Portable solar panel/generator

Jk.Overland said:
One thing we all need is power when we are out in the middle of nowhere. I have used a large jump for a while now and I haven’t had any problems on “shorter” trips, but charging that takes so long and has to be plugged into the wall.

I’m saying that I am looking for suggestions on a solar setup.
- it can’t be fixed in place
- must easily pack away
- and hopefully can’t break the bank

I have looked at GoalZero and Jackery but I would love suggestions!

Any help??
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I bought my solar kit directly from the source and fab'd up a charging station. (I'm a photographer, videographer, fly drones and other silly crap) At one time I was charging 9 items. I had 8 ports. LOL. It's a lot of fun to build things, and see them in action. If you need some help, let me know. We're here to teach, and provide advice.
Zim
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North American Sojourner said:
I bought my solar kit directly from the source and fab'd up a charging station. (I'm a photographer, videographer, fly drones and other silly crap) At one time I was charging 9 items. I had 8 ports. LOL. It's a lot of fun to build things, and see them in action. If you need some help, let me know. We're here to teach, and provide advice.
Zim
View attachment 217312View attachment 217313
Click to expand...

That looks bad-ass!
 
Jk.Overland said:
One thing we all need is power when we are out in the middle of nowhere. I have used a large jump for a while now and I haven’t had any problems on “shorter” trips, but charging that takes so long and has to be plugged into the wall.

I’m saying that I am looking for suggestions on a solar setup.
- it can’t be fixed in place
- must easily pack away
- and hopefully can’t break the bank

I have looked at GoalZero and Jackery but I would love suggestions!

Any help??
Click to expand...

When it came to power for me I just spent some money upfront and went with a bluetti eb150 solar generator, it last forever and worked great across my trip through Colorado and Utah offroading, I used a victron dc to dc charger wired into the truck to charge while I drive and offroad.
 
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Jk.Overland said:
One thing we all need is power when we are out in the middle of nowhere. I have used a large jump for a while now and I haven’t had any problems on “shorter” trips, but charging that takes so long and has to be plugged into the wall.

I’m saying that I am looking for suggestions on a solar setup.
- it can’t be fixed in place
- must easily pack away
- and hopefully can’t break the bank

I have looked at GoalZero and Jackery but I would love suggestions!

Any help??
Click to expand...

I use a Bluetti 1500 and it does just about anything you want.
 
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IAm_Not_Lost said:
Well, the likely easiest setup would be just buying a Minnkota trolling motor battery box and sticking a cheap 100amp hour flooded or AGM battery in there. Then, buy yourself a 100 watt folding solar panel power generator +charge controller kit off Amazon and you have yourself a simple yet effective charging station. You could also run cabling from your starter battery to the back cargo area and attach your battery box to charge while driving.

The Minnkota box is great though (or Newport), has built in breakers, volt meter, usb ports, 12v outlet, exc.

Buy that, a battery, folding solar panel kit, and misc cabling and you will have yourself a nice battery generator for around $300-400 bucks, really just depends on the battery type you get. Add a few more bucks if you install a simple dual battery option with some anderson plugs or something for when you are on the road. Easily removable.
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For a portable solar setup, consider the Jackery Explorer 300/500, EcoFlow River 2, or Bluetti EB3A, paired with foldable solar panels like the Jackery SolarSaga or Renogy Eclipse. For budget options, brands like ALLPOWERS or Rockpals offer reliable alternatives. Ensure compatibility between the generator and panels, and look for pass-through charging for convenience. These options are lightweight, packable, and great for off-grid trips.
 
I prefer my power being portable.
I use an ecoflow delta 2 (1024wh) to power my alpicool 35 or 55 quart dual fridge.
None of it is hard mounted. They are just strapped in place.
When I go camping, I can bring the fridge and battery out, closer to my table or wherever needed.
My 120w solar panel is mounted to my roofrack though, but I have plenty of storage space to bring large totes/containers. Also a 220w folding solar panel in case, but rarely need to. My fridge stays on 365 days a year.
I like that i dont have to worry about my vehicles battery at all.
Considering the delta 2 max, which is 2048wh.

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I started off with a harbor freight power station that worked ok, but the battery quit working right after the warranty. then I went with a jackery and it did ok, but wouldn't hold a charge very long in storage...would fully charge it and then in a month go to use it and it was dead. I then went with an eco-flow delta and it has been doing the best so far. I wanted bigger, so I built my own out of a rolling tote with a 280ah lithium battery with a shunt monitor and lots of 12v and USB ports, etc. worked well, but is pretty big and bulky.

step-daughter and her husband were staying out in our garage /apartment when a hurricane hit and knocked out power for a week. they wanted a fan and a light, so I just went out to my shop and got a lithium 100ah battery and one of the cheap inverters I had and just clamped the leads to the battery and they had a fan and lights. I did it as a quick fix, but realized that the cheap inverter supplied everything they my big unit supplied, only at a fraction of the cost and ZERO time to built and wire up.

so...from now on, when I need emergency power, I just grab a lithium battery and get one of the inverters and in less than 5 seconds (time it takes to clamp the leads to the battery) I have 110vac inverted power, USB ports for phones LED lights and one of my inverters even has a 12vdc port for my Dometic fridge. the battery has handles so its easy to carry and the inverter can be Velcro straped to the top of the battery or duct taped, tywrapped, etc.



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as far as solar...I have several folding panels that do well for travel and they are relatively cheap...go this one off amazon for $80

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