Enjoying first time unlimited off grid 👍

[MichaelT]

Are they DC batteries? Does the cable from the 3 pin plug plug directly into them, or does it go through a brick?

(Genuinely interested. Might need a while for the wife who has developed a lower back problem.)

Thru a brick and you get either 2a or 4a chargers, the plug is a strange shape that goes onto the battery with odd pins.

Charger: The eBike charging device for a quick energy burst

Quick charging of Bosch eBike batteries: 50% charge and more after only an hour. The handy charging devices are lightweight, robust and easy to take with you on any tour.

www.bosch-ebike.com

 

[Jon Stewart]

Thru a brick and you get either 2a or 4a chargers, the plug is a strange shape that goes onto the battery with odd pins.

Charger: The eBike charging device for a quick energy burst

Quick charging of Bosch eBike batteries: 50% charge and more after only an hour. The handy charging devices are lightweight, robust and easy to take with you on any tour.

www.bosch-ebike.com

So the brick is outputting about 36v then.

Thanks for the link!

Proprietary nonsense from Bosch as usual. Had a run in with them over an electric wood chipper and wouldn't knowingly buy their products again.

 

[Verteuil Man]

Off grid is a commonly used term with one meaning but many perceived meanings. Off grid is what it says, no electricity, water or gas from the 'grid'. No mobile network or broadband access. All you really have is water from a stream and sunshine.
I think what you are advocating is no electrical input from the 'grid', which before lithium batteries came about had been happening for years, its nothing new, its just the amount of power you have at your disposal.

 

[Barchetta47]

Our main reason for the battery was to stay off-grid a bit longer between campsites and the inverter so that we could charge our e-bikes at any time instead of arranging our travel around EHU for recharging them (Julie can remove her battery but mine is inside the frame).

However, the benefits now are soooooooo much more

Our current LA/solar set up enables us to be offgrid for however long we like, gas cooking, heating, heating water etc. However the fly in the ointment, so to speak, is charging our e-bikes. We have just bought a second one for me. Out of curiosity how long does it take to charge 2 e-bike batteries from your current set up? I’m seriously considering something similar so there will be no need for EHU at all.

 

[MichaelT]

So the brick is outputting about 36v then.

Thanks for the link!

Proprietary nonsense from Bosch as usual. Had a run in with them over an electric wood chipper and wouldn't knowingly buy their products again.

They are the main provider for ebikes and good quality. There is a network of charge points about it believe. I wouldn't buy any other make personally.

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[growly_bear]

My lithium hasn't registered below 100% yet in 3 days off grid makes me wonder if the battery monitor has crashed but the voltage hasn't been below 13.3 so not worried yet, it might be true

My Renogy shunt crashed and never decreased (until I realised!). I had to remove the fuse on the sense wire to reset it. I did this a few times in a month until I got fed up and Renogy refunded me. I've got a Victron now. Have you got the Renogy shunt by chance?

 

[Barriesimpson]

Another 'lecture' coming here.

Ferries are 'ships'. Boats go on board ships, e.g. lifeboats, tenders etc.

If it floats, it's a boat. Not interested in size comparisons.

 

[Richard n Ann]

My Renogy shunt crashed and never decreased (until I realised!). I had to remove the fuse on the sense wire to reset it. I did this a few times in a month until I got fed up and Renogy refunded me. I've got a Victron now. Have you got the Renogy shunt by chance?

No it's the NASA BM1 lithium

 

[68c]

The problem we found charging our ebikes is we are out cycling while the sun is shining. OK the solar fully tops up our LA batteries but the two bikes take nearly all the stored power to fully charge them on the evening with little or no solar helping.
A couple of expensive options are having more hab batteries or spare bike batteries.
We rarely completely deplete the bike batteries, and being a late riser we get a few hours charging in the morning before heading out.
I have also made up a couple of DCDC converters to boost the 12v to 42v running off the hab batteries which of course charge while we are driving the van.

 

[two]

Be careful not to think of solar as unlimited. It is very finite and easy to exhaust if you start to become profligate. Enjoy the change but don't expect the difference to continue, especially through Winter.

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[Purrfecttune]

Our current LA/solar set up enables us to be offgrid for however long we like, gas cooking, heating, heating water etc. However the fly in the ointment, so to speak, is charging our e-bikes. We have just bought a second one for me. Out of curiosity how long does it take to charge 2 e-bike batteries from your current set up? I’m seriously considering something similar so there will be no need for EHU at all.

I haven’t charged them yet so don’t know the answer

 

[BikerJon]

Our set-up is not unlike your original, being

2 x 80AH L/A Batteries
80W Solar
B2B

We are off-grid all the time - even if occasionally on a campsite we do not use EHU.

Maybe the difference is we do not use 230v appliances. Kettle is gas etc.

I'm with you. We have two leisure batteries and one 100w solar panel. When off grid we use LPG from the underslung tank for cooking, heating and water heating. The compressor fridge, TV and lighting are the only things that use electric. Have never had a problem when off grid and the LPG is so cheap.
On saying that I wouldn't knock having more solar and electric storage each to their own.

 

[nicholsong]

If it floats, it's a boat. Not interested in size comparisons.

So you are not a nautical person.

Stick to what you know.

 

[jumar]

So the brick is outputting about 36v then.

Thanks for the link!

Proprietary nonsense from Bosch as usual. Had a run in with them over an electric wood chipper and wouldn't knowingly buy their products again.

Bosch eBike division cannot compare with their power tool side.
Bosch eBike development is second to none...they are pushing boundaries, efficient and incredibly reliable..
We've had and still have a couple of Bosch driven eBikes, others also...
FYI.. I like Bosch...

Regarding charging eBikes, which cropped up earlier...no matter what system your motorhome has...you cannot increase the charge rate...if your charger is 2 amp...or 4 amp...it charges at that rate..
We ride virtually every day and recharge every afternoon....what we take out Solar puts back in...more or less...it's all down to management of the system you have installed in your motorhome and the amount of solar you have available...

 

[fishplug]

I've enjoyed reading the comments so far.

When I first started my 'vanlife' journey it was in a bare, unconverted panel van. I'd borrow the works van at the weekend, help cart stuff for an exhibitor friend and I'd kip in it on my camp mat and in my sleeping bag. My 'kitchen' consisted of a bottle of water and a packet of biscuits.

As the years progressed, I got my own van and added the luxury of my Trangia camping stove and a coffee pot for a hot drink. This felt decadent!

And so it went on until I bought a 1971 T2 Californian import (rare 1700cc engine) which I loved but it turned into a disastrous moneypit which had things like seats that turned into beds and running (cold) water as well as a proper 2 burner hob. The electrics (a light) was powered by the vehicle battery so you had to be mindful not to leave it on accidentally...

My first PVC conversion was an accident. Long story but I had to bring a goose back to the UK from Italy (yes, I know, but this one was special). So I got a refrigerated coolbox, but this needed more power than I was going to risk from the vehicle battery overnight so I got a leisure battery.

And that's where it all started to go wrong

I'd had some nights in the old panel vans that were much colder than camping in a tent as the wind would strip heat away from under you. It was misearable. A friend had installed a diesel heater (first time I'd heard of one, let alone seen one) and I got to spend a night in his van with it on. Wow! it was transformational.

Anyway, I now had a battery so.... expensive Eberspacher D2 was purchased (China hadn't started selling us the clones yet)

No point heating an uninsulated van so...

And while I'm putting a lining on the ceiling to hide the vapour barrier I might as well stick some lights in....

And... probably makes sense to add a solar panel to avoid the faff of charging manually.

Then as more electrical crept in a second panel arrived, and a second battery and then a B2B charger and a proper compressor fridge and an underslung gas tank, a permanent bed, a permanent seating area, some cupboards and drawers and...

...and then the engine blew up.

So now I'm starting over. I'm back in an uninsulated panel van.

I've done two European trips (Normandy/Brittany and most recently Italy) over Dec / Jan and it's been fine as I've got a 4KW heater in it (will eventually be for heating water). It's also got three 175w solar panels.

The bed is an Ikea mattress that gets chucked on the floor. The kitchen is a 'briefcase' single gas hob. Water is in bottles.

I do have a proper compressor fridge and a separating toilet - oh and 300Ah of lithium.

Just like having a battery in that first PVC became transformational, having lithium in this one has done the same.

It means that even in the winter and with all our various devices charging, lights and heater on etc we've got enough power to give us complete autonomy for around a week.

The B2B isn't connected yet (still planning the final layout) so that really is amazing.

So I can fully understand the OP's feeling of liberation and freedom as expressed in the opening post. It really is fantastic.

Sure, if you trace it back far enough we used to move around 'off grid' using our feet as the method of propulsion and needed nothing more than a stick and a rock and the occasional cave for shelter, but that doesn't diminish the joy of having everything you need to be self sufficient for a week or more at your fingertips in your van.

Just don't go blowing the engines up on them. That's my best advice....

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[pandas]

I've enjoyed reading the comments so far.

When I first started my 'vanlife' journey it was in a bare, unconverted panel van. I'd borrow the works van at the weekend, help cart stuff for an exhibitor friend and I'd kip in it on my camp mat and in my sleeping bag. My 'kitchen' consisted of a bottle of water and a packet of biscuits.

As the years progressed, I got my own van and added the luxury of my Trangia camping stove and a coffee pot for a hot drink. This felt decadent!

And so it went on until I bought a 1971 T2 Californian import (rare 1700cc engine) which I loved but it turned into a disastrous moneypit which had things like seats that turned into beds and running (cold) water as well as a proper 2 burner hob. The electrics (a light) was powered by the vehicle battery so you had to be mindful not to leave it on accidentally...

My first PVC conversion was an accident. Long story but I had to bring a goose back to the UK from Italy (yes, I know, but this one was special). So I got a refrigerated coolbox, but this needed more power than I was going to risk from the vehicle battery overnight so I got a leisure battery.

And that's where it all started to go wrong

I'd had some nights in the old panel vans that were much colder than camping in a tent as the wind would strip heat away from under you. It was misearable. A friend had installed a diesel heater (first time I'd heard of one, let alone seen one) and I got to spend a night in his van with it on. Wow! it was transformational.

Anyway, I now had a battery so.... expensive Eberspacher D2 was purchased (China hadn't started selling us the clones yet)

No point heating an uninsulated van so...

And while I'm putting a lining on the ceiling to hide the vapour barrier I might as well stick some lights in....

And... probably makes sense to add a solar panel to avoid the faff of charging manually.

Then as more electrical crept in a second panel arrived, and a second battery and then a B2B charger and a proper compressor fridge and an underslung gas tank, a permanent bed, a permanent seating area, some cupboards and drawers and...

...and then the engine blew up.

So now I'm starting over. I'm back in an uninsulated panel van.

I've done two European trips (Normandy/Brittany and most recently Italy) over Dec / Jan and it's been fine as I've got a 4KW heater in it (will eventually be for heating water). It's also got three 175w solar panels.

The bed is an Ikea mattress that gets chucked on the floor. The kitchen is a 'briefcase' single gas hob. Water is in bottles.

I do have a proper compressor fridge and a separating toilet - oh and 300Ah of lithium.

Just like having a battery in that first PVC became transformational, having lithium in this one has done the same.

It means that even in the winter and with all our various devices charging, lights and heater on etc we've got enough power to give us complete autonomy for around a week.

The B2B isn't connected yet (still planning the final layout) so that really is amazing.

So I can fully understand the OP's feeling of liberation and freedom as expressed in the opening post. It really is fantastic.

Sure, if you trace it back far enough we used to move around 'off grid' using our feet as the method of propulsion and needed nothing more than a stick and a rock and the occasional cave for shelter, but that doesn't diminish the joy of having everything you need to be self sufficient for a week or more at your fingertips in your van.

Just don't go blowing the engines up on them. That's my best advice....

It usually ends up that the toilet cassette is the bummer not the electric - too many bears in the woods.

 

[fishplug]

That's why I went down the separating route. So much easier to manage than cassettes if you don't use campsites regularly.

There's a lot to be said for the "bucket and chuck it" simplicity.

 

[barryd]

It usually ends up that the toilet cassette is the bummer not the electric - too many bears in the woods.

I have a secret weapon for that.

Deployed two days ago. I Can also get 40 litres of water on (not at the same time)

 

[pandas]

I have a secret weapon for that.

Deployed two days ago. I Can also get 40 litres of water on (not at the same time)

View attachment 1052153

I would feel really exposed sitting on that cassette, at least you don’t need to stop when you need the loo!

 

[herald_400rl]

Compressor fridges aren’t a “new” thing, they have been the preferred choice in boats for years where LPG (gas) is undesirable.

Any gas build up in a camper can (“should” if the converter has common sense) drop out harmlessly under the motorhome.

Holes in the bottom of a boat is equally undesirable, so the potential for gas build up in the bilges is a problem.

Compressor fridges have only really been suitable for campers (motorhomes) since Lithium batteries became affordable, before then they were fitted by people that didn’t understand what they were doing or lazy as they are much simpler to fit

Boats don’t tend to have the same weight issue, and their charging structures are far more complex, my last boat for example had separate battery banks for Port and Starboard engines, Generator, Bow and Stern thrusters, and Auxiliary (house batteries) all independent from each other, yet, on demand could be interswitched when needed! Mind you, we had four separate compressor fridge freezers

Nowadays you could fit a compressor fridge into a twenty year old motorhome so long as you have a lithium set up to power it

Or of course always stay on sites with hook up, in which case no one needs lithium

Always staying on sites with hookup can be painful, we've found if we want to go away last minute we're dictated by availability where we can go. Hence the lithium route for us!

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[blue-skies]

eddie knows my post was meant in jest as indicated by my smiley face emoji and his emojis in reply. He had quoted my post so I was replying. Many threads go like this , it’s called banter I believe, you can of course correct me if I am wrong.

I know a lot about many things but very little about boats and ships, just enough for my needs. My Dad was in the Royal Navy, I’ve forgotten most of what he taught me, he’s dead so unlikely to be offended. He would be the only one I’d care about.

 

[blue-skies]

Hi. Sorry if I misunderstood. I obviously got the wrong impression, that you were talking down to someone.
Thank you for explaining the meaning of 'banter' to me.

 

[carolyn]

Hi. Sorry if I misunderstood. I obviously got the wrong impression, that you were talking down to someone.
Thank you for explaining the meaning of 'banter' to me.

Don’t worry, I’m frequently a grumpy old bag and only know how to use a smiley face emoji and resisted that for a very long time.

I’m very happy today as it’s my Bday or Happy bus pass day as a number of family and friends have wished me. I have chocolate and cake ready for Yellowstone later, Kevin Costner on a horse, bliss. A woman in her prime’s fantasy I would have to say.

 

[Pugsy]

Compressor fridges have only really been suitable for campers (motorhomes) since Lithium batteries became affordable, before then they were fitted by people that didn’t understand what they were doing or lazy as they are much simpler to fit

I have to disagree with that Eddie I had a dometic 80l compressor fridge freezer in my last van .it ran off 2x 6 volt (240ah) Trojan batteries and 300 watt of solar and I never plugged in to hookup and I ran that van for 7 years with no power issues,living in it full time for 2 years . So no lithium and I don't think I was lazy and I understood what I was fitting as it ran perfectly for 7 years before i changed the van last year .
So it is possible with a bit of organising , everything in my van ran of 12v with no hookup ever.
Just had an Off-grid power solutions upgrade done by nigelivy on this van,560ah lithium and 575w of solar and now looking at changing my 3way tower fridge/freezer for a compressor one i think I have enough power to run one.

Cheers Cris .

 

[fishplug]

So now I'm starting over. I'm back in an uninsulated panel van.

My room for tonight.

More tools and bits of electrical conduit than spice racks and coasters, but it's got internet, coffee, a fridge, a (comfy) bed, a toilet, an extractor fan (those two things are not necessarily related!) an a heater if things take an unexpected turn.

It's even got a dustpan and brush (the thing sticking out of the wall on the RHS)!

Everything I need. In many ways it's pointless spending more money from this point although a chair with a back on it would be better than sitting on the fridge.

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[CazPaul]

I have to disagree with that Eddie I had a dometic 80l compressor fridge freezer in my last van .it ran off 2x 6 volt (240ah) Trojan batteries and 300 watt of solar and I never plugged in to hookup and I ran that van for 7 years with no power issues,living in it full time for 2 years . So no lithium and I don't think I was lazy and I understood what I was fitting as it ran perfectly for 7 years before i changed the van last year .
So it is possible with a bit of organising , everything in my van ran of 12v with no hookup ever.
Just had an Off-grid power solutions upgrade done by nigelivy on this van,560ah lithium and 575w of solar and now looking at changing my 3way tower fridge/freezer for a compressor one i think I have enough power to run one.

Cheers Cris .

We had x2 Rolls Surrette 6 volt batteries Cris in a Hymer S820, absolutely brilliant batteries similar to the Trojans, we lived in it for 18 month in 2011-2012

 

[Richard n Ann]

My lithium hasn't registered below 100% yet in 3 days off grid makes me wonder if the battery monitor has crashed but the voltage hasn't been below 13.3 so not worried yet, it might be true

At last the battery monitor readout has dropped to 96% as it's been overcast all day
Lithium is awesome

 

[Richard n Ann]

I have to disagree with that Eddie I had a dometic 80l compressor fridge freezer in my last van .it ran off 2x 6 volt (240ah) Trojan batteries and 300 watt of solar and I never plugged in to hookup and I ran that van for 7 years with no power issues,living in it full time for 2 years . So no lithium and I don't think I was lazy and I understood what I was fitting as it ran perfectly for 7 years before i changed the van last year .
So it is possible with a bit of organising , everything in my van ran of 12v with no hookup ever.
Just had an Off-grid power solutions upgrade done by nigelivy on this van,560ah lithium and 575w of solar and now looking at changing my 3way tower fridge/freezer for a compressor one i think I have enough power to run one.

Cheers Cris .

Yes Eddie is wrong on this occasion, we had an 80ah battery running a compressor fridge for 3 years and never had an issue. I only upgraded to 100ah lithium because the price was good