Run your Van Life Air Conditioner 24/7 on Solar Power 

That pot roast really looked good. I've been eating pressure-cooked meals since the early 60's. 2 suggestions to try. First, give that roast a quick sear on all sides for some great flavor. Second, buy a big onion. Cut it into thick slices and lay them right on top of the roast. Pressure-cooked onions are so sweet. Bonus suggestion: add some potatoes cut up into large pieces along with some sliced carrots. When it's all done, use some of the juice to make some gravy. Now I have to run to the grocery store.

I love the look of this van. It looks so well made and solid. Plus 4 the AC. Perfect house on wheels. Self sustainable. Perfect.

slow cookers and air fryers are some of the best things invented

When you showed 192 watts that was a positive number, which means your solar charger kicked on and after the A/C load it was adding 192 watts to the battery. The (negative) -807 watts was how much it was using before the solar charger started charging. So your A/C was still using 800 watts, and your solar was probably creating 1000, which gives you the 192. Your A/C was not using 192, it was leaving 192 left on the table for battery charging.

Thats the setup i will need so i can run ac all day. Especially here in florida. Nice system.

“This is Nomad Brad coming to you from my ONION truck!” 😂 Mini splits are a great way to go. I installed a DIY version in my daughter’s mobile home and she loves it. Very energy efficient and quiet

You’re amazing! Such beautiful work! High quality across the board!!

@15:12 This is one of the reasons I chose an ambulance. I have 1560 watts of solar on my roof, but I went with a 48v system and an 8000 btu window unit.

"Normad Brad like to be comfortable"---had me cracking up. Good work, brother.

awesome setup the solar to run the a/c is fantastic

You have it dialed in! Just awesome!

Wait! A cooking channel too! Bro! Parked in Home Depot with an RV that looks like a utility vehicle that says "Solar Service": Invisible.

Awesome, did same, I have 1700w solar and 38kwh battery for south Florida, using ambulance as RV

Great video Brad. Solar and electrical work even with research just feels so daunting. I am sure that after rolling up my sleeves I will get it, but man mistakes are costly in this area of building out your rig.

1:54 you described a remarkable tool. An air conditioner that runs on the sun is incredible for me to be a dream come true

Inverter type so smart, waiting for this in rooftop RV units

That's some fine equipment you've got.

Sweet set-up. Big plus is knowing the know-hows!

Awesome video! This is the way to go Brad! Van Life ... a lifestyle to save Mother Earth 👍

realy love your content mr Brad

Thank you for sharing! It was a great reference.

Great Video Nomad Brad. Very informative Content.

Smart, good and useful video. Good job man 👍🏻.

Blessings always in all you do

Good a/c and battery system. Thanks for sharing!!!

Fantastic video from someone with only 22k subs. Most channels that know how to keep a video moving and on point have crossed the 100k mark. This is the one time I was wrong about the sub count.

Nice production value.. the background music was spot on..enjoyed it. Your Power explanation was very well done.. Hi quality RU-vid video explaining The mini split.. I see a nice niche for someone to become a mini split installation specialist..thank you for taking the time ..I hope you get millions of views.. #NomadBrad

that's game changer, i can;t imagine myself living in a van without constant AC cuz in my country there is no cold weather or winter it's constant hot

Great video. You are clearly very talented and smart enough to turn your talent towards creating a business. Your home is beautiful and spacious! The only thing I do not get about some nomads are their indifference to having a bathroom. A small shower and one of those new toilets that separate and bag the waste would be a must. I have a weak stomach just thinking about how disgusting handling my waste all the time would be but I get even sicker imagining having to use some of the facilities I’ve seen in public.

Thanks for the detailed video!

Nomad Brad made me hungry. That looked tasty! Enjoyed watching. Thanks for posting! ✌🏻👍🏻✌🏻

Great setup very good content

I love watching the ingenuity. I know it's fun to use solar because I also run AC's off of my RV solar. I also installed Mini split air conditioner in my RV but it is a house window mini split made by Midea, 500W and I also installed Frigidaire 450W AC in the bedroom cabinet, installed both on drawer slide platforms and also installed outside compartment doors to slide AC's halfway in and out. I threw the power hungry Dometic roof top AC's over board and into the trash literally. I run both AC's off of my RV roof top solar, currently only 4 panels and 600 watts actual output and 4 LifePo batteries. Every RV owner needs to ban standard roof top AC's simply because the technology exists for these corporations to use low power economical Air Conditioners but they refuse to change their ways because it's not as profitable. A standard RV roof top AC requires the use of a Soft Start device to jump start the AC when using solar and that is $300.00 or more for the Soft Start. I paid about that price for each of my AC units. I could not be happier.

Great set up. Hope you get to a cooler place by mid June through September.

Great set-up mate 👍

Very nice video. Greetings from Jamaica.

Looks like your van build is really efficient just on it's own....99 deg outside and 84 inside before AC turned on. The insta pot looks great. That's how I love to cook, do a heap at once and enjoy over several meals......makes it cheaper per meal and also way easier per meal :)

Nomad Brad Getten it done!!! Nice COOL Video!

Great video. Thank you.

Really cool. I would hire you to build out my whole van out

The trick, here, it would seem, is that in addition! to the neat Klimatic/Klimaire/Kwhatever it is ductless mini split and it's microprocessor-controlled operation (isn't everything? these days, though?) is that device (resembling an inverter in operation) you have intercepting the PV current before it gets to any battery bank solar charger... regardless of the details, that one can run air conditioning from 1200 watts solar and 400Ah battery is impressive. Carry on! Brad. Thanks for your vid!

I would exstend my rear umper out past the a/c and run a guard up in front of it. Better safe than sorry. Love your channel.

That’s awesome man!!!

You should get you something like a Laveo dry-flush for emergencies and night usage. We have one in our camper and yeah, its a little expensive, but it is really awesome and hold odors down very good!

Mounted window ac in my van only draws 535 watts Sir. Split ac was out of my range and my van especially ceiling is very well insulated for a van. Good job on your setup. The install is very clean looking,

Great job with your setup 👍💪🌞💡⚡️ I seem to recall you had a good video on your whole setup. Did you do a video on cost breakdown? Similar on how you bought/ the great deal you got on your panelsm😊🧠💰🤔

This is Awesome

I have a Mirage Magnum 12k BTU, and I can say that this technology is super efficient! ❄️ My A/C stays at a cool 200 watts.

chuck has the most flavour out of most if not all cuts , I used to be a butcher in Australia. ...... retired now

they even make ceiling mounted mini-splits now too.

Thanks for sharing your experience with a mini-split in the truck. I have a similar setup but with a Midea U mini-split type window AC. I am also in Alabama. One big difference between Arizona vs Alabama is Humidity. Humidity and heat will make that AC work a lot harder and for much longer. I found out last year when we had the hottest summer in a long time that the Solar panels (4x315W) couldn't maintain battery at full and also run the AC at the same time. IN fact over night I would see those batteries going down to ZERO (same capacity as your setup). The plan is to get 4x500W solar panels up there and probably get a mini-split with a higher efficiency than the current Midea U at 16 SEER.

Have you ever done a video about the potential challenges of a box truck rig vs van/rv when it comes to registration, etc?

Yum! FYI - Cracker Barrel allows for overnight parking & there's one just on the other side of 16th. There's also a planet fitness behind the Palms mall. Both less than a mile from HD.

When you come back to Texas I will be knocking on your door for a bowl of that Roast. 😃 It looks so good.

Thank you for Sharing

Ductless systems are amazing! I highly recommend Mitsubishi or Daikin. Everything else is random chinese made equipment and it can be impossible to find parts for repairs.

split unit is nice in that it is quiet but I found that 5000btu window unit with 12.1seer does 450watt so it's possible to further reduce wattage on power consumption.

Makes sense to use solar for A/C as usually the sun is usually shining the brightest when it's hot.

Definitely would’ve seasoned and seared the roast first, but it still looks good👍

How much battery bank/solar you think for a 220 volt system? Looking at the 24k btu mini splits here in Florida. Thoughts or you think the 12k btu is good enough

Great video, solar real estate is why I want to use a box truck as a conversion so I can run a A/C on solar. Thanks

Nice video. Yuma’s great. I always pass through to and from Baja. I hope you checked out Cafecito. Might be my favorite coffee shop.

You should sear the roast first and use beef broth. Add a bay leaf as well

Yeah, Brad.Is manning ready to go sober on my r v a little stealth camping

It's all about usable roof space versus overall box size plus the shapes and sizes of todays panels.. If you have a larger truck then yes you can get more solar on top but then you need more battery and a bigger a/c unit to cool the larger space. This is almost the sweet spot. The only other vehicle that falls within range is a 10ft baby box. With a 78 or 79 inch roof width,you can put 3 full size 450w panels with about 6 inch overhang at the rear which is no big deal since the bumpers hang out a foot. With 60 sqr ft and 7000 btu ac yur looking at 74 degree 24/7 using the same battery to 75% or a smaller battery to 35-40%

Suggest you put paper strips on the blower part of aircon so your viewers clearly see the aircon is running 🥶

Great stuff! Sear that beef also

Eating good in the neighborhood! Brad I like the ac system what is the rated square footage for the unit?

When I need a upgrade I ll be searching for you for the job

80 to 85 degrees is perfect for me. I want to set up a little cooler in my SUV

Hi, great video and cool lifestyle. Would you mind posting links for the AC unit, charge controller and the batteries. Thanks so much !!

Have you posted a video describing your whole solar setup? I'd like to see that .

Buy a dehumidifier it will make the interior space WAY more comfortable even without the AC running. Walmart has one (EDV1100 ) that uses 22 watts and covers 1,100 sq ft. Trust me, a dehumidifier makes a big difference in comfort. I only recommended Walmart because it's easy to return If needed. It would be better If you could find a dehumidifier that drains outside or the kitchen sink drain that way it's basically maintenance-free.

78 is still too hot for me 😳 I need it down to 70 at LEAST!!

You have me really debating on purchasing a van and making serious changes in my life. You seem so Free from stress. These bills are out of control.

I'm really giving this some thought. I have a roll-up door on my truck that I don't plan on changing, but I'm trying to determine how best to do this. I only have 800W solar, for now. I do have 2 206ah SOK lithium batteries. 🤔🤔🤔

6:30 AM, got up early. LOL! I wish I could sleep in that late. 4:00 AM every day wake up. Showered and leaving for work by 4:15-4:30 AM. 12 hour work days.

Come to dallas mid summer and do the test ...it is often 90 and even 95 degrees at 10 or even 11 at night and in the morn if you hit a 6am low of 79 that is a good start ...but often it is in the low 80s.

Thank you, great vid! Did you have the same battery and AC when you were in Texas last summer?

Nice video men that's comes up a question, in daylight while using that Solar to power up the air conditioner can it also capable to full charge the battery?

Thank you

I like the setup of the van, I'd prefer to have a shower and a normal toilet though.

Nice

I'll be building a box truck soon. Do you know if the outdoor exhaust box can be mounted in different orientations? I would need to mount it under the box truck. Please let me know! Thank you for this video.

Just wondering your reasoning for mounting the condenser unit so low on the rear door. Would it be better to mount it high and out of the way of vandals or getting rear ended from behind?

Looks like a very good AC unit. But let's be fair, 78 degrees isn't 'nice and cool'. 200 Watt for 24 hours is almost 5 kWh of energy. You need a perfect sunny day to harvest that from 1200 Watt solar panels. But I will say, this setup is probably the best I have seen so far.

78? So you are running the heat? 😂

Did you consider installing the outside unit up higher on the box? Do you worry of someone stealing and removing it from your box?

Try this in Florida where the RH% hovers around 80

So you have 400Amp Hour of battery storage in the form of 2 12.8V 200 Amp Hour batteries. But your monitor shows a full charge being 26.96 volts. To get that voltage you are running in series, a 24volt system, so you have 200 amp hour of storage. You'd have 400amp hour of storage if you ran the batteries in parallel for 12 volt system. With two batteries in a system, you can ether double the voltage or amperage.... but not both.

I have purchased some ecoworthy 200 watts bifacial and they don't worth a crap. Leaving close to Yuma and can't even get 600 watts from those 4 panels in the middle of the day. What panels did you get? Great video by the way.

would be a good idea to make an escape hatch , say under one of the solar panels just in case someone some how locks you in ( I see you have a handle next to the door on the left ) someone could tie a rope or ratchet o n it and reach it over to connect to something .... just a thought , one must think of everything

Yep, just gotta have a 60-70,000 box truck just to get started.

Buy a cover for the outdoor unit and cover it whenever you’re not running it or travelling. Dust in the outdoor condenser coils drastically shortens their life and efficiency.

Wouldn’t a dc mini split be more efficient since you wouldn’t lose during the ac conversion?

I have a question I have been interested in a 24 volt system for a long time and I have a question about two inverters on the same system like for nighttime’s and when I need low and limited power I have a low power draw 1,200 inverter that has a eco draw that can automatically turn it self off and on a Victron Phnoxies.. And for bright sunny day an inverter charger that has pass through of 120 volts, currently I do not think I need a 240 volt pass through system! But it could be nice to have the option! Can a system be designed to add on components over time and pay as you go and not charge credit cards? I did not know if you had a backup generator? Here are things I am interested in; * Shore power * on the side of the vehicle a disconnect-able plug to add on extra solar panels? *alternator charging *the ability to have a system where my batteries can be charged by shore power? * no one has talked about cost of solar charging solar batteries by solar or generator which is faster or cheaper? On the side of the vehicle place to plug in for 120 out lets. For a long time I wanted a box truck but one thing is holding me back is the gasoline mileage of a box truck compared to a van. I know a van has limited roof space for solar panels. I know for your current air conditioner you need 1,200 of solar panels. But if a van only used solar a for a few hours a day could a person manage with a smaller number of solar panels? Or would person need a backup generator? or both? No one has talked about using both 24 volo solar panels or 24 volt solar batteries? I want to start out with one 24 volt 100 ah solar battery and if I am understand correctly I might need a system that is 24volts with 400 ah hours of 24 volt batteries but I do not know if the roof space of a van will have the roof space needed for the necessary solar panels needed to power this system? I am a student and I might need to power equipment for research for Earth science study? I know my energy consumption is low but I do not know how that translates in to living in a vehicle 24/7 I only want a microwave, crockpot/instant pot/refrigerator as appliances and to charge cell phones,iPad? Kerosene heater. A low watt incubator? May be a laptop?

Your system was "charging" at 192W (@ 4:35). That didn't show AC "load." Your panels were covering whatever the AC load was and dumping another 192W into your battery bank.

NICE!!

Hows it going brad, i enjoy your channel, where did u get and what kind of solar panels r u using?

Where I live never less than 100 at night during summer season