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What portable power station and solar panels are you running ?

Discussion in 'General 4Runner Talk' started by canadian.bacon, Jul 27, 2021.

  1. Jul 27, 2021 at 7:53 PM
    #1
    canadian.bacon

    canadian.bacon [OP] H9 halogen is the best led bulb

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    Snowland
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    Recently I started to get into off-the-grid stuff as my camping takes me more and more off the beaten path. Curious as to what others are using as their battery power. I looked into a secondary battery on the 4R, but I wanted something also portable. I almost made my own DIY deep-cycle box, but gave up as costs, at least in Canada, do not make any sense. After reading and reading, I had to decide between Jackery 300 and GoLabs 300 (https://www.amazon.ca/GOLABS-Portab...child=1&keywords=golabs&qid=1627440394&sr=8-5). I went with the GoLabs because the have LiFePo as opposed to LiIon and they were a bit cheaper. I have a feeling you pay a bit for the name with Jackery. The 500 is beyond my budget (I know this will come back and bite me one day, but that day is not today).
    Next step, solar panels. The Jackery and Go Labs only take about ~65w, so charging is slower and a 100w solar panel is more than sufficient (22v on GoLabs and 30v on Jackery).
    What setups are you guys running ? What solar panels are you recommending?
    Cheers.
     
    BionicRandy likes this.
  2. Jul 27, 2021 at 8:21 PM
    #2
    olliechristoper

    olliechristoper New Member

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    I'm running with the Jackery 300 in conjunction to my "DIY" dual battery fabrication project:

    D10FE0CC-7301-4E12-A767-413AFD599EC1.jpg 2D95F43D-2ADD-4B42-97A8-A7E7E952E060.jpg
     
  3. Jul 28, 2021 at 7:18 AM
    #3
    iamincrediboy

    iamincrediboy New Member

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    Not sure what your budget is exactly but Renogy and Goal Zero are some of the better names in the game for having everything you need. That said I have a EcoFlow Delta, more up an coming name but their stuff hasnt let me down yet...
    As for solar, also depends on budget. Can get an easy and cheaper solid panel and mount it wherever, or something like a Cascadia hood mounted.

    Let us know where you're headed! :cheers:
     
    canadian.bacon[OP] likes this.
  4. Jul 28, 2021 at 7:47 AM
    #4
    21Venture

    21Venture Roof Rat

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    Edinburg, TX
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    4R-TerraFlex Falcon Sport/Tow 2/1 Lift/Level, Nise Rack Crossbars, KO2 LT265-70-17 FJ- Icon Stage 3, 4.56 gears and 10k winch
    Ecoflow River Pro and their 160w solar panel. Works great. The app to monitor is pretty slick also.
    Have some friends with the Delta. I just don't have the room for the Delta.
     
    canadian.bacon[OP] likes this.
  5. Jul 28, 2021 at 8:30 AM
    #5
    canadian.bacon

    canadian.bacon [OP] H9 halogen is the best led bulb

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    iamincrediboy likes this.
  6. Jul 28, 2021 at 8:37 AM
    #6
    canadian.bacon

    canadian.bacon [OP] H9 halogen is the best led bulb

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    The problem is that the golabs only can take 65 watts at 22v max, so bigger is not really better in this case. The Jackery is the same, but it goes to 30v. The Bluetti seems to be able to take up to 500w (new ones). But there is also a cost involved. I also opted for the golabs because of the LiFePo battery which fairs much better in the cold, there is no need for a regulator as the battery will maintain ~12v till it’s done to about 10%. So a 100w panel is all I need, 22v max.
    This guy is pretty awesome: https://youtu.be/Vv7DXXHKi3g
    Prices in Canada are greatly inflated compared to US. Also it seems “buy once cry once” is better. I heard about Renogy and they seem to be the cheaper choice without losing quality. The Jackey 100w panel is over 400$ tax in. Blah.
     
    BionicRandy likes this.
  7. Jul 28, 2021 at 9:13 AM
    #7
    fajitas21

    fajitas21 New Member

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    Collierville, TN
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    My experience is with:
    Jackery e1000, Jackery 500, Rockpals 500w, Jackery 300w, Jackery 240w and a custom build LiFePo4 battery.
    For Solar I have folding, flexible and rigid panels. Renogy, TopSolar, ToGo and NuPower panels.

    Peronally, I like my LiFePo4 battery cause I can run it harder, and it's 100AH so i's about 1200wh. I put it in a ammo box from Academy so it has a handle and added USB ports and a solar charge controller. Coupled it with a Victron DC DC 18A charger for the vehicle and it's a beast. Thinking of dropping a LiFePo4 into the RV but i'd need another DC DC Charger because attempting to charge off the 7-pin power would likely burn up a wire, stress out the alternator, or something else bad. Plus, integrated batteries with inverters are nice but if a part fails you're in trouble. That, and the NMC batteries aren't nearly as long lived as LiFePo4.
     
    icyhotahs and canadian.bacon[OP] like this.
  8. Aug 1, 2021 at 6:03 AM
    #8
    mauspalls

    mauspalls New Member

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    SW Washington
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    Dobinsons 1" lift, 255/80/17 Falken Wildpeaks, Tundra battery mod, Extreme LED Pro Fogs, lots of good mojo
    I picked up an Energizer branded/licensed 240w unit on Amazon for like $250. Works great. It's LiFePo battery. Small size, too. Solar panels are next.
     
  9. Aug 3, 2021 at 9:52 AM
    #9
    Spare Parts

    Spare Parts New Member

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    icyhotahs[QUOTED] and 7385 like this.
  10. Aug 4, 2021 at 7:15 AM
    #10
    fajitas21

    fajitas21 New Member

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    The guy's name is Will Prowse.

    I liked it, it was clever.
     
    7385 likes this.
  11. Oct 11, 2021 at 3:00 AM
    #11
    Rosby

    Rosby New Member

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    For Solar I have folding, flexible and rigid panels. Renogy, TopSolar, ToGo and NuPower panels - some from this list https://solwiser.com/am-solar-panel-reviews/

    The Jackery 300 specifies that input voltage must be between 12V and 30V. So a solar panel that will have all voltage ratings be under 30V can be used as a solar source for the Jackery 300.
    All "12V" solar panels will have a max voltage rating of under 30V. Typically a "12V" solar panel will have a rating of 22-24V to be the highest voltage that can come out of the solar panel.
     
  12. Oct 15, 2021 at 9:51 AM
    #12
    BL Roxanne

    BL Roxanne New Member

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    Vehicle:
    2018 White SR5P
    3” Dobinso MRR, 285/70/17, SSO Slimeline, Warn Winch, 30” Baja Led (amber), Diode Dynamics SS3 fog lights, Prinsu Full Rack, Sumo Springs, Durobumps, ARB Breather Kit, Tinted Windows, 23Zero Peregrine 180, 23Zero Bushman Awning w/Room
    I am running the EcoFlow River Pro and 160w solar panel. Both were purchased from Costco. I am using it to provide power to my Setpower RV45D.

    EcoFlow River Pro - $429.99 (included shipping but not tax)

    EcoFlow 160W Solar Panel - $299.99 (included shipping but not tax)

    Setpower RV45D - $408 (after code I got from a YouTube video. That included shipping and tax)
     
    Last edited: Oct 16, 2021
    21Venture likes this.
  13. Oct 15, 2021 at 11:02 AM
    #13
    Moon Landing

    Moon Landing AFFTC 1967/68 Eddies Air Patch

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    La Quinta, Ca. AKA "The Skillet"
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    Nam 68/69
    Jackery 1000 w/2 100w panels.
     
  14. Oct 16, 2021 at 7:07 AM
    #14
    GenoBluzGtr

    GenoBluzGtr New Member

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    I'm using a Jackery 1500. No panels, though. Work bought the Jackery for me (I do a lot of work at remote cell tower sites), I will likely grab some panels myself for those just-in-case moments.

    The Jackery is amazing. We can power up our processing system for testing before our electrical service is installed.
     
    K-Paul likes this.
  15. Oct 16, 2021 at 11:01 AM
    #15
    ElectroBoy

    ElectroBoy Ad astra

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    I have the Jackery 500 to run my 12V fridge, lightweight and it works well. No solar panels, just charging from the inverter in back. That 1500 must be a beast.
     
    canadian.bacon[OP] likes this.
  16. Oct 16, 2021 at 12:53 PM
    #16
    GenoBluzGtr

    GenoBluzGtr New Member

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    Yeah.. Still remarkably small, though. Total weight is about 30 lbs, and the size of a decent lunch box.
     
  17. Feb 17, 2022 at 12:10 AM
    #17
    JoeDirt

    JoeDirt New Member

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    I'm using the GOLABS R500 mainly because it has LifePO4 batteries and will last 2000 cycles minimum. That concept has been well documented and can easily be found online. Anyways, I mainly use it to power my computer, monitor, and lamp every night, but I have perform a stress test on it with an Xbox, big screen tv, powering another generator, and charging two cell phones which brought it up to 400 watts. I let it go for 30 minutes straight and it was just fine. Here's a video https://youtu.be/0iTXlFwXzzM
     
    canadian.bacon[OP] likes this.
  18. Feb 17, 2022 at 12:21 AM
    #18
    JoeDirt

    JoeDirt New Member

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    I'm a little into solar and built a cabin kit to use at home. I started with a 200 watt kit but eventually upgraded to 600 watts. It's like adding more power to the 4runner that you just can't stop adding more power to it. Anyways, now my setup consist of a 40 amp charge controller that can charge LifePO4 batteries, 1,000 watt pure sine wave inverter, six 100 watt panels, and three 120 amp hour LifePO4 batteries. With this setup I can power my refrigerator 24/7 ( fridge turns on every 30 minutes on average). Here's a video of my setup https://youtu.be/AKTPWjHZPbo
    https://youtu.be/d4mujzdkPAg
     
    canadian.bacon[OP] likes this.
  19. Mar 3, 2022 at 5:20 AM
    #19
    ciruela

    ciruela New Member

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    Using a Bluetti eb150. Its 1500WH and it has a 1000W inverter in it (1500W peak).

    I charge it while driving via a 300W pure sine inverter I wired from the 4runner battery.

    Works great. Powers my fridge, water pump, lights, etc for 2-3 days before i need to recharge (if we don't use the little heater for the rooftop tent).

    I wanted something that was all-in-one and I could take out of the vehicle with my drawer system and was around a thousand bucks.
     
    Last edited: Mar 3, 2022
    canadian.bacon[OP] likes this.
  20. Mar 3, 2022 at 8:42 AM
    #20
    SunnyTRD

    SunnyTRD New Member

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    I recently purchased a Bluetti AC200P along with 4 of their PV200 panels. Perhaps overkill for overlanding, but I wanted something for emergency backup due to one having a medical condition at home. My only beef with the AC200P is the minimum voltage input is 35V and optimal is higher for fast charging. Unfortunately the portable panels are double in price than the higher volume fixed panels. The PV200 panels do have a 2 year warrantee.
     
    canadian.bacon[OP] likes this.
  21. Mar 3, 2022 at 9:34 PM
    #21
    canadian.bacon

    canadian.bacon [OP] H9 halogen is the best led bulb

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    My golabs lost a small portion of the digital display, the 8 is no longer showing 8, but a 9. So I emailed the vendor on how to fix it. I specified I don’t want to return the unit, I love it, how can I fix it. They decided to ship me a new one for free and told me to keep the old one. I see this is a win. Great customer support and I’m a happy camper.
    Thinking about getting the 500 one.
     
  22. Mar 4, 2022 at 4:20 AM
    #22
    K-Paul

    K-Paul Looking for a water crossing

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    Got a Jackery 850 and Solar Panel. Powers my fridge and a ton of other stuff. 3 hours of driving tops it off.

    image.jpg
     
    canadian.bacon[OP] likes this.
  23. Mar 4, 2022 at 4:38 AM
    #23
    GenoBluzGtr

    GenoBluzGtr New Member

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    Anyone interested in the Jackerys, I used this code yesterday and got 10% off.... "ACTIVJACK". I have a 1500W that work paid for, but I wanted my own, so I picked up a 1000W w/ 2 Solar Panels, and ended up getting almost $160 off the price.

    not sure how long the code is active for, though.
     
    canadian.bacon[OP] and K-Paul like this.
  24. Mar 15, 2022 at 12:23 AM
    #24
    JoeDirt

    JoeDirt New Member

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    I am using the Big Blue 100 watt portable solar panel because it is waterproof. Yes, waterproof. You can leave it outside 24/7 and it will last 15 years (when left outside 24/7 will last 15 years). It's made out of ETFE material which makes it fireproof, waterproof, and self cleaning. How great is that? It's 4-Runner great! Here is my review video https://youtu.be/2iqHxzZF8hI
     
    canadian.bacon[OP] likes this.
  25. Mar 15, 2022 at 12:34 PM
    #25
    ElectroBoy

    ElectroBoy Ad astra

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    Wondering if you have tested/reviewed the Big Blue ETFE 100W folding solar panel. How durable would it be with multiple foldings/unfoldings.
    https://bigblue-tech.com/products/bigblue-100w-etfe-solar-panel
     
  26. Mar 15, 2022 at 6:51 PM
    #26
    moto932

    moto932 New Member

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    canadian.bacon[OP] likes this.
  27. Mar 21, 2022 at 9:30 PM
    #27
    zawale

    zawale New Member

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    I’m currently running a Jackery 1000 and Bluetti SP120 solar panels. Jackery is the perfect size for my use and the solar panels provide excellent recharging while folding up nicely and being super portable.
     
  28. Mar 22, 2022 at 2:25 AM
    #28
    T4R13

    T4R13 New Member

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    Jackery 1000, newpowa 100w panel on gobi rack
     
  29. Mar 22, 2022 at 3:41 AM
    #29
    newlife

    newlife Not all who wander are ...... squirrel

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    All of them.
    When I sold the 4R I pulled the battleborn and red arc out before selling. The plan was to put it all in the gladiator but ended up going jackery 1500. The 400 constant w inverter in the back of the gladiator brings the jackery from 50% to 100% in just under 2 hours and we have yet to drop below 50% on it. Last trip was three days running fridge, electric blanket for 8 hours, coffee maker (because I can and wanted to see if it would work) and various lights and camera re charges absolute workhorse.
     
  30. Mar 22, 2022 at 11:33 AM
    #30
    PhantomTweak

    PhantomTweak New Member

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    None. Bone Stock. EXCEPT: Brushguard, tow hitch, both welded to the frame. It's good to have friends and a fully equipped garage!
    The coffee maker is a no brainer. There is absolutely NO reason to go without morning coffee, EVER! If I can't have my morning coffee, I just won't go. Wherever "it" might be.

    Heck, even the C-rats, and later MREs, have plenty of coffee, and a way to make it. Heat tabs and a c-rat can, or canteen cup, instant coffee maker. Not the best coffee in the world, but it IS coffee. And hot, at that.
    No worse than whats been sitting in a 30 cup urn, unplugged, over the weekend, when we came in sunday night to open up. A cup full into the microwave, and ta-da! Hot coffee until the new stuff is ready.

    Heck, I'll take it IV if I have to, but I WILL have my coffee!

    Have fun, all!
    Pat☺
     

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