@@icehGGI think the fact that the cameraman deliberately taking that shot shows a bit of creativity from his side too, I guess things have become more stress free as they can take reshoots and take a plunge into these "experimental" shots
I haven't watched the video past this part yet, but why not use wake-on-lan? You could connect your phone to the Wi-Fi provided by the router and send the magic packets to each of the laptops that are wired up to the router.
It's funny seeing his progression. I feel like he used to give Linus a hard time for doing things weird ways, but he's embraced the chaos and now Linus has to try to control him.
this is actually a real problem with van life builds because those who catch on, realize there's a lot of tech inside these things. which is why a lot of people try to be as outwardly stealthy as possible.
Although the screens of OEM car manufacturers aren't up to spec like the ones Linus is using. There is a benefit that they're built in and pre-wired to the car. Less likely someone would steal OEM screens. Alex needs to engineer some brackets for the false floor, so they can add some locks to the entire floor. Hopefully it'll deter theft a bit.
Linus is a different type of breed that not only allows his kids to play games on a picnic but also give them 4 really good gaming laptop and a gaming van to play games. No one can stop him
@@AssassinIronManexactly. It's easy to give your kids whatever you want when you have companies falling over each other to give you gear and sponsor your videos. Don't get me wrong I'm happy for him and his family It's amazing what Linus has pulled off over the years, but this is incredibly unrealistic for many families that watch his videos.
@@JoshuaCollinsi honestly don't think its that unrealistic. Sure, the custom machined parts are an exception, but those don't make or break this idea. Most kids already have a gaming setup. You could absolutely replace that (if the kid is ok with that), if it's not already a gaming laptop. You could even just make the pc car-proof with mounts usually used for shipping. If you wanna go the budget road, all you need is a 12v inverter. An upgraded alternator is not needed, although the car might complain. The fancy install doesn't cost much, it's just alot of effort and planning. I think the "problem" is that this is not a priority for the average family. Most parents would probably straight-up object to it. Thats why i think money isn't the main concern. I am a university student with very little money to spare, and even i was able to afford an inverter for my car to use my gaming laptop on the fly.
@@NiliMoto an inverter and gaming laptop do not compare to an upgraded alternator, LFP batteries, gaming displays, multiple gaming laptops (with 4060s) and a high end gaming wifi router. C'mon dude. OH, and "professionally installed" solar panels. The idea is cool, I dig it. It's just not relatable content.
Watch out for galvanic corrosion around that bolt. If it contacts salty water from the road, it could start rusting the frame in the area around it bc of the difference in oxidation potential of the different metals.
Literally my thoughts when I heard Linus ask if it was stainless steel. An isolating top hat (sort of a plastic sleeve) and a nylon washer should insulate the bolt enough to prevent this. Oh and use stainless steel bolts!
For the bolts going through the chassis, I would have flipped it and had the head of the bolt at the bottom and you screw the nut in on the inside. This way you can trim and locktite the bolts and then spray a spray liner or something similar to the bolt heads at the bottom to prevent rust and moisture entering from there.
20ish years ago my dad had a car with screens in the back, with composite input, so I would bring my xbox. It was absolutely amazing, he liked driving and the company, I liked the destination and playing xbox. none of us were that into conversation, these are some of the greatest memories I have of him.
I think the solution for the computers (laptops) being accidentally shut down is to set up remote management (maybe wake on LAN too and also disable the ability for kids to find shutdown from the start menu). Like maybe leave the sleep and restart easily available and then have the remote management and wake on LAN stuff to help with reducing the need to physically go and press the computer power buttons.
Laptops usually have a feature in bios to turn on when they detect AC power. This would be an easier option. No change needed to how the current setup is. All Linus would need to do is turn on the ecoflow power from the controller in the front. The laptops will see power and boot.
I am just glad that MSI decided to announce their Laptops' names in clolorfully glowing letters on the back, so everyone knows how stealthy they are. .
Suggestion for the bolts that end up umderneath: Put a glob of automotive silicone on the nuts and threads. The reason why is that the "road schmoo" will foul the threads and make it difficult to undo later, the silicone will allow those bolts to come undone 10 years later!
Yeah and probably some around the washer too, you don't want water to get in there or even worse road salt and slush ice, i guess that's what you mean with "road schmoo" xD
Glad to see you guys upgraded the alternator. If anyone wants to replicate this setup, you should contact a reputable aftermarket shop because modern vehicles monitor the electrical usage of the vehicle field the alternator accordingly, so a large power leech on the alternator may go unnoticed and the vehicle won't charge properly
This immediately reminded me of when I hooked up the Composite out of my PS3 to my flip up dash radio in my '93 Plymouth Voyager LE, then to top off with the 5000 Watt Subwoofers giving the drive in movies a theater effect too
You should have a gap cover 3-d printed for the front of the solar panels. It would be a simple piece that would really reduce the wind noise but preventing th wind from going under the panels. Would just be a really thin wind fin that attaches to the panels to fill the gap to the roof
Maybe you could put a smaller door to extract the laptops if you really plan to use them outside the vehicle without having to completely empty the storage area. And allow a quick power up if needed.
It would probably cause problems with rigidity if they want to actually use the trunk. They probably should just have it start over LAN since they have internet on them all
Always love an Alex - Linus video. the energy is always peak throughout. Do we think Alex has come net zero with all the gear he's convinced Linus to buy over the years he worked there? And imagine if they'd tried this without all those wonderful toys. That shop is killer these days, and I love watching them use it for both wacky and sensible ideas. Even if the sensible stuff is often a bit wacky too. Really cool setup.
An easy solution for the shutdown thing is just using Hibernate instead of shutdown. Hibernate restarts the pc from mouse or keyboard input, and still has the benefit of consuming basically shutdown level power.
I think the issue was if the kids accidentally shut down the computer from the menu... They can't really press the button regardless so setting the button to use hibernate or adding that to the shutdown menu (if they accidentally still select shut down) doesn't actually fix the issue. Why this might be an issue: one wants to take a nap on a road trip and so shuts off their computer but wakes up and then wants to game again. Now they have to wait until the next rest stop AND unload all the gear in the back to turn it on again.
My experience with hibernate is that it needs to be restarted the same way as from a shutdown... I'll have to check as I just don't try to do it otherwise when it's hibernating but it's never happened so far that I've noticed!
14:50 easiest and possible solution would be if the BIOS has the option to power on when type C power is connected, that way every time the car turns on, the laptops turn on Edit: I know Dell client side laptops have that function, I’ll have to double check if Alienwares have that same functionality Can confirm that alienwares do have the function, even has a BIOS function to block sleep in windows
I was thinking if the laptops were wired into a switch, you could send a Wake-on-LAN magic packet to them. You could also have a script that SSHs into each laptop and powers them down/hibernates them when a button is pressed.
definitely switch those bolts and nuts for stainless, use nylock nuts and put anti-seize in the threads. i would also use large fender washers so the nuts dont pull threw the thin sheet metal floor in the event of an accident
Just One addition id reccomend... a streamline panel for infront of the solar panel, just so wind doesnt rush under or hit straight into it. Probs help alot with mileage and wind noise.
I like the build where you guys actually try your best as engineers. Really cool build guys! The video's are fun, but also this is actually a valid set-up. Which in my opinion is a lot better
Actually, you can buy the headrest mount for tablet pc, and attach the screen to it, yes, mini pc‘s (NUC) are better, you can still take them out and the monitor, too. Also a front seat hanger with several pockets and a small table for the keyboard helps,
Wake on LAN! Make something you can send commands with in a phone connected to the cars WI-FI :) Like a andriod app or what not. Should not take more than a couple of hours for your team! :)
Or a esp8266 / esp32 with physical buttons for each machine. each button will send a WoL to the correlating laptop. phone app would be good for parental control. physical buttons better for general family usability.
The issue is if they shut the computers completely down. I don't think laptops (Especially ones without ethernet ports) support WoL from a cold boot. They're using usb adapters which won't have power
This seems like a relatively smooth flowing video considering how Alex's projects can go. Always entertaining, often chaotic. Really cool project. Love it! I've been loving the videos that have come out since the production break (regardless of when they were actually filmed)
Regarding those solar panels generating more drag and wind noise. I think a simply solution would be to 3D model an aerodynamic wind guard that slants up from the top of the windshield up to the solar panels to make them nice and flush.
Clearly Canadian weather oriented. This would be downright dangerous here in Florida. Those computers were not intended for storage temperatures that hot.
with the great possibility that that van has an electric power steering column its probably pretty easy to splice in raspberry pi in and translate the outputs from the steering wheel to a pc
@@welder-mv5rdEven cars without electric power steering will have a steering angle sensor for stability/traction control reasons. Should be accessible via OBD2.
Gotta say, idk if it's because of the new video schedule implemented after the GN video, but the quality of this video is really good, like tremendously better, and you even have some really clever transitions like at 8:03. Really nice guys!
Looks amazing, its a shame in the event of a side impact the chair airbags would fire those screens off the back of the chair😅 So many reasons why I'm wrong here please read comments below
I saw exactly where the laptops were stored and thought wow one rear end and it just gets screwed up. If they airbags go off, that's now just to claymore on those headrests. Those dumbasses who bedazzled their steering wheels
It's not any different from most people's cars in general, the majority of customer's vehicles I deal with have at least a dozen various things that will go flying and/or likely smack you in an accident. Contractor/handyman/worker vehicles probably being the top of the list since just about everything is used to store various shrapnel, bludgeoning devices, and loose material; dog owners & families being tied for second place (maybe the dog owners eeking out a little since their furry projectiles often aren't secured and they don't have pet barriers), and older folks being a close third with all the stuff they seem to need in a vehicle for a 10min trip to the pharmacy. That being said, the mounts for the screens are bolted to the monitor housing and secured to the headrest posts with a clamped connection; not unlike some factory set-ups/options for some vehicles (though most will be hard mounted to the seat frame). Additionally side curtain airbags deploy downward along the windows/inner door panels and wouldn't touch the screens in the event of a side impact (they are mounted from the A-pillar to the C/D-pillar with the inflator module usually located in the middle and unfold downward, unlike front/kneed airbags that deploy outward); I'd be more worried about the controllers and/or items the kids/parents leave in the back that would go flying about. As for being rear ended? That depends on how severe of an impact it is. The crush zone for most modern vehicles absorbs quite a bit at speeds under about 30mph; being rear-ended would likely not crush the rear cargo area too significantly in most rear-end situations (though obviously the rear unibody, bumper, and hatch would likely be destroyed and require replacement & stitch welding new panels in). An impact above 30mph would start to deform the actual cabin area and it wouldn't really matter what you had in the back, it's either being crushed or launched (the with the 3rd row being up, it will help stop a good chunk of debris from flying forward). With everything being secured in some fashion (bolts & straps) and the top panel being secured to the "entertainment module" in the back, it would contain a fair amount of debris during the higher energy portion of an impact. Is it the safest design they could have gone with? Probably not, but it's the more realistic "bolt-in" solution a DIYer could accomplish themselves and still be relatively safe AND easily reversible. It's far safer than the vast majority of people's solutions with cheap clip-on iPads, loose inverter boxes, etc. -Some old no nothin' monkey with a wrench Post Note- Yeah, the bedazzelers and people who stick EVERYTHING on their dash, those are the fun ones... rolling claymores for sure! you can see a lot of examples of the above thing in crash test videos from various organizations, it's pretty cool stuff.
That MSI spiel was a really good sell. I took me a moment to realize I was being marketed to instead of talked to even though I should have realized it almost immediately. Well done.
You could probably setup to use "wake on LAN" to turn on the computers. then use a phone or something connected to the van WiFi to send the magic packet that wakes the computer you want.
Might even just set it up with an RasPI or an Arduino that detects when the car is turned on. Car turns on, send magic packet. If the computer's are already on, sweet, they won't do anything. If they are off, sweet, they'll turn on. Turn the screen on when you get in and boom, gaming
@10:27 that's not a check engine light, that's the maintenance due indicator. However with the Traction control/ ABS lights. as well as the Low Battery voltage indicator means you were definitely running low on battery voltage, usually kicks on around 12ish volts. Also with the bolts going through the floor in the cargo area, should be sealed from water, its possible to get water spray through the holes made for the bolts.
I think this would be the perfect use-case for framework main boards without displays. I realize Linus addresses that by talking about how you wouldn't be able to take the laptops out and use them independently, but it would net a higher wife approval factor. (I do realize you would need the 16" variants for the gpus), but it still feels like the perfect alternate use case for frameworks.
Feel like I have to call out two things: 1: You were able to bend these holder bits with heat at 5:42 I wouldn't be surprised if they would deform over time in the summer heat over the years in addition to the heat generated by the computers inside. 2: Sandblasted aluminum without a protective coating or anodizing treatment might not be as durable as you might hope it is.
I know they aren't as powerful but like.... ROG Ally, Steam Deck, or any other gaming pc handheld would probably be a cheaper and easier solution and if you buy docks you could absolutely hunker those down and 3-d print a way to fasten the handhelds to those docks if you absolutely need the external displays and controllers. great idea though
Don’t forget that when you put a gaming laptop which is really hot by it self into a back of a car and leaving the laptops there on one of the hottest days is actually…….
A simple deflector from the windshield to the tops of the panels will help a lot for all issues, or if you just put rounded insulation foam around the front edge you’ll cut down on noise too 😂
i have done a very watered down version of this while camping where i brought a monitor and a battery and played mario kart. my friends gave me no end of shit, i want to go camping with linus. he gets me.
I love these sorts of projects, anything with Alex and a CNC is always great. Personally I agree with other comments, have a lift-up flap to access the laptops will make all the difference in usability I think, and mount a couple of electrical outlets on the board as well that can be accessed without taking everything apart. For your ecoflow console, could it mount on the roof maybe near the sun visor? Also a side project, swap out a head unit for one with Android Auto! Please keep the tech vehicle mods coming, would love to see more!
personally i think having the eco monitor as a stowaway in the center console is fine, its not really something that needs to be always accessable, only from time to time
14:40 The solution to powering on could be in the BIOS, my motherboard allows for turn on simply by right clicking twice. There are also other actions you can bind it to.
Not sure if those laptops have this option, but for the problem of switching on the laptops, my Legion 5 pro has an 'automatic on' option in the bios that turns the laptop on when power is being brought to it. If someone turns the laptop off, you could just remove the plug, then plug it back in to turn it on.
I thought of this as well. But if their constantly plugged into the eco flow battery the laptops would always think their "plug in". Depends if the battery is ever drained sitting in idle or off in the garage but I'm not sure if the laptops would register being "plugged in" again on round 2.
You think this guys doesnt have a garage to park his Van in? You think he doesnt have the money to pay for maintenance? Stop projecting your own problems onto him.
The monitors are removable from the headrest and the rest is hidden in the trunk space. You could pull the monitors and put them against the laptops when not road tripping or just take the monitors and laptops inside the house when not being used.
@@shadow105720 You leave your car for hours at a gas station? You think he wouldnt take something else to the grocery store? This is a family vehicle. Its for use when the whole family is together.
For the wind noise coming from the solar panels, it'd probably be a good idea to install a fairing at the front. Would also reduce bugs and put much less stress on the mounting hardware from all the wind going underneath.
Honestly that is so cool, I drive a lot so having that kind of entertainment in my car would be game changer. but for camping, I think the Idea for camping is to get away from laptops and other electronic distraction... at least for me though hahah
Yeah honestly you would need something like 700 to 800 W of solar to run a gaming laptop what they have on the roof is probably at most 300 W which is not enough and they should have gone with flexible solar panels. Those are just goofy and if any shade goes on them, they are screwed if any leaf falls on one of those panels it’s over they should have gone with CIGS panels. I mean, this could work quite easily. If you have 800 watts of cig panels like 300 or 400 on the roof and then you take out another 400 and let it outside of the van but at that point it’s better just to use an iPad, there are so many amazing mobile games nowadays that there is no real point to use all that energy playing PC games. But yeah, you can kind of tell they either made this video for the views, the sponsorship, or they don’t really know what they are doing. I actually currently own the real version of this and built it myself, and this sort of looks amateur and shortsighted imo. The fact that they did not consider using any sort of flexible panels shows they did almost no research beyond may be a few few hours. Feel like they just overcomplicated everything and not in a good way. I mean, I guess this could work, if you supplemented it with a propane only generator a propane tank and solar on the roof. Could work, not how they did it.
Keep your distance from the Starlink dish. That dish has a powerful very directional antenna. Over 30 watts of RF power in a point headed to a satellite miles away
Alex, wake on LAN is your friend. Because all the machines are wired, you should be able to configure the BIOS to wake on LAN. Then worst case you need a raspberry pie or some other micro computer in the front to trigger the wake-on lan command.
Having a gaming van like that sounds amazing, you can be surfing the things you like on the internet while also feeling like in a total different environment around you.
You might be able to use Wake-On-Lan for the laptops that have built-in Ethernet connections to power them on programmatically. Or maybe rig up a microcontroller that acts as a USB keyboard plugged into each laptop to press a keyboard power button to wake them up from sleep?
Linus, holds up hand to camera: My hands are grody right now. Me, seeing a basically clean hand. Also me, looking at my hands, bruised, scraped, scarred, and caked it dirt and grime from 10 hours of aerating and seeding yards today. Sure ok Linus, your hands are "dirty".
You probably figured this by now (as you stated that you used this setup for some time), but the easiest solution to start the laptops is Wake On LAN since you already have them connected via cable to the router that you can also connect your phone and use an app to wake them.
Those magnetic holder prototypes are cool! Didn't mention in video if that'll be on the store or if its for their use, but hoping we'll see that on the store at some point cos thats so convenient
I like how they could have easily modified the screen hing on the gaming laptops (and mount it on the back of the seats directly - flat like a 2-in-1), but complicated it to do external monitoring.
Ah, what money and a fully functional CNC based machine shop (and a few seriously talented engineers/designers--major shout out to Alex and Sebastian!!) can do for ya! This was really well done, some polishing down the road (get it...GET IT??) and this'll be golden! Great work guys!
You can accomplish this with an iPad or steamdeck. Of course your kids will just have stronger arms and more head strain though =/ More iPad games need Bluetooth support and all you'd need is a headrest mount and problem solved!!!
@@pianobench6319 I was thinking Steam decks myself, mount them to the back of the seats, plug in power, controllers, and off ya go along with an unlimited 4G LTE/5G Mobile hotspot instead of Star Link to keep things more simple.
You should have done it with Framework motherboards ! The new 16 inches has a RX 7700S option. It would be nice to see something more integrated than a bunch of laptops slap together ! Part 2 maybe :D
Wake On LAN would be a sensible option to power the laptops on given your wired network? Just throw a Pi or even an Arduino based microcontroller to run a WOL command when a button is pressed within the cabin.
At first I was like why not just let them use the laptops on their lap, but maybe when they get older. Seeing the end result was really cool especially everyone playing it outdoors.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
He figured out how to touch grass without touching grass. He's become far too powerful.
What can anyone comment after this? Seriously
A car jacking ready to happen.
I love this
Got a quick lil' chuckle
He’s too dangerous to be left alive
Linus: "One for each child... and an extra!"
Yvonne: "No, you were right the first time. One for each child."
wait a second.... are you saying Linus is a child or that there will be another child (which actually can't happen biologically now)....
He’s saying Linus is a child
@@happinessiskey2858🤦♂️
@@cocoamug6581😂😂😂😂 plain and simple
What do you mean by it’s not possible biologically.
That transition in 8:02 is freaking epic.
Shoutout to editors for this!
i wonder could that be one of the improvement from that Week.
@@PrograError dont think so.
They had a few of this fun edits in the past
@@PrograError i think it does, since this edits only uses like 5-10 minutes max if Pro editors make it
@@icehGGI think the fact that the cameraman deliberately taking that shot shows a bit of creativity from his side too, I guess things have become more stress free as they can take reshoots and take a plunge into these "experimental" shots
Whoever did that transition give them a raise Linus.
I so love Alex's energy. So proud of his fancy knobs while not remotely considering how to power on the devices.
Engineers work one problem at a time. Turning them on is a different problem lmao
I haven't watched the video past this part yet, but why not use wake-on-lan? You could connect your phone to the Wi-Fi provided by the router and send the magic packets to each of the laptops that are wired up to the router.
@@ShockingPikachu It's the project manager's job to remind us.
@@rivalary Does WoL still work when the laptops are closed?
It's funny seeing his progression. I feel like he used to give Linus a hard time for doing things weird ways, but he's embraced the chaos and now Linus has to try to control him.
props to Linus for making the most robbable van i'v ever seen
also love the vids
LOL
Well good thing he doesn't live in SF
this is actually a real problem with van life builds because those who catch on, realize there's a lot of tech inside these things. which is why a lot of people try to be as outwardly stealthy as possible.
Although the screens of OEM car manufacturers aren't up to spec like the ones Linus is using. There is a benefit that they're built in and pre-wired to the car. Less likely someone would steal OEM screens. Alex needs to engineer some brackets for the false floor, so they can add some locks to the entire floor. Hopefully it'll deter theft a bit.
@@Mack_Dingo San Francisco crime rates aren't even close to the highest. You bought the propaganda.
imagine going camping, ending up at a campsite, only for Linus to pull up next to you with 4 gaming laptops, starlink, solar panels, and a battery.
Timmy Turner's neighbor
I'm just there with fishing pole hanging out of my ass and a confused look on my face.
That transition at 8:03 was clean! Amazing job production team!
It was so smooth I didn't even notice the transition until you pointed it out.
There are multiple crazy transitions in this video. I personally like the crazy transition to Linus opening the trunk of his car.
I prefer the one at 23:42
@@LofiBtzjeez😂😂😂
It’s kind of a sham, e that they had that jump in/out bit before bc that was a really good transition
Alex's face dropping when he was asked about the power was priceless.
Linus is a different type of breed that not only allows his kids to play games on a picnic but also give them 4 really good gaming laptop and a gaming van to play games. No one can stop him
With that much money he can be the best dad ever
@@AssassinIronMan true. The best gamer dad
@@AssassinIronManexactly. It's easy to give your kids whatever you want when you have companies falling over each other to give you gear and sponsor your videos. Don't get me wrong I'm happy for him and his family It's amazing what Linus has pulled off over the years, but this is incredibly unrealistic for many families that watch his videos.
@@JoshuaCollinsi honestly don't think its that unrealistic. Sure, the custom machined parts are an exception, but those don't make or break this idea.
Most kids already have a gaming setup. You could absolutely replace that (if the kid is ok with that), if it's not already a gaming laptop. You could even just make the pc car-proof with mounts usually used for shipping. If you wanna go the budget road, all you need is a 12v inverter. An upgraded alternator is not needed, although the car might complain. The fancy install doesn't cost much, it's just alot of effort and planning.
I think the "problem" is that this is not a priority for the average family. Most parents would probably straight-up object to it.
Thats why i think money isn't the main concern. I am a university student with very little money to spare, and even i was able to afford an inverter for my car to use my gaming laptop on the fly.
@@NiliMoto an inverter and gaming laptop do not compare to an upgraded alternator, LFP batteries, gaming displays, multiple gaming laptops (with 4060s) and a high end gaming wifi router. C'mon dude. OH, and "professionally installed" solar panels.
The idea is cool, I dig it. It's just not relatable content.
Watch out for galvanic corrosion around that bolt. If it contacts salty water from the road, it could start rusting the frame in the area around it bc of the difference in oxidation potential of the different metals.
And then it might reverse the polarity of the neutron flow
@@jimireynoldsmusic neutron?!
Literally my thoughts when I heard Linus ask if it was stainless steel. An isolating top hat (sort of a plastic sleeve) and a nylon washer should insulate the bolt enough to prevent this. Oh and use stainless steel bolts!
if it contacts salty water from the road I think the rest of the setup is fucked anyways
@@jimireynoldsmusicwell, that would overcharge the flux capacitor. The rest goes without explaining
Those magnetic mounts are going to be a game changer for mounting things like battery chargers and power strips
Yeah. And as a result they are never going to be in stock. Really genius idea.
@@ryanlawrence3690 I was being serious. They're a really clever idea.
What is the product name?
@@sausagedog52 how did you go about doing it on your own. ive been wanting do do that exact solution for a while now
For the bolts going through the chassis, I would have flipped it and had the head of the bolt at the bottom and you screw the nut in on the inside. This way you can trim and locktite the bolts and then spray a spray liner or something similar to the bolt heads at the bottom to prevent rust and moisture entering from there.
Oh, I hadn't considered spraying the head, rather than leaving the nuts out in the open.
Good call!
20ish years ago my dad had a car with screens in the back, with composite input, so I would bring my xbox. It was absolutely amazing, he liked driving and the company, I liked the destination and playing xbox. none of us were that into conversation, these are some of the greatest memories I have of him.
what a childhood!
I know someone who owns a Lancia Voyager and that thing has an HDMI input and a blu-ray player. He has 3 kids.
@@x8e I'm almost 40 now, so it wasn't my childhood:D
Edit: My childhood was endless Willie Nelson tapes and no AC, and I loved that too!
I think the solution for the computers (laptops) being accidentally shut down is to set up remote management (maybe wake on LAN too and also disable the ability for kids to find shutdown from the start menu). Like maybe leave the sleep and restart easily available and then have the remote management and wake on LAN stuff to help with reducing the need to physically go and press the computer power buttons.
Group policy to disable shutdown. Easiest solution.
Laptops usually have a feature in bios to turn on when they detect AC power. This would be an easier option. No change needed to how the current setup is.
All Linus would need to do is turn on the ecoflow power from the controller in the front. The laptops will see power and boot.
@@nated4wgynone of my 5 laptops have that option. Pretty sure that’s not so common anymore
@nated4wgy i really like that idea. That seems like it would be a robust solution if the option is available
@@kman1898my old dell has this option but my newer hp doesn’t which sucks.
I am just glad that MSI decided to announce their Laptops' names in clolorfully glowing letters on the back, so everyone knows how stealthy they are. .
Its Micro-Star International, not Micro-Stealth International
Suggestion for the bolts that end up umderneath: Put a glob of automotive silicone on the nuts and threads. The reason why is that the "road schmoo" will foul the threads and make it difficult to undo later, the silicone will allow those bolts to come undone 10 years later!
Yeah and probably some around the washer too, you don't want water to get in there or even worse road salt and slush ice, i guess that's what you mean with "road schmoo" xD
Glad to see you guys upgraded the alternator. If anyone wants to replicate this setup, you should contact a reputable aftermarket shop because modern vehicles monitor the electrical usage of the vehicle field the alternator accordingly, so a large power leech on the alternator may go unnoticed and the vehicle won't charge properly
This immediately reminded me of when I hooked up the Composite out of my PS3 to my flip up dash radio in my '93 Plymouth Voyager LE, then to top off with the 5000 Watt Subwoofers giving the drive in movies a theater effect too
You should have a gap cover 3-d printed for the front of the solar panels. It would be a simple piece that would really reduce the wind noise but preventing th wind from going under the panels. Would just be a really thin wind fin that attaches to the panels to fill the gap to the roof
This.
I was about to comment the same thing.
well. i think they dont have a simple piece cause colling them is a thing
Maybe you could put a smaller door to extract the laptops if you really plan to use them outside the vehicle without having to completely empty the storage area. And allow a quick power up if needed.
It would probably cause problems with rigidity if they want to actually use the trunk. They probably should just have it start over LAN since they have internet on them all
@@crwelch12 theres already a support post between the laptops. Put another one or two in the middle next to the battery and problem solved.
@@crwelch12 just have a catch for the door. little bigger than it would need to be but roughly the same strength
@@crwelch12 could just add a little pi like device to fire off the wake on lan commands if need be.
Also how would they take the chargers?
Always love an Alex - Linus video. the energy is always peak throughout. Do we think Alex has come net zero with all the gear he's convinced Linus to buy over the years he worked there? And imagine if they'd tried this without all those wonderful toys. That shop is killer these days, and I love watching them use it for both wacky and sensible ideas. Even if the sensible stuff is often a bit wacky too. Really cool setup.
Looks great. Only things it could possibily missing is wake on lan and a usb or network ssd hooked into the router as shared storage.
Shared storage would be a great idea
Shared storage that syncs with the home server while parked in the garage.
An easy solution for the shutdown thing is just using Hibernate instead of shutdown. Hibernate restarts the pc from mouse or keyboard input, and still has the benefit of consuming basically shutdown level power.
I think the issue was if the kids accidentally shut down the computer from the menu... They can't really press the button regardless so setting the button to use hibernate or adding that to the shutdown menu (if they accidentally still select shut down) doesn't actually fix the issue. Why this might be an issue: one wants to take a nap on a road trip and so shuts off their computer but wakes up and then wants to game again. Now they have to wait until the next rest stop AND unload all the gear in the back to turn it on again.
@@emma70707 I believe you can disable the shutdown button in the start menu entirely using Group Policy.
My experience with hibernate is that it needs to be restarted the same way as from a shutdown... I'll have to check as I just don't try to do it otherwise when it's hibernating but it's never happened so far that I've noticed!
@@sandmaster4444 You can choose wether keyboard presses or mouse movements wake Windows up from hibernation in advanced power settings.
@@emma70707 Group policy can stop shutdown, 30 second fix.
14:50 easiest and possible solution would be if the BIOS has the option to power on when type C power is connected, that way every time the car turns on, the laptops turn on
Edit: I know Dell client side laptops have that function, I’ll have to double check if Alienwares have that same functionality
Can confirm that alienwares do have the function, even has a BIOS function to block sleep in windows
I was thinking if the laptops were wired into a switch, you could send a Wake-on-LAN magic packet to them. You could also have a script that SSHs into each laptop and powers them down/hibernates them when a button is pressed.
@@alexg8406 Not sure if WOL would be supported by the USB gigabit adapter they used on the 14" laptops.
I was thinking the same thing.
definitely switch those bolts and nuts for stainless, use nylock nuts and put anti-seize in the threads. i would also use large fender washers so the nuts dont pull threw the thin sheet metal floor in the event of an accident
The end park scene is such good marketing material for MSI. The comp and videography was really well done!
Just One addition id reccomend... a streamline panel for infront of the solar panel, just so wind doesnt rush under or hit straight into it. Probs help alot with mileage and wind noise.
I like the build where you guys actually try your best as engineers. Really cool build guys! The video's are fun, but also this is actually a valid set-up. Which in my opinion is a lot better
Actually, you can buy the headrest mount for tablet pc, and attach the screen to it, yes, mini pc‘s (NUC) are better, you can still take them out and the monitor, too. Also a front seat hanger with several pockets and a small table for the keyboard helps,
Wake on LAN! Make something you can send commands with in a phone connected to the cars WI-FI :) Like a andriod app or what not. Should not take more than a couple of hours for your team! :)
Came here to comment that... even a WakeOnKeybaord or mouse should work. There are definitely ways to do it.
Or a esp8266 / esp32 with physical buttons for each machine. each button will send a WoL to the correlating laptop.
phone app would be good for parental control. physical buttons better for general family usability.
The issue is if they shut the computers completely down. I don't think laptops (Especially ones without ethernet ports) support WoL from a cold boot. They're using usb adapters which won't have power
Not sure if the usb-c nic can use the WoL, and many internal nic don't have that too :(
Wake-On-Lan would be such a useful feature if it ever worked.
14:21 Alex's face dropping when he was asked about the power for the laptops was the pricelesslmao
This seems like a relatively smooth flowing video considering how Alex's projects can go. Always entertaining, often chaotic. Really cool project. Love it! I've been loving the videos that have come out since the production break (regardless of when they were actually filmed)
I was literally waiting for this to continue and wondered if it ever would yesterday. This. is. AMAZING!
Imagine this on a bachelor party with the boys, you could roadtrip for days
Regarding those solar panels generating more drag and wind noise. I think a simply solution would be to 3D model an aerodynamic wind guard that slants up from the top of the windshield up to the solar panels to make them nice and flush.
I was also very confused why they didn't do that in the first place. It looks less janky and could save some fuel, negligible but still
Just use an inverter off the alternator or a gasoline APU and ditch the panels and battery all together.
@@ShaferErvickOr they can just use the more efficient solar panels...
Could just get a Thule fairing /airscreen
@user-sl2ke7lk8d Yeah solar panels won't do shit compared to a high output alternator anyways. Kinda pointless
Linus building his minivan is easily my favorite series on RUclips (Edit: Bro the likes are nuts :p)
Yeah
glazing is wild 💀
zip it up when your down, lil bro
Clearly Canadian weather oriented. This would be downright dangerous here in Florida. Those computers were not intended for storage temperatures that hot.
Linus building his [household related project] is easily my favorite series on RUclips
That transition at 8:03 was probably the smoothest and most satisfying transition ive ever seen in my life 😮
Now a genius idea, route the input from the actual steering wheel to a driving simulator for the ultimate immersion
with the great possibility that that van has an electric power steering column its probably pretty easy to splice in raspberry pi in and translate the outputs from the steering wheel to a pc
@@welder-mv5rdEven cars without electric power steering will have a steering angle sensor for stability/traction control reasons. Should be accessible via OBD2.
Not a good idea if you value the life of your front tires
Fun fact! Tesla already has this. I've played it!
Gotta say, idk if it's because of the new video schedule implemented after the GN video, but the quality of this video is really good, like tremendously better, and you even have some really clever transitions like at 8:03. Really nice guys!
A Yakima roof wind deflector will help with wind noise and maybe mpg. Consider upvoting this so they can see it!
From one editor to another, I appreciate the wipe transition at 8:04. Smooth.
I haven't seen a transition that cool since one of the Saw movies had a girl thrown into a mirror and suddenly we're in a scene in a police station
Ohhh my god, when the rest of the WAN Show crew joined them to check on what's going on was so fantastic!
That look on both Alex's face and Linus' face when he asked about turning the computers on... that was great.
Looks amazing, its a shame in the event of a side impact the chair airbags would fire those screens off the back of the chair😅
So many reasons why I'm wrong here please read comments below
Holy shit the whole thing is ruined now lol
I saw exactly where the laptops were stored and thought wow one rear end and it just gets screwed up. If they airbags go off, that's now just to claymore on those headrests. Those dumbasses who bedazzled their steering wheels
they are gonna take it all off after this video anyway
It's not any different from most people's cars in general, the majority of customer's vehicles I deal with have at least a dozen various things that will go flying and/or likely smack you in an accident. Contractor/handyman/worker vehicles probably being the top of the list since just about everything is used to store various shrapnel, bludgeoning devices, and loose material; dog owners & families being tied for second place (maybe the dog owners eeking out a little since their furry projectiles often aren't secured and they don't have pet barriers), and older folks being a close third with all the stuff they seem to need in a vehicle for a 10min trip to the pharmacy.
That being said, the mounts for the screens are bolted to the monitor housing and secured to the headrest posts with a clamped connection; not unlike some factory set-ups/options for some vehicles (though most will be hard mounted to the seat frame). Additionally side curtain airbags deploy downward along the windows/inner door panels and wouldn't touch the screens in the event of a side impact (they are mounted from the A-pillar to the C/D-pillar with the inflator module usually located in the middle and unfold downward, unlike front/kneed airbags that deploy outward); I'd be more worried about the controllers and/or items the kids/parents leave in the back that would go flying about.
As for being rear ended? That depends on how severe of an impact it is. The crush zone for most modern vehicles absorbs quite a bit at speeds under about 30mph; being rear-ended would likely not crush the rear cargo area too significantly in most rear-end situations (though obviously the rear unibody, bumper, and hatch would likely be destroyed and require replacement & stitch welding new panels in). An impact above 30mph would start to deform the actual cabin area and it wouldn't really matter what you had in the back, it's either being crushed or launched (the with the 3rd row being up, it will help stop a good chunk of debris from flying forward). With everything being secured in some fashion (bolts & straps) and the top panel being secured to the "entertainment module" in the back, it would contain a fair amount of debris during the higher energy portion of an impact.
Is it the safest design they could have gone with? Probably not, but it's the more realistic "bolt-in" solution a DIYer could accomplish themselves and still be relatively safe AND easily reversible. It's far safer than the vast majority of people's solutions with cheap clip-on iPads, loose inverter boxes, etc.
-Some old no nothin' monkey with a wrench
Post Note-
Yeah, the bedazzelers and people who stick EVERYTHING on their dash, those are the fun ones... rolling claymores for sure! you can see a lot of examples of the above thing in crash test videos from various organizations, it's pretty cool stuff.
Well nothing compared to the internal injuries the girls would get as they aren't in carseats...
Idk if it’s just me but the production value as of late has been absolutely insane, happy to see it!
Glad that GN wake-up call really worked it's magic.
That MSI spiel was a really good sell. I took me a moment to realize I was being marketed to instead of talked to even though I should have realized it almost immediately. Well done.
22:30 Love the ducktaped studio light
You could probably setup to use "wake on LAN" to turn on the computers. then use a phone or something connected to the van WiFi to send the magic packet that wakes the computer you want.
Could even be setup using an Arduino and a single button.
Might even just set it up with an RasPI or an Arduino that detects when the car is turned on. Car turns on, send magic packet. If the computer's are already on, sweet, they won't do anything. If they are off, sweet, they'll turn on. Turn the screen on when you get in and boom, gaming
the laptops have to deliver power to the usb-port when off if using ethernet dongles for that to work
Power cables for power....
@@AltonV only for the ones that need dongles, but I forgot about that, you are correct
100% dad goals for me. I'm already planning this on a pickup truck and using the bed cover as my solar panel. I'm definitely inspired to finish this.
17:28 Nothing says stealth like a big RGB logo that says "STEALTH"
@10:27 that's not a check engine light, that's the maintenance due indicator. However with the Traction control/ ABS lights. as well as the Low Battery voltage indicator means you were definitely running low on battery voltage, usually kicks on around 12ish volts. Also with the bolts going through the floor in the cargo area, should be sealed from water, its possible to get water spray through the holes made for the bolts.
7:18 I know a Newfie when I hear one!! Great Job in the quality of the LTT videos! Love the video production these days! Love from the Rock!!
The amount of computers he is giving his children is crazy
Yeah, kinda weird.
Meanwhile I got mine from a Romanian child in year 7
He’s gunna wonder why his children don’t like people and can’t do simple tasks without constant stimulation in 5 years
It’s Linus’ children, what do you expect
Going camping to play computer games is even more ridiculous.
I think this would be the perfect use-case for framework main boards without displays. I realize Linus addresses that by talking about how you wouldn't be able to take the laptops out and use them independently, but it would net a higher wife approval factor. (I do realize you would need the 16" variants for the gpus), but it still feels like the perfect alternate use case for frameworks.
Linus telling his employee that his car needs to be fixed in 2 hours is the best example of friendship ever
Feel like I have to call out two things:
1: You were able to bend these holder bits with heat at 5:42 I wouldn't be surprised if they would deform over time in the summer heat over the years in addition to the heat generated by the computers inside.
2: Sandblasted aluminum without a protective coating or anodizing treatment might not be as durable as you might hope it is.
I know they aren't as powerful but like.... ROG Ally, Steam Deck, or any other gaming pc handheld would probably be a cheaper and easier solution and if you buy docks you could absolutely hunker those down and 3-d print a way to fasten the handhelds to those docks if you absolutely need the external displays and controllers. great idea though
Definitely more practical and affordable for the average joe to do it like that. Linus has the $$$ and staff with expertise so why not?
@@commondave_one correction. While linus has the $$$, he has more incentive to make this because he earns $$$ for doing this project
If you're doing this yourself, you're absolutely right. Except this was sponsored by MSI and they don't have a handheld product yet
Gaming minivan cool doe
That would have been the way tbh. Just docks wired in to the side of the rear of the seats somehow
Don’t forget that when you put a gaming laptop which is really hot by it self into a back of a car and leaving the laptops there on one of the hottest days is actually…….
A simple deflector from the windshield to the tops of the panels will help a lot for all issues, or if you just put rounded insulation foam around the front edge you’ll cut down on noise too 😂
Props to LTT for making this possible, but this takes the term "Ipad kid" to insane levels
i have done a very watered down version of this while camping where i brought a monitor and a battery and played mario kart. my friends gave me no end of shit, i want to go camping with linus. he gets me.
Glad to see the team had the time to complete this project. It looks awesome
I noticed how great the final product was this time around.
I understand that it isn't easy making videos fast but FINALLY THE MINIVAN IS DONE🥳🥳🥳🥳
I love these weird builds 😊
Seeing Luke coming bring smie to my face. Its been awhile they working together doing DIY!
I love these sorts of projects, anything with Alex and a CNC is always great.
Personally I agree with other comments, have a lift-up flap to access the laptops will make all the difference in usability I think, and mount a couple of electrical outlets on the board as well that can be accessed without taking everything apart.
For your ecoflow console, could it mount on the roof maybe near the sun visor? Also a side project, swap out a head unit for one with Android Auto!
Please keep the tech vehicle mods coming, would love to see more!
personally i think having the eco monitor as a stowaway in the center console is fine, its not really something that needs to be always accessable, only from time to time
14:40 The solution to powering on could be in the BIOS, my motherboard allows for turn on simply by right clicking twice. There are also other actions you can bind it to.
The fuck? I have never heard of such a feature. Damn. That's nice
8:03 That was such a clean transition
Not sure if those laptops have this option, but for the problem of switching on the laptops, my Legion 5 pro has an 'automatic on' option in the bios that turns the laptop on when power is being brought to it. If someone turns the laptop off, you could just remove the plug, then plug it back in to turn it on.
If the power hub can turn on and off ports with that little screen, then they're all set! (Maybe in pairs and then just shut down the unneeded one)
I thought of this as well. But if their constantly plugged into the eco flow battery the laptops would always think their "plug in". Depends if the battery is ever drained sitting in idle or off in the garage but I'm not sure if the laptops would register being "plugged in" again on round 2.
15:00 You can do Wake-on LAN through the router with your phone to power them on.
We need that Spectre Sound Studios collab!🙌🙏🫶🏼
Those magnetic mounts are amazing. I’ll be buying then as soon as they’re available.
I've always loved Alex with janky-DIY vibe, but now I also love Alex with professional, using machines to do stuff vibe.
Calling this dude professional is so insulting to actual engineers
@@stefan514you’re goofy
You know roadtrip, fun for the parents and now the kids aswell!
LTT has become an real engineering company. They are doing incredible stuff nowadays.
This isn't gonna be a regret for maintenance (for whatever car shop) and won't get stolen at all. Amazing concept
best thing about stealing this is that it has a built in getaway car
@@spiderman20088 id like to see you defeat the immobilizer on a honda, and if you manage to, its also got a GPS tracker directly to where you are.
You think this guys doesnt have a garage to park his Van in? You think he doesnt have the money to pay for maintenance? Stop projecting your own problems onto him.
@@19adhin LUL, it was a joke, learn sarcasm
Thank God for the gigantic text coming in reinforcing everything he says because I was drooling from my mouth trynna follow along
"Nutted on from the bottom" - Linus Sebastian 11:27
That's awesome and also terrifies me considering the amount of car break ins in our area. I would have way too much anxiety to actually do this.
The monitors are removable from the headrest and the rest is hidden in the trunk space. You could pull the monitors and put them against the laptops when not road tripping or just take the monitors and laptops inside the house when not being used.
He probably parks in a garage.
@@19adhin Park in a garage at the grocery store? Park in a garage at the gas station? Its a car it goes places.
@@shadow105720 don't think they will be doing much gaming when going grocery shopping
@@shadow105720 You leave your car for hours at a gas station? You think he wouldnt take something else to the grocery store? This is a family vehicle. Its for use when the whole family is together.
Those magnetic mounts for the router are a game changer! Sign me up on someone’s of those ASAP
For the wind noise coming from the solar panels, it'd probably be a good idea to install a fairing at the front.
Would also reduce bugs and put much less stress on the mounting hardware from all the wind going underneath.
Honestly that is so cool, I drive a lot so having that kind of entertainment in my car would be game changer. but for camping, I think the Idea for camping is to get away from laptops and other electronic distraction... at least for me though hahah
Yeah honestly you would need something like 700 to 800 W of solar to run a gaming laptop what they have on the roof is probably at most 300 W which is not enough and they should have gone with flexible solar panels. Those are just goofy and if any shade goes on them, they are screwed if any leaf falls on one of those panels it’s over they should have gone with CIGS panels.
I mean, this could work quite easily. If you have 800 watts of cig panels like 300 or 400 on the roof and then you take out another 400 and let it outside of the van but at that point it’s better just to use an iPad, there are so many amazing mobile games nowadays that there is no real point to use all that energy playing PC games.
But yeah, you can kind of tell they either made this video for the views, the sponsorship, or they don’t really know what they are doing. I actually currently own the real version of this and built it myself, and this sort of looks amateur and shortsighted imo. The fact that they did not consider using any sort of flexible panels shows they did almost no research beyond may be a few few hours.
Feel like they just overcomplicated everything and not in a good way.
I mean, I guess this could work, if you supplemented it with a propane only generator a propane tank and solar on the roof. Could work, not how they did it.
Keep your distance from the Starlink dish. That dish has a powerful very directional antenna. Over 30 watts of RF power in a point headed to a satellite miles away
Absolutely love jank projects with Linus and Alex, keep it up guys!
agreed but i really wouldnt call this jank anymore, this feels like actual mid-high value
10:28 Check engine light!? come on guys that’s your service light 😅
Check engine light. Many things can trigger it.
Fr 😂. Even shows the maintenance due on the display.
Alex, wake on LAN is your friend. Because all the machines are wired, you should be able to configure the BIOS to wake on LAN. Then worst case you need a raspberry pie or some other micro computer in the front to trigger the wake-on lan command.
You should also configure every laptop for remote desktop so they can be managed while they're still in the trunk.
Having a gaming van like that sounds amazing, you can be surfing the things you like on the internet while also feeling like in a total different environment around you.
And if you do that while driving, you will also puke as a bonus 😄
@@destherDo you?
I never have felt sick from gaming or reading or anything similar in the car.
Depends. Some people get it some people dont. Just like being seasick.@@halomika4973
@halomika4973 i do. I rather do nothing or sleep unfortunately
@@Random_dud31 That kinda sucks...meanwhile I can do like, actual work while driving
Linus is really just the MrBeast of tech
And I'm all here for it.
shurly defeats the concept of a capming trip... i love it
This is the coolest project Linus has EVER done!
You might be able to use Wake-On-Lan for the laptops that have built-in Ethernet connections to power them on programmatically. Or maybe rig up a microcontroller that acts as a USB keyboard plugged into each laptop to press a keyboard power button to wake them up from sleep?
Linus, holds up hand to camera: My hands are grody right now.
Me, seeing a basically clean hand.
Also me, looking at my hands, bruised, scraped, scarred, and caked it dirt and grime from 10 hours of aerating and seeding yards today. Sure ok Linus, your hands are "dirty".
You probably figured this by now (as you stated that you used this setup for some time), but the easiest solution to start the laptops is Wake On LAN since you already have them connected via cable to the router that you can also connect your phone and use an app to wake them.
Right? I was trying to figure out how this wasn't his first thought....
Those magnetic holder prototypes are cool! Didn't mention in video if that'll be on the store or if its for their use, but hoping we'll see that on the store at some point cos thats so convenient
They'll eventually be available on the store for sale.
Nice to see Linus knows his cars. That Honda Odessey is probably one of the best minivans on the market.
I like how they could have easily modified the screen hing on the gaming laptops (and mount it on the back of the seats directly - flat like a 2-in-1), but complicated it to do external monitoring.
There are even laptops like my legion Y530(which is old now but just giving an example) that have hinges that lay flat
Ah, what money and a fully functional CNC based machine shop (and a few seriously talented engineers/designers--major shout out to Alex and Sebastian!!) can do for ya! This was really well done, some polishing down the road (get it...GET IT??) and this'll be golden! Great work guys!
You can accomplish this with an iPad or steamdeck. Of course your kids will just have stronger arms and more head strain though =/
More iPad games need Bluetooth support and all you'd need is a headrest mount and problem solved!!!
@@pianobench6319 I was thinking Steam decks myself, mount them to the back of the seats, plug in power, controllers, and off ya go along with an unlimited 4G LTE/5G Mobile hotspot instead of Star Link to keep things more simple.
That sharpened screw idea was actually great !
You should have done it with Framework motherboards ! The new 16 inches has a RX 7700S option. It would be nice to see something more integrated than a bunch of laptops slap together ! Part 2 maybe :D
He wants to be able to remove the laptops and use them as regular laptops. That's why he mad the comment about SFF PC's at 18:45.
Been waiting for this video for months, and it doesn’t disappoint!
Wake On LAN would be a sensible option to power the laptops on given your wired network? Just throw a Pi or even an Arduino based microcontroller to run a WOL command when a button is pressed within the cabin.
At first I was like why not just let them use the laptops on their lap, but maybe when they get older. Seeing the end result was really cool especially everyone playing it outdoors.
Neck, back and lombar issues? No thanks
Laptops on Lap in a driving car is a safety issue.
@@EragoEntertainmentNot to mention that they'd be looking down the whole time.