HAVE SOLAR GENERATOR AND PANELS BUT NEED ADVICE

[XFILE36]

Hi Everyone,  I am going to have to start by living in my car (with my elderly sick cat - I always say that in case someone does not know) until I sell my condo which should be quick.  Then I will buy a van, hopefully a class B. (I would trade my low miles BMW for a good van.)  Here is the stuff I have:

I have an electric blanket, and a small pan, that I can plug into either the generator or my cigarette lighter of my car.  (What's that plug called?)   I also have a laptop, an old fashioned flip top cellphone (by choice), small coffee maker, video camera that needs charging, a small lamp with a 4 watt LED bulb, and a regular Vornado 84 watt fan, all have "regular" plugs that I can plug into the generator.  
  
I have a Fuelless Generator and two 50 Watt suitcase folding solar panels which I bought for SHTF and now I am going to actually need to begin using it.   The generator can put out 1000 Watts Max at a time.  I don't really know ANYTHING about generators and what I have.  I was told the generator stores 600 Watts, which I don't understand.   I am making a list of all the things to buy, but I HAVE NO SPARE MONEY AT ALL until I sell my condo.  After that, I want the best of everything I can afford.   Eventually, I want a refrigerator, stove, oven, wave heater, air conditioner, etc.

Three Questions:

1.)  I would like to know if anyone can advise me if my generator/panels are enough to live on in a car and drive for a long distance like 2,000 miles to Georgia, or just to camp out stealthily?  (I have to stay locally in Los Angeles until my condo sells).

2.) Where do you stealthily park a car with to big solar panels and safely so someone doesn't come and steal them?

3.) What will I need to buy for my van when I get it to have all the things I listed above. (I probably need the maximum amount of power because of the air conditioner, etc.)  TY

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I've been out to the Fuelless Generator site.  Looks like you have a lithium ion battery pack with 50 amp hours total capacity and two 130 watt solar panels.  There's a built in inverter capable of 1500watts continuous, 2000 peak, a couple of usb ports for charging phones and tablets, and a single 12 volt ciggy plug rated for 10 amps max.

I seriously doubt that you are going to be able to run the coffee maker, electric pan, or electric blanket off this. Electric heating takes suprisingly LARGE amounts of power  Maybe the electric blanket, can you give us the specs on it, watts, amps, anything?

The fan, probably, at 84 watts it will draw less than an amp on 120 volts, so you could run it all night for only about 10 amp hours, even allowing for inverter inefficiency.

You really need to plan to acquire a backpacker's stove for cooking.

I can't imagine any way to safely put the solar panels out unless you are going to staying nearby and keeping an eye on them.

 

[XFILE36]

I've been out to the Fuelless Generator site.  Looks like you have a lithium ion battery pack with 50 amp hours total capacity and two 130 watt solar panels.  There's a built in inverter capable of 1500watts continuous, 2000 peak, a couple of usb ports for charging phones and tablets, and a single 12 volt ciggy plug rated for 10 amps max.

I seriously doubt that you are going to be able to run the coffee maker, electric pan, or electric blanket off this. Electric heating takes suprisingly  LARGE amounts of power  Maybe the electric blanket, can you give us the specs on it, watts, amps, anything?

The fan, probably, at 84 watts it will draw less than an amp on 120 volts, so you could run it all night for only about 10 amp hours, even allowing for inverter inefficiency.

You really need to plan to acquire a backpacker's stove for cooking.

I can't imagine any way to safely put the solar panels out unless you are going to staying nearby and keeping an eye on them.

The Fulless Generator was bought out by another company, so the specs and what they sell now is different than what I have.  I gave the correct specs.  Here is what the booklet says: 

Internal lithium battery pack:
Voltage:  12.8V Capacity: 50 Ah (600 Wh)

INTEGRATED INVERTER:
Output 120V AC PURE SINE WAVE  1000W CONTINUOUS, 2000 PEAK INTEGRATED AC CHARGER

INTEGRATED CHARGE CONTROLLER/BMS:
Input current: 15.0A
Output current:  10A
Max DC Input current:  16A
Max DC Output Current 10.A

The solar panels say 50 watts on each one on the back and I called the new company to confirm that.


I will have to go down to get the sauce pan and blanket out of my car to get the specs and get back to you.  (I bought them from the same people who sold me the generator, and they said they'd work with it.)  Thanks for your reply.  (P.S. I called the company to ask what the 2000 peak means and he said it doesn't apply to my generator, but it even says it on the generator, so I don't know what that means or if it was a mistake to print it on the generator and booklet?)

 

[John61CT]

Many/most appliances need to pull more watts when starting up or intermittently during use.

So ratings are "continuous" capacity vs a higher number that will be tolerated for short bursts.

 

[XFILE36]

Okay so the pan is 12 Volt, 150 watt and has a 15 watt fuse, and the blanket is 12 volt =that's all I could find on it.  thanks

 

[XFILE36]

Many/most appliances need to pull more watts when starting up or intermittently during use.

So ratings are "continuous" capacity vs a higher number that will be tolerated for short bursts.

John61ct

Can you explain that for someone who doesn't have a clue ?  Thanks

 

[John61CT]

I don't know, about as plain as I can make it, are there words there you don't understand?

Here's an example FAQ, skip to #4 if you don't like to read much

http://www.samlexamerica.com/support/faqs/faq01.aspx

Google for the definition of terms you don't know.

 

[XFILE36]

the blanket is 48 watts

 

[XFILE36]

I don't know, about as plain as I can make it, are there words there you don't understand?

Here's an example FAQ, skip to #4 if you don't like to read much

http://www.samlexamerica.com/support/faqs/faq01.aspx

Google for the definition of terms you don't know.

Thanks John61CT,  That link helped a lot.

 

[John61CT]

There are cheap DC heating pads truckers use that are lower power.

Best to put under rather than over, for me under my feet.

Or an old fashioned hot water bottle works well.

Whenever you can, go direct 12V rather than through an inverter.

 

[John61CT]

Learn to cook with butane or propane, latter better for bitter cold temps. But learn up about safety. . .

 

[XFILE36]

Learn to cook with butane or propane, latter better for bitter cold temps. But learn up about safety. . .

I will definitely do that later when I have money.  I am stuck with what I have for now...thanks!

 

[XFILE36]

There are cheap DC heating pads truckers use that are lower power.

Best to put under rather than over, for me under my feet.

Or an old fashioned hot water bottle works well.

Whenever you can, go direct 12V rather than through an inverter.

Do you know where to buy a hot water bottle?  Okay, so plugging it into my car cigarette lighter is better right?  Do I have to run the engine if that is so?

 

[XFILE36]

I have another question since we are on the subject. I posted the specs of the "generator" above. I only have two 50 watt panels. If I were to upgrade and buy 2 more panels, what would the highest wattage I should buy? How do you figure out what you need or what the generator can take in?

 

[jonsun]

I will definitely do that later when I have money.  I am stuck with what I have for now...thanks!

https://www.thesodacanstove.com/alcohol-stove/how-to-build.html

 

[John61CT]

Do you know where to buy a hot water bottle? 

Really? https://www.google.com/search?q=hot...4&tbm=shop&prmd=sivn&srpd=1676549724609662374

Okay, so plugging it into my car cigarette lighter is better right?  Do I have to run the engine if that is so?

I thought we were talking about your House battery? Watch out you don't wake up to a dead Starter battery!

All depends on watts ==> amps, how many minutes, hours.

Also ciggie lighter ports aren't designed well for heavy use.

Prolly best to do some googling and read up on the 12V electrics 101 basics, then come back and ask specific Qs.

http://www.catb.org/esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

the blanket is 48 watts

OK, watts is volts X amps so amps is watts/volts.  48watts / 12 volts is 4 amps.  So the blanket will use 4 amp hours every hour you run it.  So if you run it for 8 hours, you'll need 48 amp hours, and your battery pack only holds 50 amp hours.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I have another question since we are on the subject.  I posted the specs of the "generator" above.  I only have two 50 watt panels.  If I were to upgrade and buy 2 more panels, what would the highest wattage I should buy?  How do you figure out what you need or what the generator can take in?

Most panels have a sticker on back that lists the volts and amps.  The attachment is for a 50 watt Renogy panel, and it shows that that panel should be putting out a little less than 3 amps.  So if your 50 watt panels are similar, the two of them should be putting somewhere between 5.5 and 6 amps into your controller.  The specs on your controller says it can handle 15 amps, so you could probably add 3 more identical 50 watt panels, or one more bigger - 100 watt ~ 150 watt panel - ok .

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Okay so the pan is 12 Volt, 150 watt and has a 15 watt fuse, and the blanket is 12 volt =that's all I could find on it.  thanks

So 150 watts / 12 volts = 12.5 amps.  Run it for an hour and you've used 12.5 amp hours.  Run it for 4 hours and you've used up all 50 amp hours of your battery packs capacity.

Except the specs on your so called generator - it's not a generator, it's a battery pack - say the 12 volt port max capacity is 10 amps.  So you'll blow the fuse.  You could probably get by for a while by putting a 15 amp fuse in place of the 10 amp one, but I would expect the socket to run hot and eventually melt. 

If you positively, absolutely have to use this pan, I would cut the ciggy plug off of it, put a couple of battery clamps on instead, pop the hood and connect it to the car battery direct and have the car running while you are cooking.  That way you are powering it with the car's alternator.

 

[XFILE36]

Really? https://www.google.com/search?q=hot...4&tbm=shop&prmd=sivn&srpd=1676549724609662374

I thought we were talking about your House battery? Watch out you don't wake up to a dead Starter battery!

All depends on watts ==> amps, how many minutes, hours.

Also ciggie lighter ports aren't designed well for heavy use.

Prolly best to do some googling and read up on the 12V electrics 101 basics, then come back and ask specific Qs.

http://www.catb.org/esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Really??  I don't think my original question was dumb at all and I told you I know nothing about the subject.  I think asking about adding additional solar panels and what wattage to buy was a direct ,smart question.  BTW, if you really read my initial question you would see that it's for my car not my house...haven't seen a hot water bottle in about 40 something years, so yes really...