Power Station vs Dual Battery DIY Vanlife- Vatrer 12v300ah Review

[@IntoTheMystery13]

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[@helenabha]

Great video of the huge power setup in your 4runner. May there be an video to see how the Victron 50ah charger to the Vatrer 300ah battery? It would be nice to see the charging current while the engine is running and idling. Thank You

[@freedomdove]

I bought an Inergy Apex because of your recommendation of the Kodiak several years back (you and Nate). That was SO long ago! Lol. I don't regret my purchase but I was smart enough to realize that I might need a backup. I now have 4 more power stations. Lol. My backups are of lower wattage, but they work for me. I love the portability of them. 👍

[@IntoTheMystery13]

Wow that's awesome. Which power station is your favorite? I left my Kodiak with Evie, but I'll bet it's still ticking. It's amazing how much more refined and polished they have become. The old Inergy stuff was very crude in comparison.

[@freedomdove]

@@IntoTheMystery13 I think they all have their good points. My Apex can be fussy but it's my biggest station, and can run my Instant Pot and my infrared burner (not at the same time). It was over-priced, as was the Jackery 500 I bought, but I still love it. The other three were better priced, but they are no-names. Regardless, the lower priced units still function just fine for the wattage they provide.

[@wildelectricgoose]

Slick build! I have a 2020 4Runner and live a similar life to you, I just completed a full overhaul on my interior setup and built a DIY 4kw battery that fits underneath the front passenger seat. It's funny to see the similarities I just picked up a prinsu roof rack so our builds look very similar!

[@IntoTheMystery13]

Thats awesome. Where can I see it?

[@DriftaholiC]

If you have to constantly swap a plug get a little extension cable so you're always swapping the cable end. When it wears out you can just swap the cable. Maybe you could even just split it into two..

[@IntoTheMystery13]

The Etaker f-1000 solves the issue completely. You can't just get a splitter because you'll be sending how ever much alternator power you are using to your solar panel. The etaker combines the sources, and you can plug and unplug solar as needed.

[@DriftaholiC]

@@IntoTheMystery13 ah yes of course you can't split an input.

[@pcatful]

@@IntoTheMystery13 We have solar on our van, that our friend set up to marine batteries. We never unplug anything. Are we doing something wrong?

[@cycledelic44]

Thanks, this helps.

[@IntoTheMystery13]

Happy to help!

[@outtrigger]

jed i'd love to hear you talk about how vanlife has changed over the years now technology-wise. i'm sure it's progressed tremendously since the astro days

[@IntoTheMystery13]

That’s a fantastic video idea, I’ve added it to my list

[@outtrigger]

@@IntoTheMystery13 looking forward to it

[@realeyesrealizereallies6828]

My Forest cabin home uses the 48 volt EG4 6000 XP All in one inverter. I made 3 batteries out of (48) 280 AH Eve cells and (3)JK Bms's with 6,000 watts of solar..I also have the 48 volt yellow EG4 3000 inverter all in one for running the cabins that I rent out on AIRBNB, and in the winter I take it to Florida, To run my RV, I have it mounted to a dolly, for mobility., along with a few server rack batteries.I also have a few power stations and a 12 volt system..The EG4 3000 watt inverter and a 5 kw server rack battery is a great system for a van or RV..I got the inverter for $550 on sale and the server rack battery is around $1100 but mine were all returns and cheaper. A lil big for your situation..

[@IntoTheMystery13]

That’s a killer setup! Any bigger and I’d be going 48 volt too.

[@lucasbug4987]

Great reason to DIY - the power stations are getting cheaper and cheaper but your experience of having no electric for 3 weeks waiting for a part is a no brainer for building your own.

[@IntoTheMystery13]

Totally!

[@1kzrider]

For portability all in one units are easy to grab on the go for temp stuff. But, if needing true battery capacity DIY setup is going to be best bang for the buck. And using Victron. I have found better than any other MPPT on the market so far.

[@IntoTheMystery13]

Absolutely. I love Victron stuff.

[@jimmymcconnell629]

You can run a 1500 watt inverter off of you alternator and charge the Bluetti thru the ac charging port at 14.4 kw. This will let you keep a 400 w solar panel connected to the MPPT port. Enjoy your freedom!

[@IntoTheMystery13]

Id definitely still need the extra battery capacity. I don't see the sun for weeks up here sometimes. It's true though, with a 2000 watt inverter I could charge the bluetti from 0 to fully charged in an hour and a half. I'd still have to run my motor for that time.

[@vanlivingjoe]

Powerstation is a good for daily trips. Or as an emergency backup. But for full time vehicle living solar + dc to dc charging is the better option albeit the more expensive option. Even a simple dc to dc charging to 300ah is good option.

[@IntoTheMystery13]

Absolutely!

[@vanlivingjoe]

@IntoTheMystery13 Rock On Brother!

[@Ulbre]

As a back up you should be able to charge this at a level 2 public charge station with the correct adaptor and a 12v 20A charger.

[@IntoTheMystery13]

Good call, I’ve got one in the mail actually.

[@ballantine58]

You are back. Do you live on the road again? Last i saw you were leaving the road for a stationary job.

[@MISCIFMAKER]

With your eTracker n 300 ah you don't need solar , use roof for kayak storage or look into roof top tent . Sit 4 or 5 days b4 run dc to dc. You have more pwr than youl ever need now

[@IntoTheMystery13]

I still want the solar so that I don't have to use the dc to dc very often.

[@FaithwalkerTodd]

I’ve seen some people are using the Tesla chargers on the road for the purpose of topping off their battery bank. In those rare cases when there’s no solar power.

[@IntoTheMystery13]

Nice!

[@BeBodacious]

Informative and helpful. Thank you.

[@IntoTheMystery13]

Happy to help 😄

[@helenabha]

It would be nice to talk about your plan to upgrade your 4runner alternator, higher charging power?

[@IntoTheMystery13]

It might be a while, but I am working on that video. But yes more available amps to charge battery, and higher voltage

[@micah_noel]

I really want to get another power station but the last Jackery I bought was kind of a bummer. It’s a 1,000 and it doesn’t really last as long as I would expect. And for some reason my diesel heater and Keurig don’t work with it even though my 500 works fine.

[@IntoTheMystery13]

Thats wierd. Is something wrong with the power station? All these deals on lithium batteries right now make it pretty easy to expand your system for cheap.

[@micah_noel]

@ Yeah, I’m guessing it was a faulty unit. I’m not that educated on different battery types but the other issue is the catch-22 of relying on a battery to run the diesel heater that doesn’t work very well in the cold. So on the days when it’s below zero and I really need it, the battery doesn’t last as long and there’s not enough sunlight to keep it charged. So maybe for Christmas I’ll get one more for my collection and maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised that it’s a far better product?

[@RobertF-]

Hello, I am a fan of your channel. Really great videos. I want to mention something, I don't know if you ever heard of Stoic philosophy but you might find it interesting. I want to recommend a KZbin video that you might like, it's called "Be Unshakable the ultimate stoic quote collection". I just felt like mentioning it to you. I hope everything is going good. All the best. Take care.

[@IntoTheMystery13]

I’ll check it out. Thank you for being a caring and thoughtful person.

[@IntoTheMystery13]

I’ll check it out. Thank you for being a caring and thoughtful person.

[@RobertF-]

​​​​@@IntoTheMystery13 Sure thing, you're welcome. Another thing I would like to mention is I don't if you ever heard of Eckhart Tolle, but you also might find interesting what he speaks about. I hope everything is going good. Peace.

[@t.d.harris1311]

Buy 2, one is none two is one...

[@IntoTheMystery13]

Buy two power stations? If so I'd have half as much battery capacity as I have now. The whole point of this setup is to make sure I plenty of battery power when camping for extended periods without lots of sun.

[@williamtsol636]

👍

[@jrraven3230]

😊😊😊😊

[@IntoTheMystery13]

👋

[@vevenaneathna]

it sounds fake but you can built that battery diy for around 150usd lol. direct from china battery cell prices are falling through the floor. sucks coz there is a 3 month shipping delay.

[@IntoTheMystery13]

Most people aren't willing to take the time to learn how to build banks safely, but for the nerds hell yeah cheap power is here. I can wait for sold state to take off.

[@vevenaneathna]

@@IntoTheMystery13 imo solid state batteries are a fad. lifepo4 large format cells are the cheapest batteries will ever be. with tarrifs starting next year and only going to get worse, i wouldnt wait to try and get a better technology. lifepo4 is safe enough. the solid state stuff has potential applications in EV's but i feel like phev's are the best of both worlds and dont really need to be made any better with charging speeds. gas is almost always cheaper than fast charging prices so.... just get a 12 year old chevy volt. mine paid for itself in gas savings after 18 months and has none of the ev compromises solid state batteries are trying to solve.

[@MISCIFMAKER]

100 ah at 160 bucks 2000 watt renogy invertor , 200 watts solar , I find a better system , Purchased a 1800 watt patriot only last 18 months. 🎉

[@IntoTheMystery13]

Nice, that's a really good setup for the price!