We finally upgraded our GOAL ZERO to a Yeti 3000x! If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and I will be sure to answer them! If there are other things you are interested in knowing about our set up, let me know that too and I can do a future video answering your questions. Hope you have a great weekend!
Hi, I recently hooked up my 3000x to my Promaster alternator. It was working great. Just like your video. But within a day it stopped working. 0 input. All connections are good. Any troubleshooting ideas? Goal Zero is sending a new link, but I’m skeptical that will help. Thanks!
@@ryankrol Hey Ryan! My initial thoughts would be a connection being loose but if you've checked those I doubt that would be the problem. Do you have the kit with the plastic connectors that keep everything together? My next thought is have you run firmware updates for both the 3000x and the yeti link? Sometimes the updates, if not done to the same firmware releases can play against each other funny. If you've done that as well my next hope would be that a new kit will do the trick. Hopefully those couple things help. If I can do any more troubleshooting with you once you've received the new one and it's not working, reach out to us on Instagram or email 👍🏼Goodluck and I hope it ends up working out! 🙌🏻
We have a 2003 Ford van we are converting to a camper van. Got a good deal from Costco on the 3000x before last Christmas. getting ready to install it in the van. What a super helpful video. I do need to understand how to hook up 12V components. We have a RECPRO fridge, van and puck lights that need to be hooked up. As far as AC I thought you wood hook up extension cords.
@@gabentg hey there! Glad the video can be helpful. We feed a 12v fuse block out of the Goal Zero High Power Port. Then run wiring from the block to our 12v accessories. We used this fuse block~ amzn.to/3L9NwB2 and this Anderson to Ring wire~ amzn.to/37NOBjj We have a couple other electrical videos on our channel if they can be helpful to you. Let me know if you have other questions 🙌🏻
@@Trailvagabonds Thanks so much for your prompt response. I just watched the two electrical videos. Do you have a video on how you wired the AC outlets?
*I use this solar **Generater.Systems** at work. The building is 80 years old so there’s not a lot of electrical outlets. I use it for lights, fans, charge phones etc. works great !*
It really depends. What type of battery? 12v? Generically I would say you would probably need 800 watts of solar to generate enough to fill a 200Ah battery from empty in 5 hours. But there are a lot of different factors
Goal Zero is a great option. They just release updated power stations with better batteries, faster charging options, and more powering options. Definitely a company worth checking out for their products
Dude, this was such a comprehensive video on the goal zero 3000. You clearly know a lot about it and have put in a lot of work to put out a video that is this informative. Thank you for all the work you put into this.
Thanks so much! I think Goal Zero smashed it out of the park with the X models! I hope the video can be helpful to you! Let me know if you have any questions 🙌🏻
Dit-to-the-O! As a novice, I was actually able to follow all your mathery until it came to the link kit. My brain powered down at that point and waited for some more doggo cameos! Hahaha. But this legit armed me with some super power knowledge and I'm feeling very girl-boss now! Muchas gracias amigo! 👏🏾 👏🏾 👏🏾 👏🏾 👏🏾
@@daisyv5038 thank you! Glad to be helpful! I plan to film another video on the link car charging kit soon. We just moved cross country so I haven't had time to finish the update just yet. Hoping to do so soon and will share more in depth info on it 👍🏼Reach out if you have any questions
@@Trailvagabonds Sweet! I have to study up more to grasp all this. Now I'm thinking about replacing my van alternator for future planning purposes. That's a gift...to be able to think and plan ahead like this because of what I learned from your bazooka helpful clips. Can you even handle all the good karma??? 😉
It's definitely great to hear we are putting out worthwhile content! 😊 If you hadn't seen them, we do have 2 episodes about our electrical too on our channel
This video is by far the MOST informative video on battery/solar use I’ve ever watched. All the appliance use and charging options were explained as thorough as possible. The 12v output options, the car battery charging attachment, solar panel angle charging differences. So much was covered and I feel fully confident this setup will be more than enough for my needs. Great video.
Thank you so much for your comment! It sure means a lot to hear your feedback! 😊 We have been very happy with the 3000x! It has far exceeded our needs so far. Let me know if you have any questions!🙌🏻
Most 12v units pull 75-100 amps and the Goal Zero line has a max 12v output of 30 amps from the HPP. Options with an AC cord could work if within the inverters specs but you still don't have a battery bank larger enough for long periods of cooling. It's usually always recommended to be hooked up to shore power when running an AC and the 12v units though sounding energy efficient are usually no different (having tens of thousands of dollars to throw at batteries could get you a bank that would run one). I maybe haven't done enough research on AC units to know if there is something better out there however. My suggestion would be have shore power that could both charger the GZ and feed an AC when at a campsite. For off grid use you'd be hard pressed to find an option that would be worth it
@@Trailvagabonds thanks for the feedback. I was looking at the Domatic RTX 2000 from videos I have seen they recommend to run the unit with a 500+ amp hour capacity and in eco mode they say it pulls less then 30amps if I'm not mistaken. I know little about battery banks and solar so can't really say much else. I appreciate your response and the quality of your content this video really helped so much. I'm looking to build a mini camper van it being a Transit Connect, Promaster City or NV200.
@@saundz8791 the 6000x has 556 amp hours and I just looked up the product page for the AC and it does say 19a in eco mode but that's in a 24 v system, not 12v which GZ outputs. You could get in contact with their support to see if there is a 12v option/ability. Otherwise you'd have to make a diy system and put batteries in series to make a 24v system
Just wanted to add. I am over 70, this should be up on gold zero. Best video I have seen. I am planning on the 6000 for our house because of hurricanes. My smaller 400 was not enough to run our large refrigerators. We have a double. But the 400 keeped a fan an charged phones for everyone. It charged backup small phone battery banks. Thanks again. Will be back if I have more questions.
Great choice! You won't be disappointed, it will give you so much ability! We have the 3000 and it's been ample for us, the 6000 will be wonderful! Reach out if you have questions😊
Hey Matt you gave me some information awhile back I converted my van into a mobile barber shop. So far so good but I have power issues due to what I am using isn’t enough. I would’ve got the goal zero but man it’s so expensive but I am sure it’s worth it. Glad to see that your channel is doing well. Always look forward to your videos keep up the great work.
Hey! Good to hear from you! Of course I remember you. I'm sorry to hear you have had power issues. Do you plan on trying something new or supplementing power in some way? Thanks for reaching out! All the best!
Glad it could be useful to you! Goal Zero has come out with a new more powerful power system called the Pro 4000 but they still sell the 3000x and 6000x at big discounts. I can definitely recommend as we now have one of each. The 6000x is double the battery life which is super nice! If you end up having questions, definitely reach out
@@Trailvagabonds Hi thank you for the reply, I do have a question, is there a way to find out how many charge cycles the battery has been through? there is one used for sale nearby that I'm interested in, do you know anything to look out for a used 3000x? appreciated.
I'm not sure of a way to see the charge cycles. Maybe a quick call to Goal Zero customer service. They have always been pleasant and very helpful when I've called them. If it were me I would look for any dings on the unit. I'd also maybe see if you could spend some using it to see if the battery discharges faster than expected. You could do the rough math plugging something in and estimating what percentage of the battery would drop over the hour. If it's a much larger percentage out I'd be leary. Honestly they are a great product though and I'm sure if it were a lemon GZ would probably hook you up
Amazing video on what Goal Zero Yeti is capable of! The work you have in the van is stellar. Great review and great van! Thanks for such a comprehensive video!
First of all thank you for making the youtube video. I was really excited about the Yeti 6000X when I finally received it around May 2021, I used it for several months and didn't have any issues, until I stopped using it for about 4 months because I am renovating my house and I had to use Solar Panels from Goal Zero also. I been charging my Yeti 6000x for 3 straight days now and it only at 77% full. When I first plug it in to the same power outlet it shows 500W going in and after a minute it will go down to 50W. I also called Goal Zero Technical Support and we trouble shoot it but it turns our that it needs to be replaced with a new one (Hopefully New). The sad part is today is March 2022 and I haven't even paid the Yeti 6000X because I loan it through Affirm. I mean it has 2 years warranty but I just bother me that not even a year of using it, its broken already? I am very careful with it also and only use it for basic stuff in the house because I am afraid that It will stress the battery. What happens if the warranty expires? I will be stuck with a block of useless equipment and make it to a chair probably? I am freaking out really. Did anyone of you ran into this issue? Is there 3rd party where I can buy to extend the warranty? PLEASE HELP! Thank you!
Man I'm sorry to year that happened to you. I haven't run into any issues myself with our unit. We haven't gone long periods without topping ours up. I know the firmware has had charge issues in the past from what I've heard but outside of that I'm not sure. It's a very tough call to put so much money into a product that could become a paperweight like you said. It would be greay of they sold replacement batteries like their agm units. I've always had good vibes from their customer service when I've called so I'm not sure what would happen if it were out of warranty. Maybe there is something they would do especially if it's a regular occurrence. Sorry I don't have advice for you, sounds like a tough situation
@@Trailvagabonds It cost me more than $7k including all accessories and solar panels, I've decided to just sell everything once I receive the new one. Maybe $5,500. I'll just have to take the hit. I'll invest the money for house renovation instead. What do you think?😂
Thanks! Sadly we've taken a step back from our channel while getting the business up and running. We hope to start posting more content in the near future once we have our feet under us a little more. Moving across country was a big undertaking. Thanks for continuing to support us, hope to have more out soon! 😊
New to the Goalzero World…have the Yeti500X…with 50watt folding solar panels…your segment was very informative helpful and well presented!!!…will continue to look to your other features!…🐿️
It’s definitely been ample for us. I know many people who make DIY systems can get batteries to charge a little faster but I think they have a great product that does everything we need for our van
I hope it was helpful! Sorry for the late reply, we were traveling. Let me know if you have other questions. I did just respond to one of your other comments too.
Love, the wheelchair puppy has partially learned to walk again! She's living her best life! 😊 I'm glad to hear you did that for your old pup, you're a Saint!
Awesome video. I think it answers most of my questions. It looks like the only thing that's missing is an automatic transfer switch that would switch the outputs to shore power and bypass battery/inverter/converter when hooked up to external 110vac to save recharge cycles on battery. Not hard to add externally. Thanks
Good idea. It would be a bit difficult because of the amount of 12v items most people have in a van. You'd need to make sure to step down your voltage to run those items if they aren't coming out of the Goal Zero 12v. But it's a brilliant idea to save on cycles
Best video for this unit! My parents have one for power outages and it’s wonderful. I have had the 400 AGM for like 7 years for my truck when camping or in the field and the inverter is having problems so I got a 1000x on the way! Very excited!
Congrats! We used the 400 agm for about a year. Goal Zero did awesome making the x models. I think the 1000 is a great size, you'll be very happy with it!
oh my gosh you just saved me hahahah! I have been spending days putting together a system by the incredible folks at far outride but my brain hurts and I'm overwhelmed and the price tag just kept going up and up. So I thought I would just for fun, look into if the yeti is really possible. This video was so helpful! Definitely going to go this route and will be checking out your other videos! Thank you!
Glad this could be helpful to you. We’ve been very happy with the 3000x. The 6000x definitely gives a little more capabilities off grid depending on solar and all that. Great options for sure! Let me know if you end up having questions 🙌🏼
@@Trailvagabonds glad to hear it! Just trying to sort it all out now especially w number of solar panels and roof real estate (for a medium roof transit, definitely pushing what I want to accomplish up there. I want to leave space for the dometic ac when I can afford it, bc of my dogs). After all of the maneuvering in my current van (which I just use for camping and travel, low roof basic build) trying to keep it safe and cool w one fan and windows and shade was always a challenge. Question- do your two fans really make a difference? I know you can’t rely on a roof top ac to make it like a cool house, but I feel like it would make life a lot easier! That said, if your two fans make life reasonable camping in the heat… it’s definitely the cheaper option! Also fyi I think your video pic is of max patch?! Ha! One of my fav places. (I live in Asheville)
Max Patch was Katie and my first hike as a couple. The weather was horrid that day haha. We lived in Winston Salem and got to the mountains as much as we could. We’ve since moved to Salt Lake City. Just fyi, a 12v AC pulls too many amps for the Goal Zero to run it. A 120v unit can run but for very little time on the GZ. Having a 120v AC unit that has a direct plug for campgrounds would probably be the best option if you go that route. For the fans, they don’t do great when it’s super humid but still take the edge off. We stayed at the beach in Georgia at 90 degrees over night with near 100% humidity and the fans were the only thing that made it tolerable. Having one over the bed with a window for cross ventilation is smart. I think two is definitely helpful for making more ventilation but humidity isn’t fun to camp in period. Only an AC would really help in that regard but as you said isn’t reasonable to run on a battery bank (unless you have unlimited funds haha).
I don’t have a van or a yeti but I still watched this whole video. Lots of info. Damn near kinda sad I don’t have a van I could travel the country in. And go camping
No wrong way to travel 😉 I use to camp out of the back of a Subaru Outback. You do you and enjoy this beautiful country anyway that works best!🙌🏻 Thanks for watching! Glad you found it entertaining enough to watch the whole video. Cheers!
@@falconhead2862 thank you! Sadly our build has kinda stalled with a big move but it's usable so we get out when we can! I don't think the 1000x will disappoint. It really will just depend on your usage but i think it will be a decent size to start with. We used the 400 agm unit for quite awhile and though it had limitations it worked. The 1000x is a huge step up from that! 😊
Happy to help! I know when I spoke with Goal Zero getting the recall replacement they said the new Link Car Charging Kit should be available in June. They were making sure to fill recalls first. In case that can be helpful for you. Cheers! 😊
For the 400 I was using, I cheated and used an Anderson into the chaining port on the side of the unit. I never had any issues with it but it is unregulated and doesn't show as output in the screen so utilize at your own risk if you try it
@@Trailvagabonds my fuse panel goes into the side with the Anderson port and the diesel heater was hooked to that fuse panel. What happens when the heater surges to the high is that it pushes the Anderson plug out. Super strange
@@TrailBoundco oh wow! No fun! I fed the fuse panel with the cigarette port (10amp max) and the heater only from the side. I never had issues but it is surely pushing the limits! Good luck with the choice to upgrade! Let me know if you have questions on anything 🙌🏻
@@Trailvagabonds I might have to try that hack in the meantime if I dont upgrade. any reason you choose to do fuse panel with cigaret and heater to Anderson side port? for me it would be easier to just add the heater with cigarette plug
I think the heater at start up can pull over 10 amps which is the 12v port's max. As you've found not working with your fuse panel, it would be the same deal
That is what I touched on with 12v units. The trending DC units on high have too large a power draw. The very popular Dometic RTX 2000 has a draw of 19 amps on eco mode so possibly on low settings you could run it for a bit but higher settings and startup (can pull 60-75 amps to start up) would not be possible so I’d advise against it. I will say the new Goal Zero Pro 4000 has a larger max output but again on max settings it would be too large an output with the Dometic. Maybe there are other A/C units with smaller amp draws but I’m not sure of them. A diy system may be the best option if you need a DC air conditioner and won’t be plugging in
What I need to know is will it run an air conditioner. Is there a portable air conditioner? I see the 12v fans, but what about a fan that runs from alternating current? That’s real world to me. Although the heater was useful. I need to run eight hours and $6000, that’s a little bit of money
I do not have an air conditioner. I haven't done a ton of research on them but will say the average 12v A/C pulls too many amps for the Goal Zero DC side. Any A/C that pulls less than 2000 watts AC (3000x has a 3500 watt surge ability. You would have to double check startup draw though). Could be used. The only thing is A/Cs are power hungry, your system wouldn't last for 8 hours. The same goes for DIY electrical systems. You need a lot of battery bank to run an A/C for more than an hour. Shorepower is always a good option for utilizing an A/C unit
I saw a video where a Domatic RTX 2000 A/C unite was running of a 540 Ah DIY system and it sayed that it could have ran for 8-10 hours depending on the setting and it was around 85 outside. But the A/C unite priced around 3k and and 2 270 Ah batteries go for 2.5k each... That's 8k for an air conditioner
That is a decent amount of run time for an A/C considering how power hungry they are. Thinking about recharging empty batteries though, you would also need a great deal of solar or somewhere to plug in. If you have somewhere to plug in, not using batteries for the AC would be the best option. I think if an AC is a priority making the decision to find campsites with power hookups should be important. Killing your battery system to zero is never great and seems like that would be pretty easy to do. Good to know there is an option for emergencies though!
@@GRSEMETROMALL yes it is... I was looking in and interested but not at that pricetag. There are 12V AC units that are sold from China that cost 1/3 of the price. I'm still doing research.
@@jamesmazurstudios for our personal use, I think the 1500x would be the perfect size. We rarely go below 85% with the 3000x. We are still conscious about our electrical use since we used to have a 400 agm Goal Zero unit. That might play into it partially. We have been very happy with the 3000x though, especially peace of mind if it were cloudy for a few days. If we had sized down though I think we would have still been happy with the choice
@@ChimneyMan27 definitely has been great. We've found the 3000x may even be overkill for our basic needs so far. I honestly think with our charging options, the 1500x maybe the sweet spot
awesome review, looks like they really built some legit updates.. besides the obvious (MPPT, regulated 12, 30amp, etc).. using the app would be great for management.. I hate that the Bluetti doesn't have an app plus being able to control outputs. Those Eclipse panels are awesome.
Thank you! They seemed to really outdo themselves with the x line. Definitely some hiccups they've had with certain products but it all seems to be ironed out now. I haven't played around with the different battery profiles much but the app does seem to be super useful. When we finish our electrical cabinet, it will be nice to turn things on and off from our phones over reaching in and manually doing it every time. Or for those times we forget and can do it from outside the van. Bluetti is so new that maybe the R&D will be looking to do something similar for their future releases? And yes! I haven been very surprised by the Eclipse panels. I've read complaints about some of Renogys other panels but these are great!
I swore I replied to this comment but am seeing it again. Did you figure out how to run your cable if it’s why you asked? I don’t have it in a video but might be able to find old photos. I went under the pillar into the step on the drivers side. Hope you had luck if you did it yourself! Sorry I didn’t answer this for a year!
Definitely has it’s pros and cons, you just have to weigh them to see that it meets your needs. We’ve been very pleased with our setup over the last couple years.
I have a couple of questions. Maybe 3😊 How do you update firmware? My van has the external charging port ( like you showed), but when I plug in to it, I don't see that my yetti is charging. I have the 1500x and 600W power supply ( thanks! I finally understand what that thing is for! ) I bought my van recently and this entire system is in it, now I'm just trying to understand it! Thanks for the great video.
You’ll need to get the Goal Zero app. You can pair your unit by pushing the WiFi/bluetooth looking button under the lid (the app will walk you through pairing). Then it should automatically download the firmware updates and start uploading them to the unit. If not, in the settings there is an update tab you can click on. The 600w charger might not need an update in your system though (but still do updates as it helps all around). There should be a red power button on the end of the charger you may need to flip to on. That would be my only thought why it might not be accepting a charge from it. Hope that helps! Let me know if you have other questions
Great video and very informative, but I have a question about a completely different thing. What is that that ladder you have? It looks like it can slide anywhere you need it on the van.
Glad the video is helpful. For the ladder we use a telescoping ladder i bought off Amazon- amzn.to/3VzYEga It stores well in the garage and gives lots of flexibility for getting to the solar panels or putting up our MoonShade awning. I’ve been very happy with it as an option. It even comes in handy around the house!
Are you talking about the input under the lid as well? I may be misunderstanding your question so definitely follow up if I didn't but the nail on the head here~ You could utilize both at the same time with solar panels (or other input options). The input under the lid can only take in 10a or 150 watt max so it is limited. The total input into the system is 600w/50a max so between the two you can only max out on that amount. For example - If you had 600 watts of panels on the roof and it was inputting say 350 watts into the unit but you wanted a little extra you could add a 200 watt portable panel under the lid which say is taking in 120 watts then your system would have 470 watts feeding it from the two inputs
@@Trailvagabonds Thank you that actually answers my question. What happens if it exceed such as sudden change in Sunlight would provide so much watts. Does it have an over charge fail safe?
@@michaelfermin1030 I was told by Goal Zero the charge controller would only be able to take in 600w so if it was being fed 750 say, it would max on 600. If you go over the max amperage and volts however that can be a problem for the unit and can hurt things internally from my understanding. As long as you are paying attention to how the panels are wired as to not put in too many volts or exceed the max amperage you shouldn't hurt the unit going over on watt input
Sorry I missed your comment. We have 2 videos of our system (using our past yeti 400 agm). The first video is here~ruclips.net/video/69DDdd7ZZMQ/видео.html If you have any questions let me know and I can try and help out
Great video! Question...Can you have alternator and solar power hooked up at same time? Once you've stop driving will solar take over? Any info would be appreciated. Thx!
Yep! I called Goal Zero on this and the internal charge will prioritize the highest input so most likely the alternator charge. Then when the van is off switch back over to solar. They can't run simultaneously I was told, and either or, but there shouldn't be any issues plugging them both in. Hope that's helpful! 🙌🏻
Given possible poor weather, it would be great if it could charge simultaneously from alternator & solar. Is there any option for a 240v outlets & what Hp is your water pump? For cooking are you using gas or would an induction cooktop (2,500w) be capable to cook dinner/supper or breakfast? • What’s the maximum Pv watts or VoC for the MPPT? • Price?
I will add a pull out pantry and a back to our bench seat in the future. I figured I would figure out something once those are in. I have a feeling I will utilize shiplap in some way. Maybe creating a box around it but I figured I'd kind of wait and see as the rest of the surroundings take shape
@@Trailvagabonds I feel you on that. At the moment, I’m trying to figure out how to tackle that. Digging your approach on it, kind of go with the flow and see what works best 👌🏼
@@danzbeard thanks, I've done my best to think through the things that effect each other (like the bed and bike drawers or upper cabinet space) but I've tried to leave it like a puzzle for some of the stuff. I'm sure there will be one big finishings push at the end where I'm covering metal or weird gaps all over the van
We use separate cords for shore power and solar. I was told by GZ that if you have the alternator charger going, solar can still be plugged in but it would prioritize the larger charge. I’m not sure how safe a splitter would be to have both solar and shore power feeding at the same time. I have, for a client van, utilized a transfer switch that was fed by solar and shore power so that there was only one plug into the GZ. You would just need to flip the switch depending on which option you wanted to utilize for charging. This is a very safe option. Not sure if there is worry about back feeding and such with a splitter. That could maybe damage solar panels but I don’t have the experience with a splitter to know one way or the other. Hope that helps.
on the 1500x if I have the solar power going in to the front port, the shorter power going into the top left and the car link going into the top right will the goal zero know to pull power from all of those or the one with the highest amount of power? Will I have to unplug each of them to use the other or can they all be plugged in at the same time?
I personally have the larger charger so it has to connect into the same Anderson port as my solar so I switch those myself but I have asked Goal Zero about the Link charger and solar and they said that it would prioritize the larger charge and that it wouldn't hurt anything if you left them plugged in. My only worry about shore power and solar plugged up together would be the max input of 50v. That would then be dependent on your solar panels and the shore charger you are using
@@Trailvagabonds thank you, can you explain this part I dont follow " My only worry about shore power and solar plugged up together would be the max input of 50v"
The Goal Zero's charger controller can only take in a max of 50v. If it is exceeded it's not like too much wattage where it throttles down, it could actually hurt the internals of the unit. Depending on your solar panels wiring they could be at a decent amount. Renogy panels as an example have an open circuit voltage of 22.5 volts. The 120w charger that the Goal Zero 1500x ships with has around a 16 volt input. So say you had two solar panels in series you'd be at 45 volts and the charger would put in another 16 volts so you would exceed the max of 50. So it really depends on your setup. If you have panels in parallel it doubles amperage and not volts. You'd probably be sitting fine in that case to have both plugged in. I'm not sure how the two input jacks would be prioritized with the charge controller. Anyway, hope that's helpful. Let me know if you have other questions or want to run more of your system by me
It's worked perfect for us. No complaints so far. We are definitely more conscious than some people are about our power use. We stay pretty much topped up if the sun is shinning. Let me know if you have other questions, all the best! 🙌🏻
@@Trailvagabonds ah that’s great to see it’s working out. Gonna be powering a mwb sprinter. So only one maxxair fan. Small fridge. And a few other bits. The end user is actually going to be people hiring the van. So thin in the display that literally gives the percentage and power use will be great. Not asking people to log in to a victron app etc.
Goal Zero offers a Yeti Tank AGM expansion battery~ www.pntrac.com/t/TUJGRU1NSEJHRkxMTk1CRkhNS0xM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.goalzero.com%2Fcollections%2Fall-products%2Fproducts%2F4-8-kwh-yeti-expansion-kit. You can add up to 4 of them which the previous link is a set. The only think is that they utilize the Yeti link so you cannot use the Tanks and Alternator Charger simultaneously. They 6000x has double the battery capacity of the 3000x which would then allow the use of the alternator charger~ www.pntrac.com/t/TUJGRU1NSEJHRkxMTk1CRkhNS0xM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.goalzero.com%2Fcollections%2Fall-products%2Fproducts%2Fgoal-zero-yeti-6000x-portable-power-station. Definitely tradeoffs to either option I suppose
Love the tutorial. I have the yeti 6000x trying to convert a bus and I had a question about connecting to the van battery. I have an extra 12 ft. EC8 cord and my yeti is about 6 ft. from the bus battery. Could I just strip the female end and connect negative to negative and positive to positive with an 80 amp circuit breaker? I know its a DIY job but just wanted to get your opinion. I didn't understand why goal zero had multiple connections. I appreciate any advice. THANKS?
Hey there! I've spoke with Goal Zero about it in the past and as long as you are using 8 gauge wire you can extend the cable. I'm not sure what gauge the extension cables are but if you find they are 8 gauge it would work fine to splice them together to get the extra length you need
Thank you, hope it's helpful! And sorry, the ads are auto-added by RUclips. I've noticed they have changed their ads in general watching videos myself. More 15 second non-skippables back to back
I think for electric cooking (thinking induction cook top or crock pot otherwise) an instant pot is a great option with a 3000x. They run at 1000 watts while the pressure builds up but then their draw is pretty small and don't take much battery from there. CPAPs run on Average 30-60 watts (at about 65 watts max I believe). You could run one a couple nights from a full battery. I think Goal Zero's website says it could run one for 47 hours on a full charge. With charging options during the day, you'd have no problem utilizing a 3000x off grid. Even for weekend trips without charging options could be possible being concious of your usage.
Great channel very informative. How will you be wiring up your outlets to the goal zero? Extension cord with other end cut off and wired in to outlet??
Thank you! Hope they can be helpful to you! Yep that's exactly how I'm doing it. I talk about it in our Shiplap Wall video. It's a simple way to wire outlets. It'll hopefully do the trick for our AC needs
excellent review. i am disappointed with their lithium X units as the 8mm input max input has lowered from 240w to 120w as bigger units have been released. goal zero provides an 8mm to high power port 4x cable (anderson connection), a $30 part for those that have multiple small panels when you exceed 120w 8mm input. then you probably want to get a 30ft anderson extension cable for $60.
I think it was more a safety concern then anything since it's a lot of amps in a smaller wire. You could maybe make your own connectors for cheaper with 10 awg wire and connectors off Amazon. But it does seem Goal Zero's accessories are a premium for utilizing their products. Makes the price tag well over what you expect at the outset.
I received a Goal Zero 3000x for medical devices. I have a bad back, so I really need the lightest possible panels. I'm looking at getting 2-3 nomad 200 watt panels but they are too expensive. What are the lightest, cost-effective panels I can use and what connector/adaptor, and extension cord etc... would I need? And would they need to run in parallel or series?
I think using felixable panels would be best for lightweight portability. Much like these 100w Renogy panels ~ amzn.to/3l2B8YM There are different watt sizes. I'm not sure what your budget is but I know GZ products are much more expensive To connect them to your GZ at a decent distance you will need 10 awg solar wires with MC4 Connectors~amzn.to/3xizQOl and an MC4 to Anderson adaptor~amzn.to/3DPp1Wk You just need to make sure your polarity is correct out of the panels and into the unit. As for parallel or series, it will depend how many panels you go with. Connecting panels together can be done with these branch connectors~amzn.to/30TRWdQ There are different factors to take into account in your choice, one being the GZ can only take in a max of 50 Volts from your panels. This article from renogy could be helpful in that decision ~www.renogy.com/learn-series-and-parallel/?gclid=CjwKCAjwybyJBhBwEiwAvz4G7353pvccmW527T2eg031nCjYkC3XGNNv7wXHZzx4ZXuD6IiSrnoyiBoCCB0QAvD_BwE Hope that helps! Let me know if I forgot something or if you have other questions 🙌🏻
@Matt & Katie Happy New Year! 🎆 🎉 Thank you so much for responding to my questions in such a thorough manner. It is greatly appreciated. I am trying to get three renogy flex 175w panels; however, I need to know how to hang them up or use solar panel mount brackets? I was looking at 1) Renogy 28in brackets, 2) Renogy brackets that support up to 150w, & 3) Eco-Worthy 41" or whatever else. All I know is that I want & need to adjust a bracket to get good wattage. I am hoping amazon gets the 175w back in soon.
I've seen people put the flexible panels just on the windshield of the van. Since they are so portable setting them up when you want to charge with solar is pretty simple in that way. Or do you plan to mount them to the roof of the van? I don't have experience with that. I attached my rigid panels to my roof rack. There seem to be many options. A key is giving airflow because they need to dissipate heat and if they can't the panels can be ruined
I spoke with Goal Zero and the tech said that the controller will only take in the largest amount of charge so solar or the 600w charger will be switched off while the alternator is charging. I have not personal "tested" it to know that is for sure but it seems likely. When I film my recall update video with the link car charging kit I will try to add a bit on that 👍🏼
Thank you for a helpful demonstration of how Goal Zero can be used in a van. I was wondering how often you are accessing Goal Zero? Do you find you are constantly plugging and unplugging things into it? Can you leave all the charging options (shore power, alternator, and solar) connected simultaneously, or do you have to unplug and replug depending on the power source? Same question for the outputs, do you leave all your extension cord outlets plugged into Goal Zero? Do you have any issues with vibration shaking those loose?
I apologize, I thought I had replied to this comment years ago but am just seeing it come up now after these couple years. Do you still have questions? Did you go with a Goal Zero? Let me know if you still do otherwise I’m sorry I didn’t answer you and I hope you had your questions answered!! Cheers!
I haven't noticed a draw on the 12v output if nothing is running. We usually leave it on continuously in the van. The AC however is running an inverter when turned on and with nothing plugged in there is still a continuous draw of 9 watts. It's the equivalent of leaving an LED light on as an example. The 3000x would trickle down to empty after over 300 hours at that parasitic rate. Because we don't normally power much with AC we personally always have it turned off unless we need to use it. One reason the app is so nice, you can turn it on from your phone and not have to touch the actual unit in case you have it hidden away.
@@Trailvagabonds appreciate the reply! Very helpful. I just got a new Bluetti AC200max in and it is dropping 40% a day just with ac and dc turned on with no load. Abysmal. Going to replace it with this unit. Thanks again matt 👋🏼
Honestly I think it may be the sweet spot for a van! The 3000x is probably overkill for our average needs. I think you'd be happy with it. Let me know if you have other questions 🙌🏻
Hey Matt! Just wanted to check in to see how your vehicle integration kit is going. We rented a van before building ours out and it seemed that the kit burned out the alternator but that was back in 2020 and it could have just been a bad alternator on the promaster 136 build that we rented. I'm considering buying one to help maintain our 3000X when our 400W of solar can't top it off during a cloudy day. I was curious if the 3000X was smart enough to know to pull from the vehicle alternator rather than the solar once you start driving or if you've had to unplug the solar to make sure it chooses the vehicle.
Hey! We've had good luck with ours. I know the previous model was recalled because connections could come undone and that could be part of why the alternator had issues but I'm unsure on that. Maybe it had to do with the alternator size too. I have heard people utilizing the link kit with mini vans so it seems maybe it was the recall issue. The new version has holders to keep all the connections together and the connections were changed ever so slightly too. GZ customer support specifically told me when the vehicle is on you don't need to remove solar and that the charge controller will choose the larger of the two sources to charge the unit. The nice thing when your battery is topped up, your solar will also charge the vehicle battery through the link to keep it full. Cool feature with the link. Another part of the problems in the past was the firmware updates. They took around 6 months when they realized the recall issues to rebuild the firmware so it's definitely important to update the unit from the app when you do install it (both the GZ and Link updates). Hope that helps! Let me know if you have other questions. I'll hopefully make an updated install video in the future (haven't had time recently) because the new vehicle kit has a fuse and the connectors I spoke of earlier which makes it quite a bit different then my original install. Cheers!
Great video. Doing similar system in our van. You answered some questions about fuse panel integration. Not van related, but where did you get the cart for your dog? Wondering because one of our labs has back end paralysis. Thanks
Glad the video could be helpful! 🙌🏻 The cart is from Eddie's Wheels. They do custom aluminum wheelchairs to your dog's measurements. This one is currently a loaner because it's a little big for Love but we are having one built for her. There is another company called Handicapped Pets that sells more one size fits all chairs too. Sprinting around playing chase and wrestling with our other dogs, it's pure joy for her (and us)! Definitely a worthy investment for a family member! 😊
Ok--Just starting my van build and thanks for all of your build videos, in particular your upgrade to the Goal Zero 3000x. I have decided to go the same Goal Zero route and have several questions. We plan on using van for intermittent long trips but do not plan on living in the van full time--just 2 to 4 week trips that will incorporate a majority of overnight accommodations in hotels. Did you ever consider the Yeti 6000X or have you ever had an instance where you wished you had purchased the larger unit; the price increase to go for the larger unit seems to be reasonable--double the power for $1800. Another question is how are you going to "clean up" the 110 outlets that are being serviced by extension cords; seems like you will have to unplug one and then plug in another in order to change outlets which seems a bit cumbersome. Again, thank you for your help in getting me started.
Hey Tony! Just saw your support on Patreon! Thank you! Send us an email if you wouldn't mind and we can chat through these questions - trailvagabonds (at) Gmail (dot) com My first thought is the 3000x has been more than we've needed. The 6000x would allow for many days off grid without much worry. I'll definitely have some questions on your plans for charging and all. We'll go more in depth by email if you wouldn't mind 🙌🏻
Did you have a tough time updating your firmware? Can’t get mine to update. Does the fast charger get as hot as the regular charger? Thanks, love the video
Thank you, hope it can be helpful! I did have trouble updating when I wasn't connected to wifi on my phone. But once connected it was a simple process of downloading the update. And yes, the fast charger gets hot. It has a warning label that it should be given space around it because of the heat it generates. Pretty awesome piece of tech. Let me know if you have other questions 🙌🏻
NEW SUB. Okay, great video. Now you might be the perfect person. to finally get a question answered. I was getting ready to buy the jackery until I found out about the goal Zero. One of the features that the goal zero is supposed to be able to do is you can operate it, they say from a different location. With wifi, my question to you is I haven't seen anybody display this function so is his is true? I have some off grid property that's about an hour and a 1/2 away from where I live, so if I wanted to heat the place up and turn some lights on, could I control the Goal Zero from a different state to power it on, and then whatever is pugged up into then comes on, because if that's the case, then that's a game changer and a clear decision Thanks
I have not tried to utilize the app features outside of turning it on and off while on the same WiFi network which works great or Bluetooth while in the van so I don’t have to open the cabinet. One thing I have noticed with our 3000x is that the pairing turns itself off when not utilized for a bit. But again, I haven’t played around with it enough to give you a more thought out response than that on the 3000x. I know their new pro 4000 says it can be controlled from virtually anywhere in the world and they are having a nice sale on them currently. They are the model that came out after the 3000x and I’ve heard really good things. Better battery, more charging ability, better output. They have a detailed bit on the site about their app. If it’s really anywhere, I think it would be the better option for you. www.pntrs.com/t/SENLT09HTE5DSEdNTU9OQ0dJTkxNTQ I’ve been very happy with all our Goal Zero products so I can recommend most all of them. I will say their techs are always up to answering questions too. If were you my main questions would be 1. Does it need to be on the same WiFi network as your app to access and 2. When you have the featured turned on, is there an auto-off on the GZ unit that would stop it pairing
No problem, definitely give them a call and ask those two questions. If you have any other questions on hooking up a 12v system or anything, let me know. I’ve done quite a bit of playing around and may have other experience helpful to you
You can leave the solar plugged in but the system prioritizes the larger charge I was told my GZ so it will only accept the alternator charging in such a situation
@@Trailvagabonds That's nice. I wonder if there is a way to combine them or if that isn't a thing. I appreciate the time and effort you put into this video and your rig. Thanks for replying!
@@ryhu4755 I’m not sure. Maybe a question for GZ. I do know their new 4000 Pro can take in more solar than the X line. It has many more ports and updated battery tech so maybe worthwhile to look at that too
No. Most 12v units run at 50-80 amps and the max 12v output is 30. Also even if it could there isn’t enough battery bank to run it for long. I’ve run a Colman Mach 120v AC with a GZ 6000x. But again it would drain the battery very fast, more than solar could charge. So it’s always smart to plug in when utilizing an AC unit.
Hi Matt, I have just found your channel, via this link to the Yeti 3000X. I will be starting my latest van build in about 2 months and have always gone the standard route, DC-Dc charging / solar charging to lithium batteries, with a 2000W inverter for the 110v, then on to 12v for the van and the inverter mainly for our coffee machine. I look at the 3000X or even the 6000X and think why? this looks a awesome piece of kit and a great review. Will it cope with a water pump for my sink and also a water pump for my rear shower. A year in are you still happy with the 3000X? Thanks for your time.
Hey Brian! We are still very happy with our 3000x. I think GZs updates to the x line are pretty awesome and covered most complaints people had in previous versions. I’ve also built a couple client vans with a 3000x and 6000x. I think for the quality of equipment in a GZ, the price is fairly comparable depending on the products you include in a pieced together electrical system. Ultimately a pieced together electrical kit can give you ability to run a more robust 12v system like a 12v air conditioner. But for an average build- a water pump, led lights, usbs, fridge. The appliances are all pretty efficient and 30 amp 12v output is ample. There are always trade offs. If a GZ goes out you have to replace the whole unit, not just the inverter as an example in a diy system. For plug and play ease of use, GZs only need a couple connections and a lot of people without electrical knowledge look at it much easier. I like them as an option for clients but think pieced together systems can give you a lot more ability to change things up and really drill into your exact needs. Sorry if that’s a confusing answer. I love the GZ and think it’s a great option for many builds/ peoples needs. But I don’t think it’s the only option and do think diy systems have their place when needed. Let me know if you have other questions on it. Hopefully that was helpful in some way
@@Trailvagabonds Hi Matt, now that's what I call a comprehensive answer. Thanks. I am going to get prices from someone like ''Light Harvest solar'' for a pieced together system and see what the current price difference is between it and a GZ. I'll also look for other companies doing a complete package. The biggest thing I need is the Transit Van itself. I ordered it 12 months ago (September 2021) and now it's been moved to a 2023 MY. So hopefully I am at the head or the list, but I doubt it. It was delayed and then never produced because of a reversing camera shortage!! Thanks again.
Big fan,got LOTS of ideas from your van series. Also got an upgrade from YT1000 to 1500X.questionNow, since I already have the Max.output cable like you did, why switch to just APP cable? any downside? thanks for all you!!! Happy Trails!🤙🏽
For the x model the HPP(APP) now has a max output of 30 amps. Before you needed the max current to combine all the ports but now it's just the single one for the max output leaving the max current cable obsolete. They do not recommend using it to combine outputs now. Made it not worth purchasing on my end since I never had a lithium unit I could use it with 😂 Hope that's helpful! Let me know if you need any other clarification or have other questions 🙌🏻
I subbed. Enjoying this video and will check out others. Curious, can one use that Yeti Link to add one of their Yeti Tank Lead Acid Battery units to it AND connect to the vehicle battery too so the Yeti 3000x can charge while driving both the Yeti 3000x and the Yeti Tank battery? Would be nice to have the extra 100aH Yeti Tank for longer term stays.
Thanks for the sub! Sorry I'm just seeing your comment now. I don't believe there is a way to include an expansion tank while connected to the vehicle integration kit. They use the same plug at the back of the Goal Zero unit and I'm not sure there would be a way to connect both. It would be a great feature for Goal Zero to make! They do have the Yeti 6000x which is double to capacity of the 3000x. But hopefully we will see some advances in that regard from them. Seeing the stuff Ecoflow is doing with their RV/Tiny house kits I couldn't imagine Goal Zero being too far behind with some new tech
Have you tested running a full size fridge? I am mainly looking this generator for power outage in the house. Run the fridge, internet, TV and small heater fan. Curious how long it might last?
I did not put it through testing a full size fridge since it wasn't going to be my standard usage. It will really depend on how efficient your fridge is I would expect. Goal Zero's website states 55 hours on an average 55 watt fridge usage for the 3000x. Many fridges aren't that efficient though I don't believe. TV would also depend on the model you have. Some of the newest LED tvs sip power. Older plasma tvs are very power hungry. I know the 3000x and 6000x were built with home integration in mind for just those scenarios. With charging help from solar, I think it could get you through power outages rather than using a gas generator very well. I think there would still need to be tradeoffs to what you run so you aren't completly drained by the end of the day. Hope that helps. Goal Zero's product pages have average usage scenarios talking about time of use, charging scenarios, and other good information. Obviously always best case numbers but would give you a good idea. Hopefully there are some other channels out there talking about the home integration a little more. Let me know if you have other questions! 😊
Nice video. First I’ve seen that shows real life demonstrations. Some questions: 1) what happens when the draw exceeds the capacity of a 12v port; 2) many appliances (like a microwave oven) say that they should only be connected to a grounded 110v outlet. The yeti is not grounded. Any concerns or advice?
The power cuts out if you go over it's output. Though it has internal protection I think being concious of your output is smart. We maxed out our old 400 unit a few times. There is an equipment ground or isolated ground within the system for those items that need a ground. So the system isn't connected to an earth but is ground protected within it. For the Link battery charger, I went with Goal Zero's instructions. I would guess there is some form of protection either within the Link or with how it is connected to the Power System. I'd have to refer you to Goal Zero tech for specifics
Hi Matt. Love your videos. I just put in the yeti car link. When I turn off the vehicle, the link is displaying all 4 green LEDs lit up. Does yours do that too? I called GZ and they said the LEDs should go off. Thanks.
Glad you are enjoying the videos, hope they can be helpful! I looked into the same thing because it worried be at first. I was told it shows the charge of your vehicle battery so that you know if it is topped up or not. With the integration kit installed, solar or AC charging will also help charge your vehicle battery which is super cool!
It's been a year. How has the battery held? I just saw your vid 5 min ago as I'm looking in to power supply options for (possibly) vanlife. I see most people choose battleborn and just heard of goal earlier this morning. How does it hold with a heater all night and how much does it eat up? To switch from car to tank any other way than that little pin push?
Hey there! Sorry I missed this comment and it's taken a bit to get back to you. We've had no issues with our 3000x. The heater running all night doesn't drop the battery much (maybe 5%). Our 2-3 days trips we normally only get down to 85-90% at the lowest and our 200watts of solar top it up on a sunny day before the evening. We also run a Maxxfan on low when the heaters running just to keep air circulating. We have a handful of LEDs and a water pump. Also running the electric kettle for coffee in the morning too. We don't have a ton of power hungry devices that we use. But we've never been in a situation where we felt we didn't have enough battery bank. For the car to tank mode they have updated the app since this video to include a button you can push to switch between the 2. No need for a paper clip anymore. Making sure the firmware is updated is the most important part when using the car charging kit which the app will do for you. There are definitely some pros to a DIY system. I thought in terms of the quality parts Goal Zero uses and a cost analysist of what a similar diy system would be, that a plug and play system was a great option for our needs. Lots of things to weigh in the choice. We made a blog post talking about our choice some if it can also be helpful~www.trailvagabonds.com/blog-1/2021/11/23/van-build-electrical-system-why-you-should-consider-goal-zero Definitely let me know if you have other questions 🙌🏻
Do you actually get the 3000Wh as advertised? Your review indicates you only get about half of what is advertised (~1500Wh). At 5:08 your battery is at 99% and your only pulling 31 watts. The Yeti says it will be drained in 45.8 hours if 31watts continues to be used. Therefore, when I multiply 31Watts X 45.8 hours = 1419.8Wh which is far from the advertised 3000Wh. Could you or anyone else confirm this?
Good catch there. I'm curious if it is the system getting use to running since this was the first time using it. If you continue to watch, the next test with the coffee grinder has a larger output wattage and a higher hours to empty shown on the screen. We've definitely been on trips with little to no sun and been fine for a couple days under similar use conditions. The battery definitely has about 250 amp hours from our experience. I'd be curious to know if there is another explanation to it.
We built space for a fridge but have only used a cooler in that space currently. Trying to budget for one in the future. But I can tell you a Goal Zero will power a fridge no problem. I own a van build business and we’ve installed GZs for electrical systems and Vitrifrigo c115 fridges in them. As well as the Dometic cooler style fridges. Having solar or the car charging kit is very helpful to stay off grid for extended periods because depending on the temperature and amount of food in your fridge, they have a 45w draw when running which would only give you so long without charging ability.
Can you charge additional batteries over the expansion link using the 8mm from an 8mm output on the yeti? Trying to figure out a way to have more than 150W solar input to the yeti but also have a way to recharge the expansion batteries.
The link is meant to help charge expansion batteries. With solar you can have a max of 600w coming in. We only put 200w on our roof though. I haven't looked into the 8mm output too much since I've only used the link as the car charger option. Goal Zero is usually very helpful when I've called them. Couldn't hurt to try that. I could do some searching later on to see if I can find more info myself.
@@Trailvagabonds thanks! I know the limit is 600 through the HP input, but max input on 8mm is 150w and the only way to charge externals (other than directly with alternator) is through the 8mm (I think). So I imagine even with maxing out 150w input, it would take a long time to charge the 1000X and however many expansion batteries you have. I hope I'm wrong!
Oh got ya! I know the expansion batteries connect to the extension cord out the back of the link so maybe that will feed you expansion batteries at a higher rate than the 8mm connector. In car mode when your yeti is fully charged it sends the incoming power to the vehicle battery to top it up. I'm not certain of this and trying to find info was hard to do. I'd give them a call and check about it. I'd you do please let me know! 😊
Does your alternator overheat when charging the Yeti X at idle? Does the Yeti X have a ramp up mode in the DC to DC charge module? Can it run a 12 refrigerator? Thanks
I have not had issues with it overheating but I also am pretty conscious of not idling for long. It does seem to ramp up slowly, it doesn't jump to 600-700 watts immediately. I'm not sure what the link does in its circuitry, maybe a good question for Goal Zero Tech Support. As for a 12v fridge, there are no issues I've seen running one. The 12v output has a max of 30 amps so as long as you are within spec and not overdrawn with other 12v appliances you should be golden. I know in the version 2 units the 12v wasn't regulated well so there were dips and spikes that without a regulating cable would give many fridges issues. But the Yeti X line has fixed those issues from what I've experienced. Let me know if you have other questions I can help with 🙌🏻
The 3000x has a max input of 600 watts. It's limited by the solar controller that is built into the unit. As long as you aren't going over the max voltage and amperage you could have more than 600 watts of solar, the unit just can't take more than 600 in. I'll just reiterate the most important part is not going over the 50 volt limit because doing so could hurt the internal parts of the unit. If you use one 250w panel you shouldn't have to worry about that. If you have a link to the pabel specs, I could help tell you if you could connect two of them together for 500 watts (if you have the roof space)
@@Trailvagabonds thanks Matt. Another question on hooking up a tv. Should i run a 12 volt off the fuse box or plug the 12 volt into the yeti output that has the circle out put hookup. I can plug an a/c tv in but i think the power draw would be too much
@@scottj2574 I haven't researched a ton about TVs but definitely agree 12v options are always more efficient than 120v for any appliance. I like the safety of including it in the fuse panel but you could also include an inline fuse on the barrel connector line feeding the TV if you prefer. If I'm not mistaken the 30 amp max includes both output locations combined so I don't think it will give you extra using both. If you don't have room in the fuse panel one way you can get around that would be to feed a bus bar for your led lights. It would be a fused line from the panel to the bus and then 3 or 4 (or more) light sections are fed from that
Hey Matt great video have a 1500 x and waiting for them to fix the link What water kettle do you use ?? Seems like it has less of a draw and or is more efficient than mine TIA !!
Hey there! I think the 1500x is the perfect size! 🙌🏻 I hear the new link car kit should be out in May. Such an awesome option! The kettle we have is from Fellow. We were gifted it as a wedding gift😊 It takes a few minutes to heat up but seems pretty efficient over the last kettle we had
We finally upgraded our GOAL ZERO to a Yeti 3000x! If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and I will be sure to answer them! If there are other things you are interested in knowing about our set up, let me know that too and I can do a future video answering your questions. Hope you have a great weekend!
Hi, I recently hooked up my 3000x to my Promaster alternator. It was working great. Just like your video. But within a day it stopped working. 0 input. All connections are good. Any troubleshooting ideas? Goal Zero is sending a new link, but I’m skeptical that will help. Thanks!
@@ryankrol Hey Ryan! My initial thoughts would be a connection being loose but if you've checked those I doubt that would be the problem. Do you have the kit with the plastic connectors that keep everything together? My next thought is have you run firmware updates for both the 3000x and the yeti link? Sometimes the updates, if not done to the same firmware releases can play against each other funny. If you've done that as well my next hope would be that a new kit will do the trick. Hopefully those couple things help. If I can do any more troubleshooting with you once you've received the new one and it's not working, reach out to us on Instagram or email 👍🏼Goodluck and I hope it ends up working out! 🙌🏻
We have a 2003 Ford van we are converting to a camper van. Got a good deal from Costco on the 3000x before last Christmas. getting ready to install it in the van. What a super helpful video. I do need to understand how to hook up 12V components. We have a RECPRO fridge, van and puck lights that need to be hooked up. As far as AC I thought you wood hook up extension cords.
@@gabentg hey there! Glad the video can be helpful. We feed a 12v fuse block out of the Goal Zero High Power Port. Then run wiring from the block to our 12v accessories. We used this fuse block~ amzn.to/3L9NwB2 and this Anderson to Ring wire~ amzn.to/37NOBjj
We have a couple other electrical videos on our channel if they can be helpful to you. Let me know if you have other questions 🙌🏻
@@Trailvagabonds Thanks so much for your prompt response. I just watched the two electrical videos. Do you have a video on how you wired the AC outlets?
*I use this solar **Generater.Systems** at work. The building is 80 years old so there’s not a lot of electrical outlets. I use it for lights, fans, charge phones etc. works great !*
It really depends. What type of battery? 12v? Generically I would say you would probably need 800 watts of solar to generate enough to fill a 200Ah battery from empty in 5 hours. But there are a lot of different factors
Best video I seen explaining a charger! 4 this old 65 little lady that needs one! Thank u, thank u❤️🦮🙏
Goal Zero is a great option. They just release updated power stations with better batteries, faster charging options, and more powering options. Definitely a company worth checking out for their products
Thank You Everybody for All that you are doing for our Planet Earth.... Peace.. Shalom.. Salam.. Namaste .. 🙏🏻 😊 🌈 ✌ 🌷 ☮ ❤🕊
I missed this comment. Sorry about that! Our Mother Earth is something special!✌🏼
Dude, this was such a comprehensive video on the goal zero 3000. You clearly know a lot about it and have put in a lot of work to put out a video that is this informative. Thank you for all the work you put into this.
Thanks so much! I think Goal Zero smashed it out of the park with the X models! I hope the video can be helpful to you! Let me know if you have any questions 🙌🏻
Dit-to-the-O! As a novice, I was actually able to follow all your mathery until it came to the link kit. My brain powered down at that point and waited for some more doggo cameos! Hahaha. But this legit armed me with some super power knowledge and I'm feeling very girl-boss now! Muchas gracias amigo! 👏🏾 👏🏾 👏🏾 👏🏾 👏🏾
@@daisyv5038 thank you! Glad to be helpful! I plan to film another video on the link car charging kit soon. We just moved cross country so I haven't had time to finish the update just yet. Hoping to do so soon and will share more in depth info on it 👍🏼Reach out if you have any questions
@@Trailvagabonds Sweet! I have to study up more to grasp all this. Now I'm thinking about replacing my van alternator for future planning purposes. That's a gift...to be able to think and plan ahead like this because of what I learned from your bazooka helpful clips. Can you even handle all the good karma??? 😉
It's definitely great to hear we are putting out worthwhile content! 😊 If you hadn't seen them, we do have 2 episodes about our electrical too on our channel
This video is by far the MOST informative video on battery/solar use I’ve ever watched. All the appliance use and charging options were explained as thorough as possible. The 12v output options, the car battery charging attachment, solar panel angle charging differences. So much was covered and I feel fully confident this setup will be more than enough for my needs. Great video.
Thank you so much for your comment! It sure means a lot to hear your feedback! 😊 We have been very happy with the 3000x! It has far exceeded our needs so far. Let me know if you have any questions!🙌🏻
Would this be able to move a camper van 12v AC unit? If it's able to do so which would you recommend?
Most 12v units pull 75-100 amps and the Goal Zero line has a max 12v output of 30 amps from the HPP. Options with an AC cord could work if within the inverters specs but you still don't have a battery bank larger enough for long periods of cooling. It's usually always recommended to be hooked up to shore power when running an AC and the 12v units though sounding energy efficient are usually no different (having tens of thousands of dollars to throw at batteries could get you a bank that would run one). I maybe haven't done enough research on AC units to know if there is something better out there however. My suggestion would be have shore power that could both charger the GZ and feed an AC when at a campsite. For off grid use you'd be hard pressed to find an option that would be worth it
@@Trailvagabonds thanks for the feedback. I was looking at the Domatic RTX 2000 from videos I have seen they recommend to run the unit with a 500+ amp hour capacity and in eco mode they say it pulls less then 30amps if I'm not mistaken. I know little about battery banks and solar so can't really say much else. I appreciate your response and the quality of your content this video really helped so much. I'm looking to build a mini camper van it being a Transit Connect, Promaster City or NV200.
@@saundz8791 the 6000x has 556 amp hours and I just looked up the product page for the AC and it does say 19a in eco mode but that's in a 24 v system, not 12v which GZ outputs. You could get in contact with their support to see if there is a 12v option/ability. Otherwise you'd have to make a diy system and put batteries in series to make a 24v system
Just wanted to add. I am over 70, this should be up on gold zero.
Best video I have seen. I am planning on the 6000 for our house because of hurricanes.
My smaller 400 was not enough to run our large refrigerators. We have a double. But the 400 keeped a fan an charged phones for everyone. It charged backup small phone battery banks.
Thanks again. Will be back if I have more questions.
Great choice! You won't be disappointed, it will give you so much ability! We have the 3000 and it's been ample for us, the 6000 will be wonderful! Reach out if you have questions😊
@@Trailvagabonds thanks, will do
@@peggybreaux8973 and thank you! Your comment was very kind! 😊
Great explanation and orientation to yeti 3000
Hope it was helpful! Sorry I didn’t reply for so long, I missed your comment
Hey, you got it!!! Welcome to the 3000X club.
Woot! So exciting! And I feel like with how long we used the small 400 unit, this is luxurious! 😂
So far this one is one the best I saw on RUclips!
Thanks you!😀 Sorry I missed your comment!
One of the best on the market gold zero, many thanks
great detail and explanation, ty very much for the time to show all of this.
No problem, I hope it was helpful! All the best! 😊
Hey Matt you gave me some information awhile back I converted my van into a mobile barber shop. So far so good but I have power issues due to what I am using isn’t enough. I would’ve got the goal zero but man it’s so expensive but I am sure it’s worth it. Glad to see that your channel is doing well. Always look forward to your videos keep up the great work.
Hey! Good to hear from you! Of course I remember you. I'm sorry to hear you have had power issues. Do you plan on trying something new or supplementing power in some way? Thanks for reaching out! All the best!
Awesome video thank you for actually caring about educating us more than trying to be cool, Refreshing to see a real human!
Thank you for your comment! I hope the video can be helpful in your research. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask
Thank you. This has been very informative. I am definitely germy one of these. 😊
Glad it could be useful to you! Goal Zero has come out with a new more powerful power system called the Pro 4000 but they still sell the 3000x and 6000x at big discounts. I can definitely recommend as we now have one of each. The 6000x is double the battery life which is super nice! If you end up having questions, definitely reach out
I usually get deterred by over 15 mins videos, but this turns out to be a very informative yet entertaining video, good job and thanks.
I'm glad you think so and commented! It means a lot to me to hear. I hope it can be helpful to you. Let me know if you have any questions 🙌🏻
@@Trailvagabonds Hi thank you for the reply, I do have a question, is there a way to find out how many charge cycles the battery has been through? there is one used for sale nearby that I'm interested in, do you know anything to look out for a used 3000x? appreciated.
I'm not sure of a way to see the charge cycles. Maybe a quick call to Goal Zero customer service. They have always been pleasant and very helpful when I've called them. If it were me I would look for any dings on the unit. I'd also maybe see if you could spend some using it to see if the battery discharges faster than expected. You could do the rough math plugging something in and estimating what percentage of the battery would drop over the hour. If it's a much larger percentage out I'd be leary. Honestly they are a great product though and I'm sure if it were a lemon GZ would probably hook you up
Amazing video on what Goal Zero Yeti is capable of! The work you have in the van is stellar. Great review and great van! Thanks for such a comprehensive video!
Awe, thank you! It means a lot to hear! I hope the vids can be helpful to you. All the best in your build! 🙌🏻
First of all thank you for making the youtube video. I was really excited about the Yeti 6000X when I finally received it around May 2021, I used it for several months and didn't have any issues, until I stopped using it for about 4 months because I am renovating my house and I had to use Solar Panels from Goal Zero also. I been charging my Yeti 6000x for 3 straight days now and it only at 77% full. When I first plug it in to the same power outlet it shows 500W going in and after a minute it will go down to 50W. I also called Goal Zero Technical Support and we trouble shoot it but it turns our that it needs to be replaced with a new one (Hopefully New). The sad part is today is March 2022 and I haven't even paid the Yeti 6000X because I loan it through Affirm. I mean it has 2 years warranty but I just bother me that not even a year of using it, its broken already? I am very careful with it also and only use it for basic stuff in the house because I am afraid that It will stress the battery. What happens if the warranty expires? I will be stuck with a block of useless equipment and make it to a chair probably? I am freaking out really. Did anyone of you ran into this issue? Is there 3rd party where I can buy to extend the warranty? PLEASE HELP! Thank you!
Man I'm sorry to year that happened to you. I haven't run into any issues myself with our unit. We haven't gone long periods without topping ours up. I know the firmware has had charge issues in the past from what I've heard but outside of that I'm not sure. It's a very tough call to put so much money into a product that could become a paperweight like you said. It would be greay of they sold replacement batteries like their agm units. I've always had good vibes from their customer service when I've called so I'm not sure what would happen if it were out of warranty. Maybe there is something they would do especially if it's a regular occurrence.
Sorry I don't have advice for you, sounds like a tough situation
@@Trailvagabonds It cost me more than $7k including all accessories and solar panels, I've decided to just sell everything once I receive the new one. Maybe $5,500. I'll just have to take the hit. I'll invest the money for house renovation instead. What do you think?😂
@@christiannepogie5937 Good idea!
Amazing info! Only realized recently that you were also the guy now working with Trent and Allie. Love your content - hope you haven’t stopped!!
Thanks! Sadly we've taken a step back from our channel while getting the business up and running. We hope to start posting more content in the near future once we have our feet under us a little more. Moving across country was a big undertaking. Thanks for continuing to support us, hope to have more out soon! 😊
New to the Goalzero World…have the Yeti500X…with 50watt folding solar panels…your segment was very informative helpful and well presented!!!…will continue to look to your other features!…🐿️
Glad it could be informative. Let me know if you have questions. They are powerful little tools to have. Hope it fits your needs!
Great charging power!
It’s definitely been ample for us. I know many people who make DIY systems can get batteries to charge a little faster but I think they have a great product that does everything we need for our van
Really great video! Explained everything really clearly!!!
I hope it was helpful! Sorry for the late reply, we were traveling. Let me know if you have other questions. I did just respond to one of your other comments too.
Hi Matt, very nice Job. Thank you so much. Andy from Germany
I'm glad it could be helpful. Thank you for letting me know!
Love the pups and that the one has a wheel chair. Did that for my old pup.
Love, the wheelchair puppy has partially learned to walk again! She's living her best life! 😊 I'm glad to hear you did that for your old pup, you're a Saint!
all good
👍🏼
Awesome video. I think it answers most of my questions. It looks like the only thing that's missing is an automatic transfer switch that would switch the outputs to shore power and bypass battery/inverter/converter when hooked up to external 110vac to save recharge cycles on battery. Not hard to add externally. Thanks
Good idea. It would be a bit difficult because of the amount of 12v items most people have in a van. You'd need to make sure to step down your voltage to run those items if they aren't coming out of the Goal Zero 12v. But it's a brilliant idea to save on cycles
Great video. Actually gives complete information and explanations. Well done.
I'm glad to hear it can be helpful! Let me know if you have any questions and I can try to help. Cheers!
Best video for this unit! My parents have one for power outages and it’s wonderful. I have had the 400 AGM for like 7 years for my truck when camping or in the field and the inverter is having problems so I got a 1000x on the way! Very excited!
Congrats! We used the 400 agm for about a year. Goal Zero did awesome making the x models. I think the 1000 is a great size, you'll be very happy with it!
Great information, now I am ready to buy one. Thank you my friend.
Glad to help! All the best! Reach out if you have questions 🙌🏻
goal zero yeti 6000x portable power station
Test it out great 👍
Heck yea! Days of off grid use! I bet it's a crusher! 😎
Good job on this video! and Thank you!
I hope it could be helpful! Let me know if you have questions on anything 🙌🏻
Amazingly informative video! Thanks so much!
Thank you! 😊 I hope it can be helpful! Reach out if you have any questions 🙌🏻
I just don't know which one I want. I have been looking for over a year, this is helpful. Thanks!
I hope it helps!😊 Good luck with your decision! Reach out if you have questions🙌🏻
Vegans unite 😎
I have similar set-up using a Jackery 2000. Dont have solar yet. Charge wbile driving or stay at campground.
Nice! I hear they are great systems too
oh my gosh you just saved me hahahah! I have been spending days putting together a system by the incredible folks at far outride but my brain hurts and I'm overwhelmed and the price tag just kept going up and up. So I thought I would just for fun, look into if the yeti is really possible. This video was so helpful! Definitely going to go this route and will be checking out your other videos! Thank you!
Glad this could be helpful to you. We’ve been very happy with the 3000x. The 6000x definitely gives a little more capabilities off grid depending on solar and all that. Great options for sure! Let me know if you end up having questions 🙌🏼
@@Trailvagabonds glad to hear it! Just trying to sort it all out now especially w number of solar panels and roof real estate (for a medium roof transit, definitely pushing what I want to accomplish up there. I want to leave space for the dometic ac when I can afford it, bc of my dogs). After all of the maneuvering in my current van (which I just use for camping and travel, low roof basic build) trying to keep it safe and cool w one fan and windows and shade was always a challenge. Question- do your two fans really make a difference? I know you can’t rely on a roof top ac to make it like a cool house, but I feel like it would make life a lot easier! That said, if your two fans make life reasonable camping in the heat… it’s definitely the cheaper option!
Also fyi I think your video pic is of max patch?! Ha! One of my fav places. (I live in Asheville)
Max Patch was Katie and my first hike as a couple. The weather was horrid that day haha. We lived in Winston Salem and got to the mountains as much as we could. We’ve since moved to Salt Lake City.
Just fyi, a 12v AC pulls too many amps for the Goal Zero to run it. A 120v unit can run but for very little time on the GZ. Having a 120v AC unit that has a direct plug for campgrounds would probably be the best option if you go that route.
For the fans, they don’t do great when it’s super humid but still take the edge off. We stayed at the beach in Georgia at 90 degrees over night with near 100% humidity and the fans were the only thing that made it tolerable. Having one over the bed with a window for cross ventilation is smart. I think two is definitely helpful for making more ventilation but humidity isn’t fun to camp in period. Only an AC would really help in that regard but as you said isn’t reasonable to run on a battery bank (unless you have unlimited funds haha).
Great video mate
Thank you! Hope it was helpful 🙌🏼
Great job as always Matt. 😊
Thank you! 😊
I don’t have a van or a yeti but I still watched this whole video. Lots of info. Damn near kinda sad I don’t have a van I could travel the country in. And go camping
No wrong way to travel 😉 I use to camp out of the back of a Subaru Outback. You do you and enjoy this beautiful country anyway that works best!🙌🏻 Thanks for watching! Glad you found it entertaining enough to watch the whole video. Cheers!
Excellent review! Subscribed
Thank you! I hope you find our channel helpful! 😊
First time on your channel this was a great video a lot of real world usage.
Thanks for watching! I hope this video and others can be helpful to you. Let me know if you have questions 🙌🏻
@@Trailvagabonds i have the 1000X and nomad solar coming this week. Will be my starter yeti dont have a van build yet. Really like yours great build!
@@falconhead2862 thank you! Sadly our build has kinda stalled with a big move but it's usable so we get out when we can! I don't think the 1000x will disappoint. It really will just depend on your usage but i think it will be a decent size to start with. We used the 400 agm unit for quite awhile and though it had limitations it worked. The 1000x is a huge step up from that! 😊
This was so helpful! This totally sold me. Thank you!
Glad I could be helpful! Let me know if you have any questions I could help answer 😊
Thanks for all the great info. esp the car charging option.
Happy to help! I know when I spoke with Goal Zero getting the recall replacement they said the new Link Car Charging Kit should be available in June. They were making sure to fill recalls first. In case that can be helpful for you. Cheers! 😊
@@Trailvagabonds It is helpful. Thanks so much.. Great videos !
@@bug512 thanks! 😊
good to see it works with the heater. my yeti 400 doesnt work with the diesel heater
For the 400 I was using, I cheated and used an Anderson into the chaining port on the side of the unit. I never had any issues with it but it is unregulated and doesn't show as output in the screen so utilize at your own risk if you try it
@@Trailvagabonds my fuse panel goes into the side with the Anderson port and the diesel heater was hooked to that fuse panel. What happens when the heater surges to the high is that it pushes the Anderson plug out. Super strange
@@TrailBoundco oh wow! No fun! I fed the fuse panel with the cigarette port (10amp max) and the heater only from the side. I never had issues but it is surely pushing the limits! Good luck with the choice to upgrade! Let me know if you have questions on anything 🙌🏻
@@Trailvagabonds I might have to try that hack in the meantime if I dont upgrade. any reason you choose to do fuse panel with cigaret and heater to Anderson side port? for me it would be easier to just add the heater with cigarette plug
I think the heater at start up can pull over 10 amps which is the 12v port's max. As you've found not working with your fuse panel, it would be the same deal
Excellent presentation. Thank you!
Thank you!😊 I hope it can be helpful! 🙌🏻
Very helpful. Thanks
Glad to hear it! All the best!
Thank you for your feedback. What about the new and trending DC air conditioners?
That is what I touched on with 12v units. The trending DC units on high have too large a power draw. The very popular Dometic RTX 2000 has a draw of 19 amps on eco mode so possibly on low settings you could run it for a bit but higher settings and startup (can pull 60-75 amps to start up) would not be possible so I’d advise against it. I will say the new Goal Zero Pro 4000 has a larger max output but again on max settings it would be too large an output with the Dometic. Maybe there are other A/C units with smaller amp draws but I’m not sure of them. A diy system may be the best option if you need a DC air conditioner and won’t be plugging in
You did a top notch job here. I work with this gear daily and have featured some GZ gear on my channel. This is the best I''ve seen. A++ Subbed
Thanks so much! That's high praise and means a lot to hear!😊 We'll give your channel a look as well. Cheers!
@@Trailvagabonds it's not as well done as yours, but we have shared interests.
I bet it's great, looking forward to checking it out! 🙌🏻
What I need to know is will it run an air conditioner. Is there a portable air conditioner? I see the 12v fans, but what about a fan that runs from alternating current? That’s real world to me. Although the heater was useful. I need to run eight hours and $6000, that’s a little bit of money
I do not have an air conditioner. I haven't done a ton of research on them but will say the average 12v A/C pulls too many amps for the Goal Zero DC side. Any A/C that pulls less than 2000 watts AC (3000x has a 3500 watt surge ability. You would have to double check startup draw though). Could be used. The only thing is A/Cs are power hungry, your system wouldn't last for 8 hours. The same goes for DIY electrical systems. You need a lot of battery bank to run an A/C for more than an hour. Shorepower is always a good option for utilizing an A/C unit
I saw a video where a Domatic RTX 2000 A/C unite was running of a 540 Ah DIY system and it sayed that it could have ran for 8-10 hours depending on the setting and it was around 85 outside. But the A/C unite priced around 3k and and 2 270 Ah batteries go for 2.5k each... That's 8k for an air conditioner
That is a decent amount of run time for an A/C considering how power hungry they are. Thinking about recharging empty batteries though, you would also need a great deal of solar or somewhere to plug in. If you have somewhere to plug in, not using batteries for the AC would be the best option. I think if an AC is a priority making the decision to find campsites with power hookups should be important. Killing your battery system to zero is never great and seems like that would be pretty easy to do. Good to know there is an option for emergencies though!
@@saundz8791 that’s a little bit of money
@@GRSEMETROMALL yes it is... I was looking in and interested but not at that pricetag. There are 12V AC units that are sold from China that cost 1/3 of the price. I'm still doing research.
Great video. Thank you.
Thanks for saying so! Let me know if you ever have questions 🙌🏻
@@Trailvagabonds A quick question: Could you have got away with using the 1500X or do you find that the 3000X is truly needed for your use?
@@jamesmazurstudios for our personal use, I think the 1500x would be the perfect size. We rarely go below 85% with the 3000x. We are still conscious about our electrical use since we used to have a 400 agm Goal Zero unit. That might play into it partially. We have been very happy with the 3000x though, especially peace of mind if it were cloudy for a few days. If we had sized down though I think we would have still been happy with the choice
Thanks for sharing
Nice video 💟💟💟
Thank you! I hope it can be helpful! 🙌🏻
This is a fantastic video, thank you for the effort in putting it together.
Thanks for saying so! Hope it can be helpful. Let me know if you have any questions 🙌🏻
@@Trailvagabonds I guess after this video does it work as well as it was designed? Any flaws?
@@ChimneyMan27 definitely has been great. We've found the 3000x may even be overkill for our basic needs so far. I honestly think with our charging options, the 1500x maybe the sweet spot
Thank you so much for this review!!!
I hope it can be helpful to you! 😊
@@Trailvagabonds I'll be sure to use your ref link 👍
@@AmsDreamJob Thank you! Let me know if you have questions on any components
Excellent and very well explained video.
Great job💪
Thank you! 😊
Nice job with the video.
Thank you! 😊
awesome review, looks like they really built some legit updates.. besides the obvious (MPPT, regulated 12, 30amp, etc).. using the app would be great for management.. I hate that the Bluetti doesn't have an app plus being able to control outputs. Those Eclipse panels are awesome.
Thank you! They seemed to really outdo themselves with the x line. Definitely some hiccups they've had with certain products but it all seems to be ironed out now. I haven't played around with the different battery profiles much but the app does seem to be super useful. When we finish our electrical cabinet, it will be nice to turn things on and off from our phones over reaching in and manually doing it every time. Or for those times we forget and can do it from outside the van. Bluetti is so new that maybe the R&D will be looking to do something similar for their future releases?
And yes! I haven been very surprised by the Eclipse panels. I've read complaints about some of Renogys other panels but these are great!
Do you have a video showing how you ran the Alternator Charging cable through the wall?
I swore I replied to this comment but am seeing it again. Did you figure out how to run your cable if it’s why you asked? I don’t have it in a video but might be able to find old photos. I went under the pillar into the step on the drivers side. Hope you had luck if you did it yourself! Sorry I didn’t answer this for a year!
This seems like a much better option for simplicity sake at the very least
Definitely has it’s pros and cons, you just have to weigh them to see that it meets your needs. We’ve been very pleased with our setup over the last couple years.
Great review!!! But 212 for your electric gooseneck kettle for your coffee?!?! Gotta try 195-200 max... don't "burn" your coffee my man lol 😆 🤙🏽
🤣🤣🤣 It was a wedding gift, I'm sure there are other similar models for much cheaper on Amazon haha.
Glad you liked the review! All the best! 😊
I have a couple of questions. Maybe 3😊
How do you update firmware? My van has the external charging port ( like you showed), but when I plug in to it, I don't see that my yetti is charging. I have the 1500x and 600W power supply ( thanks! I finally understand what that thing is for! ) I bought my van recently and this entire system is in it, now I'm just trying to understand it! Thanks for the great video.
You’ll need to get the Goal Zero app. You can pair your unit by pushing the WiFi/bluetooth looking button under the lid (the app will walk you through pairing). Then it should automatically download the firmware updates and start uploading them to the unit. If not, in the settings there is an update tab you can click on.
The 600w charger might not need an update in your system though (but still do updates as it helps all around). There should be a red power button on the end of the charger you may need to flip to on. That would be my only thought why it might not be accepting a charge from it.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have other questions
Great video and very informative, but I have a question about a completely different thing. What is that that ladder you have? It looks like it can slide anywhere you need it on the van.
Glad the video is helpful. For the ladder we use a telescoping ladder i bought off Amazon- amzn.to/3VzYEga
It stores well in the garage and gives lots of flexibility for getting to the solar panels or putting up our MoonShade awning. I’ve been very happy with it as an option. It even comes in handy around the house!
Thank you, just what I needed. Can you show when to use 12V input? Can I have both inputs plugged?
Are you talking about the input under the lid as well? I may be misunderstanding your question so definitely follow up if I didn't but the nail on the head here~
You could utilize both at the same time with solar panels (or other input options). The input under the lid can only take in 10a or 150 watt max so it is limited. The total input into the system is 600w/50a max so between the two you can only max out on that amount. For example - If you had 600 watts of panels on the roof and it was inputting say 350 watts into the unit but you wanted a little extra you could add a 200 watt portable panel under the lid which say is taking in 120 watts then your system would have 470 watts feeding it from the two inputs
@@Trailvagabonds Thank you that actually answers my question. What happens if it exceed such as sudden change in Sunlight would provide so much watts. Does it have an over charge fail safe?
@@michaelfermin1030 I was told by Goal Zero the charge controller would only be able to take in 600w so if it was being fed 750 say, it would max on 600. If you go over the max amperage and volts however that can be a problem for the unit and can hurt things internally from my understanding. As long as you are paying attention to how the panels are wired as to not put in too many volts or exceed the max amperage you shouldn't hurt the unit going over on watt input
Hey Matt! Do you have any video for your electrical set up with the yeti? Thank you! :)
Sorry I missed your comment. We have 2 videos of our system (using our past yeti 400 agm). The first video is here~ruclips.net/video/69DDdd7ZZMQ/видео.html
If you have any questions let me know and I can try and help out
Excellent video. Thanks I have the 400 gold zero an getting ready to upgrade.
I hope it helped with your upgrade! I apologize, I missed your comment so long ago. All the best!
Great video! Question...Can you have alternator and solar power hooked up at same time? Once you've stop driving will solar take over? Any info would be appreciated. Thx!
Yep! I called Goal Zero on this and the internal charge will prioritize the highest input so most likely the alternator charge. Then when the van is off switch back over to solar. They can't run simultaneously I was told, and either or, but there shouldn't be any issues plugging them both in. Hope that's helpful! 🙌🏻
Given possible poor weather, it would be great if it could charge simultaneously from alternator & solar. Is there any option for a 240v outlets & what Hp is your water pump?
For cooking are you using gas or would an induction cooktop (2,500w) be capable to cook dinner/supper or breakfast?
• What’s the maximum Pv watts or VoC for the MPPT?
• Price?
Completely off topic, how are you planning on covering that exposed rib on the middle of the driver side wall?
I will add a pull out pantry and a back to our bench seat in the future. I figured I would figure out something once those are in. I have a feeling I will utilize shiplap in some way. Maybe creating a box around it but I figured I'd kind of wait and see as the rest of the surroundings take shape
@@Trailvagabonds I feel you on that. At the moment, I’m trying to figure out how to tackle that. Digging your approach on it, kind of go with the flow and see what works best 👌🏼
@@danzbeard thanks, I've done my best to think through the things that effect each other (like the bed and bike drawers or upper cabinet space) but I've tried to leave it like a puzzle for some of the stuff. I'm sure there will be one big finishings push at the end where I'm covering metal or weird gaps all over the van
Do you know, with a splitter, can you leave more than one charging source such as shore power and solar panels both plugged in at the same time?
We use separate cords for shore power and solar. I was told by GZ that if you have the alternator charger going, solar can still be plugged in but it would prioritize the larger charge. I’m not sure how safe a splitter would be to have both solar and shore power feeding at the same time. I have, for a client van, utilized a transfer switch that was fed by solar and shore power so that there was only one plug into the GZ. You would just need to flip the switch depending on which option you wanted to utilize for charging. This is a very safe option. Not sure if there is worry about back feeding and such with a splitter. That could maybe damage solar panels but I don’t have the experience with a splitter to know one way or the other. Hope that helps.
on the 1500x if I have the solar power going in to the front port, the shorter power going into the top left and the car link going into the top right
will the goal zero know to pull power from all of those or the one with the highest amount of power? Will I have to unplug each of them to use the other or can they all be plugged in at the same time?
I personally have the larger charger so it has to connect into the same Anderson port as my solar so I switch those myself but I have asked Goal Zero about the Link charger and solar and they said that it would prioritize the larger charge and that it wouldn't hurt anything if you left them plugged in. My only worry about shore power and solar plugged up together would be the max input of 50v. That would then be dependent on your solar panels and the shore charger you are using
@@Trailvagabonds thank you, can you explain this part I dont follow " My only worry about shore power and solar plugged up together would be the max input of 50v"
The Goal Zero's charger controller can only take in a max of 50v. If it is exceeded it's not like too much wattage where it throttles down, it could actually hurt the internals of the unit. Depending on your solar panels wiring they could be at a decent amount. Renogy panels as an example have an open circuit voltage of 22.5 volts. The 120w charger that the Goal Zero 1500x ships with has around a 16 volt input. So say you had two solar panels in series you'd be at 45 volts and the charger would put in another 16 volts so you would exceed the max of 50.
So it really depends on your setup. If you have panels in parallel it doubles amperage and not volts. You'd probably be sitting fine in that case to have both plugged in. I'm not sure how the two input jacks would be prioritized with the charge controller. Anyway, hope that's helpful. Let me know if you have other questions or want to run more of your system by me
Hi mate. How you getting on with this unit? I have it and getting set to install
Thanks
It's worked perfect for us. No complaints so far. We are definitely more conscious than some people are about our power use. We stay pretty much topped up if the sun is shinning. Let me know if you have other questions, all the best! 🙌🏻
@@Trailvagabonds ah that’s great to see it’s working out. Gonna be powering a mwb sprinter. So only one maxxair fan. Small fridge. And a few other bits. The end user is actually going to be people hiring the van. So thin in the display that literally gives the percentage and power use will be great. Not asking people to log in to a victron app etc.
Can you add an aditional deep well or lithium battery or batteries to the Yeti 3000X for more electrical storage?
Goal Zero offers a Yeti Tank AGM expansion battery~ www.pntrac.com/t/TUJGRU1NSEJHRkxMTk1CRkhNS0xM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.goalzero.com%2Fcollections%2Fall-products%2Fproducts%2F4-8-kwh-yeti-expansion-kit. You can add up to 4 of them which the previous link is a set. The only think is that they utilize the Yeti link so you cannot use the Tanks and Alternator Charger simultaneously. They 6000x has double the battery capacity of the 3000x which would then allow the use of the alternator charger~ www.pntrac.com/t/TUJGRU1NSEJHRkxMTk1CRkhNS0xM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.goalzero.com%2Fcollections%2Fall-products%2Fproducts%2Fgoal-zero-yeti-6000x-portable-power-station. Definitely tradeoffs to either option I suppose
Love the tutorial. I have the yeti 6000x trying to convert a bus and I had a question about connecting to the van battery. I have an extra 12 ft. EC8 cord and my yeti is about 6 ft. from the bus battery. Could I just strip the female end and connect negative to negative and positive to positive with an 80 amp circuit breaker? I know its a DIY job but just wanted to get your opinion. I didn't understand why goal zero had multiple connections. I appreciate any advice. THANKS?
Hey there! I've spoke with Goal Zero about it in the past and as long as you are using 8 gauge wire you can extend the cable. I'm not sure what gauge the extension cables are but if you find they are 8 gauge it would work fine to splice them together to get the extra length you need
@@Trailvagabonds THANKS!
Great vid mate. Slow down in the non skippables 👍🏻
Thank you, hope it's helpful! And sorry, the ads are auto-added by RUclips. I've noticed they have changed their ads in general watching videos myself. More 15 second non-skippables back to back
@@Trailvagabonds ah fair play. The second ad is skippable 👍🏻 great review. Have one on the way. You have given me confidence in my purchase 👍🏻👍🏻
@@urbanarkoverland glad to hear it! Let me know if you have any questions as you get into it once it arrives. All the best! 😊
@@Trailvagabonds cheers pal 👍🏻
Do you think the 3000X could run an instant pot and or a cpap machine?
I think for electric cooking (thinking induction cook top or crock pot otherwise) an instant pot is a great option with a 3000x. They run at 1000 watts while the pressure builds up but then their draw is pretty small and don't take much battery from there. CPAPs run on Average 30-60 watts (at about 65 watts max I believe). You could run one a couple nights from a full battery. I think Goal Zero's website says it could run one for 47 hours on a full charge. With charging options during the day, you'd have no problem utilizing a 3000x off grid. Even for weekend trips without charging options could be possible being concious of your usage.
Great channel very informative. How will you be wiring up your outlets to the goal zero? Extension cord with other end cut off and wired in to outlet??
Thank you! Hope they can be helpful to you! Yep that's exactly how I'm doing it. I talk about it in our Shiplap Wall video. It's a simple way to wire outlets. It'll hopefully do the trick for our AC needs
excellent review. i am disappointed with their lithium X units as the 8mm input max input has lowered from 240w to 120w as bigger units have been released. goal zero provides an 8mm to high power port 4x cable (anderson connection), a $30 part for those that have multiple small panels when you exceed 120w 8mm input. then you probably want to get a 30ft anderson extension cable for $60.
I think it was more a safety concern then anything since it's a lot of amps in a smaller wire. You could maybe make your own connectors for cheaper with 10 awg wire and connectors off Amazon. But it does seem Goal Zero's accessories are a premium for utilizing their products. Makes the price tag well over what you expect at the outset.
I received a Goal Zero 3000x for medical devices. I have a bad back, so I really need the lightest possible panels. I'm looking at getting 2-3 nomad 200 watt panels but they are too expensive. What are the lightest, cost-effective panels I can use and what connector/adaptor, and extension cord etc... would I need? And would they need to run in parallel or series?
I think using felixable panels would be best for lightweight portability. Much like these 100w Renogy panels ~ amzn.to/3l2B8YM
There are different watt sizes. I'm not sure what your budget is but I know GZ products are much more expensive
To connect them to your GZ at a decent distance you will need 10 awg solar wires with MC4 Connectors~amzn.to/3xizQOl and an MC4 to Anderson adaptor~amzn.to/3DPp1Wk You just need to make sure your polarity is correct out of the panels and into the unit.
As for parallel or series, it will depend how many panels you go with. Connecting panels together can be done with these branch connectors~amzn.to/30TRWdQ
There are different factors to take into account in your choice, one being the GZ can only take in a max of 50 Volts from your panels. This article from renogy could be helpful in that decision ~www.renogy.com/learn-series-and-parallel/?gclid=CjwKCAjwybyJBhBwEiwAvz4G7353pvccmW527T2eg031nCjYkC3XGNNv7wXHZzx4ZXuD6IiSrnoyiBoCCB0QAvD_BwE
Hope that helps! Let me know if I forgot something or if you have other questions 🙌🏻
@Matt & Katie Happy New Year! 🎆 🎉 Thank you so much for responding to my questions in such a thorough manner. It is greatly appreciated. I am trying to get three renogy flex 175w panels; however, I need to know how to hang them up or use solar panel mount brackets? I was looking at 1) Renogy 28in brackets, 2) Renogy brackets that support up to 150w, & 3) Eco-Worthy 41" or whatever else. All I know is that I want & need to adjust a bracket to get good wattage. I am hoping amazon gets the 175w back in soon.
I've seen people put the flexible panels just on the windshield of the van. Since they are so portable setting them up when you want to charge with solar is pretty simple in that way. Or do you plan to mount them to the roof of the van? I don't have experience with that. I attached my rigid panels to my roof rack. There seem to be many options. A key is giving airflow because they need to dissipate heat and if they can't the panels can be ruined
Can you show if it can charge via the “Link” and regular input via solar/600W power supply simultaneously? Thank you
I spoke with Goal Zero and the tech said that the controller will only take in the largest amount of charge so solar or the 600w charger will be switched off while the alternator is charging. I have not personal "tested" it to know that is for sure but it seems likely. When I film my recall update video with the link car charging kit I will try to add a bit on that 👍🏼
Matt & Katie Thank you, looking forward to it to decide a purchase 👍
Thank you for a helpful demonstration of how Goal Zero can be used in a van. I was wondering how often you are accessing Goal Zero? Do you find you are constantly plugging and unplugging things into it? Can you leave all the charging options (shore power, alternator, and solar) connected simultaneously, or do you have to unplug and replug depending on the power source? Same question for the outputs, do you leave all your extension cord outlets plugged into Goal Zero? Do you have any issues with vibration shaking those loose?
I apologize, I thought I had replied to this comment years ago but am just seeing it come up now after these couple years. Do you still have questions? Did you go with a Goal Zero? Let me know if you still do otherwise I’m sorry I didn’t answer you and I hope you had your questions answered!! Cheers!
What IS the phantom draw? How much power does it lose per hour (or day?) with AC/DC turned on, but with nothing plugged in?
I haven't noticed a draw on the 12v output if nothing is running. We usually leave it on continuously in the van. The AC however is running an inverter when turned on and with nothing plugged in there is still a continuous draw of 9 watts. It's the equivalent of leaving an LED light on as an example. The 3000x would trickle down to empty after over 300 hours at that parasitic rate. Because we don't normally power much with AC we personally always have it turned off unless we need to use it. One reason the app is so nice, you can turn it on from your phone and not have to touch the actual unit in case you have it hidden away.
@@Trailvagabonds appreciate the reply! Very helpful. I just got a new Bluetti AC200max in and it is dropping 40% a day just with ac and dc turned on with no load. Abysmal. Going to replace it with this unit. Thanks again matt 👋🏼
What a great explanation. What do you think of 1500X comparing to this?
Honestly I think it may be the sweet spot for a van! The 3000x is probably overkill for our average needs. I think you'd be happy with it. Let me know if you have other questions 🙌🏻
Hey Matt! Just wanted to check in to see how your vehicle integration kit is going. We rented a van before building ours out and it seemed that the kit burned out the alternator but that was back in 2020 and it could have just been a bad alternator on the promaster 136 build that we rented.
I'm considering buying one to help maintain our 3000X when our 400W of solar can't top it off during a cloudy day. I was curious if the 3000X was smart enough to know to pull from the vehicle alternator rather than the solar once you start driving or if you've had to unplug the solar to make sure it chooses the vehicle.
Hey! We've had good luck with ours. I know the previous model was recalled because connections could come undone and that could be part of why the alternator had issues but I'm unsure on that. Maybe it had to do with the alternator size too. I have heard people utilizing the link kit with mini vans so it seems maybe it was the recall issue. The new version has holders to keep all the connections together and the connections were changed ever so slightly too.
GZ customer support specifically told me when the vehicle is on you don't need to remove solar and that the charge controller will choose the larger of the two sources to charge the unit. The nice thing when your battery is topped up, your solar will also charge the vehicle battery through the link to keep it full. Cool feature with the link. Another part of the problems in the past was the firmware updates. They took around 6 months when they realized the recall issues to rebuild the firmware so it's definitely important to update the unit from the app when you do install it (both the GZ and Link updates).
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have other questions. I'll hopefully make an updated install video in the future (haven't had time recently) because the new vehicle kit has a fuse and the connectors I spoke of earlier which makes it quite a bit different then my original install. Cheers!
Great video. Doing similar system in our van. You answered some questions about fuse panel integration. Not van related, but where did you get the cart for your dog? Wondering because one of our labs has back end paralysis. Thanks
Glad the video could be helpful! 🙌🏻
The cart is from Eddie's Wheels. They do custom aluminum wheelchairs to your dog's measurements. This one is currently a loaner because it's a little big for Love but we are having one built for her. There is another company called Handicapped Pets that sells more one size fits all chairs too. Sprinting around playing chase and wrestling with our other dogs, it's pure joy for her (and us)! Definitely a worthy investment for a family member! 😊
Thanks!
Ok--Just starting my van build and thanks for all of your build videos, in particular your upgrade to the Goal Zero 3000x. I have decided to go the same Goal Zero route and have several questions. We plan on using van for intermittent long trips but do not plan on living in the van full time--just 2 to 4 week trips that will incorporate a majority of overnight accommodations in hotels. Did you ever consider the Yeti 6000X or have you ever had an instance where you wished you had purchased the larger unit; the price increase to go for the larger unit seems to be reasonable--double the power for $1800. Another question is how are you going to "clean up" the 110 outlets that are being serviced by extension cords; seems like you will have to unplug one and then plug in another in order to change outlets which seems a bit cumbersome. Again, thank you for your help in getting me started.
Hey Tony! Just saw your support on Patreon! Thank you! Send us an email if you wouldn't mind and we can chat through these questions - trailvagabonds (at) Gmail (dot) com
My first thought is the 3000x has been more than we've needed. The 6000x would allow for many days off grid without much worry. I'll definitely have some questions on your plans for charging and all. We'll go more in depth by email if you wouldn't mind 🙌🏻
Did you have a tough time updating your firmware? Can’t get mine to update. Does the fast charger get as hot as the regular charger? Thanks, love the video
Thank you, hope it can be helpful! I did have trouble updating when I wasn't connected to wifi on my phone. But once connected it was a simple process of downloading the update. And yes, the fast charger gets hot. It has a warning label that it should be given space around it because of the heat it generates. Pretty awesome piece of tech. Let me know if you have other questions 🙌🏻
NEW SUB. Okay, great video. Now you might be the perfect person. to finally get a question answered. I was getting ready to buy the jackery until I found out about the goal Zero. One of the features that the goal zero is supposed to be able to do is you can operate it, they say from a different location. With wifi, my question to you is I haven't seen anybody display this function so is his is true?
I have some off grid property that's about an hour and a 1/2 away from where I live, so if I wanted to heat the place up and turn some lights on, could I control the Goal Zero from a different state to power it on, and then whatever is pugged up into then comes on, because if that's the case, then that's a game changer and a clear decision
Thanks
I have not tried to utilize the app features outside of turning it on and off while on the same WiFi network which works great or Bluetooth while in the van so I don’t have to open the cabinet. One thing I have noticed with our 3000x is that the pairing turns itself off when not utilized for a bit. But again, I haven’t played around with it enough to give you a more thought out response than that on the 3000x. I know their new pro 4000 says it can be controlled from virtually anywhere in the world and they are having a nice sale on them currently. They are the model that came out after the 3000x and I’ve heard really good things. Better battery, more charging ability, better output. They have a detailed bit on the site about their app. If it’s really anywhere, I think it would be the better option for you. www.pntrs.com/t/SENLT09HTE5DSEdNTU9OQ0dJTkxNTQ
I’ve been very happy with all our Goal Zero products so I can recommend most all of them. I will say their techs are always up to answering questions too. If were you my main questions would be 1. Does it need to be on the same WiFi network as your app to access and 2. When you have the featured turned on, is there an auto-off on the GZ unit that would stop it pairing
@Trailvagabonds thank you for the very detailed response
No problem, definitely give them a call and ask those two questions. If you have any other questions on hooking up a 12v system or anything, let me know. I’ve done quite a bit of playing around and may have other experience helpful to you
Great video! Can it simultaneously charge the unit with Solar and alternator?
You can leave the solar plugged in but the system prioritizes the larger charge I was told my GZ so it will only accept the alternator charging in such a situation
@@Trailvagabonds That's nice. I wonder if there is a way to combine them or if that isn't a thing. I appreciate the time and effort you put into this video and your rig. Thanks for replying!
@@ryhu4755 I’m not sure. Maybe a question for GZ. I do know their new 4000 Pro can take in more solar than the X line. It has many more ports and updated battery tech so maybe worthwhile to look at that too
Could you power a typical 12v rooftop air-conditioning unit with one of these?
No. Most 12v units run at 50-80 amps and the max 12v output is 30. Also even if it could there isn’t enough battery bank to run it for long. I’ve run a Colman Mach 120v AC with a GZ 6000x. But again it would drain the battery very fast, more than solar could charge. So it’s always smart to plug in when utilizing an AC unit.
@@Trailvagabonds Thank you!
Hi Matt, I have just found your channel, via this link to the Yeti 3000X.
I will be starting my latest van build in about 2 months and have always gone the standard route, DC-Dc charging / solar charging to lithium batteries, with a 2000W inverter for the 110v, then on to 12v for the van and the inverter mainly for our coffee machine.
I look at the 3000X or even the 6000X and think why? this looks a awesome piece of kit and a great review. Will it cope with a water pump for my sink and also a water pump for my rear shower.
A year in are you still happy with the 3000X?
Thanks for your time.
Hey Brian! We are still very happy with our 3000x. I think GZs updates to the x line are pretty awesome and covered most complaints people had in previous versions. I’ve also built a couple client vans with a 3000x and 6000x. I think for the quality of equipment in a GZ, the price is fairly comparable depending on the products you include in a pieced together electrical system. Ultimately a pieced together electrical kit can give you ability to run a more robust 12v system like a 12v air conditioner. But for an average build- a water pump, led lights, usbs, fridge. The appliances are all pretty efficient and 30 amp 12v output is ample. There are always trade offs. If a GZ goes out you have to replace the whole unit, not just the inverter as an example in a diy system. For plug and play ease of use, GZs only need a couple connections and a lot of people without electrical knowledge look at it much easier. I like them as an option for clients but think pieced together systems can give you a lot more ability to change things up and really drill into your exact needs.
Sorry if that’s a confusing answer. I love the GZ and think it’s a great option for many builds/ peoples needs. But I don’t think it’s the only option and do think diy systems have their place when needed. Let me know if you have other questions on it. Hopefully that was helpful in some way
@@Trailvagabonds Hi Matt, now that's what I call a comprehensive answer. Thanks. I am going to get prices from someone like ''Light Harvest solar'' for a pieced together system and see what the current price difference is between it and a GZ. I'll also look for other companies doing a complete package. The biggest thing I need is the Transit Van itself. I ordered it 12 months ago (September 2021) and now it's been moved to a 2023 MY. So hopefully I am at the head or the list, but I doubt it. It was delayed and then never produced because of a reversing camera shortage!!
Thanks again.
Big fan,got LOTS of ideas from your van series. Also got an upgrade from YT1000 to 1500X.questionNow, since I already have the Max.output cable like you did, why switch to just APP cable? any downside?
thanks for all you!!! Happy Trails!🤙🏽
For the x model the HPP(APP) now has a max output of 30 amps. Before you needed the max current to combine all the ports but now it's just the single one for the max output leaving the max current cable obsolete. They do not recommend using it to combine outputs now. Made it not worth purchasing on my end since I never had a lithium unit I could use it with 😂
Hope that's helpful! Let me know if you need any other clarification or have other questions 🙌🏻
I subbed. Enjoying this video and will check out others. Curious, can one use that Yeti Link to add one of their Yeti Tank Lead Acid Battery units to it AND connect to the vehicle battery too so the Yeti 3000x can charge while driving both the Yeti 3000x and the Yeti Tank battery? Would be nice to have the extra 100aH Yeti Tank for longer term stays.
Thanks for the sub! Sorry I'm just seeing your comment now. I don't believe there is a way to include an expansion tank while connected to the vehicle integration kit. They use the same plug at the back of the Goal Zero unit and I'm not sure there would be a way to connect both. It would be a great feature for Goal Zero to make! They do have the Yeti 6000x which is double to capacity of the 3000x. But hopefully we will see some advances in that regard from them. Seeing the stuff Ecoflow is doing with their RV/Tiny house kits I couldn't imagine Goal Zero being too far behind with some new tech
Have you tested running a full size fridge? I am mainly looking this generator for power outage in the house. Run the fridge, internet, TV and small heater fan. Curious how long it might last?
I did not put it through testing a full size fridge since it wasn't going to be my standard usage. It will really depend on how efficient your fridge is I would expect. Goal Zero's website states 55 hours on an average 55 watt fridge usage for the 3000x. Many fridges aren't that efficient though I don't believe. TV would also depend on the model you have. Some of the newest LED tvs sip power. Older plasma tvs are very power hungry. I know the 3000x and 6000x were built with home integration in mind for just those scenarios. With charging help from solar, I think it could get you through power outages rather than using a gas generator very well. I think there would still need to be tradeoffs to what you run so you aren't completly drained by the end of the day. Hope that helps. Goal Zero's product pages have average usage scenarios talking about time of use, charging scenarios, and other good information. Obviously always best case numbers but would give you a good idea. Hopefully there are some other channels out there talking about the home integration a little more. Let me know if you have other questions! 😊
Nice video. First I’ve seen that shows real life demonstrations. Some questions: 1) what happens when the draw exceeds the capacity of a 12v port; 2) many appliances (like a microwave oven) say that they should only be connected to a grounded 110v outlet. The yeti is not grounded. Any concerns or advice?
Also, when you connected the link to the battery, you did not install a fuse. Does the link protect itself?
The power cuts out if you go over it's output. Though it has internal protection I think being concious of your output is smart. We maxed out our old 400 unit a few times.
There is an equipment ground or isolated ground within the system for those items that need a ground. So the system isn't connected to an earth but is ground protected within it.
For the Link battery charger, I went with Goal Zero's instructions. I would guess there is some form of protection either within the Link or with how it is connected to the Power System. I'd have to refer you to Goal Zero tech for specifics
Hi Matt. Love your videos. I just put in the yeti car link. When I turn off the vehicle, the link is displaying all 4 green LEDs lit up. Does yours do that too? I called GZ and they said the LEDs should go off. Thanks.
Glad you are enjoying the videos, hope they can be helpful! I looked into the same thing because it worried be at first. I was told it shows the charge of your vehicle battery so that you know if it is topped up or not. With the integration kit installed, solar or AC charging will also help charge your vehicle battery which is super cool!
It's been a year. How has the battery held? I just saw your vid 5 min ago as I'm looking in to power supply options for (possibly) vanlife. I see most people choose battleborn and just heard of goal earlier this morning. How does it hold with a heater all night and how much does it eat up? To switch from car to tank any other way than that little pin push?
Hey there! Sorry I missed this comment and it's taken a bit to get back to you. We've had no issues with our 3000x. The heater running all night doesn't drop the battery much (maybe 5%). Our 2-3 days trips we normally only get down to 85-90% at the lowest and our 200watts of solar top it up on a sunny day before the evening. We also run a Maxxfan on low when the heaters running just to keep air circulating. We have a handful of LEDs and a water pump. Also running the electric kettle for coffee in the morning too. We don't have a ton of power hungry devices that we use. But we've never been in a situation where we felt we didn't have enough battery bank.
For the car to tank mode they have updated the app since this video to include a button you can push to switch between the 2. No need for a paper clip anymore. Making sure the firmware is updated is the most important part when using the car charging kit which the app will do for you.
There are definitely some pros to a DIY system. I thought in terms of the quality parts Goal Zero uses and a cost analysist of what a similar diy system would be, that a plug and play system was a great option for our needs. Lots of things to weigh in the choice. We made a blog post talking about our choice some if it can also be helpful~www.trailvagabonds.com/blog-1/2021/11/23/van-build-electrical-system-why-you-should-consider-goal-zero
Definitely let me know if you have other questions 🙌🏻
Do you actually get the 3000Wh as advertised? Your review indicates you only get about half of what is advertised (~1500Wh). At 5:08 your battery is at 99% and your only pulling 31 watts. The Yeti says it will be drained in 45.8 hours if 31watts continues to be used. Therefore, when I multiply 31Watts X 45.8 hours = 1419.8Wh which is far from the advertised 3000Wh. Could you or anyone else confirm this?
Good catch there. I'm curious if it is the system getting use to running since this was the first time using it. If you continue to watch, the next test with the coffee grinder has a larger output wattage and a higher hours to empty shown on the screen. We've definitely been on trips with little to no sun and been fine for a couple days under similar use conditions. The battery definitely has about 250 amp hours from our experience. I'd be curious to know if there is another explanation to it.
Do you have a fridge in the van? If so will it power that?
We built space for a fridge but have only used a cooler in that space currently. Trying to budget for one in the future. But I can tell you a Goal Zero will power a fridge no problem. I own a van build business and we’ve installed GZs for electrical systems and Vitrifrigo c115 fridges in them. As well as the Dometic cooler style fridges. Having solar or the car charging kit is very helpful to stay off grid for extended periods because depending on the temperature and amount of food in your fridge, they have a 45w draw when running which would only give you so long without charging ability.
Now if I could just get the car charging kit! Ordered mine Nov 11 2020 and now they are saying it will arrive in June maybe!
I've heard they are covering all the recalls first. At least you can know all the issues are covered now! It is an amazing option for charging!
Can you charge additional batteries over the expansion link using the 8mm from an 8mm output on the yeti? Trying to figure out a way to have more than 150W solar input to the yeti but also have a way to recharge the expansion batteries.
The link is meant to help charge expansion batteries. With solar you can have a max of 600w coming in. We only put 200w on our roof though. I haven't looked into the 8mm output too much since I've only used the link as the car charger option. Goal Zero is usually very helpful when I've called them. Couldn't hurt to try that. I could do some searching later on to see if I can find more info myself.
@@Trailvagabonds thanks! I know the limit is 600 through the HP input, but max input on 8mm is 150w and the only way to charge externals (other than directly with alternator) is through the 8mm (I think). So I imagine even with maxing out 150w input, it would take a long time to charge the 1000X and however many expansion batteries you have. I hope I'm wrong!
Oh got ya! I know the expansion batteries connect to the extension cord out the back of the link so maybe that will feed you expansion batteries at a higher rate than the 8mm connector. In car mode when your yeti is fully charged it sends the incoming power to the vehicle battery to top it up. I'm not certain of this and trying to find info was hard to do. I'd give them a call and check about it. I'd you do please let me know! 😊
Does your alternator overheat when charging the Yeti X at idle? Does the Yeti X have a ramp up mode in the DC to DC charge module? Can it run a 12 refrigerator? Thanks
I have not had issues with it overheating but I also am pretty conscious of not idling for long. It does seem to ramp up slowly, it doesn't jump to 600-700 watts immediately. I'm not sure what the link does in its circuitry, maybe a good question for Goal Zero Tech Support. As for a 12v fridge, there are no issues I've seen running one. The 12v output has a max of 30 amps so as long as you are within spec and not overdrawn with other 12v appliances you should be golden. I know in the version 2 units the 12v wasn't regulated well so there were dips and spikes that without a regulating cable would give many fridges issues. But the Yeti X line has fixed those issues from what I've experienced. Let me know if you have other questions I can help with 🙌🏻
Thanks for your precise reply; it is much appreciated!
@@joenovak9366 no worries, I'm happy to help!
Great video. Question about Solar Pannel. what is the largest watt pannel i can use. i was planning on a 250 watt that has amps below the 50 max.
The 3000x has a max input of 600 watts. It's limited by the solar controller that is built into the unit. As long as you aren't going over the max voltage and amperage you could have more than 600 watts of solar, the unit just can't take more than 600 in.
I'll just reiterate the most important part is not going over the 50 volt limit because doing so could hurt the internal parts of the unit. If you use one 250w panel you shouldn't have to worry about that. If you have a link to the pabel specs, I could help tell you if you could connect two of them together for 500 watts (if you have the roof space)
@@Trailvagabonds thanks man. I just plan on one pannel so i will get the specs once i decide on a pannel and get back to you. thanks
@@scottj2574 you'll probably be good then but I can definitely look over it and let you know when you settle on one. All the best!
@@Trailvagabonds thanks Matt. Another question on hooking up a tv. Should i run a 12 volt off the fuse box or plug the 12 volt into the yeti output that has the circle out put hookup. I can plug an a/c tv in but i think the power draw would be too much
@@scottj2574 I haven't researched a ton about TVs but definitely agree 12v options are always more efficient than 120v for any appliance. I like the safety of including it in the fuse panel but you could also include an inline fuse on the barrel connector line feeding the TV if you prefer. If I'm not mistaken the 30 amp max includes both output locations combined so I don't think it will give you extra using both. If you don't have room in the fuse panel one way you can get around that would be to feed a bus bar for your led lights. It would be a fused line from the panel to the bus and then 3 or 4 (or more) light sections are fed from that
Hey Matt great video have a 1500 x and waiting for them to fix the link
What water kettle do you use ?? Seems like it has less of a draw and or is more efficient than mine TIA !!
Hey there! I think the 1500x is the perfect size! 🙌🏻 I hear the new link car kit should be out in May. Such an awesome option!
The kettle we have is from Fellow. We were gifted it as a wedding gift😊 It takes a few minutes to heat up but seems pretty efficient over the last kettle we had