How do people doing /vanlife/ keep their laptops charged?
>car cigarette port
requires car to be running the whole time its charging
>use a coffee shop
requires going to a coffee shop
>solar charger
the one I tried,after a few days of sitting in the sun,was only able to give my phone enough power for a few minutes of use
Is there any better option? Whether a solar charger that actually works, or a fricking propane powered charger, I dont fricking know. Ideas?
>>car cigarette port
>requires car to be running the whole time its charging
A lot of cars already have always on 12v ports. At least a lot of american ones do.
You could install a 12v always on port (easy and cheap) or put a solar panel on top and also intall a 12v always on port. Or you could put in an additional battery/power bank that isn't just for starting the car
Check out "Eric Enjoys Earth" on youtube. The guy kits out a toyota minivan for living in, with a solar panel on top, a fridge, sink, hot shower, etc and does most everything pretty cheap and DIY
There is always an active thread on
for these things, not really diy specific unless you are looking for help with a specific project.
>car port
sure, but it's 12v you'll need an inverter for most laptops
>coffee shop
Not sustainable if you are running around the woods
>solar charger
rinky dink chargers suck. You'll need one from a reputable brand and an inline voltage meter to see that it's actually doing it's job. Once you have a good solar charger, like one that is on your truck roof or something, you need...
>storage
battery packs come in many shapes and sizes, obviously vanlife trucks have quite a big bank of batteries compared to a stock van. You can buy a standalone unit also, something like a Jackery or Bluetti, they can charge via 12v while you are on a long drive then store that power for longer than say your laptop or small power bank.
>generator
Lots of people who set up camp for a long time just use a gas generator for a few hours when they need to top things up, its reliable and convenient, but smelly and noisy.
> sure, but it's 12v you'll need an inverter for most laptops
Most modern ones support usb C charging and for older laptops you can often just get a DC/DC converter that outputs right voltage and skip the charger altogether
>/vanlife/
don't
Not op but I do about 6-8 weeks of vanlife per year using my actual work truck. We do zero planning before we leave besides a rough direction (last time we went east, this time we are going south). It's amazing.
that's more like a vancation
You're not wrong. I'm self employed and my wife is wfh so we have the freedom to take off for so long, but the biggest complaint I see with vanlifers is their struggle returning to normal life after four or five years of galavanting.
sounds like you just need a bigger solar panel. get a folding set and you can store them in the van and put it out to charge when there's sun, mine are actually small enough to fit under the windshield. my thinkpad pulls about 20-30W and it roughly worked out to 1 hour charging/1 hour discharging with a 60W panel when there's bright sun available.
What brand is your solar panel? And does it include a power bank, or do you connect it directly to your thinkpad?
You are trolling right? Google shit, find a specific question and ask away. This isn't a place to get a primer on solar - YouTube is. You will probably never buy or wire any of this because you were too lazy too google it in the first place.
Thats two specific questions anon. And some solar chargers are sold ready to go, no need for wiring
Some "solar chargers" dont fold out at all, they're not much bigger than a phone. Supposedly they can sit in a cars windshield to charge. They function as solar-charged power banks to then charge phones.
100W solar panel with 12v deep cycle AGM battery linked with a solar charge controller. Add an inverter for 120v AC so you can run stuff that isn't only a 12v cig lighter or USB.
If you're going to use a solar panel at all, why are you putting it underneath a windscreen that will remove most of the solar energy? Put it out in the open or don't even bother.
I only need one battery but I am just one person who's already bought and prepared his electronics knowing it was already going to be a low power situation. AGM batteries can run you $150+ per so it's not a budget solution but it's far better than idling.
>picrel
I tested my panels outside and inside the windshield and there's hardly any difference, if there's any UV coating it doesn't detract from the overall energy much. What DOES increase output is putting something reflective under and in front of the panels so the sun bounces off the ground and into the panel, I just use one of those windshield reflectors and it adds 10-20 watts.
Some cars also have anti-IR coating.
I got a meme Gen 0 night vision, and the windows appear black when I put an IR only pass camera filter over it.
The windscreen will block UVA and UVB light. The rear window and side windows only screen out UVB.
Also gonna add to my earlier post to not cheap out and use basic b***h lead acid batteries inside an enclosed space because they produce hydrogen during their charge/discharge cycles. Remember that the goal here is power inside an area you plan to inhabit.
>lead acid batteries produce hydrogen
As in, enough to pose a danger to the person occupying the vehicle/building?
There is significant explosive risk with hydrogen inside an enclosed space, especially one that a person is expected to inhabit.
Wait so the problem is the battery itself exploding, or the battery giving off enough hydrogen to make the vehicle explode?
The former sounds like a realistic danger but I have never heard of the latter happening, but kind of sounds to me like there is a risk of the latter too?
??
>Wait so the problem is the battery itself exploding, or the battery giving off enough hydrogen to make the vehicle explode?
yep, old forklifts using lead acid battery power warn you about charging them without good ventilation. I'm sure theres some chinese cctv footage with a live leak watermark somewhere with it happening.
>put hydrogen in enclosed space with oxygen present
>spark/static/weed pipe ignites it
>boom fire ow
Did you ask for help turning on your computer too?
Working for a battery brand, there are easy workarounds. Get a good set of deep cycle batteries, at least 3 12v100Ah types. No need to worry about hydrogen, and they're usually installed outside/under the vehicle or somewhere the gassing isn't an issue. Or if you have the option, most good battery brands have a small hole for the gas to expel - there's usually a small hose that attaches and funnels it outside to avoid the danger.
To ensure I am getting safe batteries, what type/label should I look for? Sorry if I'm a tard, I don't know frickall about batteries.
just get a LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron) battery. The sketchy chinese ones are getting cheap as shit and are still good. Will last many more charge/discharge cycles than any lead type.
I’ve been using 6x6v flooded batteries for 9 years now. Don’t believe the propaganda.
What version of fingerbox is that? It looks antique
It's gotta be at least a 100 years old based on the markings.
>t. I'm a fingerbox appraiser by trade
What kind of solar charger are you using?
Are you using one of those tiny ones that are smaller than a laptop when folded out?
If you want any decent charging from a solar panel, you need something big, like the size of a table.
let me guess, you bought the cheapest chinkshit index card sized solar power bank you could find off alibaba, then when it didn't magically generate more power than was in the sunlight hitting that tiny surface area, decided all solar power is useless
>decided all solar power is useless
Notice that OP said >Whether a solar charger that actually works,
Showing that OP has clearly not decided that all solar power is useless, moron
2-3 12v deep cycle batteries in parallel with the 12v battery for the actual vehicle to run an inverter. Will charge your phones etc. power the laptop. Low load led lights etc.
You can buy 12 led rv lights for the interior etc.
It’s all good for the night, or a leisurely lay over. It will all charge while your driving.
more batteries, charge them while driving/with solar panels
Some of the solar charger options out there don't have a blocking diode built in, and the stored energy goes right back into the solar cell. Make sure there's a blocking diode for any solar panel you buy or construct.
This video covers the middle ground of the last few years. Broadly speaking the big change has been fewer DiY battery banks and easier to use Charger/Inverters. While the solar generators now are pretty much an all-in-one with a warranty and price to match.
12V gel batteries, inverter, charge controller, roof mounted solar panels.
Try the public library?
Try buying a better quality solar charger?
Try not using the laptop as much?
Try turning it off (not just closing it) when not in use?
Try fast food places?
When I was in college, I would go to McDonald's to study between classes. Large $1 drink, free refills, and I would charge my laptop while working on it. I don't know if they still allow this, but I would be there for about 2 hours and no one cared. I'd usually refill twice while there and sometimes I would buy a snack as well, but usually it was just the drink for me.
Same function as fancy coffee shops, and if you're polite and appreciative the staff will dig that as there are endless buttholes you will be the exception to.
Invest in a small gas generator
Did not read whole thread
OP is a buffoon
I do the vanlife part time, I have 340 watts of solar on the roof and two golf cart batteries for 230 amp hours at 12 volts.
This is more than enough power for all my stuff including laptop , 120v AC dorm fridge, big inverter and lots of LED lights
If you are not good at DIY stuff, vanlife is going to suck for you in a pretty bad way.
Also it costs money to do this , at least as much as your normal life. This is not a substitute for being a productive member of society.
I can afford it because I work part of the year as a truck driver living in a goddamn truck making 2k a week
6 harbor freight 100w panels, 6 charge controllers, and a 2000w pure sine wave inverter. I feed the solar energy into 20 harbor freight batteries in a 12v configuration. It runs a minifridge, my lights, my computer, changes my phone.
You don’t need huge solar panels, you just need batteries.