An Interesting Alternative to GenSets

AirBoss

Admittedly I'm not a fan of gensets for a variety of reasons. That said,  this little item and was intriging. No doubt folks on here have heard of, seen, or perhaps even own one? Likely won't run a T@B with A/C but seems like a worthy alternative to a gas/LP genset for just about all other power needs. Lightweight, options for recharging, and not overly expensive ($1500 with solar recharge kit).  

Those of you in the know about such things, be interested in your thoughts.

https://www.jackery.com/products/explorer-1000-portable-power-station?sscid=21k5_k1rie&

LonesomeRoad

I've been looking at similar, starting with the Goal Zero units from Yeti. Read enough of the 1-star reviews on Amazon that I was not willing to risk buying the Goal Zero given the type of complaints. Just read of few of the reports on Jackery here: https://www.amazon.com/Jackery-Portable-Power-Station-Generator/product-reviews/B07D29QNMJ/ref=cm_cr_unknown?filterByStar=one_star&pageNumber=1 and probably would pass on it too. We'll probably end up with one of the nicer generator/inverters and be discrete in its use to not bother those we're around. Hoping that our roof-top solar (320BD) + a 200 watt Renogy suitcase will suffice except when we need A/C. 

pthomas745

It is a very pretty 40 amp hour lithium battery in a nice box. For 1000 bucks. The stock battery in my trailer has as many amp hours.  I carry a small 30AH AGM battery with an,  inexpensive inverter, in a battery box, that I use to handle the little "extras" I might want to charge.  Does the same thing as any of these types of batteries can do.  (That battery has lasted 8 years now!)  It is very simple to assemble your own for much less.

The thing I notice more and more about lithium batteries is there are so many more options now.  There is a 50AH lithium on Amazon now for 400 dollars. That could easily replace my stock trailer battery.   (There is even a 100AH for about 600.)  I could replace my old 30AH battery for a 24 AH lithium for about 160, and would have a few extra amp hours to play with. 

And:  every battery I'm looking at can be charged with the same ordinary panel I have now.  No proprietary cables needed.

I'm sure these types of batteries are very nice and useful.  But, spendy for what you get. 

PS: I looked this over again, and it is a pretty hefty inverter inside, so not as "spendy" as at first glance.

Marceline

AirBoss said:

Admittedly I'm not a fan of gensets for a variety of reasons. That said,  this little item and was intriging. No doubt folks on here have heard of, seen, or perhaps even own one? Likely won't run a T@B with A/C but seems like a worthy alternative to a gas/LP genset for just about all other power needs. Lightweight, options for recharging, and not overly expensive ($1500 with solar recharge kit).  

Those of you in the know about such things, be interested in your thoughts.

https://www.jackery.com/products/explorer-1000-portable-power-station?sscid=21k5_k1rie&

Unless you can see additional uses for this - like a backup power supply during a power outage at home - I think that it makes more sense to use that money to optimize your trailer power setup (better battery? more solar?). As @pthomas745 points out $1500 is a lot of money to spend for 40aH. 

Denny16

Also a 45 AmpHr battery running a 1000 watt inverter is not going to run an AC like the CoolCat in a TaB.  It takes about a 2500 watt inverter minimum and 400 AmpHr battery bank to get six or so hours of AC operation.  Normally, a 1000 watt inverter would have a 100 AmpHr battery connected to it.
cheers

AirBoss

Yep, as I said not a fan but thought those who have smaller rigs without bells and whistles and like to boondock and want to be quiet about it, it may be an option. 

And yes, portability is one factor as well. Not all uses would be with the T@B. I do appreciate the technology behind these and hopefully they're continue to improve.

Now, if we can only get a scaleable fusion power supply unit we'd be all set!  

VictoriaP

Be aware that the recharge time on these units is lengthy. I have a Goal Zero Yeti (bought for power outages), and it’s great, but it takes the better part of a day on A/C power to recharge. Even longer on solar.

bergger

I have a jackery 1000 with solar panels but also bought it for power outages.  Mostly to keep the internet up since my wife works from home.  But can also keep our household fridge running for a while if needed.  Once the snow melts I'm going to play around with it on the T@b to see if and how it could be used.  But honestly its just for back up and to power our 12v fridge and other items when we truck camp.  I would not buy one as an additional power source for a trailer.  As others said, upgrade to a few 6v batteries and or a solar suitcase.  Or get a generator if you want to run your AC off grid.  

pthomas745

So, why do they take so  long to charge?

Denny16

Probably due to the small output of their charge units.  I also have a small Yeti Goal Zero, takes better part of a day to change it also, and it is only a 150 watt unit.
cheers

VictoriaP

pthomas745 said:

So, why do they take so  long to charge?

My cynical side says, “So they can sell you more than one!” 😁 But as I understand it, Denny is correct. Most don’t seem to have MPPT solar controllers either, though the Goal Zero 1500x apparently has one as an add on...at least, I saw it on one of Will Prowse’s videos.

I think they have their place, I use mine pretty frequently for various things. My Iceco Go20 fridge will run on my GZ lithium 400 for four days, which is very useful in power outages or as a second fridge for the trailer. It can also be used to to recharge the trailer battery. But they are outrageously priced for what you get.

bergger

The jackery 1000 has a MPPT controller built into it.  It takes about 7.5 hours to fully charge when plugged in and similar with the two 100 watt solar panels.  As mentioned previous the time is limited by the output of the the panels.  But I never plan on running it down to 0 so in reality it should charge up quicker definitely when plugged in and on solar just depends on the sun.  

SubaruLou

I recently bought a Goal Zero Yeti 1500x using a 20% off coupon at REI. @LonesomeRoad, yes, the initial batch in the new X series had quite a few issues but I believe those are resolved. I decided to take a chance because REI stands behind their returns policy. So far, I have not had any issues. 

They have smaller sizes, but the 1500x and larger all have a 2000W AC inverter (3500W surge). I wanted one that could power appliances at home during power outages or my Instant Pot or rice cooker on the road. In theory, I should be able to plug in the window A/C in my T@b 320 for a short time to cool it down after sunset. When I drive between TX and AZ, I often stay at a rest stop for the night. Being able to “take the edge off” the heat would be welcome. I’ll have to wait for TX to thaw out to test that theory! 

I also have a Dometic 12v fridge that can run for days on the GZ. I use that when on the road so I don’t have to worry about driving with the propane tank open for the 3-way fridge.