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building out a camper on the cheap
Building a functional camper on a big budget is easy; doing it on a budget requires research and patience.
> Tips and tricks to being a cheap o?
expectations
the van
Consider a mommy van or minivan instead of a Sprinter.
get a mechanic's inspection
plan your moves in advance to save on fuel costs. Use “economy” routing rather than “fastest time” routing.
drive slower
power
loads
avoid heating/cooling with electricity you make offgrid. Use propane or similar for heating and cooking.
avoid using power-hungry PCs or laptops. Use a tablet, chromebook, phone, or other low-power device.
solar
Buy larger/higher-voltage panels which are cheaper by the watt.
1)
if you are using PWM controllers, choose poly panels vs mono due to their higher Imp rating. When choosing between poly panels at the same price point, pick the one with the higher Imp (and thus lower Vmp)
if you are going to be deep-cycling the batteries every day
2) consider using a dirt-cheap
shunt controller rather than PWM.
-
supplement solar charging with an isolator charging to your solar regime. It can make a small system act like a much bigger one.
charging
-
alternator-charging only is unlikely to keep your deep cycle batteries happy. Augment with solar or with
charging at home.
batteries
-
use 6v deep cycles in series rather than 12v singly or in parallel
use flooded rather than AGM. If you need massive current, use lithium rather than AGM. LFP lithium and 6v deep cycle have very similar costs in the long term. AGM costs 2-4x as much per lifetime kAh.
recurring expenses
consider moving to a bank that does not charge ATM fees (Ally, Schwab), checking fees, etc
get your internet use under control and downgrade to a cheaper plan
avoid keeping a self-storage unit