Electrical 1st van 1st post. Inverter question **Solved thank you**

[Chriso100]

Gday everyone.
We have just bought a van , fulfilling a long time dream. 2006 Jayco Expanda. What I’m hoping is that someone could advise me on what type/size inverter I could use. As we would like to free camp occasionally, we would like to use the microwave and aircon. **UPDATE** From answers given here, I now understand to give the microwave and aircon a miss whilst camping.
Really pumped, now to get the chance to use it.
Cheers Chris

 

[MDS69]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on the purchase. If you want to use your microwave whilst free camping you will require a lot of battery and solar to recharge the batteries. As far as AC is concerned you can forget that one due to the power consumed.
An option is a generator but they can be heavy to transport, noisey to fellow campers, not permitted in national parks etc. People do use them with a degree of success I suppose, but they are not for me.

 

[mikerezny]

Hi,
welcome aboard! Hopefully it won't be too long before you can go out camping in your new van.

here are some bits of information that should assist you in determining your solar panel and battery storage requirements.

A microwave typically draws 1,000W. If it is used for 12 minutes, it will consume 200Wh of energy. (1,000W for 1/5 of an hour).

A standard battery in a van is typically either an AGM or GEL deep cycle battery with a capacity of 100Ah at around 12V. That is 1,200Wh of available energy.
So using a microwave for 12 minutes would consume 17% of your total battery capacity.

To get a reasonable life out of a deep cycle battery, it is generally accepted to not discharge the battery below 50% regularly.
If so, then if one aims to consume no more than 50% of the battery capacity, (50Ah), then using a microwave for 12 minutes would consume 33% of the useful capacity.

A 200W solar panel can deliver up to 10A at 20V if clean and facing directly at the sun a a clear summer day. A general rule of thumb is 5 hours of sunlight per day. If the panel is connected to a good quality efficient MPPT solar regulator, this panel could generate 1,000Wh of energy per day in perfect conditions.

You will have many other devices also requiring power: water pump, lights, TV, mobile phone, iPad, etc etc.
A 2006 model may still have incandescent lighting which will be big powewr consumers. If so, it would be worth considering upgrading to LED lights. There are many sources of LED replacement lamps on eBay.

As you can see, a typical system with a 100Ah battery and 200W solar panel could, with careful management, provide enough power provided you get 5 hours of sunlight each and every day, to power a microwave for 12 minutes per day and all the rest of the energy needs.
Through in a few cloudy days, campsites with trees that shade the panels, and it will quickly become problematic.

You can, of course, install extra batteries, but a 100Ah deep cycle battery weighs about 30kg. This is a sizeable chunk of your total load allowance.
You could consider lithium batteries. But that is an expensive option.
You can also add in extra solar panels.

An air conditioner typically requires 2,000W. If you use it for 5 hours it will require 10kWh of energy. That energy requirement is going to be hard to service from any solar / battery storage that will be light enough to be able to be installed in a van.

Take care
Mike

 

[Boots in Action]

Hi,
welcome aboard! Hopefully it won't be too long before you can go out camping in your new van.

here are some bits of information that should assist you in determining your solar panel and battery storage requirements.

A microwave typically draws 1,000W. If it is used for 12 minutes, it will consume 200Wh of energy. (1,000W for 1/5 of an hour).

A standard battery in a van is typically either an AGM or GEL deep cycle battery with a capacity of 100Ah at around 12V. That is 1,200Wh of available energy.
So using a microwave for 12 minutes would consume 17% of your total battery capacity.

To get a reasonable life out of a deep cycle battery, it is generally accepted to not discharge the battery below 50% regularly.
If so, then if one aims to consume no more than 50% of the battery capacity, (50Ah), then using a microwave for 12 minutes would consume 33% of the useful capacity.

A 200W solar panel can deliver up to 10A at 20V if clean and facing directly at the sun a a clear summer day. A general rule of thumb is 5 hours of sunlight per day. If the panel is connected to a good quality efficient MPPT solar regulator, this panel could generate 1,000Wh of energy per day in perfect conditions.

You will have many other devices also requiring power: water pump, lights, TV, mobile phone, iPad, etc etc.
A 2006 model may still have incandescent lighting which will be big powewr consumers. If so, it would be worth considering upgrading to LED lights. There are many sources of LED replacement lamps on eBay.

As you can see, a typical system with a 100Ah battery and 200W solar panel could, with careful management, provide enough power provided you get 5 hours of sunlight each and every day, to power a microwave for 12 minutes per day and all the rest of the energy needs.
Through in a few cloudy days, campsites with trees that shade the panels, and it will quickly become problematic.

You can, of course, install extra batteries, but a 100Ah deep cycle battery weighs about 30kg. This is a sizeable chunk of your total load allowance.
You could consider lithium batteries. But that is an expensive option.
You can also add in extra solar panels.

An air conditioner typically requires 2,000W. If you use it for 5 hours it will require 10kWh of energy. That energy requirement is going to be hard to service from any solar / battery storage that will be light enough to be able to be installed in a van.

Take care
Mike

@Chriso100 , @mikerezny has done the maths pretty well, generally based on optimum conditions and a battery in good condition. Extra batteries do give you a greater margin of reserve power when conditions are far from favourable. The same thing applies with extra solar panels. Even though they are pretty cheap these days, panels on the roof of your van are not the best generators as shade and sun position tend to reduce maximum output. Portable panels enable you to move panels to optimum positions throughout the day and maximize power production. However, 200w folding panels weigh in the vicinity of 13/14 kgs so more weight and storage needed to be added into the mix. One of the most important points brought up is the need to get rid of incandescent lights (those with bulbs!). A recent change-over in my friend's Ecotourer from incandescent to LED lights resulted in a huge reduction in normal power usage at night - was 13.0 plus amps reduced to 2.8 amps ! Much better light and more reliable too. Plenty on Ebay. Not so important when 240v power available, but essential when off grid. And lets you stay off grid for longer too! Every little bit helps.

 

[Drover]

As an off grid camper unless you have a bucket of money then if you want to run the Nukavator a genny is the go especially if you want to use the AC as your battery pack and invertor wont cut it, gennies if used propetly off grid are only annoying if cheap crappy ones are used, or stupidpeoplecamp too close which a lot do. I use ours for the washing machine usually and charge everything up at the same time, folk comment they didnt even know the genny was running, because I put thought into position .... Have a great time camping and dont be a stranger here either.

 

[Crusty181]

Ive got a typical 2kW generator, which is about the standard avg size caravaners use, due to the compromise on weight, capacity and size. Our aircon is a Aircommand Ibis II. Running the aircon on the genset consumes 1ltr fuel per hour, and the tank is only 3.5ltrs. 24hrs of aircon will consume more than a 20ltr jerry can of fuel, and require topping up evert 3 hours, and 7 times over each 24hr period. Not a very practical situation, and to be fair being in the bush where its too hot to be outside, hiding in a aircon'ed van, and continuously feeding a ltr of fuel an hour into a genset, you gotta ask if there's a better, easier and more appropriate place to ride out the heat.

 

[RickB]

Hey @Drover do you do anything extra to make the genny quieter?
I have heard that at a gathering of vanners in the West they had some gennies that they surrounded in hessian to make them less noisy but I haven’t had the chance to try it for myself yet.

 

[Drover]

I aim the exhaust away, try to put it in a nigga hole or something natural that directs/muffles the sounds just needs a good look around, never towards a bank as it will deflect the sound back....... I hate trail bikes, gennies and fire smoke when I'm camping and see no need for off grids to camp on top of each other.....Though when are parked by a Lake when the skiers are in action we fire up the Honda do the washing, charge every damn thing including the neighbours stuff as noise isn't an issue....... Just abit of Common Dog needs to be applied, I have never used it for the AC, I know it will run my Ibis MkIII but see no sense when off grid, sit in a creek/river or pub/RSL when that hot.

 

[Crusty181]

I aim the exhaust away, try to put it in a nigga hole

 

[Drover]

Spelling different .................................

 

[Crusty181]

Spelling different .................................

interchangeable ... . Ha

 

[Drover]

interchangeable ... . Ha

Been told today ..... ..... Yesterday ..... ... most days .........