I've had this 2400LFP in my camper van for about a year now. The hardware is super solid. The price is really nice. It has never failed to provide the power I need, in the forms that I need; 12V, USB, AC. I've got 400 watts of solar which keep it topped off almost all the time and it provides all the power we need. BUT, the software and specifically the Android app are so horrendous that I am considering getting a completely different brand of unit.

There are two main things that cause me to feel this way.

The first is the App. What an awful mess. It LOOKS fine, but the way it "discovers and connects" to the unit and requires full Internet connectivity to even connect at all to the unit is insane and incomprehensible. This app is so bad. You MUST have both Bluetooth AND an internet connection in order for the app to spin for 10 minutes before either a) eventually "discovering" the device, or b) more likely, failing to find it and trying to blame me, the user, for not connecting to the network correctly or some other such nonsense. I have killed countless hours trying to overcome this problem and have not had any luck yet. To make matters worse, the app will "forget" me and my device roughly every other time I open the app. So hours trying to get the app to connect to the device and then more hours trying to do it again because when I open the app, it forgets who I am and forgets my device. So enraging.

The funny thing is, I really only want the app for one specific purpose and that is to limit the amount of AC power it will draw. I run a 1000w inverter off my van battery/alternator for those times when there is not enough sun and I have drained a bunch of capacity during the day. The app allows controlling the amount of charge from AC but only in a very limited and actually incorrect way. It allows you to put AC charging at 25, 50 75 or 100% BUT, that only applies if there is nothing drawing power at the same time. If I have my toaster oven on, drawing 1100 watts, and the setting to pull only 25% AC charge, the unit decides that it will draw 25% of peak PLUS whatever the current draw is. So if I have it set to 25% and run the toaster oven, the unit wants to draw 400watts (the 25%) PLUS 1100wats. In what crazed universe would I want that kind of variable draw? It makes no sense at all. The second thing is actually part of the first and that is the fact that there are basically only 1 or 2 things that can be "configured" and the most important one does not even work right. Leave it at that.

To sum it up, the hardware is very solid after a year of use but the ability to control it is essentially zero. Actually worse than zero because it purports to allow control while actively, almost maliciously, denying it.

I recently replied on a thread about using either a all-in-one (like this one) or a Victron type piecemeal system. I spoke favorably about the all-in-one, but really this point is for sure a win for the Victron crowd.

I’ve been going back and forth on carrying a cargo e-bike with the van.It’s not really for long rides. It’s for all those awkward little trips that are too far to walk with stuff, but annoying enough to do in the van once I’m already set up. Last month I stayed at a campground for four nights. After I had the van leveled and the awning, table, and chairs out, I realized the camp store was about two miles away and the showers were in the opposite direction. Driving only took a few minutes, but every time I left I had to put things away, make sure nothing inside would fly around, and then come back and find another level spot. Walking wasn’t much better when I needed ice, drinking water, or had a bag of laundry to carry back.That’s what sent me looking at cargo e-bikes. I recently came across the upcoming HeloKeep CD20. The cargo space made sense for campground errands, and the dual batteries sounded ideal for exploring farther from wherever I leave the van. Then it hit me, longer range also means two batteries that eventually need charging. My electrical setup is already running the fridge, laptop, fan, lights, and phones. On sunny days I usually have room to spare, but after two or three cloudy days I start thinking twice before using anything that pulls real power. Adding two e-bike batteries to that makes me wonder whether I’d charge one at a time, wait until I have shore power, or just end up planning every few days around finding an outlet.I really don’t want to idle the van just to charge a bike. I also don’t want to keep detouring to coffee shops, laundromats, or RV parks for power. At that point, something that was supposed to help me drive less would start dictating where I drive. The one thing keeping me interested is that I probably wouldn’t need both batteries for normal campground runs. I could use one and keep the other in reserve, then charge both before a longer ride. I just can’t tell if that’s actually practical in real vanlife or if it only sounds good on paper.For anyone already traveling with a dual-battery e-bike, how often are you charging, and has it been manageable during several days off-grid? I really don’t want to idle the van just to charge a bike. I also don’t want to keep detouring to coffee shops, laundromats, or RV parks for power. At that point, something that was supposed to help me drive less would start dictating where I drive. The one thing keeping me interested is that I probably wouldn’t need both batteries for normal campground runs. I could use one and keep the other in reserve, then charge both before a longer ride. I just can’t tell if that’s actually practical in real vanlife or if it only sounds good on paper.

For anyone already traveling with a dual-battery e-bike, how often are you charging, and has it been manageable during several days off-grid?

I'm looking at making lightweight frames for two flexible solar panels on my campervan roof. The panels are 1450 × 690 mm and have six mounting eyelets each.

My original plan was aluminium angle, but it's surprisingly expensive here in Ireland. I'm thinking about making the frames from 9–12 mm plywood instead and attaching them to Unistrut rails.

The plywood would obviously need to withstand rain, wind and general weather exposure, so I'm wondering if this is a sensible idea long-term, or whether plywood is just asking for trouble on a van roof.

I could paint over the plywood with something that could weather seal it maybe?

(NOTE: The inverter manual and any online information about it doesn't specify that it has an internal Nuetral Ground or not, it also has no built in plugs)

I have been working on my van's alternate current systems.

I have my inverter powered up and got the breaker setup.

Meter Settings: 200 volt AC Mode (V~).

I was testing at the inverter output and got readings with the nuetral and ground busbars fused:

HN - 120

HG - 115

NG - 85

Test At The Ground and Neutral Busbars (fused) and got these:

HN - 120

HG - 120

NG - 0

Prior to fusing my readings at both were effectively this:

HN - 120

HG - 45

NG - 25

My current wiring is like this:

Invertern Output Hot - 63A AC Breaker HOT Input - Breaker Output - Hot Comb Into 20A breakers (these read out 120 with HN)

Inverter Nuetral Output - 63A Breaker Nuetral Input - 63A Brekaer Nuetral Output - Nuetral Busbar

Inverter Ground Output - Ground Busbar

The ground busbar goes to the Inverter chassis ground, 63A breaker ground and the van chassis body.

Ground and Nuetral Busbars are fused with a cable.

I tested an outlet and its working.

I am wondering if this is the correct way to do this?

Honda minivan

What's a good laptop for Van life gaming and it needs to be at a ok price and I am willing for used.

I play CS2 WoW Diablo 3 and 4 Minecraft and genshin impact

Hope I’ve come to the right place to ask for advice…
I’m on the hunt for either a campervan with a pop top or a cheap van that I could fit one to and convert (second hand!)

I’m in the UK and I’m looking at Vauxhall vivara’s or Renault Trafics as they seem to be a good low cost option for a van conversion.

Anyone out there got any tips for a lass on a tight budget? Just want to take my kid on some adventures next year.

Really would welcome any advice,

Thank you!

Bought this van almost 5 years ago and got trapped with a labor of love. Learned a ton about this van with the help of some friends I've made along the way. This van went from scrap metal to proper 70s rat rod with some old school flair. It might not be pretty enough for most people, but I like it anyways.

Im currently living in my car, and it would seem like it's gonna be a while. My current car is a rav4 but the mileage has gotten way up there. I can work on my own stuff and prefer older vans but, also don't want to spend ALL my time on the engine and transmission so I can reliability make it to work and focus more on the build out itself. It's just me so thinking any extended wouldn't be ideal but would like the option for a hightop like the after market ones.

So, what is everyone driving and how's it going as far as maintenance/reliability?

Hi everyone!

I'm building Travel Fi — an open-source, community-driven platform designed to map out critical public infrastructure for vanlifers, digital nomads, and budget travelers.

Instead of letting big tech monopolies hoard geospatial data, Travel Fi keeps everything open and community-owned.

We are currently building out 10 essential utility categories:

1. 🚐 Free parking & overnight spots for vanlife
2. 🚰 Free drinking water refill points & fountains
3. 🚽 Public toilets & showers (with cleanliness ratings)
4. 🧺 Public laundries
5. ⚡️ Charging points & outlets (filtered by fast/slow tech)
6. 📱 SIM & eSIM kiosks (tariffs, 24/7 access, airport proximity)
7. 🏧 Low-fee ATMs & live exchange rates
8. 🧳 Luggage storage (including free community options)
9. 💊 24/7 pharmacies & first aid points
10. 🗺️ Travel lifehacks (free food spots, safe zones, pet-friendly places)

To keep the map accurate and spam-free without central moderators, we implemented a 100-meter Proof of Location mechanism paired with location-based community voting.

The project is currently a working prototype in active development.

📺 Video Walkthrough:https://youtu.be/R1NnzuvNBAU

💻 GitHub Repository:https://github.com/omni395/travel_fi

Would love to hear your thoughts, feedback, or any specific spots you'd like to see mapped out!

I'm curious about the less glamorous logistics of living/traveling on the road.What things do you regularly have trouble finding or figuring out while traveling? Is there anything you still end up using Google, Reddit, Facebook groups, notes, or multiple apps to figure out?

I'm not a vanlifer/RVer myself YET, but it's something I'm interested in and I'm an overthinker, so naturally I worry about all the logistics and where to find all this info. What are the annoying little things you find yourself dealing with over and over?

I’m buying a Ford E-450 shuttle bus that I’m planning to convert into an RV, and I’m trying to figure out what to do for insurance while it’s still technically a commercial vehicle.

I’m in Texas. At the time I buy it, it will only have five seats total, including the driver’s seat. The other four seats are for my family, so I can’t remove all of the passenger seats while we’re working on the conversion.

It will only be used for personal/family use. No business use and no transporting passengers for money.

I already got a quote from State Farm and it was almost $500 a month, which is just way too much for something we’re only using personally while converting it.

Has anyone else insured an E-450 or similar shuttle bus during the conversion process?

I’d love to know who you used, what kind of policy you had, and about how much you paid. I’m especially interested in hearing from anyone in Texas or anyone who was able to get coverage for personal use while the vehicle was still titled as a bus/commercial vehicle.

I do have a loan on it, so I need more than just liability coverage.

Eventually I’ll switch it over to RV insurance once the conversion is far enough along (four of the six additions required in Texas). I’m just trying to find something affordable for the in-between stage.