60 days of Boondocking with Battle Born Batteries | Full Time RV Living
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- čas přidán 20. 07. 2024
- This video recaps how our 400 amps of Battle Born Batteries did while we boondocked straight for 60 days! The upgrade of our battery system from AGM to lithium has changed the way we can full time RV!
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👫 ABOUT US➡ Hello! We are Aaron and Chris, a fulltime RV couple that lives and works in our Airstream Interstate Sprinter Van. We run an online fitness and nutrition coaching business (Irene Iron Fitness) while traveling all around the country. Follow along the journey with us!
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Great overview and update to your battery and inverter upgrade. Sounds like it was a wise choice and is exactly what we are planning for our toy hauler. Keep up the good work.....
Thanks for watching! Your toy hauler is going to be a perfect set up! 😃
Thanks for the recap. I feel like I was along for the ride....as we all were stuck inside with this pandemic. Safe Travels !
Our pleasure! Thanks again as always for following along! 😀
These videos on being specific on power draws, realistic info on wet baths, etc is why I subscribed to you. It’s SO helpful when you’re in the very beginning and trying to navigate through what you need, how much you need and can you sustain those needs. I’ve really never seen a concentrated breakdown like you’ve provided. Now I know, lithium is the way to go, decent solar and which areas draw the most power relatively. So thank you for that more than helpful info! I look forward to seeing more of your content!
This is such a nice comment! We really appreciate you watching and wish you luck and happiness on your journey!!
Another great video !! You two are Genius , and could explain the whole system of batteries and system of them !!! What a great upgrade you two did , and in the heat with the sun beating down on you . If I ever break down I hope to see the both you to help in my little problems . 😂😂😂 thank you for sharing. Be safe and be kind!!!
Thanks Larry! And YES, if we saw you broke down we would defiantly stop and help out! Thanks for watching as always! BS & BK !😀
Great job on the solar! Taught us so much of what would be involved. Great vids! Tests also took a great deal of effort:) and now to finish it off, maybe something like the C-head with ‘bottom exit kit’ :)
Thanks Mary! Yes, that would certainly extend our boondocking to the next level!😀
Good Morning ☕️
Another great video.
Aaron ya just gotta be so proud of your DYI install.
👍👍
Winters coming so there’s your next challenge. ⛄️
Take Care ~ Safe Travels
Morning! Yes, the install was quite the learning experience!😅 It IS starting to get cold out! We tend to stay in our TT membership campgrounds in the winter just to make it more comfortable and travel around less. These RV's just aren't meant for the cold! ❄
Thanks for sharing stay safe! Happy boondocking.
Thanks, you too!
Great presentation! I installed 4 Battle Borns too but my job was a simple drop in to replace the lead acid batteries. We upgraded a 3000 w inverter and already had 400 watts of panels which seems about right. We were down near Moab in January for a week and could even charge our e mountain bikes! We're all electric with no generator or propane. The PRO bike cover you recommended is working great! Thanks, Bill
Thanks for watching! Sounds like you have a nice setup, very similar to ours. We are loving it as well! Appreciate your comment!
Very nice video. Looks like You did a nice Job installing Your solar. You made the right choice with going with 4 ,100AH Lithium batteries. The most common problem that RVers have is sizing there system TOO SMALL and wondering why its not working right... I have been installing RV Solar for over 30 Years. And I have seen all kinds!!! lol It's nice to know that You took the time to do the research first. Thats half the battle right there. Next are the BEST Battery, Inverter and Charge Controller In my option. Myself I use OutBack for Inverters and Charge Controllers and Battle Born Batteries...I wish You all the best with Your RV, Solar and all Your Travels! Stay Safe out there and thanks for sharing...😎👍
Great advice. Keep up the great work!
oh yes - I was a 12 volt tech for about 25 years - yes that gives us a huge advantage. Good job on the heavy duty crimper, bought the same one
Nice! 👍
Awesome - amazing how you guys can be so frugal ! ( Or careful with necessities )
Thank you! It can be challenging!😳
Agree!
Really enjoyed your report -- full of good info. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
HI I just found your channel and this is enjoyment to me i built a 29 ft class A motor frame and all
with a 6.6 durmax diesel 400 hp and 20 mi. to the gal.. and i took out my fridge out that took 6 amps
and put in two chest fridge and one for a freezer , with less than 2 amps,, and two diesel 8 k w heaters
so if you ever get a chance on chest fridges you will have lots of battery power left. so keep on camping
and enjoy life and keep on making videos i love them Earl in Ontario Canada...
Hey Earl, thanks for watching. Your rig sounds nice 👌. Appreciate you sharing your experience!
Thanks for the helpful video, I bought a small 17ft silver streak trailer my wife and I are restoring. We are looking into a 3 battery system from BB. Not much room for any more in a trailer with a 14ft body. Nice to hear all you success with your system. The question and answer was nice too because it gave me perspective on how much power we will have with our trailer when its completed. The air conditioner is a huge power draw I am glad to know how much you can use yours on the batteries. We are planning on the small coleman cub 9200 BTU but I think t use it we would still need our little generator on the hot days.
Man I didn't even think about little critters. Makes sense cause they always get into automobiles and trucks. Great content guys.
Yeah, nothing worse than mice! Never had them in campgrounds/parks, but they are out in the wild for sure!
I have to ask you. I installed 500 watts of solar panels 6 years ago now after massive research in best route to hookup panels to get the most of you solar. Found a site solar handyman Bob and you’ll find him, he is the master of what to do to get the most. It’s worth reading through his blogs. I did all his recommendations and was able to get the most out of solar. The biggest way is solar cables. Most panels use 10 to 12 gauge wire to go from panels to batteries and controller. Voltage loss over 20 ft can be like the loss of 1 panel over 20 ft using 10 ga wire . Just going to 6 gauge solar wire has so minimal voltage loss to my controller gets hit with solid voltage even on cloudy days.
We boondock with 2 Trojan 6 volts and not minimize our power usage daily. By 2 pm we are usually fully charged we watch tv few hours a night along with leaving night light on and will drawdown at most 20% but be totally back by 2 pm. The controller is made by bogart sc2030 that works with a separate Trimetric meter. It’s fully adjustable. In fact it’s preprogrammed for actual recharge rates per battery manufacturer or you can set it manually Bogart is a long term proven solar company check there site for information. For a small RV this controller does it all made in California and a real person will take calls with any questions.
This has worked perfect for our 28 ft B plus rv. In fact we just boom-dock in Kentucky in no totally direct sun middle on Nov and granted we didn’t get fully charged daily we still had power that didn’t drop any day below 35% of full. We have on board generator but we never have to use it unless we are in high heat. I installed 3 fantastic fans in all roof vents that are low amp draw that on warm days pulls plenty of fresh air in to keep thing comfortable during the heat of day solar panels provide power while recharging batteries. This has all worked perfectly. The Trimetic meter will show what each appliance draws too. I made a list and hang it on inside of cabinet to be able to figure total draws at time. But hardly use it since things just work daily without high draw.
I thought about battleborn batteries but my 6 volt golf carts seem to be doing the job now 6 years running. It’s hard to pay 4 times the cost for lithium if what ya got keeps working. Final thing. I added propane wave heater the is like a in the wall convection type heater Camco they required zero battery power and uses less propane then RV camper to comfortably heat our interior to the point we run it on low and stayed in mid 20s winter temps and were fine. This saves battery power since winter camping and solar in north can be a task. Love the channel. I plan to add a 4th 200 watt panel to add more voltage in winter months to deal with less sun hours and tilt.
I am sorry Colorado was so quick for you. It is a beautiful state with so much to offer. I hope you can come back someday soon - very soon. We have much to offer campers and welcome you with open arms.
We'll be back for sure, thanks John!
Can you guys do another video showing your setup The battery and how to charge the batteries and all that good stuff
Great explanation! It will be a while before we are at this level but I am so glad you shared this so we can refer back in the future! You are brave RVers!
Noelle
Thanks, Noelle. RVing comes in many different styles, that's for sure!
great video! I love that you made your 60day goal... ugh heat is the worst! (IMHO way worse than cold haha.. gimme those blankies!). Definitely looking at some day getting lithium batteries. .. I'm wondering how you got the mice OUT of the rig.. or if they traveled with you to your next stop.
Thanks! Yeah, the heat and humidity was brutal this summer! We ended up getting mice at a couple different spots, but we were able to trap them within a day with peanut butter traps. There is nothing worse than having to sleep that night with mice scurrying around a 90 sf van! We plugged some holes with steel wool and set out traps while in wooded spots now. Haven't had them since! 😱
Thanks for sharing your six month experience with your electrical setup. I'm always curious how long folks can go using electrical devices and appliances boondocking. I have a rv camper van, ecotrek 400 lithium, second alternator that charges these batteries when vehicle is on and 250w solar. Without turning vehicle on when boondocking and fully charged batteries, I can go about four days maybe five depending on sun and solar keeping my batteries charged. And like you Aaron, I get a kick out of my battery changing back/topped off in the day from the solar. Also, I plan to do a six month western U.S. NP tour boondocking this January to June. I was inspired by you & Christina. So plan to get electrical checked out b4 starting that adventure since I'll be working from the road & electricity will be important. In anycase, thanks for all your videos. You've been a great couple to follow.
That sounds like an awesome 6 month trip! Your campervan sounds like it is pretty set up on the electrical side! Should be an epic trip!😃
Great recap and summary!!! We are a couple of weeks into our maiden voyage with our newly acquired '18 Airstream Sport 22FB. We have been doing 3-day stretches of boondocking and surviving with only 250 Ah of house batteries and no fixed solar. We have a 100W panel we use for the house batteries each day. In addition, we travel with a 1000 Wh Jackery which we ensure is 100% via the TV when traveling between sites and top off each day with a separate 100W panel. It has worked thus far and both of us are working heavily throughout the day on two phones, laptops and a MiFi. I would say our other saving grace is the fridge uses 3-way power so being able to run that on propane helps a ton along with cooking solely on propane.
PS - It would be great if Airstream started using ventless propane heaters on smaller trailers and B class vehicles - it would eliminate the fan and battery drain. We did use our Mr. Heater Buddy a bit to avoid draw from the furnace fan. We hit the 40's a few nights in the Smoky Mountains and my SO also does not like to sleep in 20 layers.
Hey, congrats on the Airstream Sport! Sounds like you guys have a good system down so far. I agree the propane fridges are good for boondocking!👍
I agree. RV's are drafty and need something like a radiant style heat. No power. Something like those Wave heaters would be really cool. Silent, warm, and efficient! Would also be cool for the RV industry to adapt to more efficient air conditioners like the mini splits. Take half the power as the roof top ones. Someday!
I completely understand about the desire to boondock. It’s rare for me to hit a campground and I move on again as soon as possible. I have to run my gen 30 minutes a day but that’s not too bad. Would love to have a system like yours too though!
Yes, the campgrounds can get overwhelming quick! We do tend to stay in them more in the winter time, but soon desire that freedom of boondocking! 30 minutes per day is not too bad and definitely worth it to get out off grid! Stay safe out there!
Utah National Parks were a great place to advance your boondocking skills. We were there at all 5 in June. From our travels, we have vowed to avoid any place that has RV Park in its name. Boondocking, National Park campgrounds, and State Park campgrounds are our mainstays. (And Harvest Hosts). Battleborn lithium batteries are the only way to go. We have 200w solar and 2 - 100AH Battleborns with our Geo Pro.
Gotta love those Utah parks! We did learn a lot there and it was a great place to get into it. You guys are doing it right staying out of Rv parks. We still do about 50/50 right now and love the mix up for full timing and cold weather. We have seen a few Geo Pros lately here in the PNW... sweet little rigs! 😃
Great video. Our AI 19 will come with 2 lithium 100w Battle Born batteries. We will have to see what our needs are. We bought the cooktop you use and know we will not be able to use that while Boondocking with only a 1000w invertor. Thanks again.
Hey Jeffery! That's great your AI will have the 2 BB batteries that are coming with the new ones. That's such a great amount of power to not worry about your coach running low on power for a looong weekend. Maybe a week, depending on your usage. The induction uses 600 watts and 900 watts on low and medium, so you could still use it on those settings if you want. Thanks for watching! We used our 1000 watt electric Kettle on our original 1000 watt inverter a lot before upgrading. Worked great 👍
Thank you for making this video. Hello from Australia 🐸☮️💖🕉️
Hello! Thank you for watching!!
Thanks for the video God bless and travel safe . come stay at Goodale creek , never crowded, quiet, quail, cottontails beautiful views And stars are amazing
Thank you so much for this video. I learned so much! Now need a video of Chris and her driving tips!! She's BadA!!
😊 Thanks! She really is!💪
These two are so cute - and provide great information for all of us.
Appreciate you watching!!
We just crossed paths with you for the 3rd time now today. Seen you twice at palm springs and now here at this other TT. Won't name it. We just rolled in today with the mtn bikes on the truck with the reflection 5th wheel.
Hey there! Small world, eh! We'll keep an eye out for you guys next time we're out.
Hi guys, love your channel. We boondock 95% of the time. Have the same Victron setup and BBB’s you do, except we only have 3 BBB’s. With kayaks on our roof it pretty much negates our 100W roof panel so, we use two portable solar panels. One is a Zamp 120W and the other is a soft folding 100W Renogy. We do have an AirHead Composting toilet. Used the same model when we lived on a sailboat. We have nothing against using a black tank and we waited two years before switching to the AirHead. For us, we were able to combine our black and grey tanks into one big grey tank using an extra Valterra valve and that made it a game changer for us. Like you we found we filled our waste tank first but, for us it was the grey tank not the black. We just started carrying two double walled 5 gallon collapsable water jugs. You seem to be sorting out your boondocking needs. The only thing we can add is you might want to consider getting a 65 liter “dry bag” for garbage. The kind for water recreation. When we fill our little garbage bags we’ll tie em off and stick them in the dry bag which we hang on our back ladder. No smells to attract rodents or other critters and if you spill any food items inside it, you just hose it down with water when available. Question, what refrigerator do you have that is only consuming 1 amp an hour? We have a NovaKool compressor frig and it averages about 2 - 2.5 amps and hour according to our BMV-712. Cheers!
Hey guys, thanks for watching! Sounds like you have your systems down and are pros! It definitely helps to just make little (or big) mods as you grow and improve from experience. We have heard good things about the Airhead and it might be in our future, glad to hear you like it! That's a great tip on the dry bag! I couldn't get past a Trasharoo style bag and thought that would be too big while empty and storing it. We still do about 50% campgrounds, city docking, and driveway surfing, were trash is not an issue. But, the dry bag would compact down nicely and work great as a sealed trash container. We had a NovaKool R3100 which is draws 2.2 amps, but only while running. So, it's hard to say how much it cycles, but in the morning it is usually off. Just a guess that it would cycle 50%........ It might be more like 1.5 amps as an hourly average. It would be good to put a kilowatt meter on the 120v plug and get a 24 hour reading. We actually just upgraded our fridge to a little bigger one so it might be closer to 2 amps per hour. What size is yours? Do you ever see yours cycle off much?
@@IreneIronTravels Ours is a R4500 4.3 cubic foot which draws almost 5 amps when running and I figure it cycles around 50% of the time. So, 2 - 2.5 amps an hour. Had a top loading NovaKool on the boat. That Danfoss compressor is bomb proof! Thing was 8 years old when we bought the boat and ran for another 13 years. Too, NovaKool’s support is amazing! They’ll walk you thru any problems you may have until it’s determined what the problem is. We personally have never had any issues. FYI, we live in Uptown near Lake Calhoun when not out on the road in our Travato.
Makes sense on more amps with the bigger fridge. Uptown! That's so cool how close we lived. Our last apartment was BE at the Calhoun Greenway right across from the lake. We waked it every week! Maybe we'll see you guys around some time!
good job guys!!
😊 thanks !
Great video. Your video setup (lighting?) looks good these days.
Could you please provide a link to the video where you had mice? I can't find it. :)
Thanks! Yes, just a light with our Sony A6400. We first got mice in Colorado czcams.com/video/Tt6F2KEvksU/video.html and then we got them again in the Badlands! czcams.com/video/wgbZaQjZwuk/video.html
Thanks for sharing this and giving us confidence with regard to power consumption. Did you use traps for the mice?
Thanks for watching, we are loving the system! We did use traps for the mice that got inside and have since used steel wool around the engine compartment to help keep them from coming in.
So I’m back in AZ and really putting my boondocking skills to work. I’m alternating with my TT membership to get me through the fall and winter. I’ll be adding the 4th battery soon.
We are getting good at this. One week is no prob anymore. A composting toilet would be the only option to make it two weeks. By switching black tank to added grey capacity. Hummm
Oh good! The nice temps in AZ right now help with boondocking, not having to worry too much about heating or cooling. That 4th battery will be a great bump in energy!
Yes! I think composting is the way for us in small rigs to get around having the smaller tanks! That would be next for us also.😃 Brian from RV with Tito is putting one in his rig right now.
@@IreneIronTravels great I’ll have to check out his videos. My friend Rob is just now putting in his own system with 5 Battleborns in a Camper on a pickup truck. That’s a lot of storage. Will see as he’s doing it himself too. Best wishes
Enjoyed watching this video! You have given us so much great information and inspiration. Our battery system is being upgraded now. We’re looking forward to doing some boondocking in the spring. Grey tank fills up first for us. Are you using all disposable plates now? Would love to hear any tips you have on keeping our grey tank from filling up so fast.
Nice! What system did you end up going with?
We do use paper plates if we are going to be boondocking for longer than a weekend. Not ideal, but our footprint is so small while boondocking, and it is necessary to extend to a week. All that goes in our grey tank is dishes, showers, and hand washing. Just takes practice to get better at conserving. Short shower every 2-3 days, use face/body wipes. Washing dishes is the hardest to conserve!
We went with 4-100watt Zamp Obsidian solar panels, 2-200 amp LifeBlue batteries, Victron 3,000 inverter, and Victron solar controller. We’re picking it up Saturday and hoping for a lesson in how we work it all. It’s very confusing to me. Jon understands it much better. We went with the LifeBlue because they had a smaller footprint so take up less space, have a built in monitor, and were recommended by our installer.
👍👍Sounds like a good amount of power! You'll love it!
The current pain point is the black tank? Only a matter of time before Aaron wins the composting toilet debate. :)
That's right! 😂 Could be a good future upgrade!
Great video!!
Thanks!
Always good to learn about power systems.
Have you heard about the Kara and Nate video and the National Park ? What do you think about it ?
Stay safe friends
Good morning! Yes, we are very happy with the power systems performance!
Yes, we did hear about Kara and Nate, and it did concern us a bit. We were actually at a NP the other day and didn't film as much because of it. I suppose they are the channel to be made an example of, for warnings of others. CZcams is such an interesting "grey" area of "commercial use" . They have almost 2 million subscribers and almost 300 million views! But, is a newly monetized small channel with 1000 subscribers treated the same? There needs to be clearer rules and regs for all this stuff! Stay safe as well friend! 😃
Great very informative video! A lot of good information. How much do you feel you saved by being able to install your own system? Travel safe!
Hey John, thanks! We never got a quote on the install, but I would guess it's in the thousands. It is quite a lot of labor! 😅
We have 400 watts on the roof and carry 2 100 watts panels to move and zoom into the sun or moonlight as needed also running 4 battle born batteries 400 amps . Good job on the video.
600 watts sounds about like what we could use to help keep these BB's charged up. We find our 300 watts lack quite a bit in the winter time!! Thanks for watching!!
@@IreneIronTravels the 2 movable are on 1 inch pvc frame for each no frame soler flex panel
Nice idea!
The temperature changes extreme temperature changes are called chinooks
Always enjoy watching and learning from your shares. How long does it take your Generator to charge the Battleborns @ 20%or 50% State? You should be able to use power anytime on the demand without restrictions with the current set up.
Thanks for watching! Yes with the gen as a back up we really have no more energy worries. When the generator is on it powers the 120 amp charger in our 3000w Victron inverter. So it will take about 3.5 hours to completely recharge empty batteries or about 1.75 hours from 50%. And that all depends of course on what size charger you would have. Our original was a 50 amp charger and the Xantrex 3000 watt inverter is one of the biggest I've seen at 150 amps. We are really happy with our recharge rate!
@@IreneIronTravels I just can’t believe you two can live in that van with out going nuts, but I enjoy watching you two
Sometimes we feel a little 🌰's! Thanks for watching!
Thank you. The videos on your electrical system have been so helpful as I design mine. It has really given me confidence that I'm making good choices. Also, I love the outtakes. 🤣❤
Oh, and it is definitely time for a composting toilet if you really want to stay out longer. 😉
Thank you for watching! Glad the videos help...... and are somewhat entertaining!😂😜
Yessssssss, hopefully soon👍
Thanks for the great video series on your electrical upgrade! We are about to do something similar on our Class B so I'm curious about your choice of the BIM vs a DC-DC converter. And can you tell me how long it takes to charge your batteries from the alternator if the batteries are almost completely discharged. Thanks!
Thanks for watching! 😊 The 2 have their pros and cons but since we have a DC2DC in our new truck and had a LIBIM in the van, we just found out one major plus to the bim. Our trucks starting battery died after 1 week of sitting, because we are in and out of it 10 plus times a day. The Bim in the van connected both sets of batteries while charging and disconnected them while discharging. So we always had a full starting battery. No dead batteries! As far as how long to charge I think they are both similar. If we had a 30 amp dc2dc in the van it would take roughly 13 hours to charge our 400 amps in the van. Our LIbim we had would charge for 15 minutes then shut off for 25 minutes to rest the alternator. So it would start out at around 100 amps than slowly go down from there as the battery got full. It would take full day of driving to charge our batteries. I like the dc2dc is always charging and you don't have to worry about an on/off cycle. If you want a faster charge look into the second 280a alt to charge in an hour or two. But they are expense! I do like and recommend a bim as an inexpensive option that helps charge both battery banks.....along with solar.
@@IreneIronTravels Thanks for the detailed response! I love how genuine you guys are. I'm also enjoying how my experiences are paralleling yours but in reverse as I've gone from a Roof Top Tent to a Class B. And, I almost bought an Outdoors RV (they are awesome travel trailers) but my wife fell in love with Class Bs.
Great video - very interesting. Sounds like 400 amp hours is absolutely plenty - I guess the limiting factor was solar, and obviously solar is a lot cheaper than LiFePO4. Was it just available roof space that led to you having a relatively light solar rig?
Thanks, yes you're right 400 amps is plenty for sure. Roof space is tight on a camper van with the AC, 2 vent fans, black tank vent, and the awning up there. We could easily fit one more panel or maybe even get 500- 600 watts if we completely redesigned it. Solar panels are continuing to get smaller and more efficient.
Suggestion
You can install a orion dc to dc charger ...you will then also be able to charge your batteries while u are driving .
Thanks! We have considered a DC to DC, but we do have a lithium battery isolator (LIBIM225) that does charge the batteries while driving.
Sweet!
Oh yeah!😃
An interesting episode would be what you would do differently? What you plan to change/upgrade?
Good suggestion thanks!
Same problem on my 20/100. That blue plastic melted on the pos. Interesting... Greetings from ZA 🍺🍺🍺
Hello there! Once we got the 30/100 we noticed how much bigger and better the connections are than on the 20/100. Vibration and loss connection is causing the problem on these it think. Thanks for watching!!
@@IreneIronTravels Greetings 🍺🍺🍺❤
Great video. Chris, do you like the induction style cooking on a regular basis? Do you like it better than gas? Seems like the new units are only offering the induction.
Hi Mary! Yes, I do like the induction better. It's so much cooler while cooking in a small area. The induction is more powerful as well for boiling water and things like that, you really do cut down on time. Space and easy cleaning are also benefits!
Irene Iron Travels ...thank you for the reply! I won’t be afraid of it now!,😉
Want full off grid electric for full time how much solar and batteries do you need
What are your thoughts on holding tank bladders ? and small wind turbines ? for that extra few days staying time.
We have seen a lot of RV'ers using the large tank bladders for extra fresh water and that would be a great way to extend. But, not much room in a van so we use three of the small 2 gallon bladders and a hard plastic 6 gallon. We haven't looked into wind turbines, but sounds like a cool way to harvest energy!
@@IreneIronTravels Thank you for your rreply !!
🔋Save $50 on Battle Born Batteries bit.ly/BattleBorn50
😃Thanks for watching! ⏩Battle Born Battery battlebornbatteries.com?afmc=2n
⏩Install video czcams.com/video/qIANRToD-vU/video.html
⏩60 days of Boondocking Playlist czcams.com/play/PLdJBTbJVb0R3p1_MJe2ffoJikhx_U3YBO.html
⏩Boondocking Painpoints czcams.com/video/j0h-9xswFic/video.html
Hi again, Did you have concerns with the water pipes , etc freezing when the temp went down to the 20's at night? Re: mice, are there anything can be done to keep the mice away and out of the van when boomdocking? Thanks
The high 20's for a short amount of time overnight is not a problem, only when it is an extended time under freezing. Mice are tough to keep out, but you can use steel wool to block as many access points as possible and also people try lights, and sprays. We keep mice traps in the Van so if they do get in we catch them right away. They are not fun!
Aaron, I know you love Utah. Why not not do a clip on your favorite ten sites/locations in Utah? We hope to go next March/April. Please!!!!
I do LOVE Utah! We hope you do go next Spring before the big Summer crowds come. We've actually only been to Utah this year and we pretty much recorded all of it! Good idea for a video, but I woulndt have anything new to share! I'll link the four videos below and the places we stayed are in the description. Thanks for watching!
Bryce to Zion czcams.com/video/DFKjcnV7u0M/video.html
Zion to Moab czcams.com/video/TPAKPuTMF2Q/video.html
Moab czcams.com/video/SuYEfOffnxs/video.html
Arches hike czcams.com/video/GwTrvliq1DE/video.html
@@IreneIronTravels Hopefully, we will see you next spring. (We have watched EVERY VIDEO y’all have produced! Outstanding!)
We might just see ya on the road! Thanks for following along the videos!😀
Mice: You have solar. Walmart has a 4 watt electronic pest repeller, it works. Plug it in, be mouse free.
We have seen those, but didn't know how well they work! Good to know, thanks!
So for 2021, AI is offering the 2 100amp battle born lithium batteries, 3 100 w solar panels and a 1000w sine inverter. Based on how you used your power including the induction cooktop and ac at night, how long are you thinking you can boondock v your setup with the 4 batteries and 3000w inverter?
We can boondock for about 10 days with our current power set up, but not with running AC. We are cut short by our black tank and water at about 7 days though. So the new AI setup could last someone about 5 days roughly, using similar amounts of power as we do. Thanks for watching!
You guys need a diesel heater in the van only takes two apps
Have heard good things about the diesel heaters!
@@IreneIronTravels you won't be sorry it stays on draws no power
Are the battleborns being charged exclusively with the solar panels or are they wired into your engine as well?
They are connected to our chassis battery and the alternator by a battery isolator. LIBIM225. So they charge when driving and also keep the chassis battery topped off.
You said you had a problem with your generator. I do also same model, it will not start. Did you have it diagnosed if so were.
Thanks for the videos
Hey there. We did fix the gen and it ended up being deteriorating rubber fuel hoses. The propane wasn't getting into the carb and I actually burned out the starter as well. I don't think its a very common problem. We dropped the gen from the coach to fix it. Big pain. Does yours turn over and not start? Does it start sometimes? Can you smell propane?
@@IreneIronTravels turns over but will not start no propane no smell.Thanks
Sorry meant no propane smell
Hmmm. Here s my suggestions..... Carful not to burn out the starter trying to start it. They are expensive and require it to be taken down from the coach. If you go underneath the rig and take off the service plate there is another starter/prime button on the generater. Try pushing the prime down for a few seconds to hear the fuel solenoid click and you should then smell the propane. If that works then check your spark with a $5 spark tester. No spark, might need a new plug or coil. Also, check the choke plate.... mine was sticking...... Good luck!
@@IreneIronTravels Thank you for your response and tips. Really enjoy your videos.
When did you change from your trailer?
We started out in the Sprinter van in Jan of 2019 and sold it April of 2021. We then did the rooftop tent from June 2021 to Sept 2021 when we got the trailer. (which we're still in)
Yup, loose electrical connections create fires
Can you guys charge your Lithium's while you drive?
Yes! We installed a lithium battery isolator (LBIM225) that cycles on and off the factory alternator to charge the batteries without harming the alternator.
I dont understand, didnt the solar panels recharge your batteries? how much actual solar power do you get from the 300 watt panels? why only 50% power left
oh never mind - should have watched the entire video
Yeah, the 300 watts is just not enough for our daily needs, so we loose about 10% battery each day,
@@IreneIronTravels I have 1000 watts in solar but no more than 750 at best reaches the MPPT
That's a good amount! We might bump up to 400 but that's about all we can fit on the van!
I have seen up to 304 watts out of our panels...., but lots of variables with the sun angels and times of year. In the summer we see around 1 kw to 1.7 kw per day yield.
Did you run into any rattle snakes?
We've just now run into our first big poisonous snake this fall in Texas after 4 years of full time rving! A copper head!
And now to charge it all back up without going into a trailer park
True! Its tough with only 300 watts for sure. The back up generator helps!
@@IreneIronTravels need to get a dc to dc charger in stead of your altinater doing all work it will charge just like your inverter charger Renerge makes a good one
@@IreneIronTravels there's also better batteries than lithium batteries out there the military grade batteries they're good they charging in all climates they even Cost Less not by much but cheaper and they don't degrade After Time actually they get better the more you cycle them
Battle Born battery is 3 batteries with a Step Down Transformer in it 100 amp hours regulator BMS
not widly known they're about 30% better than a lithium battery if you're happy with those use them i went back to these they take only an hour an hour to charge you got to charge him the same way as lithium batteries they take a high volume of charge ,.charge fast you could discharge them right down to nothing charge it backup they don't freeze and they don't get hot , work in cold they are used alot in Australia is some times call a cristal battery
Thanks for the info, appreciate it!
@@IreneIronTravels research
Hot wife that likes to do this stuff. Check
LiFePO. Check
Finally someone that put some REAL tires on one of these things. That would be one of the first things I would do.
😂😂😅 gotta get your priorities right! Thanks for watching and appreciate the comment. Made my day.
Couldn’t charge the phones right after pulling over? Couldn’t run radio off car battery? I call BS
Hey thanks for watching. As full time RV'ers we would shut everything down as to not drain the battery at all so we could save that power for the essentials that we need. Fridge, heat, laptops for work, etc to extend our off grid time. No need to call BS, we are just stating how we did it.
That’s cool. I have battleborns. I think you could have charged while you drive is all I’m saying. I have been in RVs for years. It takes a little thinking to do it efficiently.
The battleborn upgrade IS the game changer for sure!!
For sure! 👍
I like This Video, what i like most is no dogs, i don't like dogs.
Thanks for watching!
Love your channel. But to be honest, this looks like just another Battle Born commercial. Is God the CEO at BB? Sure seems like it because all you hear is how wonderful they are, and expensive. Sorry, hate to be negative.
Get a cat.