Thanks Grant. Keep killing it dude.

That's awesome Steve. As I stated, the 1500X is all I need but there is value in going bigger. The 6000x is unstoppable!

Prime Designs no-drill ladder. It's held up great. I put paint protection film on van before installing the ladder.

I have a 100w solar that trickle charges the goal zero. On sunny days, it tops off the battery by end of each day. In the winter I use the alternator connection more often. The heater works too well and pulls such little energy, I doubt that will be an issue for you. My fridge on hot summer days is what hits my battery the hardest. I have a dometic 35... but hot summer days also have lots of sun so it's not an issue.

The GZ does get too cold to charge if I dont run the heater a few times a week. If the van sits in cold for a week, ill pull the GZ out and bring into house. It does not take long to warm up and accept a charge. Ive never had a problem as im always topping the battery off with a charge. I would not have gone with a GZ if I did not have a good heater.

Great question. I don’t use the battery hard enough to kill it in a few years. Arguably the battery has many more cycles than 500 if you run it in the appropriate mode and utilize trickle charge. I hardly ever run it from 100 to 0, but will if I need it. I’m happy to recycle the battery every 4-5 years considering it’s versatility. If I was living in my van, I’d go bigger.

www.inputmag.com/reviews/goal-zeros-yeti-1500x-is-the-best-solar-generator-for-most-people That doesn’t necessarily mean the Yeti 1500X won’t be a long-lasting product, though. What the company means by “500 cycles to 80 percent capacity” is that, after 500 full charges and discharges, the battery will have 80 percent capacity left. I spoke to Goal Zero representatives about this, too, and they assured me this estimate was conservative, and that most users could expect “10+” years of service if they didn’t use their units too hard.

@@artemvysotsky6742 Great thanks, good to know!

Im in UT, so the air is dry but annual temp swings from -5f to 105f. The summer is manageable with window shades and one maxair fan. Fridge works perfectly to keep stuff cold and solar charge is very strong in summer months. I use the awing a lot to keep shade on the van. An AC unit would be nice BUT i tend to seek high elevations so its a waste of power for me to add one.

@@crowdtastic thanks. We lived in CO and recently moved to ME. Which windows did you choose? I am looking at a couple different options and not sure I have seen the configuration you have. Finally, what roof top gear rack did you go with?

@@m00t123 CR Lawrence windows. Love the screen and ability to open with no rain coming in. RB components low profile bars up top.

Espar S2 D2l 12v

i use this app without issue, but not over wifi, over bluetooth.

265/75/R17 BFG AT KO2's. Black Rhino Warlords. I actually do have a bit of rubbing on vancompass shocks when in full turn over a bump. Installing spacers very soon.

I built my own cover for my 1500x out of some insulation material, similar to a soft cooler. I used it for a month and threw it away. I found that these batteries are so good and heating up or cooler down fast on their own, a cover prevents that from happening. With the cover, my batter would get just as cold overnight and take 3x as long to heat up. I found they perform best with no cover. I rarely pull the battery out. If it super cold and I dont plan to drive it for a few days, I turn the spar heater on.

Thanks for the response! Where did you find your rear wire covers by the back door?

stock mercedes part. lots of people just toss them. @@user-sk9my3mt5k

100w of solar drops down from roof and ties into the 1500x for trickle charge. 1500x connected directly to main vehicle battery via GZ car link module to charge 1500x when solar is not avail. 12v output (anderson plug) from 1500x brings power to my fuse block.

No. The Espar gets power from the fuse block which is powered by the GZ 1500x. Espar has a install manual in english that is really helpful for the install.

@@crowdtastic which fuse block and breaker panel are you using on your GZ? please post link if possible thanks!

@@jakepark5934 www.bluesea.com/products/5026/ST_Blade_Fuse_Block_-_12_Circuits_with_Negative_Bus_and_Cover

@@jakepark5934 www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-Circuit-Breakers/dp/B005BI5466/ref=asc_df_B005BI50RY/?tag=&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309819400004&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17729575813366835753&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9060571&hvtargid=pla-493638391353&ref=&adgrpid=60510211606&th=1

it will power any 12v heater, but i do not recommend a space heater in a van. be careful with what you do here and if its propane, please have a strong air circulation and venting.

@@crowdtastic Aaron my space heater says 120 volts I cannot imagine a 12 volt heater producing any warm I doubt I've ever seen one thank you for the kind warning though

@@insightandintuition276 www.amazon.com/Portable-Heating-Windshield-Defrost-Defogger/dp/B08RSKLKNW/ref=asc_df_B08RSKLKNW/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=494913743913&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15120767812659408346&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9029758&hvtargid=pla-1161537349866&psc=1

12v

~600-750 watts. Its a massive charge. Much faster charge than the GZ fast charge unit. I actually do not have it connect to charge very often... only when I need a big/fast charge.

this whole system is a 12v.

RB Components. I like it because it has no branding or other features some people seem to want but I don't. Clean low profile.

The link is definitely compatible. Ive been using without issue for a month, in cold temps. I have the latest link (Oct 2020) and am awaiting a firmware update to fix a few small issues.

@@crowdtastic when its charging via the van, how many watts does it charge at?

@@apocalypse2941 600-800. Its a massive charge.

The link is absolutely compatible. We work with goal zero directly to engineer the kit he is using from us to do the integration. There are issues with the firmware of the old link unit in installations other than how we do it. However, with a firmware update, it's the same as current ones.

Not sure what you are asking here. My Goal Zero powers my heater. Heather has install instructions that come with it.

@@crowdtastic I am wondering how you electrically connect your heater to your goal zero x. I have tried using a fuse box to the high power anderson port. I can't get sufficient power draw to start the heater.

@@danieltchen6722 My GZ 1500X runs directly to my Blue Sea Systems fuse block. My 12v espar heater pulls its power from that fuse block, along with all my lights, fridge etc. I have no issues. I used freedommango's GZ integration kit to connect everything. It works flawlessly.

Tanks fur yur insite.

what do you have?

1500 X. I’m end up going with all in one MMP 1012-ms from watts24/7