Living in my van for a year.....

[Gooch842]

Hey all, I'm new to solar which I will prove over and over again. I've been watching YouTube videos of this guy's van build and I like what he's done. https://youtu.be/0GRgoISeTR4
He's got 2, 145w panels and 3, 6v agm batteries, and a fee other goodies. He's goin to power a refrigerator, and some small items like phone charger and maybe a laptop and water pump for the sink. I feel my energy demand will be very similar to his. THE QUESTION IS, what's the best system I can get in the middle price range? Around $1000

[Sunking]

I can already tell you have been suckered by another Screw-U-Tube video. The guy making it is an idiot and a liar. He has no clue there is no way to use 3-6 volt batteries in a 12 volt system. Even hacks know better. A good liar knows to tell a believable story. This is what a stupid liar does.

Before you waste 1-cent on solar, get a Electronic Battery Isolator to use your Van alternator to charge and aux battery. You vehicle alternator can generate more energy in 30 minutees than 300 watts of panels can generate in a week.. A good Isolator made by Sure Power will run you $50 and give you more power than you need vs going dark all the time with piss poor solar costing you 10 times more.

Us an Isolator and Aux batteries will cost you less than $400. You cannot do the same or as good with Solar for $1000. It would cost you 3 times that to be equal with a $50 Isolator. . . Quit watching Screw-U-Tube. The web is a very dangerous place, the greatest threat to society ever known.

[jony101]

Get a large panel maybe a 240 watt panel ( i bought mine used for 200 dollars) and connect it to a ecoworthy 20 amp mppt (about 100 dollars), that will get you about 12 amps of power. One large panel is easier to install than 2 smaller panels.

For battery I have a kinetik kh2000 12 volt agm battery about 102 ah. Its a very good quality battery for solar. But bigger is better if you plan to run a 12 volt fridge. Larger battery will get you through days where it might be cloudy.

Everything i know I learn from watching youtube, some can be useful. I watch the video you mentioned and did notice some design flaws, he used absolutely no insulation on the metal sides of the van, it will be very hot in the summer. Wheres the fan? you need fans in a van, i have a swampcooler in my van using a car radiator fan. I also have the driver compartment divided from the rear of the van with a insulated sliding door. Front of the van can be 137 degrees, rear of the van will be about 100 degrees, still hot but livable with the swamp cooler running. I like how he made the cabinets and accessories but the part of him not using foam insulation proved that he has no clue about how hot it can get inside a van. Even in winter it can get hot real quick, when the sun hits the van. The foam insulation also works in the winter, it keeps you from freezing too much at night. If you plan to build something similar dont forget the insulation.

With a 1000 dollar budget, its more than enough to get a decent solar setup. I would just buy the parts individual instead of a kit, it would be cheaper. The L-brackets/bolts to install the panel you can buy at home depot. In my van I dont even have an isolator, its 100 percent solar. I do have extra agm batteries a 28 ah and a 35 ah battery for emergencies but have never had to use them.