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opinion:frater_secessus:beginner_mistakes [2020/06/24 12:35] frater_secessus [van] |
opinion:frater_secessus:beginner_mistakes [2020/07/22 14:20] frater_secessus [no solar] |
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**A van is not an apartment**, so stop thinking that way. A productive approach is to **start from nothing** then decide what you need to make your vanlife workable. Prefer non-electric approaches to electric ones. This goes hand-in-hand with the math below. **Wanting everything you had in a house or apartment** will cause disappointment, great expense, or both. | **A van is not an apartment**, so stop thinking that way. A productive approach is to **start from nothing** then decide what you need to make your vanlife workable. Prefer non-electric approaches to electric ones. This goes hand-in-hand with the math below. **Wanting all the amenities you had in a house or apartment** will cause disappointment, great expense, or both. |
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Power in the camper is misunderstood by some and hand-waved away by optimists. It's mainly math with some extra reading required, so I get why it's not a fun topic. | Power in the camper is misunderstood by some and hand-waved away by optimists. It's mainly math with some extra reading required, so I get why it's not a fun topic. |
==== no solar ==== | ==== no solar ==== |
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Having no solar at all is generally an unforced error for vandwellers. Even [[electrical:12v:alt_and_solar|adding small amounts of panel]] (100w) can make a solar, and can be added to an [[electrical:12v:alternator|alternator-charged system]] for as little as $100.((100w poly panel on sale for $90, 10A [[electrical:solar:shunt_tweaking|shunt controller]] for $10.)) | Having no solar at all is generally an unforced error for vandwellers. Even [[electrical:12v:alt_and_solar|adding small amounts of panel]] (100w) can make a big difference, and can be added to an [[electrical:12v:alternator|alternator-charged system]] for as little as $100.((100w poly panel on sale for $90, 10A [[electrical:solar:shunt_tweaking|shunt controller]] for $10.)) |
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==== worrying ==== | ==== worrying ==== |
* tilted panels take time to deploy, store, and interfere with your ability to leave a given location for safety or other reasons. | * tilted panels take time to deploy, store, and interfere with your ability to leave a given location for safety or other reasons. |
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| ==== failure to add alternator charging ==== |
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| [[electrical:12v:alt_and_solar|Adding an isolator]] can be very cheap and //supercharges// solar configs;((this effect is strongest on systems with PWM controllers)) if run at the right time it [[opinion:frater_secessus:panelsizesforinsolation|can double or triple the effectiveness of solar]], meaning one can |
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| - run more loads; and/or |
| - reduce the amount of panel; and/or |
| - use the excess capacity to extend [[electrical:solar:sizing#your_reserve_needs|autonomy]] |
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