These are posts that are related to dry camping AKA Boondocking
Today I ran a quick test to see if I could charge my Bluetti Elite 300 power station faster using a fully charged WattCycle 12-volt 300 amp-hour battery. Direct 12 volts into the DC input only gives a slow charge, so I disconnected the Charger 2 from the boat starter and alternator and hooked the … Read more
I’m back with an update on our boat’s off-grid solar charging setup for 2026. It’s always evolving, and this year I’m running two MPPT controllers: a 50-amp SRNE DC-DC Charger with MPPT that I’m using purely as a solar charger, and a BougeRV 60-amp solar controller. A pair of 195-watt Shadow Flux panels on the flybridge rails are … Read more
I’m back showing another piece of my boat’s off-grid power setup. After covering the solar panels and one lithium house bank, this time I’m looking at the second bank made up of two Xantrex 240-amp-hour lithium batteries plus the main 2000-watt Xantrex marine inverter charger that handles shore power or generator charging at up to … Read more
In this video, I give you a look at the new BougeRV Sunflow 60 amp MPPT solar controller installed into my fifth-wheel trailer off-grid power system. The 60 amp controller will be a perfect match for my 940 watts of rooftop solar and eliminate the need for and complexity of running two 40 amp controllers … Read more
We’re enjoying ourselves on the boat again, cruising the BC coast, and I thought it was a good time to update you on this season’s solar panel setup. We made a nice upgrade this year with a pair of 195-watt Renogy ShadowFlux panels mounted on the rail. They have performed very well, especially in terms … Read more
In this first video, I go over the main features and demonstrate a new, lightweight, portable, on-demand propane camping shower from BougeRV. I think this little unit is going to be quite handy aboard our boat this summer. After using it for a while, I’ll be back with a full review video. Built-in constant temperature … Read more
I’m back with another review for Bluetti, this time on their new Elite 300 series portable power station. I’ve previously checked out their smaller AC70 and Elite 100 models, which are great for easy carrying, but this one packs a serious punch. It’s the smallest unit on the market with 3,014 watt-hours of LiFePO4 battery … Read more
I’m back with another DJI product review (Link to my DJI Power 2000 Review), this time on their new Power 1000 Mini. They call it the smallest 1,000-watt-hour power station on the market, and it really is compact at just over a foot long, 8 inches wide, and 8 inches tall. Inside is a 1,000 … Read more
This month, I’m testing a new Renogy solar panel called the ShadowFlux. It’s designed for better shade tolerance with 16 bus bars and 28 bypass diodes, plus it offers higher conversion efficiency, longer lifespan, and improved performance in hot conditions. I’m really interested in how it’ll work on my boat, with the mast and rigging … Read more
In this video, I’m checking out a new power station from DJI, the company famous for drones. They have the Power 500 and Power 1000, but this is their new Power 2000. They asked me to review it. I’ll split it into a few videos. This first one covers the main features and tests the … Read more
I’m back with a first look at Bluetti’s new Charger 2 DC-to-DC charger. If you remember, I reviewed their Charger 1 last winter, did a couple of videos on it, and we ran it all summer on the boat with great success. I was able to draw up to 500 watts from the engine alternator … Read more
Over the years, I’ve had requests to do a video series showing the installation of a typical boondocking system from start to finish. Something a little more basic than the complex systems I usually show. In this first video of a multi-part series, I begin a fresh installation of a Renogy-based off-grid power system for … Read more
In this video, I take a look at and demo a 450W folding portable solar panel from ZOUPW. The panel is very similar in design to the Renogy 400W I’ve been using for the last couple of years. In my mid-January test, it delivered up to 360 watts to my Bluetti Elite 100 power station, … Read more
In this video, I tested BougeRV’s new DC-to-DC alternator charger (model DC600) for charging portable power stations from your vehicle’s battery. They call it a charger, but in reality, it’s a voltage converter that steps up 12 or 24 volts from your vehicle’s alternator/battery system to 15-60 volts for the power station’s DC input. The … Read more
In this video, I review the latest offering from Bluetti, the Elite 100 V2 portable power station, a new power station set to release on July 1, 2025. I’ve been testing a free review sample on my boat this summer, using it as a central charging hub for our camera batteries, phones, and laptops. This … Read more