What are you powering?

[5 Right Turns]

I’m just starting my van build, and I’m trying to keep it as minimal as possible. I have small battery powered lights, can charge my phone from the 12v in the car. I’m looking for a list of things you power in your van, essentials and things that are nice to have. Thanks!

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome to the CRVL forums 5 Right Turns! Lights and a phone are really the only things that I would consider essentials however I think you should plan a spot for a house battery because you may want to add a solar panel in the future.

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started.

Most of our rules boil down to two simple over-riding principles: 1) What you post should provide good information (like your introductory post), and 2) Any response to someone else's post should make them feel glad they are part of this forum community.

We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[user 423]

-Small Alpicool C20 fridge powered by one deep-cycle battery and a Renogy 100W solar panel.

-Cobra 400 watt inverter that's used to charge AAA and AA batteries. The AAA batteries are used in several small LED push lights I have placed around the van. The AA batts are used in several LED flashlights. I've bought a couple of 12V LED lights to hookup to the van's wiring but haven't installed them yet.

-The inverter is also used to power a laptop and a small USB powered fan for when it's hot and sometimes to charge phones,tablet and hotspot.

-A 1000 watt inverter that I occasionally use for small power tools such as a jigsaw,4-1/2" circular saw, Dremel tool, 1/2" drill. For small jobs it's usually hooked up to the van's starting battery.

 

[MrNoodly]

For me, it's mostly a 24-qt Dometic fridge. Then there are my laptop, hot spot, cell booster, phone, and camera to keep charged. Some LED lights. Occasional recharging of the cordless drill battery and some other AA and AAA batteries. I do it with a 270W solar panel and 208Ah of batteries.

 

[maki2]

There is camping with a minimal setup and minimal power demands and then there is full time living while doing work to generate an income.

Everyone has different needs out here in the Cheap RV Living situations. Different hobbies, different wants for entertainment and communication, different health needs for electrical powered equipment.

Some choose electrical powered refrigeration, some choose to have propane, some choose ice, some choose to use foods that require no refrigeration. If you want to be a true minimal then you will need to do without refrigeration or else pay for ice or do a bit of both with ice for days when you go shopping then as the days go between trips to the store use up all the items that needed ice first.

You will have to figure out what your own needs are and then try to meet them. If you can't meet them then you have to make a change in your power demands letting go of some things you were doing or else increasing your ability to generate power. You will find the right balance but it could take a while to get it fine tuned.

Living out of a small car is going to put you in a class of its own. I suggest you watch some of the video interviews on the cheapRVliving youtube channel to see how others manage their power needs and camping setup for living out of a car.

 

[jacqueg]

I’m just starting my van build, and I’m trying to keep it as minimal as possible. I have small battery powered lights, can charge my phone from the 12v in the car. I’m looking for a list of things you power in your van, essentials and things that are nice to have. Thanks!

For me, the only essential thing to run on a house battery would be my fridge - an Alpicool 30 qt. Right now, the fridge is doing OK running off my ciggy plug while I'm driving during the day, and being turned off at night. ([font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]I don't have a house battery or [/font][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]solar yet, I do have a RockPa[/font][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]ls 300 power station which can run the fridge for a while.)
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My lighting is a mix of battery-operated LED lanterns and USB-rechargeable LED lights. I carry an electric rice cooker and electric tea kettle for when I have shore power. Otherwise, cooking is done on a propane camp stove.

Obviously I'm not set up (yet) for extended boon docking. 

Tell us more about how you intend to live - will you be driving every day, or will you stay planted in one place for several days, then drive a few miles to your next spot?

And which is that you have - a car or a van?

 

[VanFan]

We have an older, low-end portable power pack that a strip of LED lights on a dimmer stays plugged in to.  It recharges through a cigarette lighter/12 volt port when we're driving.  Our fans run on batteries.  The weather radio has solar and hand crank charging options, and can charge a cell phone.  That covers our needs at this time, and we feel nothing short of shore power would add much to our experience.  If a 12 volt 'fridge was in the picture, it might be worth adding solar and a house battery.

With shore power, we use an electric kettle and (lately) an electric skillet, and may hook up a fan (to save batteries) or a small ceramic heater (so toasty!).

 

[nemoskullforgothispassword]

window unit ac, 3d printer, lights, laptop. solar and generator. everything runs from the battery bank, generator to recharge. i had a fridge, never used it.

 

[barleyguy]

I've got a fifth wheel, but here's what I normally powe:

Laptop computer, Lights, Cellular Hotspot, Occasionally a TV. My fridge is propane but uses a tiny bit of 12V. Water pump when I run the water. I charge a cell phone once every two or three days, and an iPad occasionally. The fan on my furnace uses tons of power, but I only need it when it's cold outside. I'm planning to buy a Wave heater soon, which doesn't use any electricity.

EDIT: Forgot about my Fantastic Vent Fan, which I run mostly in evening when it's warm. It pushes out the hot air and pulls cool evening air in through the windows.

That's about it.

 

[chris84]

My electrical loads are (right now, winter)

Dometic CDF-11 Refrigerator/Freezer
CPAP machine (8 10 hours a night)
Roof vents (not to often)
Webasto heater (2-3 hours a day)
LG 24 inch television (1-2 hours a day)
Sony Bluray (1-2 hours a day)
a few led lights (negligible draw)

Generally about 25-30 amp hours a day, but I recently reduced my usage by getting a 12 volt power adapter for my CPAP, I was running more like 40-50 amp hours a day when I had to keep my inverter running all might for my breathing machine. It uses about 2 amps just to have the 3000 watt inverter running. So 10 - 15 amp hours a night just to have the inverter on.

In the summer the game is different. I use the vent fans a lot more, the heater a lot less (not at all except to keep it maintained) and a 5000 BTU AC for an hour or two each evening. The AC alone consumes about 60 - 80 amp hours a day (about 40 amps for 1-2 hours) and required the inverter to be running. Fortunately in the summer I will use a campground once a week to top up and have a place to clean, organize, and maintain the vehicle, top up the water and battery, etc.

For reference I have a 600 amp hour lithium battery, currently with 200 watts of solar (with 200 more watts ordered for install next week), a 3000 watt inverter, and a 30 amp battery to battery charger.