WOULD I DO IT AGAIN? My experiences, failures & advice on INDUCTION cooktops for OVERLAND & CAMPING

A extremely helpful video Thankyou . We were just going to go induction with our new van and will have a backup now . We certainly will not use Safiery especially knowing there history. Could you tell me what your camper company use now please ? Would love to hear the long term review on your camper , I rechon I will be proven wrong and it’s a ripper ?

Thanks for the sum up. We have just picked up our Reconn LRX. Induction on that model was the only option. It comes with a slide up front for a Weber. So best of both world. I also have a Jetboil Genesis for when just car camping. It is good to have redundancy when off grid.

Great video! There is no perfect cooking or camping set up so everyone has to make choices based on what they do. I have everything I need to cook on a ground fire, or a fire pit when ground fires aren’t allowed, (I always carry a hiking gas stove as a backup or just to boil water) a gas stove when fires aren’t allowed at all, and I can also take a Weber Baby Q. I pack what I need depending on where I’m going. But, I would never use induction camping. But that’s what works for me. I love what induction brings to camping, but again, not for me

Good honestly Nathan, we picked up our new Tvan in August and when initially ordering we considered the new lightning which had a bigger battery and induction… we ended up steering away due to that remote travel and simple reasons… we also carry a portable if we need to heat something inside in untenable weather with a plan to add the inverter and carry a portable induction for the wind soon. In saying all that, we’ve embraced more fire cooking which reduced the gas usage quite a bit.

Not sure why I have missed your last three vids. Catching up now!

Well said mate. 👌👍

Maybe run two of the Victron DC -DC chargers with active cooling. 😊

Good report, we went induction for our common 4 day trips, circa.. 700$ kings 200amp, 300$ kings 3kw inverter, 60$ induction cooker, 20O$ sundries. Of course also for jaffles, 2 cup kettle and omelet maker, star link, tv etc when used. Largely all the things one doesn't need to camp with if using gas.

<Shrug> light a campfire every now n then sheesh

Always enjoy a tech talk.

Interesting... solar is better closer to equator not worse...

Think time of year or temp has the main reduction

Great video and very informative
I personally cannot justify the cost for induction in my 4wd. For me it’s gas.

I've had my induction cooktop in my rig for 4 years 120k kms. I mounted it in the middle of the vehicle (ie- in between the front & rear wheels) so it does not get hammered much at all. Yours is mounted on a trailer and the unit feels "every" bump on the road. You can either harden the inside of the induction cooktop or soften the way the cooktop in mounted. It is called showing some mechanical sympathy. I don't think any induction cooktop is. built to get battered as much as it does on your trailer.

I like the convienince of the cooktop and would do anything I can to make it function properly. It is just to simple and convenient to use to not to put the extra effort. Replacement if my stops working cost only $120 - so nothing really.

A fabulous overview Nathan, thank you very much for sharing your thoughts on this, I have a similar set up but there is only ever two of us and we are not full time, would not go back but saying that I still do have a Genius Gas burner just encase

Brilliant 12v system. Just ball park, what price did you pay for your camper inc 12v and all options? Im debating on your one and the new Zone Expedition. Cheers

Backup with $20 Bunnings Gasmate with gas cans.

You've got an awesome setup dude. I love it. I think you're on the right track with having a gas backup. Someone else mentioned that perhaps there are better induction devices out there that might last a bit longer than the one you have. Maybe that's true and worth looking at.
Either way, love the video, keep it up.

Great review.
Sure hits home the cost when hearing your gas bottle comparison!!

Excellent review. We have travelled for almost 4 years with gas as our main cooking and HW energy (it never let us down). We occasionally used a portable induction cooktop when on 240 power or generator. You have covered the pros and cons very well. The more remote one wants to travel the more reliable everything has to be.

Im shocked the victron dealer didnt talk to you about paralleling the orion or upgrading to the orion XS. Also a separate mppt for the externalmpanels would increase efficiency as would stepping up to 24 or 48 v. Lastly safiery has a terrible name away from the east coast. I have a similar setup but in 24v but i still carry a butane stove just in case

Again a great and informative Video- well done mate 👏
Since I am still running a single 120 amp AGM battery setup on my old Caravan and contemplating how to best upgrade to a decent LiFePo4 system- your videos are very helpful. It will be an expensive decision one day to go full OFF GRID which I plan to do and that is what scares the heck out of me when I think about the budged required to do so 😅
I want what you have basically so I keep dreaming for now.....
Cheers and safe travels

Do you think it was the brand? Maybe Westinghouse would have been a better brand? Choice comparisons recommends Westinghouse and is fairly brutal against most other brands.

i bought 3 of the 50 dollar single inductor cookers never had a failed one and if it does fall its only 50 dollars and at that price you simply take a spare with you

Excellent content!

Why don’t you just carry a single burner 2200w portable induction cooktop? Plug into the power point when you need, then you’ll also have the option to cook inside when the weather is bad……

The damn flys

The Nuwave Pic induction burner has 3 wattage adjustments, 600,900 and 1300 , a large single burner which came with a nice 4 qt pan with lid for $134 on Amazon. I use it with my Blueetti 200p, 200L with independent solar arrays of 800watts and 400 watts. Plus I have 3 Blueetti EB240'S with 3 separate solar arrays of 4oo watts each. I run my whole house with a 6000btu and a 5000btu ac plus refrigerator, tv, usb lighting etc. 24/7 in an ambient temp of 90 during the day and 76 at night. MY AVERAGE electric bill is $50 PER MONTH PER YEAR, IN South Florida USA..

I only run the 6000btu during the hottest part of the day 12noon till 5pm, and the 5000btu 24/7.😊

Plus the Nuwave Pic also has multiple temp controls and programmable settings. It stores well in a small kitchen drawer. 😊

I had to buy all of solar systems separately, about one per year due to $. That's why I have 6 systems all independent of each other, which includes one off brand I forgot to mention with 200watt solar array.

Wow am amazed

I think my concern with portable induction cook tops is that they all feel cheap while holding them. I don't think any are made to be used in the manner you are using them- moving them around, rattling in the back of a camper. I wish there was a more "premium" version of the induction cooktops but they all seem very similar, as if they are all made in the same factory by the same people then rebadged for different sellers. I also use a coleman stove as a backup- I have two WWII Coleman stoves which will run on gasoline or coleman fuel. They are super simple to keep running as is evidenced by the fact I'm still using them and they were both made in 1946. I agree a hybrid is the best way to go...induction for daily use, but a gas stove for a backup.

Go even lower tech - meths!

A few years back, I converted my camper van to induction cooking. I have 400 watts of solar on the roof and 4.5 kW of storage via a "solar generator" system. I can also charge via the car's alternator. I have generally been pleased with using it. However, I am very conscious of power usage. I use a small electric pressure cooker to make anything that requires a longer cooking time, which is even more efficient. I also carry a small butane burner with me. My fridge is The one appliance I have to keep up and running. If my battery gets low, I plan to switch to the butane burner to save energy for the fridge. However, that has yet to become necessary. Naturally, I take advantage of shore power whenever possible, but I'm mostly in the bush, so I must rely on what I can generate.

Aircon, hair dryers, thermomix…
Have even left your driveway bro?

When the surface gets warm it stops working.

i find that using Ecoflow Alternator charger + Ecoflow Delta 2 Max is a good combo for me to use Kettle and Induction cooker. it is very cost effective and the ecoflow charger is quite efficient is recharging the battery. I also carry a gas stove as backup.

damn, I would have expected safiery to show up here and try to excuse their dismal product...

Yeah , Naa , I donot think you would be filling a 9kg gas bottle every 2 weeks , I would think you would get much more from it .

It’s hilarious to watch “off grid” talk by a guy who drives a gas guzzling SUV and trailer. You’re going to an actual gas station every few days at least, so why not use propane, lol. What a load of hype.

With the improvement of small spiral wind generators why not have a couple of wind generators on the roof whilst driving or to use when camping and the sun isn't out but there is wind. Just a suggestion.

I'm leaning towards gas for winter and electric for summer, 24v rice cooker and slow cooker. Best of all worlds!! Once I get my Woodburner in too with water jacket and top oven I'm set, 4 different cooking methods, all with benefits of doubling up heat, or not producing it at all in summer. Thanks for the video, always good to get real world experience!! Have a good one 😊🙏

great video

I wish I could give you two thumbs up.
One for the info in the video and another for being able to deliver all that info with a million flies trying to make a new home on and in you!
👍👍😊

A very informative video! many questions answered. Pros and cons alike. Thanks

Great video!

To be fair, a year after this video came out; the ~$1800 spent on his battery can get you 4000wh of battery and a 2400 watt inverter built in(ecoflow delta 2 max + expansion battery). As technology gets better, it becomes more feasible to stick to just electric for a lot of appliances.

The portable units are best way, I have two working via a 3000W inverter on 400A Lithium with no issues, the reason I like the plug in units is you unplug them when setting off, and store them in their soft bag inside the vehicle, they are quite small and being inside the vehicle they are safer than being hard mounted in a caravan or canopy kitchen which will get hammered by every bump / pothole / corrugation which is why fixed units fail, they are not designed to be constantly vibrated.

I camp 365 days a year in the US, and spend the winters in southern desert areas, and the rest of the year in the forest and mountains. I got my induction stove in December over a year ago, and with 400 watts of solar panels, I could power my stove, frig, Starlink, electronics, etc, without even having to put out my panels every day. But once I left the desert, the cloudy and rainy days made this impractical. So I use my 1800watt induction stove when I have plenty of power stored, and my gas stove when it gets low. The up side is that it cuts my gas usage considerably.