When we bought our CHB trawler “Vestri” in June 2023, its off-grid power system was relatively limited. It consisted of two 100W solar panels, a 15 amp solar charger, and 4 Trojan 6V batteries. Good enough for some boaters, but we are heavy power users, having been spoiled by our extensive off-grid system in our … Read more
A look at a new CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium Selenide) 360-degree flexible thin-filmed solar panel from BougeRV. The panel features new technology that allows it to be rolled up! Being super thin and lightweight makes it perfect for mounting on curved surfaces found on many RVs and boats. In this video, I mount it on … Read more
In this video, I show you my roughed-in version of a project I’ve been puttering around with lately. I’m utilizing various spare off-grid electronic components and batteries to build a toolbox power station for my pickup truck bed. The primary purpose is powering my multiple dash cams in parking mode for surveillance and storing extra … Read more
In this video, I demo and review a 100 amp-hour 12V lithium battery from Aolithium. The battery looks well made and utilizes quality components like grade “A” CALB brand lithium cells. But what intrigued me was the inclusion of Bluetooth data connectivity. A feature not often seen in a battery that sells in the same … Read more
In this video, I use a spare 40 amp MPPT solar controller to help cobble a system together to keep my truck batteries topped up. I utilized an existing 100W solar panel I have previously mounted on a toolbox and a 12VDC port in the truck bed. This mod is desirable since I’m now running … Read more
In the last couple of years, I’ve tested and reviewed several items from a company called BougeRV. There was a portable 50L AC/DC fridge freezer, 170 & 180W solar panels, and a 40 amp MPPT solar charge controller. All are still working fine for me. They are on the lower-end price-wise compared to similar items … Read more
Last spring, I installed and tested an inexpensive 40 amp MPPT solar charge controller sold online by BougeRV. So far, it’s been working well. Recently I was contacted by the actual manufacturer of the controller. A company called SRNE. They asked if I’d want to look at a different model of their RV solar charge … Read more
Luckily, I’ve had a chance to try out and review several portable lithium power stations throughout the last couple of years. I’ve tested various Jackery, Himcen, Bluetti, and Lion Energy offerings. In the comment section of these videos, I’d often hear about another lithium power station maker called EcoFlow. Several people even asked if I … Read more
Over the last 11 years of full-time RVing, our off-grid power system has evolved and changed quite often. Early on, I slowly increased our power input and output options and storage capacity as I could afford it. Then as my LYRV YouTube channel grew, I was offered product samples for review by various companies. Many … Read more
In this video, I take a cheap battery monitor w/shunt I had kicking around and repurposed it to show amps and volts coming off a 600-watt solar panel array. I wired it up to be able to be easily connected in line with the solar panel output cable. The main reason for this meter is … Read more
As a special gift to one of my viewers in the southwest this winter, I’ve decided to giveaway a little starter kit for off-grid camping. The kit includes a 100 amp-hour lithium battery, a 180-watt solar panel, and a 30 amp solar charge controller. All you need to do is provide your own wire, connectors, … Read more
In this video, I demo a 180W solar panel from a company called BougeRV. I have reviewed their 170W panels in the past, but this is the newer, more powerful panel. Overall, it looks like an OK panel build-wise and puts out close to the max-rated watts in my tests. I tested charging a 12V … Read more
Over the years, I’ve reviewed several portable lithium battery power stations, often referred to as solar generators. For example, the Jackery 1000 and Himcen 740P. I found both were well built but lacked the inverter power to handle higher wattage AC loads. So when Bluetti contacted me asking for a review of their AC200P model, … Read more
In this video, I go through the current state of my RV boondocking power systems. Over the last year or so, I’ve added more solar panels, a 40 amp DC-DC charger, and a new 40 amp MPPT solar charge controller. With all these recent additions, a major reorganization to the existing system and wiring was … Read more
Last spring, I reviewed a couple of items from an online seller called BougeRV. I had a look at their 170W solar panels and AC/DC portable fridge freezer. Though both are not the best quality out there, they weren’t too bad considering the price. Since then, the company has been asking me to review something … Read more