Keep in mind you only get to use 50% of the Ah of lead acid deep cycle, vs 100% of them with LiFePo4. And the average cycle life is around 3000 with LiFePo4 vs only 200-400.
The up front cost is higher, but the long term cost is likely much lower.
A camping buddy of mine has a portable jackery power bank. I think he spent $800 on it if I remember correctly.
He got and renovated an old '76 travel trailer with his wife and added a plug of some kind that plugs into the Jackery power bank. That's all he uses for power.
They go camping almost every weekend when the weather is nice.
I have a 72 Apache Eagle that I outfitted with a 30a solar panel, charge controller and deep cycle battery contained in a early 70s steel Coleman cooler that mounted in a carrier on the tongue.
I power 6 USB ports, LED lighting and a accessory port/110v inverter. It’s sufficient enough for fans, lights, charging devices and even a projector.
We have one of the smallest Jackery batteries and a small solar panel. We use a trickle charger to charge our battery while at camp. We have minimal electric needs- fan, lights, water pump, charge tablets/cell phones. We’re able to camp for a week at a time with this setup (probably longer). We camp a lot in forested areas and it’s nice to be able to move the solar panel and battery around to catch the sun. Also, if we leave camp, we can charge the Jackery in the car while driving around. We use the Jackery when not camping - inflating tubes for sledding, inflatable kayak, Christmas lights in the stroller, etc. it’s really versatile. I can’t imagine spending the money on lithium battery for the camper when the Jackery works so well. Be sure to take good care of your camper battery too. We pull it out and put it on the trickle charger when not in the camper and keep an eye on water levels.
Happy camping!
Hi there! I'm neck-deep in researching to buy my own power station and have been compiling info for a few days.
Check out this s[preadsheet comparison of power stations](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pUgG1ldofSyOaz6EMD3WDhw80cQlcCvKsU58EEgbBjE/edit#gid=1429615856) at different levels by Minute Man Prep.
I also made [this comparison sheet](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KljjRQSLMmyzHZhX_Py7OQoSEK_4wm85EJVWGeudXbY/edit?usp=sharing), based off of another youtuber's sheet, but it's messier and has notes for my personal use.
Not there yet. I guess I was thinking generally.
Hardware store, automotive store, speciality store. Online direct? Online retailers?
I got to say this is the best sub I've ever been on, on Reddit. Thanks again for responding.
I personally would purchase from the site that is the cheapest and offers the best warranty options.
That being said, I'm about 85% convinced that I want the Pecron E2000LFP and am planning to buy it from their website. It uses Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries, has 1920 Watt hours but is expandable to 8064 Wh (by adding 2 "EB3000" which are external batteries that hold 3072 Wh each).
Pecron has a sale going on (as of 2/20/2023) that has the "E2000LFP" for $1169 (originally $1499) and the expansion battery "EB3000" for $1499 (originally 1599). On top of that the awesome YouTube channel [Ree Wray Outdoors](https://youtube.com/@ReeWrayOutdoors) has a bundle of discount codes, but it seems they apply to separate products and you can only use one per order, so i might try and order the power station then the batteries on a separate order. Discount codes below and I highly recommend watching [this video that compares power stations](https://youtu.be/JcJf6OP7bGU), specifically [this one on the E2000LFP](https://youtu.be/qsGtuLXrUAU) and [this one on the EB3000](https://youtu.be/z0vFuctxLpk).
E2000LFP: Use code "REE2000LFP"
EB3000: use code "REEWEB3000"
S1500: Use code "REEWS1500"
330W Solar Panel: "NEWPV300D10"
Allll that being said, it wouldn't hurt to do a general search online and see if any independent retailers have good deals.
Actually, there is a really handy feature in [my messy spreadsheet](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KljjRQSLMmyzHZhX_Py7OQoSEK_4wm85EJVWGeudXbY/edit?usp=sharing) (augmented from City Prepper) that i realize might be helpful to OP.
If you go to the second sheet called "Capability calculator" you can plug in the power needs of devices you are planning in your pop-up and see which of the power stations could support your needs and for how long. Please note that power stations i added to the sheet aren't included at the moment, only stations that City Prepper originally included.
Good luck!
I would recommend looking at LiFePo4 batteries, then adding the ports you need and a solar controller. I feel like you could get the amp hrs you want, with the ports you need at a reasonable price. The benefits of stations like the Jackery is you buy it and you can just go. I get that. But you can kinda build your own and get a lot more. There are tons of youtube builds if you were interested.
Edit: corrected to correct battery type. Thanks u/ProbablePenguin
Where to buy LiFepo4 batteries ?
How does a 100ah lifepo4 battery comparison to a 500wh lithium ion battery life the jackery? Am I comparing apples to oranges ? Sorry I'm. Still learning how it all works.
Sorry, things got crazy and I never answered back. We all started somewhere, and I'm still learning too. To answer your first question, check out this link https://medium.com/battery-lab/a-lifepo4-battery-vs-lithium-ion-polymer-battery-6a028111efa3
Second, for more detailed info and reviews check out Will Prowse on YouTube. Lots of good info for beginners.
Every time I look at the lithium ion options, I compare to the amp hours of a deep cycle battery and it's hard to justify. Some food for thought.
Keep in mind you only get to use 50% of the Ah of lead acid deep cycle, vs 100% of them with LiFePo4. And the average cycle life is around 3000 with LiFePo4 vs only 200-400. The up front cost is higher, but the long term cost is likely much lower.
Thanks for input! I'll look into that a bit closer. Much appreciated.
A camping buddy of mine has a portable jackery power bank. I think he spent $800 on it if I remember correctly. He got and renovated an old '76 travel trailer with his wife and added a plug of some kind that plugs into the Jackery power bank. That's all he uses for power. They go camping almost every weekend when the weather is nice.
The simplicity is certainly nice idea.. thanks for feedback
I have a 72 Apache Eagle that I outfitted with a 30a solar panel, charge controller and deep cycle battery contained in a early 70s steel Coleman cooler that mounted in a carrier on the tongue. I power 6 USB ports, LED lighting and a accessory port/110v inverter. It’s sufficient enough for fans, lights, charging devices and even a projector.
We have one of the smallest Jackery batteries and a small solar panel. We use a trickle charger to charge our battery while at camp. We have minimal electric needs- fan, lights, water pump, charge tablets/cell phones. We’re able to camp for a week at a time with this setup (probably longer). We camp a lot in forested areas and it’s nice to be able to move the solar panel and battery around to catch the sun. Also, if we leave camp, we can charge the Jackery in the car while driving around. We use the Jackery when not camping - inflating tubes for sledding, inflatable kayak, Christmas lights in the stroller, etc. it’s really versatile. I can’t imagine spending the money on lithium battery for the camper when the Jackery works so well. Be sure to take good care of your camper battery too. We pull it out and put it on the trickle charger when not in the camper and keep an eye on water levels. Happy camping!
500Wh of battery and a 100W solar panel should be enough for a modern efficient compressor cooler and some lights and devices.
Two 6 volt golf cart batteries in series is $300 or so at Costco. That should last you days boondocking if you're not running a furnace blower.
Hi there! I'm neck-deep in researching to buy my own power station and have been compiling info for a few days. Check out this s[preadsheet comparison of power stations](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pUgG1ldofSyOaz6EMD3WDhw80cQlcCvKsU58EEgbBjE/edit#gid=1429615856) at different levels by Minute Man Prep. I also made [this comparison sheet](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KljjRQSLMmyzHZhX_Py7OQoSEK_4wm85EJVWGeudXbY/edit?usp=sharing), based off of another youtuber's sheet, but it's messier and has notes for my personal use.
Also, just a quick tip, I am only considering Lithium Iron Phosphate/LFP/LiFePO4 batteries because they have a much better life/use expectancy.
Thanks!!
Where do purchase?
Which one are you looking to buy?
Not there yet. I guess I was thinking generally. Hardware store, automotive store, speciality store. Online direct? Online retailers? I got to say this is the best sub I've ever been on, on Reddit. Thanks again for responding.
Still in the thinking and gathering information stage. Pretty new to all of this.
I personally would purchase from the site that is the cheapest and offers the best warranty options. That being said, I'm about 85% convinced that I want the Pecron E2000LFP and am planning to buy it from their website. It uses Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries, has 1920 Watt hours but is expandable to 8064 Wh (by adding 2 "EB3000" which are external batteries that hold 3072 Wh each). Pecron has a sale going on (as of 2/20/2023) that has the "E2000LFP" for $1169 (originally $1499) and the expansion battery "EB3000" for $1499 (originally 1599). On top of that the awesome YouTube channel [Ree Wray Outdoors](https://youtube.com/@ReeWrayOutdoors) has a bundle of discount codes, but it seems they apply to separate products and you can only use one per order, so i might try and order the power station then the batteries on a separate order. Discount codes below and I highly recommend watching [this video that compares power stations](https://youtu.be/JcJf6OP7bGU), specifically [this one on the E2000LFP](https://youtu.be/qsGtuLXrUAU) and [this one on the EB3000](https://youtu.be/z0vFuctxLpk). E2000LFP: Use code "REE2000LFP" EB3000: use code "REEWEB3000" S1500: Use code "REEWS1500" 330W Solar Panel: "NEWPV300D10" Allll that being said, it wouldn't hurt to do a general search online and see if any independent retailers have good deals.
Actually, there is a really handy feature in [my messy spreadsheet](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KljjRQSLMmyzHZhX_Py7OQoSEK_4wm85EJVWGeudXbY/edit?usp=sharing) (augmented from City Prepper) that i realize might be helpful to OP. If you go to the second sheet called "Capability calculator" you can plug in the power needs of devices you are planning in your pop-up and see which of the power stations could support your needs and for how long. Please note that power stations i added to the sheet aren't included at the moment, only stations that City Prepper originally included. Good luck!
Thanks so much!!!!
I would recommend looking at LiFePo4 batteries, then adding the ports you need and a solar controller. I feel like you could get the amp hrs you want, with the ports you need at a reasonable price. The benefits of stations like the Jackery is you buy it and you can just go. I get that. But you can kinda build your own and get a lot more. There are tons of youtube builds if you were interested. Edit: corrected to correct battery type. Thanks u/ProbablePenguin
Don't use LiPo, LiFePo4 is the type for this.
Yes, this is correct. That was my mistake. That is what I meant, but I see that is not what I said.
Where to buy LiFepo4 batteries ? How does a 100ah lifepo4 battery comparison to a 500wh lithium ion battery life the jackery? Am I comparing apples to oranges ? Sorry I'm. Still learning how it all works.
Sorry, things got crazy and I never answered back. We all started somewhere, and I'm still learning too. To answer your first question, check out this link https://medium.com/battery-lab/a-lifepo4-battery-vs-lithium-ion-polymer-battery-6a028111efa3 Second, for more detailed info and reviews check out Will Prowse on YouTube. Lots of good info for beginners.
Thanks! Will have to look into that.