New Goal Zero Yeti 500x

[theMightyGoose]

Just wanted to share some information on the new Goal Zero Yetis. I'm a new convert to fridges from rotomolded coolers. Got a new Dometic CFX3 55im, and thought that's all I needed in a 4Runner for extended road trips. Then I learned about OEM vs. deep cycle vs. dual battery setup vs. everything else, and started to lose my mind. I was disappointed to learn the factory battery would only be adequate if we were moving every day. Anyway, here's what I ended up with.

I just ordered a Goal Zero Yeti 500x. I primarily got this to run the Dometic CFX3 55im when on the road, and at home as emergency power. The 500x has 505wh, and Dometic has the PLB40 which is approximately 40ah (different measurements I know), but the PLB40 costs a whopping $850! The benefit over the Yeti 400's is that the PLB40 has a voltage regulator to maximize the battery capacity with the Dometic fridges. Many people have successfully run Goal Zero Yeti 400's with fridges, but the common complaint is that the fridge will shut off when the Yeti gets down to around 50%. I believe Dometic introduced the PLB40 to address this issue. However, the new Yeti 500x solved this problem with an internal voltage regulator, similar to the PLB40. The Yeti is 505wh, so with a 12v fridge, I expect it to get me around the same as the PLB40 (correct me if I'm wrong, I'm not an electrician), so roughly 40 hours since the Dometic's draw averages about 1ah. The 500x isn't cheap either ($699), but REI currently has the coupon for 20% off, which gets the price down a bit. So I can put the $150 savings towards a 50w panel. With a 50w panel, I should be able to stay put for long periods of time with adequate sunlight. Also, we live in Southern California and are prone to extended blackouts several times per year. For some reason the power in our neighborhood goes out all the time for various reasons. So the Yeti will pull double duty powering lights and small appliances around the house. That's something the PLB40 isn't really designed to do. This made the purchase much easier to justify.

Some people have shared some very impressive DIY battery systems, but those usually rely on deep cycle batteries. Those can be very heavy setups. The new 500x weighs only 12lbs. Weight savings is important to me.

Just wanted to share some of the news regarding the new Yetis for anyone who might be in the market but shying away from the Yetis for the reasons above. I believe the REI coupon expires April 6th. A hearty dividend would make it even more fun to buy.

Lastly, you can get the Yeti 12v car charger and charge the Yeti from your car. Some people mistakenly believe Yeti lithiums can't be charged from your 12v car charger. But they can. You just need the adapter. At $40, bit's not a bad deal. I spoke with Goal Zero and confirmed the info above. For us, the versatility of the Yeti far outweighs the dual battery setup for the 4Runner.

I'll share an update once the 500x is delivered.

Hope this helps.

 

[theMightyGoose]

Oh yeah. When in bear country, and camping where there are bear boxes, you can put the fridge and battery in the bear box. Another benefit to the Yeti.

 

[PonoAdventures]

Definitely update it once you test it. I'm debating between the PLB-40 and another battery right now as well for my fridge. Just made the jump too.

 

[theMightyGoose]

I will. The GZ makes much more sense for my needs. The new ones also have the higher quality charging system (MPPT). I have no idea what that means, but apparently it's the more efficient method versus the older Yetis. So They seem to have addressed all the reasons to go with the PLB instead. Hopefully anyway. I’ll let you know

 

[FishinCrzy]

Got a GZ 1000 a while back and a 52 qt. fridge/freezer. Took out the rear seat in the Tacoma to put them back there and it works good. I put a front receiver for a cargo carrier and carry a 75 qt. roto-molded cooler there. I freeze ice packs in the freezer and rotate them through the cooler. That worked good on a ten day trip to the Ozarks last fall. The GZ would run the freezer about 32 or so hours at least but I was moving every day or two and never had to run it down. Depending on how long I was driving I could run the freezer directly from the vehicle or run it off the GZ with the GZ charging off the vehicle. I even had a 2200/1800 W inverter generator as backup but it didn't seem to charge the GZ very fast. I may have been a little impatient but...I even have some solar panels that I have not used yet other than testing them. I never sit still long enough. Good backup if everything else goes to crap. I do like backup! Best thing about Liithium Ion is they can be run down a lot further than lead acid or AGM without hurting them.

 

[theMightyGoose]

Got a GZ 1000 a while back and a 52 qt. fridge/freezer. Took out the rear seat in the Tacoma to put them back there and it works good. I put a front receiver for a cargo carrier and carry a 75 qt. roto-molded cooler there. I freeze ice packs in the freezer and rotate them through the cooler. That worked good on a ten day trip to the Ozarks last fall. The GZ would run the freezer about 32 or so hours at least but I was moving every day or two and never had to run it down. Depending on how long I was driving I could run the freezer directly from the vehicle or run it off the GZ with the GZ charging off the vehicle. I even had a 2200/1800 W inverter generator as backup but it didn't seem to charge the GZ very fast. I may have been a little impatient but...I even have some solar panels that I have not used yet other than testing them. I never sit still long enough. Good backup if everything else goes to crap. I do like backup! Best thing about Liithium Ion is they can be run down a lot further than lead acid or AGM without hurting them.

I’m confused. You had the freezer make ice for the ice chest? Why didn’t you just run the fridge as a fridge and keep your food in that and ditch the cooler?

 

[FishinCrzy]

I’m confused. You had the freezer make ice for the ice chest? Why didn’t you just run the fridge as a fridge and keep your food in that and ditch the cooler?

Actually I was doing both. just because I could The freezer has a separate smaller compartment good for milk, eggs, meats, etc. I was using the cooler for drinks and any larger items like the occasional fish or bait. I was just seeing how it worked and how long I could extend things. The roto-cooler would keep the ice packs for days. Especially if the weather was not hot. I was trying to stay away from ice and the inherent water mess.

 

[theMightyGoose]

Actually I was doing both. just because I could The freezer has a separate smaller compartment good for milk, eggs, meats, etc. I was using the cooler for drinks and any larger items like the occasional fish or bait. I was just seeing how it worked and how long I could extend things. The roto-cooler would keep the ice packs for days. Especially if the weather was not hot. I was trying to stay away from ice and the inherent water mess.

Got it. Makes sense. I recently moved to a fridge from a rotomolded Cooler. Honestly I think I liked the simplicity of the cooler. There’s a lot more to fridges than I knew when I bought it.

 

[FishinCrzy]

Got it. Makes sense. I recently moved to a fridge from a rotomolded Cooler. Honestly I think I liked the simplicity of the cooler. There’s a lot more to fridges than I knew when I bought it.

Yeah, for a few days at a time a good cooler is fine. Keep the water drained off and not getting in the food and it's good. Working up to some extended trips and seeing what is possible is what I am doing.

 

[Brian Glendenning]

I think this sounds like a very nice upgrade over then GZ 400 Lithium, which is what I have ( advantages: regulated 12V, USB C, MPPT). It's probably a bit small for running your refrigerator if you are in camp for more than one day and it's hot but not sunny. (This is what I find with my 400 (I have the regulated cable) and CFX 65W anyway). If it's not sunny there's no quick way to charge it from the vehicle (the car charger is 120W maximum = ~5 hours to recharge).

As an aside, I think the PLB40 uses LiFePO4 chemistry which naturally has voltage levels compatible with the fridge, so it wouldn't need a regulated 12V outlet which would make it a bit more efficient. It also keeps it's voltage level high until it's pretty deeply discharged.

 

[theMightyGoose]

I think this sounds like a very nice upgrade over then GZ 400 Lithium, which is what I have ( advantages: regulated 12V, USB C, MPPT). It's probably a bit small for running your refrigerator if you are in camp for more than one day and it's hot but not sunny. (This is what I find with my 400 (I have the regulated cable) and CFX 65W anyway). If it's not sunny there's no quick way to charge it from the vehicle (the car charger is 120W maximum = ~5 hours to recharge).

As an aside, I think the PLB40 uses LiFePO4 chemistry which naturally has voltage levels compatible with the fridge, so it wouldn't need a regulated 12V outlet which would make it a bit more efficient. It also keeps it's voltage level high until it's pretty deeply discharged.

That’s interesting. But because the Yeti will be pulling double-duty as a backup generator for household blackouts, it’s better for me. I’ve seen a lot of guys getting 2-3 days in the desert powering the Dometic fridge with the Yeti 400. I guess if you’re in the tropics where it’s really hot but cloudy you might have an issue.

 

[codemancer]

I know this topic is nearly a month old now, but I just received my 500x from REI. I ordered it with the 20% off coupon so I could run my CPAP. It did an amazing job on my first test. I used a pump to both inflate and deflate two queen-sized air mattresses from AC and it was still at 99%. I then used it overnight with my CPAP from 12V with both heated hose and humidifier at its regular setting and in the morning I still had 65% battery left. This means without any extra charging I can easily run a camp for two nights. If I take the heated hose and humidifier out of the equation I'm sure I could extend that to four nights (and with a solar panel on it that can probably be extended significantly due to the reduced total draw). I will be trying a test without humidifier soon.

Really love the overall package. It is quite compact and light. REALLY love the 60W USB-C power delivery option for computers, phones, and any future accessories that can utilize USB-C.

 

[theMightyGoose]

Just wanted to share some information on the new Goal Zero Yetis. I'm a new convert to fridges from rotomolded coolers. Got a new Dometic CFX3 55im, and thought that's all I needed in a 4Runner for extended road trips. Then I learned about OEM vs. deep cycle vs. dual battery setup vs. everything else, and started to lose my mind. I was disappointed to learn the factory battery would only be adequate if we were moving every day. Anyway, here's what I ended up with.

I just ordered a Goal Zero Yeti 500x. I primarily got this to run the Dometic CFX3 55im when on the road, and at home as emergency power. The 500x has 505wh, and Dometic has the PLB40 which is approximately 40ah (different measurements I know), but the PLB40 costs a whopping $850! The benefit over the Yeti 400's is that the PLB40 has a voltage regulator to maximize the battery capacity with the Dometic fridges. Many people have successfully run Goal Zero Yeti 400's with fridges, but the common complaint is that the fridge will shut off when the Yeti gets down to around 50%. I believe Dometic introduced the PLB40 to address this issue. However, the new Yeti 500x solved this problem with an internal voltage regulator, similar to the PLB40. The Yeti is 505wh, so with a 12v fridge, I expect it to get me around the same as the PLB40 (correct me if I'm wrong, I'm not an electrician), so roughly 40 hours since the Dometic's draw averages about 1ah. The 500x isn't cheap either ($699), but REI currently has the coupon for 20% off, which gets the price down a bit. So I can put the $150 savings towards a 50w panel. With a 50w panel, I should be able to stay put for long periods of time with adequate sunlight. Also, we live in Southern California and are prone to extended blackouts several times per year. For some reason the power in our neighborhood goes out all the time for various reasons. So the Yeti will pull double duty powering lights and small appliances around the house. That's something the PLB40 isn't really designed to do. This made the purchase much easier to justify.

Some people have shared some very impressive DIY battery systems, but those usually rely on deep cycle batteries. Those can be very heavy setups. The new 500x weighs only 12lbs. Weight savings is important to me.

Just wanted to share some of the news regarding the new Yetis for anyone who might be in the market but shying away from the Yetis for the reasons above. I believe the REI coupon expires April 6th. A hearty dividend would make it even more fun to buy.

Lastly, you can get the Yeti 12v car charger and charge the Yeti from your car. Some people mistakenly believe Yeti lithiums can't be charged from your 12v car charger. But they can. You just need the adapter. At $40, bit's not a bad deal. I spoke with Goal Zero and confirmed the info above. For us, the versatility of the Yeti far outweighs the dual battery setup for the 4Runner.

I'll share an update once the 500x is delivered.

Hope this helps.

So I have it now and have used it a bit to run the 12v Dometic fridge and some other items around the house. Paired it with a 100w Rockpals solar panel to see how well it charged.

And so, here's my update: IT'S AWESOME.

 

[PonoAdventures]

So I have it now and have used it a bit to run the 12v Dometic fridge and some other items around the house. Paired it with a 100w Rockpals solar panel to see how well it charged.

And so, here's my update: IT'S AWESOME.

Did you use it in the field? What was the life of it with the solar panel? Trying to figure out if I don't move during after one day with the solar panel

 

[theMightyGoose]

Did you use it in the field? What was the life of it with the solar panel? Trying to figure out if I don't move during after one day with the solar panel

Haven't been allowed to use it in the field with everything that's been going on. But I set it all up at home to simulate a camping experience. The Rockpanels 100w folding panel was putting out over 60w in sun and the Dometic was drawing about 35-45w in the shade set at 39 degrees. It had an average amp draw of about 1ah. So I'd say you would be able to run the setup indefinitely unless you had really deep cloud cover for several days. A lot of it will depend on the solar panel you choose.

 

[PonoAdventures]

The wife and I decided to do a trail on a local mountain and have a quick lunch. Decided to test out the Dometic with the 500x and noticed an issue.

When I got to the lunch spot, I went to the back and noticed the fridge was off. When I looked at the 12v plug, it looks like it backed out enough to turn off. I thought maybe I didn’t plug it deep enough and inserted it again.

At the end of the day back home, I was unloading it again and noticed the same thing happened.

I’m going back out and going to do a test with another one of my 12v accessories to see if it’s Dometic’s 12v plug being too skinny or the 500x plug being slightly large. Did a quick test at home and the dometic 12v does seem a bit smaller compared to others.

Anyone see this issue? Worse case, I may plug my fridge directly to the truck and when I get to the site plug it into the battery, but that’s a hassle.

 

[codemancer]

The wife and I decided to do a trail on a local mountain and have a quick lunch. Decided to test out the Dometic with the 500x and noticed an issue.

When I got to the lunch spot, I went to the back and noticed the fridge was off. When I looked at the 12v plug, it looks like it backed out enough to turn off. I thought maybe I didn’t plug it deep enough and inserted it again.

At the end of the day back home, I was unloading it again and noticed the same thing happened.

I’m going back out and going to do a test with another one of my 12v accessories to see if it’s Dometic’s 12v plug being too skinny or the 500x plug being slightly large. Did a quick test at home and the dometic 12v does seem a bit smaller compared to others.

Anyone see this issue? Worse case, I may plug my fridge directly to the truck and when I get to the site plug it into the battery, but that’s a hassle.

I don’t have a 12V fridge so maybe my input is useless, but I did test my 500X with my CPAP using 12V and it fit snuggly (had to use a moderate amount of force to remove). I suspect the Dometic plug is a bit thin as you suggested. Think you can wrap a few layers of electrical tape where it rests against the edge of the plug to try and get it to sit a bit better?

 

[theMightyGoose]

I just checked the 12v adapter from my Dometic CFX3 with my Goal Zero Yeti 500x. It's nice and snug and does not remove overly easily. You might be able to adjust the spring tension on the sides of the adapter. Or have Dometic send you another adapter.

 

[Viking1204]

I have a Flexopower 444 and I too had issues with my fridge plug coming loose. I had a cigarette lighter plug to Anderson connector that fit in the Flexopower's 12V cigarette receptacle more securely so I cut the cigarette plug off the fridge and wired it to an Anderson connector and now it holds secure through the Anderson connector to cigarette lighter adapter without coming loose. 12V cigarette lighter plugs are the most unreliable 12V receptacle made IMO, I can't believe after all these years they haven't improved on it.

 

[RubyCan]

The wife and I decided to do a trail on a local mountain and have a quick lunch. Decided to test out the Dometic with the 500x and noticed an issue.

When I got to the lunch spot, I went to the back and noticed the fridge was off. When I looked at the 12v plug, it looks like it backed out enough to turn off. I thought maybe I didn’t plug it deep enough and inserted it again.

At the end of the day back home, I was unloading it again and noticed the same thing happened.

I’m going back out and going to do a test with another one of my 12v accessories to see if it’s Dometic’s 12v plug being too skinny or the 500x plug being slightly large. Did a quick test at home and the dometic 12v does seem a bit smaller compared to others.

Anyone see this issue? Worse case, I may plug my fridge directly to the truck and when I get to the site plug it into the battery, but that’s a hassle.

As a suggestion, change your power cords to Anderson power poles. We have always used Anderson’s for our radios (ham and CB) so when we went to a fridge changing it to Anderson connectors was automatic. We will be setting up solar and a power station also and again, Anderson will be the setup.