Living Off-Grid 5 Years Never Had Solar

Hinzugefügt: 2026-05-07

[00:00:02]Hello darlings, how are you? What have we got? What have we got? I'll tell you what we've got, shall I?

[00:00:08]So, something's just popped into my head and I thought, "Oh, yeah."

[00:00:14]And what that is is that um there's a massive thing about solar, isn't there?

[00:00:23]Do you know what? The conversations I've had with people, like other van dwellers or um people um comment um on some of my videos or they message me or they send me an email or whatever or some of my friends or if I see them, it's all, "You got solar? You got a solar? How much solar do you got on your roof?"

[00:00:43]And um I think this is my fifth year I'm coming into or fourth year, I can't remember cuz I've got CRS, can't remember [ __ ] And um I've never had solar.

[00:00:55]Never ever had solar.

[00:00:57]Never had the need for it.

[00:01:01]Um what what's a massive game-changer for me because this is the fourth time I've been on YouTube cuz I've had previous channels before and I'll get pissed off and just [ __ ] [ __ ] off basically, give them all up, but um I've been gifted up altogether I've been gifted four power banks. I've been gifted other products as well, but we're talking power banks. I've been gifted four power banks, [ __ ] game-changers, all right?

[00:01:28]Now, the main problem with the power banks is how you're going to charge it.

[00:01:34]So, some of them come with solar panels, but you're just trickle feeding it even when the [ __ ] sun's fully out. You're only going to get about [ __ ] 20% all day.

[00:01:43]Do you know what I mean? Very, very slow with um solar panels that that that that what they come with on the power banks, with the power banks, I should say. Very, very slow indeed.

[00:01:57]But what was the game-changer because I've had Bluetti, been gifted Bluetti and Allpowers is um I got um the Charger One, Bluetti Charger One, which is the alternator charger, [ __ ] amazing.

[00:02:15]So, every time I switched my ignition on, 600 watts of power would go straight into the power bank.

[00:02:23]Now, a cigarette charger gives you about 100, 110 watts of power. A house is about 1250, 1275 watts of power.

[00:02:33]>> [snorts] >> So, that was a massive game-changer.

[00:02:36]Now, that suits me, suited me, all right?

[00:02:40]Because every day I'm driving, most days I'm driving. And if it's a short journey for say 10, 20 minutes or half an hour, I might keep the van going for another half hour to make sure my power bank's charged up.

[00:02:54]You know? I run everything off my power bank, everything.

[00:03:00]Um my 12-V compressor fridge is plugged into my Bluetti power bank um behind me, as you can see.

[00:03:10]Um I use uh my toaster cuz I've got an extension lead from the power bank, so with the extension lead, four-pin plug extension lead, toaster, air fryer, hot pot um my um iPad, my phones everything is done through that. My leisure batteries is only for at the moment for my LED lights and my diesel heater.

[00:03:38]But what else has been a massive game-changer? The Charger Two come out, Bluetti Charger Two's come out, darling.

[00:03:45]And um I got that gifted my Charger One um to someone else, which I fitted for him, but he chopped his chips.

[00:03:55]Um so, I gave that to them, which they much, much needed because I got it for um nothing, so they could have it. Do you know what I mean? They could have it for nothing. But anyway, um so the Charger Two So, with the Charger Two, you can get up to 800 watts of power um for your alternator and you can get up to 400 watts if you got the solar on there. So, at the simultaneously at the same time you alternator's charging your power bank and so are your solar panels for the first time cuz you couldn't do that with the Charger One. But this is what they don't tell you about the Charger Two.

[00:04:34]All right? Now, my Charger Two gives me approximately 700 watts of power.

[00:04:42]Okay? Charger One was 600. It won't give me the full 800 because it goes by the capacity size of your alternator.

[00:04:50]So, um the Crafter that I've got, I've got a um um a 2012 Crafter, CR35 TDI, long wheelbase, and that comes with a standard 110 watts um alternator.

[00:05:14]Well, I had that upgraded last year to 180. I wanted to get the big 250 or the 280, but you would have to modify the engine because it's too big.

[00:05:23]So, it would only take the 180, but it still gives me another 70 watts of power, doesn't it? So, 100 the 180-watt power alternator gives me 700 watts, not the 800. So, it depends what size alternator you got.

[00:05:39]So, if you got a smaller alternator, you're not going to get the 800 watts.

[00:05:42]They don't tell you that, darling. They don't [ __ ] tell you that, do they?

[00:05:46]But I am. I am telling you.

[00:05:49]But it's an amazing bit of kit because what you can do, I've got two power banks. I've got the Allpowers as well.

[00:05:56]I've got an Allpowers one underneath as a backup. Never used it. Never ever used it. Been a year and a half, don't [ __ ] use it, all right? Brand spanking new, untouched, don't use it.

[00:06:06]Comes with a 200-watt solar panel as well.

[00:06:09]But listen to this, with the Charger Two, okay? I can the um I so my Bluetti um power bank is charging 700 watts of power, but the solar output from the Charger Two, you can plug in to the Allpowers. So, you can charge that at the same time as well. It's [ __ ] amazing. It's honestly the Charger Two is amazing by Bluetti.

[00:06:36][ __ ] unbelievable bit of kit.

[00:06:39]Unbelievable bit of kit. It's brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Highly recommend it. Out of the Bluetti and the Allpowers, um I prefer the Bluetti because the switch just it just seems better quality.

[00:06:52]Better quality, darling. It's Chinese brand, everything's Chinese brand now.

[00:06:57]Do you know what I mean? It's um it's a good bit of kit. It is a certainly a good bit of kit.

[00:07:03]So, um yeah, so I've never ever had solar on the roof.

[00:07:11]But it suits my lifestyle. Now, I will stay somewhere for a maximum of probably two days. Maybe three. And at the end of the three, I've got to start the engine up to charge my power bank. If you're off-grid somewhere for more than I don't know three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10 days, a couple of weeks you're going to park up, you can't keep on starting your van up. I wouldn't keep starting my van up. The worst thing you can do to a any diesel engine is to idle it.

[00:07:42]All right? Really [ __ ] it up, especially if you got a a um a DPF on it.

[00:07:47]All right? Clogs it up, all right? No good to man or beast.

[00:07:52]Diesel engines are meant to be [ __ ] driven and driven hard as well, all right? You can't really thrash a diesel engine, I don't think you can anyway. My engine's done nearly quarter of a million miles.

[00:08:04]Do you know what I mean? It's been six times around the world.

[00:08:06]>> [laughter] >> IT'S THE [ __ ] BEST, ISN'T IT?

[00:08:09]But um so yeah, [ __ ] hell, completely zoned out. I've completely forgotten what what I'm [ __ ] talking about. And now I'm talking about the [ __ ] solar panel so solar panels, my Bluetti power bank, Charger Two, but I [ __ ] can't remember.

[00:08:26]Anyway, so um yeah, it's an uh it it is it is an uh a um it is an amazing bit of kit, it really is.

[00:08:38][ __ ] hell, what was I uh talking then? It's gone, you see? This is what happens at my age now.

[00:08:44]>> [laughter] >> [ __ ] hell.

[00:08:49]Oh, yeah. So, basically, I've never ever had solar.

[00:08:55]Ever.

[00:08:56]Got no need for it because of the power banks. It's a [ __ ] game-changer. Get yourself a Charger One or a Charger Two with the [ __ ] power banks, another game-changer.

[00:09:06]All right? It's a bit like buying a [ __ ] cordless drill. You got the cordless drill, you got the the it comes with the two batteries, but you've got no way of charging it. What are you going to do when the power runs out?

[00:09:18]No point in buying a power bank if you can't [ __ ] charge it. So, they go hand in hand. You get yourself a power bank, get yourself the [ __ ] Charger One or the Charger Two, 100%.

[00:09:28]But um I've got no need for solar. Still ain't got no need for [ __ ] solar.

[00:09:34]Um so yeah, so I'm I'm living off-grid all the time. I've been living full-time now for quite a few years and um I'm doing absolutely fine with no solar, darlings.

[00:09:46]So, I'm just trying to spread the love.

[00:09:48]Give us your two bobs' worth, I'm sure you will.

[00:09:51]Um so uh as always, take care, be humble, and always be kind to people, yeah? Thank you.