CHEAT SHEET

A Older plug-to-plug campers left you tied to campgrounds

BRAVE with power outlets. Today’s vans can take you beyond those
campgrounds to some amazing places, and with recent
NEW developments in off-grid power technologies, you can still
WORLD turn on the lights when you get there. No plugs required.

The Van Power Triad ™

The Three-Pronged Approach to Having Unlimited Power in Your Van

SHORE POWER SOLAR POWER ALTERNATOR POWER

Vans still benefit from being able
to plug in, recharge batteries, and
run larger appliances for longer
durations. Inverter-chargers
process grid power and charge
your batteries with up to 4,000
watts, while also running your
household appliances
simultaneously. Unplug your van
and it seamlessly switches to
running off of your batteries,
powering the same items.
Along with batteries, affordable
solar was the game changer in
creating off-grid camper
capability. Solar power can bring
in 300-400 watts for the standard
van, giving you the ability to go
off-grid for days in a variety of
seasons and latitudes. This robust
but sensible amount of solar also
leaves space for other critical
rooftop items, such as vent fans
and air conditioners.
Once called generators, this
unsung hero is under the hood of
every van, and often easily puts
out 800 watts or more for your
camper van needs. If you’ve got
enough battery capacity to
absorb it, you can use this
engine-generated power for days
after the engine has been turned
off. If you’re ordering a new van,
it’s advisable to go with the
heavy-duty alternator option.

You don’t have to have all 3 charging sources,

but they each excel during different scenarios. Here’s where they shine:
Shore power is great at Solar power will carry you when Alternator charging excels when
campgrounds that have a nice you’re boondocking in the middle you’re driving (and thus not
shade tree (which cuts down on of nowhere with no campground plugged in), and the solar is not
solar) with the engine and in sight and the engine alternator producing due to winter, overcast
alternator turned off. It’s also ideal off for days. Solar helps you or nighttime conditions. Often
to power large appliances like an access some of the most pristine producing more watts of power
air conditioner for extended places while silently charging your than most van solar arrays, this is
periods on a hot summer day! system in the background. a great source to fill in the gaps.

Copyright 2023 RossLukeman.com, All Rights Reserved. Page 1

 Now that we’ve looked at charging sources, how exactly do they tie into the overall system? Here’s a conceptual
diagram of how any number of charging sources and appliances all tie into your auxiliary battery bank:

Shore Power Alternator Power Solar Power

(grid or generator) (the van’s factory unit) (single or multiple panels)

Generate
Shore Engine Cable
Inlet Battery Entry

Solar
Regulate Inverter-
Charger
DC to DC
Charger
Charge
Controller

Store Step-down Converter

(Only for 24V or 48V
battery systems)

Auxiliary Battery Bank

AC Loads
Consume (120V or 230V
DC Loads
(12V Fuse Block)
Breakers)

Induction Outlets Outlets DC Air LED Vent Gas or Diesel DC

Stove Driver Side Passenger Side Conditioner Lights Fan Heater Refrigerator

• You can see that there are quite a few connections at the auxiliary battery bank. This is a case in point of
why you need bus bars! They simply give you more places to connect cables, for instances like this one.

• It is recommended that you use 12V DC appliances as much as possible, since they run straight off of the
batteries and don’t need an inverter (which wastes battery power). This is especially true for refrigerators,
as with AC models you’d have to keep the inverter on 24/7 just in case the fridge “decides” to kick on!

• 12-volt DC air conditioners are recommended (they’re also available in 24V or 48V, get one to match your
battery voltage), as they take a fraction of the power of their AC (alternating current) counterparts. Think
500 watts instead of 2000 watts, which means 4X the runtime on the same battery bank. As seen above,
they typically pull power straight from the batteries (running through a stand-alone fuse or breaker),
bypassing the fuse block where all other (smaller) DC loads get power.

Copyright 2023 RossLukeman.com, All Rights Reserved. Page 2

 What Happened to Lead-Acid Batteries?
Over the last few years, we’ve seen lithium batteries take over the energy storage scene, especially for mobile
power systems. To recap why, let’s do a quick comparison using average data from the battery industry:

Lead-Acid +
Pb
- Lithium +
Li
-
(FLA, Gel, AGM) (LiFePO4)

Depth of Discharge
50% Up to 100%
before battery damage
[300-500 cycles] [2500 to 5000 cycles]
[charge cycles]

Weight for 100Ah 130lbs 30lbs

Useable Capacity (Two 65lb 100Ah batteries) (Single 30lb 100Ah battery)

Recommended 0.1C 0.5C

Charge Rate 10 amps per 100Ah 50 amps per 100Ah
[charge time] [ 10 hour charge from empty] [2 hour charge from empty]

Recommended 5 amps 100 amps

Discharge Rate to per 100Ah capacity per 100Ah capacity
get full rated capacity (20-hour discharge) (1-hour discharge)

Efficiency
(what you put in vs. 77-80% 92-99%
what you get out)
100% 40-60%
Ideal Daily
(full daily recharge needed (full daily recharge
Recharge %
to prevent sulphation) not needed by battery)

Discharge -4°F to 140°F -4°F to 140°F

Temperature Range -20°C to 60°C -20°C to 60°C

Charge 14°F to 140°F 32°F to 131°F

Temperature Range -10°C to 60°C 0°C to 55°C

Storage -4°F to 140°F -49°F to 158°F

Temperature Range -20°C to 60°C -45°C to 70°C

So what are the takeaways from all of this data?

• Since a 100Ah lithium battery weighs about half of its lead-acid equivalent, and contains twice the
useable capacity, a lithium battery bank ends up being 1/4 the weight of a lead-acid battery bank of the
same useable capacity. Reduced weight along with 5-10X the lifespan, and lithium is the clear winner.

• The recommended lithium charge rate is 5X that of lead-acid, which means shorter charge times and the
ability to utilize all available charge sources simultaneously (solar/shore or solar/alternator). The greater
efficiency of lithium also means more of your limited solar production gets stored as useable energy.

• Lead-acid can take a charge at slightly colder temperatures, however, at these temperatures its capacity
plummets, while lithium maintains most capacity. Also, the battery management system used by all lithium
batteries will keep it inside healthy conditions, while lead-acid can easily go out of range and get damaged.

Copyright 2023 RossLukeman.com, All Rights Reserved. Page 3

 A Tale of Two Battery Management Systems
A battery management system (BMS) keeps lithium batteries within certain temperature and voltage ranges to
ensure safety and prevent damage to the battery. Most lithium brands have a built-in BMS, but Victron
Smart Lithium batteries use an external BMS. So what’s the difference?

• Simpler functionality - each battery simply

Internal BMS disconnects itself from the overall system if it
Lithium Batteries encounters an over-voltage, under-voltage,
over-temperature or under-temperature situation.
Designed to disconnect in short-circuit situations or
DC Alternator Solar Inverter-Charger
Loads Charger Charger (Shore/AC Loads) when current goes too high. Internal cell balancing.

- Loads and Chargers Not Controlled by Batteries - • Faster, cleaner installation with factory-installed
electronics and switches built-in, installer not
responsible for wiring the BMS correctly.

• Many brands feature Bluetooth app connectivity to

Internal BMS show the battery’s individual cell voltages, battery
Lithium temperature, etc.

• Drop-in lead-acid replacement for existing systems

• Advanced functionality - batteries control the

External BMS overall system (chargers and loads) if they encounter
Lithium Batteries an over-voltage, under-voltage, over-temperature or
under-temperature situation. Automatic cell
DC Alternator Solar Inverter-Charger
Loads Charger Charger (Shore/AC Loads)
balancing. Rated for higher maximum charge and
discharge currents, and rely on fuses for over-current
protection. These batteries discharge down to -4°F
like those above, but must be warmer to charge, at
41°F (vs. 32°F for most internal-BMS batteries).

• Slower, more complex installation. Installer

responsible for correct wiring to ensure BMS function
and proper shutdown during adverse events.

• Uses Bluetooth with the VictronConnect app to

Victron Smart
show each battery’s overall status, cell balance
Lithium
status, temperature and individual cell voltages.

• Largely meant for 100% Victron systems

To wrap up, either BMS type will be used more as a fail-safe backup and not an everyday “cutoff switch.”
Aside from their advanced BMS functionality, the Victron Smart Lithium batteries tend to be more compact
(especially the 200Ah and 330Ah units) than their internal-BMS competitors. Their higher minimum charging
temperature of 41°F (5°C) should be noted though. There is no right answer, and you probably already know
which of the above setups appeals to you. Either one will protect your batteries in an adverse situation.

Copyright 2023 RossLukeman.com, All Rights Reserved. Page 4

 How can I help you?
845 miles. That’s how far from home I was in August of 2016 when I saw the red light blaring, and unfortunately it
was coming from my power system. After years of having the fabled destination of Taos, New Mexico on my
bucket list, I was finally there. But with my solar panels failing and my batteries following suit, sightseeing and
exploring were now out the window until I got my system back online. I found out the hard way that nothing can
ruin a trip faster than some sort of power system failure.

Since 2016, I’ve spent thousands of hours installing and road-testing power systems everywhere from Seattle to
South Florida, leading me to develop the 42-point framework I use today, called the Van Power Method TM .
Operating out of Houston, Texas, these days I apply this framework to the design and installation of a variety of
mobile power systems each year, but I can only serve a handful of clients this way.

For this reason, I developed the Van Power Method Masterclass, my flagship
power systems training that allows do-it-yourselfers and professional
builders alike to access this method immediately and begin world-class
installations from anywhere. Skip the waitlist and spend thousands less than
the cost of a custom installation, while getting the highest-quality end result.

5 Keys to a World-Class Power System

The Van Power Method targets these 5 metrics:

Seamless Vehicle Integration: Utilize existing systems while preserving vehicle components and warranty.
Maximize Occupant & Vehicle Safety: Fail-safe designs handle overload scenarios and prevent fires.
Maximize Vehicle Resale Value: Industry-standard aesthetics, function and safety ensure high resale value.
Ensure Off-Grid Reliability: Redundancy and margins of safety ensure operability in remote locations.
Maximize Off-Grid Efficiency: Extend off-grid runtimes by eliminating inefficiencies and energy leaks.

Hundreds of students worldwide have successfully applied the Van Power Method to new and existing systems in:

Campervans Trailers & Caravans RV’s Overland Vehicles Buses Work Vehicles Boats

Working with specific voltages? The Van Power Method works with any combination:

+ - + - + - + -
12V 24V 36V 48V 120V 230V

DC Power AC Power

A few fine places the Van Power Method has been used by DIYers, van builders and other professionals:

Canada N. Zealand USA UK Australia Peru Slovakia Germany France Netherlands UAE Puerto Rico

Thanks for taking a look at the Ultimate Van Power Cheat Sheet! I hope you picked up a few
insights for your next mobile power project. Stay tuned for info about the next enrollment for
the Van Power Method Masterclass. Whether I work with you on your project or you’re able to
complete it on your own, I wish you the best of luck! Thanks for reading-

Ross Lukeman

Copyright 2023 RossLukeman.com, All Rights Reserved. Page 5