Van Life Solar AC Setup - Totally Off Grid 

RU-vid sight..I would like to see your setup

Tony what year is your van? Do you have pictures on IG or somewhere? I'd also like to see your setup.

@@Suleeto 1990 AWD ,I love that Van. I bought it with for 900 and took a chance came with solar and everything 2,000 watt inverter but I had the differentials rebuilt new tires new shocks so I went through it so I have about 3,000 in it I've been to Arizona from California about three or four times air works amazing it never has let me down and I'm very happy with it

@@astrovantony9551 do you have instagram?

@@Suleeto Yes Astrovan_Tony

Thank you! I figure it’s about as stealthy as one can be while still having a functional solar / battery run AC unit!

Glad it helped!! Stay cool!

Very nice. Love seeing more Express vans being converted to campers! The Sprinters / Transits / Promasters all make fine campervans, but there's just something perfectly quirky and slightly more bad-ass about the domestic V8 RWD platforms. Cheers! -Tim

Thank you Laura, let me know if you have any questions!

Thank you! Let me know if you have any questions

please join my cult 🙏

@@VanwithTim Well shit *****, that all you had to say!

Most definitely throw your money at insulation! If I were to do it again, I would insulate with way more foam board and invest in IR blocking tint. I would also upgrade to an 8,000 BTU *Inverter* style AC unit (variable speed compressor). I also wish I had left room for a roof top fan, but the solar is really nice (and necessary) for AC.

85F in Florida feels a lot like 120F in Arizona haha. That humidity is just killer...

Thank you 🙏

Thank you!

I've seen a lot of those in the bus setups! Fantastic units. A little too big to fit in our small van though.

Oh man. It's one thing being hot inside a house, but when you're trapped inside a metal box cooking in the sun that's a whole new level of physical and psychological torture. You made mention of the ceramic tint in the other comment. Do you have it installed? Does it seem to really make a huge difference? Still a bit sticker shocked on what I've been reading online for pricing!

@@VanwithTim No i dont have it installed as my prescription sunglasses are polarised. The place where i took my car for tinting did sell the clear ceramic film for windscreens but told me theirs would react to my polarised sunglasses (making rainbow colours and stress marks visible). They did mention that not all do but the brand they use did. I do remember though that they told me it would reduce the heat getting through the windscreen by the same amount as 20% tint does. Great Channel man, I've subbed.

Thank you!!

Thanks! Let's just say there was a LOT of caffeine and sleep deprivation that went into this build haha. Quit the job, sold the house, bought this van, and hit the road in just over a month's time. My body HATED me the following two months lol. Cheers! -Tim

Thanks Michael. Still torn between rural living and city living. Both have their appeal. I'm no stranger to street parking or the countless Walmart / casino / apartment parking lots haha. RU-vid makes it look like it's all glamor in the great outdoors. The reality is spending lots of time on Google, scouting different spots for an undisturbed overnight rest.

@@VanwithTim I haven’t ever parked in a parking yet, nor a underground spot to escape a storm or hot weather. Not torn at all. I don’t like bugs, I don’t like cleaning up after people, don’t like camp smoke and I can’t b best in the world in the middle of nowhere. U will c when we meet. Go b u, I’m just as happy. I only need to move once a week and I’m back an hour later. Everyone knows what I’m doing, some check on me, some r new pals and as soon as everyone gets their shots, looking forward to making more friends. Good luck buddy.

@@VanwithTim up your intuition Tim. OK so I got it wrong in Amsterdam and had to try again but ended up with a beaut of a spot for three days and only 200yrds to the metro. WINNING

@@jupiteradventure5284 There's definitely been some spots I'm okay sleeping but the girlfriend says no to lol (Maybe she watches too many serial killer movies haha)

Thanks J.G. I'll definitely be getting them tinted. Just need to find unbiased scientific testing between all the different types out there. (I keep hearing ceramic is king!) Will have to do some research this spring!

You can also get a clear tint for the windshield

@@chadmutchler5062 I was just looking at that yesterday actually! Thanks Chad!

@@chadmutchler5062 I'm planning on driving across Asia so that sounds just what I need. What should I search for pls Chad? I'm in the UK at the moment.

@@VanwithTim Be careful with the windshield tint if you wear polarised glasses as with most brands you will see the "polarising" streaks while wearing the sunnies. No so important with side windows but you want your windscreen clear

Absolutely. The batteries and the 620lb water tank are what really scare me in the event of a roll-over. Has worked fine for heavy off-roading (and the rare panic stop). Of course that's nothing compared to flying through the air and turning upside down. Wish I had taken up welding to make some REAL secure mounting points. A good project in the future. -Tim

12v would be a bit more efficient too! (No power lost to the inverter) Thanks for watching!

Thanks for checking it out! I know solar is a bit tougher to catch in the north. (Originally from Michigan and it's pretty bad there even.) These 120v fridge / freezer combos draw between 70 - 100 watts so that setup would be plenty for it! Cheers! -Tim

Thanks! I checked out that type of fridge/freezer combo and there seems to be a few on the market to choose from and, as you say, you could go through three or four of them before you got close to the price of a specialist unit. Is there a formula for working out the size of batteries to go for? My inverter is recommended to have two running with it and my budget would dictate AGM but I don’t want to be under powered or trying to charge more than I need. Other than charging laptop etc I would mainly be looking at the fridge and one of those induction cooktops for indoor cooking and a few LED lights. I have a propane heater at the moment but might look at a diesel one which I know uses a small amount of electricity as well. Cheers!

​@@MapleMarmite The real killer will be the induction cooktop. We have one as well (1800w) In other words, it's equal to running 10+ refrigerators at once while cooking. Our 360AH AGM setup works well for pretty much the same thing although you may have to run the engine a bit more often to re-charge (as solar is less plentiful there)

You’re spot on. I’ve been eyeing the IR ceramic tint for a while now but have been delaying it due to the cost ($600-$800) Everything I’m reading also suggests the windshield as it’s the largest piece of glass in the vehicle. I know I need to set a week aside and make some before and after tint testing videos!

N8 Nomad thank you! Your setup works out nicely! I actually just finished a Promaster build for someone and talked about ducting through the door like that, but he ultimately went with an expensive (and power hungry) rooftop AC. I made some magnetic window covers with felt and reflectix inside but might stuff some Thinsulate in them as well. They make a good amount of different so far but could improve! Always learning!

Van with Tim - That’s the Key... always learning. And.. always tinkering. It’s my FOREVER project. (Pssst hope the comments speed things up). 😉

N8 Nomad bro I just watched you too!! And loved your video 😭 you guys are creative, very very great ideas fellas. When I build mine I will be sure to credit you as much as I can, always love !

I've actually since added three desktop USB fans to the ceiling (only 3.3 watts each) and it made a huge difference!

Any pics of videos? Sounds really well done! SE Texas is truly brutal especially with the humidity.

Thank you! Individually they are 61.5" x 31.5" (156cm x 80cm). All four are 61.5" x 126" (80cm x 319cm)

Hey Michael, glad it helped! I have a video that shows the “guts” of the system. Basically it drains out through the air intake hole I made under the van. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QK_zLDNW3X8.html

That's bonkers. Glad it helped out!!!

If your interested, I'm just trying the same thing Guys. I've managed to find a heat pump unit - with a duct pipe outlet - I'm planning on ducting it fore and aft of my build. Plus of course it will heat very very efficiently in the cold weather.. oh, and so far it's cost me just over £320

@@jupiteradventure5284 I hear heat pumps are more common across the Atlantic than in the US. So sad as it's such a simple principle and typically the most efficient form of electric heat! Sounds like a sweet build!

I was really torn between 12v and 24v for those exact reasons. Luckily I had a great source for free wire, so doubling the size wasn't detrimental to the budget.. I also run the 1,440w electric water heater while driving, and the 145a alternator wouldn't be able to squeeze that much juice through a cheap DC to DC converter. You're spot on with those initial power draw issues. I see a lot of lithium battery users having real problems with high current appliances. Upping the voltage cuts the amperage draw in half, solving that issue for them. Cheers! -Tim

Thanks for checking it out! Let’s knock out these questions: 1) For solar brands / efficiency / price. Check out this portion of my van regret video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-opOaJkHXDSg.html Basically so long as they’re not the flexible stick on panels, you’ll be fine in terms of efficiency and quality (They’re all pretty close). However I would NOT purchase your panels online. The price is double, triple, and even quadruple what you’d pay purchasing locally. Check Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist for panels locally and save some $$ 2) Where did I source my panels. I found them on Facebook marketplace about an hour away from me at the time of the van build. I just kept searching around for something close to my roof width. These were a few inches over my ideal size but managed to work. There are TONS of solar panels for sale in Southern California, but I also found a lot while building a van in Michigan as well. I wouldn’t get stuck on brand with the panels, just search out Monocrystalline panels to land somewhere in the top of the solar efficiency range. But even the standard Polycrystalinline panels are very close in efficiency. 3) Solar panel dimensions. Again I just kind of searched around for the closest dimensions I could find in the used panel market. (These ran me $100 each) These specific panels measure 31.42” x 61.39” Here’s the spec sheet: www.energymatters.com.au/images/sunpower/spwr_230wh_com_en_a4.pdf 4) Details on panel mounting? You mentioned having an OEM roof mount, that would be ideal. My mount is extremely functional & rugged but pretty ugly. I actually only had one final day before moving out of my house to get things buttoned up and couldn’t think of anything better / more budget friendly at the time… The front and back panels have metal L brackets holding them to the roof. (The front bracket bolts into an internal roof beam, the back is just screwed into the sheet metal) I painted both brackets white before mounting for rust proofing, then used tons of white silicone for water proofing. The sides are fully held by the bent steel panels. I just cut the pieces from a 2’x4’ panel I picked up from Home Depot. Kind of sloppy but it worked. Those are just held in by a plethora of stainless self-tapping screws. (I painted the panels before mounting for rust proofing). I mentioned it being a rushed process: the panels are just sitting directly on the roof. If you removed all the mounting, they would remain in the exact same spots via gravity. The air gap was a nice bonus, but not by my own doing. (The curvature of the roof created the gap along the sides) I do wish I had more of a gap for cooling, or simply installed some fan powered ventilation to the bottoms of the panels. It’s not a huge drop in efficiency, but I know it can’t be good for the panels to get so warm. I have a few pictures of this setup here: instagram.com/p/B-4q8MqFnDw/ (swipe through the pictures for the detailed shots) Final thoughts: My panels total 920w (I misspoke in the video saying 320w ea. Actually 230w ea) After conversion losses and such, I typically max out around 700w. This is pretty normal on solar. So plan on only getting around 75% of the rated output. The 6k BTU AC unit only does okay, not great. The issue I have is the number of windows in the van. I know your Suburban is also a giant solar oven. With an upgrade to infrared blocking ceramic tint I’m sure we would both do fantastic, but that tint runs $600 - $800. For now we have home-made insulated window covers which help immensely. More than anything try to stay positive! I’m sure you’re incredibly stressed. Just try to do one productive thing each day, even if it’s small. Otherwise you’ll start feeling stuck. (That’s a tough rut to get out of). Let me know if you have any other questions! Happy to help! -Tim

@@VanwithTim Thank you so much for taking the time to give such a detail response, dude!!! You are a well of knowledge, and this helps sooo much!!

@@VanwithTim 100% going to spread your channel in every single corner of the internet that I think it might attract interest!!!!

@@notumoverflow5916 thanks for spreading the channel! Keep us updated on your build, and of course let me know if I can provide any insight 👍 I’ve seen some brilliant builds in much smaller vehicles than your Suburban. Just have to stay clever and always think outside the box! Bright side is you have much less air-space to cool than some of those giant high-top vans!

Excellent question. It would have been ideal to mount it higher up, but our van has glass windows all around. That would have blocked our outside vent. Also the curvature of the van walls would have pushed the unit too far into the living area (if that makes sense) Thinking of adding ducting to it eventually!

all im running is a fan, usb phone charging, and a 24" tv ill install in the spring. and bluray player. i guess ill add all that up and write renogy for a recommendation. surely i wont need more than one 100ah li batt, and 300w of solar panels. its so sunny in colorado. of course i dont want anymore than i need lol

Wow what are you using for heat up there? Diesel heater? Propane? Sounds chilly. I've been pretty impressed with the fridge. I know it's not meant to bounce around so much, but it hasn't missed a beat even while parked vacant for a week in the sun (nearly 175F / 80C inside temp). Luckily the 3.1cuft fridge / freezer combos are available nationwide disguised under different brand names but with the exact same dimensions. Once it eventually dies, I can swap in a new one for $160 and 10 minutes of time the same day. Check Craigslist and FB Marketplace for solar panels! I've found them (brand new) much cheaper locally both in California and Michigan than I ever could have online.

@@VanwithTim i put rails on my roof (cargo trailer conversion, my second one) and the renogy compact 100w'ers fit great. i can probably fit 4 there. i cant imaging i need more than that, where i live! ive got a relatively new dorm fridge, maybe a little smaller than yours. dont know. heck ya ill use that! like you said. i think its less than 100w. im on my 5th heater, since my first trailer. wood is a major pain. catalytic is too wet. ive got a nuway vented propane now. working great! theyre built for ice shantys.

@@d-arts7139 yeah if you’re not running anything too wild I’m sure that would be plenty of solar! I just installed one of those sketchy Chinese diesel heaters and seems to work alright. Tossed in three CO detectors to be “safe” lol Propane is definitely top of the line. Glad you’re staying warm up there 👌

@@VanwithTim I just saw where people have to take apart those heaters for cleaning and maintenance. I don’t want to maintain anything! I’m lazy. I even thought about the German one, or others, but some are intensive to get going. This one takes up space but is great heat. I’m also camping a lot at 11,000’ and it takes serious output up that high. So, 5th time is a charm I guess

It's certainly tough to give straight answers with so many variables, but hopefully it's inspired some ideas in the DIY conversion community! I'm all for 12v appliances if you have an unlimited budget, but for me it just wasn't realistic. Will probably be right behind you with a lithium setup though. Only concern is their max discharge rate. I'll need them to handle up to 170a continuous discharge with my induction plate. I remember that was an issue a couple years back. Perhaps it's since been resolved? Thanks for watching Ronald

@@VanwithTim doing some internet research it seems like the discharge rate has been solved for lithium at least I think it's the initial surge of amps,to start electrical appliances that cause the problem. I plan using propane for heating water and cooking, with a small wood stove as backup

@@ronaldharris6569 Should be a sweet setup! Glad to see the battery prices continuously dropping as well.

Thanks AJ! I was worried about the airflow as well. Luckily there haven't been any issues with performance. I've since seen many setups which are much more restricted (a 6"x6" air inlet and 6"x8" exhaust). The owners claim the AC works fine, but I'm sure it's much less efficient. You might find this video interesting on the AC power draw - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-V0r2ijuKd-c.html That 12-hour test was performed on a hot humid day in Michigan and it drained a LOT of condensation down through the intake grille. (I drilled a few holes in the lowest point of the AC drain pan directly above the intake grille.)

She's a bit easier on the eyes!

@@VanwithTim Well, you can always wear a bikini.. It might make it a bit easier on his eyes.

Excellent idea as it would really increase the solar input (by more than double in some instances). It's something I would have loved to do but lacked the welding expertise.

Look for Snow & Kurt channel on YT. Their van has a killer array that lifts with linear actuators. Not really complicated.

@@VanwithTim bolt an alloy frame with hinges. Sorted.

Hard start capacitor?

Thanks Roshaan, the solar outputs 55 amps (700w) at full sun. Without tilting panels, full sun is only achieved for around five hours a day. Before and after that it's a reduced amount of solar (such as the early morning / late afternoon). My batteries have been heavily abused and I'm seeing around 200AH of usable life left in them. This is still enough to run the AC throughout the night though. They will recharge fully each day but only if in full sun. (Typically around 4-5 hours). If there is no solar charging, the batteries can run the refrigerator for a couple of days before dying, but the AC will eat the batteries much faster depending on how hot it is outside.

Roger Dayton It took a while to find these panels due to that same dimensional issue. Standard is 61x41. These panels are only 61 x 31.5! www.pocosolar.com/wp-content/themes/twentyfifteen/pdfs/Sunpower%20Solar%20Panels/sunpower_230wht_spec_sheet.pdf

I actually mounted three USB fans up on the ceiling and they seemed to work pretty well while using hardly any electricity.

@@VanwithTim smart idea 👍

Hey Shane, if my van more were square and didn't have windows all around the upper half I would probably mount it higher. The glass windows surrounding the entire perimeter of the van made that tough. Even if it were a cargo model though, the GM vans have a very "rounded" interior (where the ceiling is much more narrow than the floor) This would make the AC unit protrude way out into the living space unfortunately. I think I would floor mount it again and duct it higher in this particular set-up if I were to do it again. I don't recover any of the water from the condensation, it just drips to the ground outside. There is a huge 75 gallon (284 liter) water tank under the bed, so we don't worry too much about our water levels. Thanks for watching!!

Hey Shane, actually just finished adding ducting to the AC unit (finally!) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wq_KdOZR2R0.html

For sure. Mine has windows all around though so no way to exhaust the condenser heat unless out through the pop-out side window. Will have to duct the cool air up higher in my next re-config!

I don’t think it’s wise to put heavy stuff higher in a van, because the center of gravity. The van will roll over easily.

Just installed ducting to the AC unit. Should have done it sooner. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wq_KdOZR2R0.html

Oh boy. Good catch! Just updated the link. The system is all 12v, but the panels are 41v I believe. Those run directly to a MPPT solar charge controller which steps the voltage down to a specified charging voltage. (I think I have mine set to around 13.5v) I was actually just looking at adding the ceramic window tint, but it's very expensive. I really like that idea of sucking the air out from under the solar. The panels get really hot in the summer and lose a lot of efficiency. Need to find a way to keep them ventilated and that's an interesting concept for it. Thanks for the insight! -Tim

​@@VanwithTim Window film at Home Depot "Gila, privacy control and Energy saving" are not over price like other. they have one layer mirror outside and black inside to cut reflectivity for clearer night view. I just see your new video 20 févr. 2021. My comment come too late. The duct idea was for your A/C air inside to improve effeciency and comfort. But, for cooling the solar panel (improving efficiency and lifespan). Better to push fresh air between the roof and the panel than sucking it. The motor fan dont love heat too and I dont see a easy good installation. If you have space put a inch or fews between each panels If you need window film tips for installation. forgottingtree7@gmail.com Other topic Why stars flashing? Try with 100x camera and put out of focus. I had many books of astronomy and science( the old ones, without correction). I see the fakery (crookedness) of it. Not on YT who is easy to modified, many sites are fake truth seekers, is hard to find the good one. The big cheat ever. Hidden God from most people, by mind control and false sciences. See: shaking my head productions: Edward Bernays and Group Psychology: Manipulating the Masses, The Universal Lie - Houston We Have A Problem!, shaking my head productions 2: 666 Days In Space - The Devil Is In The Details. Walter Veith: twisting the ten commandments and freemacon priesthood jesuit order I was like you, before... I become awake (red pill). The world his not what's you has been told. Word of wisdom Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 1 Corinthians 3v18 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel [is] wise.Proverbs 12:15 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: [and] he that shutteth his lips [is esteemed] a man of understanding.Proverbs 17:28 A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.Proverbs 18:2 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? [there is] more hope of a fool than of him. Proverbs 26:12 God bless.

A mobile solar array would definitely be the best option!

@@VanwithTim Yes, but that defeats the versatility/agility a van, without trailer, gives you. Considering the amount of solar you have on the van, that translates to a fairly large trailer, unless it can be collapse it into something smaller, while traveling. There is a Tesla prototype for such a trailer, but I don't know how much solar (watts) it carries.

Hey rick, great question and the answer is yes! The AC draws about 37 amps at 14 volts. The vans 145 amp alternator outputs around 50 amps at idle. -Tim

@@VanwithTim cool thx

I've seen a few versions of this setup! I think it works great if you have the room below and inside the cabin for the condenser and evaporator! If the van were a bit bigger and I didn't have all the windows surrounding the upper half of the interior, this probably would have been my preferred route.

Sylvia Justice yes, there are two “sides” of the AC unit. The inside (climate controlled) side, and the outside. The outside needs to suck outdoor air through the sides and top of the unit then push that air through the condenser (cooling the freon). This Freon then goes to the “inside” (climate controlled) side of the unit. It flows the cold Freon through the evaporator core. A second fan pulls the “inside” air through this cold evaporator core and pushes out the ice cold air into the van. The Freon then moves through the compressor and back to the outside condenser to be cooled and the cycle restarts!

Sylvia Justice check out this video for a good illustration! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6OU7WHgJ_cY.html

Hi Debra! I've seen the rear window setups and can confirm they work great! But I didn't want to block my window (or actually have to remove the window altogether). HOWEVER!!! Check out VanlifeThings video on his AC here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-9WdWvQaoN5A.html It's fully "stealth" from the outside, yet he didn't have to remove a window! Just have to make a condensation drain for it. My install wasn't too tough, but I completely understand the hesitation in cutting huge holes in the sides of your van - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QK_zLDNW3X8.html

Hey Steve, actually JUST finished adding ducting to the unit! Seems to work like a charm now. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wq_KdOZR2R0.html

Hi Chris, you’re pretty much spot on! I started by simply setting the front panel on the roof and centering it. Then aligned it with an internal roof cross-member and bolted the L-bracket down to that roof cross-member. The only other L-bracket is at the back of the rear-most panel. It doesn’t align with a cross-member, so it’s simply held with a handful of stainless self-tapping screws and a huge gob of white silicone. Then the sides were just a straight piece of sheet metal cut into strips. I began by screwing the strips into the drain rail of the roof, then I bent the sheet metal upward and screwed into the solar panels about every eight inches. (I used 1” stainless self tapping screws, although you may need longer depending on your drain rail thickness!) So far no issues (~35,000 miles). I check the fasteners from time to time but have yet to have any loosen. Obviously make sure to paint all sides of the brackets and sheet metal before installing or you’ll have a rusty mess within a year! I’ve been very surprised by the rigidity of the solar array. We spend a lot of time on some NASTY roads - paved and unpaved. I think the wind isn’t an issue because the roof becomes a bit of a “dead zone” (or even a vacuum) while driving. (At least the first couple inches above the roof.) Those Solaria panels look NICE!! Do you think you’ll go with AGM or Lithium for the battery bank? I see the Lithium is coming down in price quite nicely. Cheers! -Tim

Hi Tim, thanks for your response. I appreciate that. That makes sense on what you did. I bought two Lossigy 200ah lithium batteries back in November. And you’re definitely correct about the price of lithium going down. They’re about $80 bucks cheaper now than when I bought them. My plan is to live full time in my van for the next couple of years and AC is a must in the summer time. I’ll also have 3.1 cubic ft mini fridge along with a 12v water pump, diesel heater, puck lights, tankless water heater, etc. I’d like to think I have enough solar and a large enough battery bank to meet that. What do you think? Due to the layout of my van I’m not able to mount my AC on the side like you did yours. My plan was to have it sitting in the floor in the garage area of the van. It’ll be fully contained like yours but I’d only be cutting one hole into the floor of the van. The problem with this, I’m assuming, is that fresh and hot air are going to be pulled and pushed through the same opening. Im hoping to accommodate for this by ensuring that the hole is large enough. Again, curious what your thoughts on that might be. Thanks again for getting back to me. Enjoy your evening.

@@chrisstinson205 I would think your 400ah would be plenty, especially coupled with all that solar! For reference on the AC check out this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-V0r2ijuKd-c.html In a nut shell, with a perfectly insulated (R6.0) van on a sunny 83F day you can expect to use between 170ah - 200ah with the AC set at 70F. But that would be with NO WINDOWS and perfect insulation (no gaps). Realistically, with my not-so-great insulation, it used 390ah and couldn’t maintain the 70F set point. (In a perfect world, you could use the heat from the fridge and air conditioner condenser coils to heat your water!) ********* Tankless heater will be run via propane? There’s also the style that uses the engine to heat the water then a 750W heating element to maintain the temperature (my dream water heater lol) Our little 4 gal Bosch water heater does great and gives us enough water for two outdoor showers and dinner / dishes, but realistically the $180 2.5gal heater would have worked fine too amzn.to/354sIeD ********* The 2KW diesel heater has been plenty warm for us and I’m glad we didn’t go with the 5kw. We have to sleep with windows open with the 2kw running on the lowest setting already! ******* I’ve learned the window AC’s are pretty robust, and although it will draw a little more electricity with higher condenser air inlet temperatures, it will still cool just fine! I’ve seen your same configuration in a trailer build. Both intake and exhaust coming through the bottom. A REALLY cool van build had the condenser air intake below the van, then ducted the hot condenser exhaust air up and out through the roof! If you’re really handy with HVAC and refrigerants, I’ve seen another build with a window AC where he took out the entire condenser assembly and mounted it under the van with its own dedicated fan. No need for air ducting, just ran his two small compressor lines and fan electrical under the van. Takes "thinking outside the box" to another level! -Tim

Hey Tim, that’s an interesting video. I was pretty impressed with how well foam insulation boards perform. For your panels, did you wire them in series or in parallel? And why? I’m kinda shocked more people haven’t watched your 252 regrets video. I picked up sooo many tidbits of info from that. Crazy. Thanks again Tim.

@@chrisstinson205 Sorry for the late reply Chris! Funny you mention the solar wiring. I originally wired the back two in series and the front two in series, then ran them parallel to the MPPT charger. (So the four 41v panels came into the charger at 82v) After some reading of various MPPT owners manuals (and two years) It's suggested to get your input and output voltages as close as possible (without exceeding the amperage rating of the controller or the wires of course) I suppose it makes sense in theory as the voltage doesn't need to be dropped down as far, but realistically I saw no difference. Hopefully that van regret video catches on in the coming years haha. I put way too many hours into it!!

Hoping to film exactly this once it warms up! (A timelapse of the interior / exterior temperatures along with battery voltage.) If I recall it does okay and usually brings it down to 80F inside with all the window covers in place. Will update you once I get the exact figures this summer!

(The real reason was I ran out of time in the initial build) BUT!!! It turns out these panels already get way too hot with the lack of ventilation under them. Check out this article on heat soak vs solar output. It's very real and very noticeable. www.solar.com/learn/do-solar-panels-work-less-efficiently-at-certain-temperatures/ Of course with the panels being black, the heat REALLY gets wild. I've been lightly brainstorming ways to keep them cool. Luckily there's no wind noise from them which I really worried about. I guess they're low enough to avoid that. Thanks for bringing that up! -Tim

@@VanwithTim I see. I was thinking fuel efficiency/mileage reduction with no front deflectors. Maybe take the sides off and install on front to get best of both efficiency and cooling?

These are the important questions!! Thank you for bringing it up. (I do have plans for a fantastic timelapse of battery voltage, along with interior / exterior temps coming this summer!) For now: ⚫ Hot night usage? It seems to work okay at night, but we haven’t tested it on a HOT night (like the 105F summer nights of Phoenix) I suspect the batteries would end up struggling towards the end. ⚫ Compressor cycle times at night? If I recall (been a while now!) ours started around 15 minutes on, 7 minutes off (so 41 mins run time per hour) but that very quickly tapered down to maybe 10 minutes on, 30 minutes off (so around 15 minutes run time per hour) then eventually just not needing to run anymore as the cool outside air finally cools the inside. ⚫Run on low or high? I’ll have to re-measure the low speed fan power draw, but I recall it using VERY CLOSE to the same power as high speed. It was such a small difference, I just always left it on high! ⚫ Average watts USED per hour? I finally measured my ACTUAL usage instead of going off the sticker. So, with the inverter inefficiency included, it was only around 510 watts (high fan speed: 106 watts + 404 watts compressor running). So three examples of high speed with compressor running (depending on compressor on/off time) On all hour: 510 watt/hr (40.5 AH @ 12.6v) Compressor & fan on 41 minutes, “fan only” on 19 minutes: 382 watt/hr (30.3 AH @ 12.6v) Compressor & fan on 15 minutes, “fan only” on 45 minutes: 207 watt/hr (16.4AH @ 12.6v) ⚫ AC “Eco Mode” I need to mention the unit is often in “eco mode” which only runs the fan while the compressor is running (instead of running the fan 24/7 at 106 watts) So my above calculation would actually be: Compressor & fan on 41 minutes, 19 minutes off: 349 watt/hr (27.7 AH @ 12.6v) Compressor & fan on 15 minutes, 45 minutes off: 128 watt/hr (10.2 AH @ 12.6v) ⚫ Alternator output? It’s a 145a alternator (so around 2,000 watts at 3.5k RPM) At idle it outputs around 1,000 watts so no problem running the electric AC The van also has factory AC, but I deleted the rear portion. (The 6.0L V8 uses nearly ½ gallon of fuel per hour just idling. Very expensive) ⚫ Run van for half night to recharge? You could run the van, but at idle (with the AC unit running), it would only charge around 35 amps and the other 40 amps would be running the AC. ⚫Stay around 50% state-of-charge on AGM? This is where I make people mad… I run my batteries DOWN. Before finally getting my diesel heater, I used an electric blanket AND a 1,000 watt space heater through the night. I would constantly bring them down to 11v. I absolutely took a huge chunk out of their serviceable life. With my completely careless mindset, I never had any issue with the AC running throughout the night. The solar would come back in the AM, we’d go exploring (simultaneously letting the alternator re-charge the batteries), then do it all over again. ⚫Opinions on lithium? I do think I’ll end up going lithium once these AGMs finally bite the dust. Two things I’m weary about with lithium: 1) Temperature: hey HATE the cold. You really need to install a temperature controlled electric heating pad around them or they just won’t work - charging or discharging from my understanding. 2) Max discharge rate: I run an 1,800-watt induction plate and a 1,440-watt water heater. (143 amps and 115 amps of constant prolonged discharge on the battery bank) The AGM’s have no problem with this, however the lithium’s usually don’t tolerate such high amperage draws. I really need to do a bit more research when the time comes. There may be new developments in the lithium technology by then! ⚫Extra solar panels? Sliding a second row of panels out is a pretty cool idea! But if I were to do it again, I would just add a tilting mechanism to my current panels. That would REALLY increase the daily solar output if you could keep them pointed at the sun. (There are some videos out on this!) I don’t think I’d carry extra panels with me personally. I hate having to set up and tear down. I also do a good amount of off roading and would be worried about breaking a huge extra set of solar panels hanging around inside. Thanks a ton for the really great questions! Let me know what I can help clarify! -Tim

@@VanwithTim Wow great reply! I'm from Canada and canbat.com sells heated lithium batteries. I just checked battle born and they also have them. I guess they're getting more common. I'm thinking of going with a 48v system because I plan to eventually transfer it to an off grid cabin or just use additional external panels. With 48v your inverter doesn't draw as much amps so the 1800w induction would be only 38 amps! Plus it's cheaper for wiring and inverters and everything. But I plan to use an all in one box. Must see video about 48v all in one if interested. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ikDLxnf1ePQ.html Anyways, thanks for all the info, much appreciated.

@@domalash Oh nice! Glad to see they're coming heated now! Good call with the 48v! Great way to save on wiring costs. Let me know if there's any other insight I can provide!

Sylvia Justice if we have the insulated window covers on, it can keep it around 70F. But if the sun is shining in, it takes a lot longer to cool off. On a 95F day it only drops the temperature to around 80F.