Solar is Impractical for Overlanding: Here's a Cheaper Alternative That Makes 200W!

[@RhinoOffroad]

** Correction: Watts law, not Ohms law (stay in school kids). Subscribe if you found this helpful! More like this to come! Also I appreciate the feedback on the voltage cut off! Going to raise it higher than 12V. Also, I took your recommendations and moved the step up converter under my passenger seat for far better cooling.

[@ProjectRoadsideFaith]

You had it right the first time.... Ohm's law tells us volts times amps equals Watts But I guess it's really potato potahtoe

[@cunning-stunt]

12V on a car battery is actually considered a flat battery. You will find out why on a cold morning.

[@propheteyebert7063]

@@ProjectRoadsideFaith Actually, Rhino is correct. Ohms law is Volts=ohms x current. Power calculation is Watts=Volts x Current

[@rubiconadventurewithscotty3258]

Watts the difference?

[@RhinoOffroad]

Underrated comment

[@Ulbre]

12.0v is like 30% state of charge. Could be a problem cranking on a cold morning and for sure will reduce life of battery. Reset it to at least 12.55v and the battery will stay at 75% state of charge. Very well presented video.

[@benholroyd5221]

I'd just have it switched on with the engine, so it only charges off the alternator.

[@johncunningham4820]

@@benholroyd5221. That is basically Exactly what is happening anyway . Didn't you listen ?

[@gab882]

Take note guys, he's basically just charging his battery with his engine twice as fast. He didn't magically double his power. It's all equal at the end of the day. But you are pushing your engine though. Not sure how to calculate the wear and tear of that.

[@ra-dg5rf]

Do your oil change more often. Like cut what they say in half.

[@SonneyLouis]

Solar panels are the solution to 90% of "us"es problems. You can also use solar panels to jump your car batteries. I'm gonna call this guy out as a DC/DC industry plant, the "snake oil salesman" he swears he isn't... I don't appreciate this culture on KZbin that will literally lie straight to your face for sales. Little does "90%" of "us" know that you can get 4-6 times more power for your value if you don't use ANY of these products. This guy has been using AA's his whole life it feels like (no disrespect), maybe upgrade to a real battery, a real solar company, a real inverter company, a real DC/DC company that ISN'T the equivalent of Apple selling underpowered last gen hardware in a recycled pop can case... just a thought...

[@TheMadJagger]

Engine wouldn't notice additional 100 watt power draw from this. So, only problem are hours of idling, each of them is like another 10 miles to the mileage.

[@RhinoOffroad]

@TheMadJagger not idling to charge; just charging while driving. Totally agree with the negligible additional load.

[@dannoland]

@@TheMadJagger An additional load on the engine of 100 watts is equal to 0.134 horsepower. Hardly something that you need to be concerned about.

[@chrispriestley882]

A lot of you guys are missing the point here, this is an auxiliary charging method for when solar is out of the question. Living in the UK it is pissing with rain for most of the year so forget solar, being able to charge quickly whilst driving is great, once charged you pop the breaker and your charging system is just like normal with no extra load, perfect. Thanks for a great idea, I am going to integrate a set up like this into my truck.

[@RhinoOffroad]

Appreciate the feedback! Going to raise the cutoff voltage higher than 12.0 to preserve my battery. Thanks 🤘

[@Mr_natenut]

Your message is well balanced. This coming from someone that runs over 90% of his gadgets currently from energy obtained from solar panels..

[@TalonsRebellion]

Best part, you can always use both. This setup with solar, always going to have power.

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@TalonsRebellion absolutely

[@RealitySurvival]

It works, but just be aware that those converters do get very very hot when converting. Could be a fire hazard if not mounted in the right spot with good ventilation.

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@RealitySurvival great point, doing some tests currently to see how much it heats up when driving

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@RealitySurvival moved it to under my passenger seat and it maxed out at 85F

[@Moonlightshadow-lq4fr]

@@RhinoOffroad Free heated seat 🤩

[@RhinoOffroad]

Exactly

[@nickadamson6053]

@@RhinoOffroad Glad to hear you moved it. Smart setup, underhood was my immediate concern with engine heat.

[@88cruzer1]

Amazing. He didn't say the two most annoying words on youtube. Like/subscribe. So I will.

[@RhinoOffroad]

Appreciate the support 🤙

[@BlazingLaser]

He DID say 'two hundred watts per hour'. That was pretty annoying. 8^P

[@dannoland]

@@BlazingLaser Yes, what does that mean? However, I will give him grace. He did say that he is not an electrician, nor an engineer, and he seems to be very willing to take advice from others.

[@atomicsmith]

You have to factor in the additional wear and tear on your alternator and engine. ( drawing more amps DOES increase your engine load). Also the setup you have that automatically draws your starter battery down to 12v will shorten the life of that battery. There’s a reason battery tenders keep them above 12v…. When you factor these in, the $300 solar panel that only weighs 5 pounds and will last 10 years with no maintenance will seem cheap…

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@atomicsmith I agree that it increases the engine load, but I don't think enough to substantially increase wear since once the portable battery is charged, it's only adding an additional 50W or so when the fridge is running while driving. 12V is very safe for an AGM battery, and it only sits there when I'm out on trips and in-between driving from campsite to campsite. Otherwise it's topped off by the alternator and my charging system is de-energized when I get home from trips. Lastly, it's not even about the price as much as the impracticality of solar when overlanding. Unless you're hanging out for multiple days at a campsite, you're just not somewhere long enough for solar to be your primary means of charging. I appreciate the feedback/engagement though!

[@james10739]

Buddy all modern vehicles have at least 100 Amp alternator and 16 amps is like having your headlights on

[@willdrivesu7914]

​@RhinoOffroad Honestly, having both is the way to go, I moved into my overlanding vehicle to save money. Having just solar had not been enough, I have a portable panel that I set on my roof, and it is very impractical to rely on just that, one cloudy day and you're screwed unless you can find somewhere to plug into. I was hoping there was a alternative way to charge this off the alternator, because the cigarette lighter plug is pretty low charging rate, especially for a 2000 watt hour battery. So thanks for this video!

[@PazLeBon]

@@willdrivesu7914 better to just buy a bigger battery and charge is at any public place where there s a plug gree for an hour

[@andro7x]

Do not charge the bluetty while not driving. Your car battery is not designed and not meant to do that. You'll ruin it.

[@peterstone5356]

Wow you guys are way behind the times. In Australia every 4wd that has a 2nd battery and goes off road also has a DCDC charger fitted that does both Solar and Alternator charging, if you are driving you are charging, if you are camped you are charging. But then again we fit winches and radios as well.

[@RhinoOffroad]

You guys are definitely ahead of the game

[@marceld6061]

And Australia is sunny almost everywhere you go! Perfect place to take advantage of solar.

[@LasVegasRealEstateCo]

Do the Real Australians Have 4x4s or are they still being treated bad by the uncivilized colonizers. That matters much more.

[@peterstone5356]

@@LasVegasRealEstateCo Ha Ha, Yea Mate we all get treated like s%it by our governments (Both state and federal) We are only allowed a 3 inch lift max = 2inch on suspension and 1 inch on tyres. Track width no more than 1 inch from OEM. Anything else requires a engineers certificate. To compensate all the 4x4 enthusiasts here run winches, diff lockers and have traction boards. One thing we do better than you Septic Tanks is our electrical systems. We all run refrigerators, a common size is 20 gallons, induction cookers are common, 12 volt ovens are common. We all run a DCDC charger with solar and alternator inputs, so we are charging when driving and also charging when camping. A 30 amp charge when driving and a 20 amp charge on Solar is normal. We Camp for a week with cold beers and fresh steaks.

[@rubiconadventurewithscotty3258]

The Dual car battery fad has come and gone in USA proving itself to be a liability not a boon. My Bluetti AC180 sustains us for days without needing recharge and Bluetti's proprietary high charge rate only takes 1.5 hours to 100% charge. 1.5 hrs is almost the time it takes to pack the car!

[@OFFTHEGRIND]

Love this dude. What a great setup. My 12v outlets in the bronco crapped out so I’ve been looking for an alternative. Thanks man!

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@OFFTHEGRIND absolutely! Gives a great boost to those crappy factory 12V outlets 🤙

[@PoeLemic]

That is so incredible. A brilliant video. Neat to see how you solved so many problems that thousands of people have. These are great ideas. I might try some of this next summer.

[@jackm6307]

This definitely has its place, and an option we may nearly forget about after setting our minds on solar for do long. Not for everybody but it is for somebody.

[@wildernessrecon]

Yup I have a high speed Jackery charger onboard in the gladiator cap that charges at 190 watts. You don’t need 24 v either 😉. You are the first person I have seen that has figured this out. Jackery charged in 3 hours 🎉

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@wildernessrecon glad you found another good solution! I'm guessing that the Jackery charger also boosts the voltage up. Would be curious to find out!

[@wildernessrecon]

@@RhinoOffroad very true about the Solar though. 200w panel just slows the bleeding if you don’t have full sun 😂. So many variables, with weather, terrain, timing, etc etc

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@wildernessrecon yeah dude! It's pretty early to tell, but I think this is going to be a game changer (especially for the winter)

[@mikemotorbike4283]

@@wildernessrecon Considering just the AC inverter on with nothing on it can drain the battery in under two days, I'd say panels under cloud just to offset inverter bleeding is a win.

[@harrisonosezuaomosun5614]

This has always been a great idea, have been researching this, there's so much they don't tell you about solar panel only charging, it can be very expensive and many times you find yourself always lookin for the perfect place or condition to get the best charge. It can become very stressful honestly. Welldone bro this makes sense plenty everytime. I prays in the future we can actually get a portable and sensible dc to dc generator gas or diesel or propane or whatever, it specifically built to safely but quickly charge my batteries, not meant to carry my AC loads, no, just safely quickly charge my batteries, so I don't need to use my car engine or alternator.

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@harrisonosezuaomosun5614 totally agree; appreciate the support 🤙

[@Dwaynekdclarke876]

Set up an alternate power system for your truck, integrating solar power and the components you've listed (second alternator, 12-24V step-up converter, low voltage cutoff, circuit breaker, and high gauge wire), you’ll create a hybrid system. This system can charge an auxiliary battery bank, which can power various accessories without draining your primary battery.

[@solarforfuture]

luv the 250 watt panel.. just fits roof rack.. charges 200 amp hr. lithum. 2k inverter for fridge/induction plate cooker/ electric blankets etc.. no more propane... keeps started /winch batt topped off as well... DC runs lights/ coms/ 100 watt bluetooth w/ subwoof.. thanks.

[@KirbyLouis]

very surprised the comments section hasnt heard of this already

[@shadowhacker27]

unrelated to solar, you just helped me solve my 2004 Explorer problem with a solution I would've never thought, and neither did my mechanic in 4 years. Thanks a lot.

[@GiriGagan]

What was the problem, that you solved?

[@amorton94]

I'm curious as well. What did this solve for you?

[@RiccardoCeo-k6m]

Oh come on man, don't edge us like that

[@freedomtowander]

Trailnewbie sent me!! Can’t wait to see your channel blow up brother!

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@freedomtowander thanks dude! I appreciate the support 🤙

[@freedomtowander]

@@RhinoOffroad hey if it’s good it sells itself! Well done!! Can’t wait to see more

[@freedomtowander]

Forwarded the link to a group I’m in, hope it helps

[@flyfisher530]

Great video Kevin! Such a cool idea and a great way to avoid using solar panels! Love it! 👍

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@flyfisher530 thanks Mike!

[@SixOverland]

Nice! Never would have thought of that. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@SixOverland thanks for watching!

[@kennethz3366]

Love this video. I watch the setup part. Can you show a more detail how to connect it to the car? I'm totally new to this.

[@AshGreen359]

So you're using your engine as a generator. Would be more fuel efficient to use a gasoline generator but still works

[@domowysurvival]

In fact Ecoflow manufactures a device that allows one to take up to 800W from the car alternator, though it is really expensive. But if you're looking for a device that will allow you to turn your car into an emergency power source, this will do the trick.

[@johncunningham4820]

Well thought out . And well implemented and explained too . People tend to forget the Volt/Amps ratio that results in Wattage . YES , you did essentially double your Charge rate , without ANY extra stress on the Vehicle or other systems .

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@johncunningham4820 hey, I really appreciate that, thanks for taking the time to watch it! My knowledge level is pretty simple when it comes to electrical work, so I at least try to explain it in a way that I would understand haha

[@johncunningham4820]

@@RhinoOffroad. Which you DID perfectly , considering that your Target Audience is probably considerably Less knowledgeable than yourself .

[@Chevytrucker2]

doing a big 3,4 upgrade like the guys running huge subwoofers will help as well, higher output alternators aren't just for running stereo systems either

[@johncnorris]

I like the idea of using the alternator to provide charging power but would recommend pre-charging the batteries before heading out. You'll put more wear and tear on the engine and reduce the available horse power and fuel mileage. Keeping the power bank topped off is a great idea and your setup is a good one. BTW - Ohms Law covers power as well as voltage, current, and resistance.

[@bakercxj]

I heard something similar years ago where someone used a solar charge controller instead of the 12->24 volt converter you described here. Instead of hooking the inputs to a solar panel, hook them up to your alternator. That might be a better option for batteries that don't have build-in Battery Management Systems (BMS) such as lead-acid batteries. But most modern batteries these days have a BMS. I've never actually tried either method yet but it might be a better method since the solar charge controllers come with all sorts of bells and whistles these days. You might could even eliminate the low voltage protection switch if the charge controller had that feature built-in.

[@2-old-Forthischet]

I did the same thing on my 4Runner for my Bluetti EB3A. The only difference, is that I used the cigarette lighter for the in source and just used larger gauge wiring. On our last trip, I didn't have to break out the solar panels because it charged up so quickly.

[@RhinoOffroad]

Awesome! What rate of charge are you getting? What gauge of wire?

[@2-old-Forthischet]

@@RhinoOffroad my EB3A has an input of 12-28vdc at a maximum of 8.5 amps. My DC to DC convertor is a 12 vdc input and 24 vdc at 8.0 amps. I forget what gauge wires I used, but I made sure the wires I used were thicker than the wires on the convertor and the cigarette lighter wires. So far, the wires and the convertor don't overheat with a load of the frig. The EB3A will last all night powering the frig. Then the next morning driving to the next camp site, the EB3A is fully charged again.

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@2-old-Forthischet dude that's awesome, I honestly never considered repurposing the cigarette lighter. Super creative

[@GeoFry3]

Nice additional option to provide redundancy. A lot of solar charge controlers have outputs with a low voltage shutoff. It'll only be 12v, but great for wiring in some lights or a plug that will be hot when the vehicle is off without killing you starter battery.

[@filbertneon3813]

Nice set up! What happens when you're in Arizona and your air conditioner is on all the time? Solar?

[@carlatthesalon]

Hi, couldn’t find the Amazon links in description, good video, thanks for the info👍

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@carlatthesalon they are definitely there!

[@manoo422]

For overlanding, definitely fit a flexible solar panel or 2 to your roof. You will generate good power all day to charge a battery and its all free. Running off an alternator is costing you gas all the time, its a very inefficient way to charge a battery.

[@RhinoOffroad]

This works great in the summer months, but you'd be dead in the water relying on solar all of fall and winter up on the Pacific Northwest

[@6YJI9]

So I would argue that use of the alternator (which believe me I've done and used when I lived in my camper van) is actually not that much cheaper if at all compared to solar. And that's because it has to do with the wear and tear you place on the alternator and engine, as well as keeping in mind that either of those two are running at their most efficient rpm's which means for the cost of fuel, you're also not getting the best bang for your buck. One suggestion I have, and of course this may also act more as a supplement to offset your energy needs, but what I would do before I hit the road/camping is I'd keep all of the food in my main fridge in the kitchen, have either 1, 1gal water bottle in the freezer to turn to ice (or a handful of regular sized water bottles depending on what I think the free room:food ratio I plan on packing for the trip, along with plugging my Dometic fridge/freezer set at its lowest temperature, the night before or even a few days before the trip (1gal will take awhile to freeze into solid ice). Then the morning/day of the trip, one of the last things I load up is the food and iced bottles into the Dometic, Dometic in the car and set at a fridge temp, and [I don't have a portable battery as I setup all of the components myself custom DIY style] grab the fully charged portable battery, make all the connections needed in the car, including having the battery charging off the 12v cigarette lighter, then finally hit the road. During that time, and practically for like the first 2-3 days, you should see very little power drawn from the portable battery to your fridge, because everything has already been pre-cooled/chilled down AND you also have a thermal battery(ies) in the fridge...the iced water bottle(s) that will greatly aid the fridge in maintaining its temp while reducing the amount of time the compressor is on. Really the only time you should start seeing the iced bottles begin losing their effectiveness is around day 2 or 3 and that's when you'll see your fridge compressor kick on more frequently and draw power from the portable battery. But your portable battery ideally should be sized up to last you comfortably for at least 2 if not 3 days for the appliance you're powering. So in such scenario, you're looking at extending your overlanding to 4-6 days before you find yourself needing to recharge the portable battery. And at that point, there's other things that you could implement to extend it by another 1 or 2 days further if you're out for longer periods of time but really, solar would just be the best option.

[@inventor1v]

Standard stuff everyone does before a trip! Solar is fine in Australia or sunny climes but practically useless in Britain and similar climes except for two weeks of the year, so thats a bust.

[@RhinoOffroad]

@inventor1v agreed

[@SmartMoneyRyan]

your alternator doesnt create more than your car needs, it only outputs what the load is, that load could be charging the battery or whatever accessories, charging something at 200watts will use more gasoline, just basic physics. but i can see it being used as a backup power source, would be handy.

[@willlockler9433]

Did i hear that correctly? You set your low voltage cutoff at 12 volts? How long have you run this setup? My concern is that youll shorten the life of your starter battery setting ot this low.

[@seenochasm7101]

I know very little about electrical and even I asked myself the same thing. This doesn’t sound like a sustainable long term solution.

[@RhinoOffroad]

After getting feedback from the comments I'm going to bump it up 🤙

[@dragan3290]

I love this set-up! Very nice

[@fu9793]

As an owner of a Tacoma, I was very hesitant to watch this video. However, the information provided here was excellent. You explained how this system works in a way that was very easy to understand. I appreciate you making this video. Thank you and have a great day.

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@fu9793 appreciate that 🤙

[@InTheDirtAgain]

Not all vehicles have one, but why not use the built-in AC jack to charge up your bluetti? I have a 140w AC port built into the console of my '11 F150 and use it to charge my EB70S or 12v jumper pack while commuting to work every week (6hrs one-way). Or, pick up a 300w inverter that plugs into your cig lighter. They're cheap and all over eBay or Amazon. Sure, you'll have efficiency losses, but the point is to make it cheap and easy. Right?

[@Travelin_Man1]

Hey, Bluetti just came out with a great-looking DC to DC converter made for power supplies (like their own but not exclusive to Bluetti). It can provide in the range of 500 watts (!) and looks very simple to install. Worth checking out if you're charging a big power bank.

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@Travelin_Man1I saw that!

[@mikekerby814]

Is that 12V cutoff adjustable. 12V is a dead battery. It would be best if you had the cutoff at 12.6V or possibly even 12.8V.

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@mikekerby814 it is adjustable. Here's the manual with all of the voltages you can set Sharing this document for your review. Please add your inputs as comments directly in the document. Looking forward to your feedback! acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:2e99e1c6-e80c-4ad0-a850-6fdd85cb2a84?comment_id=75d5fb30-8ae7-4e6b-bc9f-088701b00d66

[@ProjectRoadsideFaith]

Be careful to keep an eye on your alternators charging voltage it can let you know if the amperage is starting to get weak... The reason the alternators able to put out more power than what's being used is because running something at 50% load capacity extends its life. So adding extra loads to your electrical system can put an extra tax on the lifespan of the alternator and battery

[@johndeggendorf7826]

I’ve known people living off grid for 40 years now who plug their house into their truck when they get home. 🤔 2 or more batteries, sometimes a second alternator. If you’re gonna drive anyway…juice up your batteries. It’s the OBVIOUS power source, especially when you’re traveling. ✌️🍷🎩🎩🎩🙏

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@johndeggendorf7826 I've never considered that but it makes a ton of sense if your going to be driving for a few hours!

[@TrailNewbie]

THIS IS AWESOME! Man, I really need to do this IMO. I might need some help from a buddy 😅 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@TrailNewbie thanks buddy!

[@umerstar]

So you use the 12v battery to charge the jackery battery to power the fridge 🤔 Instead of charging a battery from another battery just connect an inverter directly to your 12v agm and run the fridge from it. Less voltage conversion losses that way

[@cunning-stunt]

A split charge vehicle battery system would work best. First battery for starting the engine etc. 2nd battery for the fridge. 2nd battery only receives charge when the first battery hits full charge. Most overland vehicles already have this setup for a winch.

[@tronskifpv]

very nice! I like your Victron solution. those are good quality. I used a cheapo Ampper battery isolator. its 24V out when the input is above 13.3 and stops at 12.8. it can not however live under the hood.

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@tronskifpv interesting, what's the issue being under the hood?

[@tronskifpv]

@@RhinoOffroad its not potted like that nice victron you are using. its got conformal coat but you'd have to see one. very light weight build

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@tronskifpv oh gotcha!

[@mickwolf1077]

car cigi/power sockets are rated to 120w usually, something is wrong with the bluetti if its only drawing

[@rubiconadventurewithscotty3258]

Bluetti Settings allow teh user to set these limits

[@eagriggs1]

This is a great Idea, I think replacing the low voltage cut off with an ignition switched relay would be better. That way the step up converter would only be on when the vehicle is running.

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@eagriggs1 great suggestion!

[@eagriggs1]

@@RhinoOffroad I actually misspoke. Should be an ignition switched relay and not a voltage sensing relay.

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@eagriggs1 I do like being able to charge when the Jeep is off though. I think I'll just raise the voltage cutoff to 12.2 or 12.4

[@douglasmontgomery6315]

Jasonoid just did a video on a new product that allows solar AND alternator input and it will output up to 500 watts to power bank. It's only $300, so it seems like a better option than this conglomeration of devices. Thanks for video, just want the viewers to also look at the other options. Ecoflow also has a Alternater charger that has Bluetooth capability AND two way charging (allows your power bank to act as a "jump box" and help start your vehicle if needed !!

[@RhinoOffroad]

I'll check it out, thanks!

[@harrisonosezuaomosun5614]

Liked and subbed immediately, gr8 job bro. Thanks to wifeeee for helping out 👍🏼

[@RhinoOffroad]

Thank you for the support!

[@DocWrangler]

Such a great video, I need to do this and charge my bluetti way faster! Thanks man!

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@DocWrangler thanks doc!

[@carls.6746]

Car battery voltage typically ranges from 12.6 to 14.4 volts with the alternator charging it when running. A fully charged battery should measure 12.6 volts or above when the engine is off. Set the voltage cut off to 12.55 like @Ulbre mentioned.

[@mattdenham8057]

I did this but hooked it up to a victron solar charge controler works a treat .Now can charge my 12 volt battery

[@sewashburn0529]

I think it would be interesting if you had described how you mounted it under your hood.

[@sspence65]

Remember, there's no such unit as watts / hour. There are watts (right now) and watt hours (watts * hours). 10 amps for 6 hours is 60 AH, not 10 amps per hour.

[@TRGB1955SD]

Love it. A simple wire diagram would be very helpful.

[@derrickboatman1560]

Yeah the Eco flow alternator setup does like 800 w but very expensive and taxing on the alternator. This is a really good setup. I would hook up a solar panel on the hood anyway to the truck battery should charge through your current system.

[@4truth69]

$60 in parts plus the cost of the Bluetii portable power station for $300.00. My TT outside kitchen refrigerator is 120 volts, inside fridge 12 volts so if I traveled more than 3-4 hrs on the road then this system makes sense for me so the outside kitchen refridge will keep frozen.

[@brianflynn5491]

Great video, keep on jeepin

[@marwerno]

The Charger, Voltage monitor is connected all the time to the main battery? Beware, that these also constantly draw some current to monitor everything. Better to hook up a relays to the ignition, so it is only on when the motor is usually running. For my own setup I even used a time delay relay, so it only activates charging about 10 minutes after starting the ignition. This makes sure that on very short trips the main battery always gets some extra juice to keep on going. You still could attach the voltage monitor as extra safety, but than, it is almost not needed anymore. Raising the Voltage so, is nice trick I have to keep an eye on 👍

[@Sight-Beyond-Sight]

This is why some of the larger vehicles offer a double alternator.

[@Ecostainable]

Nice, we love our solar in our office but this can be an option if needed for sure. Thanks for sharing brother.

[@pen25]

you have to run your vehicle to charge. solar is passive and yes you may not get full output on a cloudy day most modern panels still produce power while stopped and camped. while driving of course this make sense.

[@rubiconadventurewithscotty3258]

Nobody has mentioned the wear on the car. The Alternator bearings would be my concern as a first item that might fail

[@pen25]

@@rubiconadventurewithscotty3258 honestly unless you are pulling a heavy load alt bearing should be fine. But yea hours on a motor isn't good. Even a diesel which is better still not efficient or good on engine wear

[@RhinoOffroad]

Agreed, but I'm really only pulling 200W for the 3-4 hours it takes to charge (assuming it was dead), then only takes 30-50W to keep it topped off until I arrive at camp

[@ethanbelton9522]

So you found an adapter to take advantage of your engine as an inefficient gasoline generator. Not only is this not a replacement for solar, but it will also reduce your trip duration as you will need to refuel if you want to continue on your journey. The primary function of solar power generation is to have energy regardless of your location, so that despite being hundreds of miles away from civilization, you can still power your equipment even when you run out of fuel. If that isn't your primary goal then maybe consider a more efficient/powerful alternator to make this method more viable, as well as an upgraded car battery to handle the increased charge and discharge loads, as well as increased power cycling.

[@peterwilliams2739]

There's a new device from Etaker, the F1000, that increases the 13v up to 42v. It has an engine shutoff sensor so that you don't need that victron cutoff. And, the F1000 also has an input for your solar panels, adding as much as another 500 watts.

[@trailnoggin]

Thanks for this great video. I'll be copying your setup right away on my Gladiator Rubicon.

[@HavePack_WillTravel]

Welcome back brotha. Great video. Let’s get out and camp soon!

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@HavePack_WillTravel let's do it!

[@tombrenes2411]

Thank you for this video I’m working on a diy generator A real heavy torque converter on a shaft getting it started is hard even for a HD cordless drill. 1 heavy drill impact to get it running, now a heavy duty cordless buffer to just. Keep the rpm’s at a steady speed the buffer can go to 4000 rpm I keep it to1000rpm (an engine 800 to 1000 to activate the alternator. A pulley to run a racing alternator 120amp steady plus a capacitor,, My generator can charge ALL HD portable drill batteries in 45min On one full charge the impact drill and buffer have. Kept the generator running for 3 days on 45min charge

[@steve_put_this_here]

I have done two diy's - my first one I used a GM alternator with a switch to keep the alternator field off until after I started the engine, which made starting it as easy as a lawnmower (using a 5 hp horizontal small engine). My second is a small diesel engine, which is comparatively shoulder-dislocating in terms of starting it, with a 1 wire race alternator. The only issue I see now is having LiFePO batteries having the battery BMS instantaneously shutting off the battery on full charge runs the risk of burning the alternator diodes out!

[@Emundas455]

Ecoflow offers a product that charges at 800 watts. Its called the Ecoflow 800w Alternator Charger. It is on sale for 400 with the regular price being 600. Thats more than this solution but might be a simpler solution if the price isn't the issue or you need the super fast charge

[@RhinoOffroad]

Great point!

[@tonycampbell-wd3cp]

And then mount a 200w solar panel and boom almost no loss during the day.

[@allinsiteUK]

Currently showing at $88.52 on Amazon for the 3 main components combined. Maybe this video has pushed up sales and, as a consequence, the price! The description for the DC/DC converter states "(Note: Never connect to solar panel or wind turbine. Never charge the battery.)". Surelly when running the engine you are charging the battery. Maybe the relevancy of this notice by the supplier is something to investigate further.

[@alanjackson4067]

So, if I'm understanding this correctly, you are doing this because your Bluetti power bank can only be charged at 8Amps. If, for example, you were utilizing a 100AH LIFePO Aux battery instead of the Bluetti, you could utilize a 12V DC/DC charger ( providing your vehicle's alternator had a high enough output) that was capable of charging the AUX battery at a far greater amperage...20A...30A...40A. The DC/DC chargers are designed to isolate your vehicle battery, when your vehicle is not running and with the one I use, which only puts out 20A, it will charge a fully depleted 100AH battery in 5 hours of driving. Given I have never experienced a fully depleted AUX battery, it will typically top up a 50% depleted battery in 2.5 hours of driving. While I certainly could have installed a higher output DC/DC charger that would have recharged the battery even faster, going with the lower 20A output charger allowed for the use of smaller AWG size wiring and fusing.

[@sladeoriginal]

awesome, now save up for a replacement battery and alternator, gonna be changing them out much sooner with that setup.

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@sladeoriginal good thing Optima has that sweet 36 month free replacement policy 🤙

[@TheMajictech]

😅 how? It’s not pulling much juice at all. The dc\dc chargers pull a hell of a lot more than this does. I do agree the 12 volt cut off needs to be changed though. I would have went 12.4 or 12.5

[@dragan3290]

Ooh you have the same circuit breaker on your battery like i have! After i bought mine i saw videos on KZbin saying those particular circuit breakers are not very good! ( false security) APPARENTLY! cheers 👍

[@dmitrym2922]

How did you run the wiring? That’s always the biggest pain the butt.

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@dmitrym2922 yeah agreed. I just ran it underneath the carpet all the way back and through a through-hole in the firewall

[@falcorthewonderdog2758]

I use solar panels at 200 watts to maintain 4 6v golf cart batteries in my class A RV. The only time i have issues is in Dec and Jan when sun exposure is at minimum. Simple cheap solar works great. My system cost around $300. I would never consider running my RV engine for charging unless its an emergency. Why waste gas when solar does the same thing fir free. If it's cloudy add more panels to make up for it.

[@raymondclark1785]

Ditto, I'm a snowbird and 300w on the roof of my class c runs everything 😅 I do have another 200w of portable for when I'm parked in the shade

[@nyrubin]

Might cost the same to get the blue alternator charger.

[@james10739]

An electrician wouldn't know much about automotive and definitely wouldn't touch it

[@derekreager]

I didn’t read all the comments so someone may have already mentioned this, and I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure those higher charge rates degrade the battery much faster. Thus needing to replace the battery sooner than ideal. But maybe that’s the trade off for recharging in your scenarios.

[@zsi]

My wife and I were beach camping for several days, and only 1 day out of 4 was there enough sun to charge our power station faster than it was discharging. On the 3rd day, I had to run the Jeep 8 hours to charge up our power station at a measly 60 watts to get us to the last day. I would have loved this solution for our situation.

[@chuckvoss9344]

Thanks for the product links.

[@scoobyblu5815]

Under the bonnet ia tooo hot 🔥 for the DC converter 😮 just a matter of time before it slowly cooks to death 💀

[@rlemoyne007]

190 W/ 12V = 15.8A. That's hard on the cigarette lighter fuse.

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@rlemoyne007 not using the cigarette lighter! 40W is what I was getting from the cigarette lighter. I have the output of the step up converter going into an XT-60 plug then into my portable battery 👍

[@seanmurphy1704]

You need to see the ecoflow alternator charger, 800watts as you tootle along, it's got to be what you require.

[@williampalmer6253]

being a complete idiot with electricity I'm having a hard time following the wiring. could you possibly do a little wiring diagram? hard to follow the wires, especially the ground wires. I'm really looking forward to having this rig set up! thank you

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@williampalmer6253 shoot me a message on IG and I can talk you through it

[@lexicase8805]

315w canadian solar house panel on the roof of my landcruiser, and a 20 amp dcdc that i can swap input and output with two anderson plugs, i actually have enough solar that the dcdc charges my start battery and saves me some fuel/ engine load when the sun is shining. Then if its night or the clouds are over, i can unplug the dcdc and charge the aux battery from the alternator. House solar panels are cheap and far more efficient than those semi flexible panels.

[@paramaniacwolverine843]

Great video. My opinion entirely, I would set the safety to 12.6 volts. This is because a healthy cranking battery is usually above 12.6 volts. By letting it drain to 12v all the time may reduce the life span of the cranking battery. I've found this to be the case over the years. Any of my vehicle's batteries that couldn't hold a static charge over 12.6 v consistently was an indication that the battery wasn't happy anymore and was usually on the way out.

[@UmpTSquat]

I thought the same at first. I could be wrong, but it looks like the yellow battery is a second battery, and that is what is being charged, not the starting battery.

[@Owl350]

Use a fueless generator of some kind there's quite a few to choose from. And some are small enough to easily carry along with you.

[@swooshdave]

80w is more than enough to run the fridge AND charge the battery. If your fridge is pulling a constant 60-80w get a better fridge.

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@swooshdave I'm also constantly charging camera gear 👍

[@michaelhubbard144]

Wow great idea! I'm not an electrician either so even though I got all the parts off your list I'm not sure how to connect them. How did you know how to put the system altogether to make it work?

[@MikeBabsBC]

This is such a good idea. Thanks!!!!

[@ArcanusLibero]

Isn’t there a concern that the life of the alternator will be greatly reduced?

[@RhinoOffroad]

I think it'll be pretty negligible to be honest. It's only drawing 200W for only 3 hours at most, then trickle charging to keep it topped off

[@ArcanusLibero]

@@RhinoOffroad Thanks for responding.

[@bocadelcieloplaya3852]

I would cover/insulate the terminals for the victron UV relay.

[@cryptickcryptick2241]

Alternators go bad frequently and any mechanic can change one out. If you really want to use the vehicle as a power source you can upgrade your alternator. Look at the specs on your alternator, some are 60, 70, 200 amps. For example, 60 amps at 12 volts is 720 watts of power. Another cheap upgrade to add a second deep cycle battery. That said, I just used my trucks standard alternator and battery when I went coast to coast and border to border in my vehicle.

[@ReflectedMiles]

If your refrigerator draws 400+ watts continuously, you need a new fridge.

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@ReflectedMiles 40W!

[@ReflectedMiles]

@@RhinoOffroad 😆 Sorry. Even then, it shouldn’t be continuous-that was the point.

[@RhinoOffroad]

@@ReflectedMiles gotcha, it's definitely not continuous, that's what I see at the max. It'll get up temp and then really just run on a trickle. I have a bunch of camera gear I also charge off of the battery. That said, I just bought a brand new fridge I'm testing out, so we'll see how it compares!

[@martinmtawali7359]

Thats a lie! My domestic is rated 200W, and it draws that continuosly till set temp is reachec then it cuts! So a 40W one will draw 40W continuosly till set temp and cuts! Thats why its rated 40W

[@ReflectedMiles]

@@martinmtawali7359 You said it’s a lie and then explained why it is true. 😆👍🏻

[@Original_SJB]

Wonder if a second alternator is possible

[@BorealWilderness]

What's your alternator's capacity?

[@NathanKingOverland]

Nice video. With the gear you have though, I think you could be better off with a @Redarc BC/DC Charger. Have you ever checked those out? I have one and 200 watts of solar permanently mounted to the roof rack. I leave my fridge on 24/7 every day.

[@RhinoOffroad]

I have, and it is a great option? It's just about 10x the price for what I'm trying to do, so I wanted to explore cost-effective options first. Their gear is top notch though 🤙

[@DerekTrowbridge]

There is a good point here. I could take my battery packs and charge when on the road driving and use when not driving. Just curious what max size battery pack would be for just USB type charging in the car. (I do not want to mess with Wires )