I decided I would take a permaculture style approach to the build, so I drove it for a year to get to know it before I decided on the layout.
I am married with two kids, and my goal was to have a van that worked as a camper, BOV and mobile office.
For that purpose this project will require the following:
May current projected layout is:
There are some unique choices on this list, but let me go through each and the reasoning for my choice.
Amorphous Solar Panels
There are three main types of solar panels, monocrystalline, polycrystalline and amorphous. Monos have the best power output and amorphous have the worst. The one advantage that amorphous have is their ability to work while partially shaded. If a mono solar panel has one whole cell in shadow then the power can drop by as much as 50%. Amorphous will only drop by the amount of shading, i.e. 10% shading = 10% power loss. I expect most of the parking places I will be using will be partially shaded, so I'm going with amorphous so I at least get some power. Harbor Freight now sells a 100W kit for $150 on sale. The van roof can fit 5 possible kits, but I will need space at the back for a deck and space for a fan. In any case this will not be a lot of power.
Lithium-Ion 18650 Batteries
The common battery choice is lead acid. I will probably start out with a pair of GC2 golf cart batteries under the second row of seats, but I hope to phase them out as I switch over to arrays of 18650 lithium ion batteries run four in series to produce 12V. Lead Acid is easier and cheaper in the short run, but a well managed array of 18650 cells will be both lighter, denser and cheaper in the long run due to their longer service life and light weight which could cut 100 lbs off my final weight or allow for enough battery power to supply my house.
120V Chest Freezer as a 12V Fridge
12V fridges are expensive, so I will be purchasing an inexpensive chest freezer and then supply power to it with an inverter with a remote switch controlled by a 12V sensor.
So to clarify, I will start with a chest freezer: LINK
This will be powered by an inverter with a remote: LINK
That remote will be controlled by a 12V sensor: LINK
The controller will replace the button on the remote on the inverter to switch the inverter on to cool the freezer, but hopefully leave it off most of the time.
The idea being that freezers are more insulated than refridgerators. Chest freezers are the most efficient freezers because the cool air does not escape when the door is opened and inverters draw power all the time that they are running, so if we use a low power 12V controller to sense the temperature in the freezer, we can then switch on and off the inverter which supplies power to the freezer's compressor to control the temperature. This should create a rather large efficient 2.5 cu.ft. fridge/freezer that will run on very low power and should cost about $250= $137+$105+$8. This will also allow for inexpensive parts replacements in case of failure.
I am married with two kids, and my goal was to have a van that worked as a camper, BOV and mobile office.
For that purpose this project will require the following:
- Four street legal seats
- Beds for four
- Shower
- Toilet
- Stove
- Heat and A/C
May current projected layout is:
- 200W of amorphous solar panels possibly expandable up to 400W
- A Lithium Ion 12V battery system based on arrays of 18650 cells
- A chest freezer converted into a fridge controlled by a 12V sensor & inverter
- A shower/sink/mudroom at the back of the van
- Twin 6' futons that convert into two bunk beds
- Kitchen sink that also doubles as a stove with a induction cook top
- Diesel coolant heater, for heat and hot water
- A window air conditioner converted to run through the floor
There are some unique choices on this list, but let me go through each and the reasoning for my choice.
Amorphous Solar Panels
There are three main types of solar panels, monocrystalline, polycrystalline and amorphous. Monos have the best power output and amorphous have the worst. The one advantage that amorphous have is their ability to work while partially shaded. If a mono solar panel has one whole cell in shadow then the power can drop by as much as 50%. Amorphous will only drop by the amount of shading, i.e. 10% shading = 10% power loss. I expect most of the parking places I will be using will be partially shaded, so I'm going with amorphous so I at least get some power. Harbor Freight now sells a 100W kit for $150 on sale. The van roof can fit 5 possible kits, but I will need space at the back for a deck and space for a fan. In any case this will not be a lot of power.
Lithium-Ion 18650 Batteries
The common battery choice is lead acid. I will probably start out with a pair of GC2 golf cart batteries under the second row of seats, but I hope to phase them out as I switch over to arrays of 18650 lithium ion batteries run four in series to produce 12V. Lead Acid is easier and cheaper in the short run, but a well managed array of 18650 cells will be both lighter, denser and cheaper in the long run due to their longer service life and light weight which could cut 100 lbs off my final weight or allow for enough battery power to supply my house.
120V Chest Freezer as a 12V Fridge
12V fridges are expensive, so I will be purchasing an inexpensive chest freezer and then supply power to it with an inverter with a remote switch controlled by a 12V sensor.
So to clarify, I will start with a chest freezer: LINK
This will be powered by an inverter with a remote: LINK
That remote will be controlled by a 12V sensor: LINK
The controller will replace the button on the remote on the inverter to switch the inverter on to cool the freezer, but hopefully leave it off most of the time.
The idea being that freezers are more insulated than refridgerators. Chest freezers are the most efficient freezers because the cool air does not escape when the door is opened and inverters draw power all the time that they are running, so if we use a low power 12V controller to sense the temperature in the freezer, we can then switch on and off the inverter which supplies power to the freezer's compressor to control the temperature. This should create a rather large efficient 2.5 cu.ft. fridge/freezer that will run on very low power and should cost about $250= $137+$105+$8. This will also allow for inexpensive parts replacements in case of failure.
