[NoOneIsAnIsland]

I've promised myself a 12V refrigerator for camping this year. In order to ensure I can get home (and extend the life of my starter batter) I want to run it off an alternative power source. My power needs will be the fridge, some auxiliary lights for around camp, diesel heater and battery charging for power tools as well as charging small electronics. It seems there's two options:

• Auxiliary deep cycle battery located... somewhere in the vehicle (maybe roxTerra's tray that I just discovered)
• ~1000Wh portable power station of some sort (Jackery, Anker Power House, etc.)

I like the second battery option for it integrating into the vehicle and not something I have to pack. But I'm a DIYer (I rarely pay for labour when I can do it myself or with the help of my electrical engineer brother) and with a toddler I'm not sure I have the time to build a full custom solution. It also seems the more affordable solution (I haven't done due diligence on costs yet).

I like the all-in-one nature of a portable power station, no fussing about and just grab and go. But they are pricy to get comparable capacity ($1,000+), and not sure if I'm a fan of having a slew of accessory cables running around the truck. It seems they typically can be recharged from 12V so no need to find AC to boost it back up, which is a plus when on extended adventures. Another benefit is emergency power at home. We live in a earthquake zone, so having a power station handy would be a good addition to our emergency kit.

I'm curious other's thoughts, opinions and especially experiences with either option.

 

[maxgralph]

I have used one of these for the better part of 4 years for a very similar use case, and it has worked very well for me. You do buy your own car/marine battery to put inside this box. (there are options on youtube to make such a thing yourself) ArkPak 730 Portable Power

I like that the battery portion is separate and replaceable. But, the 1000 buck power packs do seem to have improved since I invested in it.

I also like a separate unit so I can put it in our Element or loan it and the fridge to buddies... which I seem to do quite a bit.

 

[outback97]

Below is a copy / paste from my post in another thread, but here's my thoughts on a portable battery. Mine is a GoLabs R300. It's smaller, less than a third of the capacity (299Wh) of what you mentioned, and has only been used for weekend 12V fridge and phone charging duties, but it serves those needs adequately.



I looked at the threads about installing a second battery under the hood and didn't like how much was involved. For my needs (powering a small 12V fridge and charging some electronic things) for now I have opted to get a portable battery. The manufacturers call them "solar generators" but that's stupid, it's not generating anything.

Here's the one I got, it's often on sale for $200 but was unavailable for a time earlier this summer.

Amazon.com

It's worked well for me so far. Sometimes we'll bring it out to the backyard to charge an ipad or laptop, so I like that it's portable.

I have been considering DIY'ing something with larger capacity that is permanently mounted (like under the cargo area) but am a bit intimidated by the DIY aspect of it. So, for now the portable battery is doing the thing and works for a weekend trip.

Pros (for my uses):
Easy. No wiring, no relocation of anything under the hood.
Portable, not tied to the vehicle
LiFePO4 chemistry
Can be discharged / recharged for many cycles without killing the battery

Cons:
Not a starting battery
Unknown longevity, probably not user serviceable

 

[Brunnie]

Here is what Kevin from Lifestyle Overland did. Power in a Case I did almost the same thing but used a different case, charge controller, and battery manufacturer.

 

[maxgralph]

Here is what Kevin from Lifestyle Overland did. Power in a Case I did almost the same thing but used a different case, charge controller, and battery manufacturer.

That's a nice-looking option for sure! Can I ask roughly what that cost you to put together?

 

[CaptInsane-O]

Here is a really simple version of a homebrew power station... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en-0OwEYAHQ

 

[Brunnie]

That's a nice-looking option for sure! Can I ask roughly what that cost you to put together?

I used a Battleborn 50Ah battery, 2 marine battery cases stacked (cut the bottom out of the upper box), and a Redarc DC-DC charge controller. All told it added up to about $900.

 

[campisi]

My needs are exactly as yours. Fridge and other small-draw needs. Ive had a fridge for several years and have never had a problem with no separate battery. I use a Odyssey AGM. The fridge has drained it to the point of no start a few times but I've always been able to restart with a lithium jump starter. I also have a 6MT so a push start is also an option, though I've never needed it.
I'm going to eventually put a Lifepo4 solution under the rear cargo tray. That space is almost useless when camping but can easily fit four lifepo4 cells, solar charge controller (if you'd want that- I don't need it) and a DC to DC charger to charge off the alternator. There is a diy here, if you search you can find it.

 

[07 Offroad]

Don't forget the often overlooked and forgotten about inverter. A decent power inverter will charge all your power tools that need charging while you drive. I used to charge a car battery completely while driving to work jobsite for and hour drive that was normally depleted around 60% using an inverter and battery charger. A decent inverter will have no issue with the power tools. The inverters are cheap by comparison to shelling out for a jackery station. You easily could grab a good deep cycle battery and battery box along with the inverter and battery charger and be well under the price of a power station. Yes then you have a few more components lying around, but I like the money in my pocket. Don't need all the fancy stuff to survive well. Most don't stay in one spot for much more then a day and they are leaving camp to drive and explore so a great time to snag a charge on the battery. I know I don't go camp just to sit in campsite only for a week. I wanna see what is out there to be seen. Good luck whatever you decide there are plenty of good options that won't make your wallet sad.

 

[Tacodad87]

Soo I had this dilemma at one point too. I have a jackery and I’ve had an onboard aux battery set up. And I found the onboard was much more convenient than having to constantly remind myself to charge my jackery lol. I’m in the process of building an auxiliary set up in my current rig. Running 105 amp hour deep cycle, marine battery in the engine bay with a battery isolator and I ran four gauge wiring underneath the chassis to the rear trunk space where I currently have a 750w power inverter but will be upgrading to 2000w power inverter. I removed the air intake box and installed a small short, ram air filter to make space for the secondary battery. I was also looking at another option of doing two optima batteries in a special tray where the starter battery currently is so I’m not sure which way I’m going. Will post photos along the way if it helps. I had a secondary battery set up before in another rig before I move to Nissan and it was amazing. I still use the small jackery if we’re going to go to a camp spot that would be a hike in but for the most part we do car camping near the rig and I just run a 50 foot extension cord. Biggest investment for me was going to be the battery. But I’m not planning on spending no more than $500 on a set up that could last the lifetime of the vehicle.

 

[early 2010]

Better and cheaper.

Don't need 120V? Leave that out and save more money. Add later if you want.
More storage, put in a bigger battery.

 

[roXterra]

I started with portable power battery with 300Ah rating but you never know with Amazon products, it worked for what I wanted, daytime fridge running with car off, then it got recharged in evening when driving. It cost $300 back in 2017.
Then there was second one replacing it for another purpose because I thought the first one should be dying any day, well it didn't, but it had an annoying feature of a loud beep as battery was almost out.

Dual battery setup came along in 2020 and it works great for engine-off electronics use, but overnight fridge running still needs a portable battery, so I need both setups for different uses. I put the setup to test with a 1,000 mile week long trip and 5,000 mile 3 week trip, I need both.

Wanting to try something new, I got another brand 300Wh that looks more modern in 2022, nicer display and I have been thinking about a 1000Wh option but it has to be this shape to let me operate it when driving, and this shape is not common. And i want the buttons to be hard switches not electronic ones with their own interpretations of button presses.

My dual battery (under hood) voltages, left is main (Nissan stuff), right is aux (fridge, chargers, electronics, non-Nissan stuff). Left switch (feature of the battery isolator) lets me combine their power when my starting battery doesn't have enough power to start (when worn out with age or when it's cold). I also carry a jump starter, single point of failure is not good when you're remote).

 

[campisi]

In that video he mentions something I've always been concerned about with putting a LiFePo4 battery pack under the rear cargo area - ventilation. There is none down there. I really don't want to open up that area to add ventilation (dust issues off road) so I've never been sure how to handle that. Filtered openings and a pancake type fan?

 

[outback97]

In that video he mentions something I've always been concerned about with putting a LiFePo4 battery pack under the rear cargo area - ventilation. There is none down there. I really don't want to open up that area to add ventilation (dust issues off road) so I've never been sure how to handle that. Filtered openings and a pancake type fan?

I've thought about the same thing. Is ventilation needed for cooling, or potential off-gassing, both?

 

[campisi]

I've thought about the same thing. Is ventilation needed for cooling, or potential off-gassing, both?

Cooling. The batteries will get hot along with the other electronics. There are at least two TNX members who have put the battery pack in that cargo area and both have reported no problems even though they have not ventilated that compartment. Makes me nervous.

 

[NoOneIsAnIsland]

Some really good insights here, thanks all for the responses. I hadn't considered a DIY power station, will definitely dig deeper into that as an option, they look a little bulky but may be worth the cost trade off.

Dual battery setup came along in 2020 and it works great for engine-off electronics use, but overnight fridge running still needs a portable battery, so I need both setups for different uses. I put the setup to test with a 1,000 mile week long trip and 5,000 mile 3 week trip, I need both.

@roXterra why can't you use the dual battery for overnight fridge running?

In that video he mentions something I've always been concerned about with putting a LiFePo4 battery pack under the rear cargo area - ventilation. There is none down there. I really don't want to open up that area to add ventilation (dust issues off road) so I've never been sure how to handle that. Filtered openings and a pancake type fan?

I love the idea of putting that 'dead' space to use. Do the batteries themselves need ventilation or is it more the DC-to DC charger and inverter that needs it? I figure the charger could go under the hood, inverter under the seats. and then just use the dead space for battery/batteries and distribution.

 

[roXterra]

@NoOneIsAnIsland I could use second car Battery for load overnight, but I deplete it during the day with Electronics when Engine is off. Three car Batteries, now that may be enough... 😀

Stereo amps, work on a computer, etc. There is theoretical and then there is practical need, I am demanding for power on trips. I use the Portable Battery as a UPS, (Uninterrupted Power Supply), so that there is no surge on truck start, (for Video Player), hence the need for a small Portable Battery like the 300Wh, (or less), but 1000Wh would be nice for when leaving the truck for 1-2 days, (which I haven't done in 5 years but will on rare occasions).

Just a Portable Battery and nothing else, (single AGM Deep Discharge, or single plain Battery), would work for some people but it would be a single point of failure for me, and if it fails on a trip, you can't replace it for days if at all.

At the end of the day, it's a need vs want, 1 is good, 2 is better, their benefits overlap but they are different tools.

 

[NoOneIsAnIsland]

@NoOneIsAnIsland I could use second car Battery for load overnight, but I deplete it during the day with Electronics when Engine is off. Three car Batteries, now that may be enough... 😀

Stereo amps, work on a computer, etc. There is theoretical and then there is practical need, I am demanding for power on trips. I use the Portable Battery as a UPS, (Uninterrupted Power Supply), so that there is no surge on truck start, (for Video Player), hence the need for a small Portable Battery like the 300Wh, (or less), but 1000Wh would be nice for when leaving the truck for 1-2 days, (which I haven't done in 5 years but will on rare occasions).

Just a Portable Battery and nothing else, (single AGM Deep Discharge, or single plain Battery), would work for some people but it would be a single point of failure for me, and if it fails on a trip, you can't replace it for days if at all.

At the end of the day, it's a need vs want, 1 is good, 2 is better, their benefits overlap but they are different tools.

Makes sense, just wanted to make sure it wasn't some technical limitation, for lack of a better term... you're a power user! Thanks!

 

[Lowcountry idn]

The price difference at this point isn't that great because the power stations have come down so much. I appreciate those that put there own together for whatever set of reasons, it doesn't make sense to me anymore. Unless you just feel like doing it your own way, which is never a bad deal.

Power station will charge on 12V or 120VAC, will already have the inverter, will likely have a screen that tells you charge, etc. You can charge it in your rig, or in your house. If you loose power at home you can use it there. If you need to change cars, its easy.

Just make sure its Lifepo4 - and it should last 10 years. I think Bluetti is the favorite brand for those, but I am no expert so do your own research. One of the most important specs - which you will need to search for - is how fast it will take a charge - especially on solar or your cars alternator. Some of the older ones take forever to charge back up which sort of defeats the purpose.

 

[Brunnie]

Some really good insights here, thanks all for the responses. I hadn't considered a DIY power station, will definitely dig deeper into that as an option, they look a little bulky but may be worth the cost trade off.

@roXterra why can't you use the dual battery for overnight fridge running?

I love the idea of putting that 'dead' space to use. Do the batteries themselves need ventilation or is it more the DC-to DC charger and inverter that needs it? I figure the charger could go under the hood, inverter under the seats. and then just use the dead space for battery/batteries and distribution.

Putting the DC-DC charger under the hood, in the engine bay, isn't recommended because of the heat it would be subjected to, plus it really wants to be close to the battery(s). LiFePo4 batteries don't need ventilation for off-gassing but they do need ventilation for normal cooling. In other words, if you had a camper you could put them in a cabinet but wouldn't have to vent the area to the outside.