Portable Power

[marret]

There hasn't been a thread in a year or more on this and there are options.

Anyone have experience at this point they like and recommend?

Some "big name" options are as follows:

Goal Zero Yeti
https://www.goalzero.com/product-fea...%20Zero%20Yeti

Dometic PLB40
https://www.dometic.com/en-us/us/news/us/dometic-plb-40

Jackery
https://www.jackery.com/

Ark Portable Power. Benefit here is one picks the battery and can replace it. Looks like only lead acid batteries.
https://www.arkportablepower.com/pro...portable-power

Powerwerx. Like Ark, one provides their own battery.
https://powerwerx.com/megabox-portab...enno-batteries

Eco Flow
https://ecoflow.com/collections/portable-power-station

There are now other cheaper versions on the market like Rock Pals and AimTom.
https://www.rockpals.com/?sscid=81k4_uxu8a&
https://www.amazon.com/AIMTOM-Solar-...NsaWNrPXRydWU=

Problem with built-in batteries are the device is, of course, as good as the battery. May not be LiFePO4.

Cycles. Most have limited cycles if you can find it stated. Yeti and Jackery are 500. Dometic has a LiFePO4 battery and 2000 cycles.

Some have inverters built in.

Some have solar chargers built in.

DC to DC charging can take a long time.

Limited warranties at about 1 to 2 years.

Thoughts?

[BroncoHauler]

I was really tempted by the PowerWerx one when it first came out, but it had a pretty strict requirement for charging off of solar, so I passed on it.


Herb

[KDB]

check out the titan. Ive got the kodiak and it works great. Have been eyeing the titan for home application.

[marret]

Originally Posted by BroncoHauler

I was really tempted by the PowerWerx one when it first came out, but it had a pretty strict requirement for charging off of solar, so I passed on it.


Herb

Looks like PowerWerx may have more charging options now.

[marret]

Originally Posted by KDB

check out the titan. Ive got the kodiak and it works great. Have been eyeing the titan for home application.

I'll look at them, thanks. I did see your post about the Kodiak a few years ago.

Is this the manufacturer of the Kodiak you mention?
https://inergytek.com/

[littlerhody]

I pulled the trigger on on the Jackery Explorer 1000 and plan on using it on a two week trip in mid September so I will report back.

[WhitH]

I've had a Goal Zero Yeti 400 for years and chained another 35 ah battery to it seamlessly for an inexpensive add. I've been really happy, and the one time i had an issue a couple years ago their customer service was great.

[Otter]

I have the Dometic PLB40. I originally bought it as a stop-gap measure to power my fridge until my electrical system went in. It’s worked beautifully. I’m going to keep it and pair it with a portable solar panel for various uses around the house, boat, and van. It charges up fast and keeps that fridge going strong. The downside I guess is it’s not like the goal Zero or Jackery where you can power a bunch of stuff off it, including AC. I don’t really need that but, if you do, you don’t want the PLB. It’s strictly DC power.
.

[marret]

Thanks for the comments.

For my situation, I will use it in a cargo trailer I have that will serve as a bedroom with the van as well as a toy hauler. Because we are living in military housing with no garage, I may end up using it periodically to store by BMW HP2E and want to be able to trickle charge the battery. I may have to use AC for that, haven't seen a great DC to DC option to charge the motorcycle battery from another battery. With the PLB40, I think I could use a small inverter to get AC.

[Cyrull]

Somewhat related, but I found this article helpful if you are chosing DIY vs turn key product: (https://www.explorist.life/goal-zero...03%2D4%20hours.)

So here's what explorist.life claims about the two:

DIY SOLAR VS GOAL ZERO – COST EQUIVALENT

If we were to build a DIY setup similar to the Goal Zero Yeti 1400, I’d need a 50 amp charge controller, an Inverter/Charger, a 100aH Lithium Battery.

Timeout…

Just with those parts, we’ve already racked up a hardware bill similar to the price of a Goal Zero Yeti 1400.

Let’s move on:

If we were to build a DIY setup similar to the Goal Zero Yeti 3000, I’d need a 50 amp charge controller, an Inverter/Charger, 2 x 100aH Lithium Batteries.

STOP!!

With those parts, we are already at the same price point as the Goal Zero Yeti 3000.

What I’m trying to say is… the DIY solution is not more cost effective than the Goal Zero Yeti Units for comparably sized systems under 200 amp hours.

Now, that example is sizing your system according to your budget, which is fine… but it’s a REALLY good idea to size your system according to your actual power usage. That’s why you need to do a power audit.

If your power audit comes back saying you’ll need less than 100 amp hours per day and you’ve got a hard budget of $1600 to accomplish your camper electrical goals, the Goal Zero Yeti 1400 is going to be the best bang for your buck.

If your power audit comes back saying you’ll need less than 240 amp hours and you’ve got a hard budget of $2500 to accomplish your camper electrical goals, the Goal Zero Yeti 3000 is going to be the one for you.

GOAL ZERO OR DIY SOLAR?

Yes/No Questions to ask yourself:

Do you want 500+ watts of solar panels?

Do you want more options on what solar panels you can use?

Did your power audit recommend more than 240 amp hours?

Is charging via the vehicle alternator a high priority?

Is getting a full charge overnight a high priority?

Do you want your system to be modular for future system expansions?

AND

Is the Budget for your Electrical system over $2500?

If you answered YES to any/most/all of the first 6 questions and you answered YES to the last question, a DIY solution is going to suit you much better. If you had mainly NO’s in your responses, a Goal Zero Yeti 1400 or Goal Zero Yeti 3000 is going to be a better option.