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 a quick review of a couple of new fans from BougeRV, the F01 and F02, which should be perfect for keeping us cool this summer on the boat. Our trawler doesn’t have air conditioning, though I do carry their portable BougeRV AC unit for desperate days running off solar. Fair Disclosure: I … 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 year, I picked up a simple mechanical rope winch as a backup for our boat’s anchor windlass. With 30 meters of heavy chain and a 44-pound anchor, retrieving everything by hand is tough if the motor or gearbox fails. I figured I could hook the winch at the stern and pull from the bow … Read more
In this video, I’m checking out a new product from Haloview, the same folks who make the wireless rear monitoring system and cameras I use on my RV. I’ve tested several of their models, including the BT10 model, but I really prefer the BT7 with its square design over the long rear-view-mirror style. One cool … 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
Today, I’m upgrading the 30-amp power inlet connection on the RV to a SmartPlug. I’ve been wanting one for a while. I already have one installed on our boat, and they’re so much safer than the old twist lock style you see on a lot of boats and RVs. Recently, my twist lock arced, so … 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
In this video, you will see how I put together my cables for my off-grid systems in the RV and especially on the boat. I’m crimping some common sizes today, 2/0 gauge and 6 gauge, using my new hydraulic crimper that makes a nice clean hex crimp. It’s fast and does a really solid job. … Read more
Werewolf (Tundra Labs in Green Bay, Wisconsin) sent me their VFLEX gadget to test. It’s a small USB-C adapter that lets you program the output voltage to power devices, like, say, for example, 12V gear common in RVs and boats. Fair Disclosure: I received a free review sample of the product The starter kit included … 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