This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.
Both sides previous revision Previous revision Next revision | Previous revision Next revision Both sides next revision | ||
opinion:frater_secessus:beginner_mistakes [2022/01/15 02:27] princess_fluffypants |
opinion:frater_secessus:beginner_mistakes [2022/05/22 12:28] frater_secessus [Failure to judge advice] |
||
---|---|---|---|
Line 6: | Line 6: | ||
====== Common beginner mistakes ====== | ====== Common beginner mistakes ====== | ||
There are many blessings and victories in van life; this article is not about that. It's about the various ways to fail, to skin our knees, to waste money, time, and resources. | There are many blessings and victories in van life; this article is not about that. It's about the various ways to fail, to skin our knees, to waste money, time, and resources. | ||
- | |||
Line 19: | Line 18: | ||
* people who can figure things out for themselves | * people who can figure things out for themselves | ||
* people who know basic cooking | * people who know basic cooking | ||
+ | * people who have good DIY skills and fix-it/ | ||
Line 25: | Line 25: | ||
* the "high maintenance" | * the "high maintenance" | ||
* social media addicts | * social media addicts | ||
+ | * People who have little interest in understanding how complex systems work | ||
* people who make little effort and want to be spoon-fed | * people who make little effort and want to be spoon-fed | ||
* stoners, daydreamers, | * stoners, daydreamers, | ||
Line 33: | Line 34: | ||
* picky eaters | * picky eaters | ||
+ | Further reading: | ||
===== Planning ===== | ===== Planning ===== | ||
Line 62: | Line 64: | ||
* what is depicted on social media | * what is depicted on social media | ||
* what others tell you to buy | * what others tell you to buy | ||
+ | * the cheapest van you can find | ||
* etc | * etc | ||
Line 112: | Line 115: | ||
The roof is where rain will enter if there are leaks. | The roof is where rain will enter if there are leaks. | ||
- | The very tall vans (High roof [[rv: | + | The very tall vans (High roof [[rv: |
---- | ---- | ||
===== Electrical Power ===== | ===== Electrical Power ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Thinking like an apartment-dweller ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | **A van is not an apartment**, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Power in the camper is misunderstood by most and hand-waved away by optimists. | ||
Reality check: | Reality check: | ||
- | - [[https:// | + | - [[https:// |
- A 100w solar panel on an MPPT [[electrical: | - A 100w solar panel on an MPPT [[electrical: | ||
- | * Chicago - **308**W/day | + | * Chicago - **308**Wh/day |
- | * Salt Lake City - **376**W/day | + | * Salt Lake City - **376**Wh/day |
- | * Seattle - **292**W/day | + | * Seattle - **292**Wh/day |
- | * Phoenix | + | * Phoenix |
- | - all of those harvests are conspicuously less than 29,000W. | + | - all of those harvests are conspicuously less than 29,000Wh. |
==== Heating and Cooling ==== | ==== Heating and Cooling ==== | ||
Line 152: | Line 162: | ||
- have typically invested thousands of dollars in battery banks and solar, or run a [[electrical: | - have typically invested thousands of dollars in battery banks and solar, or run a [[electrical: | ||
- | Electric heating is such a massive power draw that it can be an extremely effective | + | Electric heating is such a massive power draw that it's often used as a way to [[electrical: |
Line 162: | Line 172: | ||
- | ==== Thinking like an apartment-dweller ==== | ||
- | |||
- | |||
- | **A van is not an apartment**, | ||
- | |||
- | Power in the camper is misunderstood by most and hand-waved away by optimists. | ||
==== Failure to consider all loads ==== | ==== Failure to consider all loads ==== | ||
Line 203: | Line 207: | ||
Having no solar at all is generally an unforced error for vandwellers. | Having no solar at all is generally an unforced error for vandwellers. | ||
+ | ==== believing 100w of panel will make 100w all day long ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | The 100w panel will make 100w in a lab in test conditions. | ||
+ | |||
+ | - the panel will rarely make anywhere close to 100w((under normal conditions)) | ||
+ | - the max power it //does// make will be around local solar noon. Before and after that power will be less. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Example: | ||
+ | |||
+ | ^ Time ^ Watts ^ | ||
+ | |6:02a |0w| | ||
+ | |7:02a |15.9w| | ||
+ | |8:02A |32.8w| | ||
+ | |9:02A |48.7w| | ||
+ | |10:02A |62.3w| | ||
+ | |11:02A |72.8w| | ||
+ | |12:02A |79.39w| | ||
+ | |**1:02p** - local solar noon |81.7w| | ||
+ | |2:02 |79.5w| | ||
+ | |3:02p |72.9w| | ||
+ | |4:02p |62.5w| | ||
+ | |5:02p |48.9w| | ||
+ | |6:02p |33.1w| | ||
+ | |7:02p |16.2w| | ||
+ | |8:02p |0w| | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | See the //not enough panel// section below. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== shade ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Shade will wreck solar harvest. | ||
==== Worrying ==== | ==== Worrying ==== | ||
Line 234: | Line 284: | ||
Don't get me started on people **flat-mounting poly/mono flex panels to the roof of their van**. | Don't get me started on people **flat-mounting poly/mono flex panels to the roof of their van**. | ||
+ | |||
+ | === mixing different panels === | ||
+ | |||
+ | Mixing differently-rated panels will always be sub-optimal. | ||
=== Panel types and controllers === | === Panel types and controllers === | ||
Line 261: | Line 315: | ||
Let's address two issues: | Let's address two issues: | ||
- | Yes, there are situations where zero solar is part of a workable power plan but they are rare.(([[electrical: | + | Yes, there are [[electrical: |
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | For [[electrical: | ||
The majority of ' | The majority of ' | ||
Line 282: | Line 339: | ||
Buying "more panel than you need" usually costs extra money directly (panel cost * quantity) and indirectly (may need a bigger controller). | Buying "more panel than you need" usually costs extra money directly (panel cost * quantity) and indirectly (may need a bigger controller). | ||
+ | |||
+ | Having said all that, you can have too much panel((or string)) voltage for the controller' | ||
==== Relying on tilt ==== | ==== Relying on tilt ==== | ||
Line 288: | Line 347: | ||
* tilt advantage is reduced or nonexistent in poor weather conditions. | * tilt advantage is reduced or nonexistent in poor weather conditions. | ||
- | * tilt only makes a difference when the sun is relatively low in the sky (in winter, and/ | + | * tilt only makes a difference when the sun is relatively low in the sky (in winter, and/ |
* tilt advantage is greatest when the amount of power available is least, as at sundown | * tilt advantage is greatest when the amount of power available is least, as at sundown | ||
* if you feel bad, lazy, hungover or otherwise unwilling to get out and tilt your panels every time you will not meet your basic needs | * if you feel bad, lazy, hungover or otherwise unwilling to get out and tilt your panels every time you will not meet your basic needs | ||
Line 296: | Line 355: | ||
==== Failure to add alternator charging ==== | ==== Failure to add alternator charging ==== | ||
- | [[electrical: | + | [[electrical: |
- run more loads; and/or | - run more loads; and/or | ||
Line 344: | Line 403: | ||
Yes, you can have too much battery. | Yes, you can have too much battery. | ||
- | Most people use lead-chemistry batteries and carrying around unneeded lead is both heavy and expensive. | + | Most people use lead-chemistry batteries and carrying around unneeded lead is both heavy and expensive. |
Exotics like [[electrical: | Exotics like [[electrical: | ||
Line 448: | Line 507: | ||
* believing one can be 100% stealth and not be noticed; and | * believing one can be 100% stealth and not be noticed; and | ||
* believing the opposite, that one cannot tilt the balance in one's favor of not being kicked out of a spot | * believing the opposite, that one cannot tilt the balance in one's favor of not being kicked out of a spot | ||
+ | * staying in one spot for days/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
- | ---- | ||
===== Money ===== | ===== Money ===== | ||
Line 484: | Line 545: | ||
Here are [[communication: | Here are [[communication: | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== buying random stuff ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | **OP:** {buys random gear without understanding needs, specs, how it works, or anything else really} | ||
+ | **OP:** why does my system not work? It'S jUnk!!!! | ||
+ | **Onlookers: | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
===== Advice ===== | ===== Advice ===== | ||
Good advice can save time, money, and heartbreak. But getting good advice is not simple or even natural. We have to slow down and force ourselves to think about the issues, our questions, the existing body of knowledge, the answers we receive. | Good advice can save time, money, and heartbreak. But getting good advice is not simple or even natural. We have to slow down and force ourselves to think about the issues, our questions, the existing body of knowledge, the answers we receive. | ||
The most important thing is no matter what advice you get or take, **it's your life and you have final responsibility for it**. Your decisions are your own. Make them wisely. | The most important thing is no matter what advice you get or take, **it's your life and you have final responsibility for it**. Your decisions are your own. Make them wisely. | ||
- | ===== Wanting easy answers | + | ==== wanting personal attention from an internet-famous person ==== |
+ | |||
+ | No, Bob Wells and or Will Prowse will not answer your plea in person. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ==== wanting premium support ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | {note: | ||
+ | |||
+ | Renogy operates in the value end of the spectrum and must rely on (rather good) web and product manual documention for mass support. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Folks who want/need individual support might ultimately be happier paying 2x-3x for a higher-end product that has enough margin to provide individual support (Victron, Morningstar, | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Wanting easy answers ==== | ||
- | Easy answers are rarely //correct// or //useful// answers. | + | Easy answers are rarely //correct// or //useful// answers. In real life "one weird trick!" |
Q. What is the best [fill in the blank? | Q. What is the best [fill in the blank? | ||
Line 519: | Line 606: | ||
* how does the responder react to other points of view? | * how does the responder react to other points of view? | ||
* is the responder a salescritter or consultant with a vested interest? | * is the responder a salescritter or consultant with a vested interest? | ||
+ | * does the responder spread [[https:// | ||
* is the responder willing to go for "the best!" with //your// money but not with their own? | * is the responder willing to go for "the best!" with //your// money but not with their own? | ||
* is the responder a partisan of some kind: anti-Renogy, | * is the responder a partisan of some kind: anti-Renogy, | ||
* is the responder an idiot, a druggie, a zero-experience dreamer, a poorly-informed blowhard, a black/white thinker? | * is the responder an idiot, a druggie, a zero-experience dreamer, a poorly-informed blowhard, a black/white thinker? | ||
* is the advice upvoted/ | * is the advice upvoted/ | ||
+ | * is the advice commented on favorably by onlookers whose opinion you value? | ||
* does the responder have experience and/or training in the area? | * does the responder have experience and/or training in the area? | ||
* does the responder expect you to believe him/her as gospel? | * does the responder expect you to believe him/her as gospel? |