save an unqualified or inexperienced person some ongoing costs, a higher voltage setup (like 48V) offers a superior system for those with the technical skills to set it up correctly. With experience and creativity, the possibilities are practically endless.
Surely you don't need couplers between dc-dc converters and chargers, unless I'm reading what your trying to say wrong. These devises should already have a high output impedance to prevent feedback and provide a constant voltage regardless of the load connected.
@@magicalvortex If you are stepping down with a non-isolated DC-DC converter there is a risk if it fails internally the high voltage will be seen on the low voltage circuit. You can buy galvanically isolated DC-DC chargers and converters for stepping down. If you want to look at AC coupling grid-tied micro inverters to Victron inverter chargers you can. It works very well, a microinverter on each solar panel and is connected to the AC out of the inverter and controlled by the charger with frequency shifting. AC coupling grid-tie inverters will need to be installed by an experienced qualified person but once setup is very safe and reliable.
All the clever guys are here today, I'm old, my stuff is 12v . 2x12v 138ah batteries hooked up together in parallel, 16lt freezer and 45lt fridge kick on all day and night with a fold out king's 200w panel. The new edition is a 120ah lithium lifepo to power the 2000w inverter for the toaster oven and the microwave oven. ( Not at the same time) It was all cheap by comparison to something with bells and whistles but it works and a simple bloke can work it out, red to red black to black and, Hey presto... lights fridges freezer action! Just on a grand and nothing too testicle. Oh, by the way, this is all set up in a 96 falcon wagon with a home made trailer. I'm old, poor and I'm doing it. So can you.
This was one of the easiest explanations I have ever come across in trying to understand what all this electrical stuff means. I usually leave all this stuff to my husband but this was educational, simple, and I am now wiser than I was prior to watching this episode. A massive thanks.😁🌺 Happy to have 12v in our new caravan.😁🌺
Remember subscribing when I watched my first "electric" talk when you had long hair! Great work, really appreciate it!!! Awesome community you have built, helps all of us not in the know. My dad was a passionate sparky, he's been gone 20yrs now but still have some of his vintage tools and similar formulas in his handwriting... makes no sense to me 😀
Thank you. We are just average caravaners doing weekly trips. we run solar on 12V. Never run out of power. we are looking at upgrading our setup. you have just proved that we dont need to change anything. Once again thank you
Hey there Keelan. I loved this segment on 12 volt solar. I've read some of the comments and they sometimes really miss your point. I worked in the aeronautical and aerospace industry for 50 years as a hands-on engineer and what you put out there is all new to me and I'm a newbie caravan owner as well. Keep up your good work I really enjoy your technical streams.
Keelan thanks for your time on this. I have spent countless hours on research trying to get my system right and I agree with you the 12v was much better as I can work on it with confidence. I run the Itech 3000w pro with ATS inverter and 3 120ah lithium batteries so yes the cable was expensive 95mm2 as recommended by the manufacturer and a 450amp fuse but it just works well no voltage drop or loss of any kind. One thing I will say is that people need to take on very important aspect into account and that is that with lithium batteries they have a BMS (battery management system) and they need to look into what the maximum amperage of the inverter is and allow enough of a safe barrier to the battery BMS so if you have 3 120ah batteries with 100amp BMS wired in parallel then the combined amps are 300amps and if as in my case the maximum amperage draw from the inverter is 278amps then I have a safety net of 22amps, it doesn’t sound much but it’s safe as the system cannot overload your batteries. Hope this make sense and also helps others out who are just starting there journey. Please know that I am not an electrician and this is all only my findings and opinion so please do your research and if in doubt get somebody qualified to help or do the work for you. Hopefully I will see you and Sarah on the road one day so I can show you my system and get your tips on how to make it better. Keep up the great content love your work Regards Jeff
Hi Keelan, as a sparky myself, I think you missed one important pro to having a 12v system in your demonstration. A 24v system relies on the fact that you need 2 x 12v batteries in series. Should one of those batteries fail in the bush, for whatever reason, you are shot up the quoit! If, however, you are using a 12v system, You can disconnect the faulty battery and continue on your merry way, albeit at half useable wattage. Thanks for the info, Iam sure many will benefit from it.
- When sizing for solar battery banks- it is best of course to have more than one parallel bank... Yes 12v is easiest to do this, but for whatever voltage you choose, there are 12v batteries available to allow paralleling up without too much hassle. ie. (1,2,4) x2 for 12,24,48v systems.. When using these "toplogies" / layouts, with 50A, 100A or 200A ,12v batteries. (packaging, space, weight, $$$...) The demands one expects on the batteries will (should) guide their choices, if they have all the information at hand _pricing the systems, when we get past 100Amps on the system, the power electronics and cabling gets expensive and less easily sourced.. Don't fall for the first marketeer that comes "one's" way - is always great advice. Most high voltage system can always be re-configured, back into a 12V system for emergency - a DC-DC from the car to the trailer is an insurance policy in case the MPPT fails (that little 300-1000W inverter floating around - ?? is there no additional space to pack that in the canopy (BTW my preference is to have a low power 12VDC -240VAC system in the canopy and a "more house like" (24-48VDC - 240VAC) system in the caravan, especially if there is real estate for a few kW of solar up on top (less amps to manage - into the batteries).) - I still cook on gas or fire when in the bush, my personal economics assessment - the electrons run: the fridge, lights and charging batteries. (the shift to "full electric" is an ideological driven venture generally.)
Sounds like there is opportunity to have a 24v system with redundancy to convert to a temporary 12v system if one battery fails on you in the arse end of bumblefuck 😅
bloody hell, that's the only reason anyone needs, stay off grid and be a bit limited or pack up and head off to buy another battery because nothing now works.
The biggest reason for using higher voltage is less losses in the cables and where ever there is a resistance. As you know P=I^2R (Current squared). At high currents the fire danger is higher and having worked with my own solar installation Bad contacts happen very easy I can tell you. I currently have 24v and 48v installations and the latter has less problems. I am also an electronic engineer so know a little about it.
Keeran. Good attempt at giving a good basic explanation. There are plenty of comments saying check Victron etc instead of itech, and they are all correct. But you didn’t say can’t, just easier / simpler. If someone wants to go bigger and better, by all means go for it, build 24 or 48 system, but if you don’t NEED it, then you are spot on, 12 volt is going to be easier. Keep up the good work SKT.
Long time watcher, 1st time commenter, fantastic explanation Keelan. I recently built out a 1979 Toyota Coaster and thought about going 24 volt, but in the end went 12 volt. I have 120AH battery and 640W of panels on the roof. This video confirmed I did the right thing for us. Someone else might decide the 24 more suits them. Great video, thank you 👍
Thank you Keelan. I can confidently do most mechanical work but electrical does my head in. While I have no idea which is better I got lots out of this to just better understand 12v. Thanks guys. Matt and Leisa.
Congratulations Keelan, I understood what you were saying. What runs on 24v without an inverter? Nothing. Same/ same. 12v is camping 24- 48 v hotel 😂. I love our iTechworld system. Just bought our replacement under bonnet 120ah to run our Fridge etc and we run a slim line 200ah in our camper trailer. Absolutely no issues and absolutely easy to set up and run from our car and solar blanket. Cheers.
Thank you Keelan, you have settled my decision with building my system when I rebuild my old van. You have have explained it so well and in a way I can understand. I love it. Thank you thank you thank you 🎉
Keelan, Many thanks for your video. I was able to understand the difference , and more importantly the safety factor in a 12 volt system. For the extra friggin around to achieve a 24 volt system with all its extra components, I now understand and agree a 12 volt system is all I’ll ever want in our van. Please make more of these easily understood videos . Rossco
Well done Keelan. Great explanation of the DC differences for the general public.Being a retired sparkie the number of times I've helped older caravaners fault find is made simple when its only 12V. 😊
Hi Keelan, Thanx for your explanation of the difference between 12V and 24V systems. I am just a concretor, but back in the day, I was into Amateur Radio, so had to learn basic electronics to get my licence. So your explanations made a lot of sense. I made my own 12V system in my old Hilux, but have now upgraded to a Dmax, to be able to legally tow our caravan. The Dmax already had a 12V system, which I have upgraded and improved on, but extra info to increase my understanding is always welcome. Thank You, and we always look forward to your next videos.
One of your best Keegan! I’m by no means a sparky, but I understood everything you went through; really good explanations. I also agree with your views around 12v being simpler, safer, readily available and just as good for most. I personally don’t want to be bringing more and more electrical stuff with me; might as well stay at home! Keep up the awesome work.
Keelan im a sparky aswell and have done my fair share of 12v setups in vehicles and im sure youll agree as a 240v sparky... the different terminology between auto electrical cable and normal cable shits me to tears!!!! Just go in mm2 it makes so much more sense!
I run my caravan on 12v and 24v on the Cabin. It was much more cost effective to get the power I wanted from solar into the system to run two 24v Outback fridges in the cabin. We use a simple inverter and a simple stepdown for 12v charging and backup lights. So your summary was good but there are some savings on regulators as well as wiring.
Great video. A lot of wanky stuff going on in the caravan/camping industry when it comes to 12v/24v systems. Too many customers getting systems put in that they’ll never use the capacity of. Spending 10k plus and the maximum they do is go away for a weekend ‘off grid’. Just running themselves into financial ruin due to having an huge ego to please and not needing such a system.
Keelan, mate i totally understood your video. I'm slowly learning how 12v works but your video's are so bloody easy to follow. I would pay to sit at a bbq and listen to your 12v lesson. Great job mate, keep at it.👍👍
really really interesting. we are always so interested in your sparky experience and the way you explain a lot of it is really good for those of us with only a basic knowledge. Thanks for this video.
Hey mate great talk, from some one who has spent over 20 years in the UPS industry with systems from 500va to mega watt systems at the end of the day batteries are your worst enemy. Having a 12 volt system is much better on the KISS principal and as someone else said if you have a faulty battery you just disconnect it and keep going. If you have a 24/48V system and have a faulty battery you are fire-trucked especially if you are in the middle of BFK.
If you have a Mega Watt system on 12V I bet the cables weigh more than the batteries or you have a heating system as well. Your Mega watt system was probably on 240v or higher.
Nice video chap and keep plan and simple. 48V DC yeah that stuff just wants to reach out and grab you. I have walked past i 48V DC system behind a fenced cage, onboard a submarine and everytime I did it I could feel the hairs on my arm going towards the system
Well done mate, a good basic explanation to electrical systems. I have always followed the KISS principal and had far less problems than those that favour the more complex systems. It is simpler to upsize the cable size within reason than to add more complexity in any electrical system unless efficiency is the most critical factor. Also remember that batteries fail. If you had a 24v system utilising 2 12v batteries and one battery fails, you are up sh-t creek without a paddle. If it was a 12v system and one battery fails it is simple enough to disconnect the failed battery and keep on trucking with less usable storage capacity until a replacement battery can be obtained.
Mate, do you know the regs regarding ELV (extra low voltage) rules. I have heard that the Australian electrical regs have change from ELV to DVC-A and we can no long work with voltage up to 120 volts DC. According to the new regs we can now only work with DC voltages of up to 60 volts. I have heard this only applies to fixed off grid installs on houses and not mobile installs like caravan. I have also heard the regs apply to everything, regardless if it is fixed or mobile ?? I would like to know your thought considering your a qualified sparky. 👍
I did find it interesting ol mate, I did all my electrics on my caravan myself, except of course the 240 stuff, and I decided that the advantages of 24 or 48v over 12v were not worth it for the many reasons that you mentioned, chur good video
A good video Keelan. I thought, YES...I'm learning stuff. Then I got all confused when other sparkies started giving their thoughts. But, I'm happy. We have two 160w solar panels Charging two 120ah batteries. We are very conservative when uskng power. We dont have to run all the computer gear, coffee machines, hair driers etc. For us old buggers, our system works well. I guess its horses for courses. Cheers mate. 😊
Really good video mate! As a fellow electrician, I totally agree with u. Keep it simple, why convert voltage if u don’t need to. What I tell people is, if u can run something off 12v why would do it from 240v? It’s just wasted power. Perfect example is charging phones, laptops, drills etc. U can buy 12v chargers for so many things nowadays, sure it may take a little longer to charge, but does that really matter? The best one is when people run an inverter only to plug in a usb charger just to charge their phone.😂 Converting 12v to 240v only to change it to 5v!🤷♂️ Very inefficient.👍
Hi keelan what is the difference using 24v solar and mppt apose to using 12v solar and mppt on a 12 volt system does the mppt bring the volts down and the amps up going to the battery
Hey mate great video and easy to understand your explanations. I do have a question. I’m running itech gear in my ute with the 200ss , 2000w inverter with a 40a dc-dc and 1x 150w 22v panel on my rooftop tent. I’m thinking of going to a mppt and another 150w panel so I can have dual input charging while travelling. What are your thoughts and which mppt would you recommend??
Hey Keelan, the explanation is great thanks. I would have to disagree on the availability of 24v inverters, we have have been using them for years in the yachting world. Another point is the amount of 24vdc appliances available now makes the 24v system more attractive. To name a few that I have, Fridge, lighting, water pump, USB outlets, fans, TV, and HWS. So the electric step, the carafan and radio are the only 12vdc items running through a converter. Again I have to disagree with the availability of this gear, also for the alternator charging the 12/24DCDC chargers work very well and are not hard to find. The victron equipment is everywhere and a great product. Like yourself Im also qulified to design and install these systems.
Thanks for watching! I never said you can’t find them! I know they are out there and like I said urban often get 24v appliances in. I just know when your appliance breaks and your no where near a major town or city you have no chance of replacing it! I’ve been through it myself trying to help others and speaking with caravan manufacturers they have the same issue. Customers left without. Like I said, I know it’s possible. I’ve found 12v gear even on the Gibb, Arnhem Land, cape York. If you have a 24v anything break out there, good luck! Thanks
But surely you are not comparing the yacht tax with the adventure kings mass market dumping. lol And if the only place you can access is the chandlery at the marina, then it is going to be product biased towards the yacht world. Most land lubbers are going to be coming from the inland and will pass 20 camping shops before they get to the marina to buy the 24v gear.
@@stevegraham3817 Some years ago I would have fully agreed with you about access to Yacht supply specialists, but for the last 5 years I have been online dealing with a Southport based company who keep plenty of stock and there dispatch people are the best. I'm in rural Australia but if I order a part by 11.30am I will have it in the mail the next day. I don't know if I can directly name them here but they have no problem supplying to the "Outback" and are a "Marine" specialist. I use solar for a lot of things where it isn't practical to get mains power to. This includes Gate openers, Internet repeater systems, Bore pumps and major electric fence units. After many years I have learnt that the old saying " The poor man pays twice" is correct, buy quality and very rarely will you have a problem. For many years a lot of camping fridges have been able to run on 12 , 24 and 240 V as is the case with more and more gear. If you are away camping and you have to wait a day or two for something to arrive is it the end of the world
Keelan. Thanks for the info mate. Shook some trees.😂😂 I'm no expert and was looking into our first van down in Rocko at ABBA. Bit like playing hide and seek for any personal intro but very interesting and got me thinking about all that sort of stuff. A couple of elderly blokes were getting right into the discussion, scrutinising set ups on the day, in almost every van that I was standing in. Great entertainment with their pros and cons etc , and way over my head. You have simplified it so even I can understand and as a wanna be traveller, I really appreciate it. Cheers. Nothing misleading only informative info for the less fortunate. KISS method.
Can’t argue with the keep it simple.Travelling around australia with the most complex electronic witchcraft when the sparkes die the fun goes with them.Enjoyed the lesson.
Your right about using the kiss method for a 12v system rather than a 24, 36, or 48v system. Less is more in this case as the less converters you have installed, the less that can go wrong. I suppose you can liken it to comparing modern cars with all the bells and whistles to an older car that has less that can go wrong with it without all the headaches and easier to diagnose. I^2 x R is where it's at for transmission power loss along cables, but for such a small build, it's not that a big deal. Power hungry DC appliances should be kept as close to the battery as possible, such as DC to AC Inverters to minimise these loses but once converted to AC, the cable run is not really an issue. Anyway, keep up the good work.
Hey mate, confession time, we used to follow you, but fell out of love with your content. We saw this pop up and though we'd jump back on. Good news is we're back in love with you guys again. We've got mates who are sparkys and I could understand your explanation much better than theirs (maybe it was the beers consumed around the campfire when they were talking). Even though your preference is towards the 12v, I'm still going to get a 24v system installed in our next build as it's a slide-on going on the back of an Isuzu NPS and the truck is 24v, just easier to keep everything 24v. By the way we believe our truck and slide-on build is going to blow peoples minds and maybe change the way people think about traveling with caravans, tow vehicles, weights, boats, etc. Thanks again for the great content (not just this episode) and easy to understand explanation on this subject, well done.
Thankyou for that, Love the maths explanation, loosing my husband that understood all this stuff I have had to learn. To keep travelling and camping so to use a fridge in the back of the car I had to understand how it all works. Your videos have been very very useful. I have found there are more out there that dont know as much as they claim so understanding the battery systems so when I go to a supplier I can follow there sales pitch, I know if they are someone I should deal with. I do follow and understand your explanations, Thankyou xx
Just wanted to ask do you have to have a 24v solar system to charge a 12v setup? As my mppt is 12v as are my solar panels. Although my solar panels push out 18v in full sun. If so could you explain why and a how to video to hook up one please.
I am a sparky, so I will be fitting a 48v system in my home and in my vehicle. I am a sparky, so I will not be fitting more than 12v systems in my friend's vehicles.
Victron Orion-Tr Smart 12/24-15A (360W) Non-isolated DC-DC charger Connect pairs of 12V solar panels in series to give 24 V supply need 29V to activate 24 V Mppt
I love it when you have your tech videos because you explain it very well because you are so passionate about it ...!!! Please do more ,because the more you do it the more I learn from your videos , Thanks 🤟🤘🤙
Keelan ,when we do get a van and are ready to retire ,Can you set up our van as even though I m a stupid postie ,you've actually enlightened me in watts amps and battery life in off gridding
I'm an electronic technician and I had to challenge you many times and then worked out you were right because you had dumbed it down so much. So you did a good job🤣
Hey Keelan, we absolutely loved this tutorial and all others you have done, we enjoy the facts you share with us. Would you be able to do a tutorial about generators vs lithium portable 1:47 power pack for running your air conditioner when you don’t want to wire up your van with a full 12v lithium system like yours? Old mother here needs cool air to get around our country 😆😆😁🤦🏻♀️
100% For example a 100ah AGM you only really get 50ah due to tail of voltage. Drop in an iTECH120X and 105ah battery and not change the charging gear you’ll get 95% out of that battery instead of 50% on the equivalent sized agm.
Good onya Keelan. I have a 12 volt system with 2 x 120 amp hour AGM batteries. With a 2000W pure sine wave inverter. I'd like an auto sparky to check out my system and see how it could be improved. I run a kings fridge, 6" 12 volt fan and occasionally a 12 volt kettle. I've run low on power once. Yes, it was during a long period of cloudy weather. I have 3 x solar panels on the roof of my 1998 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 312D van. I've noticed on the solar controller that I get about 22 to 23 volts at up to 14 amps coming in from the panels and yes my batteries show 100% charge within 3 hours on a sunny day. My question is; should I turn my inverter off for any reason? As my fridge is hooked up to the inverter.
Im surprised you dont like 48volt being an ac dc nerd. Higher voltage is just better for high power or any power really. 48 volts is not lethal, you start to feel 100v as a tingle. I would argue that having smaller devices(inductord and components inside can be smaller and cheaper)with less current, smaller cables, and better efficiency is just overall better. Also is an inherent danger with all these 150a fuses that inverters have. You can easily start a fire with that level of power. Not to mention, connections are hard etc. 48 volts limits current to about 100 amps from 400. And in my opinion thats safer as 48 volts is not lethal but high current is a fire hazard. I do agree at the moment, it's probably more practical and cheaper to use 12v as that's common place. Itech should do a cheap 48v system.
I like how you are passionate about these things, it was very helpful, i had to laugh you said testicles twice instead of technical. We have Been watching your videos as in the future we want to buy a caravan and travel so places you have been are interesting and your knowledge has been well received and helpful. Safe travels
As a non sparky, I am looking to convert a 7.5 to 10 tonne truck at up to 10m long & have a good solar array. I have been looking at the victron route & had definitely looking at a 48 v system due to the possible length of the cable runs. higher voltage truck power systems. Is this a flawed concept then as watching some of your previous videos & others I felt the voltage drop may cause problems plus extra heat & cost of cabling. HELP & ADVICE NEEDED. Thank you all.
100% go 24-48v system. Most trucks are 24v and given the roof real estate you can make a monster solar system plus Vd . You are what I would call part of the minority where this higher voltage system is justified!
Spot on explaining, must of been hard explaining in a simple man’s terms 😂. Love your content tried to meet you guys in Perth show but you guys was busy. Hopefully one day. Cheers for a real honest review 💯👌🍻🎣
Onya cobber you all ways do a good job of explaining this stuff in your videos ,and when I see that you are doing one I look forward to watching it thanks for sharing and taking the time to do them. Looking forward to seeing more .👍🤠🍻
Great job Keelan… must admit I did dose off first go but I came back to it 😂😂. Totally agree 12v is the way to go, do we need to have our caravans wired like a home to use multiple 240v devises at a time, in my opinion no. Personally just manage what and how you use it. Even a great 12v system can be very complicated for the average caravaner, keep it simple keep it safe
It's nice to try and explain this to people, remember in your calcs its just plain amps not amp hours, there is no time period as they are instantaneous measurements or calculations. Amp hours, watt hours are accumulated energy measurements. I think going to 24v is easy and common and can reduce cable sizes. Also remember Air con units are based on their output power not input power a 2kw caravan aircon will be drawing about 800w on the inverter. Most Caravan rv appliances from last 15 years are 12/24v these days aswell its not really an issue, any dometic, engel, fridges are tri voltage.
100% mate! For the purpose of this though I was trying to keep everything very basic and simple to understand for the people that have no background in this stuff! I should of used watt hours but yeah I think explaining it like that would be a 1 hour video and I’ll lose 50% of people that want to understand if that makes sense
@@SarahandKeelanTravels If your aim was to keep it basic and informative, then you should not mislead people by telling them that they will need new fridges and ect... This is called SCARE TACTICS...
16:00 I'm pretty sure alot of DCDC chargers are coming out as 12 or 24v. My thinking was they are 12v in and ether 12 or 24v out? Thoughts Victron and kickass do them.
I’ve got an Enerdrive unit that does 12v to 24v in my van. Also has a mppt in it that takes normal solar panel voltage and steps it up to 24(actually more like 28v).
@@Whitey100 - If you had a 7 cell (7S) LFP battery, "24V nominal storage charge" - the battery voltage ranges from: 3.2V to 3.65V / cell, 22.4V at "empty", 25.55 at "full" (It is hard to scale the systems using 7S batteries - so we usually use 4S at "12V nominal" and multiply up 2,4,8 etc...) - 8 cell LFP now, still called 24V nominal, 25.6 to 29.2VDC - that top voltage is what the charger will typically supply (or a "bit more", ensuring it checks the battery "often" to ensure it doesn't get over charged) - Current (AMPS) regulated...
Hi thanks for the info I have a question can I run 2 x 40a dcdc chargers on a lithium setup running only 2 batteries on each dcdc charger so 4 batteries in total Also your thumb nail looks like your saying itech is a scam if you don’t click and watch video. Be careful brother
Yea 12v all the way unless you wanna run a 24v winch.. You can also add a third battery easily to a 12v system. 24v systems need the batteries to be the same size and rotated to wear them out evenly, the -ve cell cops a hiding also when replacing a battery you will need to replace both. Also, your Max discharge current is limited, for most batteries its 100A. It's 150A continuous for the 120x pro if they are wired in series.
Just shows how good it is when a realist / expert explains complex issues. What a great video on 12V. Im a bit of a 12V novice but this was well explained and I understood pretty much all of it. Mate you're a star
You could go either way. The question is why? if you need a 6 million watt inverter to run massive AC appliances all simultaneously? it just has to suit your needs. and like I said in the video I think for the 1-5% of people its justifiable. I personally would start looking when I could fit 2kw of solar on the roof of it!
For the 5kw inverter knockers my van (an Urban 18,6) has no gas or diesel, even the HWS & out door bbq is Electric (ninja woodfire) so 100% electric appliances. Battery system is a 56v rail , 1280aH (@12vdc equiv) , 1.2kw of solar.
Good video. A 12volt system will work for every one, a 24 volt system would be convenient for those with truck and a 24 volt system. You need to be more particular with hand skill working on 24volts. For info, I know 24volt systems, having been a RAAF trained Aircraft Eleco on various aircraft for 40 odd years. You did a great job of explaining a complex system in reasonably simple terms..
Sorry mate, you missed the major reason for increasing voltage, and the only reason that justifies. It’s when you go to bigger Inverters. The caravan world is increasingly going Gas-less. AC, induction cooktops, microwaves, airfryers etc. 3000W inverters are becoming undersized. 5000W inverters will become the norm and at 12V that’s 400amps, and serious cable sizes between battery and Inverter. So when you go upto 5000W then 24 or 48v is the optimal voltage. I also think your thinking to much in itechworld terms with your Pros and Cons, Victron components can easily go 24V and are readily available. And as a fellow sparky, I think the headline of a “Scam” is misleading,
great point, I tossed up if I should mention that but I didn’t for the following reasons. I have a 12/240v 3000w inverter that does 5000w for 20 minutes in my current van. We run the aircon, air fryer and microwave at the same time and I could easily substitute that with induction. I could easily upgrade that again on my current 12v system at go 5000w constant with peak of 7000 plus watts.. sure I’ll need to run big cable and that will add 300 grams of weight to my 3.5t van. I’m Running multiple high current 240v appliance combinations at the same time what more could you want
Problem is the cable size for 5000w with 7000w surge, get such high currents that the cables become huge or need doubling up, so they become impractical to install. It’s not about weight.savings. And as a sparky you would be well aware when currents get so high you are at high risk of high resistance joints, and major failures. You can’t be seriously suggesting 400-600 amps is preferable to 24v amps being halved. Also think how hard your inverter is working, and the heat generated when up around 400amps. Personally I would rather be down around 200amps and have the gear cruising. You watch, there’ll be multiple 240v GPO circuits in the future as well. My first van had a 1000w inverter, the next van 2600w now 3000W with 4500W surge, vans are now coming out with 5000W with 7000W surge. The electrical industry is alway evolving. 24v and 48v is future proofing, it’s not a scam
@@hsvme6508but that’s where layout comes into play. And at the end the only big cable is between your battery and inverter. Keep the length under 1m and a 95mm2 weld flex will do the trick easily and safely.
Anyone who puts batteries and inverters on opposite sites of a van and then argues cable size should not be listen to
@@andrefischer5025 You’ve got your facts wrong there, 5000W inverters at 12v typically requires twin 95mm from 0-5m not a single 95, check the Victron specs. And Nobody would install batteries opposite side of the van with big inverters. Got nothing to do with layouts. The facts are higher voltage is the way the industry is moving for bigger inverters and reduced current. And any Sparky knows, high currents equals more component and cable heat, and higher risks of failure.
i use a 40w battery charger to charge my phone it has solar panel thats all need to watch sarah an keelan and play games to cook use gas and sleep in a tent setup cosy me 30 bucks
Considering the options, a 12V/5000 MultiPlus at $2800 versus a 48V/5000 MultiPlus at $1100 is a significant price difference. The wiring requirements are also different: a 12V setup would need two 95mm cables, whereas a 48V setup only requires a single 70mm cable, making it simpler and potentially less expensive. Low-cost high-frequency 12V inverters are also a fire risk.
When installing DC-DC converters and chargers, it’s essential to ensure they’re galvanically isolated. If not, you could encounter issues that require a VSR (Voltage Sensitive Relay) to protect the system. Charging a 48V system with solar is straightforward, especially if you use AC-coupled micro-inverters. This approach lets you safely run 240V AC from the panels directly to the inverter/charger, avoiding high-voltage DC and the risks associated with it.
While a 12V system might save an unqualified or inexperienced person some ongoing costs, a higher voltage setup (like 48V) offers a superior system for those with the technical skills to set it up correctly. With experience and creativity, the possibilities are practically endless.
Surely you don't need couplers between dc-dc converters and chargers, unless I'm reading what your trying to say wrong. These devises should already have a high output impedance to prevent feedback and provide a constant voltage regardless of the load connected.
@@magicalvortex If you are stepping down with a non-isolated DC-DC converter there is a risk if it fails internally the high voltage will be seen on the low voltage circuit. You can buy galvanically isolated DC-DC chargers and converters for stepping down. If you want to look at AC coupling grid-tied micro inverters to Victron inverter chargers you can. It works very well, a microinverter on each solar panel and is connected to the AC out of the inverter and controlled by the charger with frequency shifting. AC coupling grid-tie inverters will need to be installed by an experienced qualified person but once setup is very safe and reliable.
All the clever guys are here today, I'm old, my stuff is 12v . 2x12v 138ah batteries hooked up together in parallel, 16lt freezer and 45lt fridge kick on all day and night with a fold out king's 200w panel. The new edition is a 120ah lithium lifepo to power the 2000w inverter for the toaster oven and the microwave oven. ( Not at the same time) It was all cheap by comparison to something with bells and whistles but it works and a simple bloke can work it out, red to red black to black and, Hey presto... lights fridges freezer action! Just on a grand and nothing too testicle. Oh, by the way, this is all set up in a 96 falcon wagon with a home made trailer. I'm old, poor and I'm doing it. So can you.
Mate what a cool setup! Good on ya! The 96 falc was one of the best cars made!
@SarahandKeelanTravels keep it simple stupid,eh?
This was one of the easiest explanations I have ever come across in trying to understand what all this electrical stuff means. I usually leave all this stuff to my husband but this was educational, simple, and I am now wiser than I was prior to watching this episode. A massive thanks.😁🌺
Happy to have 12v in our new caravan.😁🌺
Thanks for watching! Means the world that it is useful info to you!! 🍻🤙🏽❤️
The fact that 12v is still a thing in highend vans is ridiculous. 48v is the future particularly as solar can run higher voltage panels
You don’t seem to have understood anything of what he said 😂
Remember subscribing when I watched my first "electric" talk when you had long hair! Great work, really appreciate it!!! Awesome community you have built, helps all of us not in the know. My dad was a passionate sparky, he's been gone 20yrs now but still have some of his vintage tools and similar formulas in his handwriting... makes no sense to me 😀
Thank you. We are just average caravaners doing weekly trips. we run solar on 12V. Never run out of power. we are looking at upgrading our setup. you have just proved that we dont need to change anything. Once again thank you
Hey there Keelan. I loved this segment on 12 volt solar. I've read some of the comments and they sometimes really miss your point. I worked in the aeronautical and aerospace industry for 50 years as a hands-on engineer and what you put out there is all new to me and I'm a newbie caravan owner as well. Keep up your good work I really enjoy your technical streams.
Keelan thanks for your time on this. I have spent countless hours on research trying to get my system right and I agree with you the 12v was much better as I can work on it with confidence. I run the Itech 3000w pro with ATS inverter and 3 120ah lithium batteries so yes the cable was expensive 95mm2 as recommended by the manufacturer and a 450amp fuse but it just works well no voltage drop or loss of any kind. One thing I will say is that people need to take on very important aspect into account and that is that with lithium batteries they have a BMS (battery management system) and they need to look into what the maximum amperage of the inverter is and allow enough of a safe barrier to the battery BMS so if you have 3 120ah batteries with 100amp BMS wired in parallel then the combined amps are 300amps and if as in my case the maximum amperage draw from the inverter is 278amps then I have a safety net of 22amps, it doesn’t sound much but it’s safe as the system cannot overload your batteries. Hope this make sense and also helps others out who are just starting there journey. Please know that I am not an electrician and this is all only my findings and opinion so please do your research and if in doubt get somebody qualified to help or do the work for you. Hopefully I will see you and Sarah on the road one day so I can show you my system and get your tips on how to make it better. Keep up the great content love your work
Regards
Jeff
Hi Keelan, as a sparky myself, I think you missed one important pro to having a 12v system in your demonstration. A 24v system relies on the fact that you need 2 x 12v batteries in series. Should one of those batteries fail in the bush, for whatever reason, you are shot up the quoit! If, however, you are using a 12v system, You can disconnect the faulty battery and continue on your merry way, albeit at half useable wattage. Thanks for the info, Iam sure many will benefit from it.
Interesting, never thought about that
Good point mate I totally missed that! Well done
- When sizing for solar battery banks- it is best of course to have more than one parallel bank... Yes 12v is easiest to do this, but for whatever voltage you choose, there are 12v batteries available to allow paralleling up without too much hassle.
ie. (1,2,4) x2 for 12,24,48v systems.. When using these "toplogies" / layouts, with 50A, 100A or 200A ,12v batteries. (packaging, space, weight, $$$...)
The demands one expects on the batteries will (should) guide their choices, if they have all the information at hand _pricing the systems, when we get past 100Amps on the system, the power electronics and cabling gets expensive and less easily sourced..
Don't fall for the first marketeer that comes "one's" way - is always great advice.
Most high voltage system can always be re-configured, back into a 12V system for emergency - a DC-DC from the car to the trailer is an insurance policy in case the MPPT fails (that little 300-1000W inverter floating around - ?? is there no additional space to pack that in the canopy (BTW my preference is to have a low power 12VDC -240VAC system in the canopy and a "more house like" (24-48VDC - 240VAC) system in the caravan, especially if there is real estate for a few kW of solar up on top (less amps to manage - into the batteries).) - I still cook on gas or fire when in the bush, my personal economics assessment - the electrons run: the fridge, lights and charging batteries. (the shift to "full electric" is an ideological driven venture generally.)
Sounds like there is opportunity to have a 24v system with redundancy to convert to a temporary 12v system if one battery fails on you in the arse end of bumblefuck 😅
bloody hell, that's the only reason anyone needs, stay off grid and be a bit limited or pack up and head off to buy another battery because nothing now works.
Thank you for taking the time to make this video, you are an excellent teacher and I learned so much today. Keep em 12V vids rolling bro!!
The biggest reason for using higher voltage is less losses in the cables and where ever there is a resistance. As you know P=I^2R (Current squared).
At high currents the fire danger is higher and having worked with my own solar installation Bad contacts happen very easy I can tell you. I currently have 24v and 48v installations and the latter has less problems. I am also an electronic engineer so know a little about it.
Keeran. Good attempt at giving a good basic explanation. There are plenty of comments saying check Victron etc instead of itech, and they are all correct. But you didn’t say can’t, just easier / simpler. If someone wants to go bigger and better, by all means go for it, build 24 or 48 system, but if you don’t NEED it, then you are spot on, 12 volt is going to be easier. Keep up the good work SKT.
Long time watcher, 1st time commenter, fantastic explanation Keelan. I recently built out a 1979 Toyota Coaster and thought about going 24 volt, but in the end went 12 volt. I have 120AH battery and 640W of panels on the roof. This video confirmed I did the right thing for us. Someone else might decide the 24 more suits them. Great video, thank you 👍
Keelan, I'm with ya as a sparkie and it's so good to have it said like you have - honestly and truthfully! Thx bro, phil
Very well done Keelan, exactly what I wanted to know, comparing 12v systems to 24 & 48v systems. You made it much clearer
Thank you Keelan. I can confidently do most mechanical work but electrical does my head in. While I have no idea which is better I got lots out of this to just better understand 12v. Thanks guys. Matt and Leisa.
Congratulations Keelan, I understood what you were saying. What runs on 24v without an inverter? Nothing. Same/ same.
12v is camping 24- 48 v hotel 😂.
I love our iTechworld system. Just bought our replacement under bonnet 120ah to run our Fridge etc and we run a slim line 200ah in our camper trailer. Absolutely no issues and absolutely easy to set up and run from our car and solar blanket. Cheers.
Thank you Keelan, you have settled my decision with building my system when I rebuild my old van. You have have explained it so well and in a way I can understand. I love it. Thank you thank you thank you 🎉
Keelan, Many thanks for your video. I was able to understand the difference
, and more importantly the safety factor in a 12 volt system. For the extra friggin around to achieve a 24 volt system with all its extra components, I now understand and agree a 12 volt system is all I’ll ever want in our van.
Please make more of these easily understood videos .
Rossco
Well done Keelan. Great explanation of the DC differences for the general public.Being a retired sparkie the number of times I've helped older caravaners fault find is made simple when its only 12V. 😊
Hi Keelan, Thanx for your explanation of the difference between 12V and 24V systems. I am just a concretor, but back in the day, I was into Amateur Radio, so had to learn basic electronics to get my licence. So your explanations made a lot of sense. I made my own 12V system in my old Hilux, but have now upgraded to a Dmax, to be able to legally tow our caravan. The Dmax already had a 12V system, which I have upgraded and improved on, but extra info to increase my understanding is always welcome. Thank You, and we always look forward to your next videos.
Cant go better than a D Max 🙂
One of your best Keegan! I’m by no means a sparky, but I understood everything you went through; really good explanations. I also agree with your views around 12v being simpler, safer, readily available and just as good for most. I personally don’t want to be bringing more and more electrical stuff with me; might as well stay at home!
Keep up the awesome work.
Keelan im a sparky aswell and have done my fair share of 12v setups in vehicles and im sure youll agree as a 240v sparky... the different terminology between auto electrical cable and normal cable shits me to tears!!!! Just go in mm2 it makes so much more sense!
How good is mm2 haha please keep fighting to use it hahaha 😂
- one should NEVER use diameter of the cable that leads to huge confusion.. (AWG / mm^2 - those can be looked up easily..)
Keelan you are a legend. You just made complex electronics easier to understand
I run my caravan on 12v and 24v on the Cabin. It was much more cost effective to get the power I wanted from solar into the system to run two 24v Outback fridges in the cabin. We use a simple inverter and a simple stepdown for 12v charging and backup lights. So your summary was good but there are some savings on regulators as well as wiring.
Great video. A lot of wanky stuff going on in the caravan/camping industry when it comes to 12v/24v systems. Too many customers getting systems put in that they’ll never use the capacity of. Spending 10k plus and the maximum they do is go away for a weekend ‘off grid’. Just running themselves into financial ruin due to having an huge ego to please and not needing such a system.
Keelan, mate i totally understood your video. I'm slowly learning how 12v works but your video's are so bloody easy to follow. I would pay to sit at a bbq and listen to your 12v lesson. Great job mate, keep at it.👍👍
The information on 12v vs 24v is well presented; especially saving and spending on 24v systems so they interact with 12v components 👍🏻
really really interesting. we are always so interested in your sparky experience and the way you explain a lot of it is really good for those of us with only a basic knowledge. Thanks for this video.
Hey mate great talk, from some one who has spent over 20 years in the UPS industry with systems from 500va to mega watt systems at the end of the day batteries are your worst enemy. Having a 12 volt system is much better on the KISS principal and as someone else said if you have a faulty battery you just disconnect it and keep going. If you have a 24/48V system and have a faulty battery you are fire-trucked especially if you are in the middle of BFK.
If you have a Mega Watt system on 12V I bet the cables weigh more than the batteries or you have a heating system as well. Your Mega watt system was probably on 240v or higher.
Nice video chap and keep plan and simple. 48V DC yeah that stuff just wants to reach out and grab you. I have walked past i 48V DC system behind a fenced cage, onboard a submarine and everytime I did it I could feel the hairs on my arm going towards the system
Well done mate, a good basic explanation to electrical systems. I have always followed the KISS principal and had far less problems than those that favour the more complex systems. It is simpler to upsize the cable size within reason than to add more complexity in any electrical system unless efficiency is the most critical factor. Also remember that batteries fail. If you had a 24v system utilising 2 12v batteries and one battery fails, you are up sh-t creek without a paddle. If it was a 12v system and one battery fails it is simple enough to disconnect the failed battery and keep on trucking with less usable storage capacity until a replacement battery can be obtained.
Mate, do you know the regs regarding ELV (extra low voltage) rules. I have heard that the Australian electrical regs have change from ELV to DVC-A and we can no long work with voltage up to 120 volts DC. According to the new regs we can now only work with DC voltages of up to 60 volts.
I have heard this only applies to fixed off grid installs on houses and not mobile installs like caravan. I have also heard the regs apply to everything, regardless if it is fixed or mobile ?? I would like to know your thought considering your a qualified sparky. 👍
Love your work mate! Very educational at times! Keep up your informational vids!
Mate, really well done video hey good to see someone talking the truth about it all and no BS
Thanks man, I’ve heard to many things and always think of my nana and grandad getting sold something they don’t need. Cheers
I did find it interesting ol mate, I did all my electrics on my caravan myself, except of course the 240 stuff, and I decided that the advantages of 24 or 48v over 12v were not worth it for the many reasons that you mentioned, chur good video
A good video Keelan. I thought, YES...I'm learning stuff.
Then I got all confused when other sparkies started giving their thoughts.
But, I'm happy.
We have two 160w solar panels
Charging two 120ah batteries.
We are very conservative when uskng power.
We dont have to run all the computer gear, coffee machines, hair driers etc.
For us old buggers, our system works well.
I guess its horses for courses.
Cheers mate. 😊
Really good video mate! As a fellow electrician, I totally agree with u. Keep it simple, why convert voltage if u don’t need to. What I tell people is, if u can run something off 12v why would do it from 240v? It’s just wasted power. Perfect example is charging phones, laptops, drills etc. U can buy 12v chargers for so many things nowadays, sure it may take a little longer to charge, but does that really matter? The best one is when people run an inverter only to plug in a usb charger just to charge their phone.😂 Converting 12v to 240v only to change it to 5v!🤷♂️ Very inefficient.👍
Hi keelan what is the difference using 24v solar and mppt apose to using 12v solar and mppt on a 12 volt system does the mppt bring the volts down and the amps up going to the battery
Hey mate great video and easy to understand your explanations.
I do have a question.
I’m running itech gear in my ute with the 200ss , 2000w inverter with a 40a dc-dc and 1x 150w 22v panel on my rooftop tent.
I’m thinking of going to a mppt and another 150w panel so I can have dual input charging while travelling. What are your thoughts and which mppt would you recommend??
Hey Keelan, the explanation is great thanks. I would have to disagree on the availability of 24v inverters, we have have been using them for years in the yachting world. Another point is the amount of 24vdc appliances available now makes the 24v system more attractive. To name a few that I have, Fridge, lighting, water pump, USB outlets, fans, TV, and HWS. So the electric step, the carafan and radio are the only 12vdc items running through a converter. Again I have to disagree with the availability of this gear, also for the alternator charging the 12/24DCDC chargers work very well and are not hard to find. The victron equipment is everywhere and a great product. Like yourself Im also qulified to design and install these systems.
Thanks for watching! I never said you can’t find them! I know they are out there and like I said urban often get 24v appliances in. I just know when your appliance breaks and your no where near a major town or city you have no chance of replacing it! I’ve been through it myself trying to help others and speaking with caravan manufacturers they have the same issue. Customers left without. Like I said, I know it’s possible. I’ve found 12v gear even on the Gibb, Arnhem Land, cape York. If you have a 24v anything break out there, good luck! Thanks
But surely you are not comparing the yacht tax with the adventure kings mass market dumping. lol
And if the only place you can access is the chandlery at the marina, then it is going to be product biased towards the yacht world.
Most land lubbers are going to be coming from the inland and will pass 20 camping shops before they get to the marina to buy the 24v gear.
@@stevegraham3817 Some years ago I would have fully agreed with you about access to Yacht supply specialists, but for the last 5 years I have been online dealing with a Southport based company who keep plenty of stock and there dispatch people are the best. I'm in rural Australia but if I order a part by 11.30am I will have it in the mail the next day. I don't know if I can directly name them here but they have no problem supplying to the "Outback" and are a "Marine" specialist. I use solar for a lot of things where it isn't practical to get mains power to. This includes Gate openers, Internet repeater systems, Bore pumps and major electric fence units. After many years I have learnt that the old saying " The poor man pays twice" is correct, buy quality and very rarely will you have a problem. For many years a lot of camping fridges have been able to run on 12 , 24 and 240 V as is the case with more and more gear. If you are away camping and you have to wait a day or two for something to arrive is it the end of the world
Keelan. Thanks for the info mate. Shook some trees.😂😂 I'm no expert and was looking into our first van down in Rocko at ABBA. Bit like playing hide and seek for any personal intro but very interesting and got me thinking about all that sort of stuff. A couple of elderly blokes were getting right into the discussion, scrutinising set ups on the day, in almost every van that I was standing in. Great entertainment with their pros and cons etc , and way over my head. You have simplified it so even I can understand and as a wanna be traveller, I really appreciate it. Cheers. Nothing misleading only informative info for the less fortunate. KISS method.
Great presentation Keelan. Please keep the informational presentations coming.
Can’t argue with the keep it simple.Travelling around australia with the most complex electronic witchcraft when the sparkes die the fun goes with them.Enjoyed the lesson.
Your right about using the kiss method for a 12v system rather than a 24, 36, or 48v system. Less is more in this case as the less converters you have installed, the less that can go wrong. I suppose you can liken it to comparing modern cars with all the bells and whistles to an older car that has less that can go wrong with it without all the headaches and easier to diagnose. I^2 x R is where it's at for transmission power loss along cables, but for such a small build, it's not that a big deal. Power hungry DC appliances should be kept as close to the battery as possible, such as DC to AC Inverters to minimise these loses but once converted to AC, the cable run is not really an issue. Anyway, keep up the good work.
Thanks Keelan very well explained and we will be keeping our 12v system. Your a legend
Thanks Keelan, I actually learnt something today.
Hey mate, confession time, we used to follow you, but fell out of love with your content. We saw this pop up and though we'd jump back on. Good news is we're back in love with you guys again. We've got mates who are sparkys and I could understand your explanation much better than theirs (maybe it was the beers consumed around the campfire when they were talking). Even though your preference is towards the 12v, I'm still going to get a 24v system installed in our next build as it's a slide-on going on the back of an Isuzu NPS and the truck is 24v, just easier to keep everything 24v. By the way we believe our truck and slide-on build is going to blow peoples minds and maybe change the way people think about traveling with caravans, tow vehicles, weights, boats, etc. Thanks again for the great content (not just this episode) and easy to understand explanation on this subject, well done.
Thankyou for that, Love the maths explanation, loosing my husband that understood all this stuff I have had to learn. To keep travelling and camping so to use a fridge in the back of the car I had to understand how it all works. Your videos have been very very useful. I have found there are more out there that dont know as much as they claim so understanding the battery systems so when I go to a supplier I can follow there sales pitch, I know if they are someone I should deal with. I do follow and understand your explanations, Thankyou xx
Just wanted to ask do you have to have a 24v solar system to charge a 12v setup? As my mppt is 12v as are my solar panels. Although my solar panels push out 18v in full sun. If so could you explain why and a how to video to hook up one please.
I am a sparky, so I will be fitting a 48v system in my home and in my vehicle.
I am a sparky, so I will not be fitting more than 12v systems in my friend's vehicles.
Victron Orion-Tr Smart 12/24-15A (360W) Non-isolated DC-DC charger
Connect pairs of 12V solar panels in series to give 24 V supply need 29V to activate 24 V Mppt
I love it when you have your tech videos because you explain it very well because you are so passionate about it ...!!! Please do more ,because the more you do it the more I learn from your videos , Thanks 🤟🤘🤙
Thanks for watching mate I really appreciate you letting me know!! 🍻🤙🏽
The best lesson I’ve had in a while, thank you Keelan bloody awesome 👍
Keelan ,when we do get a van and are ready to retire ,Can you set up our van as even though I m a stupid postie ,you've actually enlightened me in watts amps and battery life in off gridding
I'm an electronic technician and I had to challenge you many times and then worked out you were right because you had dumbed it down so much. So you did a good job🤣
Hey Keelan, we absolutely loved this tutorial and all others you have done, we enjoy the facts you share with us. Would you be able to do a tutorial about generators vs lithium portable 1:47 power pack for running your air conditioner when you don’t want to wire up your van with a full 12v lithium system like yours? Old mother here needs cool air to get around our country 😆😆😁🤦🏻♀️
Good on ya Keelan! This will help me understand battery systems and Watts and AMPS.... for my camping and wheeling. 😄
It’s perfect for that! Hope you enjoy!
Hi keelan are the itec world lithium drop in batteries worth useing to replace the agm without changing the complete charging setup
100%
For example a 100ah AGM you only really get 50ah due to tail of voltage.
Drop in an iTECH120X and 105ah battery and not change the charging gear you’ll get 95% out of that battery instead of 50% on the equivalent sized agm.
@SarahandKeelanTravels thanks was thinking of putting 2 120xpro and joining the in parallel do you think this would be a good idea sorry to bother you
Good points for 99% of us. Yes, there are those who are able to or want the 24v or 48v systems, but for the majority you are on the mark.
Great video, thanks mate.
Debunking the myths in the industy! Love it
Thanks drew!!
It is also harder to find lights and other equipment working on 24V. 12V has all the lights and equipment made for 12V.
Love your channel love your content. This video is absolutely brilliant thanks mate.
Thanks for the support!!
Thanks Keelan, I learnt heaps, great video 😊
Another awesome video, mate. Simplified the tech. 😊
So what better 12v or 24v I happy with my 12v system
Good onya Keelan.
I have a 12 volt system with 2 x 120 amp hour AGM batteries. With a 2000W pure sine wave inverter.
I'd like an auto sparky to check out my system and see how it could be improved.
I run a kings fridge, 6" 12 volt fan and occasionally a 12 volt kettle.
I've run low on power once. Yes, it was during a long period of cloudy weather.
I have 3 x solar panels on the roof of my 1998 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 312D van.
I've noticed on the solar controller that I get about 22 to 23 volts at up to 14 amps coming in from the panels and yes my batteries show 100% charge within 3 hours on a sunny day.
My question is; should I turn my inverter off for any reason? As my fridge is hooked up to the inverter.
Im surprised you dont like 48volt being an ac dc nerd. Higher voltage is just better for high power or any power really. 48 volts is not lethal, you start to feel 100v as a tingle. I would argue that having smaller devices(inductord and components inside can be smaller and cheaper)with less current, smaller cables, and better efficiency is just overall better.
Also is an inherent danger with all these 150a fuses that inverters have. You can easily start a fire with that level of power. Not to mention, connections are hard etc. 48 volts limits current to about 100 amps from 400. And in my opinion thats safer as 48 volts is not lethal but high current is a fire hazard.
I do agree at the moment, it's probably more practical and cheaper to use 12v as that's common place. Itech should do a cheap 48v system.
I like how you are passionate about these things, it was very helpful, i had to laugh you said testicles twice instead of technical. We have Been watching your videos as in the future we want to buy a caravan and travel so places you have been are interesting and your knowledge has been well received and helpful. Safe travels
Thanks for great explanation and I still love my 24v system
As a non sparky, I am looking to convert a 7.5 to 10 tonne truck at up to 10m long & have a good solar array. I have been looking at the victron route & had definitely looking at a 48 v system due to the possible length of the cable runs. higher voltage truck power systems. Is this a flawed concept then as watching some of your previous videos & others I felt the voltage drop may cause problems plus extra heat & cost of cabling. HELP & ADVICE NEEDED. Thank you all.
100% go 24-48v system. Most trucks are 24v and given the roof real estate you can make a monster solar system plus Vd . You are what I would call part of the minority where this higher voltage system is justified!
@@SarahandKeelanTravels Cheers for the reply, I'm glad i'm not going mad and that I had understood the underpinning advice given.
Well done that man, great explanation.
Spot on explaining, must of been hard explaining in a simple man’s terms 😂. Love your content tried to meet you guys in Perth show but you guys was busy. Hopefully one day.
Cheers for a real honest review 💯👌🍻🎣
A majority of 12v appliances also run on 24v out of the box.
Great basic explanation. Very understandable. Well done Keelan.
Keyboard warriors incoming.
Finally thank you so much I have never been able to get my point across now I have a link to send people (:
very good video thanks for the explanation.
Onya cobber you all ways do a good job of explaining this stuff in your videos ,and when I see that you are doing one I look forward to watching it thanks for sharing and taking the time to do them. Looking forward to seeing more .👍🤠🍻
Nice to see the comments mentioning 90-95mm squared.
Great job Keelan… must admit I did dose off first go but I came back to it 😂😂. Totally agree 12v is the way to go, do we need to have our caravans wired like a home to use multiple 240v devises at a time, in my opinion no. Personally just manage what and how you use it. Even a great 12v system can be very complicated for the average caravaner, keep it simple keep it safe
Thanks Keelan, Very informative to a layman.
It's nice to try and explain this to people, remember in your calcs its just plain amps not amp hours, there is no time period as they are instantaneous measurements or calculations. Amp hours, watt hours are accumulated energy measurements. I think going to 24v is easy and common and can reduce cable sizes. Also remember Air con units are based on their output power not input power a 2kw caravan aircon will be drawing about 800w on the inverter. Most Caravan rv appliances from last 15 years are 12/24v these days aswell its not really an issue, any dometic, engel, fridges are tri voltage.
100% mate! For the purpose of this though I was trying to keep everything very basic and simple to understand for the people that have no background in this stuff! I should of used watt hours but yeah I think explaining it like that would be a 1 hour video and I’ll lose 50% of people that want to understand if that makes sense
@@SarahandKeelanTravels If your aim was to keep it basic and informative, then you should not mislead people by telling them that they will need new fridges and ect... This is called SCARE TACTICS...
16:00 I'm pretty sure alot of DCDC chargers are coming out as 12 or 24v. My thinking was they are 12v in and ether 12 or 24v out? Thoughts
Victron and kickass do them.
I’ve got an Enerdrive unit that does 12v to 24v in my van. Also has a mppt in it that takes normal solar panel voltage and steps it up to 24(actually more like 28v).
@@Whitey100 - If you had a 7 cell (7S) LFP battery, "24V nominal storage charge" - the battery voltage ranges from: 3.2V to 3.65V / cell, 22.4V at "empty", 25.55 at "full" (It is hard to scale the systems using 7S batteries - so we usually use 4S at "12V nominal" and multiply up 2,4,8 etc...)
- 8 cell LFP now, still called 24V nominal, 25.6 to 29.2VDC - that top voltage is what the charger will typically supply (or a "bit more", ensuring it checks the battery "often" to ensure it doesn't get over charged) - Current (AMPS) regulated...
Hi thanks for the info I have a question can I run 2 x 40a dcdc chargers on a lithium setup running only 2 batteries on each dcdc charger so 4 batteries in total
Also your thumb nail looks like your saying itech is a scam if you don’t click and watch video.
Be careful brother
Yea 12v all the way unless you wanna run a 24v winch..
You can also add a third battery easily to a 12v system.
24v systems need the batteries to be the same size and rotated to wear them out evenly, the -ve cell cops a hiding also when replacing a battery you will need to replace both. Also, your Max discharge current is limited, for most batteries its 100A. It's 150A continuous for the 120x pro if they are wired in series.
Thanks mate. You made it very easy to understand for me. Keep up the good work.
MATE, Loved this tutorial. Will watch a second time so I can be the expert around the camp fire 😂 Give me more.
Well done mate! Great Vid👍
Great video mate, thank you so much
My pleasure mate thanks for watching
Just shows how good it is when a realist / expert explains complex issues. What a great video on 12V. Im a bit of a 12V novice but this was well explained and I understood pretty much all of it. Mate you're a star
Love it. Thank you Keelan! Bloody legend!
Most common products and leds etc are all multivolt these days. So can run a fair chunk of products straight off the 24v bank
If your tow vehicle is 24v, you’ll go 24v house or still 12v?
You could go either way. The question is why? if you need a 6 million watt inverter to run massive AC appliances all simultaneously? it just has to suit your needs. and like I said in the video I think for the 1-5% of people its justifiable. I personally would start looking when I could fit 2kw of solar on the roof of it!
@@SarahandKeelanTravels Not worried about big systems. Wondering if that flips the simplicity equation?
All charging = 24V
@ it doesn’t flip it completely but it definitely helps it!
Thank you for explaining
Excellent stuff keep em coming
Well said Pauline you are a true Aussie.
For the 5kw inverter knockers my van (an Urban 18,6) has no gas or diesel, even the HWS & out door bbq is Electric (ninja woodfire) so 100% electric appliances. Battery system is a 56v rail , 1280aH (@12vdc equiv) , 1.2kw of solar.
Good video. A 12volt system will work for every one, a 24 volt system would be convenient for those with truck and a 24 volt system.
You need to be more particular with hand skill working on 24volts.
For info, I know 24volt systems, having been a RAAF trained Aircraft Eleco on various aircraft for 40 odd years. You did a great job of explaining a complex system in reasonably simple terms..