If you’re installing a JP Heater, here are some things that we recommend that you purchase for your install:
Stuff you need to install a JP Heater
Comprehensive guide to installing a DC-DC charger
Christmas present ideas for motorhomer or vanlifer in 2023
Looking for some Christmas present inspiration?
If you're anything like us, you get family members asking you for ideas for what they can get your for Christmas. This is the email to send to family that ask you what they can get you for Christmas!
We've put together our top recommendations for Christmas presents for this year. These are products that we've used a lot and would not be without.
These items are ideal for people who travel in motorhomes or vans or just like tools & gadgets.
If you click the images below, it'll take you to these great products!
We made a video talking through each of the items we listed above, talking through some of the details and what we like about them.
Click on the thumbnail below to watch the video!
Installing a Relay alongside a DC-DC Charger
If you’re installing a DC to DC charger into a motorhome, you should consider installing a relay to bipass the existing electrical system. This article is a must-read as it explains how to install a bypass (change-over) relay alongside your DC-DC charger. It also includes a comprehensive list of components and tools that we would recommend that you use.
Victron Smartshunt Settings Explained In Detail
The Victron Smart Shunt is a great piece of kit that can integrate with a Victron Cerbo GX to give you information on the State Of Charge of your battery as well as allow you to see that same information on the Bluetooth app.
In order to get the best information out of your shunt and/or Cerbo GX you need to configure the battery settings correctly.
The purpose of this document is to outline the settings that we would recommend for you to get the most out of your Smartshunt. These are the settings that we use with great success on a number of our installs - workshop systems & personal motorhomes.
We hope that this document will help you to get the most out of your Victron SmartShunt.
Do you need to buy a new charger for lithium in an older camper/motorhome?
What to look for when you're buying a second-hand van
If you follow us on social media, you’ll know that we recently bought a second-hand Nissan MV400, which we intend to convert into a camper over the next couple of months.
It can be so daunting buying a vehicle second-hand to use as a base vehicle for your van conversion, but in this article, we’ll be covering some of the things that we look for when we buy second-hand vehicles, which help to reduce the risk of buying a lemon!
Review of Capacity and Terminal Temperature of EVE LiFePO4 battery cells from Shenzhen Luyuan
We recently received a set of 280AH LiFePO4 cells that we purchased from Shenzhen Luyuan (Amy Wan).
We wanted to know three things:
What are the individual cell capacities and how evenly matched are they?
What is the capacity for a reasonably high-C (in our case this would be around 160A so around 0.6C)?
What temperature do the terminals get to at the “high-C” test? These are the new welded-stud terminals with worryingly small surface contact areas, so we’d like some peace of mind that they don’t heat up too much.
How to justify the cost of Lithium when Lead Acid is so much cheaper?
One of the most common topics that we see on Facebook groups & forums is the question:
How can you justify the cost of LiFePO4 versus Lead Acid?
So in this article, we’re going to be covering this topic to shed some light on the numbers and to prove how good value for money LiFePO4 is!
Firstly, we’ll say that the chemistry of the battery system that you choose should be driven by two main things:
What are your current needs?
Do you think your needs will change in the future?
By needs, we mean what do you need to draw from your battery or run on it? Do you just need to run lights in your van, charge your phone and maybe charge a laptop? Do you need to run a large inverter that can run an induction cooktop, Nespresso machine and TV & PS4?
Things to think about when building a DIY LiFePO4 battery
DON'T USE SPLIT CHARGE RELAYS!!!
Review of LiFePO4 battery cells from Dongguan Huanhuan Energy Technology Co., Ltd.
What tools do I need to put electrics into my van?
We often get asked what tools we recommend to build offgrid power solutions in vans. Over the years of working with building electrical systems in vans/boats/cabins/overlanders, we've used a wide range of tools to build our solutions. A lot of these tools are not common tools that you can just buy in your average hardware store and unless you live in a big city that has specialist tool stores, it's likely that you'll be ordering the products off Amazon (or online) as we do regularly. We know what it's like buying tools from the internet - you find one that has good ratings, read the ratings and often take a punt and hope for the best. Sometimes it works out and other times it flops.
We decided that we would list some of our favourite electrical tools that we use when we build custom offgrid power solutions for the campervans and boats that we work on.
Beware of junk lithium batteries!
There are a gazillion options when it comes to purchasing LifePO4 (or any other Lithium-based) batteries. Some (maybe even MANY) of the options are so well priced that they are too good to be true. There are certainly good deals to be had, but if a deal is too good to be true it probably is.
Why is this?
Put simply there are great differences in the quality and build of batteries. There are different grades of cells that make up the batteries and of equal importance, there are so many options of battery management systems (BMS) that are of varying quality and functionality. So in a nutshell: Cells and BMS!
How to fix a stripped terminal on a LiFePO4 battery cell
f you've ever worked with cheaper LiFePO4 battery cells, you'll know the concern of stripping the threads in the battery terminal. Well, I sadly had this very experience recently and after much research and thought about it, figured I could fix it and document the process to be able to help you, in case you ever find yourself in the same boat.
Considerations when buying and installing an inverter
Inverters are handy when you are offgrid and need to use appliances that run on normal grid power (110v AC in the USA, 230v AC in most of the world).
After all, just because you’re offgrid it doesn’t mean you should be without good coffee!
Basically, an inverter converts 12v DC to 110v or 230v AC. There are inverters that use other input voltages (24v, 36v) but in this article, we discuss only 12v.