(Part 2) Best products from r/VanLife

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076D67YX8/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_N6rLBb39A56CA

It’s not the exact one but pretty close ! I think you may have to buy the solor separate but it’s foldable and totally worth it. I could just set it in my front windshield and let it charge while I went to work or hiked and it was great.

I have one of these and it works great,

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BFVHL2I/ref=ppx_yo_mob_b_inactive_ship_o0_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It only connects when the voltage is >13.7. I use it to charge my house system while driving and to keep my starter alive when temps are super cold. It can be put on a switch so it isn’t constantly pushing amps to the starter.

I don’t have lithium batteries though so you might want to add a charger to the circuit like others have said so you don’t fry anything.

Some of these coffin cases with the sliding laptop shelf might work out well for you, to facilitate the ease of movement from inside to outside, and still be functional while in the case...
For the Pro3: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0147M8CCO/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_eAIzCbMBMV2RD
or even something a little more generic
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/GTourDDJSXRX--gator-g-tourdspddjsxrx
http://www.proaudiostar.com/prox-cases-xs-ddjrr-lt.html
http://www.proaudiostar.com/prox-cases-xs-ddjrr-ltbl.html
Obviously these are all dependent on sizes.

So instead of building a case for my controllers and such, I'd probably build the case for the speakers. Since they may not be used as frequently, it might be better to make the case for them, that you could "tuck away", and only pull them out when necessary. Making that a little more sturdy might help keep them in tact.

I also gotta ask, do you plan on having your dog with you fulltime? I don't mean to be THAT GUY, but if so, you really should think about as minimal setup as possible. I don't know how big your dog is and all that, but I always feel bad for animals that succumb to their owner's mobile life and don't get the freedom/space they deserve in a vehicle. Something else to ponder.

Good luck with the equipment/power list - I really feel like this will help you the most before you decide to start your build!

Here's a 60w PD power bank that should charge in a couple hours. It only holds 20AH and when charging and discharging that quickly the number of cycles will be reduced. But for the money its the fastest charging one I could find on amazon so you could get a couple. You'll also need a 60w PD wall charger too. So if you already have a bunch of power banks you could get a duffel bag with a power strip in it and everything already plugged in. Just be careful of all the heat in the bag because those 60w chargers get pretty hot.

You could also get a 60w PD car charger or a low wattage pure sine wave inverter to charge while driving. Just make sure your 12v outlet is fused to handle that much power.


Edit: There's also this slightly larger capacity (26800mAh) power bank that comes with the charger, but it charges slightly slower (45w).


Edit Edit: There's also "portable power stations" like this that can charge at 100w. But at that price you might as well build yourself a dedicated solar system or at least install a battery isolator on your alternator and get a deep cycle lead acid.

Why a radiator cap? I wouldn't think you'd need pressure relief unless you're doing something really crazy to power the water out. Most just use a bike pump and some regular ABS fittings, like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NodTvFcK0Mc

And you can buy low pressure relief valves with standard pipe fittings, like these at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Control-Devices-Non-Code-Adjustable-Pressure/dp/B007GDXT3O/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_328_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=BMYQPGS9H0XS6WN8V3QX

Otherwise, if you've say got the cap already, why not just buy a radiator neck? your auto parts place probably has them. Rather more of a pain to fit into ABS I suspect, but with enough glue anything is possible.

Seems like a lot of work, but a fun project.

You can get a camping stove. They pack tiny, and they can still be used for making real food. Lack of refrigeration means you need to buy stuff fresh daily.

I personally like the classic Trangia kit http://trangia.se/en/ that's made in Sweden, but there are many options, just pick what you think might work.

Lots of people seem to like Jetboil https://www.jetboil.com/

Just make sure you have a fire extinguisher if you're going to be playing around with open flames.

Of course, if you can spare space for a folding stove, cooking would be even easier. For instance, https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-2000020943NP-Classic-Propane-Stove/dp/B00005OU9D - but with this you need larger propane bottles and hoses and stuff, so it doesn't pack quite as small.

Bottle Water Pump, Electric... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KCTDRRW?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I got an empty 5 gallon water jug from a water delivery guy for free. Works great and has a 4hr run time, as well as an automatic shutoff after about 20 oz or so to stop it from emptying unexpectedly. So far I've only charged it once, over two months ago. Charges with usb which is super convenient.

The stove is a campchef that can be found here Camp Chef Camping Outdoor Oven with 2 Burner Camping Stove https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0013LLSZG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_lH80BbV4NPPG2
Works a treat :)
It's the short Wheelbase and the bed is lengthwise, I'm 6'3".
This setup is the max space efficient without sacrificing usability of the kitchen.

I love my ladder, too. Why give people easy access to your Roof?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LFB6X5D/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_2PfFDb2C09EYH

I have been pretty happy with this: Milliard Tri Folding Mattress Twin, with Ultra Soft Removable Cover and Non-Slip Bottom (Twin) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DJ8HWBU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1MpPzbXH1FWHE

You could invest in a solar shower, 5gal is enough for ~2 quick showers, heats up in the sun in an hour to very warm water (~98 degrees).
I have this one: https://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Elements-Gallon-Summer-Shower/dp/B000J2Q0T4/ref=sr_1_3?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1511274152&sr=1-3&keywords=solar+shower&dpID=41IIRjP0y1L&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

and I love it!

They look pretty good--def. better than the standard neoprene sleeves. I've already got a bag for my laptop, so I'm thinking of going with this for now:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K5Y53VW

I spent this Australian winter at the snow which meant that I didn't have as much power coming from the solar panels. I have 180AH of AGM batteries and 200w of solar with Renogy Adventurer 30A PWM solar charge controller.

I also had a Redarc SBI12 VSR which charges the batteries from the alternator when the car is running.

I'm was running a 38L Fridge, diesel heater, lights, laptop, cameras, gopro, rechargeable torch batteries, battery for chainsaw, etc.. So basically a hell of a lot of electronics. I was using too much and the batteries, VSR and solar couldn't keep up.

Sounds like I was in a similar situation to you. I looked at the cost of extra batteries, solar panels, etc.. Those options looked expensive.

Instead after some significant research I went with a Renogy 40A DC to DC Battery Charger. This replaced the existing Redarc VSR that I had. This is what I would recommend to you. It's significantly better at charging the batteries than the old Redarc VSR which is probably similar to what you have at the moment.

For me, even when I was parked up for days it was easier for me to run the van for the bit and charge the batteries.

How many AH do you have?

In order to answer this correctly, you need a little more information. You'll need to buy/borrow a power meter and see what your average power consumption is. The 1000w max number really doesn't mean much.

https://www.amazon.com/d/Industrial-Power-Meters/TS-836A-Energy-Voltage-Electricity-Monitor/B00E945SJG

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Once you know how many amps or watts you draw, we can start sizing the system. How critical is it that this system be up and available 24/7? Are you trying to run a server that needs to have a 99.999% up time? Even with solar and batteries, there will be strings of cloudy days that may require you to stay plugged in, or if you can tie the alternator into the batteries, you'll have to run the engine or buy a generator to get you through bad weather days.

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Standard components:

Batteries - Either 12 Volt deep cycle, or pairs of 6 Volts golf cart batteries. Golf cart batteries tend to allow deeper discharge than the 12 Volt deep cycle, but come with lower overall capacity. Two 12 Volts will get you ~400 amp-hour rated capacity, four 6 volts will get you the same capacity, but generally last longer before needing to be replaced.

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120 volt Battery charger - can be a cheap pep-boys battery charger or a dedicated RV converter setup.

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Solar system - Number of panels will be determined once your average usage is known.

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Solar Charge Controller - size will be based on # of panels. Can be super cheap but not efficient, or expensive but efficient.

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Inverter - Takes your 12 Volt battery power and turns it into 120 volt AC to run your computer. You'll need a pure sine wave inverter if you're running electronics. Size will be based on average power consumption of the computer.

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Here's the numbers if you want to size to the full 2000 watt power draw:

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If you want to run the system off of the battery for 14 hours, you'll need the following:

2000 watts for 14 hours equals 28,000 watt-hours, or 28kwh.

The Tesla Power Wall has a capacity of 13.5 kwh, so two of those will get you close.

Battery: https://www.tesla.com/powerwall

I believe the new powerwalls come with built in inverters, so they should be able to output 120 volts directly. Weight = approx 600 lbs with wire and connections, they cost $7,800 each, so you're looking at just over 15k for your batteries. Other industrial sized batteries may be available slightly cheaper.

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Add as many solar panels as you can. You only get 4-7 equivalent hours a day of solar charging based on location:

https://www.nrel.gov/gis/assets/pdfs/solar_dni_2018_01.pdf

The Chevy Astro may be able to fit 4x100 watt panels on the roof. 400 watts for approx. 5 hours a day means you'll be able to charge the batteries about 2kwh per day minus any efficiently losses, so it would take 2 weeks to charge the batteries from dead to full on solar alone. You're basically buying yourself the full 28 kwh required capacity with the 4 solar panels and 2 power walls.

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If the batteries were just about dead when you plugged in at night and you wanted to recharge them while keeping the system running for 10 hours, you would need 2000 / 120 = 16.67 amps to run the computer, and 23.33 amps for 10 hours to charge the batteries. That's 2.8 kw for 10 hours to fully charge the battery, unfortunately, during grid charging, the powerwall charges at a max rate of 1.7 kw. That's 14.16 amps to charge the powerwalls. You would need to max out a 30 amp RV hookup site for a minimum of 16 hours to charge the batteries to last you one day.

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My suggestion, buy one of these, and carry enough gas to run it 24 hours a day.

https://www.amazon.com/Honda-EU3000iS-Starting-Portable-Inverter/dp/B0002XC0V2/

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EDIT: Final suggestion, rent a server and travel with a laptop that will allow you to remote in to the more powerful computer.

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