I Tried Full Electric Overlanding For 1.5 Years | Was It Practical?

[@TinkerersAdventure]

Use code TINKERER50 to get 50% OFF your first Factor box plus 20% off your next month of orders at bit.ly/3yHSt31. Thank you Factor for supporting my channel.

[@Drmikekuna]

In 2018 I built out a van and became a part-time van dweller. Two years ago I went all electric with a 3KW "solar generator" that includes an 2KW AC inverter. I have 400 watts of solar on the roof, and can also charge via the car's system. I use an induction hotplate, a microwave, a small pressure cooker, and even a coffee pot. Additionally, I power my fridge, a roof van, lights, and a Wabasto heater. It all works and I never have to worry about finding butane cartridges.

[@michaellynn3928]

Do you have a convenient solution for washing dishes?

[@conchscooter]

@@michaellynn3928vinegar spray. Wipe down with a paper towel and done. I have lived in a non propane van for three years. It seems to be catching. We also have rooftop a/c

[@valdius85]

A year updates are the videos I value the most. Thank you.

[@tsk1979]

Same here 200$ Microwave without turntable 30$ kettle (500W travel) 50$ induction 100Ah battery + Renogy 30A alternator charger and a Delta 2 make up my electric power house. Microwave is a game changer. Costco stuff + Microwave is a new level unlock

[@KingsonMan]

What are your recommendations from Costco?

[@ausguy4385]

100wh? Do you mean Ah?

[@lawrencek9748]

A microwave was never even a consideration until I saw this. Now it's tempting. I wish they made small ones with the convection option!

[@tsk1979]

@@KingsonMan Sukhi;s chicken, some nice korean frozen stuff, Enchiladas, Jim beans for breakfast..

[@tsk1979]

@@ausguy4385 Aaah yes, fixed it

[@fpartidafpartida]

I love my tiny camp kitchen for my Rivian R1S. It's just a little stove and pan. A small cutting board and collapsible bowls and water bag. I carry it full time in the "hidden storage" in the back because it takes up so little room. The Rivian has a built-in 1,500W plug in the back. I typically cook 2 meals per day and I can't get it to even register 1 mile of range for my cooking. Love that vehicle for sleeping in it too. I just set the temp at whatever I want and it consumes little energy overnight.

[@4WDisLife]

men of culture, here we meet again !

[@pandaoverboard]

I love you

[@Big_AL_Nowitzki]

Where’s the tatas

[@jatorresrv]

~3yrs all-electric, although it's come via trail and error but luckily sparing significant cost per error. Currently at 800ah lithium for the past ~1.5yr with RedArc RedVision, which only allows 30amp max charging from alternator, solar, or 120v. Last summer worked at night and slept in vehicle during the day in Arizona. The hottest outside temp 119F while staying cool inside at 72F x8hrs with 5k BTU 120v window AC unit via 3k inverter and 600w solar panels. In the winter, then sleeping at night, NMBDR ~8k above sea level, 7F was the lowest stayed warm with 120v 1800w heater. Additionally, 1800w induction heater, 1800w Ninja AirFryer, and 300w 12v heating rod to warm water for showering. In the ~3yrs I have upgraded the batteries, but their location has stayed he same, the rear seat footwell in a 4Runner on top a 10g footwell tank from Front Runner. Electric over propane or diesel, is more set and forget, no spills or leaks, and regardless wind or elevation as well.Thanks for sharing.

[@jatorresrv]

In my experience, and I'm sure others have noticed similar, most of the battery is consumed between making dinner, staying cool or warm while sleeping, and making breakfast, all when there is no solar power support.

[@JimmyDevere]

@@jatorresrv How do you mount an AC window unit in the 4runner? Were your solar panels attached to the roof, or did you set them up on the ground? Care to make a video of your setup? Could you provide links to everything you used?

[@samjohnson9894]

To me, overlanding is about redundancy. I'm not full electric but my system (2.6kWh 24v/2kW inverter) is more than capable of doing so. Going all electric is fine but highly recommend keeping a minimum of gas-based items onboard as a backup in the event the electrons, plugs, software, bluetooth, etc decide not to play nice for any of the myriad of reasons that they typically do. Good video and happy trails!

[@artemZinn]

Isn't fire starter enough when wood is around? I wouldn't want to carry gas cans, I'd rather install two batteries so if one fails I have another.

[@bernardmcnamara]

Glad to see someone else looking into the practicality of electronic camping appliances. I was doing the same thing several years ago while drawing up plans for my Superkart 🏁🏎️ karting trailer... While camping at the race track for several days. 🇦🇺👍

[@Lane-Arias]

Man!!! Your videos are so valuable! Please make videos of ALL of your Tinkering Projects…you’re a master.

[@tybrady4598]

I’m electric with my Minivan. I have a small kettle, a small microwave and a small Instant Pot. The Instant Pot, which is an efficient pressure cooker, can also be used as a griddle. With a 12 volt fridge, I can precook a lot of meals and simply heat one up in the microwave. I use two power stations. That way one is always attached to the fridge and I can be charging the other one with my portable solar panel. If it’s cloudy, I can always recharge with my vehicle. My minivan is a hybrid, so the engine only turns on when the hybrid battery gets low. It’s a fairly efficient way to recharge the power station. To clean my dishes, I rinse them off and then use a small steam generator. That saves a lot of water since theres no soap to rinse off. The super heated steam gets rid of any grease/oil, and it kills bacteria with the heat.

[@kitty4536]

I have never heard of the steam generator, would you mind posting the link to the product if it's available for sale? Thanks!

[@WeekendWanderersOverland]

@@kitty4536 yeah I'm interested in this!!

[@1Seriouslyserious]

Yes, please share link to steam generator, sounds very efficient! 😊

[@danielbernbeck1486]

Me too! Please share a link to the steam generator

[@woohoozzi]

Hello! Out of curiosity, is your hybrid minivan the Toyota Sienna? I just got one and I am trying to sort out my power setup. Which power stations do you use, and do they play nicely with the van's built-in AC plug? I appreciate your time and energy!

[@josephdonnaway5755]

Good summary. I’ve essentially gone all electric for cooking in our Airstream, with microwave, coffee maker, convection oven and induction cooktop all powered by an Ecoflow Delta Max with two extra batteries. Now I’ve added the Ecoflow Alternator Charger to my solar charging. Our boondocking is limited only by water.

[@fratermus5502]

I've been running 95% electric for the last 14 months of fulltime boondocking. I did use some propane for heat over the weeekend when I got caught in freezing temps. I haven't refilled propane since I started the all-electric experiment. My setup is ~$1,100 for 750w of used panel, 45A victron controller, 1280Wh of LiFePO4, 1000w PSW inverter, and a VSR for alternator charging.

[@chadperling2766]

Pecron has added a 500-watt car charger to it's accessories list. It works directly off the battery (with protection).

[@TerryManitoba]

I chose to go full custom electric in my van going on 7 years (90k miles of travel) as I did not want any gas in the van. I used to charge my 220 amp battery at 30 amp & recently added a 40 amp charger totalling 70. The additional charge capacity wasn't absolutely necessary but it is nice once in a while when I am stationary for more than a few days. I chose to not have solar on my roof because roof rack eat up 15% of your gas mileage but have 200 watts that I 'rarely' pull out. (mostly just to make sure it still works-:)

[@lindasteller]

I have a 48v 10kw Power kit from Ecoflow. Still, I've chosen a gas range and no microwave in my van. I like to cook, and I cannot bear participating in generating all that plastic from pre-made dinners for the landfill. I'm happy that your system works for you.

[@vatoencabronado]

I fit 200Ah Li where the rear AC would go in the luxury models of GX460 behind the plastics... I welded up a battery box that is held in place by all of the existing bracket holes. I can park the GX in the shade of a tree, and run an extension that plugs into my rear bumper out to 400w of deployable solar panels. I 've got 2000w inverter tucked in on the other side, with an output to my bumper, as well, so I can run an extension cable out to whatever I need. I dont' have to open the vehicle to add more solar or to run AC out. The batteries, inverter, cabling, monitoring, charge controller etc, don't take up any interior cargo space. I'd have to add up total cost, which is likely more, but I still have seating for 5, a drawer system and a 73qt fridge/freezer.

[@ecovango6675]

I have the same cookware as you and they are absolutely fantastic. Clean up so easily and work great on induction stove top! Yes, going electric is the best way to go! I have two portable power stations one is 2000 W hours and the other one is 750. Perfect combination and they all recharged very quickly! I think both will charge in about 80 minutes total would never go Two. Dragging around propane, containers, or gas. Thanks for the videos.

[@PajEvo_Aus]

I will never go back to gas after moving to electric because of space constraints in the SWB Pajero Evolution. I have my whole car run off a single 200Ah lithium that does cranking and deep cycle duties. It charges at full alternator current (100amps) so it recharges extremely fast and i get about 4 days of fridge and cooking duties out of it without starting the car. Never worrying about cold or wind is a huge advantage of induction as well

[@TinkerersAdventure]

Wow Pajero Evo. One of my favorites

[@trolzealot8635]

Simple is the best, that's what I learned from some videos from Australia, your double acid battery is enough for fun, worry better about pranks with friends.

[@TerryManitoba]

I built (& continue to optimize after EVERY trip) my van 7 years ago. At first on the road (before actually building it) I grabbed all my camp gear and travelled for 3 months. Then went home to do the build. On the first trip I considered how I would do the build & decided to build the most robust electric system and to NOT use fuel. (except a Butane cooktop which I never used as a back up, but occasionally as a second cooktop) After 7 years I would not do it any differently. 220 amp lithium battery - proven to be enough - I use 33% a day - so it last 3 days. 3000 watt inverter - never overloaded 30 + 40 = 70 amp Redarc BC/DC charger - I just added the 40 amp to speed up charging 200 portable solar panel - which I very rarly use - I pull the. out just to make sure they still work... I never tried a microwave - never realy sure I would need one - I'll ponder it

[@alteregoklause1694]

And your alternator is still alive? Alternators are typically rated at 150Ah max. MAX!! So if they deliver 80-100Ah average you can be happy. Your car consume aprox. 30-40Ah while driving daytime => 60Ah max for recharging.

[@TerryManitoba]

@@alteregoklause1694 My alternator is 250 ah & has not skipped a beat after 7 years. From what I was told by someone who knew these systems said as a "rule of thumb" - you are good as long as you Don't Exceed 50% output of your alternator's capacity. 250 / 2 = 125 amp hour limit So I draw 75 amp to charge my batteries - I am still well below the max allowable draw.

[@alteregoklause1694]

@@TerryManitoba Thanx! Ok, 250Ah is pretty good. Is this an OEM one? All cars I know (in Europe) are 150Ah max (standard). And yes, 50% seems a realistic value I use, too. Which limits me to low 75Ah recharge.😢

[@TerryManitoba]

@@alteregoklause1694 It is a Canadian Transit Van OEM alternator. Someone told me that North American vehicles tend to have larger Alternators. (maybe we are simply more power hungry-:)

[@jcamp359]

We boondocked with out TT without propane for two years in all but the most extreme cold weather. 4kWh, including LFP and a Delta 2 Max. Just Ordered a pop-up truck camper, Tune M1. Going full electric using my D2M and a 280ah LFP, 400w solar, and dc/dc charger. Cheaper than putting in a propane system.

[@jdmspacebuggy]

Your previous vdieos influenced me to go full electric with the Delta 2 and DC2DC in my Isuzu Vehicross 😂 About to embark on a 3 week pan european trip in summer, and so far on the test runs it has worked great!

[@CrippleCreekStudios]

Kai, I love your videos. I am marking this down for my future build. This set up is going to be great for long distance overlanding from the Midwest to Utah and beyond!

[@BrentRivers]

If everyone gains a basic understanding of lithium based battery tech, the relationship to power/watts = voltage * amperage and what a BMS is, you can build quite a bit of power reserve and charge it efficiently from both the alternator and solar. Most people's power demands aren't running a 2000w inverter, it's best to stay within the 12v (24v Aussie) realm for all devices for a much more efficient use of stored power.

[@TobyCostaRica]

Yes it’s more efficient but you’re gonna have a hard time finding a 12v microwave, induction cooktop, instant pot. They might be out there but will cost more than the inverter to use mass produced household appliances.

[@BrentRivers]

@@TobyCostaRica gotta stay home, or just get an RV. Ive never needed a micro, dont even use one much at home. But thats me.

[@TheMitchellbegeng]

24v Aussie? I'm in Aus and only trucks (and some winch comp vehicles) run 24v

[@artemZinn]

Nah. The biggest downside of doing 110V/220V AC is that you lose efficiency to heat converting DC from battery to AC. Also good luck finding powerful 12V Kettle, cooking top, etc. 12V wires are super thic for these loads, 110V and 220V especially reduce the wires AWG quite a lot.

[@BrentRivers]

@@TheMitchellbegeng so there is 24v there? Most of the offroad channels ive seen use 24v rigs

[@alutious]

Thank you for the video, gj. i made the same conclusion. My original plan was to go with a tiny microwave, so that i could boil water inside during rain. It was 1000 watts. every time i went to order it, it was out of stock. my system design was for 1500w. i ended up with a 6 in 1 cooker which i am happy with so far. It is 1400w but i run it mostly at 1250w. the steak and ribs looked amazing on your videos. My main goal was to cook eggs and bacon and boil water. I looked at induction but 1) too much power and 2) it didn't work with my lightweight backpacking pots. I also looked at kettles but it is one of the highest demand energy devices, like a heater or a crazy A/C. i found most cookers all boil water in 4 to 6 minutes. I use a propane stove as a backup as i can use it inside if necessary and when energy is low. I have done testing but not alot of practical use, max so far is a 3 day trip.

[@732Runner]

Poor Justino.. lol I’m not going FULL electric but hanging out with Chris has definitely influenced me to upgrade my electrical..

[@gregalee]

Fantastic video! Thank you for sharing. I really enjoy your breakdowns that start with general engineering design choices, then break down parts choices into some main categories and price points based around *use cases*, then discuss individual brands and their implementations. It's so refreshing to get the opinion of an actual engineer rather than the intuitive, but not grounded in deep ME knowledge, "opinions of guys in your local overlanding garage". Perfect example: your shocks and upper control arm videos simplified my decision making process greatly. Thank you! I've been searching for a channel of information just like this. GIVE US MORE VIDEOS! I think you mentioned in one video that you also owned a 1st Gen Tacoma. I just lucked into an old man (25-year old classic vehicle!) 1999 Tacoma SR5 3.4V6 standard 4x4 Xtra-cab w/ long bed. Generally, it's in fantastic shape for an old truck but it's going to need serious love in the suspension category especially as the big FabTech coilovers and the old shocks in the back with add-a-leaf springs in the back are all well past their duty cycle dates. It's up on 32" BF KO2s and the back end bounces up and down like a trampoline when I go over train tracks! Any videos you might consider making for giving your ancient Taco some love in 2024 would be seriously appreciated. My eventual goal is to outfit it for overland camping with a Kuat IBEX topper and all electric camping setup like you've outlined here. May be tricky with the old-time electrical system, I'm not sure. I was thinking dual battery with a couple of slim-line Li-Ion packs but now you've got me thinking about the all-in-one battery banks. Ecoflow has some seriously big batteries available, all the way up to house-capacity.

[@IndependenceOverland]

I plan to utilize more AC in my next truck build. I’m not sure I will ever be 100% electrical, but I do think things like heat (even though inefficient) can be utilized successfully with how quick some of these can charge now. I just got an Etaker today and I have to say I am very impressed so far. It has a lot of features other batteries as missing for a good “overlander” battery pack. Well done as always man!

[@Flash1857]

Add a few 12v blankets or pads for those times the temperature is not as harsh

[@SigmaWolfOutdoors]

Ecoflow alternator charger you can change setting in app for charging watts up to 800w/voltage 12-15v

[@alexsoo1752]

I just received mine yesterday. This will be the ultimate setup. Hooking it up this weekend; Delta 2 Max LFP, Glacier fridge/freezer, 800W alternator charger, and 160W solar panel.

[@rickdougherty1371]

@@alexsoo1752 Are you using the OEM alt? The vid left me hanging on whether he changed his or not.

[@nathanmusgrove365]

Good vid! I highly recommend considering the low cost approach of simply installing a ~2500 watt inverter. You can’t keep a fridge or electric blanket on all night, but it makes cooking extremely easy like he outlined & is very cheap and easy to install.

[@WeekendWanderersOverland]

the new Ecoflow Alternator sealed the deal for me.. delta 2 + battery and alternator for the new camping setup... and I love my airfryer I run off my 200ahu lithum setup in my 4x4 van!! now I can take it tent camping too!!

[@geraldg8327]

I "hard-wired" my 5lb propane tank on my FJ Cruiser for my permanently-mounted Joolca and tee-ing off using 1/4" RV quick-disconnects to minimize set up for my stove. With the amount of hot water I use while camping, I couldn't use an electric water heater like a Duoetto as I have 100L onboard. Preheating the water while driving using a Glind hot shower system in recirc mode helps reduce water wasted when arriving at the campsite. Water stays warm for a while too which is nice. A 1-lb tank for emergencies with the right adapter would have saved your friend for when the 5 pounder empties during a trip.

[@PrestonGladd]

Honestly this just makes sense, you run your engine all the time, might as well get full potential out of it. It will charge when there is no sun, and most "overlanders" are driving for at least 4 hours a day, which will usually keep your batteries topped off. These systems make way more sense than building your own now to IMO. I went with the anker F3800, but in hindsight I wish I would have went with ecoflow. However they more or less do the same thing, but the ecoflow has more peripherals and better options like built in heating pads on the batteires.

[@TobyCostaRica]

Also the ability to set your charge current at 50 watt intervals. I was surprised my friends anker unit didn’t have that. With I have a long drive I charge at 2-300 watts to be gentle on the battery. If I need to quickly top off my pack I’ll charge at 8-1000 watts

[@daleb5967]

You could use the induction cooktop to also heat your vehicle. I also use a cake pan for cooking since it's thinner metal, and use a smaller thermos sized kettle.

[@MountainTopher]

This is exactly what I did with my tacoma. I have 2 solar panels on top with a 200Ah lithium battery. It's really nice

[@STB-jh7od]

Back in the late 90s, I remember seeing round generators that fit under the hood of truck/vans, that hooked up to engine (supposedly without much work) to provide power for campers.

[@tumbleweed1976]

Love your perspective and explanation! I use EcoFlow Delta 2 with 200 watt solar panels on roof. Runs my DC cooler, charges all devices and cook with 110v griddle.

[@bd103dall]

Makes me wonder if the new Toyota Hybrid body on frame SUVs will be great electric overlanding vehicle options.

[@johnguertin5054]

we use an electric kettle in our camper several times a day its a gamechanger. One in the house like you too

[@johnguertin5054]

also use a microwave daily and my next camper is all electric kitchen with electric supplementary heat and AC!

[@fscottgray9784]

I have a Bluetti AC180 that provide 1800 watts of AC and 1173 watt hours. $600 for the AC180 right now.400 watts of solar and can also recharge using my 400 watt vehicle provided AC. I use a Stokes VOltaic 500 watt kettle and now have their new electric cook set with pot and pan. Vary them from 400 to 1000 watts input for cooking.

[@TheOutdoorBeerReview]

You should really look into HotLogic warming ovens. They have a smaller 12V model as well as a bigger "casserole" 120V model. They are excellent for heating up / cooking leftovers without a giant power draw. Small one pulls 50W and the larger one is only 100W. Ive had them for years, super super useful.

[@406Campr]

Kai, Great update. I have been using your setup from 2023 for over a year now. I will look into the Ecoflow version of the dc/dc charger for my campervan.

[@Thergood]

One other big point is many power station companies are FINALLY putting high amp 12v DC outputs on their units. Oupes, for example, has a 12v\30amp DC Anderson plug output on their mega line. This allows you to run 12v accessories like lights, diesel heaters, etc. You can even connect it to 12v switching systems like those from Switch Pros, Auxbeam, Garmin, etc. IMO there is very little reason to run dedicated complex dual battery systems anymore. Power stations with the fast alternator charging and high amp 12v DC output have rendered them obsolete.

[@billermanthegreat]

I use a Microwave in my van all the time! It's one of my favorite pieces of kit.

[@jeffschollenberger2498]

I thoroughly enjoy your engineering/DIY content Kai. Also the fridge that I purchased from you is working great. Just upgraded my portable power source along with an alternator charger. Hoping to get an induction stove real soon.

[@freakyflow]

I been running 2560Wh in my 4x4 with a 180watt panel And 145amp custom alt ..Lights fridge fan 600watt A/C when peak sun times are hot However with 2.5inches of spray foam And a thermostat The wattage works out to be 350 to 400wh The trick being I run my trucks A/C first for 10 mins Power stations are nice But you pay for the cost of it to be portable

[@shabazan]

I am all electric, without solar. I charge during a daily drive with a GoPower 1750 inverter to a ecoflow delta 1300 and a zerobreeze elechive (combined 3000+ wHr) using 120v inputs. Yes, there is conversion loss, but it is the fastest charge rate I’ve found.

[@e.c.8668]

Here would be an interesting test. compare one or more 120VAC to some 12VDC water kettles. It could be more efficient since you don't have losses converting from 12VDC to 120VAC in an inverter. Not having to pack a gas cylinder would certainly save space. You can tuck a battery system or power station somewhere not readily accessible and just run wires to where you need them. Packing a LP cylinder requires it to be accessible.

[@TinkerersAdventure]

the 12V kettle are too low in power. the low voltage is the limiting factor. The kettle i use is 1500W. The inverter loss is actually less than most people think. most large power stations are internally 40-50V to minimize copper loss.

[@rigidchop]

I went dc to dc on my van because of your videos. I also have a smaller solar setup for my fridge and smaller usb electronics.

[@alexpalmer776]

I run a microwave,electric kettle and slow cooker off a small system in my Jeep. Solar panels, 1500 converter, no problem. Two deep cell and a spare seperate lithium for the fridge.

[@alutious]

As for energy i also agree but with some variation, as your needs really determine what you need to purchase, it's a matter of configuration. When looking 2 years ago i couldnt find a generator that worked for me, except very expensive ones and the lack of expandability/configuration compared to a custom system. In hindsight, especially now, a stand alone "generator" is awesome, way simpler and made more practical with new "engine chargers" (dcdc converter). btw i do car camping compared to your overlanding. my main issue was that i couldnt find an adequate station that fit, they either had a big enough battery but to low an inverter, or crazily, a big enough battery but too small an inverter (within my price range). nuts. later i found a nice accessory station, 500wh with an 800w inverter and an excellent - 400w charger. The neglected detail is the recharge, which you covered, gj. this box is handy to power most things and to move power to my vehicle as plugging it in is a challenge and the unit weighs under 20 lbs. my engine charger is 50ah. i went with alot of storage. the other hidden cost are cables and especially connectors - they add up and can be a pain (i reduced this with larger batteries, only needing 2). with my system setup i have infiinite possibilities on how i add/replace things. I can run for over a week (during rain) and if my energy output is too high, i can either eat sandwiches, salads or use a small propane hiking stove. the other energy suck is a heater - dont get me started. also a de-humidifier, which seems to be a constant battle - less of a thing if you drive alot, which is variable for me. The need is very tricky, i would say, because of the large cycles of lipo, order lipo and buy bigger than you think you will need - it will last a long time. i am hoping as time goes by things will get more efficient, except for heaters - but coffee machines are proving me wrong. If you get pregrind coffee the aeropress might be the simplest/nicest option. I love how you hinged the compartment for your car charger, that was sweet. thx again for the video. oh slow cookers are great, low power, can run on almost any system HOWEVER the run time requires a large battery - 8-10 hours per cook. my slow cook meals can last for a week though, and i want to see how it does for heating up soup (short run time). Running it during sunny days is optimum as you wont lose energy storing and retrieving energy from the battery. i wish i had one that was 12v, that would make a difference. Perhaps the 12v food warmers are the trick?

[@ClipsByMiles]

Extremely timely! Looking at moving to a fully electric camper behind a Lexus GX.

[@mongoosevsgt]

Great video. Brings up an interesting dilemma too. Technology has made it so easy and convenient for us that even if most people had bugout bags and a capable 4x4 to escape when SHTF they wouldn't survive without their electrical appliances or gadgets. Most wouldn't even know how to start a fire let alone what a fire does. LOL

[@Mel3V]

I have two 92Ah LiFePO4 batteries in parallel in the 2nd row passenger-side footwell of a 4Runner, underneath the plywood sleeping platform on the floor of the cargo area (I took out the 2nd row seats). Charged by a 40A RedArc BCDC1240D charger from the OEM alternator, using 4 AWG wires through the firewall. I installed a temperature probe on the alternator housing, with a display on the dashboard. So whenever I see that the alternator is well below 175 degrees F, I do not have to worry about overheating the alternator if I turn on a switch that I installed in the dashboard to send current from the alternator to the RedArc charger, to charge the LiFePO4 battery bank. My 1200W inverter is enough for an 1800W induction cooktop since I only ever need at most medium heat from the induction cooktop, and a medium setting draws only 1100W. This setup worked well on a 6,000 mile overlanding trip. For heat in the winter, though, I am working on installing a diesel heater in the cargo area.

[@Verb130]

I have a 2500wh electric generator with an installed 300w DC-DC charger. I also have a 300w portable solar panel. I'm full electric with two induction plates and steel cookware in lieu of cast-iron. I've never had a problem with battery charge or felt like I needed to ration the battery energy.

[@RobertsAdventure]

Great vid, I hadn't heard about the Ecoflow DC-DC charger, great to see the power station manufacturers keeping pace with system needs.

[@lawrencek9748]

Just started using an induction cooktop with my bluetti setup. Also could run the heater to heat up my GFC, but definitely limitation is ambient temperature, my batteries ran down pretty quick when it was ~30F outside, so even my 4kwh setup was down to about 15% (from 89%) when I woke up in the morning.

[@TinkerersAdventure]

are you using a space heater over night? that will run it down a lot as the tent loses a lot of heat. i only use the space heater in the morning when i change and run electric blanket inside the sleeping bag overnight

[@lawrencek9748]

@@TinkerersAdventure I ran it on low (so it was cycling) for about 4-5hr. Granted it was my first test in my GFC and it was trying to heat the tent and the bed area. When it's on low it pulls ~5-600w, but it cycles with the thermostat as well. I will say, I am sold on induction cooking, it works exceptionally well.

[@johnmarkshannon8231]

Ecoflow has the Delta 2 bundled with their new Alternator Charger on a major sale for Amazon Prime Day this year (Prime Subscribers only). That crazy deal + your electric camping videos has inspired me to finally go Factor meals w/ microwave and a couple of cast irons w/ a single induction burner. Bye bye propane!!

[@DaddyBusAdventures]

Not quite there yet. We have an offroad trailer still reliant on LPG for warm water and space heating. 200AH with 200W solar is plenty to keep everything else powered and batteries topped off. A 20A DC-DC charger that connects over an 50A anderson plug helps tremendously when driving from location to location to bring SOC back even if it was very low. Yet, I am not sure yet how to solve the heating issue. Everything else that only uses high current (coffee machine, induction plate, microwave, kettle) for short time is no issue for sure.

[@totoroben]

Switch out your electric kettle for a hot water dispenser. You will have hot water on demand, and it doesn't use as much wattage when heating up, meaning you can get by on a system using less wattage

[@uweschroeder]

Really depends on what you do. If you drive a lot this works, if you don't it doesn't. Also depends on the style of cooking or heating equipment you use. I have 2400Wh in my overland trailer and it's enough to run everything for 4 days without charging in about 90 degree weather. I don't do cold weather trips so I don't really care about cold weather capabilities. around freezing is my minimum temp. I run most things on gas and I never ran out - that's just poor planning. I don't see a reason to spend a couple thousand bucks just to be electric - it offers no benefit to me since my trailer already has a pull out kitchen and I don't need to run a water kettle inside. I love my induction range at home but I don't even own a microwave as I never had any use for one. My kitchen setup has 6 burners and I frequently use all of them. No, I don't do junk food, neither at home nor when out on a trail. I cook from scratch every time - it's a preference, I know. So most of my electricity goes into refrigeration and amenities like shower and furnace. I do have a DC/DC charger in the car to charge the batteries while driving, but most of the job is done by 800W of solar panels, some mounted on the trailer and most portable on extension cords so I can move them 40 ft out into the sun.Usually recharges my batteries in 2 to 4 hours. I do remain stationary a lot. I drive someplace, find a nice spot to camp and then explore the area without the trailer. Works for me and I don't see much benefit in electrifying everything. A bottle of gas lasts me at last a month and I usually carry 2 20lbs bottles so I can enjoy my gas firepit any time I like even in red flag conditions which on the west coast are common. So whenever there's a ban on campfires, which to me belongs to a camping trip, I at least have a gas firepit. What do electric people do? Run a laptop with a fireplace app?

[@GEAUXFRUGAL]

Affordable cooking is 750 watt inverter and a rice pot. Another good way to cook induction it's very efficient. Living in a van YT channel Denoy show his work. A pot of rice give 4 people a meal with a van of beans. The most efficient cooking is the E pressure cooker smaller ones can be powered by the 750w. Once pressure is sealed still cooks when power is off. Solar oven great if you have the sun but this video is at night.

[@VideoShowMeHow]

Just experiementing with the same after building a 400AH/5120wh setup in my rig (overkill I know 😂) and so far so good, man induction is great on windy australian beaches!

[@KevinLin145]

When I saw the ecoflow 800w I immediately thought about your setup. It's an exciting time to witness the transition. Even more and more homes are going full electric. I'd love to see a video of your take on hybrids and how they benefit in electric camping. My RAV4 Prime PHEV has been flexing at the camp site for the past year!

[@MrJhchrist]

The RAV prime seems like a factory designed full electric overland system with added drive train integration. Can you charge up on solar, or is there some minimum power / voltage threshold to make it work?

[@KevinLin145]

@@MrJhchrist You can not charge up the car with solar. Well technically you can, it'll just take a looooooong time. Solar charges too slow, or rather hybrid batteries are way too large in capacity. The RAV4 Prime has 14kwh of usable/chargeable battery. So even with a large 400W solar panel that Kai has with his FJ, it'll take you 35 hours to fully charge the Prime.

[@TinkerersAdventure]

I love the RAV4 Prime!

[@TobyCostaRica]

I’m going to camp in mine this fall and hope to run AC all night without the engine kicking on. PHEV is the ultimate overland setup

[@SJSCHOCH]

You nerd-out on this stuff in a cool way. big-BIG respect. Maybe in the next electricity vid, you might tackle the decision on how to best power a fridge; comparing AC vs DC. I recall seeing a youtoob fridge review a while back that said rig fridges should be run on DC, and said it was more efficient. I am about 20 hours into my test right now, and seeing that DC is looking like it is more efficient. I don’t fully understand why, and when I consulted The Googles the answers really weren’t helpful I asked the efficiency question of AC or CD on Amazon for a ICECO fridge, and ICECO responded with “Hi, thanks for your question. Insufficient voltage will directly affect the cooling efficiency and performance of your refrigerator. We recommend you can use AC, the voltage will be more stable under AC.” If AC is inefficient, is it because of the converting process or is there something else happening here?

[@EverydaySandro]

I love to see this! I am fully electric (self-sufficient) living inside my Tesla Model X

[@Ms.Frankenbuilder]

Like a simple solar setup with batteries rather than power station. Did a test with a simple system on my channel and was surprised how fast the induction stove heated water.

[@theGiggityGiG-is2kx]

Thanks for the vid man. This has been my largest hang up I've had with beginning my van is the electrical system. Custom battery bank or power station. This might sound stupid but I always think to one of those days where I crash the whole day in the van streaming or playing online games. I want enough power to go potentially 5-6-7-8 hours with a monitor running, xbox, router.. wouldnt be too often I drained the batteries like so but want to know it has the depth to do so.

[@Rick_Gregor]

Nice setup, I seen in another video an 800w DC to DC converter...Electric keeps getting better!

[@pennmikael]

during my camping trip over Memorial Day, my electrical system did fail. my DC-DC charger which failed and I could not charge my battery. luckily I have 2000 wh and back up gas stove system so I was able to get through.

[@TinkerersAdventure]

Interesting. Which DC-DC charger did you get? Why did it fail? Was it just a blown fuse or the whole thing was toasted.

[@pennmikael]

@@TinkerersAdventure I drew my conclusions too early and sorry wrong terminology. The set up: Car battery-fuse-relay-Amazon voltage booster 12/24 - bluetti D050S "DC Charge enhancer"- BLUETTI B230 battery I originally thought my 12-24v voltage booster (amazon SUPERNIGHT 12-24 20A) failed since the bluetti battery would not charge. However, I have measured the voltage from the car battery( which read normal 13v), the output voltage after the 12-24 booster (normal 24v), and the output voltage after the D050s (normal 59v). The D050S came with a cigarette plug and the battery charges (red light) when I plug it into the car. There is a status light (green- battery is full or on standby, and red- charging). The most expensive component still works! phew When I use my own wiring, the D050S shows a green light (confirming that power is going in), but does not charge. The D050S has input voltage of 12-60v and is meant for solar so the voltage doesn't have to be completely steady. The system has worked before but I only realized it stopped working this past weekend. Maybe it's been broken for a while and I just didn't know. The only thing I can think of now is that the relay has failed and is not able to provide enough current, but is able to provide just enough that I can measure the voltage is good.

[@injectionAI]

I’ve been 100% electric for over a year. When it’s raining for more that a few days, I see the benefits of a small fuel burner

[@jeffweston9743]

Can you go into detail please?

[@Jack-sr7np]

Done similar stuff but back in china. Think it really depends on the gears as well. I did it by achieve using BYD DM-i vehicle. They are just electric car with very efficient generator. 46% efficiency for the new one i believe. My one gives about 4-5kw power per liter of petrol. And i had a 200+ liter tank that i installed My self. And i calculated to use about 2-5kw per day and using the function Called power station mode, Battery in the car is 35kwh So takes more than a week to drain the battery flat And If u get the engine running and charge the battery up again. In theory Full tank of fuel is able to last me about 210 day in the wild. So the car will last longer than me i think haha.

[@TinkerersAdventure]

The EV and 4X4 options in China are from another world! Very cool stuff

[@Jack-sr7np]

Yea i missed it so much After i Left china. Has to be hybrid tho. So u are not limited by range. And still get good power. Like BYD tang DM P Has about 650hp And 900+nm with the petrol hybrid engine.

[@ZachLitton]

It looks like by your configuration, if you can install a car audio amp, you can wire this up. Pretty awesome.

[@planesandbikes7353]

Thanks for this. I've owned an Ecoflow pro for a couple years looking for a purpose other than home backup power. 3600 KWHr, but it weighs 100lbs. Maybe I want the Ecoflow 800W alternator-charging unit for my trip to Alaska next year. Good idea on the microwave. I own a 2 burner induction plate already. I also own Starlink we use as backup at home but could be used mobile.

[@jailbreakoverlander]

Electric camping is good to go if your solar, batteries etc are up to task. Im about to drop a video on made in canada gen 6 solar panels that are simply magik

[@TinkerersAdventure]

I look forward to that video Richie!

[@reynoldwright8001]

Great video. I've been playing with the idea of full electric as well. Love the setup.

[@oliverlloyd8762]

Can I suggest an air fryer? Rather than a microwave, not only is it smaller, it can make food taste better when you reheat it and you can do all kinds of cooking in it with easy cleanup.

[@phillyfanist]

the concerns over using gas are valid if a bit overblown. however, i would say it is better to have redundancy than rely on any one method alone. battery systems can have issues holding charges as they age, or you could have a period of several days of overcast where the charge you might get from solar isnt enough to overcome the draw of the items you are using (many people run fridges in their rigs which is a near constant draw even if it does vary in how much it draws over the course of a day). personally, i'm a fan of hot tent camping when its cold out. why? because by using a wood burning stove, if its cold and wet out, i can heat the tent using the stove, i can cook on the stove, and it provides many of the same advantages of electric cooktops without the risk of running out of power to use it. if i run out of wood, i can always collect more from the surrounding area. there's usually plenty to be had. yes, it requires me to collect it and process it down to sizes i can use, and yes, if its wet its harder to get a fire going with it, but it will still light, and once the stove is going, the heat coming off it is enough to rapidly dry out any other wood that didnt immediately go into the stove. usually when i get in to camp, its part of my ritual to process down enough firewood to last me several days in camp. if i was staying there for a longer period of time, i could either do that every couple of days, or spend a day just doing that to set myself up for the rest of my trip. then whatever i dont use can be stacked up and left for the next person to use that campsite.

[@artemZinn]

This is awesome, I'm experimenting something like this for hiking, everything on the go. Gotta build EV outlander soon! Love your channel btw.

[@dawgrules1]

Great video ! Being able to ditch the inverter and do everything on 12v would be huuuuge ! (although wire size would probably be an issue on high draw items )

[@fnordpol]

With newer cars it is even possible to just plug in to the main 70 kwh underfloor drive battery and run all your appliances from there, which makes electric cooking really a thing!

[@RockyPatrol]

Finally someone made a video like this! Thanks! I've been on all electric for couple years, when camping, I always use microwave to make food,save time and no mess. I'm not a fan to cook food when camping, I'd rather spend time to enjoy the nature. For good food, I go to local restaurant. I have total 5KWH of electricity and 2KW Pecron. Usually I camping for less than 5 days, no need for recharging. Everything keeps simple and clean!

[@TobyCostaRica]

YES X 100 especially with the 2.4kw inverters on the new Toyota LC, Tacoma, etc

[@TinkerersAdventure]

the only thing i didn't like about those new 2.4KW factory inverters is that the engine will kick on and off ever 5 minutes to keep the 1.7KWH hybrid battery topped off. It won't let you discharge it very far. So you are basically running a giant gas generator and it'll be a little noisy.

[@TobyCostaRica]

Yup, i should mention I only use it when driving to charge an EcoFlow Delta 2. Sometimes when parked and “idling” with AC but I usually charge at 500 watts. In our Rav4 Prime with the 18kw battery it runs forever 😀

[@plainlake]

Since I have a EV with 72000 WH and v2l I really should consider this.

[@lukasmeyer1992]

We went full on coleman gasoline, never had any issues like running out of gas or any unnecesary weight.

[@sassall4284]

Noticed you use stack tech. I just got some of these for work and camping. Very good boxes.

[@GEAUXFRUGAL]

Switch from E blanket to a heating pad. Your best way to stay warm for less watts. YOU wear wool socks thermal underwear and you will sleep great I use this at home.

[@AnnCastro-r2j]

It's awesome to see your experience with full electric overlanding! We sent you an email, take a look.

[@Mojokiss]

step one - cover your roof with solar! 400-500 watts step two - get a 60 amp MPPT step three - 200 AH of LiFePo4 batteries step four - 1000 watt sine wave inverter! It costs money and takes work to set up but then you get to... enjoy life!

[@hWat-Ever]

Ever consider running 12v DC appliances? Since most of your AC appliances either don't care if they are fed AC or DC (incandescent lighting, most heating devices) or rectifies to AC internally anyway (pretty much everything that isn't an AC motor)

[@Mrche626]

You dropped this video before I’m suppose to clock in? I guess I’m gonna be late!

[@meikgeik]

Finally someone touches on the pros AND the cons of the portable power station units. They make a ton of sense for use cases like yours, but WAY less sense for residential or larger RV solar. I'm so tired of seeing people spend $5000 on a huge ecoflow and then only getting a couple solar panels to charge it because they used all of their budget on their battery. On my 22ft RV, I have 15kw of battery, 2000 watts of solar, and 6000watts of inverter. All of that costed me ~$4500. If you shop around, do and do some research, you can slap together a really competent system now for CHEAP, and it's almost as easy as an Ecoflow. That said, I doubt my system would be anywhere NEAR rugged enough for the stuff you do, and you definitely cannot move it around willy nilly. I'm also working with easily 4x the space as you so it's not a concern. I very much dislike the way so many channels try and label their specific setup as "the best." I think your setup is definitely the best for you and I'd never recommend you go the route I did.

[@Ms.Frankenbuilder]

Very interesting and I love my solar setup in the travel trailer but not so reliable on rainy weeks. Like that I have a gas stove.

[@overland_adventure_nz]

Very interesting, I’m still building up my Troopy and maybe need a slight rethink on the finishing on one side of the vehicle to include electric cooking. At the moment, I have got a brand-new Red-Arc Go Block 100 ah all in one battery System including the mounting System the lock into place in the vehicle. It can run an inverter so might have to do some more research on this. Keep up your great videos, thank you . PS, I’m running the standard pizza cutters that come standard with my vehicle new. 225/95R16 And do not plan to go to anything wider and this cannot replace them in the future which they probably go with a 255/85R16..

[@readyme]

I’d like to hear your thoughts and comparison between the Etaker and the Ecoflow solar generators. It’s always good to have competition.

[@davesantimaw5413]

Love your videos as I’m building out my 2012 FJ TTSE!

[@cliffrudolph2306]

Appreciate the video. Really helpful in evaluating electric options

[@bpurkapi]

induction cooktop with a proper pot can boil water and very quickly, 1 less thing to bring

[@Unb3arablePain]

Very interesting, I've always been traditional fuel based camp stuff in my GX espexially as I temp carry most things and am doing more primitive camping, but have a big battery setup for my Amatuer radio. Might look into using more battery powered stuff in the future especially as the price has come down a lot!