If you are okay with that size and weight and price then it is much better than the smaller generator. That is a good price for a generator that size. you should be able to run that in economy mode to power a 5000 BTU air conditioner which may burn less fuel and will definitely be quieter than the smaller generator. You may still want the boost capacitor in line for an air conditioner.
Builds 2008 LX Live Camera Car and Overlanding Build.
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- #582
Thanks again brother. I only looked based on reviews and price, and figured if it’s around the size of my friends Honda 2200 watt then I can learn to live with it.
It was the cheapest one I could find with decent reviews, given that I am limited to only what’s available on amazon. I wished I bought the one you linked when it was 80 bucks off though! But yeah today was brutal, 99 degrees and couldn’t take advantage of the fact that I was plugged in. Spent a few hours thinking me and Tiger would both be in heaven if only we had some AC! I didn’t want to get a window unit until I had a way to power it though, as that limits me to locations with plugs. Otherwise day went great!
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If I could pick one of these up from Craigslist, like new condition, for $150, how does it compare to a window unit? New window AC actually costs a little more, and this one doesn’t require mounting is why I like it. It is 13” x 13” x 27”.
www.haierappliances.com
8000 BTU, should be okay with a 1000w generator and capacitor? @robmobile73 . I am back to drawing board for generator, because of weight (50 lbs empty). Thanks for pointing that out, now the sportsman 1000 looks very appealing at around 25 lbs. Might have to call around to see if anyone can give a discount similar to one I saw from overstock ($200).
Portable Air Conditioner|^|HPB08XCM
www.haierappliances.com
8000 BTU, should be okay with a 1000w generator and capacitor? @robmobile73 . I am back to drawing board for generator, because of weight (50 lbs empty). Thanks for pointing that out, now the sportsman 1000 looks very appealing at around 25 lbs. Might have to call around to see if anyone can give a discount similar to one I saw from overstock ($200).
I really do not know if the small genset will start it or not. I did not get a portable AC for my boat due to the size and how expensive they were. Many of them have a big efficiency problem as well. The air conditioner has a condenser core which gets hot and needs to be cooled with air flow, and a evaporator core which gets cold,provides your cool air, and dehumidifies your air. The portable unit's I have seen have to have tubing to carry the warm exhaust air outside, but they don't have a air intake from the outside, so they are always sucking air out of your car/boat/room which is replaced by warm air seeping in from outside........In comparison the window unit condenser core is hanging out the window and cooled by outside air and a fan. It doesn't suck air out of your car.If I could pick one of these up from Craigslist, like new condition, for $150, how does it compare to a window unit? New window AC actually costs a little more, and this one doesn’t require mounting is why I like it. It is 13” x 13” x 27”.
Portable Air Conditioner|^|HPB08XCM
8000 BTU, should be okay with a 1000w generator and capacitor? @robmobile73 . I am back to drawing board for generator, because of weight (50 lbs empty). Thanks for pointing that out, now the sportsman 1000 looks very appealing at around 25 lbs. Might have to call around to see if anyone can give a discount similar to one I saw from overstock ($200).
Size is quite different. Packing a portable AC inside your car will take alot of room, they are big. and then there's the exhaust tubing. The window unit is quite dense/compact in comparison.
Mounting the window unit should not be permanent unless you make some sort of roof mount and cut a hole or something through a sunroof. You can't feasibly drive around or off road with a AC hanging out the window. It's something you can pull out and set in the window with some type of plywood frame around it that you carry. If you have a sunroof you can put it on the roof, open the sunroof and utilize some type of waterproof cloth material with self adhesive velcro to seal around it when you stop. Or even duct tape and trash bags to seal around it.
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- #585
Thanks for educating me on that. So short term try to get something light like the Genset 1000W and a small window unit, or i will just rough it out til fall and go for long term plans for next year. I like the idea of roughing it out because going this route means another temporary patch when winter comes, for heating; I can't afford taking a route full of temporary patches. Instead, i think i will go straight to long term plan of bigger alternator (mine is past 200k on original, so a matter of time but it is a LC so who knows...)& inverter; and then do things like park in the shade, run the fan, layer up when cold and etc, as well as occasionally turning on the car to do triple+ duty - have it run AC/Heat to cool off/warm up interior, and charge power banks to keep the fridge and fans running when car is powered off.
I wonder if it is possible to do a mod to activate the push start and stop remotely, and put it on a timer/automate the process in a way that it automatically keeps the interior at a certain temperature, as well as sufficiently charge power banks to ensure fridge stays on full time, and etc. I am thinking by automatically turning on, leaving on for 5 mins (times can be tweaked) then off, then rinse and repeat process every 15 minutes. A combination of remote start and the right phone app/macro software, should be able to achieve this. The idea is not to have to wake up and manually turn on and cool the car while im am asleep, and the idea is to leave tiger with an air conditioned space if i ever end up having to go into a store/anywhere for longer than 15 mins.
I know a generator can make a gallon last for longer and give better than 100W output (higher after inverter, alternator), but with that comes with a lot of lost space, and a lot of other equipment. To replace what the car can do, we are talking generator plus external AC and heater plus radio/speakers, plus 4 climate control zones and the list goes on. The beautiful part about adding the car into the mix, is that it takes care of a lot of needs, without requiring any interior space or additional expensive equipment like generators and heaters/conditioners. I am thinking the combination of parking in shade, and running the car for 1 out of every 3-4 hours in idle mode, to recharge and cool off/warm up, can account for a lot of needs. Again, i like this route because it doesnt require that i add anything else that i dont already have or truly need, like an alternator replacement in near future, as well as an inverter to help maximize efficiency when running car in idle mode - acting essentially as an AC/Generator/Radio and etc in one. In addition to parking in the shade and adding inverter/upgrading alternator, i can supplement everything with the small power banks i already do have, as well as add 1-2 permanently mounted solar panels.
Basically what i am trying to get at, is that i dont think i want external AC/Heat/Gas Generator when there are already internal ones built in that can work really well, it just needs a little help.
So, in terms of running the LX in idle mode, what are some ways i can get the most out of the time that it is on? More wattage into my power banks so i can last longer with the LX off, and more MPG so i get more On time with each gallon? I'm sure there are other questions that i havent thought of, but i hope this is enough to get you guys looking down this path with me to see whether or not it is viable. It's basically what i already am doing, so i know it is viable to a certain extent. I do it right now (use the car for all these things) because i am forced to, but i wonder if the only choice i have at the moment, also happens to be the best solution?
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- #586
Ok so my mom is buying me a window AC unit, time to look into frames for the window/way to mount it. I will plan on using it while plugged in for now.
I looked at every one on amazon and local 6000BTU and under, decided on this one because it is 35 lbs, which is the lightest one I could find, and it is available today (Amazon one 1-2 weeks, also homelabs one). Dimensions wise, they are all about 12x16x15 inches.
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- #587
So looks like we can afford a short term solution after all, with moms help!
So I can’t figure out the difference between the brown and green 1000W inverter generator. It may not matter that I missed the 80 dollars off sale, if the brown one is indeed the same, since it’s normal price is Cheaper than the sale price on the green. Am I missing something? They are both 24 lbs, which is amazing, and same exact specs all around, as far as I can tell.
So I can’t figure out the difference between the brown and green 1000W inverter generator. It may not matter that I missed the 80 dollars off sale, if the brown one is indeed the same, since it’s normal price is Cheaper than the sale price on the green. Am I missing something? They are both 24 lbs, which is amazing, and same exact specs all around, as far as I can tell.
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- #588
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- #589
Got this guy to help keep things neat.
Also, my friend spent a few hours building me this mount out of wood he had in his garage. The fridge was stable, even before we added the front and side fence and bungee cords for good measure.
It works out great, can still open fridge and and the awning protects the AC unit from the rain (it did rain).
I’m blessed to have such good friends, this is why I address them as brothers.
Also, my friend spent a few hours building me this mount out of wood he had in his garage. The fridge was stable, even before we added the front and side fence and bungee cords for good measure.
It works out great, can still open fridge and and the awning protects the AC unit from the rain (it did rain).
I’m blessed to have such good friends, this is why I address them as brothers.
That's the type of thing I was talking about for a mount. Simple and temporary. You need to refine it a little bit:
You need to unblock the vents on the side of the unit from outside air if. Outside air needs to flow freely drawn in from the side vents and blown out the back accross the condenser core. Your blanket is blocking the vents more than halfway.
It needs to hang out the window more and into the car less to get those side vents completely outside the vehicle and to tilt back a bit so the condensation drains out the back of the unit. If it leans into the car condensation will collect in the front and or leak into your car. Your car will feel "cool and sticky" not cool and dry.
Good use of the bungee cord to the grab handle. In order to let the unit hang out the window further and tilt downward a bit out the window I'd try something that doesn't stretch much like a ratchet strap or simple rope. Center it on the strap and not your window. You could also go to your roof rack instead of the grab handle which makes sealing up around the unit simpler.
You can make a "curtain" to fill the gap around the sides and top of the unit out of some cordura nylon "sumbrella type material". Use self adhesive velcro on your car around the window and ceiling. Sew non adhesive velcro on to the nylon curtain(it's a bitch to sew through adhesive backed velcro because it sticks too/gums up the thread...You cannot machine sew adhesive velcro). As small as all this is you can hand sew seams and velcro in about an hour if you don't have a machine.
Have you researched on Top Units which are common in RV? You can maybe use the sun roof to mount these stuff ? Dometic Atwood AirCommand - 13,500 BTU, Ducted A/C, Ducted plenum
Great to see your minimalist build coming along. I saw a set of 4 RW wheels go for $600 recently. Missed it by one person.
Great to see your minimalist build coming along. I saw a set of 4 RW wheels go for $600 recently. Missed it by one person.
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- #592
Holy smokes! Someone made out like a bandit!!
And ty for the suggestions, long term when we are more capable in terms of battery system, and when we can afford more, it’s definitely something I will look into. I have considered the MaxxAir rooftop fans as well.
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- #593
Holy smokes! You literally addressed every question I had after running it overnight, and everything I planned on trying to figure out today. I noticed the vents were blocked earlier this morning, that the water drips inside, and that I need to figure out how to insulate around it.
Thanks a ton brother. And I will update with version 2.0 later today! Thanks!!!!!
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- #594
Long so skip if you are not interested in the bandwidth/data aspect of the build. Part of making your vehicle feel like home is having unlimited and fast internet!
I have to wait til billing cycle resets to try this, but if it works then it could solve the single most expensive part of my puzzle that I am trying to Solve by LCDC - the cost of truly unlimited and unthrottled data. One single LTE connection, aka my phone, is enough for me to send a live broadcast out in well coverage regions during non peak/congested hours. During congestion I have to figure out something else, like bonding, or move to a Wi-fi area.
For bonding, I need to pick up one additional plan ASAP since it’s almost LCDC time, so that I can begin testing the cellular bonding. I also need for my billing cycle to end to begin testing, to unlock the hotspot feature that gets locked after 10GBs. I could also just pick up 2 plans, one normal and one cheap one.
I was going to go with a prepaid plan as I do not like contracts, but if what the Local Sprint rep told me about the premium plan is true (no throttling, I was honest with her as far as my intentions, and that I am “THAT GUY”), and that it will be taken off the market after this month, then I should go ahead and grab it. If I don’t get it and change my mind after July, then the plan is gone. If I get it and turns out there is throttling, then 30 days is more than enough for me to know (opt out with no penalties window). I could honestly find out after 1 day If I wanted to. Plan is 80 per month.
Alternatively, I have heard of people having success with buying an iPad plan or mobly plan for cheap (20-30) and then plugging that sim into a 4G/LTE router, which can then mask everything as phone usage instead of “hotspot usage”, and thus turn a 10GB limit into No limit.
Speaking of moblys, there are more “car connect” hotspots now that connect to your OBD2 port, which limits usage by requiring that you cycle engine on to keep it on, every 30 mins to 2 hours depending on settings. These are usually lower speeds, same signal/area coverage, and much cheaper (20 per month). If going this route, you can externally power the device and prevent it from dropping below 11.5Vs, which will trick It into thinking engine is on and effectively get around that requirement of having to turn your car on to power it.
When merging signals in remote areas, the idea is to take a few weak connections and turn it into 1 strong one. Even expensive plans will have weak signals in remote areas, so in some situations it makes more sense to have many cheap plans rather than few expensive plans. The reason is that if they both will have a weak signal in remote areas, then why pay 3-4 times as much for one versus the other.
I am going to go up to sprint to double and triple check, and hopefully come out with the right plan to begin testing. Then, I am going to go to ATT and inquire about the car connect plans for 20 per month, so that I have 1 device from each of the big 3 to test with. T Mobile is another good one to look into as well, and I need to research the Underdogs like Visible more.
Minus the sprint plan that sounds too good to be true, the idea is to pick up a cheap plan from each major provider, and maybe an underdog or two. Usually when something sounds too good to be true, it probably is, but I want to turn this stone just to make sure.
I have to wait til billing cycle resets to try this, but if it works then it could solve the single most expensive part of my puzzle that I am trying to Solve by LCDC - the cost of truly unlimited and unthrottled data. One single LTE connection, aka my phone, is enough for me to send a live broadcast out in well coverage regions during non peak/congested hours. During congestion I have to figure out something else, like bonding, or move to a Wi-fi area.
For bonding, I need to pick up one additional plan ASAP since it’s almost LCDC time, so that I can begin testing the cellular bonding. I also need for my billing cycle to end to begin testing, to unlock the hotspot feature that gets locked after 10GBs. I could also just pick up 2 plans, one normal and one cheap one.
I was going to go with a prepaid plan as I do not like contracts, but if what the Local Sprint rep told me about the premium plan is true (no throttling, I was honest with her as far as my intentions, and that I am “THAT GUY”), and that it will be taken off the market after this month, then I should go ahead and grab it. If I don’t get it and change my mind after July, then the plan is gone. If I get it and turns out there is throttling, then 30 days is more than enough for me to know (opt out with no penalties window). I could honestly find out after 1 day If I wanted to. Plan is 80 per month.
Alternatively, I have heard of people having success with buying an iPad plan or mobly plan for cheap (20-30) and then plugging that sim into a 4G/LTE router, which can then mask everything as phone usage instead of “hotspot usage”, and thus turn a 10GB limit into No limit.
Speaking of moblys, there are more “car connect” hotspots now that connect to your OBD2 port, which limits usage by requiring that you cycle engine on to keep it on, every 30 mins to 2 hours depending on settings. These are usually lower speeds, same signal/area coverage, and much cheaper (20 per month). If going this route, you can externally power the device and prevent it from dropping below 11.5Vs, which will trick It into thinking engine is on and effectively get around that requirement of having to turn your car on to power it.
When merging signals in remote areas, the idea is to take a few weak connections and turn it into 1 strong one. Even expensive plans will have weak signals in remote areas, so in some situations it makes more sense to have many cheap plans rather than few expensive plans. The reason is that if they both will have a weak signal in remote areas, then why pay 3-4 times as much for one versus the other.
I am going to go up to sprint to double and triple check, and hopefully come out with the right plan to begin testing. Then, I am going to go to ATT and inquire about the car connect plans for 20 per month, so that I have 1 device from each of the big 3 to test with. T Mobile is another good one to look into as well, and I need to research the Underdogs like Visible more.
Minus the sprint plan that sounds too good to be true, the idea is to pick up a cheap plan from each major provider, and maybe an underdog or two. Usually when something sounds too good to be true, it probably is, but I want to turn this stone just to make sure.
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I’ve had several phone conversations with RedCat (really nice folks, and the rep i spoke to is also a small time streamer like me!). This is what they recommended if I want to mount a DSLR and gimbal, and if I want the best chance of keeping up with the LCs when on the trails. We basically decided big is best here.
I have a lot of work to do if I want a chance of earning a sponsorship in time, but they are definitely open to the idea. They told me to send in an application for sponsorship to their social media marketing team so I will be working on that over the next week. Times like this I wished I Have been moving faster because LCDC is around the corner!
Also, one of my uncles neighbors was playing with his RC truck as I drove by, so I decided to reverse it and pull up to talk to him. Turns out he’s got quite a selection of Traxxas RCs, and he invited me to come look at them tomorrow. Some of them will go 50-60 miles an hour and I can’t help but think that’s going to be some great shots of the LX flying down dirt roads if I can get my hands on one. He said he’s got an old one that needs fixing so I will be taking a look at that. Fingers crossed, hopefully we can work something out.
I have a lot of work to do if I want a chance of earning a sponsorship in time, but they are definitely open to the idea. They told me to send in an application for sponsorship to their social media marketing team so I will be working on that over the next week. Times like this I wished I Have been moving faster because LCDC is around the corner!
Also, one of my uncles neighbors was playing with his RC truck as I drove by, so I decided to reverse it and pull up to talk to him. Turns out he’s got quite a selection of Traxxas RCs, and he invited me to come look at them tomorrow. Some of them will go 50-60 miles an hour and I can’t help but think that’s going to be some great shots of the LX flying down dirt roads if I can get my hands on one. He said he’s got an old one that needs fixing so I will be taking a look at that. Fingers crossed, hopefully we can work something out.
For bonding wouldn't you want to get as many bands as possible? In the old days when I was up on this Sprint/Verizon/USCell were one set of bands, and ATT/Tmobile another. It may have changed with Sprint over the last 10 years . . .
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Also have you looked into the RV industry? I was watching a youtube vid a couple days ago of some full time RVers going thru their cell solution (it had multiple sims, up to 4?) and how they were dealing with getting High speed. They were using a 3rd party VPN/cloud buffer thing. It was pretty reasonable, like $200/mth or so.
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- #598
You’re right, I had considered one plan from each provider thinking that it would give me the best chance at good coverage all around, but I did not think to cover different bands as well. There is a combination somewhere where I can cover multiple bands and providers at the same time, while keeping number of devices at a minimum.
I have briefly, and is where the OBD port hotspot idea Came From, as well as the idea to externally powering it so you don’t need to have car on.
Have not seen that video so I will be giving it a watch later, thank you for the lead.
Also, the bad news is I let my homeless friend borrow Humble Steve, my Ruckus/sidekick to the LX, and he left it at a shady hotel. Long story short it is now missing too many parts for me to try fixing up with my limited money at the moment. Basically, bike is out of the picture for a while.
Soooo, the GOOD news is, the bike is out of the picture. Now I can use the carrier as extra storage space! A blessing in disguise because I was mostly only using Humble Steve (name of Ruckus, aka my Humble Steed) for joy rides, and the storage space is more important than essentially a toy (long term a bike has a practical purpose, like for getting help/parts when I’m alone and broken down or stranded somewhere far from home, but that’s a ways away). For now I prefer using the rack this way. I won’t be putting the bike back on until I have a swingout hitch receiver, so that it doesn’t block the hatch; which I open very often when bike isn’t loaded.
Sux
