Reddit mentions of Goal Zero Yeti 400 Portable Power Station, 400Wh Battery Powered Generator Alternative with 12V, AC and USB Outputs

The only real value in that van is the GoalZero battery which goes for nearly $500. The van itself is only worth 2-4k. The conversion is weak. Looks like it's lacking real insulation and it doesn't have any of the usual conversion features (sink, fan, fridge, solar, etc...). For $10k you could do way better OP.

The ambulance you posted is a much, much better deal. I drive the same van (non-ambulance) from 1985. If you read up on those 6.9L engines, they are some of the most reliable engines ever made and that one doesn't even have 100k miles (although, the odometer rolls over at 99,999 so you might want to double check that because I've never seen an ambulance decommissioned with such few miles).

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Here get him this

I'm no solar expert, but I've built my own system recently so I had to do a lot of research. If you really only can fit it into a regular travel suitcase, then here's what I would recommend. It's not necessarily the best system, but what I would imagine would be easy to send in a suitcase.

-35 amp hour deep cycle battery, sealed, AGM ($65)
Ideal would be 100 amp hour, but that sucker is over 60 pounds. The 35AH version is 22 pounds or so. You want it sealed or AGM so it's safe to ship on a plane, but you'll want to check with the airline about shipping batteries. If your fan is 120v/1.2amp, then this battery will only last a few hours at 80% discharge. So the 100AH is better, or get a more efficient fan.


-400 watt inverter ($30-50)
This should be enough to run the fan, run a tv, run lamps, & charge phones & electronic devices. Don't get the type built for a car with only a cigarette adapter. You'll need something that comes with alligator clips or connects to the battery directly. You don't need a pure sine inverter, but if it's comparable in price to the modified sine inverter, then get it.


-50 watt flexible solar panel ($120-150)
This is a hard one to judge because I don't know the size of your suitcase. Most 100 watt panels probably won't fit into a suitcase, even if they are flexible. So you may need to downgrade to a 30 or 50 watt panel. I would recommend getting two 50 watt panels, but I doubt your parents would know how to wire it correctly. The problem with just 50 watts is it'll take forever to charge the battery, and that's even with full sun.


-20AMP PWM solar charge controller ($20)


-Wires, cables, fuses, etc.

It's quite a bit of work to piece it together, so there are 2 alternatives you can go with:

1. Get a kit and just add a battery and inverter. Something like this
   https://www.amazon.com/ACOPOWER-Foldable-Portable-Monocraystalline-Controller/dp/B06WWQHV2T/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1506741642&sr=8-7&keywords=50+watt+solar+panel
   
   
   
2. Get a Yeti Goal Zero 400 watt power station and add a solar panel. This might be more expensive all-in, but it's really the easiest setup.
   https://www.amazon.com/Goal-Zero-Portable-Station-Generator/dp/B00D5RVMAM/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1506741945&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=yeti+goal+zero&psc=1
   
   
   
   

However if you are dead set on this, one option would be to get something like this "solar generator"

https://amazon.com/Goal-Zero-Portable-Generator-Alternative/dp/B00D5RVMAM/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1536599596&sr=8-14&keywords=solar+generator

This should have enough battery capacity to take you 24 hours before it needs a recharge ( it could go about 2 days, but that would reduce battery life significantly). If you add a 100W solar panel you should be able to keep it charged up.

https://amazon.com/Renogy-Watts-Volts-Monocrystalline-Solar/dp/B009Z6CW7O/ref=sr_1_4?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1536598933&sr=1-4&keywords=100w+solar+panel&dpID=41WkYaZbmqL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

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The "generator" above has a built in charge controller so you just need to plug in the solar panel and put the panel in full sun ( any partial shade dramatically lowers the charging). It also charges from a wall plug or a 12V outlet, so if the sun isn't out you can charge it from the car engine.

I just got a goal zero yeti 400 and will be getting two additional batteries to daisy chain to it. Whole rig will be about $500 total and give me about 1200watts. Running a processor heavy macbook pro and editing video, so hoping I'll have enough juice to last a week or so without a recharge. Obviously have other devices too, but won't be running a fridge or anything too big, mostly computer, electronics and lights. Amazon ran a deal for $300 a couple weeks ago on the yeti400, so if you're on amazon, look out for their daily deals (down from $450). http://amzn.to/2r81ieC (#adlink) They're moving towards lithium, so guessing they'll be upgrading models soon, which might be why they're running deals. Review are pretty good, although some horror stories (like all products have...). But the alternatives out there are similar. I'm heading to Shenandoah for 4-5 days to be off power and will write about how things go in detail. I'm at www.thenomadexperiment.com if you want to watch there in a couple weeks for that article. Good luck!

Where on RavPower's website do you see a 120w charger?

All I can find is this, for RavPower:
http://www.ravpower.com/ravpower-27000-external-battery-charger-AC-Outlet-black.html
Which is a 100 watt charger.

I too am curious about portable chargers, however I would prefer something closer to 160-170 watts as i own the razer blade 2016 (970m varient)

The only thing I could find that could power my laptop, is a tad..... overkill:
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00D5RVMAM/?tag=thewire0f-20&linkCode=xm2&ascsubtag=WC88019

With only 110W of audio I think a generator might be too loud. A long extension cord will help. I think a generator is going to be massive overkill anyway.

AB is okay. Maybe like 75% efficient instead of 95% efficient. The speakers will probably use 10W each at most. Laptop is probably 20W. The controller probably doesn't use much but let's say 20W. 60W altogether. 360Wh for the event.

Your actual measurements will probably be less.

There is a fairly new product called a "battery generator" that is essentially a giant powerbank with 120V inverter included. The Goal Zero Yeti 400 is one of the largest with 400Wh of capacity. It is also one of the most expensive. If you actually need under 200Wh there are much more affordable options.

edit: The Yeti 400 is also lead acid based instead of li-ion based. So it weighs 30 pounds! You can do a lot better.

My PSA: Those links can be shortened a lot.

"I searched and didnt find any in depth threads featuring any products like these, https://www.google.com/shopping/product/10452086405530650786,
https://www.anker.com/deals/powerhouse2, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D5RVMAM. These seem like good options for vandwelling if you aren't trying to run a fridge/AC. Which I'm not. What do you guys think? For instance I'm trying to power this https://reverb.com/p/korg-minilogue-4-voice-analog-polyphonic-synthesizer for a few hours a day at most so I can practice. I have a few other similar keyboards as well. Thoughts?"

Most of the crap after a ? in a URL is extra stuff that's not needed, like link tracking and referrals. Trim everything after that and see if you get to the right page. It's a much friendlier link for your readers. Few people will care, but those that do will REALLY care. Thanks! :)

https://www.amazon.com/Goal-Zero-Portable-Generator-Alternative/dp/B00D5RVMAM/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=goal+zero+generator&qid=1563995754&s=lawn-garden&sr=1-4

They're much better than they were ~5 years ago. Consumers are getting smart enough that they do detailed analysis of a lot of these batteries that you can find in the reviews. Your biggest concern would be inconsistent power output (amp/voltage fluctuations) and the "cleanness" of the sine wave. Ideally you want the battery to output a perfect sine wave - your electronics work most efficiently that way. Any output that deviates from that can put strain on your stuff at best, and at worst the power might cut out due to overheating or insufficient power.

The thing isn't identical to a wall outlet, it is limited to what it can power, but a single PSU should be fine. If you want to get super serial, go in for one of these with your bandmates -
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D5RVMAM/ .Great for camping and emergencies, too.