Power Bank for Camping

There's a thread on TW that tracks Jackery sales and prices: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/jackery-deal-tracker.725373/

This is what I use with mine. It puts out closer to 60-65W in full sunlight but it folds up nicely and has grommets on it for suspending it from trees, the trucks, etc. With this, I've been able to generate more power than I use in a day easily even with the fridge going. This thing is compact and folds up very nicely.

$110 Topsolar 100W Foldable Portable Solar Panel Charger Kits for Portable Power Station Generator Cell Phones Camera Lamp 19V DC Output

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZZ8VY2V?ie=UTF8

 

Love me some youtube research! Good work on getting educated. We went with a permanently mounted AGM second battery that works great for trips when we move every day to top it off or sit the truck in full sun (weather pending) but added a bluetti to add some buffer for days we sit still, overcast, and they're just kinda cool/fun to play with/portable/modular. We ran a friends movie projector on a recent trip off the bluetti just because we could.



Here's our setup and some more calculations to help you figure out what you need capacity and solar recharge wise on the "solar generator" you won't care about the wiring or automatic charging components at all though :https://frugalfill.com/the-ultimate...system-with-solar-simple-cheap-and-effective/

 

Depends...what is the size of the fridge. A 45qt 12 volt fridge can consume about 36watts when running. And it will not run continuously at 36 watts. It would be somewhere under 15 watts. But in hotter temps depending on the type of cooler and where it will be located (poor insulation, inside of hot car, in the sun) the duty cycle could be increased to compensate. Hard to say how long without specific fridge.

 

I own this one. Works great. I use it to power my fridge overnight while camping. In the morning usually have about 50% power left. I have gotten mine both dirty and wet , still works fine. One thing to note 8f you will be in Temps below freezing, the battery type will not work in sub freezing Temps I'm told. For me powering a fridge really didn't matter to me but if powering a computer may be different for you.

 

Edit. Just saw you want to power a fridge computer and phone. This one would likely be too small. Maybe step up to the 500 for that. My setup is 290 powers my fridge then I also have a ryobi inverter that uses my 40v lawn batteries to power drone batteries , phone , tablet etc.

 

Find out what power supply she needs for the laptop. If you can keep all loads DC it'll be a lot more efficient. My Dell laptop can be powered/charged off a USB-C, so I have a 45 watt USB-C "PD" car charger and also plug it into my homemade power bank. Honestly a Jackery 240-400 would be a slick turnkey solution for you.

 

Im also interested in the most adorable option.

 

Do you ever have any issues with your bluetti? Seems like some of the channels who aren’t sponsored by bluetti are complaining about the charging noise and that some of the ports are pushing out as much power (not a 100% sure if I’m understanding that one correctly though because they went way over my head on some of the results)

it also seems like I can run any solar panel on it, correct?

And thanks for everyone’s input, unfortunately I don’t have a specific fridge in mind because I am not getting one anytime soon. My thought is to get a power station large enough to support a fridge in case I need one.

This is where I’m currently at:
Bluetti EB 55
Bluetti EB 70
Goal Zero 500x
Eco flow River pro

what’re y’all’s thoughts? Would this support what I need? Which ones do y’all recommend and what solar panel should I get for it? Could I get away with a more budget solar panel?

 

Pretty much. Depending on the panel/ power source you may have to get different adapters for the plugs.

Here's some of the common DC connectors you'll see in solar panels and portable power banks. I've circled the two DC connectors I use, 5.5mm & 8mm barrel connectors.

Something to keep in mind is you're not likely to get the maximum solar output any panel advertises. Those numbers are maybe what you get in a controlled testing environment. My parents' Yeti Goal Zero 100W panel doesn't put out 100W either in complete sunlight. I see a lot of people complaining about this stuff after the fact.

If you get a fridge, get one that runs off 12v and 110v. Plug the fridge in at the house before you leave to get everything cool, then switch over to 12v when you leave.

 

Ok, good to know! What solar panel would you recommend?

 

If your considering the Ecoflow river pro. Just move up to the Delta1300. That would undoubtedly fill current and future requirements.

But if what you have listed is what your strictly considering then go with the river pro. It comes with the cable adapter required to plug into the solar panels. And the cable to charge the unit from an AC. outlet.

Ecoflow units can support higher charge discharge rates compared to competitors of the same capacity. Here's a river pro and 160watt panel set. You can save some coin by going with a traditional solar panel for 90.00 100watt instead of the 300.00 160watt folding panel.



My opinion, just spend the money now and not have to worry. Vice buying something inadequate and having to spend more later. I have Blueti products and will be selling them, do not have value for me.

 

This is what I use with mine. My main concern is I wanted something that stores easily and travels well offroad. I've been using it for over a year now no complaints; it's served me very well.

$110 Topsolar 100W Foldable Portable Solar Panel Charger Kits for Portable Power Station Generator Cell Phones Camera Lamp 19V DC Output

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZZ8VY2V?ie=UTF8

It puts out closer to 60-65W in full sunlight but it folds up nicely and has grommets on it for suspending it from trees, the trucks, etc. With this, I've been able to generate more power than I use in a day easily even with the fridge going. This thing is compact and folds up very nicely.

I also have some, but much less experience with this one. I personally wouldn't use it because I don't think it would travel offroad well.

$300 Goal Zero Boulder 100 Briefcase, 100 Watt Monocrystalline Solar Panel

https://www.amazon.com/Goal-Zero-Bo...rds=yeti+goal+zero+100w&qid=1627578486&sr=8-3

 

Do you mind explaining the "Ecoflow units can support higher charge discharge rates compared to competitors of the same capacity." in layman's terms? Thanks for the info!

 

Yea sorry man, I have spent a few months research these things before buying. So a competitor to the River Pro is the Bluetti EB70.

Higher charge/discharge rates: how much power it can take from solar or AC to charge. And how much load it can support to run devices. In this case the Bluetti claims to have a 1400 watt inverter (converts DC to AC) the River Pro has a 1200Watt inverter with a surge capacity to 1800Watts. When this was tested the Bluetti unit did not put out what was advertised.

From my personal experience Bluetti looks and feels CHEAP, coupled with the fact that it did not put out what was advertised was a deal breaker for me. Realistically the unit when tested was running heat guns, and other small tools that were rated within its advertised capabilities, not like you probably would ever do that. How I look at it, if something is being advertised at certain specs and does not perform at those specs then I do not want it.

To give you an example. I have a $2000+ Bluetti unit, and a $1100 EcoFlow unit. Just for the hell of it I tried to run my residential 1000 watt microwave. The smaller EcoFlow unit ran the microwave no problem. The larger Bluetti went into protection mode and shut off a few seconds after starting the microwave.

I had initially watched this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paYfM8Ni_jk&ab_channel=SilverCymbal) and thought the guy was full of shit. I still got the larger Bluetti unit and was disappointed.

 

Great thread
man this post got me readig all kinds of stuff about bluetti and eco flow.
Nice there is some real reviews of both on here. The fact that the eco flow can be charged so fast amazes me, a definate selling feature. Expensive, but very cool. Dont like that bluetti cannot be charged via 12volt while driving, seems stupid.
I will buy one or the other. I like the price of the blueti 1500, and looks like it could run my cfx45 fridge for like 5 days on 1 charge and the amound of cycles it claims is far more than eco flow, or get the smaller capacity eco flow pro (big girl is too much $$) and rely on its quick charge times. I dont really care about running 1000 watt appliances in the bush so the inverter thing does not really concern me.

what would you guys do?

 

Ahh, ok makes sense now! I see where you're coming from. Unfortunately, I think that a lot of companies are claiming certain things but not actually following through.

Dumb question, but what does the WH mean? Bluetti says that the EB55 is 537WH

 

Likewise, I use this same setup. It works awesome and charges back up very quickly. I also use a Zamp 80 watt panel with an AGM charge manager direct to my truck battery to keep it topped up so I can use my lights, stereo, etc.

 

Yes for sure. I figured if your concerned with the long term like you mentioned earlier, go with something that has the capacity you need as long as you do not need to run high load items. Bluetti can be had for less, the value varies per person, in this case a unit like the Bluetti or other may be a value for you.

WH= Watt hours, basically how much it takes to run a device if the device were on for an hour straight. So using my 1000 watt microwave as an example; thats 1000 watts for an hour, 16.67 watts per minute, or .28 watts per second.

More realistic use>:
15" Mac Book Pro (2014 model)
Bluetti EB55 537 Watt hour unit.
Two youtube videos playing simulatneously
MS Word open
MS Excel Open
Mail open

Meter readings: Volts 122.25, Watts 21-35
Bluetti can run that between 15 -25 hours

With just the screen on: Volts 122.25, Watts 8-16

The size of the power pack is going to depend on what you need to run when your remote.

 

OP, Not sure how long you’re planning on using this setup but just be aware of battery technology. (I believe) The River pro is a lithium ion battery compared to the lithium iron phosphate of many other competitors. Some people believe in the lithium iron phosphate technology, some don’t. I do. I just want you to make sure you know what you’re buying before you spend a grand.

 

We never stressed the bluetti limits so I couldn't tell you if it's putting out what's advertised. I just know that it works for our fridge (DC), cell phones(USB or inductive), and kids white noise machine (AC). It does run some loud fans when it charges, even in the cab I can't hear it when driving over tire/road noise, engine noise, music, crying baby, fridge compressor running lol. Seemed reasonable to me to run fans to keep it happy while charging fairly quickly.

The AC50S comes with DC, AC, and MC4 solar charging adapters (other kind not circled by des2mtn above), they're a standard solar panel connector, you can get all sorts of splitters/extensions adapters to add multiple portable or even fixed panels. The AC50S can only be charged from a single source at a time but a lot of the larger models from Bluetti and competitors offer dual charging options for faster recharge.

I don't think your specific fridge will matter too much, most of them will come out with an AVERAGE current draw of less than 1 amp when used properly (ventilated area, prechilled and full of COLD food, not opening all the time). Someone above said 36 watts but not running all the time, 36 watts at a 33% duty cycle is 12 watts average = 1 amp on a 12V system.

WH watt hours are power for # of hours. I go over P=IV in my link as well. Power=Current*Voltage, Watts=Amps*Volts, however you want to restate the triangle. Batteries are usually measured in Amp Hours so you'd need to assume you're using all of the solar generator at a consistent voltage to compare directly example, 537WH/12V (fridge) = 44.75Ah, at the 1amp average consumption would run your fridge for 44.75 hours under ideal conditions. But if you're using a laptop charger they are spec'd in watts. A 30 watt laptop charger will charge a laptop for ~8.95 hours on a full 537WH battery assuming no loss (which there is in the inverter), all power stored is useable (which is isn't but LiIon and LiFePo4 is way better claiming up to high 90% depth of discharge than AGM batteries at 50% depth of discharge), etc.

 

Great, another thread to watch to help me burn my money

 

Lithium-ion is what is in the River Pro. Batteries can hold more charge per weight, can handle higher temps which is why they can be charged quicker. Downfall is their lifespan is reduced when quickcharging often.

So after around 700-1000 charges, the battery capacity is degraded to 80%.

LiFePO4, cannot be charged as quickly but can offer far more charge/discharge cycles, well over 2000 before degraded to 80% of the original capacity.

 

What he said...

 

Good point, this is why LiFePo4 is the most expensive. I'm "cheap" so I opted for an AGM dual battery setup with a Lithium Ion add on pack for more flexibility.

 

Yea, I hit that point already. No regrets though.
I went a bit overboard, did not want to buy more of the fancy folding panels, so I just added two panels to my rack.

 

I was looking at those DIY battery packs that JEHUGARCIA shows us how to make on youtube. For the price of one of these EcoFlows or Bluetti's, or whatever you can make one for twice the capacity. TIME is what I do not have right now.

 

This is epic.

 

Agreed. Off the shelf for convenience, 30 day return window, and maybe a warranty? probably not in the US though...

Fellow two rigid panel junkie here too. Never carry anything else up there anyway, might as well utilize the cab rack.

 

Good to know I'm not alone. What roof top rack is that and what do you have over the bed?

Is that a boost antenna you have on the rack?