Rob Steinhauer Yup its great, i only have a 100w folding panel, with a 10a version of this charger, but it keeps the waeco CDF 25 running indefinitely 24-7 from a 100AH leisure battery. Even when its cloudy and overcast here in the UK, the panel seems to replace what has been used by the fridge. After all, no sun, no heat, not much fridge use. Lots of sun, lots of heat, lots of fridge = lots of solar :)
Hey Eric, ENJOY your videos when I have the time. Your travels over the past few months have been very interesting to follow --- I'm jealous! I've looked for your assessment/comparison between living in the RV vs. the van....obviously you're enjoying the van...couldn't find anything....you've probably commented somewhere......what are the pros and cons of both experiences that you've discovered? And, if you'd do it again, what advice would your give someone who was wanting to "go nomadic?" You don't have all the amenities in the van that you had in the RV....so how do you deal with it?
Ho, Ho, Hello Eric, Don't worry, when you repeat yourself with pertinent information Eric, it is worth hearing it twice. Some of us have to hear it at least twice before we can remember or understand just what it is you're wanting us to know. Many Thanks... Santacerely, Santa Gilbert
I noticed sometimes when you close your van doors you look away from them. maby you should be looking incase jax has his little head sticking out. just a thought.
***** it doesn't matter because this is NOT a solar blog / vlog. It's just some helpful hints put in easy Laymans terms on how he did it. After all, he's just a humble average guy with a cat, camera & old van traveling America well before age 65. He's got it going on, we don't. I remember his first dash mounted 5 watt solar charger for his phone only 1.5 yrs ago. Man he's come along way. Me? I am a real solar guy but I don't knock or sharp-shoot anyone.
So ultimately , your AC uses way more power than your solar panel puts out and after a short time of being on, it will kill your battery,, You can get over 1300watts of solar panels to fit on the roof of your van ..
That was very interesting,Eric! Thank you for sharing the technical stuff too. I love you man, you are a nice human being! (La La Cat sends her love to Jax)
Just wanted to say that I like your video's and keep it up! I acctually based the layout of my camper conversion to yours! Hope to see more! Enjoy life man!
What if you placed the A.C unit @ a set temp(78) to where the A.C unit cycles on & off,would that help to extend the time usage for Your A.C operation from the 3 hours to maybe 4 or 5 hours off Solar Panel/Battery Bank Power?
Does the AC run all the time? You could install a line voltage, single pole, cooling stat. Home Depot Lowes probably wont have it but an electrical supply will. It simply wires in like a switch and shuts off when you reach a coolness then as things warm up, it will switch on again till coolness is reached again. Its function is reverse of a thermostat. About 15-20 bucks us time and orher parts.
Actually the air conditioner I have installed on the back is just a normal house window AC unit. So yes, the compressor will turn on and off and maintain a set temperature. I wasn't specifically trying to get it to a temperature today I was just showing the setup as an example
Is the inverter in the van modified sine wave or pure sine wave? Typically AC units runs a lot smoother off a pure sine wave inverter and pull less wattage. If it's not a pure sine wave inverter, you might want to keep it in mind for the future if you want to upgrade parts of the power system.
I wonder if, like a refrigerator, there's a way to cycle the AC on and off with a timer of thermometer thermostat (just like a home, full-house AC). I think if it went off, even for a few minutes, your van temp wouldn't suffer and the solar would almost be able to then run it indefinitely on a sunny day. Thoughts for you to ponder.
coolkayaker1 My AC does this. I have the temp set at 69 and it turns on the fan and compressor for a minute or two every 10 minutes or so depending on the thermostat. It is a Kenmore w/energy saver mode a few years old.
coolkayaker1 An inverter type AC would be the best kind, it can alter its output, but run the compressor constantly to maintain a set temp, rather then cutting completely on or off. :)
coolkayaker1 I added "The Math" comment in after your comments... here and on my channel I do the math to run an Air Conditioner from a battery bank (no solar & no generator) and how long it will last.
The Solar is doing great.However I would still get at least one more panel for up top.You can get 300-400 watt panels for a good price if you shop around. Tim.
Start The Rebellion I know my mistake buddy, just realised what i said. Its unlikely he'd fit more then 500 on the van for roof space etc, if he had anywhere near 500 that would be awesome :) 24V FTW :P
Start The Rebellion the guys a banned troll so they interact with us to make conversation. Just ignore the guy & report his comments 3 times & they didappear.
SOME-RANDOM-DUDE Eric is not a Fleeing Felon. He served his time and therefore I FORGIVE ERIC JACOBS. Everybody makes mistakes. Why are you such a hater? You persecute others when you aren't perfectly Holy yourself!
The comments I made about Eric running his air conditioner off solar were really about how much batteries suck..and how fragile they are..o like watching his channel. .and his van is nice. ..and his cat is happy. ..I have been curious as to why he is so disliked. .I think it's more a problem of commenters with thin skin throwing around the word troll...using it like the" N" word and pissing off casual commenters, ,,
mychannel325 He is disliked because he tries to deceive people. This video is a perfect example. There are many that dog him because they hate to see injustice. Of course, they are then labeled trolls and haters by the Eric fan boys who have fallen for his deceptions.
Every youtube channel has trolls & nay sayers including religious channels. The best way to judge Eric is to look at his 40,000 subscrber fan base that he built up in less than a year then look at his thumbs up ratings / numbers compared to the thumbs down numbers. His Thumbs down are less than 6% & most of those thumbs down are you guessed it, By The Trolls that didnt even watch the video alk the way through or voted down without watching at all. Every time I see a troll here I simply report them then blockem.
Good video Eric. It looks as your system suits your needs. That what counts. So many people say go bigger(not that its not a bad idea) But if what you have works and suits your needs then why mess with it.
Nomadic Fanatic You could go further and add some insulation to the roof from Lowes/Home Depot. Could really help the temp from changing so quickly when your AC is cycling on and off = longer running time.
Ted Fryman the shade from the solar panel keeps the roof cool already & Erics adding another panel which means more shade & panel. The roof to panel space is 6 inches apart. Your point is moot.
lol I was hoping you would do a video about this soon as it's been so dang hot! And ive been wanting to boondock but there is no way unless i can have my a/c. It's good to see your system running and supporting itself off the sun because i think that is what i would like to do... That or fix my generator i dunno but thanks for sharing this was a good one.
+e mc Maybe what he meant was "I've converted from a class C RV to a camper van". At least that's how I took it. In other words, I took it NOT as "I converted this van myself" rather, I took it as "I've converted my living arrangements from a Class C RV to a camper van". In his other videos, he talks about getting the van from camper van Kevin and the work that he (camper van Kevin) did to said camper van.
Hi, you did a great job on your van i love it ! And your cat is so cute ! I have question : what type of AC have you installed ? Do you have a soft start ? Thank you
WOULD JAX RUN AWAY WITHOUT THE HARNESS & LEASH - OR DOES HE LIKE TO STAY INSIDE EVEN IF YOU OPEN THE DOOR TO MAKE SURE HE DOESN'T GET LEFT BEHIND.... FOR YOU, OR ANYONE READING THIS WHO TRAVELS WITH A DOG OR 2 HOW DO YOU KEEP PEOPLE FROM CALLING THE COPS ON YOU FOR HAVING A DOG, OR IN THIS CASE A CAT IN A HOT VEHICLE.......(WHICH IS WHY I'M RESEARCHING SOLAR AC) ................... AWESOME VIDEO !!! (FIRST VIDEO OF YOURS I'VE SEEN, AND A NEW SUBSCRIBER) WISH I COULD HAVE A NICE CAT LIKE THAT, BUT I'M WAY TOO ALLERGIC - GOTTA STICK WITH DOGS.......
Two products that might help you out are: 1) Kill-a-watt - www.p3international.com/products/p4400.html - $18 a) You can use the Kill-a-watt to determine the electrical draw of any appliance in watts, amps, voltage, etc. 2) 24 Hour Timer - www.1000bulbs.com/product/89347/SUN-734110.html - $10 b) You can use the timer with your fridge set for 1 hour on, one hour off. Works fine that way.
Hi Eric...enjoying your videos! I know this is off the wall, but I am fairly new to your journey and curious about Jax. He looks like a cool companion. I will try to find info on him in your videos. Oh and BTW I saw your cat litter and suggest the best natural litter on the market... SWheat Scoop from Pet Smart. It is all natural, clay free, wheat based. It's a little expensive, but lasts twice as long. The best....odor free!! And no dust to irritate eyes or cause any congestion. It's really good for living in a small space.
Ummmm.....10:42am to 11:10am is NOT running the A/C "for close to 2 hours". I may be old school, but to me that seems about 1/2 hour - (28 MINUTES to be exact).
MotherOfManyHorses i don't know about the specific manufacturer of the dry food that Eric is using but i know Merrick makes grain free canned cat food.
***** He already has "added expense"! You ever deal with a pet that has special needs?? Been there, done that! From what I see with Eric about Jax, your statement makes no sense.
Ok, so this is obviously a submission video of some kind. Any guesses as to who it is directed at? Maybe a future 'sponsor' ? It's definitely not directed at his standard RUclips subscribers
HuukedOnFonix I think it is an interesting video that many people want to see. He knows it will attract a lot of attention outside the subscribers so he is talking to them some, trying to keep them around.
HuukedOnFonix Yeah right wearing the 01 hat! Get real this is for the subs not sponsor's . BTW I'm all for the 01 and Rebel Flag. With all that's going on today with the BS Lib's I'd bet odds this is for the subscribers.
Wow I wish I lived up north!! Has been 98 degrees here with around 75 to 80% humidity here in southern Louisiana.Hate the hot summers here! Jax is the coolest cat!! He looks and acts just like my old girl Amiee!!
HINT: black paint really absorbs the sun and makes the inside much hotter. I tried some white exterior primer from Walmart over my ancient black paint and you couldn’t touch the black paint but the thick white primer was really cool. The first problem was that it was water based and it rained after I applied it. White puddles, round my van... Next try was late in the day and the evening mist also... OK, finally I got the picture and waited for a nice hot, sunny day. Perfect. Didn’t look as shinny but sure kept the temperature down.
Hey man could you help me setup somthing similar for me and my 12lb dog i too have had shitty habor frieght pannels and also invested in a grate to vent one end of my car open when times where tough, thinking about possibly just doing like 3 or 4 peak hour daily sessions with 350w panasonic 65 somthjng volts @8 or 9 amps possibly even finding a dc to dc psu option a/c or even making one my self using new 450w dc to dc converters bit of a stretch but anything beats 700 dollar rent
If it were me, I would cover the van with as many solar panels as possible, increase the battery bank, and try to run the A/C as much as possible. You could literally be in the middle of nowhere where it's 100 F outside, yet Jax is trying to snuggle with the inverter to keep warm. I'm a winter person, in case you want to know :)
Could you make your A/C turn off and on using a thermostat? And put that thermostat in a crate? Then duct most of the A/C into the crate? Essentially giving your cat his own little A/C room. Saving you a lot of power? I know nothing about this stuff just dreaming about van life with my dog.
I am just a beginner at van dwelling. I just make sure to park under some trees and I have a little fan that runs off of two D batteries that I bought from Ebay for about $10. I want to do the solar panel thing, but I think I need to take care of getting a new water pump first coz itis making a bad noise =(
That cat can't possibly be a regular house cat. The big boy is beautiful. And give him what he want to eat and don't in flick people pressure on him with stupid diets.
I'm guessing your fridge is not the RV kind that runs off propane primarily... that would save you a lot of electrical juice. Since you are dropping battery charge it's basically saying the solar system can't keep up and you are running off of battery... so no chance of boondocking indefinitely with it. especially out here in the desert. I think it'll be a few more years until PV panels get to the density needed to be able to power an AC unit in an RV...
To answer Tammy Delbruegge,s comment that Eric can cool this black van so easely one important fact here the size of the van interior is still way smaller than an average room so it is not hard at all for that window AC unit to get that van nice and cool ,,,, I guess that is one other advantage of a van over a larger RV,,,, on a larger RV this system could exist too but would have to be way more powerfull way more solar panels, more batteries bigger invertor etc way more expensive ,,but with a van the system needed is smaller and less expensive
I live in the middle of Texas and I’m currently building a small off the grid camper trailer to pull with my Jeep. The interior is about the size of a full size bed with a couple feet extra at the end of the bed it has a ton of locking storage containers on the sides of the trailer so I’ll have plenty of storage for the solar panel equipment and batteries. I’m just wondering if I would be able to store enough solar power during the day to run a small Air conditioner in the evenings and possibly a small mini fridge? I’d also have a couple power outlets but they would only have something like my phone or laptop charging on those for a few hours during the evening as well. If anyone could give an idea of the equipment I’d need for all of this I would greatly appreciate the help I’m brand new to this but love the idea of it all.
I'm in a desert climate and will run the ac more at night, probably. But I just put in a 150 watt panel. Hopefully that is enough. I'm not running a ton more.
Looks like you might have room for another 250 amp solar panel on the roof. I wonder how that would change the amount of time you can run the A/C... ever considered that?
GOD BLESS YOU BROTHER LOVING YOUR STYLE,, IF YOU'RE EVER IN UPSTATE N.Y. U CAN CAMP LONG AS U WANT ON MY FARM ... I KNOW THIS IS AN OLDER VID BUT I BEEN WATCHING ''EM ALL TRYING TO SEE ALL THE NEW HOMES U END UP IN IS WHAT I ENJOY I MISS THE ROAD I USE TO DRIVE COAST TO COAST 4 YEARS LIVING IN MANY DIFFERENT TRUCK'S AND NOT ALWAYS UPGRADES KINDA LIKE U LOL ,, KEEP ON TRUCKIN BROTHER !!!
I would love to have some solar on our rv! Im not technically savvy with electronics though. It would be handy when we finally go work camping. That's our goal in a few years.
In Ireland our cars have to go for a NCT test if there older then 8 years of age every year after that . And vans have to go for a DOE test. The same way , and so do camper vans, that's in Ireland , it's a test for road wordyness so there safe to drive on the road
Eric, I live on the peninsula of Washington, have you ever been to lake Cushman or staircase campground on the hood canal?? I highly suggest it, one of the most beautiful places I have been... you should go
How can cold you can you make it inside your van without over stressing the system. In other words will it run at 70 degrees or is that more than system can handle?
you cooled it down to below 70. If you let the AC unit turn on and off automatically you may be able to recharge batteries enough when the unit was not running.
Hey dude thanks for sharing will you be able to write me the list of components I would need to have the same set up as yours please and thank you let me know if you need an email
go two cats indoors and 7 outside. would know what i'd do without them. got a van myself and thinking to do the same. how do you extend your roof? i want to put air in my van too. nice video.
Eric, I know you didn't add the AC unit into this van, but if you do decide to add one in your current RV, don't paint the condenser coil. It will significantly reduce the subcooling effect and make your AC run hotter and harder, therefore using a lot more power. Especially on hotter days. You want clean, unclogged/unblocked, un-painted coils with plenty of air-flow. Both condenser and evaporator coils. Just an FYI for ya.
Your system was coping well with that AC unit running for 2 hours! I think you have it completely right though cracking the windows and using the fantastic fan for air flow. The airflow past your skin will help your body stay naturally cool anyway, without the power hungry AC running. Its a nice thing to be able to do if you need to though Imagine some kind of unbearable humid night when you cant use the genny, this would be perfect!!! :)
LambySRI LOL, it was running for 28 MINUTES, not anywhere near the 2 HOURS he claimed in the video. Check the times on the thermometer during the before and after shots.
Nice set up do you have Generator for back up? I have a nice gen but would like to get solar down the road if things work out. I travel full time in my camper and have been uploading videos as well. Check my page out when you get time.
Be a LOT cooler with a light colored paint job! Black! zowie! in the South you would fry!
solar power is so cool to be able to operate everything you need from the sun
Rob Steinhauer Yup its great, i only have a 100w folding panel, with a 10a version of this charger, but it keeps the waeco CDF 25 running indefinitely 24-7 from a 100AH leisure battery. Even when its cloudy and overcast here in the UK, the panel seems to replace what has been used by the fridge.
After all, no sun, no heat, not much fridge use.
Lots of sun, lots of heat, lots of fridge = lots of solar :)
Start The Rebellion thanks, we'll keep it in mind! :)
Hey Eric, ENJOY your videos when I have the time. Your travels over the past few months have been very interesting to follow --- I'm jealous! I've looked for your assessment/comparison between living in the RV vs. the van....obviously you're enjoying the van...couldn't find anything....you've probably commented somewhere......what are the pros and cons of both experiences that you've discovered? And, if you'd do it again, what advice would your give someone who was wanting to "go nomadic?" You don't have all the amenities in the van that you had in the RV....so how do you deal with it?
Ho, Ho, Hello Eric,
Don't worry, when you repeat yourself with pertinent information Eric,
it is worth hearing it twice. Some of us have to hear it at least
twice before we can remember or understand just what it is
you're wanting us to know. Many Thanks...
Santacerely,
Santa Gilbert
I noticed sometimes when you close your van doors you look away from them. maby you should be looking incase jax has his little head sticking out. just a thought.
Mind your own business!
Thanks for sharing the possibilities of running A/C with Solar Panels. Will be looking further into that for my RV.
***** it doesn't matter because this is NOT a solar blog / vlog. It's just some helpful hints put in easy Laymans terms on how he did it.
After all, he's just a humble average guy with a cat, camera & old van traveling America well before age 65. He's got it going on, we don't.
I remember his first dash mounted 5 watt solar charger for his phone only 1.5 yrs ago.
Man he's come along way.
Me? I am a real solar guy but I don't knock or sharp-shoot anyone.
patrick price Thanks for the info so I can research further.👍
So ultimately , your AC uses way more power than your solar panel puts out and after a short time of being on, it will kill your battery,,
You can get over 1300watts of solar panels to fit on the roof of your van ..
i'm impressed that you can cool that black van down to 69 when it's almost 90 outside!
That was very interesting,Eric! Thank you for sharing the technical stuff too. I love you man, you are a nice human being! (La La Cat sends her love to Jax)
Thank You Terry. I'm happy to share I just don't like to do how to videos"
Nomadic Fanatic Then don't do them! Do us a favor.
Just wanted to say that I like your video's and keep it up! I acctually based the layout of my camper conversion to yours! Hope to see more! Enjoy life man!
Awesome. Thank you
that is 1 very cool kitty you have there. i take my kitty alot of places including work too.
.
What if you placed the A.C unit @ a set temp(78) to where the A.C unit cycles on & off,would that help to extend the time usage for Your A.C operation from the 3 hours to maybe 4 or 5 hours off Solar Panel/Battery Bank Power?
Nice set-up, cool cat, I like the happy place you've created......
Does the AC run all the time? You could install a line voltage, single pole, cooling stat. Home Depot Lowes probably wont have it but an electrical supply will. It simply wires in like a switch and shuts off when you reach a coolness then as things warm up, it will switch on again till coolness is reached again. Its function is reverse of a thermostat. About 15-20 bucks us time and orher parts.
Actually the air conditioner I have installed on the back is just a normal house window AC unit. So yes, the compressor will turn on and off and maintain a set temperature. I wasn't specifically trying to get it to a temperature today I was just showing the setup as an example
adorable cat!!
It would be cool if you could get sponsors like Petsmart, cat food, or cat supplies, etc. jax is a real star!
liz ANDERSON Good idea! I love Jax!
where did you find those batteries???? thats a solid setup
How long total can you run the AC off the batteries?
Is the inverter in the van modified sine wave or pure sine wave? Typically AC units runs a lot smoother off a pure sine wave inverter and pull less wattage. If it's not a pure sine wave inverter, you might want to keep it in mind for the future if you want to upgrade parts of the power system.
Pure sine wave cobra inverter
I wonder if, like a refrigerator, there's a way to cycle the AC on and off with a timer of thermometer thermostat (just like a home, full-house AC). I think if it went off, even for a few minutes, your van temp wouldn't suffer and the solar would almost be able to then run it indefinitely on a sunny day. Thoughts for you to ponder.
coolkayaker1 My AC does this. I have the temp set at 69 and it turns on the fan and compressor for a minute or two every 10 minutes or so depending on the thermostat. It is a Kenmore w/energy saver mode a few years old.
coolkayaker1 An inverter type AC would be the best kind, it can alter its output, but run the compressor constantly to maintain a set temp, rather then cutting completely on or off. :)
coolkayaker1 I added "The Math" comment in after your comments... here and on my channel I do the math to run an Air Conditioner from a battery bank (no solar & no generator) and how long it will last.
The Solar is doing great.However I would still get at least one more panel for up top.You can get 300-400 watt panels for a good price if you shop around.
Tim.
I agree
Start The Rebellion I know my mistake buddy, just realised what i said. Its unlikely he'd fit more then 500 on the van for roof space etc, if he had anywhere near 500 that would be awesome :)
24V FTW :P
Start The Rebellion It is a MPPT controller not a PWM.
steve murphy Yep, I hear he does jingles to supplement his income !!
Start The Rebellion the guys a banned troll so they interact with us to make conversation. Just ignore the guy & report his comments 3 times & they didappear.
Stay tuned for Eric's next video: "How To Find Free Replacement House Batteries".
Drunk 'n Snarky I think I'd like to upgrade to more panels before I add batteries right now. :)
Drunk 'n Snarky hahah I love it !!
SOME-RANDOM-DUDE Eric is not a Fleeing Felon. He served his time and therefore I FORGIVE ERIC JACOBS. Everybody makes mistakes. Why are you such a hater? You persecute others when you aren't perfectly Holy yourself!
The comments I made about Eric running his air conditioner off solar were really about how much batteries suck..and how fragile they are..o like watching his channel. .and his van is nice. ..and his cat is happy. ..I have been curious as to why he is so disliked. .I think it's more a problem of commenters with thin skin throwing around the word troll...using it like the" N" word and pissing off casual commenters, ,,
mychannel325 He is disliked because he tries to deceive people. This video is a perfect example. There are many that dog him because they hate to see injustice. Of course, they are then labeled trolls and haters by the Eric fan boys who have fallen for his deceptions.
Every youtube channel has trolls & nay sayers including religious channels. The best way to judge Eric is to look at his 40,000 subscrber fan base that he built up in less than a year then look at his thumbs up ratings / numbers compared to the thumbs down numbers.
His Thumbs down are less than 6% & most of those thumbs down are you guessed it, By The Trolls that didnt even watch the video alk the way through or voted down without watching at all. Every time I see a troll here I simply report them then blockem.
Great video thanks
Great info on a that system. Like the battery bank. Thanks for all your content. I've learned a lot.
Is that A/C unit made to work off 12V or are you just plugging into an inverter? Good video, keep up the good work!...................Hey to Jaxx!
Good video Eric. It looks as your system suits your needs. That what counts. So many people say go bigger(not that its not a bad idea) But if what you have works and suits your needs then why mess with it.
Yep thanks Wayne. As long as I'm happy it works
Nomadic Fanatic You could go further and add some insulation to the roof from Lowes/Home Depot. Could really help the temp from changing so quickly when your AC is cycling on and off = longer running time.
ChillCosmos Or not paint the roof black.
Ted Fryman it looks awesome that way though, I'm all for the black roof.
Ted Fryman the shade from the solar panel keeps the roof cool already & Erics adding another panel which means more shade & panel. The roof to panel space is 6 inches apart.
Your point is moot.
lol I was hoping you would do a video about this soon as it's been so dang hot! And ive been wanting to boondock but there is no way unless i can have my a/c. It's good to see your system running and supporting itself off the sun because i think that is what i would like to do... That or fix my generator i dunno but thanks for sharing this was a good one.
Great video Eric, always like solar info! You and Jax stay safe!!
You said ( I converted into a camp van) was that not done by camper van kevin? Then gifted... credit were it's due my man come on now!
+e mc Maybe what he meant was "I've converted from a class C RV to a camper van". At least that's how I took it. In other words, I took it NOT as "I converted this van myself" rather, I took it as "I've converted my living arrangements from a Class C RV to a camper van". In his other videos, he talks about getting the van from camper van Kevin and the work that he (camper van Kevin) did to said camper van.
Hi, you did a great job on your van i love it ! And your cat is so cute !
I have question : what type of AC have you installed ? Do you have a soft start ?
Thank you
When is Jax getting his own channel?
peet1250 If he can run it without me, he can do it. But I certainly can't run two channels. This one is hard enough. :)
crazy train
Not accurate.you didn't convert it. You got it and improved it ...but you didn't convert it
ae4xo I noticed that as well.
steve murphy I guess there is a good reason you are an "Ex" Reserve Police Officer,
Drunk 'n Snarky Nailed it...He is EX because he forgot his oath...
WOULD JAX RUN AWAY WITHOUT THE HARNESS & LEASH - OR DOES HE LIKE TO STAY INSIDE EVEN IF YOU OPEN THE DOOR TO MAKE SURE HE DOESN'T GET LEFT BEHIND....
FOR YOU, OR ANYONE READING THIS WHO TRAVELS WITH A DOG OR 2 HOW DO YOU KEEP PEOPLE FROM CALLING THE COPS ON YOU FOR HAVING A DOG, OR IN THIS CASE A CAT IN A HOT VEHICLE.......(WHICH IS WHY I'M RESEARCHING SOLAR AC) ................... AWESOME VIDEO !!!
(FIRST VIDEO OF YOURS I'VE SEEN, AND A NEW SUBSCRIBER)
WISH I COULD HAVE A NICE CAT LIKE THAT, BUT I'M WAY TOO ALLERGIC - GOTTA STICK WITH DOGS.......
Try to buy a new outbacks system and get a new 125 a/h
5 battery and used a new 350w solar 2 panels for your power up RV test it out
Two products that might help you out are:
1) Kill-a-watt - www.p3international.com/products/p4400.html - $18
a) You can use the Kill-a-watt to determine the electrical draw of any appliance in watts, amps, voltage, etc.
2) 24 Hour Timer - www.1000bulbs.com/product/89347/SUN-734110.html - $10
b) You can use the timer with your fridge set for 1 hour on, one hour off. Works fine that way.
Hi Eric...enjoying your videos! I know this is off the wall, but I am fairly new to your journey and curious about Jax. He looks like a cool companion. I will try to find info on him in your videos. Oh and BTW I saw your cat litter and suggest the best natural litter on the market... SWheat Scoop from Pet Smart. It is all natural, clay free, wheat based. It's a little expensive, but lasts twice as long. The best....odor free!! And no dust to irritate eyes or cause any congestion. It's really good for living in a small space.
Ummmm.....10:42am to 11:10am is NOT running the A/C "for close to 2 hours". I may be old school, but to me that seems about 1/2 hour - (28 MINUTES to be exact).
Do they make a canned version of his grain free dry food? I had to add canned food to my cat's diet because he was seriously constipated.
MotherOfManyHorses i don't know about the specific manufacturer of the dry food that Eric is using but i know Merrick makes grain free canned cat food.
***** He already has "added expense"! You ever deal with a pet that has special needs?? Been there, done that! From what I see with Eric about Jax, your statement makes no sense.
Tammy Delbruegge Some people don't like to mix brands.
MotherOfManyHorses what are Jax's special needs?
Ok, so this is obviously a submission video of some kind. Any guesses as to who it is directed at? Maybe a future 'sponsor' ? It's definitely not directed at his standard RUclips subscribers
HuukedOnFonix I think it is an interesting video that many people want to see. He knows it will attract a lot of attention outside the subscribers so he is talking to them some, trying to keep them around.
HuukedOnFonix Aliens!
HuukedOnFonix Yeah right wearing the 01 hat! Get real this is for the subs not sponsor's . BTW I'm all for the 01 and Rebel Flag. With all that's going on today with the BS Lib's I'd bet odds this is for the subscribers.
+FixedByDoc OffGrid Now, I am not saying it's aliens...but it's aliens lol.
Wow I wish I lived up north!! Has been 98 degrees here with around 75 to 80% humidity here in southern Louisiana.Hate the hot summers here! Jax is the coolest cat!! He looks and acts just like my old girl Amiee!!
HINT: black paint really absorbs the sun and makes the inside much hotter. I tried some white exterior primer from Walmart over my ancient black paint and you couldn’t touch the black paint but the thick white primer was really cool. The first problem was that it was water based and it rained after I applied it. White puddles, round my van... Next try was late in the day and the evening mist also... OK, finally I got the picture and waited for a nice hot, sunny day. Perfect. Didn’t look as shinny but sure kept the temperature down.
Hey man could you help me setup somthing similar for me and my 12lb dog i too have had shitty habor frieght pannels and also invested in a grate to vent one end of my car open when times where tough, thinking about possibly just doing like 3 or 4 peak hour daily sessions with 350w panasonic 65 somthjng volts @8 or 9 amps possibly even finding a dc to dc psu option a/c or even making one my self using new 450w dc to dc converters bit of a stretch but anything beats 700 dollar rent
If it were me, I would cover the van with as many solar panels as possible, increase the battery bank, and try to run the A/C as much as possible. You could literally be in the middle of nowhere where it's 100 F outside, yet Jax is trying to snuggle with the inverter to keep warm. I'm a winter person, in case you want to know :)
Could you make your A/C turn off and on using a thermostat? And put that thermostat in a crate? Then duct most of the A/C into the crate? Essentially giving your cat his own little A/C room. Saving you a lot of power?
I know nothing about this stuff just dreaming about van life with my dog.
I just bought a suitcase portable Renogy 100 watt solar panel ($279 on Amazon) to keep my battery topped off when at campgrounds without power.
I am just a beginner at van dwelling. I just make sure to park under some trees and I have a little fan that runs off of two D batteries that I bought from Ebay for about $10. I want to do the solar panel thing, but I think I need to take care of getting a new water pump first coz itis making a bad noise =(
That cat can't possibly be a regular house cat. The big boy is beautiful. And give him what he want to eat and don't in flick people pressure on him with stupid diets.
I'm guessing your fridge is not the RV kind that runs off propane primarily... that would save you a lot of electrical juice. Since you are dropping battery charge it's basically saying the solar system can't keep up and you are running off of battery... so no chance of boondocking indefinitely with it. especially out here in the desert. I think it'll be a few more years until PV panels get to the density needed to be able to power an AC unit in an RV...
To answer Tammy Delbruegge,s comment that Eric can cool this black van so easely one important fact here the size of the van interior is still way smaller than an average room so it is not hard at all for that window AC unit to get that van nice and cool ,,,, I guess that is one other advantage of a van over a larger RV,,,, on a larger RV this system could exist too but would have to be way more powerfull way more solar panels, more batteries bigger invertor etc way more expensive ,,but with a van the system needed is smaller and less expensive
Thise cobra inverters suck.. Ive had 3 5000watt inverters and all died 1yr after running nithing but a fridge and misc small electronics
I live in the middle of Texas and I’m currently building a small off the grid camper trailer to pull with my Jeep. The interior is about the size of a full size bed with a couple feet extra at the end of the bed it has a ton of locking storage containers on the sides of the trailer so I’ll have plenty of storage for the solar panel equipment and batteries. I’m just wondering if I would be able to store enough solar power during the day to run a small Air conditioner in the evenings and possibly a small mini fridge? I’d also have a couple power outlets but they would only have something like my phone or laptop charging on those for a few hours during the evening as well. If anyone could give an idea of the equipment I’d need for all of this I would greatly appreciate the help I’m brand new to this but love the idea of it all.
I'm in a desert climate and will run the ac more at night, probably. But I just put in a 150 watt panel. Hopefully that is enough. I'm not running a ton more.
Looks like you might have room for another 250 amp solar panel on the roof. I wonder how that would change the amount of time you can run the A/C... ever considered that?
GOD BLESS YOU BROTHER LOVING YOUR STYLE,, IF YOU'RE EVER IN UPSTATE N.Y. U CAN CAMP LONG AS U WANT ON MY FARM ... I KNOW THIS IS AN OLDER VID BUT I BEEN WATCHING ''EM ALL TRYING TO SEE ALL THE NEW HOMES U END UP IN IS WHAT I ENJOY I MISS THE ROAD I USE TO DRIVE COAST TO COAST 4 YEARS LIVING IN MANY DIFFERENT TRUCK'S AND NOT ALWAYS UPGRADES KINDA LIKE U LOL ,, KEEP ON TRUCKIN BROTHER !!!
I would love to have some solar on our rv! Im not technically savvy with electronics though. It would be handy when we finally go work camping. That's our goal in a few years.
In Ireland our cars have to go for a NCT test if there older then 8 years of age every year after that . And vans have to go for a DOE test. The same way , and so do camper vans, that's in Ireland , it's a test for road wordyness so there safe to drive on the road
Cool Dukes of Hazzard hat. You do still have a genny in case you can't get enough solar right?
Eric, I live on the peninsula of Washington, have you ever been to lake Cushman or staircase campground on the hood canal?? I highly suggest it, one of the most beautiful places I have been... you should go
Another thought... change that refrig to propane... units have come way down in price for that size unit.
The black paint is a double edge sword, If you have more colder days than warm, it will actually be a great benefit to warm the place up.
To keep things even cooler you may consider painting your van white.
you'd only use the Ac during the day, night is always cooler, fans would be fine. So, yeah, cool vid.
did you tie your alternator up to your battery Bank to charge it up with the vehicle running?
How did you train Jax to stick with you and not run off in new/unfamiliar environments? Id love to do stuff like this with my cat.
How can cold you can you make it inside your van without over stressing the system. In other words will it run at 70 degrees or is that more than system can handle?
you cooled it down to below 70. If you let the AC unit turn on and off automatically you may be able to recharge batteries enough when the unit was not running.
Great video it's great to see the sun over there it's Allways pissing rain / cold and blowing a gale of wind here in Ireland
You are suppose to give a cat atleast a can a week of wet food. It's something about their fur and their health
I was wondering if you could hook up your car alternator to your battery bank for extra charging when your driving?
Hey dude thanks for sharing will you be able to write me the list of components I would need to have the same set up as yours please and thank you let me know if you need an email
go two cats indoors and 7 outside. would know what i'd do without them. got a van myself and thinking to do the same. how do you extend your roof? i want to put air in my van too. nice video.
Are you not worried about the EMF pollution? And it's really noisy in there
Eric, I know you didn't add the AC unit into this van, but if you do decide to add one in your current RV, don't paint the condenser coil. It will significantly reduce the subcooling effect and make your AC run hotter and harder, therefore using a lot more power. Especially on hotter days. You want clean, unclogged/unblocked, un-painted coils with plenty of air-flow. Both condenser and evaporator coils. Just an FYI for ya.
EDIT: I know you have AC already in your CURRENT RV, this is just a useful tip for the future.
putting all heat sources outside-such as the inverter or refridgerater coil -would help.
Wait isn't solar power suppose to last all day until the sun goes down, so why would the fridge stop when the sun is still out giving it energy ?
So freaking cool. 69 degrees ain't bad hombre, I love the super tioga but the van vid are badass too!!
That wiring in your closet could be neatened up a little bit and make more room there don't you think?.
Awesome. Cute cat. I'M subscribing.
What if you ran two inverters?
I don't know. Sounds like a test somebody should do... :)
Jax is an amazing cat. Eric is the luckiest guy in the world to find a cat as cool as Jax
Your system was coping well with that AC unit running for 2 hours! I think you have it completely right though cracking the windows and using the fantastic fan for air flow. The airflow past your skin will help your body stay naturally cool anyway, without the power hungry AC running. Its a nice thing to be able to do if you need to though
Imagine some kind of unbearable humid night when you cant use the genny, this would be perfect!!! :)
LambySRI LOL, it was running for 28 MINUTES, not anywhere near the 2 HOURS he claimed in the video. Check the times on the thermometer during the before and after shots.
You painted the TV antenna black. Looks nice. How is reception now that it has a coat of paint on it?
Jax looks like an awesome cat! He's your fur child!
Nice set up do you have Generator for back up? I have a nice gen but would like to get solar down the road if things work out. I travel full time in my camper and have been uploading videos as well. Check my page out when you get time.
Yes, 2000w generator/inverter on board also
Your van might be easier to cool if it weren't painted black.
How much are a solar panel? I'm going to be using my generation for my ac?
Your cats going to die maybe 20 years don't torture him to much he won't live forever.
I know. I love him to death and I'm trying to keep him a happy cat on the road
Sidney Boudro That was stupid. Leave his cat alone.
terry palmore his dumb cat licks Erics tiny balls
Might try a window shade in the front window too reflect the heat back out..
Eric this is Eddie I got element 2003 I use it everyday. Keep what you do proud of you brudah.
Thanks eddie!
u should put the ac higher then he has it, his bed is absorbing probably 60 percent of that cold air
I usually dont comment but i really enjoy this guys videos.
Doesn't it get cold in the dessert at night....so you wouldn't need ac.
Love the video . Can’t wait to see more on your homestead and see the outcome . Keep it up
cool video and that is one fat cat!! pretty too but man he I fat or should we say big boned hahahah
Very nice setup you have.
I so want to buy and set up a van, Some day, some day. lol Thumbs up!
Please list all the Links to the equipment needed