OFF GRID DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC || Powering A 1985 VW Westfalia For Full-Time Living
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 29 дек 2020
- We decided it might be cool to give everyone a little insight into how we keep our home on wheels powered for full time freelance creative work. Like most things, it's been a saga to get where we are now, but it's finally starting to feel like we're dialing things in!
DISCLOSURE We are sponsored by Battleborn Batteries, but they have not paid us for this video, nor requested that we make it. We only partner with companies we believe in, and who make products we actually use.
You can view their full line of products here: battlebornbatteries.com/shop/
We are also sponsored by GoWesty, and while we ended up going a different route with our power solution, we can't recommend them enough. Without their support there's no way our rig would be where it is today.
Check them out here: www.gowesty.com/
Our other van travel films featured in this video:
Journey On: • VAN LIFE: Epic Montana...
Journey On Vol.2: • VAN LIFE: EPIC MAINE B...
Notes From The Road: • NOTES FROM THE ROAD: F...
OUR VIDEO GEAR
Amazing slow motion camera: amzn.to/3cS9W9m
Must have external recorder/screen 40K60!: amzn.to/2wT4ORN
Bulletproof video Tripod: amzn.to/2THKHiF
The best mirrorless camera on the market: amzn.to/2H5U45u
Great photo tripod: amzn.to/2Q9c96y
Awesome shotgun mic: amzn.to/2H4NHPQ
Favorite drone: amzn.to/39KbFf9
Filters for drone: amzn.to/39J0hA7
Beautiful and affordable cine glass: amzn.to/2PPadyZ
Super versatile zoom lens: amzn.to/2LBiN62
Epic gimbal: amzn.to/2H6lkkj
Affordable audio recorder: amzn.to/2TUY0uU
The best bang for your buck lav mic: amzn.to/2Q4iL67
Special thanks to our friends @BoundForNowhere and OTG Camper (www.offthegridcamper.com/) for helping talk us through this build. Check them out! 
Авто/Мото
*Hey Guys! Trying out something a little more...vloggy...or something. Let us know what you think, and if you want to see more content like this!*
Love it!
Do an updated van tour! Would like to see how you live/store everything in the van.
Amazing camera shots of some of the places you visited. Keep up the fly fishing videos. Fly fishing is my saving grace during the pandemic.
Love the fly fishing vids, top quality!
If you two make it, I’ll watch it.
So artfully done, I’d watch you two do your laundry.
When I watch Tightloops, I bring out the popcorn and my favourite beer and enjoy. Not many RUclips channels do that. Always great work Chase and Aimee, loving the bts of the life on the road.
Any content from you guys is top notch. I'm here for all of it!!
Thanks so much, James! We're glad you're here
So true. So artfully done,
Great work! That's got to feel good to have that done! Excited to see what's next!
Love your channel and kudos to you for taking on such an extensive project like that, well done.
Your channel is one of my favorite finds on RUclips. Keep it up guys. Awesome job!
You seem really humble and I loved the video. Gonna try and hook my westy up to more power just like you! Thanks for the video!
Love the video. Well done. I have a 1987 Westy. You have be feeling I could do solar on my own. Thanks for the great explanation!!
Yay! loving the vlog style here, and it’s still cinematic! Would love to see more! Happy New Year + stay warm!
Thanks, Danielle! We might do a couple more videos like this periodically. Probably at least a van tour!
The great thing about those large batteries is that you can afford very high short-term loading - an inverter would let you replace lpg with a 2 ring induction hob or even a microwave ! Five mins at 1500 watts is only 125 watt hrs or 5% of your capacity.
I never thought a video about 100AH LiFePO4 batteries in a van could be so aesthetically and visually pleasing. You guys truly are masters!
Hahah, thanks! We try our best
Long enjoyed your work, cinematography, stills, lifestyle and philosophy. Love the wording on the new batteries 'Get out there, stay out there', all the best for 2021 and beyond!
Thanks so much Gareth! Really appreciate the support!
Just found your channel guys.
Fantastic video, & 200amps is fantastic.
I’m now subscribed, & following you guys.
I will watch anything y'all make. I think you are super talented.
The time you put into your editing is pretty incredible. I really wish you would put out more content. I understand it’s difficult to do but the videography makes it worth it. You’ve got a fan of your work. Your relationship (with each other) is simply awesome coming from a married couple. Best of luck in 2021. Can’t wait to see more.
Thanks Austin! Really appreciate the positive feedback. We wish we put out more content too lol, its just not our thing. We're glad folks like you stick around and wait though. Rest assured we are always working on something. Hope to have some really cool stuff to share soon!
Wonderful video on your rig. I enjoyed the less human in video and more on subject matter. It good to find videos that way.
Looks great. We may upgrade our Westy to lithium in the next few years. Have 150 AH of AGM now.
I absolutely love all your tips about
Your westy !
It would be great to have part of your channel dedicated to living in your van and maybe do a short series on how you live in your van?
I have a 1991 “go westy “ restored
5 years ago camper van . I’m not a your typical Westy person who can work on my van much. So the good people at go Westy and Westie Works help us out with tune ups and such. 😃
Love your channel and keep posting all the good stuff . Thanks
For the inspiration.
Some super helpful info here, and overall good stuff as usual!
Thanks so much! Glad you found it useful. I know its' not a full tutorial or anything, because I honestly don't have the patience to do that kind of work and also film every step. I figured some folks might find this interesting anyway.
Can't wait to see what you put out next. I really dig your content.
Thanks, Brett! We've got some stuff we're pretty excited about!
Great set up!
Love you guys, hope you keep y’all’s story going!
I have family in NC too🥰
Thanks! More to come! And thats awesome! NC is beautiful
200Ah for a small Van like a Syncro ROCKS 👍No Power issues since then!
Excellent video 👍😀
You did an awesome job
I am so impressed!
Thanks mom!
Awesome. Spent the summer living out of a Volvo XC70 and your stuff was and is a huge inspiration. I'm returning to flyfishing/tying after several years away! My partner and I are musicians/photographers and the other issue we ran into living on the road was internet service for teaching online etc. Do yall have a wifi hotspot or...?
Great job. Lithium ion is the way forward for automotive applications. love the content
Yeah it was interesting. What a project. Nice job.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it
Ever considered installing solar panels on the top of the van? There are many options that are thin, flexible, and light.
Great work
Thank you!
I did almost the exact same setup a few weeks ago, feels amazing. Come to WI and we’ll fish the driftless.
No way, thats awesome! Drifltess is on the list, for sure!
Hello, thanks for the hard and interesting work. Please tell me, in which program do you edit the video? Thank you
Bullwinkle has come a long way.
Hey, awesome vid and love your stuff. I was wondering, what solar panel(s) are you rocking and where did you place them? I have a similar roof rack situation and can’t see where the panels are. Trying a similar setup, overwhelming stuff
We didn’t have room for fixed panels, so we used portable ones. We had a Redarc 240 watt solar blanket!
I don't think "infinite" is a relative term. Great video, thanks for posting.
Interesting I thought the alternator doesn’t like to charge Lithium baterries. I need to do more reading to check.
Did you have any issues?
No issues, but we use a Victron Energy DC to DC charger that handles the intermediate voltages between the alternator and house batteries. Going straight off the alternator would likely create issues.
Hi I just purchase a 1982 westfalia camper Vw/ that’s a great system you have going/ is that expensive to do? Parts and such? thx David (i would probably have to have someone do it)
Hey David! We’re sponsored by Battleborn, so the batteries were free for us. But they aren’t cheap. I think at least 1200 bucks a pop, and we’ve got two. The rest of the parts and tools I got off Amazon for probably a grand total of
I'm looking at an '85 westy weekender...was this a good year for these?
Hmmm, not really to be honest. 83.5-85 was a weird transition year for the vanagon. It used some niche parts and configurations that are harder to find support and parts for these days. Old vehicle are always a crapshoot, but the safest bet for longevity would be 86-91. There’s plenty of people with 85s and obviously we owned one for a decade, but we often found ourselves in a pinch over parts that were hard to find.
That being said. If it’s a good van and a good deal, go for it! An 85 is better than no van at all ;)
@@TightLoops appreciate the reply!....I had a 76 westy....great to know your info and experience
Where did you move the ECU too?
ECU is in the same spot as always, behind the drivers side taillight in the engine bay! We didn't move it anywhere
My gowesty lithium battery was crap too.
Oh no! Really? Did they replace it? We know a bunch of folks who've got them and love em. Sucks to hear you got a dud too. I think/hope we're in the minority though. I have to assume we are since GoWesty consistently sells out of them.
@@TightLoops it's the only time gowesty sold me something I wasn't happy with. Unfortunately I got lazy and didn't reach out to them. Decided to go another route for my system anyways
I'm sorry your battery didn't work. Our batteries are covered with a 5 year warranty covering defects in workmanship and materials under normal use. Please contact our customer service team at sales@gowesty.com and we can fix this issue.
@@GoWestyCamperProducts wow thank you so much! I figured I had waited too long.
That’s why y’all are the best! ❤️
How much has the whole van cost you so far????
Gosh it’s hard to know, honestly. We bought the van for 6K. We’ve easily put that much back into it, probably more like 8-10k, but that’s slowly over many years. If you want to be a successful vanagon owner you have to try and develop a targeted amnesia about maintenance receipts lol.
@@TightLoops thats amazing, can't wait to own one. thanks.
Why the mask outside
I don’t know how much time you’ve spent in the construction trades, but I used to work as a mason. I learned the hard way that you don’t want to spend to much time breathing in building materials, and that includes sawdust. Not so nice on the lungs. I realize masks have become some weird political signal these days, but this one was for good old job site safety. Nice thing was that we all have a million masks handy, so I didn’t have to go to the store to buy a respirator.
@@TightLoops I was just confused if you had it on for COVID cuz no one was around you. That makes sense tho, sorry to jump to conclusions
Lmao look at this clown outside with his mask on…
Believe it or not, masks exist for purposes beyond COVID. In this case, they can even be used to protect your lungs from sawdust. Not sure if you’ve ever worked in the trades, but I have, and eye, ear, and respiratory protection were things I never skimped on. Take my word for it, wear a mask when you’re cutting wood, unless you like coughing up blood.