The schematics make all the difference. Thanks for all your hard work and clearing solar up for me.

i have no idea what you just said but i fw it thank u

This is the first time I've heard an explanation of someone's system that I could understand. I feel a little hope for a better system that what I've been planning. Thanks!

we are in the process of building out a Skoolie now. and really enjoy your KZfaq channel. If you are ever thru Biloxi MS and need a place to park let us know. Would love to pick your brain on my ideas. Thanks Curtis & Jonathan

Thank you for sharing this! We are in the process of figuring out our solar setup in our bus and this video was EXTREMELY helpful! Looking forward to seeing more of your stuff on KZfaq! :)

Your builds are the cleanest I've ever seen.

very good information and presentation skills Michael Looking forward to your next post Thanks!!!

Hey Michael. Thanks for the video! You did a great job explaining your system. You obviously planned carefully what you were going to say and it was very effective! Keep it up. I’m looking forward to the next video!

Excellent info Mike! Good timing to on my part

Great info. I found you through the Roll with It bus channel. There were some great ideas here and I look forward to seeing the rest of your new bus build

You explain things very well

Thanks for your schematic! That was awesome!! I had a lot of loose disconnected knowledge floating around in my head on the subject - but your schematic and explanation really crystallized things for me. Thanks for that!

This has been immensely helpful! Thanks so much dude!

That was the clearest explanation I've yet heard of a solar install. Thanks for including the alternator/battery bit. You are really good at making instructional videos - and apparently much else as well. Jax brought me here. The Van Build brought me to Jax.

Great video. Thank you.

Yes man love it, hope to see your computer setup soon! Keep working hard

It's about time you started making videos for tutorials. You've got a great bus. I've been wanting to see how you designed your couch/table.

Thank you!

Never would have thought boat life would help me here. The battery layout was extremely similar.

Looks like you did a nice job on your system!

This was a great bunch of information. Thanks so much for sharing it. I also wanted to let you know that Michael from the Duet Justus channel started as a solar novice. He did a ton of research and put an amazing video series together about understanding, planning, purchasing, and installing a solar system. He covers just about everything you will need to know to put together the right system at the right price.

Schematic made things very clear. Love your rig! Is your full size stove run off propane? Thanks for sharing!

Very useful! How do you run your refrigerator on 8 hour cycles? Thanks

Thank you so much for the video! I am in the planning stages of preparing my tiny family for bus life. This has cleared up some confusion:) Thank you! (Are you aware that the title that flashes by says 'Throughts' not "Thoughts." Sorry, grammar nerd here.)

Man it would be so great to meet you and exchange knowledge. I just bought a mini school bus and I really wanna live off the grid. I I am just a little uneducated with the schoolie life!

Hi mate, just wanted to point out a vital safety warning for you and anyone reading this. Do not ground your batteries to earth. I was an electrician and electronics engineer for years before i joined the military. This is not a criticism mate, just a friendly helpful warning to you and anyone else. On your drawing from around 1:44 onwards, you have symbolised connecting the batteries black (Neutral/Negative) to ground (Earth) and used the Earth (AC Grounding) symbol. Especially if using an inverter (which most if not all are) - you do not need to earth the batteries mate, in fact it is advisable not to if you want your inverter to last and not develop a problem, fault or potentially cause an electrical fire. Even if you think it's been working ok so far and even if someone advised you to - it is advisable not to and you'll probably find your inverter manual and/or the inverter manufacturer will state specifically not to even if a solar expert has said it's fine. Installers and experts sometimes get it wrong, accidental human error happens. In fact I recently had a reputable, experienced and long standing solar supplier quote me on equipment and they failed to factor in some vital calculations which would have resulted in my controller overloading which I obviously wasn't happy about, even though I'm very far from an expert, it's a good thing I have enough knowledge to have spotted it. If in doubt, consult with manufacturer/manuals - not installers and don't assume if it's been working ok so far that it is correct, or if you saw someone else do it that it must be ok. Hope that helps a little mate. Happy journey :) .

I really like your clear and indepth explanations, i just get a slight chuckle whenever i hear your vedicle instead of vehicle, i know it is not considered polite to tease speach impediments, so please take it as a curioso and not a laughing at but more like a laughing with, it is sort of a oddity that is specific for you, and i like it, it identifies you as a unique individual.

Hey Micheal thank you for your videos. I am looking to start my conversion soon and your videos have been inspirational. I did notice you have an AC unit in your bus. I was wondering how do you power that? Is there away to power it off the grid? Thank you again for your videos and I look forward to seeing more.

How do I know what I need for my solar panels ... I would like the highest power bc I will have a fridge an al in 1 washer and dryer , blow dryer and many more I need a massive system but I need to know what I would need for that massive system lols hellllpppp what solar is best ... beside the flat sticker like solar

I know there is a need for different size wiring but to wire this up what size should i use from the alternator to the isolater to the batteries?

The only thing tnat wasn't mentioned is that this is hard on your bus alternator but you have to weigh that out. Most bus alternators run from $250-500+ and may last several years LESS.

Omg no way!! We are coming from lake ganevia in the car, and we we are on our way to Antioch Il, and I saw a bus that was the same color scheme!! Are you guys working on a new build?!? If so, let me know and everyone else!!

Is it possible to wire a solar system and a generator system together, so if there isn't any solar energy I can use the generator as a backup?

You’re awesome dude! Thanks for the tutorial. I’m just getting started with my conversion @gertrudegoesupstream and you have been immensely helpful. Thank you!

What’s the song at the beginning? I tried to Shazam it but it wouldn’t find a result.

Many ppl tell me that a 24v semi alternator can not be used to charge a battery bank thru a charge controller. In my case in a "park-model" type structure.

Looks like the ground to the main solar system is to the bus?

Ads for solar panels ending up on the side of the road. My question could you not install a wind shield/diverted on top at front of the bus, making the bus more aerodynamic?

How did you ground the system?

This was super helpful..... Can you put a link to where you bought that sweater? like for real, I want one.

Hello! Very Nice! A couple things to mention -- your battery connections are not really correct. you should make the two series connections first, then the parallel connections. you made the parallel connections first. your note below the batteries on the schematic saying that each parallel pair are is 12V 225AH is not correct. each of those pairs, wired as shown, would be 6V 450 AH. -- you should have more than a 100amp fuse on the inverter. if it is a 3000 watt inverter, that could potentially draw over 200 amps, so your fuse should be bigger. there actually should be more than just a fuse there. it should be either a fused disconnect or a breaker, and it should be located right on the main positive terminal of the battery, so that everything goes through it, IN and OUT. that way you can disconnect everything from the battery (the most dangerous part of the system) with one switch or breaker.

‘throughts’ 0:13

What about water?

So I think I’ve gathered.. you’re running a 480w solar system. What type of fridge do you have?The info I was finding said I needed upwards of 1000w system to power a fridge. Also how is your alternator doing with all that extra work?

but like how many AA batteries do I need to power a bus setup?? asking for a friend.

Can you come wire my home for solar? :)

How do I know if I need a 6v, 12, or 24v system?

Informative and interesting! I subscribed 283rd with bell. I make simular videos on van life build travel camping nature animals and frugal lifestyle

I think you bus is haunted

This is "okay" information, and I say that as a Licensed Electrician. My personal advice: call an electrician, offer to give them $100 and ask to pick their brain for a couple hours. Present them with your schematic, and ask them to make adjustments and recommendations. Seriously. Making a mistake with electricity is bad enough if it destroys your property, but it's way worse if someone dies because of some failure due to ignorance. Isn't your stuff worth at least a hundred bucks? I give this neither a thumbs up or a thumbs down because like so many people offering advice to DIY-ers, they leave out the reasons why we have things like the NEC in the first place. The National Electrical Code is published by the NFPA, which stands for National Fire Protection Association, and the NFPA's mandate is to protect persons, people, from the hazards that arise from fires caused by electrical, as well as other things. Call an electrician. Sure, you can do it yourself, but don't take some youtuber's word for anything. Verify with a PROFESSIONAL.

You said no air-conditioning! Nope I'm out!

Great video. Thank you.