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Having power in your van is a game-changer when hitting the open road and living like a nomad. Many have done it successfully without a solar setup by just using a deep cycle battery and battery isolator. We traveled for a few months from Washington state cross country to North Carolina without a campervan solar system or electric system. However, we learned real quick that it was important to have some sort of electrical system to continue traveling full time. |
Electricity in a campervan allows you to feel like you are living in a home instead of a van. You are able to have lights, a fan, running water, and are able to charge your devices. If you add solar panels and batteries you can then go without plugging in and are able to go off-grid. This means you don't have to pay for camping because you don't need a power source. |
Campervan solar systems range from custom component installations such as what we have used in our previous two vans to a simple plug-and-play Goal Zero or Jackery type system. While the component campervan solar system sounds intimidating after reading this our goal is to take that intimation away and give you the confidence you need to dive in and hit the road all powered up. |
This is the number one question most people ask about a campervan solar system and honestly, there isn't a right answer to this. It all depends on what you want to power, where you're primarily going to travel and stay, and for how long. For example, if you are planning on staying in the Pacific North West you will likely need a larger battery bank and solar set up than if you were say in Southern California or Florida where there are fewer cloudy days. |
We currently have a Maxxair fan, 14 LED lights, USB outlets, a couple of 110v regular house outlets, a 12v refrigerator, and a water pump. If that sounds like a lot then prepare to be surprised, all of this is powered by 300 watts of solar panels and 300 amp hours of batteries. This works well for us as we tend to travel all over the country from Florida to the PNW. |
When planning out your campervan solar system a good rule to go by is to match your solar panel wattage to your battery bank size. A basic campervan solar system for sunny climates with limited overcast days would be 200 watts of solar and a 200 AH battery bank. |
In theory, this would be enough to power a 12-volt refrigerator, campervan lights, charge your phones, and a computer. However, ideally, 300 watts of solar and 300 AH would be a better option for those cloudy/shady days. In addition to the campervan solar system, we definitely advise on getting a DC-DC charger or get one built into your charge controller like the Renogy one we have. This DC-DC charger also known as a battery isolator works by harnessing excess power created by your vehicle's alternator and charges your solar batteries. |
How an isolator works is when your vehicle's started batter is at the optimal voltage the isolator or DC-DC charger will take the extra power from your alternator and top off or charge your solar batteries. Now if you opt for the Renogy DC-DC MPPT charge controller like we did you will also have the ability to reverse that charge when needed. |
For example, when you are camping in a remote area and haven't started your vehicle in a few days your starter battery will have some discharge. The DC-DC MPPT will take the extra power your panels are pulling in after charging your solar battery bank and send that power to your starter battery, thus giving you peace of mind to never be with a dead starter battery. |
When it comes to building out your campervan solar system there is no competition like Renogy. Renogy has been around for years, has great customer service, and is priced well. We highly recommend Renogy and have had great success using their products. |
If you opt for a simpler plug-and-play system then we recommend going with Goal Zero. Plenty of van lifers have used their system and find it easy to install and use. |
A campervan solar system component set up consists of solar panels, batteries, a charger controller, and a power inverter. These are the exact components we purchased from Renogy for our Ford Transit build. |
50amp DC-to-DC MPPT charge controller |
Shop Renogy Now! |
20 amp Inline waterproof Solar fuse |
3 – 100 watt compact solar panels |
3 to 1 Solar Branch Connectors |
Campervan solar system plug-in-play system consists of a charger controller power inverter and battery combo unit that allows you to simply plug your solar panels into the unit and has output plugs for powering your lights, refrigerator, charging your phone and computer, and so on. |
The inverter takes the 12v power made by the charge controller and inverts it to regular 110v power so you can charge your computer or use a blender. We chose a 2000 watt Pure Sign wave inverter by Renogy because of their excellent quality control and top-notch customer service. 2000 watts isn't necessarily needed if you are only planning on charging computers and cameras, but if you want to use a blender or even a hairdryer you will need something around the 2000 watt range. We have a Vitamix which is a beast and is a huge addition to our kitchen but it takes about 1,400 watts to power. |
After analyzing your needs for 110v whichever inverter you go with make sure it's a pure sine wave inverter as they are much more efficient and put less strain on your battery system when powering electronics. |
Our Top Choice: Renogy 2000 Watt Pure Sine Inverter |
Use code WildGooseCreatives to receive 10% off your Renogy purchase at Renogy.com. |
Honorable mention: GOWISE – a more cost-effective option |
A vanlife battery setup is a powerhouse for your entire campervan solar system. The two types of batteries most people consider are AGM and Lithium batteries. Each battery has its pros and cons. When wiring up your batteries you need to wire them up the same way you wire your solar panels as in series or parallel. I will differentiate between the two options below in the solar panel wiring section. |
AGM batteries are what you are going to see used the most amongst vanlifers. They are cheaper and more readily available. The downside is that they are not going to last as long as lithium batteries. |
Less than half the cost of lithium batteries priced at $250-$300 |
Last 4-7 years with proper care and maintenance. |
Only half of the battery storage can be used before deteriorating the life of the battery. |
Larger and heavier than lithium. |
Our AGM Battery Choice: Renogy 200 AH |
Use code WildGooseCreatives to receive 10% off your Renogy purchase at Renogy.com |
Lithium batteries are the gold standard in the van life world. They last for years and are won't deteriorate if you happen to zap your solar system. If you are heavily using your solar system then it might be worth the money to invest in lithium. |
Availability to use the entire battery storage without harming the battery life. |
Lithium batteries also last twice if not three times as long as AGM. |
A lithium battery can last 8-10 years. |
Expensive cost around $700-$1000 |
Our Lithium Battery choice: Renogy 170AH |
For all of your lights and outlets, the gold standard is 12 AWG sized wire, we opted for a marine grade wire as it has thicker insulation. For wiring between the batteries, charge controller, and inverter, we used 4 AWG wire. You will also need to install a positive power wire between your batteries and the charge controller, then again between your inverter and charge controller, and finally between your solar panel and charge controller. |
Before starting your campervan solar panel installation you need to decide if you want to wire them in series or parallel. I will explain why both options are used for different reasons below. |
Parallel Campervan solar panel installation is used in smaller more basic solar installations such as a van, RV, or tiny home. This method will double your amps all while keeping your voltage the same. More amperage means more power and faster charging times but the downside is that large solar arrays such as up to 1000 watts of panels have a hard time traveling over long distances due to the high amperage without using large 4 AWG cables. |
In a van, you should not have a problem as this distance is typically rated for over 100 feet. How to install solar panels in a parallel system is fairly simple, all you do is plug all the positive lines into each other and all the negatives into each other, this is done by using a branch connector. |
Series Campervan solar panel installation is used in smaller installations as well, series connections will double your voltage while keeping your amperage the same. The main benefit to using the series connection is that the voltage is able to be transferred over a longer distance without losing power. The downside to series and its biggest threat is shade. Solar panels connected in series depend on each other, therefore if one is shaded it will affect the entire array, where this is not an issue when wiring panels parallel. |
To wire your panels in a series you do not need a branch connector like you do when using the parallel option, all you do is plug the negative end of one panel into the positive end of the other. |
This in-depth article is a masterpiece for interested people, like me. Thanks a lot! |
Ah thank you Jane! |
I was trying to set solar on my Van but I didn't know how many panels should I use. This post helps me a lot to realize that. But is it good if I set an extra backup battery for my solar? |
James Charles recently posted…How to charge AGM battery |
I'm not sure what your asking, but i have never seen a extra battery back to a solar system. If your wanting to put a switch between a few solar batteries that is possible but would be a pain to have to switch between the two. I would advise just going with a larger battery bank to begin with. 200-300 amp hours of AGM is pretty normal. If you have the extra funds go with lithium.<eot>Home // Search // Search results // classes events selling timber consider // 9p8lli // m7cmlj // fjjuex // Site |
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of Monday, August 19. In between, there are several events for undergraduate and graduate students ... OARDC Scholars organization in presenting and hosting some of the Welcome Days events. A complete ...<eot>But one of the unexpected prizes has been the opportunity to share knowledge and responsibility with Nicault, a native of southern France whose infectious smile and charm is only surpassed by the wines he works produces for Shoup.<eot>Within the central data portal, analysts can explore and query data sets through SQL, manage metadata and deploy any necessary infrastructure. Data sets are made up of S3 buckets and Glue, which stores the metadata and is specific to either its global or a local hub. These data sets rest on universal APIs that handle the management of data sets, as well as security, compliance and single sign-on. |
Ingestion and analysis are relatively simple. As we previously mentioned, there are two ways data enters the Cloud Data Hub: |
The data then moves through the data portal and API, where it can be used in AWS services such as Amazon SageMaker, for building machine learning models, and Athena, for data analysis. |
Like Equinox, BMW ran into a file problem after ingestion. To solve this, it built a compaction module running on Glue. This module crawls, finds small files and compacts them into bigger ones. |
While cloud storage is cheap, that doesn't mean you should keep data forever. There are four main factors to consider before you put your data in cold storage and throw away the key. |
Cloud-based cold storage makes it cheap and easy to hoard data in perpetuity. But just because you can doesn't mean you should.<eot>Diabetes Archives | Telecare Choice |
In order to reduce diabetes, the NHS has announced a trial experiment with 5,000 people with type 2 diabetes invited to follow a diet of 800 calories a day for three months. |
A new study has suggested that there are five different types of diabetes, rather than the two that are currently recognised. This is the main headline in this week's news round-up, which also includes a heart-warming story about a nurse being rewarded Read More |
News: Football and Brain Injury study to begin in January |
This week's headline news story is that a long-awaited study looking into the links between heading the ball whilst playing football and brain damage will start in January 2018. The news was announced by the Football Association this week.. Elsewhere, a new Read More<eot>It's taken me about a year to realize this, but sometimes people want to find the older episodes of the Indiana Geeking Podcast. While you can hit the Categories option, and scroll down to Podcast, I think there is still value in having a page that I update whenever a new podcast is put up, with a brief summary of that 'cast and an episode number. So, here they are. The most recent year is up top, but everything has been changed to go in release order, not newest to oldest, thanks to my now putting up a release schedule. Yeah, I still kinda prefer newest to oldest, but having the two different styles on this page (the recent year going in order from current to future, and the previous years going from newest to oldest) was really annoying me! Anyway… |
As always, you can always find the podcast on the following sites: |
Podbean – The hosting service for the Indiana Geeking Podcast! |
Google Music – In case you use Google's service, here's where you can find the 'cast! |
BONUS! Spotify Playlist – Do you like the music I play on the podcast? Do you want to hear "Keep Beach City Weird" without me talking over it? Check out this Spotify Playlist of all the music featured on the podcast! |
Episode 1: David Reddick! (3/1) – The Indiana Geeking Podcast returns for the fifth year! Kicking off this year, I finally get local cartoonist David Reddick to the Geek Cave to talk working for Garfield, Star Trek, and discuss…. THE MURDER BASEMENT. |
Episode 2: Midwest RepRap Festival 2019! (4/5) – The Podcast went north to Goshen for the 2019 Midwest RepRap Festival! While there, we got some interviews with a local 3D Printer maker, a local filament maker, and a prop builder and costume maker that uses 3D Printing to do his thing! |
Episode 3: Cancelled |
Episode 4: The Shake Ups: Meddling Kids! (6/7) – The Shake Ups return for the third year, talking about their newest multi-cartoon album, Meddling Kids! |
Episode 5: M:TG '19 Update, Part 1 (7/5) – Jarred and TJ are back! For the 5th year in a row, we're talking updates, changes, and just general info on Magic: The Gathering. Part 1 of 2, covering everything from their last visit until the end of 2018. |
Episode 6: M:TG '19 Update, Part 2 (8/2) – Jarred and TJ return to wrap up the update for Magic: The Gathering! 2019 had a lot to go over, as we talked the core set, expansions, Magic Arena, and even opened some packs over the course of two hours, which brought us up to date with Core Set 2020 and the podcast release date in August! |
Episode 7: The World of Tele'Thala with Jared and Mike (9/6) – Jared and Mike, the creative team behind the D&D5E book, The World of Tele'Thala, visit the Geek Cave to talk D&D, creating worlds, and late night snacks! |
Episode 9: Starbase Indy 2019! (11/1) Tony is joined by Lisa and Mark from Starbase Indy, to talk about this year's show, happening Thanksgiving Weekend in Indianapolis. |
Episode 10: The End. (12/6) – Tony posts a blog post, signalling the end of the Indiana Geeking Podcast. |
Episode 1: Kicking Off with Team Geeking (1/26) – It's the return of the Indiana Geeking Podcast! As I roll into the 4th year of sporadically putting audio content on the internet, I pull #TeamGeeking members Grant Howerton and Lizz Schunn in on the mess, to talk about what we liked in 2017, what we feel we need to work on, and our goals for 2018! |
Episode 2: Spacey-Wacey Wear with Phil Kellar (2/9) – Phil Kellar is a local costumer and costume maker who has been into the hobby for many, many years! Now, he runs Spacey-Wacey Wear, a costume business that helps outfit Rebels, Resistance Pilots, and maybe someday, Time Lords! Give us a listen as we talk his history, how to get into costuming, and what it's like dealing with mass produced pieces on Etsy and eBay. |
Episode 3: Five Year Mission (4/27) – Five Year Mission is a local band who is looking to write a song based on every Star Trek episode! Band members Mike Rittenhouse, Andy Fark, Noah Butler, and Patrick O'Conner took time out of their practice schedule to talk with Tony about the band, the Klingons as Beastie Boys, and scaring Simon Pegg! |
Episode 4: The Shake ups Legendary Defenders (5/25) – The local pop band The Shake Ups returns to the podcast with not one, but two new albums! Tony sits with most of the band (I guess Ed had his fill with the Little Guardians interview last year) to talk about Ponymania and Legendary Defenders! |
Episode 5: Magic: The Gathering Update, Part One (6/29) – Jarred and TJ return to the Indiana Geeking Podcast to talk with Tony about changes and updates made in the game since their last visit in June of 2017. Part 1 of 2. |
Episode 6: Magic: The Gathering Update, Part Two (7/30) – Jarred, TJ, and Tony continue to talk about Magic: The Gathering, and what's been happening in the game since the beginning of 2018. We also take a look at the beta for Magic Arena. Part 2 of 2. |
Episode 1: Buy the Rights with Literally Wizards (3/2) – Chad and Tommy of Literally Wizards stop by to help Tony kick off the third season of the podcast! They talk their new game, Buy the Rights, as well as being a Geek in the Hoosier State, and nostalgic candies! Music graciously provided by our very own local Star Trek band, Five Year Mission! |
Episode 2: Havenwood Horror with DNA Games (3/30) – Don, Allen, Jade, and Amanda of DNA Games join up with Tony at the Established Facts studio to talk about their Kickstarter, their game studio, and just have some laughs. Music graciously provided by Five Year Mission! |
Episode 3: The Shake Ups in Beach City (5/3) – Lee, Patrick, Savannah, and Luisanna of The Shake Ups take time out of their busy schedule to talk about their favorite cartoons, their newest project, and their dream albums! Includes music from their newest album! |
Episode 4: Talkin' Magic: The Gathering with Jarred & T.J. (6/7) – In what is becoming an annual tradition, Tony sits down with Jarred, on his third visit to the podcast, as well as their friend T.J., to talk how Magic: The Gathering has evolved over the past year, and discuss their history with the game. |
Gen Con Special #1: Dodeca System Games (8/3) – Gen Con 50 is coming up, and Tony has new recording equipment! He kicks off a special series of episodes focusing on Hoosier-based game makers with a conversation with Mike, of Dodeca System Games. They talk Hipster, moving to Indiana, general Geekery, and internet piracy! |
Gen Con Special #2: Geeks 1st (8/4) – As we are leading up to Gen Con 50, Tony is putting a focus on local game makers, and people looking to make gaming awesome. Today, he sits down with Jacob and JJ, the guys behind Geeks 1st. Find out what they're about, and hear us talk about games, card games, and sewing supplies! Music, as always, has been graciously supplied by the local bands Five Year Mission and The Shake Ups! |
Gen Con Special #3: Plow Games (8/9) – Continuing the focus on local game makers, in the lead up to Gen Con 50, Tony had the opportunity to speak to the crew at Plow Games, located in downtown Indianapolis, about Last Front, as well as upcoming games! |
Gen Con Special #4: John Kennedy (8/11) – Wrapping up the pre-Gen Con focus on local people who make gaming awesome, Tony sits down with local freelance game writer John Kennedy to talk about his beginnings, Imposter Syndrome, and racism in 80's cartoons. |
Episode 5: Gen Con 50 Wrap-Up (9/1) – In this episode, we wrap up our Gen Con 50 coverage, and embark on a new quest to have new episodes every other week for the rest of 2017. This episode features interviews from Gen Con 50 from Syrinscape, Calliope, Paizo, and Dized, and includes the first interview done by Lizz for the podcast! |
Episode 6: Pitched, with Bri, Gin, and Chris (9/15) – In this episode, the creators of Pitched join me at Geek Cave Studios to talk about the book that's debuting this weekend at Small Press Expo. |
Episode 7: Podcasting, with Matt Hurt (9/29) – In this episode, Tony visits the Obsessive Viewer Studios to talk with Matt Hurt about how he got around to running three podcasts, this year's Shocktober in Irvington, and also tips for a solo podcaster! |
Episode 8: Ask the Geek, with Tony Troxell (10/13) – Tony wasn't able to get a guest this week, so he took questions from some of his listeners! This was a short, kind of fun, un-rehearsed episode that probably won't happen again any time soon. |
Episode 9: Props & Charity, with Gregg Nowling (10/27) – Gregg Nowling is a realtor, an educator, and a long-time replicator of movie props and costumes. In this episode, Tony sits with him to talk props, a trip to the UK to study blue police boxes, and a charity he runs for his school's food pantry. |
Episode 10: Starbase Indy, with Lisa Meece (11/10) – Starbase Indy is a Thanksgiving Weekend tradition for a lot of Geeks around Indianapolis. This con is traditionally Star Trek-centric, but this year, they're putting in a bit of a twist! Lisa Meece, one of the show runners, gave me some of her time to talk about the show, and what we could look forward to this year! |
Episode 11: Little Guardians, with Ed & Lee (12/20) – Ed & Lee are friends, who make the comic Little Guardians! It's been a web comic, you've been able to buy it at conventions and local shops, and in the last year, they were picked up by Scout Comics for distribution! Listen to their journey, their inspirations, what they're reading, and more! |
Episode 1: Season 2, Episode 1 (2/5) – The Team is back with the first episode of 2016! They talk about how they closed out 2015, their plans for 2016, and get caught up. Tony also decides to change the numbering, so this isn't Episode 39, but Season 2, Episode 1. |
Episode 2: I Tube, You Tube, We All Tube on YouTube (2/12) – The Team talk their favorite YouTube channels, how they use YouTube, and discuss all of the YouTube creators that will be at Indy Pop Con. |
Episode 3: Brief Thoughts from the Head Geek (2/19) – Tony is solo this week, talking about how sporadic the podcast will be in 2016, as well as discussing a Twitter Poll he ran earlier in the week. |
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