Help me break analysis paralysis: Tundra truck camper solution

[DerekW]

So I have a full sized truck and plan on adding the below wedge camper solution:

https://www.superpacificusa.com/

My goal is to become a digital nomad; I'm a software developer by trade. I want to program in off road places. My power system goal is to make sure I have a relatively hassle free experience maintaining an environment supportive of 8 hours of laptop and monitor time daily. I'm not overly fond of constantly fussing with things.

I'm initially budgeting around 2,000 for a battery solution. My truck will have alternator power run to the bed.

Requirements:
- Support laptop, monitor, phone/battery charging, electric blanket (periodically for heating solution enhancement)
Approx 75w an hour,im guessing.
- Be able to be portable outside of truck bed to work tent room.
- Give me 2 to 3 days before needing charge.
- Use solar and alternator power, ideally simultaneously.
- Be able to put this solution together in the next month or two. Im not waiting half a year. I want a February launch.

Solution considerations:
- Basically something like Will Prowse has with the alternator driven
400 watt solar solution
- An all in one solution like the Bluetti 200ac P. Possibly an ecoflow delta.

Considerations:
- A self built system seems like the best bang for your buck, but I worry about not knowing exact demands before spending more time off grid. That said, I should be able to quickly scale via series or parallel designs. There are now high quality lithium iron phosphate batteries available for approx 1000 that give you alorox 2500wh.

- If I initially launch with a self built system, how do I deal with mobility of power solution? I want to work from a tent solution at times. I suppose I could run a power cord as my truck should be close by.

- If I go with an all in one solution, like the bluetti 200ac P, I'll *probably* have all the power I need and the portability I need. But I may end up cutting it tight with power... quickly necessitating an upgrade.

Ultimately I would like to have my own system setup... with plenty more than needed power available. Say, 6000wh. But starting out, I'm really on the fence on which direction to go. I'm not I can achieve portability with a DIY system. With an all in one, I'm not getting a great value, but, get portability and ease of use. I suppose it's always possible to grab a lead acid cheaply as a backup...

Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

[Reed Cole]

The all-in-one units usually don't have the capability to be charged as quickly as a system built from individual components. They are better suited to occasional use, or if you have really basic needs.

 

[Dzl]

I agree with Reed (though now there are a few exceptions to this on the market), but at the same time if you need true portability (and it sounds like you do) there is a lot of convenience to a prebuilt system of some form. Particularly (I would think) in terms of moderately weatherproof / ruggedness since you will be camping with it and removing it from the vehicle. An alternative would be to sacrifice portability and go with a semi-fixed system and run the power from the truck to the tent. This would make the DIY route a little less difficult and also make your potential 6kWh goal more realistic (6kWh of lifepo4 can only be so 'portable' ). If you do want Large + Portable + DIY, there are some youtube videoes and instructables of people making portable systems using large rubbermaid containers or pelican cases (but 6 kWh is pushing 100lbs if you use high energy density cells, without considering anything apart from the actual cells)

In terms of alternator and solar charging if you want a combination unit I think there are three options Kisae, Renogy, Ctek (and possibly Redarc).

Or you could go with discrete components from Victron or another company.

Alternatively you could use a similar approach to how the portable power station companies accomplish alternator charging (I believe but am not positive they use a small current limited DC-DC converter to charge from the cigarette lighter).

For alternator charging to be more than a supplemental secondary source you need to drive a lot (or be willing to idle alot). Maxing out PV would allow you greater autonomy.

 

[Reed Cole]

Maybe have a fixed system in your truck and a little Jackery or something for the tent.

 

[HRTKD]

Can you mount solar panels on that camper? I would guess it wouldn't work well. The angle would be challenging. Maybe a couple of flexible panels? I would go with a set of ground deployment panels to really get a good solar charge.

I would create a set of components that can be quickly connected together and taken apart. The DC-DC charger doesn't need to be portable, so make it a fixed install in the truck.

To your power needs list, I suggest you add a cell phone booster if you're going to boondock. No cooking? No refrigeration?

I'm also a programmer and I can work anywhere. Starting in July 2021, I plan to do just that, but part time. I have an RV trailer and pickup truck all ready to go with enough solar and battery to do what you're talking about. There is no way I would do that in a tent. I like my creature comforts (heating, air conditioning, running water, toilet, shower, stove, refrigerator, stereo, lights, etc).

 

[DerekW]

Can you mount solar panels on that camper? I would guess it wouldn't work well. The angle would be challenging. Maybe a couple of flexible panels? I would go with a set of ground deployment panels to really get a good solar charge.

I would create a set of components that can be quickly connected together and taken apart. The DC-DC charger doesn't need to be portable, so make it a fixed install in the truck.

To your power needs list, I suggest you add a cell phone booster if you're going to boondock. No cooking? No refrigeration?

I'm also a programmer and I can work anywhere. Starting in July 2021, I plan to do just that, but part time. I have an RV trailer and pickup truck all ready to go with enough solar and battery to do what you're talking about. There is no way I would do that in a tent. I like my creature comforts (heating, air conditioning, running water, toilet, shower, stove, refrigerator, stereo, lights, etc).

I don't see this being a permanent solution, per se. But I need to make it work when I'm using it. I'm already used to sleeping in a car and roughing it in general. I've done a lot of traveling, and some of my hobbies include going pretty well off grid. (storm chasing, hiking, landscape photography)

The light weight truck tent camper solution will allow me to go most anywhere. I'll probably add a trailer later on.

I've found some good gas driven heating solutions. And a battery/electric driven portable AC solution.

As far as working out of a tent... so long as the weather isn't bad, it shouldn't be a problem. I probably won't do it most of the time, but I have a quick popup tent that does a good job staying dark and cool. I figure as long as I have a good desk and chair, along with peace and quiet, I ought to be ok.

Also: familiar with cell boosters. Will pick one up. WeBoost RV antena (the "65" something) seems to do a great job.

 

[HRTKD]

Also: familiar with cell boosters. Will pick one up. WeBoost RV antena (the "65" something) seems to do a great job.

There is a new/better one out now: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L9SG331

 

[DerekW]

There is a new/better one out now: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L9SG331

Getting OT a bit... but that's going to beat the thing that 25 feet in the air? I'll have to find some more reviews

 

[Dzl]

AC off the batteries is a no-go unless you have a large charging system to replenish the substantial amount of energy even a small AC uses, which from the sound of it you won't have. The energy it would consume would dwarf all your other consumers put together (with the possible exception of an electric blanket).

 

[Hedges]

Power while the sun shines and power at night require rather different solutions.

For night, you need a battery large enough. If 75W x 10 hours, 750W usable storage. A single 12V 100 Ah AGM battery ($325, 60 pounds) might be OK but would only last a couple years. Lithium solutions can work too.

For daytime, the battery only has to smooth out variation in consumption, so can be much smaller. AGM could have a lifespan of several years and could supply short (5 or 10 minute 1000W heating loads.

The tilting camper roof could make a great panel mount fixture, except weight of panels might be too much for the gas shocks.
You could add rigid poles, push them by hand to raise the lid and tuck into a base to hold them.
Perhaps a couple of large panels, 250 to 500W each, 40 to 60 pounds each. That would be much more power than you need initially.
A suitable MPPT charger would be required.
Moving the vehicle you could "track" panel orientation from morning to afternoon sun, get 50% power Wh/day.

Initially, any of the portable power stations with a couple 100W panels would supply the 75W load.

Electric blanket (100W) at night is a more difficult load.
Use a heating mattress pad, not a blanket; less wasted heat.
This would completely drain a 12V, 100 Ah battery at night. You need an inverter having suitable low-voltage shutdown to protect battery - some shut off at 10.5V which is too low.
Nightly cycling 70% to 100% DoD will wear out an AGM battery in 1 or 2 years. Lithium would be only good option.

At night, you don't need heat. A down mummy back inside a rectangular bag should be sufficient. I've used that to car camp in the snow.

With 300W to 1000W of panels on the roof and 2 to 5 hours effective sun depending on season, you could produce 600 Wh to 5000 Wh/day.
If there is a way to turn heating loads on/off while battery cycles between 80% and 100% SoC, you could use an electric blanket to keep warm and use a hot pot or microwave (given suitable inverter)

Note that batteries have a maximum rate of charge. A 100 Ah 12V AGM may allow 120 to 240W but some allow more. Lithium may allow more than that.
An implementation with separate inverter and charge controller usually doesn't know how to limit charge going to battery while supplying larger amount for inverter. A battery that can tolerate all available PV should be used. An all-in-one might know how to manage power production more effectively.

 

[DerekW]

Power while the sun shines and power at night require rather different solutions.

For night, you need a battery large enough. If 75W x 10 hours, 750W usable storage. A single 12V 100 Ah AGM battery ($325, 60 pounds) might be OK but would only last a couple years. Lithium solutions can work too.

For daytime, the battery only has to smooth out variation in consumption, so can be much smaller. AGM could have a lifespan of several years and could supply short (5 or 10 minute 1000W heating loads.

The tilting camper roof could make a great panel mount fixture, except weight of panels might be too much for the gas shocks.
You could add rigid poles, push them by hand to raise the lid and tuck into a base to hold them.
Perhaps a couple of large panels, 250 to 500W each, 40 to 60 pounds each. That would be much more power than you need initially.
A suitable MPPT charger would be required.
Moving the vehicle you could "track" panel orientation from morning to afternoon sun, get 50% power Wh/day.

Initially, any of the portable power stations with a couple 100W panels would supply the 75W load.

Electric blanket (100W) at night is a more difficult load.
Use a heating mattress pad, not a blanket; less wasted heat.
This would completely drain a 12V, 100 Ah battery at night. You need an inverter having suitable low-voltage shutdown to protect battery - some shut off at 10.5V which is too low.
Nightly cycling 70% to 100% DoD will wear out an AGM battery in 1 or 2 years. Lithium would be only good option.

At night, you don't need heat. A down mummy back inside a rectangular bag should be sufficient. I've used that to car camp in the snow.

With 300W to 1000W of panels on the roof and 2 to 5 hours effective sun depending on season, you could produce 600 Wh to 5000 Wh/day.
If there is a way to turn heating loads on/off while battery cycles between 80% and 100% SoC, you could use an electric blanket to keep warm and use a hot pot or microwave (given suitable inverter)

Note that batteries have a maximum rate of charge. A 100 Ah 12V AGM may allow 120 to 240W but some allow more. Lithium may allow more than that.
An implementation with separate inverter and charge controller usually doesn't know how to limit charge going to battery while supplying larger amount for inverter. A battery that can tolerate all available PV should be used. An all-in-one might know how to manage power production more effectively.

The gas strut support roof is rated at 100lbs. My idea was to eventually throw on two or three 150w+ flexible panels. They're lighter weight and can support inclement weather better. (I run the risk of hail where I hang out, so I'd have to be concerned with removing them often enough if they were glass)

The idea of a blanket or heating pad is a bit up in the air. I plan on getting an extremely warm canvas sleeping bag, and could supplement it with more warmth via something like you mentioned. But I thought it might be nice to temporarily run a heated blanket -- which seem to vary between 50 - 150w -- at least part of the night on really cold nights. (well below freezing) I'll also have a portable propane heater, but didn't want to run it all night. All that said, I may end up with a permanent heating system. (either diesel or propane)

 

[DerekW]

AC off the batteries is a no-go unless you have a large charging system to replenish the substantial amount of energy even a small AC uses, which from the sound of it you won't have. The energy it would consume would dwarf all your other consumers put together (with the possible exception of an electric blanket).

Would look at something like this

ZERO BREEZE Mark 2 AC

ZERO BREEZE Mark 2 Battery Portable Air Conditioner, Just press the button and enjoy the cool air anywhere. Get yours at the ZERO BREEZE Online Store now!

www.zerobreeze.com

 

[Hedges]

Flexible panels are usually several times the price and have short lifespan.
Maybe the "flexible" panels with silicon wafers not thin film would last longer if not broken. But they may not be as well sealed against humidity.
Inexpensive quality second-hand rigid panels will be the best value.

PV panels are rated for fairly significant hailstones.

"portable AC solution"

I missed that. "AC" usually "Alternating Current", "A/C" "Air Conditioning.

Forget about small PV/battery powered A/C.
With enough PV panels you can run A/C; I have that at my house.
You're better of being in the shade (but that eliminates PV production) and using a fan.

A pop-up sunshade without walls (that would trap heat) and portable fan, powered by the vehicle with PV panels in the sun?
Drink water, spray a mist of water.

 

[HRTKD]

I tried running my Mr Heater Big Buddy propane heater in my trailer once. The stink was so bad I couldn't take it. That was with windows cracked to provide some fresh air. I also used the same heater in my truck bed with a fiberglass topper. The amount of condensation it created was overwhelming. I had ice forming on all the interior surfaces that were away from the heater. It was too much heater for that small space. The heater is now relegated for use in my popup ice fishing hut.

 

[Hedges]

I tried running my Mr Heater Big Buddy propane heater in my trailer once.

"Oxygen Depletion Sensor (ODS) Yes"

Nice of them to include one of those. Either that or keep a pet canary?

Better to have outside air used for combustion and exhaust.
How about getting an extra heater core, plumb it to heater hose. If you really need heat, run vehicle engine for a while and blow air over the heater core.

 

[DerekW]

Maybe have a fixed system in your truck and a little Jackery or something for the tent.

I had thought of a mixed system like that. Maybe the way to go.

I agree with Reed (though now there are a few exceptions to this on the market), but at the same time if you need true portability (and it sounds like you do) there is a lot of convenience to a prebuilt system of some form. Particularly (I would think) in terms of moderately weatherproof / ruggedness since you will be camping with it and removing it from the vehicle. An alternative would be to sacrifice portability and go with a semi-fixed system and run the power from the truck to the tent. This would make the DIY route a little less difficult and also make your potential 6kWh goal more realistic (6kWh of lifepo4 can only be so 'portable' ). If you do want Large + Portable + DIY, there are some youtube videoes and instructables of people making portable systems using large rubbermaid containers or pelican cases (but 6 kWh is pushing 100lbs if you use high energy density cells, without considering anything apart from the actual cells)

In terms of alternator and solar charging if you want a combination unit I think there are three options Kisae, Renogy, Ctek (and possibly Redarc).

Or you could go with discrete components from Victron or another company.

Alternatively you could use a similar approach to how the portable power station companies accomplish alternator charging (I believe but am not positive they use a small current limited DC-DC converter to charge from the cigarette lighter).

For alternator charging to be more than a supplemental secondary source you need to drive a lot (or be willing to idle alot). Maxing out PV would allow you greater autonomy.

Have you seen any designs that allow for a quick removal of a battery in series/parallel that would allow it to be used separately? From everything I can tell, that's just not a realistic ask. As far as portability is concerned, I'm thinking anything much past 60 to 70lbs would be prohibitively heavy. Which pretty much would knock out multi-battery setup.

I'm thinking I'll end up with a permanent setup -- probably a couple 200ah lithiums -- plus some sort of portable solution.

Or else go with the bluetti AC200P and toss in a few "backup" AGMs.

 

[HRTKD]

"Oxygen Depletion Sensor (ODS) Yes"

Nice of them to include one of those. Either that or keep a pet canary?

Better to have outside air used for combustion and exhaust.
How about getting an extra heater core, plumb it to heater hose. If you really need heat, run vehicle engine for a while and blow air over the heater core.

I am the canary.

I'm really sensitive to odors.

Seriously, I smell faint odors long before others do. Ever since I had throat cancer I'm hypersensitive to odors.

 

[DerekW]

I tried running my Mr Heater Big Buddy propane heater in my trailer once. The stink was so bad I couldn't take it. That was with windows cracked to provide some fresh air. I also used the same heater in my truck bed with a fiberglass topper. The amount of condensation it created was overwhelming. I had ice forming on all the interior surfaces that were away from the heater. It was too much heater for that small space. The heater is now relegated for use in my popup ice fishing hut.

Definitely want to be well vented if you're using one inside, even though they're *supposed* to intelligently handle oxygen detection.

I figured with windows cracked -- and my tent top has passive venting, thankfully -- I could run something like that during the day as needed, or, in the morning to get warmed up quick.

Propex heaters, which can be mounted on the underside of your camper, are supposed to be really solid. (combustion taking place outside, heat pumped inside) But they're pretty price. (800 or so) Some good diesel heater solutions as well, which are more fuel efficient. But they're harder to keep clean and are trickier to run at elevation.

 

[HRTKD]

I had thought of a mixed system like that. Maybe the way to go.



Have you seen any designs that allow for a quick removal of a battery in series/parallel that would allow it to be used separately? From everything I can tell, that's just not a realistic ask. As far as portability is concerned, I'm thinking anything much past 60 to 70lbs would be prohibitively heavy.

I'm thinking I'll end up with a permanent setup -- probably a couple 200ah lithiums -- plus some sort of portable solution.

Or else go with the bluetti AC200P and toss in a few "backup" AGMs.

My 4s 280Ah battery is around 45 lbs. Anderson Connectors would make it fairly easy to connect/disconnect the battery and components. But I suspect that moving batteries and components around would get old real fast unless you stay in one place for a while.

 

[DerekW]

My 4s 280Ah battery is around 45 lbs. Anderson Connectors would make it fairly easy to connect/disconnect the battery and components. But I suspect that moving batteries and components around would get old real fast unless you stay in one place for a while.

Yeah, good point on usability. The way I was thinking about it is that the "lead" battery would have to be in a container with all the components attached. I'd just untether it from the rest of the batteries whenever I wanted to use it elsewhere.

 

[HRTKD]

For the available Ah, LiFePO4 is lighter/smaller. The Trojan 6v batteries I removed from my trailer had a 225 Ah rating and weighed a bit more than 120 lbs. The 560 Ah of LiFePO4 that replaced them weigh about 90 lbs. No maintenance of LiFePO4 either.

 

[ianganderton]

We are up to post 22 (this one) and no body has asked for your power audit information.

Until you have done a power audit you won’t really have a clue what your battery, solar and charging needs are or even if what you are wanting to do is even possible.

What I see happen typically is people do a power audit then work out their battery needs from that and then the solar (and/or alternator) charging needed. This often results in a realisation that it may not work. But they now have a much better understanding of what’s needed so re-evaluate their power plan

It’s pretty easy to build a spreadsheet that calculates power needs and then estimates battery and solar/alternator requirements. This will allow you to wargame different options.

Also factor in the available solar power at different times of the year where you are likely planning to be. The solar handbook calculator is the most useful one I’ve found so far. If you are planning on working full time remotely you need to plan for winter sunshine or lack of it.

 

[Dzl]

I agree with @ianganderton a power audit--while tedious and usually rough--is really helpful for definining what is possible/practical and helping you limit your options and define your needs.

I would also say, from the discussion so far you really need to think through your use case, what is realistic what is not, how you will be using your system in practice. It sounds to me like the problem you are trying to solve is not super well defined yet. Its hard to determine what the proper approach is without knowing specifically what you want to accomplish.

If the 'work tent' is going to be the primary scenario (and its worth asking, when you get somewhere beautiful and cool how often will you be willing to spend an hour or two setting up a mobile office ), I don't think a large truck based system and small portable system makes the most sense, because all your large power consumers are in the tent. An extension cord from truck to tent would be more practical and cheaper, or just shelling out more money upfront for a large portable power station.

I have lived nomadically on and off for a handful of years and also done a fair bit of remote vehicle based camping. One thing I have learned is that the simpler setup and teardown is the more likely you are to do it. This is something you can't full appreciate until you are doing it over and over and over. I bought, brought, or designed many cool things that in practice I rarely used because in practice I just couldn't be bothered most of the time. Maybe I'm just lazy ? (but seriously listen to others who have lived this way, or watch videos where people talk about what surprised them or what was hard for them, and this--burden/time of setup/teardown--is quite often mentioned. Of course if you stay somewhere for longer stretches of time this factor isn't as important.

 

[Dzl]

Flexible panels are usually several times the price and have short lifespan.
Maybe the "flexible" panels with silicon wafers not thin film would last longer if not broken. But they may not be as well sealed against humidity.
Inexpensive quality second-hand rigid panels will be the best value.

PV panels are rated for fairly significant hailstones.

"portable AC solution"

I missed that. "AC" usually "Alternating Current", "A/C" "Air Conditioning.

Forget about small PV/battery powered A/C.
With enough PV panels you can run A/C; I have that at my house.
You're better of being in the shade (but that eliminates PV production) and using a fan.

A pop-up sunshade without walls (that would trap heat) and portable fan, powered by the vehicle with PV panels in the sun?
Drink water, spray a mist of water.

I agree with @Hedges on pretty much everything above. However, there are expensive and high quality flexible panels being made these days (some for the marine industry, some for military and overland). Merlin Solar (they don't sell direct to consumers but are an OEM for several companies) is a name to look into, but expect to pay $$$$).

At the risk of sounding overly "in-my-day-we-walked-6-miles-in-the-snow..." or gatekeeper-y: if you are camping, you can try to fight the cold as best you can but when it comes to heat its best to just accept the heat and go places where its less hot or use less energy intensive strategies to stay comfortable. If its hot enough to need A/C a tiny portable A/C in an uninsulated tent or an uninsulated truck, will be struggling and probably be running flat out. That A/C looks pretty cool, and its pretty low power ~250W, but the cooling power is pretty low too (~650W = about 2200(?) BTU), and with portable A/C's you need to remember to account/plan/design for the heat they generate too.

I won't pretend to be a voice of authority on this since I have never owned and never bought an A/C, and live on the West Coast where true heat is something we've heard exists but rarely experience ?, just sharing my one and a half cents

Have you seen any designs that allow for a quick removal of a battery in series/parallel that would allow it to be used separately? From everything I can tell, that's just not a realistic ask.

I do believe there are some modular portable power stations, never looked into the details, but I know I've seen some that allow adding auxiliary battery packs in a modular fashion. Is that similar to what you are talking about?

Or else go with the bluetti AC200P and toss in a few "backup" AGMs.

AC200P was what I had in mind

To me it seems like this (or something like it) or a fixed system mounted in the truck and an extension cord run to your work tent is the way to go.

 

[cotrailhead]

For the needs you described, I would look at flex panels on the wedge, and one or two manageable (physical size wise) ground mount panels producing as many watts as possible, and I would go with your favorite portable all in one unit. Also, ditch the electric blanket idea and get one of these. Your electric blanket makes your system much more challenging to design in a way that also accommodates your desire to not fidget with things.

https://www.amazon.com/ALPS-OutdoorZ-Redwood-Flannel-Sleeping/dp/B00358RUJ8/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=-20+sleeping+bag&qid=1609212074&sr=8-4