Our Land Yacht

After quitting their corporate jobs and moving into their Mercedes Sprinter van in 2015, Wes and Savana decided to display their newfound home at a tiny house conference in Portland, Oregon. They quickly discovered that their van was the only one outfitted with solar-plus-storage. Wes and Savana left the conference with the realization that they could help simplify solar-plus-storage for those looking to follow in their footsteps and live a minimalist lifestyle. Wes and Savana began testing myriad electrical systems in their off-grid van, iterating and innovating each time. They eventually founded Tiny Watts Solar, LLC in April of 2017 and they’ve been helping like-minded adventurers live out their dreams ever since.

RELiON Batteries Used: three RB200

Why They Switched to Lithium Batteries:

"People often place giant lead-acid battery banks in their vehicles thinking they have a lot of power, but lead-acid batteries can’t deliver high amperage loads (e.g., a toaster oven) without being exhausted. Lead-acid batteries need to be immediately recharged afterwards, otherwise you’re risking permanent damage. Lithium batteries, on the other hand, can pack that punch. Lithium batteries are like the unfazed triathlete who is ready to do it again without the consequence of permanent damage. Also, lead-acid batteries can generally only be discharged up to 50%, unlike lithium batteries. So right there, you already need two lead-acid batteries to make up for a single lithium battery, which translates to space and weight savings. Lastly, people are sometimes turned off by the upfront cost of lithium batteries, however, you don’t have to replace lithium batteries every three to five years like you do lead-acid batteries."

Why They Chose RELiON:

"We strictly offer lithium batteries and strictly RELiON lithium batteries due to their greater performance, weight savings, wider temperature range, and much longer lifespan. RELiON has so many energy storage offerings for voltage and capacity, which is especially great if you have space constraints. RELiON was also one of the first lithium battery manufacturers in the game for the mobile market. Their engineering team has been developing its Battery Management System (BMS) for many years now. We tried out many different lithium batteries, including in our own van. We had some issues with other manufacturers’ BMS’s that led to us having to return batteries. We’ve never had a problem with RELiON batteries and we’ve installed countless RELiON systems."

Their Advice for Up and Coming Adventure Seekers:

"The best part about life is you can do whatever you want. The hardest part is figuring out what that is. Once you determine what you want, go for it. Live your life how you want to. We didn’t know how to start a company. We just figured it out. Stay optimistic and your dream will come true."