Off-Grid Power: How We Use Solar Panels, Batteries and Inverters to Run Our Caravan
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- Опубликовано: 31 июл 2024
- Welcome to Part 3 of our Off Grid Travel Series.
How much power do you need?
With over 600 nights of off-grid travel under our belts this video is all about our off-grid power system! What are our power needs as a family of four living off-grid full-time. Which 240v appliances do we use, and how much power do they draw in the real world?
- A full rundown of each component of our power system.
- Factors you need to consider before specifying your system
- Our top tips and tricks for getting the most out of your power system to keep you off the grid for longer.
- How to future-proof your setup to save you money to ensure you get it right for your needs.
We’re also giving away a gift voucher to spend on the Everything Caravan & Camping website details on how to win are in the episode.
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00:00 Intro
02:19 Your Feedback
05:01 What Do We Power Off Grid?
10:39 How Much Power Do We Use?
17:10 Running A/C Off Grid
19:43 The Main Thing We Underestimated
22:46 How Do We Recharge Our Off Grid Power System?
24:03 Our Charging System
27:41 Power Saving Tips
33:32 Is 400ah Enough For Us?
Love the detail
and approach. You’re legends!
Congrats Barry! This is livin!! 🤙🏽
some great tips given guys - well done. Great real life info on actual A/Hr use of the induction cooker & thermomix.
Our pleasure!
Really enjoyed this episode glad others travel and plan the same as us.
Thanks for sharing
Our pleasure!
A fantastically comprehensive showcase of day to day life with saving and spending amps (the new off-grid currency!) The "spend it while it's available" ethos during the middle of the day is GOLD!!!!! Great vid. Cheers, dd
Glad it was helpful!
Super informative videos. Love watching all your content. it's super easy to get caught up and binge a few eps.
Glad you like them! That's great to hear!
Thank guys well presented and informative keep up the good work 😊😊
Thanks Leon. Glad to hear it!
Thanks for another great, informative video. Putting power use into a case study / real life situation is exactly what we and probably others needed.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks Simon & Liz. Very informative vid, lots to take in as we learn to be off grid more. 💜💜
Our pleasure!
Great episode guys so informative and practical 👏
Cheers!
Thank you for making it all make sense, stay safe & be happy, Elaine from Brisbane.
Thanks Elaine!
Thanks for another great video. You guys make these thing easier to understand this subject.
Great to hear!
Nice work guys. Explained very well. 😉👍🏻
Thank you 😀
Thank you for a great video taking on all these great tips fir when we also hit the road full time with no home to return too very excited but also a little scary, and very appreciative for all your tips, safe travels ❤
Glad it was helpful!
Great episode guys. Lots of useful information & well explained
Thanks a ton!
Thanks, greatly enjoyed
Our pleasure!
Congratulations on a great series of videos on living off-grid - a topic very close to our hearts. Thank you.
Thank you!
Great video very informative using terminology you can understand 👍
Glad to hear that!
My tip for using excess power, turning the temp on the freezer down as far as it will go. When the excess solar drops off at the end of the day, turn it back up to about -8
Good tip!
Very comprehensive video, thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
Some great info again guys. Top tip charging during the middle of the day. Have been sharing these videos with my Dad who is setting up his bus .. easy for him to understand. 😊
Awesome, thank you!
Awesome info in real life term guys love it !
Glad to hear it!
Thank you for another informative video, we’re just starting the process of planning the upgrading of our off grid system and your videos have been very helpful. We look forward to seeing the next one.
Glad it was helpful!
Fantastic video, again enjoyable and informative. Simon, the professor of off-grid vanning and Liz, the sage off-grid appliance use.
Many thanks!
Another gr8 ep guys…. Thanks for the info 🤙
Glad you enjoyed it
Brilliant video! Love your no-nonsense, practical approach, keep up the good work!
Much appreciated!
Thanks Simon and Liz for that practical run through of you power set up and how you use it in the everyday. Can’t wait to test our new van out when it is built later this year and see if we got it right 😊
Our pleasure!
Great info guys...Thank you!👍👏 I take it another 200 amp lithium is on the cards!😁
Thanks for the tips and tricks for our battery system. Yes we intend to run our air con lots.
Glad to help
Another great video. Love the series. Need an episode just on your coffee machine.
Thanks 😂 What do you want to know about the machine?
@@TheLifestylePioneers How do you keep your coffee beans fresh while your travelling. Having the !arge coffee machine does it make it more complicated, compared to say a pod machine. Do you buy your coffee beans online, or just from the shops.
@Manny regen keeping beans fresh is tricky. We use a large airtight container. There's definitely a little more to it than pod coffee, but it's way better coffee, and we enjoy the process. We love buying beans from local shops and cafes as we travel around and try something new regularly.
Another informative video, thanks Simon and Liz 0:12
Our pleasure!
Great information guys, well done
Our pleasure!
Excellent summary of the whole Off Grid power scenario Simon and Liz, common sense, real life advice which has been learned from your own actual experience 👏👏
Glad you enjoyed it
Thanks guys, made me think through in a bit more detail my power requirements and what I need to consider in the new van build.
Great to hear!
Thanks for the info guys, we have already thought about adding additional solar to our caravan. But found it interesting around having a solar charger seperate to the dc dc 😮. Also I know you won’t remember me. But it was great to meet you at the titanium caravan stand yesterday as we find you both so much more grounded than some of the other families that we have watched in the past. Just keep doing what your doing
Our pleasure! Thanks for saying g'day, I love meeting our audience members in real life!
Another great video, Simon and Liz - thank you :) Great tip about running the A/C while driving, with the Anderson plug from the tug charging the batteries. Definitely going to try that one! We have essentially the same setup as you, but with the one extra solar panel - so 900W in total - and the 60A TriStar controller to make the most of all that solar. The only thing I'd add to your excellent info in the video is to keep the solar panels clean. They do get a sort of coating of grime and dried water (dew, rain, whatever) on there, and we weren't noticing the gradual decline in the rate of charge, as it happened over a period of time. But we DID notice the sudden increase in the rate of charge when I got up there with my microfibre mop thingy and cleaned the panels off...! Took about 5 minutes of gentle work, but made a significant difference in the efficiency of the panels. Keep the good stuff coming, team Bailey :)
Thanks Pete. Good point about keeping panels clean. You're spot on.
Thank you. We are upgrading our camper trailer to a off road van and these video’s we perfectly timed to remind us of what to check out and discuss what we should upgrade. ❤
Glad it was helpful!
I’m learning so much from you guys. I love free camping with my daughter so this off-grid info series you’re doing is invaluable!
Also, you just regularly Ozzie’s (in a non offensive way) so love that and love that you’re relatable!!!
Our pleasure!
Great run down.
Cheers, Cliff.
And congrats on the 1,000,000 views!!!!
Great explanations!! We have a similar set up with 400ah and have found it to be great for what we do too! Thanks heaps for sharing your story!!
Great to hear!
Another very handy video we have saved for future reference. We never turn our inverter off so will start doing that. We have about half the storage and Solar you do but we are 2 people with no coffee machine and cook mainly on gas. Good tip about charging things during the day when your batteries are full and the sun is shining. (Already subscribed)
Glad it helped!
Perfect timing on the video…. Went to the Melbourne caravan show on the weekend and got way more information from you guys than I did at the show haha! Planning on turning my family van into a off grid setup 👍
Great to hear!
Another great informative video and so easy to understand and follow. We have a sandwich toaster which is a must have item for me when we are travelling and my hubby must take is his Foxtel box (we have a satellite dish on the roof:)
Glad it was helpful!
I have a very good understanding of electronics as this was my apprenticeship in 1965. Your explanation was very good and would be easy to understand by your delivery. I was also a teacher teaching safety with Qantas and then sailing in my own business. You have a great gift in the way you explain everything.
My wife and I are into our 70’s and love your show.
Thanks so much, Peter! That means a lot. Great to hear you enjoy our videos, thanks for the support!
Well done guys. You covered the use of solar, regeneration, current draw for appliances used etc. exceptionally well. As an industrial maintenance electrician I was very impressed with your coverage,👍😊
Thanks, William! That means a lot.
I'm so glad I've just stumbled onto your channel .
Very well done . I'm enjoying your off grid series.. it's great...
Our van is due this September.. 18 month order time.
We've gone 400 amph lithium
840 watts of roof solar
1 dc/dc 50 amp charger alternator dedicated
1 dc/dc 50amp charger dedicated solar.
External anderson plug to BMPro .for portable solar management.
3000 watt inverter
Similar set up to yourselves.
Really interested to know how you store the Thermo for travel ie protecting it from lumpy bumpy roads and its delicate weigh scales etc.
Keep the dream alive pioneers !!!
That's great to hear, thanks! Well done on your van. We keep the Thermomix in on transportation mode and in a thermomix storage bag. 👌
Great video again! We have recently found our solar system created noticeably more power when we were in the New England (higher altitude with clear air and cooler temps) area, compared to on the coast with hotter temps and hazy skies.
Oh wow! Location definitely makes a big difference
Gee you guys do a great job at simplifying the electrical jargon. We are rushing off to get a DC-DC charger prior to heading away 😊. Thanks again and we are looking forward to the safety and security vid in two weeks time.❤
Our pleasure!
Congratulations Stuart, you've won the $100 voucher from Everything Caravan & Camping. Send me an email to simon@thelifestylepioneers.com and we can get it to you 🙌🎊
We’re taking the grandkids away for a few
Months in central Aus next year so your comments are blitzing it for us.
Great to hear! Have fun
When camping in tent use a small padlock through zippers when leaving camping to go hiking etc.
A useful deterrent 👌
Great video with lots of info, as usual. Here is a suggestion that might improve the clarity for future videos on this topic.
The energy stored in a battery is measured in amp hours, not amps.
The energy used by an appliance is measured by the amps it draws multiplied by the time (in hours) that it operates. When talking about an appliance operating it would be clearer to talk about x amps FOR y hours giving an energy consumption of xy amp hours.
Thanks for the tips!
We are still in the planning phase of long term travelling so these videos are super helpful. We now know that we need to get more solar panels 😝
Perfect!
Finally got to see this episode. Glad I did because its packed full of practical info and I loved the case study. We're are almost at 2 years travelling Oz towing a van also. A couple of things: 1. I heard that Satlink is bringing out a 12v version so no need to use your inverter. Not sure if its true but it's what I heard. 2. I do a fair bit of photography and so I find I do use the car's second battery to charge up a lot of my gear so as not to use the van's battery storage. Great video and thanks for sharing !
Thanks, Jim. We've also heard rumours of a 12v Starlink, fingers crossed.
Another really good one. Of course as the boys get older and up in school they're going to be using laptops as well so your power draw will be even more 🙂 cheers Cheryl
Thanks Cheryl. Great to meet you in Melbourne
New subscriber here
Great info guys,looking forward watching your adventures and tips
Welcome!
Thanks guys very informative. We are just starting out and took our van for a 3 week holiday we managed fine with batteries 400 a & water but the rain did make charging our batteries a problem we caved and went to a caravan park, paper, rock, scissors made our decision, we're also a lot older than you guys no longer want to worry about air conditioning and heat. (LOL)
Sounds great!
Hi guys injury your information great job
Cheers.
Great video. We are just starting our journey with solar and battery replenishment. We have a washing machine which we find useful when looking at the money used in laundrettes. Never can find enough coins.
Thanks, Kathy! Yes, washing machine in our van definitely works out cheaper if you have the water and the payload.
Good ideas again thanks for the info will have 300amps of lithium with 120 amps in Ute so a lot of testing and checking batteries for a lot of the time.Have been running the fridge in the back of the Ute and after a lot of raining days always checking battery and never goes down below 98% so far.I do have a 250 watt solar panel on canopy cheers🦐🐟🦈🎣
Sounds great!
Just waiting on our new hybrid camper we have opted for pretty much exactly same system you have - some great tips - thanks for another informative video. Looked like a very nice beach you were camped at - dog friendly????
Thanks Heather. This one was filmed in a few different locations. They were all on Bruny island and mostly in the NP
Good tip running air con whilst driving.
Absolutely!
thanks for posting. testing our induction cooktop, interestingly, a more watthour efficient device ( for heating water) is a birko or small kettle. also the current draw is less, just takes longer.
Thanks for the info!
Really helpful tips❣️thanks heaps for take #74 hahaha
Haha, love it! Cheers Sandy!
Very informative video and clearly expressed. I’m just wondering if you should research dc-dc boosters for laptop charging. It does my head in thinking about the conversion energy wasted in going from 12 volt DC to 240 volt AC back to 15-20 volt DC. Keep up the great content.
Fair point. To be honest, it's something we've not really considered before but probably should look into more.
Thanks Simon & Liz. Very helpful episode. It was interesting to me that your power needs have, and are changing as you travel. While I realise this would add a cost, if you were desperate for power regeneration and solar input was low have you even considered (or needed) to run the vehicle for a period to regenerate while off grid?
Our pleasure! We've never done that, although theoretically possible. The alternator at idle doen't produce a huge amount of charge and I don't like the idea of having the vehicle idling for a long period of time.
Another awesome video, thank you so much for sharing all of this amazing information! We have just bought an LC200, which we will now set up for a camping trip through the Flinders Ranges/Simpson Desert next year. Then it will be caravan build time. So these videos are just so helpful in determining our set-up(s). I have a couple of questions if I may:
Microwave - what do you use for defrosting or reheating meals if you're not using the microwave?
Washing machine - how are you managing your washing when you're off-grid (away from towns) so much?
Oven - I can't remember if you have an oven. I was thinking of having a Ziggy/Webber/Sizzler BBQ and using that as my oven. But that does add weight (and the need for gas). But an oven in the van takes up valuable cupboard space. So wondering what your thoughts are in this regard?
I have no idea about thermomix or airfryer - never seen or used these devices, so don't really know what they do.
We are looking to have the ability to draw water from creeks/rivers so that we can stay in camp for longer (not being forced to move on due to water restraints). Have you considered this option?
Again, thank you for your amazing informative videos - you are such an inspiration. Love that you've stayed real all this time. Cheers, Kerryn
Thanks for your feedback, Kerryn! And thanks for all your questions. I'll do my best to answer them all.
Defrosting - we plan ahead and get frozen meat out of the freezer ahead of time.
Reheating - we occaisonally use the microwave for this, but with 2 growing boys there's rarely leftovers and they often eat them cold. A Microwave uses quite a lot of space.
Washing Machine - we just use laundromats of caravan park laundries (keep in mind some of those off grid nights are in umpowered caravan park sites)
Oven - we don't have one. They're heavy and take up space. We use the Weber and haven't missed having an oven but it depends how you cook.
Thermomix - we've used one for years and love it. Let us know if you'd like to know more (maybe send us an email at simon@thelifestylepioneers.com)
Air fryer - we've never had one so can't comment on how useful they are, we just know a lot of travellers have them.
Creek/River water draw is something we're considering but there's not a lot of places you can get your caravan close enough to that are suitable.
Safe travels!
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer all my questions, very helpful and much appreciated!
Yes have sent a e mail.
I'll get back to you soon!
great too see another informative video.
Off the electric topic, how do you keep your roof so clean? do you just use normal car wash, truck wash with gantry to get to roof, or send Liz up on the roof?
Amazing stats for off grid camping, very few nights in parks.
Thanks Mark! No secrets with the roof other than get up there and clean it! It probably helps that we avoid parking under trees etc wherever possible to get as much solar as we can!
Hey Guys, great video, really helping us get prepared for our 12months on the road later this year!
How much power did your pod machine use vs the Breville?
Cheers! I can't remember exactly. I think it was similar draw but ran for slightly less time.
Thanks for the tips I'm thinking of how much lithium I will need when I upgrade the old agm batteries cheers
Glad I could help
Loving the series it is helping consider a lot of things as we think about our van build. One quick question is why do you use the thermomix or inverter to heat water instead of a kettle?
I wouldn’t think 300w difference over 5 minutes would be a big difference. Or is it also a space saving issue as it is just another thing that you have something that already does the job?
Thanks, Simon. It's just about carrying less stuff and using what we've got.
Hey guys, thanks for the power series. You mentioned your fridge. Do you have a compressor fridge and if so is that what you prefer?
Yes and yes. Although we're looking at 240v options.
hi Simon & Liz. Another great video that just simplifies everything. I actually did my spreadsheet after the last off grid video which is so helpful and you again confirmed some of my power usage numbers for most items. my questions is though, and I 100% understand its not perfect, but how much charge should each 180W solar panel(or 4 panels @ 720W) put into your batteries. we have exact sane system as you - 720W solar, 2 x 200Ah Lithium, 40A DC/DC, 2600W Inverter. (We don't have the MPPT Solar Charger- maybe 1 day). I know it depends on lots of variables but what is the starting point?? we also have same wireless monitoring so trying to get my head around the app also!!! thanks heaps.
Thanks Richard. Like you said, it's not an exact science but at best we see 36-38amps @ 12v from our 720w. I reckon if you work off 60-70% max you'd be pretty close.
Hi Simon and Liz, we really love your videos. You guys are really informative. I just wanted to ask you about your power system and is it capable of running your air conditioner in your caravan. Would a caravan air conditioner consume a lot of power. Any feedback you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Take care guys.
Yes, absolutely. We cover this in the video. The AC uses approx 80ah @12v (or just under 1000w)
Great episode. What type / brand induction cooker do you use or recommend
We're about to go down the journey of researching this. Ours is quite old and no longer made.
Hi, we have the same van as you and just wondering if you’ve considered a generator for the AC ? - we find we struggle in 38-40+ degree days only being able to run the AC short term. Enjoyed your tips and tricks 👍🏼
We've never felt we needed one. We only run the AC when it's really hot and generally, there's good solar when it's that hot.
Great video guys thanks a question about your solar controller does it turn off or float when the battery is full all the best Ron
Thanks Ron. I assume it does, but i'm not an expert. You'd best bet would be to talk to Enerdrive.
@@TheLifestylePioneers thanks
Using power when the batteries are full is a no
Brainer
Thank you for great videos. However, I do not understand how two separate chargers work at the same time work. I believe an MPPT charger checks output of the PV module, compares it to battery voltage, then fixes what is the best power that PV module can produce to charge the battery. If a second charger is holding the battery voltage (artificially) high, eg 14.5V whilst charging, will the other charger measure this voltage and shut down? To put it another way, I thought smart chargers worked by switching between a charging mode and sampling mode where it gets feedback on the SOC to optimise the charge profile. With two chargers do you still get an optimised charge profile. How do they sync?
Love and appreciate your content. Cheers.
Thanks Andrew. I see your point and it's possible we're progressing beyond my understanding of the system here 😂 Lithium voltage doesn't vary as much as AGMs (it's one of their benefits) so I'm not sure that's how the chargers are operating when their profile is set to lithium. I do know that it works though, we often see 70-80amps going into the batteries when driving and there's good solar conditions. That wouldn't be possible from the solar or alternator alone.
Have you thought about using a crockpot for some cooking?
Not really to be honest. I'd imagine they're a little heavy and less versatile than a Thermomix. We can slow cook in the Thermomix as well so not sure we'd use one much.
Very informative video. I’ve got an18.6 Zone O/road caravan. Have 400ah lithium with 600w solar panels. Also 40ah DCDC charger. I have my iPad (which I carry in the car) linked to the caravan CZone. So I can see what ah’s are going into the battery while I’m towing with the car. I see that it never has more than 29 amps per hour going into the batteries whilst travelling. I’m assuming that that charge is coming from the car alternator only. Should some charge also be coming in from the Solar. With a 40ah DCDC charger I would have thought that the solar panels could also put in the remaining capacity of 11 amps. Maybe I also need to have a MPPT solar controller installed so that solar charge is also going into the batteries while travelling. Maybe you could clarify this for me
Thanks, Steve. As I understand it yes, you should be getting solar input and alternatuor input when driving. It will depend on how the van has been wired tough. Best to speak to Enerdrive and see if they can assist. We've found their tech support to be exceptional.
Imma need that rice pudding recipe link pleeeeease 😘
cookidoo.com.au/recipes/recipe/en-AU/r68955
You're welcome 😉😂
Great video. Does your Ranger give you ability to charge in the car as well?
Thanks Nick. Charge what exactly?
@@TheLifestylePioneers laptops or filming equipment.
@@MrKlaus01 yes it does, but only when driving for the laptop. Can be handy but can't rely on it as we don't drive often enough
What brand is your portable induction cooker? Is it made for travel or just a standard one meant for homes?
Ours is a Philips but yes, just a regular domestic one.
Hi, pretty sure laptops will use around 19V and around 3 - 5A/H? depends on the type/model of laptop and accesories?
I'm guessing it depends a lot on what laptop you have. Our video editing laptop needs 12.3A at 19V
Does the 240v shore power also charge the batteries?
Yes it does. Something I missed in the video. We have a 40A AC charger as well.
Good video just one thing you forgot to mention about charging batteries from car when parked up when your batteries are getting low and you're not producing anything from solar
It's not something we've ever done or tried. I don't like the idea of having the car idling for hours to charge batteries.
@@TheLifestylePioneers yeah I agree it's only something you want to do to get yourself out of a pinch when batteries are near flat and clouds are about.
Thanks. Great vid. So the big question, how have you been washing clothes for last 2 years?
Thanks Mark. We use Laundromats mainly and sometimes caravan park laundries.
I won that you guys.
You did! 🤠 Send me an email to simon@thelifestylepioneers.com and I'll get the voucher sent to you. Congratulations 🎊
That was awesome .. we have been debating how much solar we need. My husband is very happy with this as he knows how much I love my Thermomix and airConditioning - you made the case for him to have a bigger system 😊. We are newbies and have learnt so much from you. Thankyou :)
Cant find that Burks Backyard episode :-(
Try Birks Backyard on Insta
Thanks heaps. So my rough calc with 4 panels was 36 amps(4panels x 9 amps) x 0.7(efficiency) x 6(#hours) = 151.2 amps. Thus if we were down to around 40% on our 240Ah batteries we would (theoretically) should be back to around 100% after 6 hours????? We are usually down to about 78 to 80% each morning so are well covered based on this I think???????
I think that should be "Thus if we were down to around 60% on our 400Ah batteries we (theoretically) should be back to around 100% after 6 hours?????"
Hard to say if that's correct without all the info. How many Watts are your solar panels?
@@TheLifestylePioneers 4 x 180W /720W. following is my first comment and I incorrectly sent the response in comments in stead of reply - oops!!! hi Simon & Liz. Another great video that just simplifies everything. I actually did my spreadsheet after the last off grid video which is so helpful and you again confirmed some of my power usage numbers for most items. my questions is though, and I 100% understand its not perfect, but how much charge should each 180W solar panel(or 4 panels @ 720W) put into your batteries. we have exact sane system as you - 720W solar, 2 x 200Ah Lithium, 40A DC/DC, 2600W Inverter. (We don't have the MPPT Solar Charger- maybe 1 day). I know it depends on lots of variables but what is the starting point?? we also have same wireless monitoring so trying to get my head around the app also!!! thanks heaps.
just thinking 720 watts solar is 60 amps at 12 volts but charger is 40 amps. Seems you could never get Max solar input?
Great pickup and something I probably should have touched on. It all comes down to the efficiency of the solar panels. It's unlikely we'll ever reach 40a input with 720w of solar laid flat on the roof. The max is around 36-38amps
@ 8:28. What about your Air Conditioner as your biggest appliance? 🤣 ROFL.
Also, if you had a Victron Multip-lus 3 kva Inverter, the specs state you use up to 20w residual power (which is 1.6 amps).
I get your point with the AC, but the coffee machine draws more power (obviously doesn't run for as long though) so depends how you look at it. Victron is good gear but doesn't have the same level of support as other brands in Aus.
@@TheLifestylePioneers My coffee machine is a Sunbeam EM5000 -
Another great video, but can you make your vids a little shorter?. My caravan batteries have just dropped from 92% to 91% after watching this but hopefully they will make it to 93% by nightfall!!!🤣🤣
Love it! Thanks mate
A lot of laptops have options to get a charger that will run off a cigarette lighter.
Thanks. We haven't been able to find one that will keep up with our video editing laptop. As I understand it the most you'll get from a cig socket is about 10A at 12v, ours needs quite a lot more. Definitely an option if you can run your laptop from it though
@@TheLifestylePioneers I have one for my work laptop that puts out 85 watts. How much are your video laptops chewing? I know that I’ve seen 100 w versions around too.
@Clayton Firth our video editing laptop needs 240w
@@TheLifestylePioneers yeah you’re not getting that much out of a cigarette lighter socket…
How do you guys do your clothes washing?
Laundromats or caravan park laundries