Portable Power Packs - LifePo4 Battery Boxes -- How I done It --

[Dellmassive]

We're heading out for a 5man, two tent, 1 gazebo, 5day camping trip. - off grid.

With the full complement of twin compressor fridges, lights, chargers etc etc.



..


We'll have all the small usb power packs for the normal phone charging with out and about..



.


This will all be powered by these...... mainly the AC200 for the EHU with 2* Renogy 200w suitcase solar kits to recharge.

The Anker and EcoFlow will be for backup and used for keeping the fridges running during transport.... keeping the main unit full. (I'm not taking the van so no dc-dc charger to fall back on)

..

The NOCO will be for jump starter if either of the two transport vans end up in trouble...... Or to assist any other campsite dwellers that run into trouble.




.


I'll also be taking 3x of my lithium battery boxes that can be used to recharge the units via 12v if the solar isn't good enough.







....

2000,1200,1200,1200.720,256,

That's effectively 6500wh of stored energy.... To start with.


Let's see what happens.

 

[Dellmassive]

id seen the USA version . .
didnt know when it was being released in the UK. . .


that box looks awesome !!!

1220wh / 1500w / lifepo4 !! - totally giving this one a go.


just put my name down for a code.



View attachment 162163

i got my code from Anker this time . .



box ordered via the Amazon option.

https://amzn.to/3P5eKuf

 

[Sackmycook]

We're heading out for a 5man, two tent, 1 gazebo, 5day camping trip. - off grid.

With the full complement of twin compressor fridges, lights, chargers etc etc.

View attachment 162963

..


We'll have all the small usb power packs for the normal phone charging with out and about..

View attachment 162962

.


This will all be powered by these...... mainly the AC200 for the EHU with 2* Renogy 200w suitcase solar kits to recharge.

The Anker and EcoFlow will be for backup and used for keeping the fridges running during transport.... keeping the main unit full. (I'm not taking the van so no dc-dc charger to fall back on)

..

The NOCO will be for jump starter if either of the two transport vans end up in trouble...... Or to assist any other campsite dwellers that run into trouble.


View attachment 162964

.


I'll also be taking 3x of my lithium battery boxes that can be used to recharge the units via 12v if the solar isn't good enough.



View attachment 162965



....

2000,1200,1200,1200.720,256,

That's effectively 6500wh of stored energy.... To start with.


Let's see what happens.

How did your trip go Lee on the energy front ?

 

[Dellmassive]

@Sackmycook

it all went great . . . but with some twists.

The first couple of days we had grey skys and some rain. - so the solar wasn't enough.

.




1st issue was a skool boy error . . . i didnt have two sets of MC4 connector leads , , just one.

that got me out the van from where the AC200Max was stored.

but didn't allow me to layout the panels optimally. - i needed they joined together in series.



so even with 400W of solar. . . we run out of power and the fridges were off the following morning . . . ( after 2 days with 2x compressor fridges, 1x TE cooler box, camp lighting, and a bit of charging )



...

no issues though as i plugged in one of the 100ah lifepo4 battery boxes ( i took 3 ) , that dumped its stored energy in to the AC200max - up to about 45%.


then later that day the sun come out to play . . .

from that point onwards we had enough solar to put some charge back in each day and didnt run out of power again.





over all it all worked out ok.





.

apart from that the mobile boxes, the small Anker and small EcoFlow done a great job with all the airbeds, pumping up the trents, and topping up the smaller USB power banks.








a great weekend . . .





.

 

[Sackmycook]

Brilliant ! Adapt and conquer.....I'll read this a few times before it sinks in though

 

[Doosey]

We’ve just done 4 days at Le Mans and the Ecoflow river pro and 110w panel performed brilliantly, it ran the beer fridge, charged half the phones on site and the fairy lights. The lowest it dropped to was 26% charge, i just chucked the panel on the roof and left it to do it’s stuff.
granted it was 28 c and clear skit’s, very happy with it.
i don’t have a thermal cover for the 55l vevor and it and the Ecoflow lived in the amending and it was b#@£dy hot in there in the day

 

[Dellmassive]

i got my code from Anker this time . .



box ordered via the Amazon option.

https://amzn.to/3P5eKuf

View attachment 163510

View attachment 163511

whos wants a £300 off code ( I've got two ):

+++++++++++++

Dear Dellmassive,

Thank you for your email. I am so sorry you did not receive the code.

You can find the following new code.

NPEM-6Q2VDF-6NAYB4


Have a nice day!

Luana


++++++++++++++

https://amzn.to/3bWdyLF

++++++++++++++

 

[Dellmassive]

The Anker 757 Portable Power Station is in.

and its BADASS !!!


++++++++++++++++

I've only just unpacked it . . . so for now its an unboxing . .


testing to follow.





it comes very well packaged . .

which is good as its heavy . .



charge cables and install guide.. .

the dust cover is a very nice addition.



looks like they going for XT60 connectors, - similar to bluetti

out the box its a very good looking power pack,



the rear cover & input setup look very EcoFlow . . . . ?









look at the attention to detail . . . even on the rubber feet ( that you will never see) - nice large textured rubber feet.



.


plugging in the IEC mains cable its start charging . . . . AT 1000W !!!!!!!!
now thats fast !!!




size wise its similar to the AC200Max - which i wasnt expecting.




it feel very premium in all aspects so far . .





..



install guide:









.

the screen is excellent and has good viewing angles




look its 99% charged already !!!


so far everything is awesome.

+++++++++++++++


now for the possible issues :

No APP for control or monitoring.

car dc input is 10A - that will cook most 12v sockets ( bluetti and eco flow reduce the input current to 8A to stop this)

1000w input charge - no way to reduce the charge rate to extend the life if battery's ( but its got 5yr warranty anyway)

no hard on/off button? - sleeping power drop?

no-load self discharge rate needs testing?

solar MPPT 11-30v @10A (300w) is slightly limited (standard 100w panel is normally 19v 6A) so linking series and parallel to keep under30v/10a will be tricky

the solar input lead comes with 3x xt60 conectors in parrallel - so it will be interesting to see the recommended panel spec.



TBC

.

 

[davecdjt]

@Dellmassive our van has a leisure electrics install with solar panel on the roof to keep the battery topped up but it will not deliver 240v power to run laptops, fridge or power a camping electric kettle or a small Lavazza coffee machine. The 12v (cigarette adapter) powers the Vevor fridge and USB when not on EHU. If I wanted to add a simple, economic solution would the Anker 521 be enough? Could I charge it off the 12v output from the leisure battery whilst the solar panel keeps that battery topped up? Thank you, your time and effort here is very much appreciated.

 

[Dellmassive]

@Dellmassive our van has a leisure electrics install with solar panel on the roof to keep the battery topped up but it will not deliver 240v power to run laptops, fridge or power a camping electric kettle or a small Lavazza coffee machine. The 12v (cigarette adapter) powers the Vevor fridge and USB when not on EHU. If I wanted to add a simple, economic solution would the Anker 521 be enough? Could I charge it off the 12v output from the leisure battery whilst the solar panel keeps that battery topped up? Thank you, your time and effort here is very much appreciated.

yes you can that . . .

but there are some points to consider.



the 521 will charge at 65W max with the 12v dc in . . . . . so if its running the fridge at 65w then the net charging effect will be 0w, so you need to be mindful on how/when you will charge the unit. example overnight with no loads connected.



its only 200W mains inverter, so ok for small loads, upto a laptop etc, but not sure about the coffee machine and kettle?



++++++++++++++



your other options are to just add a small 240v mains inverter to your existing 12v LB setup. . .

this one is very good for small loads. . . ( i have two of them )

https://amzn.to/3pkSfqH

more info:

[Guide] 12v/240v Power Inverters -- How I Done It --

12v/240v Power Inverters -- How I Done It -- Place Holder - current work in progress. -- coming soon the other inverters i have that are worth looking into are: All @Dellmassive tested and approved. Victron 375w, 800w, 1200w COTEK 250w, 700w, 1000w, 1500w Renogy 100w,2000w Vict. 12/375...

www.t6forum.com

.

if you want to look at running kettles and coffee machines. . . . .

then check the ewattage of your devices . . .


but you will bee looking at 1000w or 2000w invertwers.




eg:

1000w

1000W 12V to 230V/240V Pure Sine Wave Inverter with English Standard Socket (with UPS Function)

Whether for a van or a cabin, the Renogy 1000W Pure Sine Wave Power Inverter acts as a DC to AC converter that allows you to power your household appliances.

uk.renogy.com

++++++++++++

2000w

https://amzn.to/3CaqCrL

 

[t6blo]

This powers my 500w Velvetiser (hot choc) nicely

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08FDN1PH6

 

[davecdjt]

yes you can that . . .

but there are some points to consider.



the 521 will charge at 65W max with the 12v dc in . . . . . so if its running the fridge at 65w then the net charging effect will be 0w, so you need to be mindful on how/when you will charge the unit. example overnight with no loads connected.



its only 200W mains inverter, so ok for small loads, upto a laptop etc, but not sure about the coffee machine and kettle?



++++++++++++++



your other options are to just add a small 240v mains inverter to your existing 12v LB setup. . .

this one is very good for small loads. . . ( i have two of them )

https://amzn.to/3pkSfqH

View attachment 168984




more info:

[Guide] 12v/240v Power Inverters -- How I Done It --

12v/240v Power Inverters -- How I Done It -- Place Holder - current work in progress. -- coming soon the other inverters i have that are worth looking into are: All @Dellmassive tested and approved. Victron 375w, 800w, 1200w COTEK 250w, 700w, 1000w, 1500w Renogy 100w,2000w Vict. 12/375...

www.t6forum.com

.

if you want to look at running kettles and coffee machines. . . . .

then check the ewattage of your devices . . .


but you will bee looking at 100w or 2000w invertwers.




eg:

1000w

1000W 12V to 230V/240V Pure Sine Wave Inverter with English Standard Socket (with UPS Function)

Whether for a van or a cabin, the Renogy 1000W Pure Sine Wave Power Inverter acts as a DC to AC converter that allows you to power your household appliances.

uk.renogy.com

View attachment 168988




++++++++++++

2000w

https://amzn.to/3CaqCrL

View attachment 168985

Thanks @Dellmassive the fridge draws 45w, the coffee machine 1250w - it’s a Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie. The leisure battery is a standard low height 100amp type. I was told by the installer that the battery would need to be far more powerful than the one I have to have an inverter to power anything. We were looking at the Outwell collaps kettle but I cant find what power they are. Would you think my setup would cope with an inverter?
We were thinking about having power when we’re not on EHU. I think it would only be infrequent when I’d need to charge the power station from the van, we’d maybe book a night with EHU to recharge everything, most times I’d only need the power station for the brief occasions when I needed electric power for a coffee or to charge a laptop.

 

[Pauly]

Lets do some fag packet approximate maths on this

The coffee machine will draw a little over 5 amps at mains voltage so this is going to be somewhere around at least 100 amps (probably a bit more) at 12v, thats a huge draw and even running it for 5 minutes is going to take a good chunk of charge out of your leisure battery so you need to consider what drain that is putting on the system and how you are going to replace that

If you arent planning to run it often and have a decent solar setup and the sun is shining then it could work out ok but if your expecting multiple coffees a day on top of other draws then you may need to think a bit deeper

Do you have any monitoring in place for your leisure battery to show state of charge ?

 

[Dellmassive]

well . . . Renogy recommend one 100ah lithium per 1000W worth of inverter.



and id agree with them




so 2* 100ah renogy lifepo4 for the 2000w inverter - which is what i run previously. -- 200Ah, 2000W, LifePo4 Leisure Battery Box -- How I Done It --

and as @Pauly says you will be pulling 100ah per 1000W from the battery . . . . ( under full load )

so you need cables and fuses fat enough to run all that - plus a means of recharging.


you will be looking at £1000 worth of batterys, £400 worth of inverter, £200 worth of cables and accessory's + install ( poss £400 ) ( ie £2k plus )


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


basically inverters under 500W are no issues.

when you start looking at 500w, 1000w, 1500w 2000w things start getting serious quick. - and pricey


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++




to run your 1250w coffee machine you will need a 1500W inverter ( or 2000w ) plus the install.

and your installer is right to say that a standard leisure battery wont be powerfull enough to brew one cup.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++



as an example you could look at the 1500W + power packs.





like the Anker 1500w - £1400 -- SOLAR GENERATORS - LifePo4 Battery Boxes -- How I done It --

or the Bluetti 2000w - £1899 -- SOLAR GENERATORS - LifePo4 Battery Boxes -- How I done It --

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++



cheaper coffee = single gas burner + Mokka Pot £45

Camping Ideas and Tips

Camp Heater #2 A new one im excited for . . . a new heater . . . . . (if your looking at this during a heatwave in the middle of summer then look back at the cooling & fan section - for other times of year it get cold at night, so - ) we already had the "Heater Buddy" that we imported...

www.t6forum.com

 

[Dellmassive]

FWYI . . .

@Mick has a "Outwell collaps kettle" . . .

and has run it from a Jackory 1000W

so his kettle must be below 1000w.....


maybe take a look at that unit . . . . but being 1000w max it wont run a 1250w coffee machine.

https://amzn.to/3ArLXvB

 

[davecdjt]

Lets do some fag packet approximate maths on this

The coffee machine will draw a little over 5 amps at mains voltage so this is going to be somewhere around at least 100 amps (probably a bit more) at 12v, thats a huge draw and even running it for 5 minutes is going to take a good chunk of charge out of your leisure battery so you need to consider what drain that is putting on the system and how you are going to replace that

If you arent planning to run it often and have a decent solar setup and the sun is shining then it could work out ok but if your expecting multiple coffees a day on top of other draws then you may need to think a bit deeper

Do you have any monitoring in place for your leisure battery to show state of charge ?

thanks @Pauly i have a ctek installed with monitoring via Bluetooth app.

 

[davecdjt]

well . . . Renogy recommend one 100ah lithium per 1000W worth of inverter.



and id agree with them




so 2* 100ah renogy lifepo4 for the 2000w inverter - which is what i run previously. -- 200Ah, 2000W, LifePo4 Leisure Battery Box -- How I Done It --

and as @Pauly says you will be pulling 100ah per 1000W from the battery . . . . ( under full load )

so you need cables and fuses fat enough to run all that - plus a means of recharging.


you will be looking at £1000 worth of batterys, £400 worth of inverter, £200 worth of cables and accessory's + install ( poss £400 ) ( ie £2k plus )


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


basically inverters under 500W are no issues.

when you start looking at 500w, 1000w, 1500w 2000w things start getting serious quick. - and pricey


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++




to run your 1250w coffee machine you will need a 1500W inverter ( or 2000w ) plus the install.

and your installer is right to say that a standard leisure battery wont be powerfull enough to brew one cup.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++



as an example you could look at the 1500W + power packs.





like the Anker 1500w - £1400 -- SOLAR GENERATORS - LifePo4 Battery Boxes -- How I done It --

or the Bluetti 2000w - £1899 -- SOLAR GENERATORS - LifePo4 Battery Boxes -- How I done It --

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++



cheaper coffee = single gas burner + Mokka Pot £45

Camping Ideas and Tips

Camp Heater #2 A new one im excited for . . . a new heater . . . . . (if your looking at this during a heatwave in the middle of summer then look back at the cooling & fan section - for other times of year it get cold at night, so - ) we already had the "Heater Buddy" that we imported...

www.t6forum.com

View attachment 169060View attachment 169061

Thanks @Dellmassive, those costs are massive and way outside my means just now. Cheaper coffee off grid it will be then courtesy of my aerobie aeropress. I’ll have pay for more EHU camping pitches. I’ll take some time and reconsider the merit of a power station. Apart from them being the latest boys toys I’m not certain I ‘need’ one maybe I’ll take a more careful look at all this stuff at the autumn gathering? Thanks again.

 

[davecdjt]

FWYI . . .

@Mick has a "Outwell collaps kettle" . . .

and has run it from a Jackory 1000W

so his kettle must be below 1000w.....


maybe take a look at that unit . . . . but being 1000w max it wont run a 1250w coffee machine.

https://amzn.to/3ArLXvB

View attachment 169062

I’m really gonna struggle to get a £1000 accessory past SWMBO for the purposes of me making coffee _ all the more so when she only drinks tea

 

[Mick]

FWYI . . .

@Mick has a "Outwell collaps kettle" . . .

and has run it from a Jackory 1000W

so his kettle must be below 1000w.....


maybe take a look at that unit . . . . but being 1000w max it wont run a 1250w coffee machine.

https://amzn.to/3ArLXvB

View attachment 169062

Yep my Jackery 1000w runs individually my kettle 750w, coffee machine 600w and toaster 600w. What I was surprise at was the USB C would not charge my Apple MacBook pro but the older USB A did.

All in all I am really pleased at how it is p[erforming but a word of warning - its takes an absolute age to charge from mains. My 12ow panel (95kw output) just keeps it topped up.

As an experiment a plugged it in to my EHU port and it did charge the leisure battery at a comfortable 120w.

The new Jackery 1000w pro announced this week is a 1h 30m charging with 800w - mine is about 170w.

 

[Mick]

I’m really gonna struggle to get a £1000 accessory past SWMBO for the purposes of me making coffee _ all the more so when she only drinks tea

Check out Facebook market place. Seen them less than a year old for £600. I got mine, 6 months old, for £500, after I helped a contact of mine with his solar and house battery.i