I thought I'd buy a Redarc inverter, but I changed my mind and used that money to pay off my mortgage, take the family for a Queensland holiday and buy the wife and I a new car.
I have found the Traxide ( Australian made) dual battery system to work perfectly on my D3. Aux battery always at full voltage and ready for camp with solar charge keeping aux topped up. Cranking battery in better condition too. Install and forget. Perfect.
While watching the torch reviews I couldn't help thinking. "Been locked away too long in W.A.?" ;-) No really, some very good points. Loved the reviews.
Good onya’ mate takes guts to tell em’ what you really think. Not many YOuTube 4wd channels making money being a brand non- ambassador. BF Goodrich ( Michelin) . Falken, Dunlop (Sumitomo Rubber) Emu Export ( Brewed in various locations throughout Australia.)Its’s all marketing BS.
Your old Bridgestone 694 tyres had a miserly load index of 112/109 - so they were not LT tyres so little wonder they gave you grief. I wouldn't blame the brand.
I have had a Redarc solenoid for my second battery and it has worked very well. I have a large cable going from each battery to the solenoid. Both batteries have the same voltage whenever the engine is running, there is a gauge on the dash. The second battery runs the fridge, lights, chargers, etc. and the main battery preheats and starts the engine. After starting both batteries are usually at the same voltage if it has been parked for a while (or the main battery is lower than the second if it was just one night) and they can charge back up together. I also turn the solenoid on for cold starting and winching so it can be done with both batteries. I have not removed either battery from the car for the past 3 years and it looks like the second battery might outlast the main battery.
I believe most people have problems with these solenoids because they have the 2nd battery far away with only a small wire connecting to it. The solenoid is not a smart charger so it won't compensate for the extra resistance in the wire and the 2nd battery won't get enough charge. But this would also be the same problem even if there is no solenoid and just a wire to the second battery. I have the batteries near each other and large wire going to them from the solenoid (4 B&S I think?), both are lead acid batteries and I don't usually discharge the 2nd battery a large amount. This gives perfect conditions for a simple isolator solenoid and I don't have a need for a smart charger. With other conditions it might be better to have a smart charger but I guess you have already looked into this.
Hema HX-1 Navigator deserves a mention .....unbelievably poor product....urban mapping didn't work/ difficult to charge and would freeze every day.....cost about $700 in 2017....I would rate it as the worst value for money product I have ever bought.
This x1000. Our Rural fire department ordered one under bad advice and it's the biggest piece of shit I've ever had the displeasure of (trying) to use. When you have units like the Garmin Overlander at only a couple of hundred extra, it's extremely frustrating.
This is no insult, but you have reached an audiophile level of nuance in your opinions on 4x4 gear. I hope that one day you can lose the OCD and just enjoy the tracks again.
Makes for good content! maybe if you don't like it make your own channel? Or you just like to complain about free content on the internet that's not specifically tailored to your interests? I actually quite liked this it's hard to get knowledge of this kind of experience.
@@joels2517 kind of agree with you there buddy. Honest reviews and tells it, albeit a long way around it to get to the point but still, how it is. Like anything in this world, if people don’t like it, they’re only more than welcome to NOT watch it....nobody is making them watch this content...😉👍👍
@@stuartmanuell4207 I think the issue of why some companies don’t want to work with him is because they’re fearful of his honest reviews and NOT paying credit when credits NOT due.
I’m not really liking the latest uploads on this channel. From bogans to having a crack at products you don’t like. You are a brilliant film maker and story teller, the main reason I sub to your content. Stop being so crusty mate and show your positive side. Whatever though, will just stop watching this crap.
On the other hand Bill, if his critique of rubbish tyres stops an inexperienced person from tackling a remote track like Connie Sue etc. and endangering their lives I guess it's valid. And what do you expect, he's a pom, he's going to whinge about stuff?
Yes, Redarc are over priced and poor value for money, full stop. Not just their inverters, but everything they sell. Nobody really needs it. It's not bad stuff, good for the people that can afford it or are sponsored by them.
So if i don't have Redvision and a BMS etc etc, what am i going to do out camping? Will i suffer anxiety if i don't have immediate and continuous access to the state of my batteries?
I owned BMS 1215S2, BMS1230S3 redvision in Kamper, now have Enerdrive ACDC and DCDC in Karavan. 200 runs 2 Redarc BCDC to run the 2nd and 3rd Lithium batteries. Redarc is good value, Enerdrive is expensive and next level
@@JohnRolyAU Victron's dearer again and even better than Enerdrive. Redarc has a lot of hype and it certainly is good, in fact I prefer some of their products over Enerdrive's versions, but Victron leaves them both for dead.
@@veysher3756 My brother runs Victron in his 4wd. Awesome gear. I guess we are lucky that we like to tinker and play, we test stuff and then replace. When I camp I chase sun and charge all the time.
On one of my shitbox cars I wanted an auxiliary battery, easiest solution was to mount another alternator on the other side of the engine. Altogether better, I did fit a starter solenoid between the two so the car could get a jump start from the auxiliary battery. The separate alternators charging separate batteries meant no custom electronics. Just had to change the crank pulley for a double one.
I appreciate your honest opinion of these products. All the product ambassadors are are quick to point out the positives of the gear but very rarely are critical of them. The more I watch your videos, the more I enjoy them. The honesty and passion from your videos is second to none. Thankyou and keep going.
They were good for a while in the 1980s. This was when they had stopped using the small transfer mounted drum for the hand brake and used the main rear drum brakes for the hand brake instead. You can see this on some 60 series and early 70 series. After this they went to rear disc brakes with the small hand brake drums inside the rotor and the hand brakes were worse than ever before.
Those single use gas canisters are so incredibly wasteful. Talk about products from the Stone Age. They’re like the new double A battery. Great for overland hikers and ok for once a year campers otherwise you just get a small 2kg gas bottle and refill it. Costs way less long term and reduces landfill.
Not to mention those long canister burners can be dangerous. They can leak and catch on fire. Ive tried cheap ones and more expensive ones and still have issues. 2kg refillable gas bottles are my go to now.
Victron has been around for a very long time to be exact since 1975 Domatic can't be one of your sponsors. What did your website say again " If you are not an subscriber don't contact me " It's all about money for you.
GARBAGE I have been running VSR's for 30 years and I have never had a problem. Your problem is if you do not like something then it's garbage. And you constantly bang on about brands that your average person cant afford and put people down for using cheaper options enjoy watching your travelling vids but do not like watching when you review a product
I just advocated a simple cheap as can be cable solution in preference to a solenoid system that costs but doesn't work well. And yet, you say I'm promoting expensive solutions? Solenoid split-chargers are just very inefficient. It's physics. But if they are good enough for your purposes, then good for you.
Funny thing about the National Luna system. I have had one in my old Landcruiser for 9 years. I use it for my camping trailer, so it is disconnected whenever we arrive at the destination. Also I installed very heavy cables to the connectors, mainly because I wanted to use the trailer battery as a booster for if I ever had to use my winch. I have no complaints - it recharges the trailer battery to about 95% when on the road. It may be because the batteries in the car and the trailer are the same semi deep cycle model. Semi deep cycle have a different charging characteristic to starting batteries. Another thing I must mention is after about 5 years the controller failed, so I went their HO. to see if I could get the controller alone. They sent a guy out to parking lot who confirmed that it was faulty and replaced it while I waited free of charge! Its seldom that you find companies who truly stand behind their product.
If only people did this more often maybe the manufacturers would improve on their product and listen to what people had to say about what is wrong. Anyone want to buy an ARB rooftop tent that'd been used maybe 3 times since new?
Split system solenoids aren’t the problem. Here’s the reason….. Toyotas for a lot of years have temperature sensing controlled alternators. They charge at over 14.6 volts on startup but drop to float charge very quickly once engine heats up. Travel the top end in 36 degree heat and I get full charge for 3 mins then drops to float charge. Only solution is dcdc charger. If your vehicles alternator pumps out over 14 volts all the time then you can run a solenoid system satisfactory.
You are absolutely right! Which is why i have my 2018 Tacoma ECU programmed to run at 14.7V with two AGM batteries hooked up for the last 3 years with zero charging problems.
Not only that, but once a battery gets discharged below 10.5 volts, it often gets damaged and loses reserve capacity. So even if you charge it up the night before with an AC charger, the battery will only run the fridge for half a day instead of a couple of days. Solenoid system work great and we've proven that, but 80% of the auxiliary batteries not taking a charge is the actual battery crapping on itself when used. Batteries also do not seem to be build as robust as they were 30 years ago. Many batteries fail in brand new cars within months.
Agree mate, no issue with split solenoid charging when using the redarc SB12 etc .... biggest issue is DC to DC chargers came out and we’re all told, by many influencers across all platforms, that we must use these as there the best.....often because they’re given free stuff that they must endorse for more free stuff down the track ... and this promoting continues to grow with the more free crap they get. My old man has used a solenoid style ( or the more common VSR style ) isolator for almost 15+ years now while grey nomading around this great country and has never had issues with charging batteries, his battery health or his state of charge. DC to DC charger as have their advantages but that’s not to say you can’t get out and enjoy the great outdoors if you don’t have one 😉👍👍
The Redarc inverters are manufactured by Cotek in Taiwan. We have a 3kw version, but not used it yet. We are glad you covered some of the shockingly poor products pumped out by ARB and by REDARC. I was having a "lively debate" with their fan boys, and ARB themselves, about their latest iKamper ripoff tent they just released. I was explaining how I loved the brand, that they sold some lovely high quality goods, but also some rebranded very average, and therefore overpriced stuff. I exclaimed how disgusted I was that they blatantly ripped off iKampers design and that I expected better from a top brand. Especially a top brand who has itself been victim to ripoffs from cheapo China junk. The entire roof top tent market is now flooded by overpriced, any make china junk. Every social media channel is full of first timer noobs proclaiming they have the very best tent ever, despite not having a clue what they are talking about. Everyone has become a brand ambassador and talks utter garbage as they try and earn a few bucks by getting others to use their reference codes. I should know better, but I call them out most times I see it and end up in huge arguments as they team up waffling drivel. Had an ARB 47 litre fridge and loved it. A lot of friends got the Snomasters and they all started rust spotting which was disappointing. Friend bought one of the latest and most expensive Dometics and for over a year was having problems as Dometic wouldnt update the app software to the latest Android version meaning he couldnt use it properly, just annoying as hell to see that happen with a brand new product. We have an Indel Webasto fridge for our project build, some disappointing things found out already and we have not even installed it yet, such as the fact the small freezer section only goes to -5c, which means you cannot keep icecream for example. Useless!!!
@@ailo4x4 the overlanding scene is full of assholes, everyone trying to make a coin, so we just say it how it is, if people don't like that, we don't care.
Donegal, In America, we use the term 'chinesium' to describe worthless garbage products. Used in a sentence: "Breaking News -- Glorious Leader chinesium joe biden went all day without the embarrassment of changing his bloomers!"
@@DonegalOverlanding I hear what you’re saying and yes, there certainly are some well sponsored big channels that plug anything and everything for freebies however I can stand proud with hand on heart and say I ain’t one of them 🤣😉👍 honesty all the way bud 👍🇦🇺
If you're ever feeling depressed about 'brands', Drifta and their fans who always tow the party line no matter what are good for an exposing of waffling drivel. It's a cult thing where the head of the church does no wrong and if you don't agree you'll be struck down. Classic stuff.
You are entitled to your opinion as are the rest of us. Sorry I can't agree with all your ratings of these products. I have used some of them and really enjoyed them. It is your opinion and hopefully not everyone takes it as gospel.
I think you need to take into account is smart charging alternators Andrew (modern vehicles) Most reasons why the second battery won’t charge properly is because the alternator recognizes the start battery is full so it drops out put to the second battery. You can get it turned off however.
Andrew you are such a negative complaining little chap. When I see you wave your arms about and curl your thumbs to make a circle with your middle finger tips I think here comes a negative rant.😅. It's time to smell the roses. Cheers.
Great to see you being honest with some of the brands that have sent you free stuff to try out.. If these brands take this constructive criticism to improve, I would buy them.. If they kick up a stink, I won't..
The solenoid system advice is a bit simplistic. Many cars have smart alternators that don't produce a constant voltage. They may adjust with temperature but they also have a shunt on the cranking battery that measures current and change voltage output as needed. I have found that for an under bonnet auxiliary battery that has the same chemistry as the cranking battery and using quality connections, a solenoid works well. The problems start when you mix battery types and use long cables with poor connections. An AGM also has a different charge profile to a normal SLA or deep cycle battery and cannot be properly charged just from the alternator, without a dcdc it needs an external charger every so often or it's life will be shortened.
This is solid and accurate advice. I've got standard SLA starting and AGM aux. National Luna fine while on the road/long runs but home base is always on the mains.
When someone mentions a SKOTTLE BRAAI, I run and hide. Horrendous to cook with Horrendous to clean Takes up so much space The only place they serve a purpose is cooking mass bacon and egg rolls at school sports days.
@@greenestmachine71 totally. The most sticky of sticky non-stick pans. The best thing I have seen is something called a VOLCANO. 3 headed burner with a large, deep non-stick pan that is ideal for paella, fried eggs etc.
"Adhesive drawer bumper" is the solution for the buttons on the torch. You can buy them in sheets on eBay for next to nothing. Just stick one over the flush button and problem is solved. Also useful to stick on specific keys that you use in the dark.
@@jimmybarber4331 Don't forget there is a reason why buttons on the side of a torch are flush these days, it greatly reduces the occurrence of unintentional switching in the pocket.
huge Redarc fan here as well, I've been fitting there stuff for a good 10 years now and will continue to because they build stuff well👍 I have always liked Engel, mine is 22 years old now, runs 24/7 and works flawlessly however I will agree with you about the lack of insulation, it does cycle a lot especially in a sealed up hot car, getting a transit bag and putting up solar shades does help a lot though, I run two aux batteries and a solar panel so I'm not too worries about how much it cycles
You will always pay more for Australian made mate, it’s just the joys of manufacturing quality products in this country. Problem is, that redarc and GME and the like face here, is they’re trying to compete against products that are made by 10 year old kids in a sweat shop in China for $8 a month !!! No OH&S, no sick days, no super and certainly no workers comp so how could redarc compete making them here ? If they don’t have a cheaper imported alternative, they’d price themselves out of the market. Try to compete with a $1,500 Aussie made investor against the like of Kings crap for $300 - $500 - sure kings will last 12 months if you’re lucky but then you throw it in the bin and buy again 🤷🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️ that’s why redarc is perceived as ‘expensive’ 😉👍🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺
@@4WheelingInNSW would make sense but their inverters are made in china. They charge multiple of $1000s of dollars yet are outperformed by $400 renogy inverter. Same goes with their lithium batteries made in China yet a huge mark up and are outperformed by many cheap brands
Several years ago, I acquired 2 of the Nitecore headlamps after seeing them on one of Andrew's videos. I really like them and they still work great. They provide a good amount of light and I like the red light feature which has come in handy when camping in an area with lots of bugs flying around. I have not used them with gloves, but I have no issues finding the buttons with my bare hands. I would buy them again.
I agree 100% with your constructive criticism. Unfortunately many people will disagree with your comments (and mine 😊) but they are obviously the type of people that are easily duped of their money and have very little foresight or realisation into what actually represents good value for their money. You remind me of myself, as l’m also very critical of poorly designed products and the lack of value for money. Too many products are just rubbish and many of them are not exactly cheap either. Keep doing what you’re doing Andrew, l admire your, straight to the point comments on all things, good, bad and otherwise. 😊👍👍
There is no alternative to Cadac My Cadac bottle runs cooking & geyser (must I get canisters tor the geyser?) Oh wait: let me get a R1m boiler and then take a R2m Victron Inverter that runs a family house and put it in my offroad 🙄 Seriously get over it: just flip the bottle over and all the sand will fall out I use the small canister types when touring with the Triumph Adventure bike, but I think the little canister burners are completely fn useless as part of a camper where multiple and larger meals are being prepared
I don't know why, but expensive torch makers seem to like to hide the buttons. i have exactly the same problem with Fenix torches. great in every respect EXCEPT to stupid switches. The torches (much much cheaper) I get from Aldi, are lovely quality and have switches you can feel IN THE DARK... I don't know why the expensive torches have to be so frustrating.
You failed to mention smart alternators when discussing solanoids/vsr systems. We can’t all afford or be provided with state of the art systems Andrew. Careful your snob is showing.
Agreed, I run a Blue Sea System isolator and have been running it for 3 years with 0 problems. Cost me like $75 plus cables connectors and fuses. Very simple and effective.
I have a Waeco/Dometic 80l fridge that I bought in South Africa over 20 years ago. Took it to Dubai and used it their for five years and now using it in Australia. I want to buy a smaller fridge as I no longer have kids and don't need an 80l, but the damn thing just wont die.
I have the same waeco 80l. It was given to me after my brother sold the boat he had it on. 20+ years and it is still going. It is a power hungry beast, but why replace it with a newer and possibly inferior fridge.
You really have no clue about Smart Relays or Soleinods do you Andrew, not one iota. They do not charge a thing, the alternator of the vehicle does the charging and the alternator is more than able to make 50+ amps available to any axillary battery it will charge it far faster than a DCDC which at best these days is 40amps. Oh and where does the DCDC get it's power from oh that's right the same alternator. You do understand that a DCDC is a transformer that was designed in the 1800's to take high current low voltage and turn it into low current high voltage, and the reason they came to prominence was for caravans that had terrible cable runs leading to a load of voltage drop. If you size the cabling correctly there is nothing wrong what so ever with using a relay setup. They will actually change the battery faster than a typical DCDC because they aren't current limited, which is what you want driving. I have never charged from AC, have used Relays for decades and never had a power issue, my canbus controlled lithium battery rigs to this day do not use a DCDC and charge directly from the Alternator, like most high quality lithium batteries on the market.
Just added the Redarc SBI1212 between the starter battery and a new 110ah hybrid battery in our LC200 to link if and when winching. Great outcome and showing exact charging via a dual battery charge gauge!
Only issue with the small butane burners is them not working too well in very cold weather. Great most of the time, just not too good if you're camping at the snow!
Great video, and I agree 100% on the Nitecore torch issue. I too love them and use them exclusively in my kit, but the number of times I inadvertently press the USB charging port to switch the damn thing on drives me nuts ..... :-)
I have the small nitecore headtorch, its the best rechargeable headtorch I have ever used. Its really easy to read the manual for 1 minute and understand how the buttons work and then remember for good. The red light design is sublime for fishing and pissing in the night without killing your night vision.
Thank you Andrew. So pleased with your review of Cadac burners. Their quality control is shocking! Many of their products out of the box are defective! Plus their customer service is non existent. The customer care line is nonfunctional and they do not respond to emails. I will never buy another Cadac product!
Engel and Crystalair (manufacturer of Travel Buddy) comes to mind that reminds me of CADAC, companies who hasn't moved on from their initial great product(s). While most of their respective competitors have released new products that has moved the goal post (particularly fridges), both Engel and Crystalair are happy to continue selling the same original design product(s).
I like supporting Australian made whenever I can, but I saw a video comparing the Travel Buddy (TB) and the Road Chef (RC). Looking at them from the outside, the RC is almost an identical copy of the TB. Based on this alone, it's a no brainer, I'd pick the TB every time. But when the video showed the internal components of the two, you can clearly see the better components used in the RC. The wiring was better routed and were thicker with heat insulation compared to the TB. This part will really test your loyalty. Should you get a product with inferior internal components simply because it's Aussie made or should you get the better product even if it's made from China?
Have had the same basic piranha duel battery solenoid on three different vehicles over nearly 25 years (mk patrol, navara and Jackaroo) have never had an issue with main or auxiliary battery draining. Last instillation with 6 b&s cabling had less than 0.2 v voltage drop with battery fitted in back of vehicle. Think you just may have had a range of duds. For just running a fridge of a 120ah battery on an older vehicle cannot see the value in an expensive dcdc charging system
Andrew, You should be embarrassed by the thumbnail you have included for this video. I thought you were a serious film maker, serious adventurer and a serious RUclipsr. I guess you are more concerned with views than your personal creative integrity. Your thumbnail is what is disappointing. I'll pass on this one.
Giandel inverters on eBay are a brilliant bit of kit and cost next to nothing compared to Redarc. Also there are some issues with Redarc, Victron are superior at the moment.
Tyre Dog TD 1300 simple, easy to set up, hi temp, low pressure alarms, back light via button, several years later still perfect and never had a pressure loss from the screw in sensors or theft issues, tip - use only hi quality batteries in the sender and receivers, or you will we changing them regulary.
Andrew What you say does not make sense and to say the NL solenoid is the worst.. it's totally incorrect!! National luna manufacture some of the best dual battery and fridge systems and is exported all around the world ! the solenoid system with the Cole Hersee has been around 24 years with most off road vehicles fitted with them ... it's tried and tested!! The quality of the installation is very important! You can have the best system but if you use the incorrect cable and if its fitted poorly it will not perform optimal. Ps A bad earth (on chassis) is the most common problem for a faulty system I have seen over the years. I have been fitting dual battery systems for over 18 years... it's my main business so I have some experience on old and new Dc-Dc systems . A "manual isolator switch" and a "solenoid" system is basically the same thing...1 is manual and one is automatic switch..... the connection is the same ,so you can't say on the solenoid there is too much connections We make a call what system to fit on the voltage we measure- Above 13.9 a solenoid system out performs a 25amp Dc-Dc for the first 3 hours of driving... It was tested in a lab at National luna by engineers !! read the article on the NL website if the voltage is under 13.9 you don't have a choice ...a Dc-Dc is the right system On the new vehicles like the new 2020 Defender and new Prado with a "smart alternator" the solenoid will not perform well at all due to low and irregular voltage!! Regards. Tino
Great informative vid ... Thanks for sharing your knowledge...... I just thought I would mention I have a evacool fridge freezer 12v and 240v It would be about 12 years old and has never missed a beat, also being fibreglass it still looks like new
I agree with you on ARB's TPMS. I removed mine. As for the BF Goodrich, I'm a big fan. I've been using them for a little over 20 years. I currently have KO2s on my LC80. Will now check them tomorrow where mine where made. As for your Aussie shop, what no Troopy merch? 🤔
Great tip on the tire review website, we are severely lacking on resources like this in the states. You are lucky if Motor Trend does a review, and they tend to be soft on the review.
Paused at 16.40... couldn't agree more with those $20 stove tops. They are light and work for ages. Enjoying this video by the way, love the honesty. Companies that give you products to test have credibility, because they know you call a spade a spade
It's just simply not true to say a solenoid type split charge system is much less effective than a simple on/off switch. It can't be. Both are simply heavy duty switches. The only difference is a solenoid is switched by a small current trigger wire (or in the case of something like the redarc SBI by a voltage sensor) and the manual switch is switched manually. As for the connections inducing voltage drop, the only variable here is the quality of the connections themselves. Neither of these systems are inherently better than the other in this regard. Overwhelmingly the biggest cause of voltage drop is incorrectly sized conductors. The primary reason why auxiliary batteries don't charge properly in simple split charge dual battery systems like this is because alternators are actually very poor battery chargers.
The, Another reason for poor charge is alternator size. Our 1996 ExpeditionVehicle with Cummins 505ci had a 160a small-house light-duty alternator... adequate to fill the starts, worthless for the six AGM 105s. I acquired a 220a big-house alternator rated continuous-duty. It mounted with the original hardware, but needed another two inches in the surpentine. In American terminology, I run 4-0 cable (pronounced '4 oh') welding cable to the AGMs. 2018, we paid us$5 a foot for the cable. In today's funny money, that number is probably double.
@@largemarge1603 Yes true. But that would be the case with any type of charging system if it was undersized for the battery bank in question. What I was mostly referring to here is the way that the current tapers off in a conventional alternator as the battery voltage rises. At about 70% or so the alternator slows to a trickle and as the battery continues to charge it produces less and less current. This is irrespective of the size of the alternator. It's just how they work.....
@@4xoverland i just found this page and I'm just watching the vids as you tube recommends. Apparently not in chronological order from newest to oldest lol. Great videos mate. Great channel.
*Protruding side mounted switches are a massive inconvenience especially when carried/stored in a holster, Law Enforcement (and similar) professions are a major market demographic for these products (hence the tail cap configuration).* *Alternatively "consumer grade" torches predominantly feature said side switches because that is not a design consideration.*
Love your work ASPW You are certainly guessing regarding fridges. Engel sawafuji swing compressors don’t spin and their current draw is very very low.. In a 4wd application, they always use less than a Secop previously Danfoss unless you have massive insulation. In my humble opinion.
Current draw over 24 hours running is a lot more than a danfoss fridge unit especially in high ambient temperatures where they run nearly continuous to maintain temps. Have tested 9 different fridges in real world conditions so I know what I am talking about. People get caught up with amp draw rather than cycle time. Engels are reliable but do use more power in a 24 hr period especially noticeable if not driving a vehicle every day to charge up your battery. If you have solar 80w panel can keep most danfoss compressor fridge running. But you need 100 to 120 W for an Engel. Mainly because as Andrew started less insulation. But they do pull the temperature down more slowly so have to run longer.
I strongly disagree and think that all things being equal in insulation and cabinet that the sawafuji swing motor will use significantly less power than a Secop compressor. Did your real-world testing have identical cabinets with the same amount of insulation with the only variable being the type of compressor? if there were other variables, the test is useless.
I hate to cycle through 'strobe' mode on nearly every flashlight made today. You know its coming, wince in preparation, BOOM! Seizure-inducing disco party. I was hoping for your comment on newcomers in the fridge world, specifically Iceco. Pre chilled, kept at 36 deg (F) and filled with water containers in a 70 deg (F) environment, opening twice daily, my Jackery 1500 powered it over 6 days before the Jackery was down to 15%. This was the Iceco JP50 model.
Andrew, your issues with NL split chargers seem not to have been on your own vehicles? Solenoid based split chargers are extremely sensitive to the quality of installation (thick wires, clean joints) while the DC/DC chargers are totally forgiving on the input side. The wiring quality between charger and battery is still critical and that's why it helps to have the charger as near to the battery as possible.
An often overlooked issue with simple solenoid isolation is hooking up two batteries in parallel that have different capacities. Crank batteries rarely have an Amp Hour capacity greater than the Auxiliary battery. Simple example: the start battery in my 4x4 has an 85Ah capacity. My auxiliary battery has a 120Ah capacity. Simply in parallel, the auxiliary would never fully charge. For basic solenoid isolation, both batteries must be same chemistry and same Ah capacity. DC-DC chargers allow safe and effective charging to 100% for any auxiliary battery.
I totally get your frustration with the head torch. I have an expensive Black Diamond one that is great when I can figure out how to turn it on. It has so many settings, I need the manual every time I want to use it. The best one I have was given to me by a friend who works at a coal mine and it's the one issued to all the miners. It's no nonsense, reliable and lights up the night.
I'll pass on butane all day long. Give me one of those propane bottles and a camp chef everest. Closest thing you will get to be cooking on industrial cooking. When you want stuff hot fast, its fantastic. I cook large meals for multiple people usually, and small burners dont cut it. If you want a great cheap torch with multiple settings, look up the wowtac a1s on amazon. cheap, flood pattern and a warm temperature.
I just bought a new Engel 57L upright because I have two excellent 40L and needed the upright for my trailer. That 57L is so damn loud “68db” I would say a 4 cylinder Deutz would be quieter .
PLz create a shop in Europe, if I want to order a simpel patch from your shop it costs just much to much to have it sent to the Netherlands. I bought a patch of the mighty overlander, he just sent a patch in a good envelop and then it was much cheap In the same way a patch from Ronny Dahl is also to expensive because of posting
The small Nitecore torch would present you with another problem if it had a switch on the side you could feel, in your pocket it would be switching itself on and draining the battery without your knowledge (much like my father-in-law's mobile phone 😁). I have reasonably sensitive fingers despite my age and arthritic status, so I'd probably go with how they are now (but I wouldn't say I'm a typical homonid...🤔). Brilliant content by the way, you almost NEVER see this sort of video on RUclips (or anywhere else for that matter) as the manufacturers concerned almost always get precious about their product and won't give you any more examples. The sensible choice would be to work WITH you to create better products (and consequently increase their market share), but what does a retired postman from Yorkshire know? 😏
I have a NARVA VSR switch in my cruiser for the last 4 years charging my auxiliary battery and it has never missed a beat. Solar panel on the car to charge both batteries through the OBD2 connection. I will never waste my money on DC to DC charges and crap like that as you will be charging your camp batteries by solar. Its not wise to alternate charging current by different means that's how you kill batteries.
Wow he even managed to moan about a lpg bottle getting dirty 🤦♂️ your loosing it just drive the truck and explore new places! Dont worry about how other people do it or what brands they use its like watching 2 religious groups trying to preach what one is better! Yes i know its your opinion and it doesn’t mean shit but your bagging company’s who work hard for their money because you dont like them! you can buy a $60 dual battery isolator from sca and it will charge your battery on a pre 2015 non smart alternator to 100% every time i have never in my life plugged my dc into ac to charge it ever
Hi Andrew have you ever tried out OLIGHT, I have bought a fair few products from them and love them, I haven’t bought any other “good” brands so I can’t compare but would love to hear your opinion.
Those small gas cans are sold here in Bunnings for $6 for a pack of 4, I cooked all my meals on these cookers for 6 year's in my home plus have one in my car and used have one on my truck when I worked, 4 cans lasted me 4 weeks on average, most other stores sell the cans for twice the price, ☺.
Batteries linked just with a heavy cable in a vehicle with smart alternator is the problem regarding getting second battery fully charged. This is why a Dc to Dc charger is the way to go, especially with solar input and solar panel mounted uptop.
The first rooftop tents where devolved by Autohome in Italy back in 1958. They are the oldest company producing rooftop tents. Eezi-awn was funded in the 80s.
Been running Redarc Isolator in my Cruiser for nearly 12yrs no issue with it. 2nd Battery gets a good charge around the 13.4 - 14 going in. The trick is Andrew having a Good Sparky and Mechanic. Have done 6+ week trips with NO AC Battery charging
@@4xoverland ok. But if my Auxiliary AGM is always at 12.8 to 12.9 and has been for years even when running the fridge and lights. Doesn't that say the isolator is charging it fully ? I'm sure I could throw a 20amp charger on and it would give it a better charge but it seems to be working fine. I made the mistake years ago buying a cheap projector isolator and it failed after on 3mths and killed my first agm.
When you're talking about fridges. What does it mean when it comes out of the same factory but rebranded ones are better quality? Wouldn't it be the same?
I appreciate your comments/reviews on various items you find of poor quality. But I have to say, I've been running a Nat Luna dual battery system on my tacoma for four years and have never had the problems you have mentioned. It powers my Nat Luna fridge/freezer along with light bars and outlets and works very well. But thank you you for your honest reviews. Cheers
I'm a crane operator and somewhere cranes had Bridgestone tires and they always failed the tires will come apart. Obviously michelin's were much better but also much more expensive but the bridgestone's will sometimes fail before even the crappy Chinese ones.
Feel like a caged animal, oh yes I know exactly what you mean. We finally get away on our first trip for 2022 next week but being stuck at home for so long has almost made me go mad... Glad to hear you will be back doing what you do best soon.
I thought I'd buy a Redarc inverter, but I changed my mind and used that money to pay off my mortgage, take the family for a Queensland holiday and buy the wife and I a new car.
🤣😂😅👍🍺
😂😂😂
Good call on the Red Arc inverter Andrew
I have found the Traxide ( Australian made) dual battery system to work perfectly on my D3. Aux battery always at full voltage and ready for camp with solar charge keeping aux topped up. Cranking battery in better condition too. Install and forget. Perfect.
While watching the torch reviews I couldn't help thinking. "Been locked away too long in W.A.?" ;-)
No really, some very good points. Loved the reviews.
Good onya’ mate takes guts to tell em’ what you really think. Not many YOuTube 4wd channels making money being a brand non- ambassador. BF Goodrich ( Michelin) . Falken, Dunlop (Sumitomo Rubber) Emu Export ( Brewed in various locations throughout Australia.)Its’s all marketing BS.
Andrew, put a drop of hot glue or puff paint on the smooth button(s) of your head torch.
Your old Bridgestone 694 tyres had a miserly load index of 112/109 - so they were not LT tyres so little wonder they gave you grief. I wouldn't blame the brand.
I have had a Redarc solenoid for my second battery and it has worked very well.
I have a large cable going from each battery to the solenoid. Both batteries have the same voltage whenever the engine is running, there is a gauge on the dash.
The second battery runs the fridge, lights, chargers, etc. and the main battery preheats and starts the engine. After starting both batteries are usually at the same voltage if it has been parked for a while (or the main battery is lower than the second if it was just one night) and they can charge back up together.
I also turn the solenoid on for cold starting and winching so it can be done with both batteries.
I have not removed either battery from the car for the past 3 years and it looks like the second battery might outlast the main battery.
Whew! I bought the same solenoid split charger and am about to put it in my Defender. Good to know it's working as advertised. Thanks!
I believe most people have problems with these solenoids because they have the 2nd battery far away with only a small wire connecting to it. The solenoid is not a smart charger so it won't compensate for the extra resistance in the wire and the 2nd battery won't get enough charge.
But this would also be the same problem even if there is no solenoid and just a wire to the second battery.
I have the batteries near each other and large wire going to them from the solenoid (4 B&S I think?), both are lead acid batteries and I don't usually discharge the 2nd battery a large amount. This gives perfect conditions for a simple isolator solenoid and I don't have a need for a smart charger.
With other conditions it might be better to have a smart charger but I guess you have already looked into this.
Hema HX-1 Navigator deserves a mention .....unbelievably poor product....urban mapping didn't work/ difficult to charge and would freeze every day.....cost about $700 in 2017....I would rate it as the worst value for money product I have ever bought.
This x1000. Our Rural fire department ordered one under bad advice and it's the biggest piece of shit I've ever had the displeasure of (trying) to use.
When you have units like the Garmin Overlander at only a couple of hundred extra, it's extremely frustrating.
Yep not a fan of mine either….
This is no insult, but you have reached an audiophile level of nuance in your opinions on 4x4 gear. I hope that one day you can lose the OCD and just enjoy the tracks again.
Makes for good content! maybe if you don't like it make your own channel? Or you just like to complain about free content on the internet that's not specifically tailored to your interests? I actually quite liked this it's hard to get knowledge of this kind of experience.
@@peterb3473 why not just delete RUclips
Agree. He's lost a lot of objectivity in his commentary. No wonder a lot of companies won't work with him.
@@joels2517 kind of agree with you there buddy. Honest reviews and tells it, albeit a long way around it to get to the point but still, how it is. Like anything in this world, if people don’t like it, they’re only more than welcome to NOT watch it....nobody is making them watch this content...😉👍👍
@@stuartmanuell4207 I think the issue of why some companies don’t want to work with him is because they’re fearful of his honest reviews and NOT paying credit when credits NOT due.
You forgot the worst product mate, bloody patrols, bunch of bogans driving them.
Long Haired, ungamely LARICONS such as yourself Mr Thompson haha
haha
Lmfao here
I’m not really liking the latest uploads on this channel. From bogans to having a crack at products you don’t like.
You are a brilliant film maker and story teller, the main reason I sub to your content. Stop being so crusty mate and show your positive side. Whatever though, will just stop watching this crap.
On the other hand Bill, if his critique of rubbish tyres stops an inexperienced person from tackling a remote track like Connie Sue etc. and endangering their lives I guess it's valid. And what do you expect, he's a pom, he's going to whinge about stuff?
Yes, Redarc are over priced and poor value for money, full stop. Not just their inverters, but everything they sell. Nobody really needs it. It's not bad stuff, good for the people that can afford it or are sponsored by them.
the DCDC units are very reliable, dont reduce output in higher temps like many DCDC units at even minimal temp increases.
So if i don't have Redvision and a BMS etc etc, what am i going to do out camping? Will i suffer anxiety if i don't have immediate and continuous access to the state of my batteries?
I owned BMS 1215S2, BMS1230S3 redvision in Kamper, now have Enerdrive ACDC and DCDC in Karavan. 200 runs 2 Redarc BCDC to run the 2nd and 3rd Lithium batteries. Redarc is good value, Enerdrive is expensive and next level
@@JohnRolyAU Victron's dearer again and even better than Enerdrive. Redarc has a lot of hype and it certainly is good, in fact I prefer some of their products over Enerdrive's versions, but Victron leaves them both for dead.
@@veysher3756 My brother runs Victron in his 4wd. Awesome gear. I guess we are lucky that we like to tinker and play, we test stuff and then replace. When I camp I chase sun and charge all the time.
On one of my shitbox cars I wanted an auxiliary battery, easiest solution was to mount another alternator on the other side of the engine. Altogether better, I did fit a starter solenoid between the two so the car could get a jump start from the auxiliary battery. The separate alternators charging separate batteries meant no custom electronics. Just had to change the crank pulley for a double one.
I appreciate your honest opinion of these products. All the product ambassadors are are quick to point out the positives of the gear but very rarely are critical of them. The more I watch your videos, the more I enjoy them. The honesty and passion from your videos is second to none. Thankyou and keep going.
Land Cruiser hand brake not getting mentioned ... Toyota has 40 years to improve its design.
They were good for a while in the 1980s. This was when they had stopped using the small transfer mounted drum for the hand brake and used the main rear drum brakes for the hand brake instead. You can see this on some 60 series and early 70 series.
After this they went to rear disc brakes with the small hand brake drums inside the rotor and the hand brakes were worse than ever before.
I wouldn't categorise a handbrake as an accessory. But I agree. LC-70 handbrake is such a poor design.
Those single use gas canisters are so incredibly wasteful. Talk about products from the Stone Age. They’re like the new double A battery. Great for overland hikers and ok for once a year campers otherwise you just get a small 2kg gas bottle and refill it. Costs way less long term and reduces landfill.
Not to mention those long canister burners can be dangerous. They can leak and catch on fire. Ive tried cheap ones and more expensive ones and still have issues. 2kg refillable gas bottles are my go to now.
I refill my 1lb canisters and they work fine. Extreme low temps (below zero f) can cause a struggle but other than that, I like the simplicity.
Victron has been around for a very long time to be exact since 1975 Domatic can't be one of your sponsors. What did your website say again " If you are not an subscriber don't contact me " It's all about money for you.
I think your right
GARBAGE I have been running VSR's for 30 years and I have never had a problem. Your problem is if you do not like something then it's garbage. And you constantly bang on about brands that your average person cant afford and put people down for using cheaper options enjoy watching your travelling vids but do not like watching when you review a product
I just advocated a simple cheap as can be cable solution in preference to a solenoid system that costs but doesn't work well. And yet, you say I'm promoting expensive solutions? Solenoid split-chargers are just very inefficient. It's physics. But if they are good enough for your purposes, then good for you.
Funny thing about the National Luna system.
I have had one in my old Landcruiser for 9 years. I use it for my camping trailer, so it is disconnected whenever we arrive at the destination.
Also I installed very heavy cables to the connectors, mainly because I wanted to use the trailer battery as a booster for if I ever had to use my winch.
I have no complaints - it recharges the trailer battery to about 95% when on the road. It may be because the batteries in the car and the trailer are the same semi deep cycle model.
Semi deep cycle have a different charging characteristic to starting batteries.
Another thing I must mention is after about 5 years the controller failed, so I went their HO. to see if I could get the controller alone.
They sent a guy out to parking lot who confirmed that it was faulty and replaced it while I waited free of charge!
Its seldom that you find companies who truly stand behind their product.
Almost 40 minutes of ASPW having a little grumble at stuff. Absolutely loved it!
If only people did this more often maybe the manufacturers would improve on their product and listen to what people had to say about what is wrong. Anyone want to buy an ARB rooftop tent that'd been used maybe 3 times since new?
I think on your website you should start a list in various areas like sleeping, cooking, TPMS... and list products you used, appreciate, approve, etc.
That’s an excellent suggestion. 👍👍
Split system solenoids aren’t the problem. Here’s the reason….. Toyotas for a lot of years have temperature sensing controlled alternators. They charge at over 14.6 volts on startup but drop to float charge very quickly once engine heats up. Travel the top end in 36 degree heat and I get full charge for 3 mins then drops to float charge. Only solution is dcdc charger. If your vehicles alternator pumps out over 14 volts all the time then you can run a solenoid system satisfactory.
You are absolutely right! Which is why i have my 2018 Tacoma ECU programmed to run at 14.7V with two AGM batteries hooked up for the last 3 years with zero charging problems.
Not only that, but once a battery gets discharged below 10.5 volts, it often gets damaged and loses reserve capacity. So even if you charge it up the night before with an AC charger, the battery will only run the fridge for half a day instead of a couple of days. Solenoid system work great and we've proven that, but 80% of the auxiliary batteries not taking a charge is the actual battery crapping on itself when used. Batteries also do not seem to be build as robust as they were 30 years ago. Many batteries fail in brand new cars within months.
@@georgecarousos6735 100% agree mate
Agree mate, no issue with split solenoid charging when using the redarc SB12 etc .... biggest issue is DC to DC chargers came out and we’re all told, by many influencers across all platforms, that we must use these as there the best.....often because they’re given free stuff that they must endorse for more free stuff down the track ... and this promoting continues to grow with the more free crap they get.
My old man has used a solenoid style ( or the more common VSR style ) isolator for almost 15+ years now while grey nomading around this great country and has never had issues with charging batteries, his battery health or his state of charge. DC to DC charger as have their advantages but that’s not to say you can’t get out and enjoy the great outdoors if you don’t have one 😉👍👍
The Redarc inverters are manufactured by Cotek in Taiwan. We have a 3kw version, but not used it yet. We are glad you covered some of the shockingly poor products pumped out by ARB and by REDARC. I was having a "lively debate" with their fan boys, and ARB themselves, about their latest iKamper ripoff tent they just released. I was explaining how I loved the brand, that they sold some lovely high quality goods, but also some rebranded very average, and therefore overpriced stuff. I exclaimed how disgusted I was that they blatantly ripped off iKampers design and that I expected better from a top brand. Especially a top brand who has itself been victim to ripoffs from cheapo China junk. The entire roof top tent market is now flooded by overpriced, any make china junk. Every social media channel is full of first timer noobs proclaiming they have the very best tent ever, despite not having a clue what they are talking about. Everyone has become a brand ambassador and talks utter garbage as they try and earn a few bucks by getting others to use their reference codes. I should know better, but I call them out most times I see it and end up in huge arguments as they team up waffling drivel. Had an ARB 47 litre fridge and loved it. A lot of friends got the Snomasters and they all started rust spotting which was disappointing. Friend bought one of the latest and most expensive Dometics and for over a year was having problems as Dometic wouldnt update the app software to the latest Android version meaning he couldnt use it properly, just annoying as hell to see that happen with a brand new product. We have an Indel Webasto fridge for our project build, some disappointing things found out already and we have not even installed it yet, such as the fact the small freezer section only goes to -5c, which means you cannot keep icecream for example. Useless!!!
Sooo...how do you really feel? Let it out, man. You are amongst friends here! ;-)
@@ailo4x4 the overlanding scene is full of assholes, everyone trying to make a coin, so we just say it how it is, if people don't like that, we don't care.
Donegal,
In America, we use the term 'chinesium' to describe worthless garbage products.
Used in a sentence:
"Breaking News -- Glorious Leader chinesium joe biden went all day without the embarrassment of changing his bloomers!"
@@DonegalOverlanding I hear what you’re saying and yes, there certainly are some well sponsored big channels that plug anything and everything for freebies however I can stand proud with hand on heart and say I ain’t one of them 🤣😉👍 honesty all the way bud 👍🇦🇺
If you're ever feeling depressed about 'brands', Drifta and their fans who always tow the party line no matter what are good for an exposing of waffling drivel. It's a cult thing where the head of the church does no wrong and if you don't agree you'll be struck down. Classic stuff.
You are entitled to your opinion as are the rest of us. Sorry I can't agree with all your ratings of these products. I have used some of them and really enjoyed them. It is your opinion and hopefully not everyone takes it as gospel.
I think you need to take into account is smart charging alternators Andrew (modern vehicles)
Most reasons why the second battery won’t charge properly is because the alternator recognizes the start battery is full so it drops out put to the second battery. You can get it turned off however.
It's true, but if you can afford a new 4x4 you can afford 600 on a dcdc rather than 200 on a solenoid haha
@@Snook_ what you said
Andrew you are such a negative complaining little chap.
When I see you wave your arms about and curl your thumbs to make a circle with your middle finger tips I think here comes a negative rant.😅. It's time to smell the roses. Cheers.
Great to see you being honest with some of the brands that have sent you free stuff to try out.. If these brands take this constructive criticism to improve, I would buy them.. If they kick up a stink, I won't..
The solenoid system advice is a bit simplistic. Many cars have smart alternators that don't produce a constant voltage. They may adjust with temperature but they also have a shunt on the cranking battery that measures current and change voltage output as needed. I have found that for an under bonnet auxiliary battery that has the same chemistry as the cranking battery and using quality connections, a solenoid works well. The problems start when you mix battery types and use long cables with poor connections. An AGM also has a different charge profile to a normal SLA or deep cycle battery and cannot be properly charged just from the alternator, without a dcdc it needs an external charger every so often or it's life will be shortened.
This is solid and accurate advice. I've got standard SLA starting and AGM aux. National Luna fine while on the road/long runs but home base is always on the mains.
When someone mentions a SKOTTLE BRAAI, I run and hide.
Horrendous to cook with
Horrendous to clean
Takes up so much space
The only place they serve a purpose is cooking mass bacon and egg rolls at school sports days.
True! Great if you like everything tasting of burnt bits that have slid into the grease bowl at the centre
@@greenestmachine71 totally. The most sticky of sticky non-stick pans.
The best thing I have seen is something called a VOLCANO. 3 headed burner with a large, deep non-stick pan that is ideal for paella, fried eggs etc.
dometic CFX3 ( still marketed as Waeco in Aus) are outstanding fridges. Try one. You will be surprised.
Hi Andrew. I've been using the Sofirn SP40 headlamp for many years and its just brilliant. Check it out.
"Adhesive drawer bumper" is the solution for the buttons on the torch. You can buy them in sheets on eBay for next to nothing. Just stick one over the flush button and problem is solved. Also useful to stick on specific keys that you use in the dark.
That’s a great idea. Thank you for that. 👍🍺
Great tip thanks. What a pity we have to add a 10c part to a $100- $200 tool to make it truly functional.
@@jimmybarber4331 Don't forget there is a reason why buttons on the side of a torch are flush these days, it greatly reduces the occurrence of unintentional switching in the pocket.
I love Ledlenser torches
huge Redarc fan here as well, I've been fitting there stuff for a good 10 years now and will continue to because they build stuff well👍 I have always liked Engel, mine is 22 years old now, runs 24/7 and works flawlessly however I will agree with you about the lack of insulation, it does cycle a lot especially in a sealed up hot car, getting a transit bag and putting up solar shades does help a lot though, I run two aux batteries and a solar panel so I'm not too worries about how much it cycles
Big Engel fan, I cannot bring myself to buy the cheap China frigs
Ive allways wanted to know why the RedArc inverter was so expensive when other brands seem to be the same and cheaper. Thanks for clearing that up.
You will always pay more for Australian made mate, it’s just the joys of manufacturing quality products in this country.
Problem is, that redarc and GME and the like face here, is they’re trying to compete against products that are made by 10 year old kids in a sweat shop in China for $8 a month !!! No OH&S, no sick days, no super and certainly no workers comp so how could redarc compete making them here ?
If they don’t have a cheaper imported alternative, they’d price themselves out of the market. Try to compete with a $1,500 Aussie made investor against the like of Kings crap for $300 - $500 - sure kings will last 12 months if you’re lucky but then you throw it in the bin and buy again 🤷🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️ that’s why redarc is perceived as ‘expensive’ 😉👍🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺
Oops I’ve just purchased a 1500W Redarc inverter to go with my Manager 30. Damn!
@@greenestmachine71 just buy some cheap earplugs. 🍺
@@4WheelingInNSW would make sense but their inverters are made in china. They charge multiple of $1000s of dollars yet are outperformed by $400 renogy inverter.
Same goes with their lithium batteries made in China yet a huge mark up and are outperformed by many cheap brands
@@4WheelingInNSW j
Several years ago, I acquired 2 of the Nitecore headlamps after seeing them on one of Andrew's videos. I really like them and they still work great. They provide a good amount of light and I like the red light feature which has come in handy when camping in an area with lots of bugs flying around. I have not used them with gloves, but I have no issues finding the buttons with my bare hands. I would buy them again.
I agree 100% with your constructive criticism. Unfortunately many people will disagree with your comments (and mine 😊) but they are obviously the type of people that are easily duped of their money and have very little foresight or realisation into what actually represents good value for their money.
You remind me of myself, as l’m also very critical of poorly designed products and the lack of value for money. Too many products are just rubbish and many of them are not exactly cheap either.
Keep doing what you’re doing Andrew, l admire your, straight to the point comments on all things, good, bad and otherwise. 😊👍👍
There is no alternative to Cadac
My Cadac bottle runs cooking & geyser (must I get canisters tor the geyser?)
Oh wait: let me get a R1m boiler and then take a R2m Victron Inverter that runs a family house and put it in my offroad 🙄
Seriously get over it: just flip the bottle over and all the sand will fall out
I use the small canister types when touring with the Triumph Adventure bike, but I think the little canister burners are completely fn useless as part of a camper where multiple and larger meals are being prepared
I don't know why, but expensive torch makers seem to like to hide the buttons. i have exactly the same problem with Fenix torches. great in every respect EXCEPT to stupid switches. The torches (much much cheaper) I get from Aldi, are lovely quality and have switches you can feel IN THE DARK... I don't know why the expensive torches have to be so frustrating.
You failed to mention smart alternators when discussing solanoids/vsr systems. We can’t all afford or be provided with state of the art systems Andrew. Careful your snob is showing.
Agreed, I run a Blue Sea System isolator and have been running it for 3 years with 0 problems. Cost me like $75 plus cables connectors and fuses. Very simple and effective.
I have a Waeco/Dometic 80l fridge that I bought in South Africa over 20 years ago. Took it to Dubai and used it their for five years and now using it in Australia. I want to buy a smaller fridge as I no longer have kids and don't need an 80l, but the damn thing just wont die.
I have the same waeco 80l. It was given to me after my brother sold the boat he had it on. 20+ years and it is still going. It is a power hungry beast, but why replace it with a newer and possibly inferior fridge.
You really have no clue about Smart Relays or Soleinods do you Andrew, not one iota. They do not charge a thing, the alternator of the vehicle does the charging and the alternator is more than able to make 50+ amps available to any axillary battery it will charge it far faster than a DCDC which at best these days is 40amps. Oh and where does the DCDC get it's power from oh that's right the same alternator.
You do understand that a DCDC is a transformer that was designed in the 1800's to take high current low voltage and turn it into low current high voltage, and the reason they came to prominence was for caravans that had terrible cable runs leading to a load of voltage drop. If you size the cabling correctly there is nothing wrong what so ever with using a relay setup. They will actually change the battery faster than a typical DCDC because they aren't current limited, which is what you want driving.
I have never charged from AC, have used Relays for decades and never had a power issue, my canbus controlled lithium battery rigs to this day do not use a DCDC and charge directly from the Alternator, like most high quality lithium batteries on the market.
Just added the Redarc SBI1212 between the starter battery and a new 110ah hybrid battery in our LC200 to link if and when winching. Great outcome and showing exact charging via a dual battery charge gauge!
In 30 years my brothers auto elec business, has had ONLY ONE RED ARC PRODUCT FAILURE. that’s why we put up with the price of red arc ….. and Toyota
Lovely vid, IMO here in QLD our local made Trailblazer fridge freezers are tops
Yes I agree with you.
I ❤ the rants about crappy stuff! Right up my alley ☺
Only issue with the small butane burners is them not working too well in very cold weather. Great most of the time, just not too good if you're camping at the snow!
Easily solved by using a small propane bottle instead of Butane.
Desert around Alice in winter, and I got almost zero heat from the cheap butane models.
Andrew use petzl head lamps, best in the business, i do night trail running and can highly recommend them.
Great video, and I agree 100% on the Nitecore torch issue. I too love them and use them exclusively in my kit, but the number of times I inadvertently press the USB charging port to switch the damn thing on drives me nuts ..... :-)
I have the small nitecore headtorch, its the best rechargeable headtorch I have ever used. Its really easy to read the manual for 1 minute and understand how the buttons work and then remember for good. The red light design is sublime for fishing and pissing in the night without killing your night vision.
Thank you Andrew. So pleased with your review of Cadac burners. Their quality control is shocking! Many of their products out of the box are defective! Plus their customer service is non existent. The customer care line is nonfunctional and they do not respond to emails. I will never buy another Cadac product!
Engel and Crystalair (manufacturer of Travel Buddy) comes to mind that reminds me of CADAC, companies who hasn't moved on from their initial great product(s). While most of their respective competitors have released new products that has moved the goal post (particularly fridges), both Engel and Crystalair are happy to continue selling the same original design product(s).
I like supporting Australian made whenever I can, but I saw a video comparing the Travel Buddy (TB) and the Road Chef (RC). Looking at them from the outside, the RC is almost an identical copy of the TB. Based on this alone, it's a no brainer, I'd pick the TB every time. But when the video showed the internal components of the two, you can clearly see the better components used in the RC. The wiring was better routed and were thicker with heat insulation compared to the TB. This part will really test your loyalty. Should you get a product with inferior internal components simply because it's Aussie made or should you get the better product even if it's made from China?
Have had the same basic piranha duel battery solenoid on three different vehicles over nearly 25 years (mk patrol, navara and Jackaroo) have never had an issue with main or auxiliary battery draining. Last instillation with 6 b&s cabling had less than 0.2 v voltage drop with battery fitted in back of vehicle. Think you just may have had a range of duds. For just running a fridge of a 120ah battery on an older vehicle cannot see the value in an expensive dcdc charging system
Andrew, You should be embarrassed by the thumbnail you have included for this video. I thought you were a serious film maker, serious adventurer and a serious RUclipsr. I guess you are more concerned with views than your personal creative integrity. Your thumbnail is what is disappointing. I'll pass on this one.
The thumbnail shows me pointing to one of the products I think is disappointing. What would you have preferred me to point at? The moon?
Giandel inverters on eBay are a brilliant bit of kit and cost next to nothing compared to Redarc. Also there are some issues with Redarc, Victron are superior at the moment.
Love my Giandel for the last 2 years that I've owned it :) $110 for 1000w pure sine
Very broad brush range of views with a little pool of research. Just because you own a couple of each product doesn't hold much weight.
On the ARB tire pressure monitoring system, 100% agree. In my own experience, a complete waste of money and never worked reliably.
Tyre Dog TD 1300 simple, easy to set up, hi temp, low pressure alarms, back light via button, several years later still perfect and never had a pressure loss from the screw in sensors or theft issues, tip - use only hi quality batteries in the sender and receivers, or you will we changing them regulary.
Andrew What you say does not make sense and to say the NL solenoid is the worst.. it's totally incorrect!! National luna manufacture some of the best dual battery and fridge systems and is exported all around the world ! the solenoid system with the Cole Hersee has been around 24 years with most off road vehicles fitted with them ... it's tried and tested!!
The quality of the installation is very important! You can have the best system but if you use the incorrect cable and if its fitted poorly it will not perform optimal. Ps A bad earth (on chassis) is the most common problem for a faulty system I have seen over the years.
I have been fitting dual battery systems for over 18 years... it's my main business so I have some experience on old and new Dc-Dc systems .
A "manual isolator switch" and a "solenoid" system is basically the same thing...1 is manual and one is automatic switch..... the connection is the same ,so you can't say on the solenoid there is too much connections
We make a call what system to fit on the voltage we measure- Above 13.9 a solenoid system out performs a 25amp Dc-Dc for the first 3 hours of driving... It was tested in a lab at National luna by engineers !! read the article on the NL website if the voltage is under 13.9 you don't have a choice ...a Dc-Dc is the right system
On the new vehicles like the new 2020 Defender and new Prado with a "smart alternator" the solenoid will not perform well at all due to low and irregular voltage!!
Regards.
Tino
Great informative vid ... Thanks for sharing your knowledge...... I just thought I would mention I have a evacool fridge freezer 12v and 240v It would be about 12 years old and has never missed a beat, also being fibreglass it still looks like new
I agree with you on ARB's TPMS. I removed mine. As for the BF Goodrich, I'm a big fan. I've been using them for a little over 20 years. I currently have KO2s on my LC80. Will now check them tomorrow where mine where made. As for your Aussie shop, what no Troopy merch? 🤔
I love your videos! No beating around the bush at all!! Keep up the good work👍Andrew your a legend 👌
Great tip on the tire review website, we are severely lacking on resources like this in the states. You are lucky if Motor Trend does a review, and they tend to be soft on the review.
You missed out the actual best 12volt fridge. Trailblazer. Not just Australian made Queensland made.
OMG won't be sending him a product to review 🤣
Paused at 16.40... couldn't agree more with those $20 stove tops. They are light and work for ages. Enjoying this video by the way, love the honesty. Companies that give you products to test have credibility, because they know you call a spade a spade
It's just simply not true to say a solenoid type split charge system is much less effective than a simple on/off switch. It can't be.
Both are simply heavy duty switches. The only difference is a solenoid is switched by a small current trigger wire (or in the case of something like the redarc SBI by a voltage sensor) and the manual switch is switched manually.
As for the connections inducing voltage drop, the only variable here is the quality of the connections themselves. Neither of these systems are inherently better than the other in this regard.
Overwhelmingly the biggest cause of voltage drop is incorrectly sized conductors.
The primary reason why auxiliary batteries don't charge properly in simple split charge dual battery systems like this is because alternators are actually very poor battery chargers.
The,
Another reason for poor charge is alternator size.
Our 1996 ExpeditionVehicle with Cummins 505ci had a 160a small-house light-duty alternator... adequate to fill the starts, worthless for the six AGM 105s.
I acquired a 220a big-house alternator rated continuous-duty.
It mounted with the original hardware, but needed another two inches in the surpentine.
In American terminology, I run 4-0 cable (pronounced '4 oh') welding cable to the AGMs.
2018, we paid us$5 a foot for the cable.
In today's funny money, that number is probably double.
@@largemarge1603 Yes true.
But that would be the case with any type of charging system if it was undersized for the battery bank in question.
What I was mostly referring to here is the way that the current tapers off in a conventional alternator as the battery voltage rises. At about 70% or so the alternator slows to a trickle and as the battery continues to charge it produces less and less current. This is irrespective of the size of the alternator. It's just how they work.....
What happened to the 79 series ?
Wow! have you been gone a long time!
@@4xoverland i just found this page and I'm just watching the vids as you tube recommends. Apparently not in chronological order from newest to oldest lol.
Great videos mate. Great channel.
*Protruding side mounted switches are a massive inconvenience especially when carried/stored in a holster, Law Enforcement (and similar) professions are a major market demographic for these products (hence the tail cap configuration).*
*Alternatively "consumer grade" torches predominantly feature said side switches because that is not a design consideration.*
Love your work ASPW
You are certainly guessing regarding fridges.
Engel sawafuji swing compressors don’t spin and their current draw is very very low.. In a 4wd application, they always use less than a Secop previously Danfoss unless you have massive insulation. In my humble opinion.
Current draw over 24 hours running is a lot more than a danfoss fridge unit especially in high ambient temperatures where they run nearly continuous to maintain temps. Have tested 9 different fridges in real world conditions so I know what I am talking about. People get caught up with amp draw rather than cycle time. Engels are reliable but do use more power in a 24 hr period especially noticeable if not driving a vehicle every day to charge up your battery. If you have solar 80w panel can keep most danfoss compressor fridge running. But you need 100 to 120 W for an Engel. Mainly because as Andrew started less insulation. But they do pull the temperature down more slowly so have to run longer.
I strongly disagree and think that all things being equal in insulation and cabinet that the sawafuji swing motor will use significantly less power than a Secop compressor.
Did your real-world testing have identical cabinets with the same amount of insulation with the only variable being the type of compressor? if there were other variables, the test is useless.
My favorite head lamp at this time is the led lenses MH5 rechargeable awesome 👌 has very good feel for the button and ease of use
thanks for the fireside chat andrew! i appreciate the videos you make as they help when im having a bad day. cheers from texas yeehaw
Love spending my night watching Andrew yell about torches
Lekker Andrew!
I hate to cycle through 'strobe' mode on nearly every flashlight made today. You know its coming, wince in preparation, BOOM! Seizure-inducing disco party. I was hoping for your comment on newcomers in the fridge world, specifically Iceco. Pre chilled, kept at 36 deg (F) and filled with water containers in a 70 deg (F) environment, opening twice daily, my Jackery 1500 powered it over 6 days before the Jackery was down to 15%. This was the Iceco JP50 model.
Andrew, your issues with NL split chargers seem not to have been on your own vehicles? Solenoid based split chargers are extremely sensitive to the quality of installation (thick wires, clean joints) while the DC/DC chargers are totally forgiving on the input side. The wiring quality between charger and battery is still critical and that's why it helps to have the charger as near to the battery as possible.
An often overlooked issue with simple solenoid isolation is hooking up two batteries in parallel that have different capacities. Crank batteries rarely have an Amp Hour capacity greater than the Auxiliary battery. Simple example: the start battery in my 4x4 has an 85Ah capacity. My auxiliary battery has a 120Ah capacity.
Simply in parallel, the auxiliary would never fully charge. For basic solenoid isolation, both batteries must be same chemistry and same Ah capacity.
DC-DC chargers allow safe and effective charging to 100% for any auxiliary battery.
I totally get your frustration with the head torch. I have an expensive Black Diamond one that is great when I can figure out how to turn it on. It has so many settings, I need the manual every time I want to use it. The best one I have was given to me by a friend who works at a coal mine and it's the one issued to all the miners. It's no nonsense, reliable and lights up the night.
I'll pass on butane all day long. Give me one of those propane bottles and a camp chef everest. Closest thing you will get to be cooking on industrial cooking. When you want stuff hot fast, its fantastic. I cook large meals for multiple people usually, and small burners dont cut it.
If you want a great cheap torch with multiple settings, look up the wowtac a1s on amazon. cheap, flood pattern and a warm temperature.
I just bought a new Engel 57L upright because I have two excellent 40L and needed the upright for my trailer.
That 57L is so damn loud “68db” I would say a 4 cylinder Deutz would be quieter .
PLz create a shop in Europe, if I want to order a simpel patch from your shop it costs just much to much to have it sent to the Netherlands. I bought a patch of the mighty overlander, he just sent a patch in a good envelop and then it was much cheap
In the same way a patch from Ronny Dahl is also to expensive because of posting
The small Nitecore torch would present you with another problem if it had a switch on the side you could feel, in your pocket it would be switching itself on and draining the battery without your knowledge (much like my father-in-law's mobile phone 😁). I have reasonably sensitive fingers despite my age and arthritic status, so I'd probably go with how they are now (but I wouldn't say I'm a typical homonid...🤔).
Brilliant content by the way, you almost NEVER see this sort of video on RUclips (or anywhere else for that matter) as the manufacturers concerned almost always get precious about their product and won't give you any more examples. The sensible choice would be to work WITH you to create better products (and consequently increase their market share), but what does a retired postman from Yorkshire know? 😏
I have a NARVA VSR switch in my cruiser for the last 4 years charging my auxiliary battery and it has never missed a beat. Solar panel on the car to charge both batteries through the OBD2 connection. I will never waste my money on DC to DC charges and crap like that as you will be charging your camp batteries by solar. Its not wise to alternate charging current by different means that's how you kill batteries.
Wow he even managed to moan about a lpg bottle getting dirty 🤦♂️ your loosing it just drive the truck and explore new places! Dont worry about how other people do it or what brands they use its like watching 2 religious groups trying to preach what one is better! Yes i know its your opinion and it doesn’t mean shit but your bagging company’s who work hard for their money because you dont like them! you can buy a $60 dual battery isolator from sca and it will charge your battery on a pre 2015 non smart alternator to 100% every time i have never in my life plugged my dc into ac to charge it ever
Hi Andrew have you ever tried out OLIGHT, I have bought a fair few products from them and love them, I haven’t bought any other “good” brands so I can’t compare but would love to hear your opinion.
Those small gas cans are sold here in Bunnings for $6 for a pack of 4, I cooked all my meals on these cookers for 6 year's in my home plus have one in my car and used have one on my truck when I worked, 4 cans lasted me 4 weeks on average, most other stores sell the cans for twice the price, ☺.
Batteries linked just with a heavy cable in a vehicle with smart alternator is the problem regarding getting second battery fully charged. This is why a Dc to Dc charger is the way to go, especially with solar input and solar panel mounted uptop.
The first rooftop tents where devolved by Autohome in Italy back in 1958. They are the oldest company producing rooftop tents. Eezi-awn was funded in the 80s.
Anyone who has experience in Engel SB 30.
I have no clue what to buy but I want a drawer fridge.
Was looking at dometic buuuut not anymore.
Thanks for your rant ! You’ve got my wife laughing in the background and saying he’s always right !
Been running Redarc Isolator in my Cruiser for nearly 12yrs no issue with it. 2nd Battery gets a good charge around the 13.4 - 14 going in. The trick is Andrew having a Good Sparky and Mechanic. Have done 6+ week trips with NO AC Battery charging
Isolators work very inefficiently. This is a fact. So while you think it's doing just fine, it isn't. It can't. Physics won't allow it.
@@4xoverland ok. But if my Auxiliary AGM is always at 12.8 to 12.9 and has been for years even when running the fridge and lights. Doesn't that say the isolator is charging it fully ? I'm sure I could throw a 20amp charger on and it would give it a better charge but it seems to be working fine. I made the mistake years ago buying a cheap projector isolator and it failed after on 3mths and killed my first agm.
Doesn't a Jackery unit go a long way to solve all this second battery/cable/switch/inverter/rewire hullabaloo?
When you're talking about fridges. What does it mean when it comes out of the same factory but rebranded ones are better quality? Wouldn't it be the same?
I appreciate your comments/reviews on various items you find of poor quality. But I have to say, I've been running a Nat Luna dual battery system on my tacoma for four years and have never had the problems you have mentioned. It powers my Nat Luna fridge/freezer along with light bars and outlets and works very well. But thank you you for your honest reviews. Cheers
Who’s the guy playing game show host? Almost fell out of my chair!
Videos like this are so helpful for new comers like me. Thank you so much.
I'm a crane operator and somewhere cranes had Bridgestone tires and they always failed the tires will come apart. Obviously michelin's were much better but also much more expensive but the bridgestone's will sometimes fail before even the crappy Chinese ones.
Which redarc inverters to stay away from??
They are not bad inverters, but noisy and IMO, poor value. Victron are far better value.
@@4xoverland Thankyou ASPW
Feel like a caged animal, oh yes I know exactly what you mean. We finally get away on our first trip for 2022 next week but being stuck at home for so long has almost made me go mad... Glad to hear you will be back doing what you do best soon.
@@michaelarmannsson5559 Not worth the paper it is written on unfortunately.
@@michaelfraser5723 That I can out up with :)
@@michaelarmannsson5559 not in Canada and Australia
Mostly thermal ercgonomics.
I am surprised about the Michelin tires , it must be the high heat of your area , I use the LTX ,MS and have never had a problem , not even a flat
This happened in the '80s.
@@4xoverland what do you think today , I live in Canada and we are heading south into the heat
Had a redarc sbi12 Solenoid type connector for years without an issue!