Van America Custom Van Build Details – Using a Goal Zero Yeti 6000X for Our Power Needs

Figuring out how you’re going to power everything in your custom van is one of the hardest parts of the build process.

You must decide how much battery capacity you need, Lithium or AGM, how you’ll keep your batteries charged, and more.

If you choose Lithium batteries, you must also consider how to protect them from extreme heat and cold depending on where you like to travel.

Fortunately, many amazing articles and videos exist on the internet, and van events like Adventure Van Expo, are a great place to talk to experts and experienced van lifers .

In this article, I’ll share the power-related choices we made for our Van America custom van build. For other details about our van, check out:

• Everything in Our Van America Custom Van Build
• Why We Chose the Mercedes Sprinter and a 6-Month Review
• Interior Foundation Details (Ceiling, Walls, Floor, Insulation)

What needs power in our custom van?

• Dometic RTX 2000 Air Conditioner
• 2-burner induction cooktop
• Starlink
• Dometic CFX3 75DZ Cooler/Freezer
• Dometic CFX3 35 Cooler/Freezer
• Espar S2 D2L Van Heater
• Maxxair Maxxfan Deluxe
• 6 LumiCoin LiLu dimmable LED lights
• 110-volt, 12-volt, and USB outlets

Our initial power system requirements

A minimum of 3 AGM batteries. We had 1 AGM battery in our 2018 Winnebago Travato and it was insufficient for our power needs. Without shore power, we had to run the noisy, on-board, gas-powered generator. I constantly worried about the negative experience it was creating for neighboring campers.

In our 2019 Winnebago Revel, we had 3 AGM batteries which generally satisfied our power needs. With conservative energy consumption, we could survive about a week with limited charging. Our single induction burner was the biggest energy consumer, so the less we used it, the longer our batteries would last.

We desired AGM batteries over Lithium because they’re far less sensitive to extreme cold and heat. Our batteries need to survive outdoor temperatures as low as -20 degrees Fahrenheit and as high as 120. In talking to owners of a Lithium-powered Revel, extreme Wyoming cold was debilitating with no power going in or out.

Inverter for supporting 110-volt and 12-volt appliances and devices.

Solar briefcase for charging our batteries. In both our Travato and Revel, we had rooftop solar panels. However, they were useless in winter because our ski travels regularly keep us in cloudy conditions. In summer, we strive to always be in the shade, so our rooftop panels rarely got direct sunlight except while driving.

Solar panels also take up a lot of real estate, and we really wanted to save rooftop space for storage which we lacked in our Revel. A solar briefcase seemed more practical so that we could pull it out when the sun is shining and position it for the most sun exposure.

Battery charging via our Sprinter’s alternator. We loved being able to charge our batteries while driving our Revel, so we wanted to retain the same convenience.

Battery charging via shore power. This is the fastest and easiest way to charge batteries. Plus, it’s nice to plug into an outlet when you have intense power needs, such as when you’re running an air conditioner.

A simple power solution that is easy for us to troubleshoot and fix. Our 3 AGM batteries were replaced twice in our Revel during three-and-a-half years of ownership. All 3 batteries lived outside and underneath the van in 3 different locations, and 1 battery was especially difficult to test. 3 out of 4 RV/auto repair shops had trouble.

For one RV repair shop, it took 4 hours for them just to remove all 3 batteries before installing replacements. Fortunately, they were kind enough not to charge us for 4 hours of labor, but a solution that avoids high labor costs is extremely important to us.

We also want to prevent situations where our van home is not in our possession for extended periods of time due to troubleshooting and repairs.

Our actual power solution – Goal Zero Yeti 6000X

Instead of AGM batteries, we ended up with a Goal Zero Yeti 6000X Portable Power Station. It’s core includes a lithium-ion battery and 2000W AC inverter providing 6,071 watt hours.

We weren’t unfamiliar with Goal Zero power stations, but there was limited information online about using them to power vans. Since Van America recommended Goal Zero to us, we decided to trust their recommendation.

Why we hesitated

The Goal Zero Yeti uses Lithium. AGMs were originally one of our strong requirements due to their tolerance of sub-zero temperatures and extreme heat. As this article from Goal Zero mentions, the Yeti will stop accepting a charge around 32 degrees Fahrenheit and will stop outputting at -4.

However, Van America agreed to install a thermal pad underneath our Goal Zero that turns on when the temperature in that area of the van goes below a certain threshold.

Van America’s concern was less about cold and more about heat exposure. The Yeti can stop accepting a charge at around 113 degrees and stop outputting at 149 degrees. We hoped this wouldn’t become an issue since we take care to avoid high temperatures. We can be pretty big wimps at a mere 60 degrees.

Please keep in mind, these temperature thresholds are not specific to the Goal Zero Yeti. It’s related to all lithium-ion batteries.

There wasn’t a lot of information online about other van lifers using a Goal Zero. We felt blind being unable to anticipate potential van-specific issues.

We also struggled to decide which Goal Zero Yeti would satisfy our power needs since our only familiarity was with AGMs in our Travato and Revel. You can select a Goal Zero 1000X up to a 6000X where the number represents the rounded number of watt hours.

While the most expensive, we chose the 6000X for the best chance of covering our energy consumption. Our power needs were going to be significantly different from our Revel with the inclusion of a 12-volt air conditioner and a two-burner induction cooktop, and we weren’t quite sure how much we would be incorporating each of those into our day-to-day lives. We also didn’t have anyone to consult about their personal experience. My rationale was better to have too much power than not enough.

What sold us on the Goal Zero Yeti?

It would be easy for us to unplug the Goal Zero from our van and plug it back in without professional help or special tools. If outside temperatures are too extreme, we can remove it from the van completely and keep it warm or cool in a hotel room or wherever we might be staying. It plugs into any 3-prong 110-volt outlet which can be found almost anywhere indoors.

We can call Goal Zero’s support for troubleshooting assistance without any cost to us. We could also call Winnebago’s 800 number for help with the electrical in our Travato and Revel, but professional assistance and tools that we don’t store in the van were always needed. We’re hoping this won’t be the case with the Goal Zero.

If we do have to purchase a replacement, a new Goal Zero can be found at many major retailers around the country like REI and The Home Depot.

It’s compact size. I’ve seen some van battery solutions that take up significant space and their placement makes it difficult to service. The Goal Zero Yeti 6000X is only 15.3 x 10.1 x 17 inches, similar to the size of a 2-gallon milk crate. We were able to install it in a convenient spot just inside our van’s rear doors.

How do we charge our Goal Zero Yeti

Two rooftop solar panels. Yes, we originally wanted to do a briefcase system to save space on the roof for a storage box. However, Kent from Van America assured us that there was enough room for both. Plus, the ability to automatically charge any time we’re exposed to the sun is a nice perk, especially while driving. If we want a briefcase later, we can still get one.

Our Sprinter’s alternator. Our Goal Zero charges while driving or idling the engine.

Exterior shore power port. We can plug into any 3-prong 110-volt outlet which is much easier to find than the 30-amp we needed for our Travato and Revel.

An important backup power solution

Heating is a necessity for us. We’ve survived more than one polar vortex and one bomb cyclone when temperatures plunged below -50 degrees Fahrenheit. Driving to a warmer locale isn’t always possible or safe.

Van America installed a single AGM battery under our Sprinter’s hood to power our Espar diesel heater in the event our Goal Zero fails. A simple knob close to the Espar controls which battery is used. When the knob is turned left, the Espar uses our Goal Zero. When turned right, it uses the AGM under the hood. Our AGM battery is charged by our Sprinter’s alternator, just like our Goal Zero.

A 6-month review

So far, we love our Goal Zero Yeti.

How is it doing in the heat and cold?

It survived -20 degrees Fahrenheit during a bomb cyclone in December 2022 and numerous other days in sub-zero temperatures. Our cold weather concerns are relieved.

However, as I write this, we’re sitting in 100-degree weather at an AirBnb in Boise. Our Sprinter was due for regular maintenance, so we were forced to enter the heat dome that much of the West has been enduring for several days now.

Just this evening, we noticed our Goal Zero stopped accepting a charge because its temperature reached 115 degrees Fahrenheit. To help the Yeti cool down, we currently have our van doors wide open, and the Yeti’s internal fan sounds like it’s working hard.

We expect the battery to start accepting a charge soon and hope to charge it up overnight. Tomorrow, we’ll turn off the Goal Zero until we depart the AirBnb on Saturday and go back to camping.

There was really no reason for us to have it on in the first place. We had emptied our Dometic coolers and powered them down before dropping the van off at Mercedes earlier in the week. Nothing else in the van needed power.

How long does the Yeti last?

The Goal Zero provides us energy for about 5-7 days with standard use of lighting, two Dometic coolers, an exhaust fan that we like to run 24/7, running the Espar 24/7 in the winter, and charging our devices (phones, tablets, laptops).

The Yeti 6000X is most noticeably depleted when running our 12-volt air conditioner, two-burner induction cooktop, and Starlink. We typically seek out shore power when we know these are going to be used excessively. It also helps to unplug Starlink when it’s not in use.

When our van build started, we didn’t yet have Starlink. We purchased it mid-build and experimented with it in our Revel. We were disappointed to learn that Starlink is such an energy hog and its storage size is about double that of our Goal Zero. While we’re getting by using our Starlink with the 6000X, we might consider an expansion system if it’s supported. We must have reliable internet for 40+ hours of work each week, so it might be a worthy investment.

Are all the charging mechanisms working okay?

All of our charging solutions (shore power, alternator, solar panels) were working great. However, the solar stopped working several weeks ago. It was intermittent for a while and could sometimes be fixed by jiggling a cable, but now it’s not working at all. We still have to figure out if there’s an issue with the Goal Zero, wiring, solar panels, or something else.

August 2023 Update: Van America discovered a loose cable underneath one of our solar panels that we overlooked. It is now securely plugged in and solar charging is working great.

Some notes about the Yeti App 3.0

The Yeti can be remotely controlled with an app via it’s built-in WiFi (Direct Connect) or your own WiFi (Anywhere Connect).

Within the app you can switch between two modes – car and tank. We accidentally switched it from car mode to tank mode, likely with an unknowing touch of the toggle. Well, we started getting alerts from our Sprinter’s dashboard that our chassis battery was dying and all sorts of other messages started popping up stating that various van features were disabled.

After talking to Van America, Mercedes, and consulting the internet, we finally figured out that we were probably in tank mode which meant we were powering our van house off of our chassis battery. All went back to normal after switching back to car mode and a long drive to recharge our Sprinter’s battery. Be careful what you touch within the app!

Also, it’s a pain to connect to the Goal Zero via WiFi using both the Direct Connect and Anywhere Connect options.

If the connection is lost, you must physically press the WiFi button located under the Yeti’s lid. Because of our Goal Zero’s location in the very rear of the van, we can’t reach it when we’re inside. We must go outside and open our rear doors which is not ideal in a winter storm.

Right now, we’re trying to monitor the Yeti from inside our AirBnb, and the connection has dropped multiple times. Frustrating!

Would we put a Goal Zero Yeti in a future van build?

As of right now, absolutely! Let’s see where we’re at in a year and if it outlasts the two times we had to replace our Revel’s 3 AGMs.