RVwiki for vanfolk and others who live in vehicles

electrical:12v:b2b

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:34+00:00

Battery to battery chargers TL;DR * A DC-DC (or b2b) charger is a type of isolator that converts alternator voltage to specific charging voltage setpoints and limits current instead of just passing it through as a relay might. * they are usually rated on their charging

electrical:solar:gentle_intro

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:40+00:00

" A good solar system is one that meets your needs. -- jimindenver" " “...trying to take the comfort level you had in a house into your mobile life [is] tough to do for a boondocker.” -- akrvbob (Bob from Cheap RV Living)" " Setting up solar that

electrical:solar:builds

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:38+00:00

Words of Wisdom: “The difference in bright sunlight between the least efficient and the most is little. What a panel does in cloudy conditions can make or break your system.” -- jimindenver Real world solar configurations This is a collection of real world solar setups used by nomads. They are grouped roughly by nominal panel rating and include as much info on use and functionality as available from the owners' own words. The text may be edited for clarity or brevity; follow the footnotes f…

opinion:frater_secessus:beginner_mistakes

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:52+00:00

Words of wisdom: “We have a lot of people here who get all excited, move into a van, then quit after just a couple months. The fact that they get disillusioned means they were “illusioned” to begin with. So don't be “illusioned”.” -- lennyflank Note: this area is for

electrical:solar:car

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:38+00:00

Resource: gentle intro to solar Solar for car and SUV dwellers Solar power can be extremely helpful for car dwellers, especially those living in cargo vans or other vehicles with large, high, and flat rooflines. Solar is more challenging for cardwellers due to limited roof space. SUVs are somewhere in the middle.

electrical:solar:charge_controller

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:40+00:00

Words of wisdom: “Any Solar is better than no solar, but having too much solar is difficult. The best solar systems are those which can keep the batteries the happiest. Happy batteries are those which are recharged quickly after depletion.” - SternWake Solar charge controllers

electrical:solar:output

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:40+00:00

Words of wisdom: “In theory, Imp * Vmp = panel Watts. There's an awful lot in the real world that can affect that.” -- Cariboocoot Factors affecting solar panel output For various reasons it will be a rare event when your panels put out their full rated power

opinion:solar:sizing

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:56+00:00

Words of Wisdom: “You have to build for winter, and figure out what to do with the extra electricity in summer.” -- timselectric power system sizing - the Big Picture This article focuses on designing a DIY power system from scratch. See this article for a sample walkthrough of how it might be applied for a given use case.

electrical:solar:sizing

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:42+00:00

Words of Wisdom: “I'd say 500 watts is the minimum for the [Pacific Northwest] in winter and you would be better off with [750 watts] if you can get it on the roof.” akrvbob Sizing a solar installation Sizing residential off-grid solar configurations

lifestyle:faq_solar_generator

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2026-08-13T14:16:58+00:00

Solar generators Words of wisdom: “These aren't aimed at people that know what they are doing.” -- LastTreeStar 2026 Addendum While these things were historically looked down as being too expensive for too little capacity, in the last few years these Power Stations/

electrical:12v:intro

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2026-08-12T04:31:38+00:00

Powering your vanlife TL;DR * There is chassis power (your van's electrical system) and house power (your power setup for charging and running things). They are separate except when intentionally combined, as when charging from the alternator. *

electrical:12v:alt_and_solar

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:34+00:00

Note: although this page was written with alternator-augmented solar charging in mind, the general principles also apply to solar+shore power charging and solar+generator charging. Also see Deciding on a Power Mix. " Solar and DC-DC alternator charging are going to be the best practices for maintaining charge in one's battery bank. It only requires a little math, a little discipline to stick with the math, and the right expectations about solar intake.

electrical:solar:panels

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2026-05-13T15:07:11+00:00

Solar panels Solar panels, also called photovoltaic (PV) panels, produce DC power from sunlight to charge batteries and provide electrical power. The panels can be used single or in series or parallel arrays. To avoid overcharging, a charge controller is placed between the PV and the battery bank.

electrical:solar:status

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:42+00:00

Words of wisdom: "If you want to see lots more amps coming out of the [charge controller], put on a [significant] load... in the middle of a sunny day. -- John61CT" Is my solar working? TL:DR * if the panel voltage shown on the controller is ≤Vmp then the controller is making as much power as it can

electrical:solar

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:34+00:00

Words of Wisdom: I'm not sure people always grasp the concept of “minimum” either; they tend to think it means “all that you really need” when it fact it means “the least you can get away with provided everything else goes right”. After all, the sun does not shine brightly every day.

electrical:12v:charging

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:36+00:00

Words of wisdom " “Three stage chargers are easier on your batteries, charge them faster, fuller and help you use less water” – HandyBob" " A [ shore power ] charger is a stiff source with unlimited energy and time. Your solar is a very soft source of unknown power and only a few hours to get the job done. - sunking

electrical:12v:alternator

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:34+00:00

Words of Wisdom: With a isolator you would run the truck early to get a fair amount of the bulk charging done and let the solar finish it off the rest of the day. -- jimindenver Alternator charging Note: this is a basic overview. More details available on the

lifestyle:words_of_wisdom

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:50+00:00

Collected words of wisdom a/c "“[solar powered A/C is] not a lost cause.. we just seem to be at that frustrating cusp where it's technically possible with current technology, just not easy or cheap.” -- thatswhatsup" " Running AC on [an inverter] is rich man's game

opinion:solar:sizing.walkthrough

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:56+00:00

DRAFT Note: this page is a walk-through for sizing an imaginary system. See this article for the Big Picture. Words of wisdom: “It is cheaper and easier to use less power than it is to make more power.” – highdesertranger Solar sizing walkthrough This article will show the math required to estimate the size of off-grid solar setup required to run specified loads. To get a system that meets our needs we will have to be thorough and honest with ourselves about:

electrical:12v:drop-in_lifepo4

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2026-01-31T17:42:51+00:00

Drop-in Lithium (LiFePO4) TL;DR * the most common lithium chemistry for 'dwellers is LiFePO4 (LFP hereafter), an extremely stable version of Li-Ion. * there are two basic types of LFP batteries: drop-in (pre-made retail batteries) and DIY (built from components by the user)

food:cooking:solar_oven

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:44+00:00

Words of wisdom: “....the solar oven is a very good mimic of a crock pot slow cooker” - Bob Wells Solar ovens Solar ovens are devices that concentrate and retain heat from the sun to cook foods. They can also used to reheat or to disinfect water. The ovens may have integral cooking containers

electrical:solar:shallow_cycling

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:42+00:00

Note: this information should be regarded as experimental. It is being tested by secessus. Beginners may want to start with a gentle intro to solar. Here is a trimmed-down version of this page. microsolar without deep-cycle batteries This article describes a small, cheap, simple, space-efficient solar configuration that may be of use to car-dwellers or minimalist vandwellers.

electrical:autonomy

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:32+00:00

[draft] Days of Autonomy TL;DR * Days of autonomy (or reserve) is the number of days of power one stores for days when charging is unavailable. It is planning for the Worst Case Scenario. * A system whose capacity == daily power requirements has one day of autonomy; 24 hours after a full charge there will be no usable capacity left.

electrical:12v:power_mix

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:38+00:00

DRAFT Power mix Having a mix of power generation approaches will usually be more dependable and less expensive than relying on only one. For example, it is expensive (and maybe impossible) get Big Current with solar alone and difficult (or even impossible) to complete charging on alternator alone. But

electrical:solar:panel-bank_ratio

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:40+00:00

Panel:Bank ratio A common rule of thumb for sizing batteries to solar power relates nominal panel output in Watts to bank capacity in Ah. It is not gospel. It is not a commandment. It is a quick heuristic to understand how your system is biased.

hvac:solar_ac

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2026-07-31T05:31:15+00:00

Words of Wisdom: “It's not a lost cause.. we just seem to be at that frustrating cusp where it's technically possible with current technology, just not easy or cheap.” -- thatswhatsup " Running AC on [an inverter] is rich man's game -- HaldorEE" Running A/C off solar

12v:sg_troubleshooting

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:28+00:00

common power station issues TL;DR * Power Stations (PS hereafter) generally perform to spec. * most “problems” result from unrealistic expectations, which result from * failure to assess actual requirements before purchase * failure to consider how one will recharge before purchase

electrical:solar:tracer

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:42+00:00

Chinese MPPT charge controllers Prior to the introduction of Chinese controllers, MPPT was an expensive feature found only on controllers costing hundreds of dollars. Chinese controllers cost about half the price of premium controllers. PWM controllers have

electrical:solar:nonessential

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:40+00:00

opportunity loads [based on http://www.chargetek.com/basic-information.html] Solar power installations are generally designed as if the load[s] will be steady around the clock. This can lead new folk into buying too much battery. In practice, actual loads may be heavier in the daytime (as when working with power tools) or at night (as when watching movies or running a forced-air furnace).

electrical:solar:gentle_complexity

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:40+00:00

Gentle introduction, Pt 2 This is a collection of illustrations that things are more complex than can be revealed in a one-page intro. Again, drill down for more info. ---------- Solar panel output will almost never be as high as the claimed output. In fact it will probably hover around 75% of that number under the best conditions; this is called

opinion:frater_secessus:prebuilt_van

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:54+00:00

DRAFT I bought a pre-built van. How does the power system work? You already bought the van; it's a done deal. The time to beat the “understand what you're buying before you buy it” dead horse has past. Right now we need to figure out, make use of, and possibly modify the system you have.

electrical:solar:overpaneling

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:40+00:00

Overpaneling Overpaneling has two related meanings; both refer to having more solar panel output than a system might otherwise require. * Most common meaning: - battery bank and charge controller are evenly matched; panel nominal or actual output is more than the MPPT controller's rating. This is the most common meaning. Note: PWM controllers should not be overpaneled as they have no way to limit incoming current to protect themselves.

opinion:frater_secessus:car_micropower

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:52+00:00

Note: this is a streamlining of the shallow cycling article. Micropower for car-dwellers People with minimal power needs (a few amps a night) may be able to get by using just a bit of charge off the vehicle's starter battery. It can be done for about $25, or about $100 with 100w of solar if one shops around.

electrical:12v:multipoint_charging

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:38+00:00

Words of Wisdom: “Think of the batteries as a bucket of electricity. It's possible to pour water from multiple sources into a bucket at the same time, and also to do that while water is leaking out of the bucket.” -- MarkSF Charging from multiple sources It is common for a camper to have different

start

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:28+00:00

Information for Van Dwellers and Nomads This wiki will help you live your best life if you want (or need) to live in a vehicle. * Learn what to expect from “the van life” * Learn how to choose and modify a vehicle to fit your unique needs *

electrical:12v:mandatory_solar

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:36+00:00

Is solar mandatory? Solar isn't mandatory. Here are some cases where it might not be worth the trouble: * the camper has Lithium, carbon-foam, or similar battery chemistries that are not bothered by sitting at partial state of charge and there is enough charging capacity to meet needs.

opinion:frater_secessus:cheap_build

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:52+00:00

a longer-form answer to this thread frugal camper builds Building a functional camper on a big budget is easy - pay someone to do it. Doing it on a budget requires research, patience, and work. " > Tips and tricks to being a cheap o?" tl;dr If you read nothing else:

opinion:frater_secessus:panelsizesforinsolation

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:54+00:00

Words of Wisdom: “I'm not sure people always grasp the concept of “minimum” either; they tend to think it means “all that you really need” when it fact it means “the least you can get away with provided everything else goes right”. After all, the sun does not shine brightly every day.

opinion:frater_secessus:epever

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:54+00:00

EpEver MPPT controllers The EpEver line of MPPT solar charge controllers is an excellent value-for-money for some use cases. They cost about half as much as prettier, more-prestigious controlllers. * the controllers can take massive overpaneling; the smaller units (≤40A) have documentation that allows +50% overpaneling

electrical:solar:slim_reserve

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:42+00:00

DRAFT Slim battery reserves Note: this section is likely not appropriate for newbies; if the ideas are implemented incorrectly it could result in battery murder and disappointment. Running slimmer-than-normal battery reserves saves space, money, and weight. Here we discuss some ideas about reducing calculated reserves. For purposes of illustration, we will assume the vandweller's daily power requirements are 100Ah, and that they are using lead chemistry batteries.

electrical:solar:frugal

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:40+00:00

Making the most of your solar setup [this is a dump of a reddit post I made; will clean up later. fs] This page is more about making do with what you already have than about about what to buy if you are starting from scratch. system sizing Large solar installs are can be useful but are overkill (in size, output and expense) for many campers. Even

opinion:frater_secessus:dead_battery

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:54+00:00

DRAFT How to handle a dead house battery If your house bank is dead and nothing is working we have both short-term and long-term problems. Let's start with the short term issues. first things first In addition to you having no power in the van, sitting at very low states of discharge is damaging to both lead (Pb) and lithium (Li) batteries. It is important to get battery voltage off the floor

opinion:frater_secessus:running_out_of_power

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:56+00:00

words of wisdom: “It is cheaper and easier to use less power than it is to make more power.” – highdesertranger TL;DR * running out of power is most often caused by optimism about what loads one can run and how much power one can harvest offgrid * it can also be related to battery bank capacity.

meta:acronyms

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:52+00:00

RV and vandwelling glossary This is a list of terms, abbreviations, and acronyms found on the wiki and forums more generally. Also see this more general RV-related list at Good Sam. A * A - Amps (amperes). A measure of electrical current. * AH or Ah - Amp-hour. Example: 2.5A x 2 hours = 5Ah.

opinion:frater_secessus:agm2lifepo4

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:52+00:00

DRAFT Upgrading a lead-chemistry house bank to LiFePO4 The pre-made LiFePO4 batteries (LFP hereafter) you seen on Amazon and elsewhere are designed and marketed as drop-in replacements: as in “pull your lead battery and drop in the LFP”. This approach works in many cases because the size, shape, voltage range, and charging requirements are in the same ballpark as traditional lead batteries. It's not a perfect scenario, but will meet the needs of the average user. People with special requir…

food:refrigeration:power

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:44+00:00

Powering a 12v compressor fridge This is a subset of “how do I run this load” but since it comes up frequently it will be addressed here as a separate case. TL;DR * compressor fridges are a part-time load; as a rule of thumb we can assume the compressor will be running 1/3rd of the time.

rv:car

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:58+00:00

cardwelling This wiki is aimed primarily at vandwellers but much of the information is usable by cardwellers. Below are some topics that may differ between car- and van-dwelling Note: if you are new to cardwelling or doing it out of necessity, see

lifestyle:forumfaq

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:48+00:00

DRAFT / FIXME FAQs by forum reddit * /r/vandwellers and /r/vanlife * what do you do for money? * How do I keep my pets cool when it's hot outside? * how will I use the bathroom? * how will I stay clean? * How can I earn money on the road? * What is the best van? * Why a van and not something else? * Should I buy a pre-built campervan or build my own? * How much solar do I need to run an air conditioner? * How will I

electrical:inverter

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:32+00:00

Words of Wisdom: “Inverters are excellent battery depleters.” -- sternwake Words of Wisdom: “One can only put so much inverter on so much battery... A lot of people will put a 2KW inverter, or larger, on a single 12v battery, but this can be compared to a 5 second drag car, which uses 5 gallons of gas to run the 1/4 mile, but then only having a 2 gallon gas tank.

electrical:solar:pvwatts

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:40+00:00

return to the solar harvest article or insolation subsection PVWatts You can use PVWatts to find solar harvest estimates for a particular place, month, array size, etc. You can use this info to * find out how much panel is required to make a certain amount of Watt-hours (Wh) daily; or

electrical:converter

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:32+00:00

Converters A converter (a.k.a. converter/charger) handles power and charging needs when connected to shore power: * charge the house battery * provide 12v to power house loads For turning 12v into 110v see inverters. providing 12v OEM converters generally do a good job of providing 12v to the house. They can do this even if the battery is absent or dead. All the RVer has to check is if the converter Amperage rating is sufficient for present needs.

opinion:frater_secessus:how_much_excess_solar_power

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:54+00:00

DRAFT FIXME How much extra solar power do I have? Yes, we can use a battery monitor to see how much power is going into the battery bank. And we can look at the solar charge controller to see how much power it is making. But how can we tell how much untapped power does our solar have in reserve?

electrical:solar:rationing

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:42+00:00

Words of Wisdom: It is cheaper and easier to use less power than it is to make more power. -- highdesertranger Rationing solar power Sometimes normal awareness is not enough to keep a solar setup functioning with usable power. In these situations one might need to take steps to minimize loads and maximize power generation.

electrical:solar:series_vs_parallel

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:42+00:00

Series and Parallel solar arrays TL;DR * With MPPT solar charge controllers and 12v house battery bank there is often little practical difference between parallel and series solar arrays. * PWM controllers run arrays of the same nominal voltage as their battery bank: 12v and 12v, 24v and 24v.

electrical:solar:shading

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:42+00:00

Words of Wisdom: “The response of a series parallel array to shade will be complicated.” -- sensij Partial shading Partial shading can have surprisingly dramatic effects on panel output. Perhaps counterintuivitely, partial shading can have more devastating effects on output than

electrical:12v:directcharginglfp

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:36+00:00

DRAFT Words of Wisdom: “With a few basic design considerations, and an alternator design newer than 25 years old, a direct charging system [for LiFePO4] can be safe, effective, and provide significant benefits. - midwestdrifter Direct charging LiFePO4 banks There is an

electrical:solar:pwm_tweaking

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:42+00:00

Tweaking a PWM controller for maximum power PWM controllers are inexpensive and durable. Their chief downside is their ability to generate power is limited when battery voltage is low (MPPT output is unaffected by battery voltage). This page is intended to help people get the most out of their PWM system. It assumes the 'dweller owns

electrical:12v:deep_cycle_battery

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:36+00:00

Words of Wisdom: “if [you're] the type to park the rig, let the batteries die and boost them for the next time [you're] using it, get the cheapest batteries out there. [You're] killing them anyway.” -- twinboat Deep cycle batteries Deep cycle batteries are batteries which are designed to have an extreme

rv:build

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:58+00:00

Words of Wisdom: " Step 1 in any design is to really understand your use.-- jracca" The Build The “build” is the creation of your campervan from whatever condition it is currently in. Regardless of the eventual type of build, you may find benefit in using a standardized

electrical:12v:eternal_absorption

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:36+00:00

Note: this is for deep cycle lead chemistries only! Lithium batteries should not be held at full voltage. Words of wisdom: " “As long as... you cycle the battery daily, you could set float voltage to [Vabs] too without worry. Only when you stop cycling the battery do you need to return float voltage to more regular 13.2v levels.

12v:bank-sizing

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:28+00:00

DRAFT sizing a house battery bank assumptions * Everything in this article assumes you have already assessed your daily power requirements (DPR). The article will stipulate a DPR of 1,000Wh (1kWh). This 1,000Wh will be the base of all our calculations below. * We will think in terms of 12v systems and 100Ah batteries.

food:cooking:ovens

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:44+00:00

Ovens Built-in Ovens Since ovens are large and resource-hungry they are usually only found in more feature-rich van builds or RVs, schoolies, some truck campers, etc. They are only rarely found in cargo vans and class B RVs. The common R/V cutout size for 3-burner ovens is 21

rv:intro

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:59:00+00:00

Words of Wisdom: “The best van is the one that is best for you.” Brief overview of different RVs One of the first decisions a potential 'dweller thinks about is “what kind of van?” Sometimes the answer isn't a van at all, but some other platform that meets one's needs better, or is what one already has at hand.

electrical:generator

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:32+00:00

Generators A generator is a device that creates electricity from some other form of energy. In RV terms this usually means a gasoline powered generator, but they can also run on propane or diesel. Residential generators sometimes run on natural gas.

opinion:frater_secessus:solar_not_charging

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:56+00:00

My solar isn't charging Reminder: a solar charge controller makes power * when power is demanded for charging or loads * up to its abilities under present conditions In most cases the system is working as designed but the owner doesn't know it. because no power is being demanded

opinion:frater_secessus:adding_dc-dc_charging_to_solar

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:52+00:00

Opinion: adding DC-DC charging to solar When combined with nontrivial amounts of solar, DC-DC charging is a decreasing return expense. Normal isolator charging would do the Bulk-style heavy lifting adequately and much more cheaply. Reasoning: normal isolators raise the bank to alternator voltage (Valt, something like 13.8v, maybe higher). The primary value of DC-DC charging is that it DC-DC upconverts voltage to reach Vabs (Pb) or to induce top-balancing via overcharge (Li). Let’s loo…

opinion:more_power

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:52+00:00

DRAFT " “It is cheaper and easier to use less power than it is to make more power.” – highdesertranger" " ...the why is important. If you are trying to meet a specific performance goal you can save money by identifying performance bottlenecks and upgrading the relevant components. If you want to do the upgrades because they sound like

food:refrigeration

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:44+00:00

Keeping food cold Refrigeration is the most common form of food preservation for 'dwellers , although drying and canning also work for some foods. Note that many 'dwellers choose to use no refrigeration at all. Also see powering a 12v compressor fridge ---------- Coolers * Pro - low cost, low empty weight, zero power consumption and widespread availability.

electrical:wind

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:34+00:00

Words of wisdom: “I would recommend you add more solar first. Only once you've topped out with that would I suggest a windgen. -- Mike OReilley” wind power Small wind power generators (sometimes called turbines) are popular with homesteaders and cruising boats. Wind works at night when solar does not, and also works in heavy weather when

opinion:frater_secessus:alternatorsolarstall

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:52+00:00

Solar charging stall at alternator voltage Consider the following scenario: * 100w of panel that charges at 75W * solar charge controller Vabs set to 14.6v * alternator voltage regulated to 13.8v * isolator * chassis load on alternator = 125w (lights, radio, vent blower) *

water:purification

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:59:04+00:00

Water purification and filtration Boondockers can use harvested water to stretch the driking water supply and extend trip legnth. With approprate care harvested water can be used for consumption. Making water drinking water has two components; filtration and purification.

opinion:frater_secessus:self-heated_lifepo4

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:56+00:00

DRAFT Self-heated vs DIY warming TLDR * LiFePO4 cannot be charged when the cells are below ~freezing, or discharged well below freezing * some kind of warming is required before charging * self-heated: easier * DIY: more control, more charging under certain conditions, usually cheaper

electrical:solar:pvwatts_assumptions

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:40+00:00

solar assumptions Assumptions made in the PVwatts estimate: * flat-mounted, air-gapped panels * with an unobstructed view of the sky (no shade or snow accumlation) * on an MPPT solar charge controller These averages are based on insolation and meteorological data for many years and are specific to that location. Actual daily harvest will vary, so

electrical:solar:overbanking

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:40+00:00

Overbanking Overbanking means having a battery bank oversized compared to charging power (particularly in solar-only scenarios). The solar:battery ratio might be something like 1:2. Overbanking is the opposite of overpaneling. Lithium chemistries are not bothered by partial state of charge so overbanking is a non-issue for them. The camper might have a lot of lithium capacity to take advantage of

electrical:solar:charge_controller_setpoints

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:40+00:00

Solar charge controller setpoints Solar charge controller, converter, and DC-DC charging behavior is guided by setpoints, which are settings stored in the controller. They may or may not be configurable by the user. The two most important setpoints for battery life and performance are charging voltages:

electrical:12v:electrical_notation

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:36+00:00

Electrical terms often seen with solar * I - current in Amps. The I comes from the archaic term intensity. * Imp current at the panel's maximum power output (see Vmp) * Isc - Amps when short circuited; this is when your solar panels are connected only to themselves. This is the highest current your panels can theoretically produce.

opinion:frater_secessus:charging_faster

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:52+00:00

charging faster isn't always better There is a common misperception that charging one's battery banks faster is better or that having more charging capacity guarantees faster charging. Here are some reasons it is not always true: lead-acid Lead batteries

electrical:12v:maintaining_starter_battery

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:36+00:00

[also see self-jumpstarting] maintaining starter batteries * Some combo DC-DC chargers contain logic to maintain the starter battery when solar power is present. For specifics see the starter battery maintenance behavior section in each listing. * the Ecoflow 800w alternator charger (DC-DC) has a starter battery maintenance function.

food:cooking:crockpot

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:44+00:00

off-grid crockpot cooking Crockpots can be sourced inexpensively ($5-$10) at thrift stores and can use relatively small amounts of current. In addition to the normal uses (stews, chilis, roasts, etc) a crock can be used to * make bread * make cornbread * bake pizza * make lasanga and meatloaf from scratch

rv:ram_promaster

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:59:00+00:00

" There is nothing, I repeat nothing, special or complicated or expensive or proprietary about the Promaster. The drivetrain, transmission, fuel system, cats, computer, hvac, braking, suspension, steering, etc are all almost EXACTLY the same as ANY Chrysler built from 2011 till today. As such, ANY decent mechanic can work on these things. There's nothing magical in there.

electrical:batterycide

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:32+00:00

Words of Wisdom: " Over many years of capacity testing hundreds and hundreds of batteries, flooded, GEL and AGM I have yet to see a lead acid battery that could delivers its full storage potential at anything less than 0.75% in tail current at absorption voltage. MaineSail

opinion:frater_secessus:assessing_solar_generators

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:52+00:00

Is this solar generator good for me? The way to find a solar generator fit for your needs is to comprehensively assess both your needs and the capabilities of the device under consideration. needs assessment * do your daily power assessment * assess what size battery you need * assess the

opinion:frater_secessus:efficiency

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:54+00:00

" " You keep using that word; I do not think it means what you think it means. -- Inigo Montoya in the Princess Bride" " "Efficient" The word efficienct is often mis-used in vanworld to mean something like: * better * preferable * makes more power * or, perhaps more cynically,

rv:build:steps

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:59:02+00:00

Build order downsizing Downsizing (getting rid of most of your stuff, keeping useful stuff) is a Good Thing whether or not you ever move into a van. thinking * get ideas from forums, instagram, youtube, etc * consider what kind of amenities you want

electrical:solar:synopsis_puzzle2

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:42+00:00

This page aims to distill the knowledge contained in HandyBob's RV battery charging puzzle 2 page. Particularly useful and pithy statements are quoted directly under fair use. Synopsis: HandyBob's RV Battery Charging Puzzle [Note from Secessus: I do my best here to faithfuly summarize

electrical:12v:voltage_sag

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:38+00:00

Voltage sag TL;DR * resistance in the circuit causes apparent voltage to sag when discharging * likewise, resistance causes apparent voltage to rise when charging * some sag/rise is normal. Circuits with excess resistance (undersized wiring, iffy connections) can cause apparent voltage to deviate enough to affect system performance

food:cooking:cookware

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:44+00:00

Cookware stovetop cast iron pots pans souz vide FIxmE pressure cookers Pressure cookers can be extremely useful in a campervan. They can: * save fuel - because cooking times are often dramatically reduced. Dry beans can be cooked in ~30mins at pressure.

hvac:heating

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:46+00:00

Words of wisdom: “Heat people, not places.” Heating Many RVers snowbird to get away from temperature extremes, but others enjoy the cold or sometimes get caught in it. The method one uses for staying warm will depend on whether or not one has “hookups” (grid connection).

electrical:intro

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:32+00:00

RV electrical power “It is easier and much less expensive to use less electricity than it is to create and store gobs of it.” -- Sternwake Access and use of electrical power is crucial to RVers, whether plugged into RV park hookups or boondocking off-grid.

hvac:solar

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:46+00:00

Heating and cooling with solar power It is common for beginners to fantasize about running these impractical loads off solar power: * A/C * instant pot / ninja foodie / air fryers - use pressure cookers instead * george foreman grills * toaster ovens (or just toasters)

opinion:frater_secessus:controllers_and_dollars_per_watt

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:52+00:00

fixme NOTE: this is a rough draft. Costs based on prices on Amazon of Renogy controllers where available. cost analysis of small controller / panel combinations " For about the same price a second solar panel can give 100% more power. Above about 300 to 400 watts MPPT is financially advantageous.

electrical:12v:loads

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:36+00:00

Loads Loads are electrical burdens placed on an electrical system. When vandwellers talk about loads they usually mean user loads like lighting, running a laptop or microwave. Technically, though, it also includes system loads like charging the bank. Understanding this last part will help make

electrical:12v:wiring

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:38+00:00

Wiring the van basic principles * wire * wire runs are typically sized for critical vs noncritical applications. Factors include both the amount of current and the total length of the circuit (POS and NEG sides combined). See below. * stranded wire

hvac:cooling

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:46+00:00

Cooling and Air Conditioning In general, air conditioning with solar power is impractical. Ventilation, on the other hand, is nearly-mandatory. snowbirding Since the van has wheels, many vandwellers follow mild weather. Keeping Cool Vehicle color has a very large impact on how hot the interiors can get. A Ford dealer in Texas

electrical:12v:alternator_charging_rates

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:34+00:00

DRAFT How much will my battery charge by alternator? This should be easy, right? time charging x charge rate in A = Ah replaced in the bank We know the time part because we're the ones driving. But the charge rate part can be hard to predict with any certainty; this is especially true for combiner (

food:cooking:stoves

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:44+00:00

Stoves Camping stoves come in two basic types: gaseous (propane/butane/isobutane) or liquid fuel. They are usually single burner units although dual and even triple “suitcase” stoves are available. Propane stoves currently dominate the market due to simplicity, inexpensive design, minimal smell and widespread retail availability of propane bottles. Propane stoves are generally regarded safe to burn indoors with ventilation, fume-wise at least.

electrical:solar:mppt_design

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:40+00:00

MPPT integration There are benefits from using higher voltage panels that can be realized when a system is designed for an MPPT controller. $/watt ratios can become quite favorable with large, used panels and overpaneled controllers. The downside is that MPPT requires some amount of excess panel voltage over charging voltage to do its work (see below). MPPT advantage may be minimal or nonexistant when nominal panel voltage matches nominal battery bank voltage (12v panels and 12v battery, fo…

electrical:solar:offthepanel

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:40+00:00

Running loads off the panel RVers and 'dwellers speak of running loads off the panel; they mean the loads do not affect the battery bank's state of charge because excess power is available. Mobile solar power installs are not putting out full power all of the time, even in direct sunlight. This can happen when the batteries are charged and there are no loads on the system. When power is needed the controller jumps into action and lets the panels make power again; it's almost instantaneous…

rv:build:minimal

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:59:02+00:00

Getting started Getting started it easy; it doesn't require money, skills, or fancy equipment. the mental preparation Vandwelling is a mental challenge more than anything else. You will be living in a way that onlookers probably will not understand and may be hostile to. You will no longer be surrounded by comforting/distressing amounts of material possessions. You will no longer have a single fixed place to call home; lacking a fixed home will confuse governments, employers, businesses,…

electrical:solar:shunt_tweaking

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:42+00:00

Tweaking a configurable shunt controller [ Note: this article was written by secessus about the type of controller seen on the right. They are called CMTD among other names. ] A configurable shunt (single stage) controller can be a very good deal, sometimes less than $10 shipped. While they share the same lower-yield issues with PWM and for the same reason

electrical:12v:phone_charging

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:38+00:00

charging your phone Keeping a phone or tablet charged is an essential task for vehicle dwellers. It's more an issue of resource management (taking advantage of charging opportunities, carrying the chargers/cords) rather than spending money on special gear.

electrical:aio

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:32+00:00

All-in-One inverter/chargers AIO devices combine inverter, solar charge controller, and converter in one device. While more common on very large RVs with frequent access to pedestal power at campgrounds they are gaining popularity with other RV types. seamless power The selling point is the AIO seamlessly takes power from the grid

electrical:12v:car

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:36+00:00

if you are just running a fan and charging phones/tablets a small solar generator power pack thingy could work. You could charge it from the CRV's alternator while driving, plug it in when you are around an outlet, or charge it from a small solar config suitable for vehicles. Alternator-only charging would work best with packs based on lithium cells rather than lead-acid cells since the latter doesn't like incomplete charges.

opinion:frater_secessus:sayings

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:56+00:00

vandweller laws and corollaries * Those who tell you “want you want” don't know what you want and don't care what you want. * If your “deep cycle” battery doesn't have a published DoD vs. duty cycles data then it's not deep cycle. * If your

opinion:frater_secessus:charging_lithium_to_soc

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:52+00:00

Charging lithium to a specific State of Charge Lead batteries are healthiest when they are kept 100% State of Charge (SoC) all the time. Lithium batteries, on the other hand, suffer accelerated degradation when held at 100% SoC. So with lithium we have two competing goals:

electrical:12v:diysmartpass

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:36+00:00

DRAFT / EXPERIMENTAL / OPINION DIY Ctek D250 + Smartpass setup This article is about the 1st-gen Ctek combo and possible approaches to duplicating the major functionality for less money and/or better specs. This article assumes you want and the bank will accept >20A of alternator charging, and that your alternator can handle it. If you only have a 80Ah AGM then the combo setup is massive overkill. The bare D250 would handle that with ease.

food:cooking:power_and_energy

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:44+00:00

DRAFT Cooking with electricity: power and energy TLDR * cooking with “small” (low wattage) appliances like crockpots is cheap and easy off most power systems, including tiny power stations and the car's 12v ciggy port. * cooking with “big” (high wattage) appliances like electric kettles, microwaves, or induction cooktops requires $$ infrastructure

electrical:solar:faq_mppt_series

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:40+00:00

Is MPPT required when wiring panels in series? MPPT controllers are not required for series panel wiring. Counterexamples: * Imagine a 24v battery bank being PWM charged by two 12v panels in series. The series configuration itself is not important, but the relationship between panel voltage and charging voltage is.

electrical:12v:psoc

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:38+00:00

Partial State of Charge Partial state of charge (PSoC) refers to the state of a lead-chemistry battery when it is left below 100% State of Charge (partially discharged), which lead-chemistry batteries do not like. Since state of charge is measured “on the way down

electrical:nominal

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:32+00:00

What does nominal mean? Nominal refers to a thing's name, rather than its actual status in the present moment. The point of the term is to keep new folk from thinking that 12v literally means the system or device is running at 12.0 volts. It's usually not.

electrical:depth_of_discharge

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:32+00:00

Depth of discharge / State of Charge Depth-of-discharge (DoD or DOD) refers to how low a deep cycle battery is taken between full charges. Specifically, what percentage of the rated capacity remains at a given point? Example: For solar powered systems the greatest DoD (and therefore lowest SoC) will be in early morning just before the panels start creating power again.

electrical:12v:parallel_serial

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:38+00:00

parallel-serial Electrical components like batteries and solar panels can be used independently or combined. If combined, they are connected in series or in parallel. For the following examples we will consider two items -- batteries, solar panels, etc. Series connections

hvac:roof_vent

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:46+00:00

Roof vents sizing The industry standard for RV roof vents is 14“x14” and can be as simple/inexpensive or fancy/expensive as one wants. See also non-standard vents below. placement There several and sometimes conflicting factors affecting vent placement. *

electrical:solar:daily-gentle

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:40+00:00

Gentle intro to daily power requirements [note: this section was split out from the gentle intro to solar in order to streamline it] Bill wrote down each item, how much power it uses, and how long he would use it each day. Yes, this was annoying but he didn't try to do it all at once.

electrical:12v:lifepo4_batteries_thread

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:36+00:00

Words of Wisdom: " “LFP batteries do not need to get back to 100% SOC, ever” -- Maine Sail" " “Others will likely say you should read a few of the previous pages in this thread and a lot of your questions will be answered. I'd suggest you pick and random number between

lifestyle:hitting_the_road

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:48+00:00

" “Pack as if you're going out for only a week during the summer. Then add what you'd need if you were going out for only a week in winter. That should pretty much cover everything.” --MrNoodly" " “I can't be prepared for everything I can possibly imagine, so I prepare for things that are most likely to happen.

food:coffee

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:42+00:00

Making coffee With Propane (or other fuel) Like with almost all cooking in a van (and anything to do with generating heat), making coffee is much easier when using propane. Heating water on a camp stove uses no electricity, although it does require a bit more labor.

electrical:12v:laptop

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:36+00:00

Charging and powering laptops Laptops are the most power-hungry of the nomad's communications devices; phones and tablets require much less power. Pretty much the only communication device that will consume more power would be a Starlink dish. There are two basic approaches to keeping your laptop charged on the road:

opinion:frater_secessus:solar_harvest

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:56+00:00

patterns in solar harvest unscientific terms * Rated = the actual panel rating in watts under lab conditions * MPPT theoretical = 82% of rated, allowing for 5% DC-DC losses and 13% temperature derating at 70deg F ambient. In my case, Rated is 570w and MPPT theoretical is 467w.

electrical:12v:battery_monitor

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:34+00:00

Battery monitors TL;DR * Battery monitors start from a known State of Charge then count every Amp going into or out of the battery bank * the shunt can be internal to the battery (lithium batts with BMS comms) or external to the bank * the current acceptance of the battery bank in Absorption can tell you how close to fully charged a lead battery is

hvac:insulation

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:46+00:00

Insulation There is no clear solid consensus on what the “best” way to insulate a van is, but there sure are a lot of opinions with very little in the way of empirical data. At best, you're making an educated guess and almost everyone insulates their van differently.

rv:step_van

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:59:00+00:00

Step van A step van is a commercial truck designed primarily for deliveries of packages or other light cargo. In addition to being widely used by companies like FedEx and UPS, they are also common for mobile businesses like food trucks and mobile mechanics.

opinion:frater_secessus:healthy_agm

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:54+00:00

Keeping your AGM bank happy and healthy why does AGM exist in the first place? In The Beginning, emergency backup power for industrial purposes was done with Flooded Lead-Acid batteries (FLA) and inverters. It worked well at the time, but there are drawbacks: * FLA batteries require regular maintenance (

opinion:frater_secessus:fulltime_boondocking

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:54+00:00

DRAFT Full-time boondocking People who are successfully boondocking may start thinking about going full-time (FT). IMO anyone who is already making 14d outings without drama can do it FT. There are a few things that will change. but first We are not allowed to live on public lands. We are allowed to

opinion:frater_secessus:diy_vs_powerstation

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:54+00:00

DRAFT DIY vs Power Station Q & A " What's the difference between a portable power supply and a battery?" * a battery is... a battery * a Jackery/Anker/Bluetti is * a battery * inverter * solar charge controller * etc Folks that pay attention (read specs, understand their own use case) will have good results with both DIY and all-in-ones (

hvac:start

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:46+00:00

HVAC: heating, ventilation and air conditioning Many vandwellers are snowbirds, following mild weather. One major reason for this is heating and air conditioning with electricity from solar power is generally impractical. Heating is relatively easy with propane or diesel heaters.

lifestyle:resourcefulness

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:50+00:00

Making use of resources Folks who live in vehicles do not have ready access to resources that house-dwellers take for granted. We have to notice resources and take advantage of them appropriately. Similar to spider-man's “spidey sense”, as vandwellers gain experience they can develop an awareness of available resources in the area; paying attention goes a long way, as does the discipline to follow tyhrough and

opinion:frater_secessus:endamps

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:54+00:00

Note: Flooded, AGM and gel are all types of lead-chemistry battery. How do I know when my lead battery is fully charged? Lead batteries are killed by 'dwellers undercharging them: not fully, and/or not often enough. To reach the expected cycle lifetime a lead battery must be charged:

lifestyle:frugality

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:48+00:00

Frugality and resource conservation In this context, conservation refers not to the biome but the resources you have available in your van or RV. For boondockers and urban campers, resource management and conservation is directly related to how long they can “stay out”

electrical:12v:renogy_dip_switches

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:38+00:00

DRAFT - please report errors DIP switches on Renogy DC-DC chargers TL;DR * the DIP configuration tables and nomenclature in the 20-40A-60A DCC1212 series manual are needlessly confusing. The tables below intend to correct that * the DIP switch area has indicator that shows ON↓

camping:snowbirding

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:30+00:00

Snowbirds A snowbird is a traveller who “follows the weather” to stay comfortable. Common targets include daytime highs of 60-75F. These highs may seem too cool but snowbirds often camp in full sun to harvest solar power. Snowbirding reduces the need for expensive and bulky amenities like air conditioning.

electrical:12v:voltage_sensing

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:38+00:00

Chargers with voltage sensing Higher charge/discharge current can distort the voltage the charging source “sees” at that source's BATT terminals. For example, if the battery battery bank is actually 13.0v and the charger is putting out a lot of current the battery voltage might appear (to the charger) to be 13.4v. From the bank's point of view it's voltage

rv:nv

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:59:00+00:00

Nissan NV2500/3500 More a class of its own rather than a eurovan, the NV2500 and NV3500 are based on the Nissan Titan with a different, ladder-type frame. The NV is the only eurovan with a V8 option, and has the lowest purchase price in the class. Data from NADA suggests the NV may have the lowest Total Cost of Ownership over the first 5 years.

electrical:severe_battery_use

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:34+00:00

Intentionally severe battery use Lead-acid chemistries prefer light cycling and full recharge between those cycles. Lead-acid batteries are traditional cycled to 50% depth of discharge because it offers a balance between duty life (years between failure) and bank size. Pulling the bank below 50% DoD in emergnecies will not automatically cause damage

electrical:12v:dailypowerrequirements

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:36+00:00

DRAFT How much power do I need to run stuff? It may seem overwhelming at first, but all we really need are * a list of things you intend to run in the van. Be specific and thorough. <- the hardest part. * reading the product labels on the above items

opinion:frater_secessus:portable_panels

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:54+00:00

Portable panels and the role of the owner TLDR Portable panels can be highly-productive and useful, but good results require owner discipline. the hardware Rated watts are rated watts; a 100w portable will make the same power as 100w mounted in a lab.

food:cooking:excess_power

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:44+00:00

TL;DR: * cooking/reheating with electric appliances can be a cheap and easy way to use up “extra” power. ie, cooking with electric when you have it to spare * but depending on electric cooking/reheating 100% requires power systems too expensive, physically large, and complex for many offgrid 'dwellers.

electrical:solar:pwm_configurable

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:42+00:00

Configurable PWM solar charge controllers Because of the lower price point of PWM controllers they are often less configurable than MPPT controllers. Still, PWM controllers with configurable setpoints do exist. Morningstar TriStar PWM The TriStar TS-45, and TS-60 PWM professional grade controllers are configurable with a cable.

electrical:12v:mandatory_dcdc

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:36+00:00

Note this is a companion to the Is Solar Mandatory? article Is DC-DC charging mandatory? Death and taxes are mandatory. Gravity is mandatory. Are DC-DC chargers mandatory? Ehh... In many/most situations, direct-charging the house bank with a combiner (relay, isolator, VSR) is both effective and inexpensive. Even

opinion:frater_secessus:successful_boondocking

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:56+00:00

DRAFT Reminder: articles in the Opinion section are written in a more personal voice -- secessus Successful boondocking With some planning and organization boondocking can be relaxing and very cheap. If one is unprepared or inexperienced it can be expensive and

rv:build:cardboard

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:59:02+00:00

Cardboard Aided Design Cardboard Aided Design is a method to model a van's living space at actual scale. It is a mock-up you can stand in, sit in, live in. it does not require one to actually own a van yet. The area is marked off and actual objects or cardboard mock-ups are moved into the space.

electrical:12v:lvd

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:36+00:00

Low Voltage Disconnect (LVD) A low voltage disconnect is used to stop loads from dragging a battery bank below a given voltage (Vlvd). examples * Victron Battery Protect * Blue Sea 7635 m-LVD * various amazon listings One can also DIY a low voltage disconnect. In theory the simplest way to implement an LVD would be to wire all loads go through the

opinion:frater_secessus:run_this_load

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:56+00:00

[also see How do I run a 12v compressor refrigerator?] What will it take to run this load? TL;DR There are several factors: * AC vs DC, voltage. typically 12vdc or 120vac * current (power), in Amps (A) * Watt-hours (Wh) (energy) * any charging sources that are active at the time * recharging afterward

learning:youtube

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:48+00:00

YouTube channels These channels are a great resource for converting and living in your vehicle. * CheapRVliving - over 1,000 videos on a wide variety of topics * Chuck Cassady - how-to videos for high-quality school bus conversion * Christian Schaffer - van life * EXPLORIST - how-to videos for

learning:book

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:46+00:00

Books Bob Wells literally wrote the book on cheap RV living: How to Live in a Car, Van or RV--And Get Out of Debt, Travel and Find True Freedom. Both the kindle and paperback editions are inexpensive and the kindle edition has the most liberal licensing available: text to speech enabled, lending enabled, etc. The kindle version is free to borrow through

electrical:temperature_control

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:34+00:00

temperature controllers Temp controllers are devices that enable control of other devices above/below a given temperature. Most controllers used in vans will be 12v, but 120vac controllers also exist. example uses * add low-temperature cutoff to chargers that lack that feature by either

food:cooking:instantpot

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:44+00:00

Cooking with an Instant Pot offgrid Instant Pots are becoming increasingly common as some vandweller power systems become beefier. While convenient, they are effectively electric pressure cookers + crockpots, both of which are much less demanding of power. Note: instant pots typically require more power than most vehicle-dwellers have on tap, but

camping:dispersed

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:30+00:00

Words of Wisdom: “The most important thing is to be careful, esp when you’re alone... If you can’t recognize danger when you see it, this is not the life for you.” -- TrainChaser boondocking / dispersed camping / free camping [Also see the Successful Boondocking sister article]

lifestyle:foreknowledge

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:48+00:00

What 'dwellers wish they had known ahead of time No matter how much one researches and prepares, some things are only learned by doing. Here are some things 'dwellers wish they knew earlier. Related: what secessus wishes others knew earlier :-) starting earlier The most common sentiment among full-timers is they wish they had started earlier. For those who are called, it can be a great life.

opinion:frater_secessus:lifepo4_charging_voltage

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2026-05-19T20:54:38+00:00

DRAFT " " ... the reactions that cause [LiFePO4] aging are strongly correlated with voltage - David Howey, Professor of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford" " Problems caused by lithium charging profiles You'd think that a “lithium profile

electrical:solar:charging_vehicles

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:40+00:00

Can I charge my electric vehicle with solar? No.

opinion:frater_secessus:mppt_anthills

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:54+00:00

MPPT anthills - an analogy about mixing panel specs TL;DR For best results put panels of different specs on separate MPPT controllers. about these summaries the mission You are blindfolded and placed in a field that is flat except that there is an anthill somewhere in it.

opinion:frater_secessus:cheap_offgrid_power

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:52+00:00

Words of Wisdom: “It is cheaper and easier to use less power than it is to make more power.” -- highdesertranger principles for living off the power grid cheaply FIXME reduce your power requirements Small power setups are inexpensive, simple, and forgiving. Large power setups are expensive, complex, and unforgiving.

food:microwave

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:44+00:00

Microwave ovens Microwave ovens can be useful where shore power is available or in warmer climates where you don't want extra heat. However they draw a lot of power when operating, and can draw significant phantom power loads. For camper use models with mechanical timers and power settings may be more appropriate.

opinion:frater_secessus:sizing-model

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:56+00:00

DRAFT secessus' power system model Heads up: this tool is intended to simplify my life when helping people with power setups, not to be Holy Gospel. Do your own homework. assumptions The model makes several assumptions: * Lithium can be discharged to 80% DoD, lead chemistries to 50%

opinion:frater_secessus:troubleshooting

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:56+00:00

FIRST DRAFT Troubleshooting electrical problems in the van TL;DR * troubleshooting is more about methodical thinking than specific techniques, tools, or tricks * a multimeter is extremely useful and does not have to be expensive * carrying a few inexpensive replacement parts and tools can be helpful when attempting field repairs

rv:class_a

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:58+00:00

Class A motorhomes Class A motorhomes can be the most expensive RVs available, available with every conceivable luxury and amenity. They may look like buses but most are not built on bus chassis. * PRO * luxurious * common choice for traveling or

electrical:12v:battery_capacity

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:34+00:00

C notation C notation is used to express the relationship of a bank's capacity to charge/discharge current. Example: a 20A current into or out of a 100Ah bank is 0.2C (20A / 100Ah). The same calculation could be made with W/Wh since it's about the relationship between the two and not any specific unit of measurement.

opinion:frater_secessus:the_case_for_agm

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:56+00:00

the case for AGM There are situations where AGM is worth spending twice as much compared to flooded lead-acid. * the ‘dweller installs the battery bank in a location where it is not reachable for normal maintenance * the ‘dweller needs to mount the battery on its side for some esoteric reason (or is 4×4 trekking so the RV itself can end up in weird angles)

rv:cargo_van:comparo

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:59:02+00:00

Cargo van comparo Cargo vans come in various sizes, shapes, and capacities. Narrowing it down to one or two models can help you avoid analysis paralysis. These page attempts to collect specifications which you can consider (or not) based on your own needs. Footnotes are in place so you can check sources for yourself. [frater says: don't trust anyone else's judgement on what van

electrical:12v:batteries

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:34+00:00

High-level battery overview Batteries used in your "house" setup have markedly different needs than the battery that's already under the hood of your car. Not that there aren't similarities, but understanding the differences can help you right-size the batteries for your need and avoid

water:shower

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:59:04+00:00

Showers navy showers Navy showers are short, methodical showers intended to use minimal water. 1-2 gallons of water per shower are possible. The general process is: * wet the surface to be washed * lather/scrub as needed * rinse Practice this procedure in your home shower before hitting the road.

electrical:12v:alternator_charging_hvd

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:34+00:00

Disconnecting alternator charging at a voltage setpoint There are scenarios where one might want to prevent a battery isolator from combining the house and chassis 12v systems: * the house battery might be a chemistry that could get overcharged by the alternator (lithium, for example)

rv:box_truck

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:58+00:00

Box Truck A box truck, like a step van, provides a large cubic space for an easy build. Pro & Con * Pro: * Large living space * Square shape easy to modify * Easy solar mounting * Passthrough (on some vehicles) * Space under truck to hang tanks, storage boxes, etc.

food:cooking

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:42+00:00

Cooking Cooking for oneself is a great way to save resources and therefore spend less money. Some folks set up on a tailgate or on little table at the rear of the vehicle under the open hatch, or with the rear door open and blocking view/wind. At parks stoves can be set in a bbq grill or on a concrete picnic table.

hvac:dehumidifier

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:46+00:00

Humidity Relative humidity of 25%-60% is generally comfortable for humans. excessive humidity Excessive humidity is a common challenge for vandwellers. It can cause mold/mildew, damage to electronics from water condensate, discomfort, wood expansion, and diminution of insulative properties of items like sleeping bags.

electrical:relay

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:32+00:00

Relays Electrical relays are devices used to turn relatively heavy loads on/off. They are triggered by small amounts of power from an external source (usually a switch operated by the user) but can pass larger amounts of power to the load. This reduces the cost and physical requirements of the switch and can help automate some processes. A typical setup looks like this: switch (and house power)

rv:travel_trailer

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:59:00+00:00

Travel trailers In general, travel trailers share these pros and cons: * PRO * can detach tow vehicle (TV) from the travel trailer (TT) after parking. This simplifies running errands or having either the TV or TT serviced. * generally the least expensive platform of any retail RV by square footage

rv:sprinter

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:59:00+00:00

Sprinter The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has been sold under many nameplates: Dodge, MB, Freightliner, etc. It was the first of the modern eurovans sold in the US. Perhaps because of the head start it is the dominant high-roof camper conversion platform in the U.S., both DIY and commercial Class B.

meta:contribute

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:52+00:00

Edit and contribute! goals The wiki aims to collect and organize information useful to vandwllers and cheap RVers. Different points of view and alternative opinions are encouraged. There are many ways to do things! guidelines Learn how to use

hygiene:bathing

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:46+00:00

Staying clean There are several ways to stay clean in the van. None will be as quick or easy as hopping in the shower in a home or apartment. Showers While possible, it is extremely difficult to squeeze a practical in-vehicle shower into a van. The amount of space they take up, along with the very large amounts of water (and wastewater) storage required makes it difficult in even the largest of vans. Dwellers who want regular access to an interior shower are better served by

rv:high_roof

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:58+00:00

High roof A high roof installed in a van can increase headroom or even make standing possible. Adding a high roof can be an expensive process but owners generally feel it to be a worthwhile investment. An increase in frontal area can have a negative impact on MPG. An increase in sail area can make the van more susceptible to sidewinds. An increase in exterior height will reduce clearance in drive-throughs, wooded areas, etc.

lifestyle:analysis_paralysis

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:48+00:00

"Paralysis by Analysis" Planning can pay off, but it is easy for many of us to get overwhelmed by details and perfectionism. What kind of camper? 2wd or 4wd? How much solar and battery? Which cargo van? Here are some ideas to help break the cycle of endless research.

lifestyle:faq_laundry

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:48+00:00

Words of Wisdom: “What really helps both methods is the clothes I choose to begin with. They're almost exclusively campwear, beach wear, sports wear, that sort of thing. My work outfits are dark, plain-colored board shorts or swim trunks with the webbing cut out, and long-sleeve black

rv:ford_transit

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:58+00:00

Ford Transit The Transit eurovan has been sold overseas for decades but has only been offered in the US since 2015 as a replacement for the Econoline-series vans. It is currently the best-selling van in the US. Compared to the Econoline, the Transit offers noticeable increases in creature comforts, fuel economy, interior space, height, and build quality, with sacrifices made in towing and off-pavement capability.

electrical:12v:self-jumpstarting

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-24T22:58:38+00:00

Self-jumpstarting Self-jumpstarting means jumpstarting one's own vehicle without the use of another vehicle. It's done by combining house and chassis batteries by one of several methods discussed below. Note: regardless of specific method used, it will be gentlest on the system to