I’ve got a new bus. New setup. New solar. New batteries.

And somehow… my batteries keep going flat.

In the last video I discovered something that made absolutely no sense. My fridge barely uses any power. The lights use almost nothing. I’m not running anything crazy. And yet, the system clearly isn’t working.

So instead of starting with panels or batteries or controllers, I started with something much more important: what do I actually need to run in this bus?

Because there’s no point upgrading a system if I don’t even know what I’m trying to power.

So I made three categories: must-haves, nice-to-haves, and possibly a bit stupid… and started turning things on, reading labels, and working out how much power each appliance really uses. Somewhere in the middle of that process, I also realised the rather obvious thing I was missing.

I don’t have an inverter.

Which makes running any of this completely impossible.

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🎥 Watch the Video

Prefer to see the chaos in action?

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🗺️ What This Video Covers

• Why my batteries are draining when I’m barely using anything
• Measuring the real power draw of my appliances
• Deciding what’s essential vs. what’s “a bit silly”
• Considering removing the air conditioner completely
• The problem with my old PWM solar controller
• The big missing piece: I don’t have an inverter

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📍 The Story Behind the Scenes

This video was less about fixing the system and more about understanding the problem.

I realised that I’d been thinking backwards. Most vanlife electrical setups start with solar panels and batteries. But that’s pointless if you don’t first work out what you’re actually trying to power. So I grabbed every appliance in the bus and started reading labels and turning things on.

Fridge? Hardly anything.
Lights? Almost nothing.
Coffee machine? Suddenly we’re talking serious numbers.
Air fryer? Bigger again.
Induction cooktop? That’s a decision-maker.
Washing machine? Non-negotiable, obviously.

Air Still Pro was a complete surprise!

And then there’s the air conditioner. It doesn’t work very well, it takes up a huge amount of space, and it would use enormous power. So now I’m seriously considering ripping it out entirely and gaining storage instead.

This became a real exercise in priorities. Do I need a microwave if I have induction cooker? Do I need a grinder if I have a coffee machine? How much is Starlink going to cost me? What actually matters day-to-day in this bus?

While all of this was happening, I was sitting in a hospital waiting room with Mum, using the time to plan instead of stress. Which turned out to be a very good distraction.

And then the obvious thing hit me.

I can’t run any of these appliances anyway.

Because I don’t have an inverter.

Which explains a lot.

On top of that, many of you pointed out that my old PWM solar controller is outdated and inefficient, and that an MPPT controller will make a big difference. So now this has turned into a full rethink of how the entire system should be set up — properly, and based on what I actually use.

Next step: work out the maths. Watts. Amps. Hours. All of it.

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🧠 Things I Learned

• Start with what you want to power, not the batteries
• Coffee costs more power than you think
• Air conditioners in vans are very questionable
• PWM controllers are old tech compared to MPPT
• You definitely need an inverter to run appliances (minor detail)

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🔗 Related Videos / Posts

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💬 Over to You

Which would you keep: air fryer, microwave, induction, or coffee machine?
And am I completely mad for wanting to remove the air conditioner?

Let me know in the comments — I’m genuinely using your advice to design this system properly.

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