Reviewing the Bluetti AC200P Solar Power Station

We have been using the Bluetti Solar Power station exclusively for our power needs for 4 months now, and decided it was time to offer a review and a few tips we learned along the way!
Join our fans by picking up some Red Gate Farm merchandise at the merch store: redgatefarmllc.myspreadshop.com
Check out our website at www.redgatefarmllc.com
Like our Facebook page at redgatellc

[@borandell9915]

I know the universe of solar generators has moved rapidly since you posted this video. I just received the AC500/B300S. And I still found this video to be very helpful. Well done.

[@PreppedReView]

Dude best video for bluetti and rv dwellers you hit every point I had questions about thank you for taking the time to make this video . God bless stay safe

[@ADifferentWay]

Glad it helped!😁

[@deborahsyocom705]

great info. I'm planning on using solar for my shed. I'm glad the cats are staying warm. lol

[@joeruiz7550]

What a refreshing and detailed “actual” use case scenario. Great job with your precise bullet point list of important information. Good luck with your future endeavors. Mark me down as subscribed as a fist time viewer.

[@ADifferentWay]

Welcome!

[@CatHound]

Kool set-up

[@jasontrochessett5411]

Great video. I've been watching a lot of them and knew I had to subscribe to yours right away. Most others focus on a lot of numbers and jargon. You show how it works in real life. Thank you!

[@ADifferentWay]

Glad it helped! We feel the same about reviews, so we try to offer our real life experience when possible.

[@ewingsharp8916]

Interesting information and definitely real world advice for your use of this tool

[@eugene5438]

Great video and information. Thank you!

[@RickMarshallMaps]

Thanks for the great information. We are looking for similar capabilities on one of our projects

[@Od4n]

Good stuff, chief.

[@rrvallance]

Great video.

[@ADifferentWay]

Thanks!

[@ang8282]

wow great video right up there with HOBOTECH

[@waltersmith7950]

Thanks for the excellent review. A month ago I purchased the same unit and 3 rigid panels (180w ea) wired in series. I just want some power for my home in case there is a blackout. It's kind of interesting though that when the unit is at 100% there is no charging because the batteries are full. The solar panels are of no use at that point 😄so I plug in a small heater to draw out some power then watch the reading of solar input. On a sunny Dec 22 (1st day after the winter solstice) I hit a max 530w so I'm very pleased with the setup. I find that it's kind of fun to try to beat the power company out of a few cents but, tricky since I want to keep the unit fully charged. I can only count on 3hrs of usable sunshine so it's kind of a 'catch 22' situation (especially during heating season). I'll definitely put it to work when the sun is high in the sky next summer.

[@ericfoley3077]

Thanks for sharing. You have a lot of good points especially regarding batteries needing certain temperatures to work properly that's why I'm still using my Honda EU7000is.

[@supremeautomotive6749]

All you need is heater in battery bank area

[@johnb6371]

The best review thank you.

[@ADifferentWay]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@guillermogutierrez6336]

Hey just wanted to say awesome job on the video. I've been jumping back and forth on portable power and some of these tips give me a little hope. Keeping that inverter off is clutch no doubt. I live in Arizona so I'm being patient with my decision and trying to see if I can run a minisplit or have enough power for some AC on some days. I could also just go park up in higher elevation and stay cool since I work from home. So much to consider but again awesome job. Thanks

[@ADifferentWay]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@rayj4362]

Pretty good video. Got a lot of info and for the time being I am gonna look for something more powerful than the AC200P.

[@pouglwaw5932]

If you want this to be portable then watch out for the weight of bigger units. The AC200p is about 60 lbs. and I don't really want to move around much more than that.

[@Dirtpoorhomesteader]

Great hypothesis on why the ac doesn’t show a reading below 50ish watts in relation to low amperage. My ac 300 will show zero when I’m using small lights and such. I know it’s using power but why isn’t it registering? The cut off seems to be anything below 50 watts shows as zero. Great video!

[@earlyriser8998]

i loved it

[@DanPrescott]

It literally would trip any time I turned the AC on in our Aliner Expedition. Same model of Generator just used it for the first time this weekend. I sent the company an email to see if there is something I can do to have this work. I did not split the load Ac and DC like you did.

[@MrThicks44]

Thanks for a real-world view of using a power station to power your rv boondocking. I have a Bluettii AC200P but have not figured out how to use the DC 25 amp output to power my rv dc side. Could you elaborate on how you did it. Tony Hicks

[@ADifferentWay]

Check out our previous video regarding the set up of it, and see if this helps: Our Solar Powered RV Setup kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWfaoJSbl5WSd5I

[@jaysonstebbins2539]

Also if you take that last panel you should be able to put in into the DC INPUT.

[@boebradley867]

You can actually see the Watts your pulling on the front screen. Go to settings look for AC output click that a boom there ya go. Then after a few seconds and you don't click the AC output again it will be able to be seen on the front screen as well even down to 8 or 9 watts if output.

[@bobtausworthe]

Thanks. This is a great video. Im looking to do something similar to my RV esp hooking up both AC and DC into my RV power. Im wondering if you can recall how many watts your DC system was drawing? There are a couple of options for solar generators these days but some only have 10A max for the 12V out and some have 30A max for 12V out. Im just wondering if 10A max is too low.

[@ADifferentWay]

10 A is definitely too low. Notice I took my DC from the 25 amp output. Even with that, I had to be careful running multiple things at the same time. The high draw items for DC will be your slide and awning motors, water pump, and heater. 10 amps won’t cut it for those.

[@bobtausworthe]

@@ADifferentWay thanks for the quick response. My thinking as well but it's good to have confirmed by real life use. I think that sinks Echo Flow for me. So it's either the Bluetti ac200max or ac300. I'm looking for something that I can use in RV but also in the house during power outage and the single unit of the ac200max is attractive. But it's heavy and low power external recharge brick is a pain. I guess you didn't have to worry about that since you are 100% solar.

[@ADifferentWay]

I’m out of the camper now and living full-time in my off-grid home. That AC 200 is still powering my barn and going strong. I think the AC 200 max and the ac300 are both good choices for you. I guess your budget will drive which one.

[@dougcarnahan4228]

I see that you have the BE in the trailer storage box. How did you run the RV cord through your floor and how did you waterproof the pass through when your driving. (Assuming your cord to BE is disconnected) What about ventilation in there.? Thanks!

[@ADifferentWay]

This was a stationary set up since we were living in it. I simply ran the RV cord through the door and left it slightly ajar. Obviously when I moved the RV I disconnected the BE and stored the RV cord. For ventilation in the heat of summer, I left both storage box doors open. Normally, though, just having the one door slightly ajar was plenty of ventilation.

[@dougcarnahan4228]

Thanks for the helpful info ! Appreciate it 😉

[@MarcoSosa]

Great video! One question , have you been able to turn on the air conditioner? I have the same Bluetti and I haven't been able to turn on my air conditioner on my travel trailer which is a 13500 BTU. When I connect my travel trailer to bluetti and nothing is connected I can see on the display that something is using about 7 amps, does it happen with yours? My guess is the converter ia drawing those 7 amps, what do you think? Thank you

[@ADifferentWay]

I have the same size air conditioner and my Bluetti cannot handle it. As far as the 7 amps that’s a lot more than just standby power. If the travel trailer has a battery and your plugging in the AC plug then it’s most likely charging the travel trailer battery through the converter. Try flipping off the converter breaker and see if it goes away.

[@MarcoSosa]

@@ADifferentWay got it thank you!!

[@eddiekytia]

I'm looking into buying the bluetti ac200 max and came across your channel. Did you consider buying a xtra battery for your bluetti to double your battery watt hours. Glad I found your real world review.... thanks! And yes...... I'm subscribing

[@ADifferentWay]

Had it been available at the time, I would’ve considered it. However the particular version we got did not offer it as an option at the time.

[@eddiekytia]

@@ADifferentWay yea but you can add up to 2 now. Are you saying you don't use the bluetti ac200 anymore or you don't have a need for it now?

[@ADifferentWay]

We still use ours. The version just didn’t have an option for a second battery at the time. We will soon be moving into our new house, so our need for the Bluetti will change, and it will no longer be our primary power source. At this point, we just have no need for a second battery. It got our family of 7 through 10 months though, with only a short time span in mid-winter where it needed occasional recharging from our gas generator (on consistently overcast days) so we have been very pleased with it.

[@stepheneurosailor1623]

👍😊

[@timkerwin6886]

Greatvideo. I leaned a lot. I am looking at buying this unit. How many times can you recharge your unit?

[@ADifferentWay]

Bluetti advertises 3500 cycles. I can’t say I’ve gotten anywhere near that but for 11 months it was running continuous, charge and discharge simultaneously.

[@pouglwaw5932]

@@ADifferentWay Yes, 3500 cycles, and the good news is that means full cycles, so if you are just topping up your battery everyday [less than 50%] , then you have way, way more than 3500 charges. Could be as much as 20 yrs. worth.

[@williampisano7573]

You should buy a cheap charge inverter and hook it up to the rv 12v battery system with the solar panel you disconnected . PWM or mppt would be better you can find them from 10 dollars to 100. Just need new solar cables

[@aarongeorge3673]

Heyy, Can you show us how the DC output ran the trailer? how is it wired?

[@ADifferentWay]

Try this video, where he explains the basics of how he wired it. Our Solar Powered RV Setup kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWfaoJSbl5WSd5I

[@tlatoanimachi]

Thanks for a real review. Tired of seeing all these unboxings.

[@dangeroustoman]

Question. I have 4 - 100 watt panels in series. But when I hook them to the ac200p it reads power overload.

[@ADifferentWay]

Be sure you are checking BOTH volts and amps, not just watts. In series, the volts will add up, so if each panel is 30 volts, for example, then you are inputting 120 volts. The ac200p input limits are 35 min and 150 max volts and 12 amps max. You will likely find your issue in one of those. If you are exceeding voltage limit, you could try a 2x2 parallel series configuration as well. Hope that helps!

[@dangeroustoman]

@@ADifferentWay thanks for responding so quickly since I will be working on it tomorrow. They are from a Renogy 400 watt kit.

[@waltersmith7950]

The most likely problem is that, on the 'settings' screen, the DC input source must be set for PV and not car. I'm guessing the voltage was less than 100 and the current was around 7 amps which would be fine. Regardless, I hope you resolved the problem.

[@travisbeckon8617]

i have bought a 20 foot trailer that has a an ac unit that is only powerd by shore power as well as my wall outlets. can i used one of these systems rather than a gas unit to power the rv while boondocking

[@ADifferentWay]

Most likely not. A lot of RV AC‘s are in the 13,000 BTU range. The start up power on the compressor is too much for the Bluetti. However, if you have a small AC around 8000 BTUs or, something that reduces the initial surge of the compressor, it will work.

[@pouglwaw5932]

I have the AC200p in my mini motorhome and I tested my older Coleman rooftop AC and it runs the compressor and blower at 1250 watts. The Bluetti handles 2000w with 3000w startup surge, so it runs my AC just fine for 1 1/2 hours and a lot longer if any solar power is going into the AC200p. Some people just can't believe I'm cooling down my little motorhome way out in the wilderness with no gas generator rattling outside.

[@cutty02]

how did you operate the battery while its in the compartment?

[@ADifferentWay]

Not sure I understand the question but let me try. The RV AC power was plugged into the Bluetti and the DC output from the Bluetti was wired directly to the DC bus of the RV.

[@cutty02]

@@ADifferentWay I understand that. DId you reach down to turn the ac off or on. I wish they made a remote button for these

[@ADifferentWay]

The front screen on the Bluetti allows you to turn the AC power on and off. So, although it may not have been the most convenient method, we would just turn it on in the morning, and turn it off when we went to bed. Everything we needed at night was powered by DC. Additionally, we programmed it to use Eco mode, which means the AC power turns off automatically. If no AC is used within two hours. This would come in handy when we would leave to run errands or such, and forget to turn off the power during the day.

[@francesconienteaffatto1721]

ciao essendo che sei molto bravo ..volevo chiederti vorrei acquistare bluetti ac300+b300 6 kw essendo che la mia casa consuma in media 5 kw ..e potrei usarlo di continuo senza consumare la corrente enel ..il mio primo problema come faccio a mettere la corrente in automatico... e far usare bluetti....secondo problema vorrei mettere 4 pannelli da 500 watt ma non so quali comprare come caratteristiche

[@ADifferentWay]

First, using the Bluetti to power a house would be difficult. An RV electrical system is very simple and designed to be powered by a single 30 amp plug. It also has very simple AC and DC wired systems. The house typically only runs on AC and goes through a fuse box. You would need an electrician to wire the house such that it could run off the Bluetti and not backfeed power into the grid. Second, there are too many options for solar panels to direct you into one location. The important thing is to meet the specifications of the input power which is 12 to 150 V and 12 A maximum.

[@richardjones7882]

can i add another 100 watt panal , and bring it to 800 watt max?

[@ADifferentWay]

I tried 700 watts (7 100W panels in series) and I would get overvoltage faults between 1-3 pm when the Sun was most direct on the panels. You can’t exceed volts or amps without a fault and then the system shuts itself down.

[@richardjones7882]

@@ADifferentWay Thank you for telling me that. I would hate to. Experience is knowledge. I do not want to reck my bluetti because I think I need more. I don't even want to go over 14oo watts on it.Hope to last a long long time. God speed to you. Im only at 4 panals now,getting 270 peak time.Ill be easy,and stop at 7 Thanks again.

[@catalinababy6068]

What plug adapter is that and plug Send a link please

[@ADifferentWay]

Not sure which adapter you’re referring to. I’m guessing you’re talking about the yellow adapter that is a 30 amp RV plug to standard three-prong wall outlet. Those can be purchased at any RV supply store or even Walmart.

[@skeettaylor7432]

Could you describe bypassing your converter for charging the battery? I’m having major issues with this as it’s draining massive power and I’m hearing humming at my electrical panel (the one inside my camper (only one I know I have))

[@ADifferentWay]

I completely disconnected the 12 V RV battery. It is no longer part of the system. In the first video we produced, I showed you in more detail how I set up the system. See if this link helps: Our Solar Powered RV Setup kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWfaoJSbl5WSd5I

[@petecoventry6858]

I use one of these in a on grid home - but I would prefer not to use the grid at all

[@pouglwaw5932]

True. Power companies keep adding monthly fees. On my bill, the fees can total more than the cost of my monthly power useage. If I didn't have a fridge and a chest freezer I'd dump the grid.

[@stevenschulte1475]

gas fridges use more power than normal select fridges when on electricity.

[@supremeautomotive6749]

Just buy batteries and a inverter get a big enough one to run a window ac unit

[@jaysonstebbins2539]

Don't turn on the converter or hook up a truck! Lol.

[@XX-fq8kp]

WHY SUCH A SMALL UNIT? I AM LIKE 618

[@ADifferentWay]

That’s all we needed to power our RV. Why spend money on more power than we need?😁

[@damonlondrigan6017]

What happened to your finger?

[@ADifferentWay]

I was milling lumber, and smashed it between a board and the rail. The tip is broken.

[@juanjesus2582]

Just get an extra battery , problem resolved

[@kickpublishing]

My wife wouldn't let me in the house wearing that jersey.

[@ADifferentWay]

Someone gave it to me. Never heard of the brand, but it sure is warm!

[@carllatta871]

I know they call it a generator, but it's not. It is a battery storage device that it powered by a solar panel. A generator is a mechanical device, either an alternator or a "real generator" that produces electricity from an external power source usually an internal combustion engine. Please don't be deceived by the advertising lingo. There is a big difference in performance and reliability.

[@waltersmith7950]

An inverter is not a generator. But, when an inverter is connected to a DC source (the battery) it will generate usable AC power until the battery runs out. This unit (AC200P) can keep supplying AC power as long as the battery can supply the inverter with enough DC power. It can be charging the battery even while you are using the AC power as long as there is enough sunshine to do so. It could be like using a mechanical generator while having someone simultaneously pouring gasoline into the tank while running .😃 During a blackout a solar generator will operate as long as the battery is charged or is charging, either from the sun or from a car's battery. A generator will operate as long as there is a supply of fuel while emitting carbon monoxide and noise.