WOULD I DO IT AGAIN? My experiences, failures & advice on INDUCTION cooktops for OVERLAND & CAMPING

[@TerryManitoba]

I've had my induction cooktop in my rig for 4 years 120k kms. I mounted it in the middle of the vehicle (ie- in between the front & rear wheels) so it does not get hammered much at all. Yours is mounted on a trailer and the unit feels "every" bump on the road. You can either harden the inside of the induction cooktop or soften the way the cooktop in mounted. It is called showing some mechanical sympathy. I don't think any induction cooktop is. built to get battered as much as it does on your trailer. I like the convienince of the cooktop and would do anything I can to make it function properly. It is just to simple and convenient to use to not to put the extra effort. Replacement if my stops working cost only $120 - so nothing really.

[@davidbooth8492]

Hi Nathan, That is the best warts and all review of a system like that I have seen. It shows to me that every system has pros and cons and that redundancy is very important, ie a spare induction hotplate or a compact gas cooker. Happy travels.

[@XploringOz]

Thanks mate, appreciate that 🙏 Absolutely, if only there was a perfect solution 🤔 Induction is great, but a little more technology innovation will make it a lot more practical.

[@Wilbargosh]

I have an induction cooktop but I also travel with a small gas bottle to run a BBQ and backup cooker. I also have a camp oven to pop on the fire coals. Depending on the weather and meal power demand i’ll use the appropriate cooking device.

[@XploringOz]

For sure, this is by far the best way to go about it if you have the space and room to store the 'back up' options 👍

[@dennisd7451]

I had to buy all of solar systems separately, about one per year due to $. That's why I have 6 systems all independent of each other, which includes one off brand I forgot to mention with 200watt solar array.

[@OutbackOutlaw]

Not sure why I have missed your last three vids. Catching up now!

[@XploringOz]

Good stuff mate, hopefully I keep some consistency this time 😬 🤞

[@AussieAdventurer]

Again a great and informative Video- well done mate 👏 Since I am still running a single 120 amp AGM battery setup on my old Caravan and contemplating how to best upgrade to a decent LiFePo4 system- your videos are very helpful. It will be an expensive decision one day to go full OFF GRID which I plan to do and that is what scares the heck out of me when I think about the budged required to do so 😅 I want what you have basically so I keep dreaming for now..... Cheers and safe travels

[@gavinwilliamson3944]

Great informed review Nathan. We have used induction for 2 years now. Like you we carry a old Colman burner too. But have not had to use it.... for a failure.(I used it for years before. Could not bring myself to leave it behind.) But unlike yourselves. We have 2 old Westinghouse units like the ones you used to have in your 200. I find them more convenient. As we can cook on either side of vehicle, or even inside if weather is really bad. So we are not restricted to where we cook. We have even run a extension lead and cooked on a park bench in the shade in NT. We keep each of them in their own cloth bag. Keeping one on each side. Then just grab one or both. Depending what is required. They have never failed us. At times we too have struggled with battery. ( 4 days on a beach near Cairns. With a tropical low. No Sun, 150mm rain. Welcome to paradise.) So I installed a second DCDC charger. Now totaling 100A charging. So now with as little as 1 hour of driving. Will have enough power to scrap though to the next day. (We do not have to feed family. So cooking time is reduced.) Notable items that failed our endurance test. DCDC charger Cape York(we only had 1 then). It was sunny, so solar saved the day. 200 Series gearbox in 79 on Canning Stock Route. Thank, Electric Jesus for Star link. With the hundreds of calls and data transfers. We were able to get forward movement, and limp back to Vic. By taking off using the 6th gear clutch to get the internals spinning. Then letting it fail into 4th. Not great in sand dunes. But this is low range. So we got out. Wholesale Automatics repaired it under warranty. By their professional assessment. The whole transmission was F@#*d. Plus on their recommendation, were upgraded the cooling even more. With a PWR radiator. With inbuilt cooler for 79. We think it slowly cooked itself over time. So if you have a 200 series and do sand driving. Add more cooling!!!

[@XploringOz]

I'm glad to hear that you have had good experiences and interesting to hear that your stories about the poor weather incidents. Our camper is very power hungry in general, in addition to the induction, so we need to be driving for quite sometime to recharge the batteries again. Interesting to hear about the transmission issues, but I strongly agree with your cooling advice. We got some extra cooling sorted when we were in NSW and this made a big difference and would now highly recommend this myself 👍

[@conellisgreatadventure8864]

Great insight Nathan. I’m in the processing of upgrading my camper electrics. I’m keeping the existing two burner gas stove and carrying a single induction hot plate as well. So when I have power aplenty I can use the induction etc but if battery power runs down I can jump back on the gas. Having a 240v toaster kettle and sandwich press adds another level of comfort especially with two young kids.

[@XploringOz]

Perfect mate, that does seem like the best setup, the best of both worlds. Induction is great, but you certainly need a backup at times 👍

[@ruley74]

Good honestly Nathan, we picked up our new Tvan in August and when initially ordering we considered the new lightning which had a bigger battery and induction… we ended up steering away due to that remote travel and simple reasons… we also carry a portable if we need to heat something inside in untenable weather with a plan to add the inverter and carry a portable induction for the wind soon. In saying all that, we’ve embraced more fire cooking which reduced the gas usage quite a bit.

[@XploringOz]

Thanks mate, I hear you there. The induction still needs a little more innovation and advancement before it becomes that ultra reliable and viable solution off-grid. There's no doubt that gas is still king... at the moment 👍

[@TimDenham-ep6zl]

Great review. Sure hits home the cost when hearing your gas bottle comparison!!

[@XploringOz]

Thanks mate, absolutely. It's upon reflection we realised how much we pay for these luxuries.

[@connorsone]

i bought 3 of the 50 dollar single inductor cookers never had a failed one and if it does fall its only 50 dollars and at that price you simply take a spare with you

[@FarqueKnowsWhere]

You’ve said what I’ve been thinking! Been through that sinking feeling when overcast weather last for days or weeks and you can’t recharge batteries. Totally agree with pros and cons of induction, plus it doesn’t cook my food as nice and the portable ones don’t like warm weather at all. It was funny but not when the several thousand dollar solar and induction system was almost dead and you pulled out your light weight hiking cooker so you could eat, to be honest from my experimenting with induction I like the idea of going induction more than I like it. I carry gas with me anyway. You love doing the rough and watery tracks that is awesome, you could freelance to manufacturers that want to test the shit out of their gear.

[@XploringOz]

For sure, I think that this would resonate with many other induction users out there too, but I think many people love to talk up the advantages only 🤔 I will say though, I've never had any issues with hot environmental temps. My stove never overheated, even in 40 degreee + days up north, so I'm happy with that. Like you said, if you're already carrying gas, then this diminishes the pro's list. Overall, I'm hoping that this episode can help those who are looking at getting into this avenue of cooking 👍

[@christurner68]

Safirery has the worst customer service, their products are chinese rubbish and being sold at a ridiculously high price. I believe the Safirery is being dumped by a few caravan brands. Suggest you look at the Westinghouse which also has more control over your cooking.

[@XploringOz]

I've heard some of the same things and although my experience through their customer service line wasn't terrible, it wasn't great either. I know that Lifestyle campers have switched brands and I hope others too, it appears that in this market, it's the only way to keep these brands honest. PS. I'm not sponsored or endorsed by Safiery, it's just what came with my camper.

[@richardwalsh5570]

🎉induction at home for 13 years its awesome

[@rogerclift2705]

Great video! There is no perfect cooking or camping set up so everyone has to make choices based on what they do. I have everything I need to cook on a ground fire, or a fire pit when ground fires aren’t allowed, (I always carry a hiking gas stove as a backup or just to boil water) a gas stove when fires aren’t allowed at all, and I can also take a Weber Baby Q. I pack what I need depending on where I’m going. But, I would never use induction camping. But that’s what works for me. I love what induction brings to camping, but again, not for me

[@XploringOz]

Absolutely mate, I couldn't agree more. Everyone looks for something that suits them and their setup and this means that none of our setups are the same. For some, induction is perfect, other it's not. To be honest, it works well for use overall, with a backup present. Travelling remote and for long periods of time, it performed well considering 👍

[@Mouldyturnip75]

Very good opinion piece, relative and sensible. Sensitive electronics and endless corrugations will undoubtedly take their toll on these items, which is why I'll always carry a gas BBQ on the van or like yourself a compact gas cooker in the car for redundancy.

[@XploringOz]

Thanks mate, appreciate it 🙏 Absolutely, if you have the space then it will work well. In the cruiser with a family of 4, I'd be struggling, but in the camper it will work 👍

[@mykelphotography]

A fabulous overview Nathan, thank you very much for sharing your thoughts on this, I have a similar set up but there is only ever two of us and we are not full time, would not go back but saying that I still do have a Genius Gas burner just encase

[@XploringOz]

Thanks 🙏 The gas burner backup is certainly a good idea!

[@TRAVISGOLDIE]

Im shocked the victron dealer didnt talk to you about paralleling the orion or upgrading to the orion XS. Also a separate mppt for the externalmpanels would increase efficiency as would stepping up to 24 or 48 v. Lastly safiery has a terrible name away from the east coast. I have a similar setup but in 24v but i still carry a butane stove just in case

[@kamikazekunze]

Maybe run two of the Victron DC -DC chargers with active cooling. 😊

[@XploringOz]

I did think about this, but this would mean that I would also have to spend a fair bit of money on a new alternator too. It's already struggling with the regular vehicle demands, the DCDC in the vehicle and the DCDC in the trailer 🤔

[@richardtimms6645]

Another thing worth mentioning is induction cooking exposes you to high levels of EMF Radiation which is unknown what side effects it can have

[@Mouldyturnip75]

isnt that what your tin foil hat is for?

[@XploringOz]

As you mentioned its an unknown and there's a lot out thee we don't know... "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown"

[@ianbailey4114]

Always enjoy a tech talk.

[@XploringOz]

Hopefully it helps others out who are considering this tech 👍

[@johnprice6307]

Thank you for another very informative and very well presented video. I found your results surprising to be honest and will now proceed with a bit more caution before opting to go fully electric with a hybrid caravan purchase. Well done mate.

[@XploringOz]

Thanks mate. I'm glad it can help people make those informed decisions, particular since the market is certainly pushing for 'full electric' caravans and campers 👍

[@paulmorrall5719]

What a fantastic review 👏🏻👏🏻

[@XploringOz]

Thanks mate, appreciate that 🙏

[@RMarieB-x6p]

Do you think it was the brand? Maybe Westinghouse would have been a better brand? Choice comparisons recommends Westinghouse and is fairly brutal against most other brands.

[@cyclemoto8744]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I must say that the more I hear about Safiery from their customers, the less likely I am to do business with them. Cheers

[@XploringOz]

Cheers mate, they are sure pushing people to try other manufacturers, that's for sure!

[@iandibley8032]

G'day, Nathan, a very balanced review on the + & - of induction cooking. In places of low sun angle like Tasmania or places so hot all one wants in shade is where the problems occur needing the gennie. On our recent trip of 3 months, we used 2 4.5 kg bottles @ $20 for all our cooking using a weber ,wok burners & a internal cook top inside the van if required so the wind wasn't much of an issue & never used our generator. But as u pointed out, every cooking method has drawbacks . Another note our PowerCore filter worked perfectly with no dust issues. Did u have any further problems with LC engine on your travels?

[@XploringOz]

Absolutely, although saying that we found we got more efficiency from our solar panels in Tassie, then we didn't in the northern areas (due to heat). The cost comparison is hard to acknowledge, but you nailed it with your usage, 2 bottles in 3 months is great. We definitely have been in circumstances where the wind advantages have come into play. It's not often, but it helped when it did 👍 PowerCore wise, very happy with it. If I had another Landcruiser, it would be installed immediately. The only downside early on was mechanics lack of knowledge on the unit and kept opening it up and 'cleaning' it out, which meant I had to change it, otherwise perfect! Cruiser is still performing well. The engine is good, we had some consumables with lower ball joints etc, but all good considering where we have been 👍

[@baumie4618]

Well said mate. 👌👍

[@XploringOz]

Cheers mate 👍

[@Alan.livingston]

Good balanced view.

[@XploringOz]

Thanks mate, appreciate it 👍

[@Din-Anv]

The damn flys

[@peternobbs1605]

Go away 😮 8:18

[@spudboy1328]

A tangential question please: How many AH of lithium to you have, 400Ah? (Edit: I just got further into the video, and heard you have 600Ah) How long can you run your airconditioner for, just from batteries? We've just this morning ordered a single axle Reconn4 with 400Ah, 3 solar panels like yours, and the big Victron inverter (2200W?) so wondering what sort of run time we might get from the A/C. We went for the gas cooktop BTW. Thanks - David

[@XploringOz]

Awesome David, well firstly congrats on the new order! You won't be disappointed. Rather than give you a hour number, I can tell you that the aircon will pull about 60A of power whenever the compressor is running and will go up to about 80A for the heater unit. If you're running without solar then on paper up to 6hrs (taken battery reserve into account). In theory, you are probably going to draw more power from other devices taking away from that. I have had instances where the solar will entirely negate the aircompressor draw, however we found that when we actually needed the air con, the panels lost some efficiency due to heat (hence why using the air con) and would draw a net 20-30A. I hope that help a little, let us know if we can help with anything else, or if you want me to clarify anything 👍

[@spudboy1328]

@XploringOz Thanks for that info. We probably won't need the A/C heating because we optioned the diesel water heater/room heater. 60A is a fair current pull! Is the maths as simple as 400/60=6.6 so a theoretical run time of 6.6 hours, but in reality perhaps 4 or 5 hours, seeing as you can't take the batteries down to 0% and there will be other loads? Anyway, we have optioned 2 Sirocco fans which draw next to nothing and are quite effective.

[@XploringOz]

@@spudboy1328 Yes I agree, you won't need the electrical heater then. 60A is a fair amount, but it's effective at cooling such a small space. The math's is relatively simple, but you are right, the reserve is set to about 20% on these batteries, so the run time is only 80% of that total capacity. The Sirocco fans are negligible, however depending on which fridge you have, this will likely be the next biggest draw. We found our Thetford 175L upright was quite power hungry, using about 10% overnight on warm nights, so this has to be factored in too 👍

[@kha58]

Backup with $20 Bunnings Gasmate with gas cans.

[@XploringOz]

If you have the room, its certainly a good idea 👍

[@treeman3663]

Biggest disadvantage is that the induction has a magnetic field no good if you have a pacemaker

[@XploringOz]

For sure, I guess this is something that hasn't affected me. But I would certainly do some research for those that it does. 👍

[@timmo971]

light a campfire every now n then sheesh

[@XploringOz]

Yeah, when possible. So many places this isn't an option and in summer... well you need something else.

[@jimlofts5433]

finite fuel sources - how did you convert your tug to an EV and a honda doesn't use finite fossil fuels - furkin' amazing

[@XploringOz]

Righto mate, I get it, it's hard to understand. Not all of us drive in circles when camping off-grid. With the right equipment and gear, you don't need fuel supplies if setting up stationary for long periods of time, hence the term 'off-grid'. The cruiser never came into the equation with this topic and to my knowledge there is not a single vehicle in the world that could achieve off-grid transport and camp setup for extended long periods of time?

[@Dorko85]

Safiery is a rubbish brand - had so many issues with all their gear. Induction cooking unreal - just get a proper brand.

[@XploringOz]

I think this is a movement occurring in the market at the moment. Companies like this get a poor reps very quickly and it would appear that many people in the comments section here also had issues... I dare say they better get organised otherwise they might be struggling.

[@dominic-ryan]

I don't think a more well thought out or authoritative coverage of induction cooking on the road exists. Excellent stuff. Glad to see our approach is very similar to yours for our upcoming trip, although I am a cheapskate so our DC electrics aren't as high end (also built my own batteries). Also glad to see you are powering your air con via your battery bank as I've just had this wired up and was wondering if the other caravaning dad's would laugh at me for being a soft camper. Now I can just say Nathan does it and that'll be the end of that 😂.

[@XploringOz]

Thanks mate, I really appreciate this feedback, I'm so glad that my efforts can be of use to others either already in or about to get into the same market. Hahaha, I love it. I will say though, many people laugh at me all the time, but yet to be laughed at for being a soft aircon caravanning dad 🤣 Thanks mate 🙏 👍

[@dant2415]

Hey mate, we have been one the road for 12 months as well and we use the aircon regularly off the batteries, my favorite time is 30minutes before getting to camp I’ll turn the air conditioner on whilst we are still driving and we still have power charging the batteries. Then opening the van when we pull out and the caravan is at 18 degrees 🥳.

[@overlandphotography]

Well done Nathan. We've also looked at the possibility of induction cooking on our travels. We have opted for the flexibility of using gas, it being more reliable and easily accessible. Like you said, no system is perfect and that includes gas but for the moment we'll probably stick with it. Great video again and thanks for sharing.

[@XploringOz]

Thanks Jim 🙏 Absolutely, nothings perfect. I think with improvements in technology, particular the ability to recharge more efficiently, this will only become more popular, but its on the fence at the moment and still very costly 💰

[@glentomkins3426]

Great information here Nathan, thanks for honestly sharing the good, the bad and the ugly of induction cooking with us. Keep the vids coming.

[@XploringOz]

Cheers mate, glad it was interesting. Here's hoping I can get some more out soon 👍

[@dennisd7451]

The Nuwave Pic induction burner has 3 wattage adjustments, 600,900 and 1300 , a large single burner which came with a nice 4 qt pan with lid for $134 on Amazon. I use it with my Blueetti 200p, 200L with independent solar arrays of 800watts and 400 watts. Plus I have 3 Blueetti EB240'S with 3 separate solar arrays of 4oo watts each. I run my whole house with a 6000btu and a 5000btu ac plus refrigerator, tv, usb lighting etc. 24/7 in an ambient temp of 90 during the day and 76 at night. MY AVERAGE electric bill is $50 PER MONTH PER YEAR, IN South Florida USA..

[@dennisd7451]

I only run the 6000btu during the hottest part of the day 12noon till 5pm, and the 5000btu 24/7.😊

[@dennisd7451]

Plus the Nuwave Pic also has multiple temp controls and programmable settings. It stores well in a small kitchen drawer. 😊

[@philg2468]

We are about to add an induction cooker so thanks for your comprehensive and honest assessment. We have an offroad caravan, a Tvan camper, and swags, so depending on where we go, we take what suits the tracks and the destination. What works for us is to set up our vehicle (a Troopy) as a "power station". Currently 400Ah Lithium, 300W solar, 50A DCDC and 3000W Inverter. Then run the 240V cord from the Troopy inverter to the caravan or tvan when we want to use 240V. Favourite appliances are air fryer, hair dryer, microwave and pod machine but we also are planning on being able to take a small welder for emergency repairs. But the air fryer gets a fair workout and chews through the Ah. What I like about having the "power station" in the Troopy is that it gets 50A from the DCDC charger whenever we go for a drive in addition to the solar and irrespective of the weather. Too easy to miss out on solar on a caravan roof by setting up under shade.

[@XploringOz]

That sounds like an awesome setup and the ability to pick and choose the best combination for your style of travel is the dream 💪 The power station in the Troopy is a great idea too, being the common denominator between the setups and you're right about the DCDC charger, however I did find that some days when the power is low, you are driving for a very long time to get is back to 100% again. Thanks for sharing, no doubt this will help other viewers too 👍

[@WayneWright828]

I think this is key. You also have the ability to have the van in shade and the car in the sun

[@SN-jh3bb]

Good report, we went induction for our common 4 day trips, circa.. 700$ kings 200amp, 300$ kings 3kw inverter, 60$ induction cooker, 20O$ sundries. Of course also for jaffles, 2 cup kettle and omelet maker, star link, tv etc when used. Largely all the things one doesn't need to camp with if using gas.

[@XploringOz]

Awesome, that's a great point. There are obviously much cheaper and more affordable ways to setup an electrical system, particularly if you're not using it every day. 👍

[@BeerGutGuy]

Why don’t you just carry a single burner 2200w portable induction cooktop? Plug into the power point when you need, then you’ll also have the option to cook inside when the weather is bad……

[@johnflynn556]

Thanks for the sum up. We have just picked up our Reconn LRX. Induction on that model was the only option. It comes with a slide up front for a Weber. So best of both world. I also have a Jetboil Genesis for when just car camping. It is good to have redundancy when off grid.

[@XploringOz]

Awesome, congrats on the new camper, I"m sure you will be impressed. That's a great setup and will work well. I also believe that the newer models have now moved away from Safiery products, is this correct? All the best with the new adventures 👍

[@ianweal3081]

Insightful review. Our van is all gas, however induction was always an update down the ways as I just love it. You've now got me questioning the outlay to achieve not a great benefit over gas at an additional astronomical cost, hmm. On the other hand, I do utilise induction in the vehicle. I utilise a single element unit via Itech 54amp batteries X 3, 162 amp. Why did I venture this way? Well I had the battery capacity, & invertor to power our coffee pod M/C already installed in vehicle. I was fed up with trying to cook in windy conditions, wind shroud inhibiting access, plus the extended cooking time in said conditions just bugged the crap out of me, example K'gari east coast conditions. Coles Supermarket, Germanica induction cooker, $49.99. Thought process, that's worth a gamble and truly glad I did. So, I offloaded one of my two butane gas cookers and utilised the induction unit. A mate had a unit from Aldi, swore by it, so I sourced an Aldi unit, $49.99 very thin profile compared to Germanica, discovered 2 fitted in space of Germanica unit so purchased a second unit, offloaded Germanica unit to house. No, don't run both together on invertor but when land power source is available (occasionally happens) we're laughing. So, we run with 2 X Aldi induction units & 1 X Butane Gas single burner every single day. Butane unit still utilised for long cook ups, and aluminium pressure cooker. Silverside, Pickled Pork bush camp anyone? Induction doesn't work for them spoils though 😂. NB. Aldi units run very hot surface temps and simply aren't as efficient as Germanica unit. Germanica unit cool to touch, very efficient and available from BCF for $99. Coles $49.99 was a cracker of a special buy in comparison. Love your work Nathan, Wealie.

[@XploringOz]

Thanks mate, I'm hoping this can make others who are either just starting out with induction, or looking at getting into induction aware of both sides of the true off-grid capabilities. I won't take away from induction, apart from the power setup costs and the reliability, induction wins hands down, but from what you've just described, you've probably got the best system for overall redundancy. You have the induction for when you need it and the power to back it up (which you already had). If the power gets low, or something happens to fail, well you have the gas too 👍 At the moment, I'm still running small (relative) battery capacity in the cruiser which wouldn't be enough and given the family of 4 I probably wouldn't upgrade just yet due to lack of space. Interesting to hear your thoughts on the different induction brands though 🤔 Thanks for the input though, I love hearing others experiences and stories and I'm sure many of the other viewers appreciate it too, cheers 🙏

[@asdfasdf-fg5kx]

Excellent content!

[@andrewford80]

You've got an awesome setup dude. I love it. I think you're on the right track with having a gas backup. Someone else mentioned that perhaps there are better induction devices out there that might last a bit longer than the one you have. Maybe that's true and worth looking at. Either way, love the video, keep it up.

[@XploringOz]

Thanks mate, it is a sweet setup that services everything that we require. I agree though, there are probably better induction manufactures out there to choose from moving forward. Cheers 👍

[@TechStories79]

Brilliant 12v system. Just ball park, what price did you pay for your camper inc 12v and all options? Im debating on your one and the new Zone Expedition. Cheers

[@XploringOz]

It sure is mate, right up with some of the best! It was in the vicinity of $120k and that's with almost all optional extras added to the SE model. I also looked at the zone, however I do believe that you are starting to move out of hybrid territory and into caravan territory with that model. The expedition is huge compared to the Reconn line up. 👍

[@ausguy4385]

Interesting... solar is better closer to equator not worse... Think time of year or temp has the main reduction

[@XploringOz]

It certainly is. My suspicion is heat. There is no doubt that the average temperature was much higher up north and this will have negatively affected the results. ☀️

[@N8ok]

Very comprehensive video mate, well done!!

[@XploringOz]

Thanks mate! 👍 Hopefully it can help a few people who are looking in this direction 🤞

[@brentmckee5111]

Excellent review. We have travelled for almost 4 years with gas as our main cooking and HW energy (it never let us down). We occasionally used a portable induction cooktop when on 240 power or generator. You have covered the pros and cons very well. The more remote one wants to travel the more reliable everything has to be.

[@craigtomkinson2837]

Awesome Ep and great advise and set up. Yes way out of my pay grade to own a Van like yours and run Induction and Aircon off the system, , But we do have 2 x 140amp lithium batteries to run all our fridges for travels in our little 1983 wind up Jayco. We cook outside on Fire and use gas outside.

[@XploringOz]

Thanks mate, I'm glad it still been interesting none the less 👍 Nothing beats a fire and simple cooking setup, I guess its just the convenience off full time travel where the induction shines 👍

[@Susieandchris]

A extremely helpful video Thankyou . We were just going to go induction with our new van and will have a backup now . We certainly will not use Safiery especially knowing there history. Could you tell me what your camper company use now please ? Would love to hear the long term review on your camper , I rechon I will be proven wrong and it’s a ripper ?

[@XploringOz]

Thanks mate, I'm glad I could help out a little there and I too would also stray from Safiery now... I'm not too sure at this point what Lifestyle have settled on, but I'll see if I can find out 👍 I do have a couple of episodes coming focussing on the camper, including a long term review, these will hopefully be released within the next month or so 🤞 It has performed very well though

[@longway1]

Excellent review of a top shelf linthium system. We have gone a different path as we only have the two of us travelling when we can. Our system is mainly vehicle based as we have a large battery and inverter onboard with high dcdc capability and some solar. The van only has 120 ah and just over 500w of solar only really enough for lights and fridge we don't have a/c. As most of the time the van is used as a base station and we travel from there most of our recharge comes from the dcdc the car battery is well charged most days, we then run a lead from the car inverter to the van to run induction, kettle, etc. We still carry gas and use fire when we can but both can't be use on total fire ban days. This type of system isn't cheap and only works if travelling every few days but has the benefit of being able to plug the house into it when there's a power outage.

[@XploringOz]

For sure, sounds like you have a great system setup there and to be honest, if it's working there's no real need to change it. That's another great point about the fire bans, the induction is immune to this. On the other hand, most people (most) won't go travelling in those types of conditions, but if you found yourself there, it would certainly help 👍

[@essential4x439]

Great video and very informative I personally cannot justify the cost for induction in my 4wd. For me it’s gas.

[@XploringOz]

Thanks man. Absolutely, everyone has a different situation and need 👍

[@zoezoe610]

Thanks great info.

[@XploringOz]

Cheers mate 🙏

[@lewisnethercott1183]

Great video Nathan, I was considering going down the induction line but will stick with gas. Cheers.

[@XploringOz]

No problems mate, glad this could provide some useful information. The induction is great, but it's expensive and somewhat unreliable... for now. No doubt as technology advances, induction will be the future of off-grid cooking 👍

[@rickt7425]

Thanks again for a honest informative review I’ll be going with a bluetti ac200max for all my camper power needs including my very slim portable single induction cooker- but with portable gas also Both working together when need be. May also include a basic 100Ah lithium battery to provide backup.

[@XploringOz]

Thanks mate, appreciate that 🙏 Have you already got a AC200 MAX? If not, just wait a few more weeks. Bluetti is just about to release their AC200L on the 15/12 and it looks to be the goods 👍 I've got one coming and will be releasing a video in January. It's very similar to the prior models, but has a better inverter and other helpful features. Outside that, your setup idea sounds great 👍

[@rickt7425]

@@XploringOz- thanks for the tip

[@ianmoone2359]

Jeepers creepers, you’re almost carrying the equivalent of a feckin new cue lar power station ffs. & if you throw in all your inverter dcdc chargers etc as well as the Bluetti, and fixed and folding solar panels, as well as the actual induction cook top, I reckon you’ve got best part of $20k invested in solar power system at least. Then you’re saying, there’s occasions where it’s not enough & there’s reliability issues. Something you didn’t mention is the risk of catastrophic thermal runaway battery fire in lithium phosphate battery’s. The recent spate of such fires all over the world in air ports, on RORO ships, multi story car parks, in a cement truck on a Melbourne freeway, proves that the technology isn’t yet “safe” to have in either your Electric vehicle or the camper your family are sleeping in. Recent video by JC (John Cadogan, Auto Expert, not Electric Jesus Elon Musk), shows that the ONLY available method to extinguish a thermal runaway lithium phosphate battery fire, is with chilled brine pumping. You have to lower the battery compartment below the thermal runaway ignition temperature, hence why the brine has to be chilled, and the second thing you need to do, is remove the stored energy (electrical charge) as the energy source that’s stoking the fire. The brine achieves this by shorting out the battery’s - effectively discharging them. Lithium battery fires cannot be extinguished by use of a normal fire hose, - the thermal runaway fire generates its own oxygen, so will actually burn underwater , fully immersed. But your Lithium Battery’s are not encased in a metal container / box within your van such that, even if fire fighters arrived with a tank of chilled brine, that they could pump it into your battery compartment. In effect, what you have created is a massive fire threat, looking for somewhere to happen. Fun fact, after the recent North Sea thermal runaway EV fire incident on a RORO (Roll On Roll Off) car ferry, new maritime regulations will ban the transport of anything EV / Lithium Battery on any commercial vessel. So you want to put your 4WD & caravan on the Ferry to Tasmania? You’re gonna be sh!t outta luck sunshine. Same with the car ferry over the Jardine River on the way to Cape York. Or you wanna go visit Kagarri (Fraser Island), on the car ferry? Same deal, won’t be allowed on it with that setup. In essence your entire setup is like so many other phukwhits on KZbin, the blind leading the blind. Probably seemed like a good idea at the start - but subsequent events have proven that Lithium Ion Battery’s are a total failure. Toyota & Ford have already abandoned the technology, they know it’s not safe & they don’t need another “Ford Pinto” type class action lawsuit as people start dying in these events. Phuk me. I wouldn’t even risk parking next to that death trap. 🙄👎 Maybe your reporting should cover some of the real risks. Wait till you find out that insurers are looking at declining coverage with anything containing lithium Phosphate battery’s in them. You need to face it that this is a failed technology purely because it’s totally unsafe. My 2c

[@XploringOz]

I love this mate, I appreciate the time taken to write such an in depth synopsis of your thoughts on the manner, however I want to make a few points. Although you are correct in some of your knowledge and statements regarding the fire intensities and risks involved in lithium battery fires, there is a bit of ‘misrepresentation’ in your description of the ‘end of the lithium world’ as we know it. I just travelled Australia and have put my vehicle and trailer through some seriously rough conditions, on dozens of barges including to Tasmania, Fraser Island and Jardine. Thankfully I made it through it all to tell the story. 😅 Will this change in the future, most definitely. Like anything we are always looking to make things safer, will we just stop transporting Lithium in the immediate future without implementing some sort of alternative, absolutely not. Are their risks with lithium, of course. Everything has risks! Are we forgetting that almost every caravan and trailer is carrying between 9-18kg of compressed butane and propane, stored at anywhere between 30 to 120 PSI of pressure? These are literally waiting time bombs… oh wait, no they have safety features that reduce (not eliminate) that risk. Just like lithium, there are steps and procedures put in place to limit these issues. Further a gas bottle explosion will likely kill you in a trailer, whereby thermal runaway from a lithium gives you time to escape. I think this is what is wrong with the world today. We are surrounded with worst case scenario news. ‘Everything is out to kill us’. There is inherent risk with everything we do, walking across a road, driving a car, flying etc - maybe even being struck by lightning or a meteor. What we need to remember we are living in a period of time that is BY FAR the safest time to live. Our life expectancy has never, ever been higher in the history of man kind, our education, health, sanitation and nutrition is the best its ever been and available to the vast majority of the world. It’s natural for you to be scared of new technologies, just like the early adopters of air travel were, however disputing its the future and burying your head in the sand is ignorant and counter productive. Albeit, I wish you the best with your endeavours, I sincerely to hope you find the happiness you are looking for 🙏

[@ianmoone2359]

@@XploringOz kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXXMo35tj9qMjZYsi=8WtlzYI1TO9gqA6x

[@chrisc7146]

2c? …more like $5.80

[@XploringOz]

🤣 @@chrisc7146

[@AussieMatias]

@@XploringOz even old mate John would be telling this guy to just stop 😂