Single Mom Roadschooling Van Life Adventures with Kate & Mel
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  • Home
    • About >
      • Our Van >
        • 2018 Ford Transit Cargo Van
      • The Backstory
      • We Found a Van!
      • Pre-Purchase Van Freak Out
      • Vanlife- Van Purchase Day
      • Registering an Out of State Vehicle
  • The Build
    • Planning is Different Then Doing - VanLife Van Build
    • How Much Does it Cost to Convert a Van?
    • How Much Time Does it Take to Convert a Van?
    • DIY Van Conversion Checklist >
      • Phase One DIY Van Conversion - Research >
        • Designing Your Perfect #VanBuild While Going on Practice Van Life Adventures
      • Making Decisions for Your DIY Van Conversion >
        • Rural Internet
      • Selecting and Buying the Van DIY Van Conversion >
        • Finding a Van
      • Prepping the Layout- DIY Van Conversion >
        • Detailing the Van Before Conversion
      • Installing Windows on Van Conversion for #vanlife
      • Selecting a Vent Fan for our Conversion Van >
        • Vent Placement in Conversion Van
        • Cutting a Hole for a Vent Fan for our Conversion Van
      • Solar Panels on Conversion Van >
        • Wind Solar Power on Conversion Van
        • Van Conversion Solar Set Up - Everything You Need
        • How Much Solar Power Do I Need?
  • Our Adventures
    • Friends on the Road
    • Sea World - Orlando
    • Aquatica- Orlando
    • Treasure Island Florida
  • Resources
    • Vanlife Websites and Blogs
    • Vanlife Hashtags for Families on the Road
    • Vanlife YouTube Channels
    • Financially Supporting Van Life
    • Random #VanLife Stuff
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YOUR CART

Installing Solar on Conversion Van

Off grid electric supply.
Picture
Choosing a solar system was confusing… watts, amp hours, volts.. Ugh.  All we knew was that we wanted to have enough power to charge our cell phones and computers, run the fridge and microwave, power the vent, and run the A/C enough so that we stay comfortable at night.

Check our our list of the most helpful solar information online.
 
Curb Your Enthusiasm 
In our searching, we learned that we not only need to know how many amps we need, but that we should also plan for inefficiencies in power that come from various factors, including…
​
  1. Solar panels don’t always put out as much energy as they are “supposed to”
  2. Inverters don’t always properly invert; we should guess 80-90% efficiency
  3. Batteries don’t always hold all of the energy that is put in
  4. Cables could come loose, break, etc.
  5. And, something about pure vs modified sine wave (huh?!)

Gain Some Knowledge
We learned about alternating currents (AC), direct currents (DC), inverters and controllers from The Engineering Mindset's video Power Inverters Explained. 


We learned enough to ask, "What is the difference between a transformer and a controller?"  We found our answer here.

We learned some of basics with Will's Solar for Dummies video and got some good advice from Anna's fast-forward conversion video.


We considered a variety of pre-assembled kits (see below) but couldn't find one with everything we want.  Most of the kits have 100w panels. We don't have room for 5 or 6 panels. Plus, we learned that the design of the panel can help with efficiency (higher watts and more cells is better).

We considered flexible solar panels because they are lighter (for better gas mileage) and discreet (for stealthiness) but decided against it after watching another one of Will’s videos. (Will, what would we do without you?!) But, if you are set on flexible panels, Renogy has them in abundance.

After much (too much) research, we found that we would not be able to run an air conditioner off of the amount of solar panels that will fit on our van. Not that we want to chase the hottest sun, but for the days where it's just a bit too hot to be comfortable enough to sleep, we wanted the ability to power an air conditioner all night.  Even just occassionally. 

And, that's when we found out 
about wind - solar combination options.  Ugghhhh, more choices!  ("More choices" is usually a good thing, but we're running blind here, people.  We need fewer choices.  Just tell us what to do!!)  Nevertheless, more choice might mean A/C!!  But, no.  Wind power is only a supplement to solar and wouldn't provide enough juice to make our dream happen. That only meant our vent fan placement was even more important.

Ultimately, due to potential noise levels of wind power and Retired at 40's turbine review video, we went with all solar.

Our pick was.... drum roll, please.  We deserve a drum roll after all of this...

We pieced our complete solar kit together instead of purchasing a kit.



Associate disclaimer: KateandMel.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
and our runners up were... 

​Go to Combo Wind- Solar Power
Back to DIY Van Conversion Checklist
Go to Selecting a Vent Fan
​

Kate & Mel

Meet Us
We are Kate & Mel, daughter and mother wannabe van life nomads who have set out on a (sort of) gypsy life adventure in our soon-to-be converted van.  Join us!

Find Us on Social Media
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#mommysgotavan #vanlife  #familyvanlife #roadschool #roadschooling #vankids #vanmom #homeonwheels #gypsysoul #campervan #vanlifegirls #vanlifewithkids #wanderluster #fulltimetravel #solotraveler #nomadlife #hippiespirit #travellife #vanconversion #nomadfamily 

Single mom and kiddo set out on a nomad, van life, roadschooling lifestyle. Watch the beginner diy van conversion, first time homeschooling on the road experiences, and newbie family van life adventures unfold.  
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Melinda is the Director of Family & Children's Counseling Services, a therapy practice in Northern California, and author of the first National Supervised Visitation online training program. Her therapy blog can be found at The Motley Ms and her business consulting page can be found at MelindaHaynes.com.