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Charlessyverson · March 4

My next decision I am facing in my boondocking setup is do I purchase an additional 100 watt lithium battery (200 watt total) or go with a 100 watt solar generator with a solar panel. Both are the same cost. If I chose the battery I would probably still need an additional solar panel. These will be used on a 2023 320 boondock to supplement the 100 watt lithium battery and 180 watt roof solar. I am looking to boondock 3-4 days, parked in the shade, use fridge, limited lights, charge phones, and watch tv 3 hours or so. Thank you all for the info, the people on this forum have been extremely helpful and knowledgeable.

manyman297 · March 4

It can be a bit of a controversial topic but my feeling is bringing a battery-powered generator seems redundant when you have basically a bigger one already in your camper. I’m all for getting the additional 100ah lithium in the camper. Simplifies the gear you need to bring and saves room.

Maybe I haven’t thought of a good use for those generators but I feel like influencers on YouTube have convinced us of the need for one when rv’ing.

pthomas745 · March 4

Agree with @manyman297. Adding a battery to the trailer and a portable solar panel (or maybe even a portable panel until you sort out your actual battery needs). A 200 watt portable panel on top of the trailer's panel (even if limited) might be all you need.

There are ways to use the "batteries in a box" to power the trailer. Owners have done this. The issue I've always had with the "solar generators" is how to recharge them. If you could sort out the wiring of the proprietary connections to the "generator" from an "ordinary" solar panel, that would be easier than lugging around separate panels that can only charge the "generator". The various cables exist, and it isn't hard to do. One set of portable panels could charge the trailer and the "portable".

I have carried a "spare battery" (long story) and the biggest issue is: where to put it inside the trailer. It is something that must be entered into the equation, especially if you have two people in the trailer.

MuttonChops · March 4

IMHO . . . stop over thinking the situation . . .

Go CAMPING and see what happens, worse case you will have a night or two of 'Gosh we don't have power" but you will be Okay (survive) after a few outings you will learn what 'your style of camping' requires for power

Then it is time to think about Batteries, solar panels, etc . . .

For myself I dreamed/expected I'd be doing days & days of off-grid camping while my actual - real world 'camping' has been mostly at private RV Parks or basic service Nations Park/Forest locations; most with 120VAC service.

AnOldUR · March 4

Charlessyverson said:

... Both are the same cost ...

What are the specifics of this? What is the size, brand and price of battery are you comparing to the size, brand and price of the power station?

If you're comparing the pricing of Battle Born to a power station built offshore, it's not apples to apples. Today there are other brands of LiFePO4's that are built equally as well at a fraction of the cost. Keep in mind that at this time almost all of the components are coming from offshore, regardless of the name on the label.

TourDeForth · March 4

If you have your Tab parked on your property, try boondocking there. My first night boondocking with the fridge running, Alde system on and keeping the trailer warm, I left the hot water on, and at 2am my fire alarm starting chirping due to low battery and the Alde system was flashing “low battery” it was a very sleepless night. The next day I charged up my battery, before bed, I lowered the temperature for the trailer, switched the priority to propane, and shut off the fridge for the night. 2 am same thing, fire alarm chirping, and “low battery” flashing. Time to rethink everything. My Toyota Tacoma has a dual battery system I installed from Genesis Offroad, I made a patch cable from my aux battery to the trailer. Connected it before bed, left everything running, fridge, Alde heat with water heat priority on propane. No alarm! Yay! I recharged both my trailer battery and my aux battery with a 200 watt suitcase solar panel. So now I’m shopping for a portable battery for the trailer so I don’t need to use the aux battery in my truck but it’s there if I need it. I haven’t changed to lithium batteries, my solar panel charges lead acid batteries only. My plans are still evolving…

AnOldUR · March 4

TourDeForth said:

... So now I’m shopping for a portable battery for the trailer ...

Sounds more like either your onboard battery is insufficient (low amp hour lead acid) or it's no longer working properly. A fully charged 100Ah LiFePO4 should easily get you through a night or two. The Alde on gas doesn't use a lot of electric. Of course this is assuming you're running a 12V compressor fridge, not a 3-way on 12V electric.

I would consider a battery upgrade before the purchase of a power station.

TourDeForth · March 4

AnOldUR said:

TourDeForth said:

... So now I’m shopping for a portable battery for the trailer ...

Sounds more like either your onboard battery is insufficient (low amp hour lead acid) or it's no longer working properly.

I will take the battery out of my tab and test it. I’ll post the results and let you know if your suspicions are correct. If I do have to replace it, I will probably get a lithium battery and hope my 2023 Tab 320s Boondock correctly detects it as advertised. I’ve got another mppt solar charge controller I can install on my portable solar panels to charge lithium batteries, right now it’s setup to charge lead acid batteries with a cheap Chinese charge controller…

Charlessyverson · March 4

What I am looking at is a matching my current battery with a Precision 100 amp lithium battery which is $800. On the flip side, I can get a Bluetti with 200 amp solar panel for same cost. If I were to get the same solar panel with the battery it would be $1200. Would the versatility of the Bluetti with the solar panel be worth it or is it more practical to just get another battery and wire in parallel?

dlb · March 5

$800 for a 100 amp Lithium is out of line. I just bought a 300 amp Lithium for my Tab400 for $419 on Amazon. Works like a charm.

manyman297 · March 5

@MuttonChops makes a great point. When we first got the camper I thought we needed an external solar panel “just in case”…but as we camped I realized it would’ve been a waste of money. And now that we’ve upgraded to 200ah of lithium I really don’t see the need for portable power packs, external panels, etc.

I liken this to moving into a new home. The impulse is to furnish it right away but you need to use and live in it for months before you have an idea of your needs.

TourDeForth · March 8

AnOldUR said:

TourDeForth said:

... So now I’m shopping for a portable battery for the trailer ...

Sounds more like either your onboard battery is insufficient (low amp hour lead acid) or it's no longer working properly. A fully charged 100Ah LiFePO4 should easily get you through a night or two. The Alde on gas doesn't use a lot of electric. Of course this is assuming you're running a 12V compressor fridge, not a 3-way on 12V electric.

I would consider a battery upgrade before the purchase of a power station.

You were correct, the battery failed the test. It needs to be replaced. It’s a continental Marine/RV deep cycle battery. It charges up, it tests only half its cranking amps, and the internal resistance is high. It’s a sealed battery, I’m checking to see if it’s still under warranty. But I may take this opportunity to upgrade and follow advice in this thread.

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