How To Fast Charge Your Power Station From Your Vehicle!

In this video I will be showing you an easy and cheap way to fast charge your power station from your battery/alternator. This method is a simple, clean, and easy way to add power to your rig. Follow along as we install this setup into our 5th Gen 4Runner.
*Note: Bluetti power stations may charge slower! For example the AC200 max is capped off at 10amps unless at 30v**
Gear Used In Video:
EcoFlow Delta 2 Power Station - amzn.to/445FBze
Victron DC/DC converter - amzn.to/44cLI4Y
Circuit Breaker 40a - amzn.to/4d4wByh
XT60i Cable (for Ecoflow) - amzn.to/3UngDrJ
Red Wire 4 AWG 25ft - amzn.to/3JpW6MY
Black Ground Wire 3ft - amzn.to/3U7S6pg
Wire Lugs w/ Heat Shrink Kit - amzn.to/3U3Rmlg
Lug Crimper - amzn.to/3JocTQv
Add a Fuse for Accessory/Ign Wire - amzn.to/3JpD9tR
Accessory/Ign Wire (run to Victron) - amzn.to/3JpDbBZ
Toyota panel clips - amzn.to/3xHCz8p
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I hope you found this video helpful, thanks for watching!
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[@T4Rgarage]

Please note some power stations such as the Bluetti AC200 max may require 30v to access faster charging and thus will be capped off at 10a for ~240-270watts of charging.

[@richardgrigsby6693]

Check this little guy out. Just saw in May 2024. PECRON 500W Car Smart Charger. Does the same thing as your setup. You don't need the control wire. I was about to do the exact same setup as you did till I discovered the Pecron charger. Great video.

[@BrianHackettHACKit]

I love it that you're doing tons of content on the 4Runner I hope my comment makes a difference please keep doing them right now you're one of my favorite people cuz you keep constantly putting out content fast on the Forerunner and you do pretty good I like your instructions they're easy to follow you really do show certain things not just quickly but keep doing what you're doing it's been a lot of help for me

[@T4Rgarage]

Thanks so much! I’m currently in prep mode for a trip to Utah, hoping to release a couple videos soon though. Much appreciated!

[@arborigenie]

Mate, thank you so much for sharing! That is exactly what I was looking for! Cheers Legend!

[@luchaDor]

Did this same setup in my FJC last year...its been working great to keep my EcoFlow Mini charged up while also powering the Fridge when driving along. Works great!

[@KingSev]

That’s my next upgrade bro! Keep them coming

[@T4Rgarage]

Thanks brother!

[@FanTexon4-Runner]

Blessings 4Runner family!!

[@hardtruth2039]

Great video. I came very close to buying the victron orion. I just picked up an Ecoflow Delta 2 Max and their new 800w alternator charger.

[@T4Rgarage]

Nice! Damn that thing is pricey though. I’m interested to see how fast it charges. It’s variable based on what your alternator is capable of so I’m guessing 800w is best case scenario with a high output alternator. If you aren’t running AC or other accessories it’ll probably pump out good power too.

[@RobChho]

bro, thank you so much! amazing install vid.

[@T4Rgarage]

You're welcome!

[@albertliang4076]

Great video! Question with the ignition wire, can we wire to our controller for the lights, will it works the same? Or it has to be wire to the fuses.

[@johnRedfern]

Thanks for the video It is very helpful Just a few things I need to know if you don't mind

[@chipsun2504]

I mounted the inverter closer to the car battery like in the hood, and ordered a longer solar wire, which lowered the cost and kept the wires safer/neater IMO

[@ChilePicanteKornNvtz]

Completed mine last week using 25’ 4 AWG jumper cables instead of purchasing cables by the foot. Cut the ends and crimped down terminals. About to test this on my first trip with the setup on my EcoFlow delta 2 w/extra battery.

[@ChilePicanteKornNvtz]

When I ran a test, I could not get it to charge above 398 watts.

[@T4Rgarage]

398 watts is pretty darn good though

[@dirtnsmores]

That's a really good idea. How did it work out?

[@ChilePicanteKornNvtz]

It worked great. Charged quickly while driving and the temps were very minimal. No hot wires. All terminals were cool to the touch.

[@billyk7831]

Great video. How long would it take to change the power station from empty to full with this setup?

[@liljasere]

Very neat installation I had to go the inverter route because I use a lot of power and don’t drive long enough to make this solution work I had to go for a 1500w inverter which charges the delta 3 times as quick as the victron could do thankfully I had a 140A alternator

[@T4Rgarage]

Thank you! Watts/Volts=Amps. So if your Ecoflow was using the full capacity of your 1500watt inverter that’s about a 125Amp draw, which leaves only 15amps for everything else 🤔 You probably aren’t using the full capacity of the inverter, at least I wouldn’t want to.

[@liljasere]

@@T4Rgarage That’s right I have it set to 1200w input in the app and I also didn’t mention I have 2 lead acid deep cycle batteries under the floor from my original installation as a buffer it’s been working great for nearly 3 years, had to go this route because i rarely drive longer than 2 hours a day and have no solar

[@T4Rgarage]

@@liljasere Ah gotcha, that makes sense.Sounds like you have a great setup. What vehicle is that in?

[@liljasere]

@@T4Rgarage It’s a uk spec 4x4 Vw Transporter

[@lakayfreddiecastillo2599]

I love all your videos and this is one is the best for me since I want my Bluetti 200 max to connect dc to dc to my ram 2016 2500. Can you add a diagram on this connection please.

[@dirtnsmores]

I have an anker solix c1000. Hoping to get a similar setup like yours. But routed to the back of my truck. Would you do anything different for a truck bed?

[@ingalway]

Great video. I want to do this on a Gen 3 Prius but I imagine it could be a different process. If anyone has any tips/advice it would be much appreciated. Thanks

[@3quartersbull4]

Great idea but not sure if it will work for me. I’ve got a semi with 4 batteries daisy chained. Will that be too much?

[@DannySocalFishing]

What is max ah input of your power station? My Bluetti EB240 has max 10 ah input. Can I used that DC-DC for my Bluetti EB240?

[@helenabha]

Your video is excellent for 4runner owners !!! Is there any reference information for a 5gen 4runner to upgrade the stock alternator (high Amp output)? Thank You.

[@T4Rgarage]

I haven’t had any issues with the stock alternator. Just don’t try to run a winch or anything like that at the same time and you should be good

[@leosal90]

Such a great video. Thank you. I have an Ecoflow Delta 2000 (11-100V, 13A). Can I use the same set up as you?

[@leosal90]

Delta Max 2000

[@T4Rgarage]

@@leosal90 Yes, you can. But because of the 13A limit on your station, you will charge at about 350watts, which is still very good. Thank you!

[@NMIBUBBLE]

Seen another video that had a switch in the back to charge the guys Eco pro and air compressor, then the guy also ran another wire to another switch to the front of his cab that killed the power to the switch in back so when his Eco Pro was charged he didn't have to pull over and run to the back to turn the switch off. Just food for thought guys! :)

[@adamsisernik4556]

Can be Delta pro charged with Ecoflow alternator charger from Lifepo4 48V 200ah battery (Operating Voltage 43.2V-57.6V)?

[@roadrider1100]

Great installation vid! Question - my Bluetti does not recommend charging and pulling a load (like my fridge) at the same time (but I do). Is your fridge plugged into your powerstation while charging?

[@T4Rgarage]

Yes it is, seems to work fine. EcoFlow FAQs say it’s okay and that it actually has a passthrough function. So if it’s charging at 430 watts but the fridge is pulling 30watts, 30watts will go to the fridge and the remaining 400watts will go to the battery

[@Treetopflyer777]

What model Bluetti?

[@helenabha]

For the 4runner Alternator, can it continuously supply such amount of current for Victron DC to DC converter? Would it impact the 4runner alternator especially during winter (i.e Alternator charging + heat + head lights....) ?

[@T4Rgarage]

The alternator is 100-130 amps. Most are 130amps I believe. You can check by finding the part number on the side of yours, a smartphone camera with flash will help. This setup will draw 35amp. You should be good unless you are using a bunch of other high amp accessories at the same time

[@nickmetr6716]

Very helpful! I do have a question, is this still going to work with river 2 series stations with their capped input power of 220W? Thank you!

[@T4Rgarage]

It will work but you will only charge at 220W with that station unfortunately. It is still much better than the 80W you would get with the included car charger, but will still take a fair amount of time to charge.

[@nickmetr6716]

@@T4Rgarage thank you for the clarification, keep up the good work🙌🏻

[@Treetopflyer777]

I LITTERALLY have have this project on my table in my garage to install. Perfect timing!!! I’m planning on running the accessory wire into my auxbeam as a switch to power the converter on and off. Think that’ll work? Btw are you running a stock alternator?

[@T4Rgarage]

I think 6 gauge will work just fine, I just decided to go a bit further in case I decide to add anything in the future. Wiring to the auxbeam will work great. Yes, I have a stock alternator

[@Treetopflyer777]

@@T4Rgarage thanks. I actually made a mistake. I did buy 4 gauge. I think this is gonna be a great set up (if it works on my Bluetti. I have the AC 180) I just have a bit of a concern about alternator output. I don’t have any way of testing it, so so I don’t really know how it’s going to affect it. Anyway, thanks for the video. It was exactly what I needed to do the install!!!

[@T4Rgarage]

@@Treetopflyer777 Ah that’s good. For the Bluetti you will need a different solar connection. DC____? I’d suggest getting some extra white panel clips, they break very easily. I replaced a few during the job. Also when you are in the hatch you can actually pop out the tray to for better access to some grounding options and to help you pull the wire though. Hope it goes smoothly for ya 😁👍🏼

[@Treetopflyer777]

@@T4Rgarage thx! What I’m going to try to use is the OEM Bluetti solar panel DC charging cable. I’m going to hook up a solar charging extension cable to the converter. Those cables have solar connecters on one end, and I’ve crimped loops on the other end. So basically, I’m gonna try to just plug the converter into the Bluetti using the solar panel charging cables. Hopefully it’s stupid enough to think it’s solar. Lol

[@helenabha]

If I have a solar panel on the roof, how to connect it to Ecoflow Delta 2 with this setup? Thank You!

[@urban_traveller24]

Can we use VSR within this curcuit.

[@stephenlim5106]

Wanting to do this with my Rav4 Hybrid; any thoughts on any differences with the hybrid 12v battery? or should be same set up?

[@T4Rgarage]

That’s a good question, I am not sure. It requires a lot of power from the battery/alternator and with the hybrid motor the engine isn’t always running/powering the alternator/12v system

[@johnRedfern]

What gauge wire should we be using and what size circuit breaker should we get I have the Blue Eddie 180.

[@T4Rgarage]

With that Bluetti you will be limited to 10a so about 270 W charging maybe a little less. Just use what is listed in the video/description and you will be set :)

[@joseberrios2444]

Can i do the same setup on my 2018 Subaru Outback ? Thanks!👍

[@T4Rgarage]

If your alternator can support another 35 amps of output it shouldn’t be a problem

[@DonalOSullivan-of3uf]

Great video but I think you are using a different 4 awg wire than you recommend in link you are using copper not copper clad.

[@mjvbhaskar1000]

Did you try adding load to your 4Runner alternator and checking the output? Like turning on the light bars, seat heating, defogger, etc and then check the output?

[@T4Rgarage]

I haven’t, but the breaker has a yellow button I can hit to disconnect power if need be. Seemed to be okay with just regular headlights, heater, heated seats

[@johnwilliams8131]

does it have to connected to the starter battery, can it be connected to my second battery (leisure) I have a spot right next to it free.

[@T4Rgarage]

You want it connected to the power coming from the alternator (directly) as it’s drawing quite a few amps

[@flipboy062]

Since the Ecoflow River 2 Pro only allows 220W max solar charging does this mean this setup won't work or will it simply cap at 220W for charging?

[@T4Rgarage]

It works but it’s capped at 220W

[@antok86]

So you can’t charge the delta 2 from the outlet 400w inverter plug in the back of the 4Runner?

[@T4Rgarage]

No, unfortunately it’s not a pure sine

[@HoustonBrownPhotography]

Very useful thank you. I have mine hooked up very similar but I ran a negative wire from the battery which I guess I really did not need to do. However, for some reason, my 40 AMP breaker keeps poping after about of minute of charging and looking at the EcoFlow app the input is all over the place peaking out at 420 watts then the breaker pops. Any idea why this would be happening?

[@T4Rgarage]

Which breaker did you purchase? Brand/model number? You could try turning the output dial back a bit on the Victron unit. Also make sure there are no shorts on your positive input

[@T4Rgarage]

Which gauge wire did you use? I would check the whole length of the wire to ensure it isn’t pinch of shorted out on the frame or body anywhere. This often happens when putting panels back on

[@HoustonBrownPhotography]

@@T4Rgarage6 AWG. The thing is about it shorting to the frame is that it works for quite some time although the output fluctuates. I would think if it was shorted to ground, it would pop the breaker immediately. I think what I'm gonna do is run a wire straight from the battery outside the vehicle to the back of the vehicle just for testing purposes and see if that works. That will least tell me that the problem is in the positive lead.

[@T4Rgarage]

@@HoustonBrownPhotography I was thinking maybe just ever so slightly shorting out intermittently due to something pushing through the insulator on the wire. It’s strange that it fluctuates, it’s almost as if there could be a bad connection. What I can say with mine is that it instantly reaches 420 watts and stays there, it only fluctuates by about 1-2 watts

[@HoustonBrownPhotography]

@@T4RgarageGood thought. I will have to check it out and see. Thanks for all your help and quick responses. Already ordered some heavier wire.

[@jakemetz1742]

Is there any harm in the converter always being on when the car is on? Even if the circuit breaker is manually set to cut power

[@T4Rgarage]

When I am not using my power station I try to have the power cut at the breaker. There have been plenty of drives where it isn’t plugged into a power station and it’s receiving power without any issues though. Doesn’t seem to harm it

[@jakemetz1742]

@@T4Rgarage Thanks so much for the reply. Not the best at electronics clearly. I wasn't sure about the accessory switch from ignition always being on but now see the breaker cuts the power.

[@spencer5618]

My first thought with knowing nothing about this stuff. Can the alternator and battery hold up just fine pushing one more unit of power. A lot of power at that

[@T4Rgarage]

If it can power two light bars at once, it can power this. But, if you absolutely have to run everything running at once, you might want to upgrade the alternator

[@jamesdean9198]

How did you know what size wire and fuse to use for the signal wire?

[@T4Rgarage]

I could have used a smaller wire. I just had that one on hand. You can find tools online where you enter the volts/amps/length and it will tell you what size wire to use. The amp is on the fuse you are using and it’s obviously a 12v system

[@T4Rgarage]

Since it’s just an accessory wire it doesn’t have to be large or high amp. There is no draw

[@stephen_borg]

Did I miss where you ran the same guage earth to ?

[@BenjiLorenz]

What power station is that? Delta 2?

[@helenabha]

If i have a solar roof panel, how to connect to Ecoflow Delta 2 together with the alternator charging?

[@P474D1N]

I'm hoping to find that same thing out!

[@P474D1N]

I seen on tinkerersAventure channel he had BOTH connected at the same time and was pushing 600+watts to his ecoflow while driving!

[@liljasere]

Doesn’t the delta 2 have 2 separate mppt charge controllers? Why can’t you just plug the panel into one and the car charger into the other

[@P474D1N]

@@liljasere car charger is only 100 watts solar is several hundred for most people.

[@liljasere]

@@P474D1N I’ve just realised you are talking about the delta 2 not the Max which has 2 inputs not 1 what video are you talking about where he shows 600+ while driving ?

[@c5juarez]

Just setup this DC to DC like you outlined and only able to get 240W to the Bluetti AC70 power station. Why such a disparity in wattage?

[@T4Rgarage]

Hi there. I explained it in the video, it was on the 2nd slide I believe. I have provided different examples and explanations. You need to look at the specifications of your power station and its solar charging input capabilities. Some will allow fast charging and other won’t. The AC70 is restricted to 10A unfortunately. So you must be outputing 24vx10a=240watts

[@T4Rgarage]

You should be able to get more though have you turned the dial up on the Victron unit??

[@c5juarez]

@@T4Rgarage Thanks for replying! I have dial turned all the way clockwise. Must be that the 10A input is the bottleneck. Although solar panel max input is 500W for this Bluetti AC70. I would need a DC to DC to go from 12v input to 48v output to get more wattage.

[@T4Rgarage]

@@c5juarez That is correct. I actually sold my old power station and bought one with better solar charging capabilities during my own install for faster charging. Best of luck

[@zingdogg7013]

I have to ask.. Why can't the cigerette lighter adapter be converted to 24 volts? Just a carpenter here.. I honestly have no idea what I'm asking.

[@T4Rgarage]

The internals are different because they designed it for 12v. It’s confusing

[@Big_Mafuta]

Hi mate, nice video but this will not charge the Bluetti AC200max at 420watts. The 15A charge only kicks in at 30v and higher and will charge at 8A if volts is less than 30. Most you can hope for charge the AC200Max is 8Ax28v=224watts

[@T4Rgarage]

Ahh damn! Sorry about that 😔 I’ll have to make a note so other people are aware. I really wish Bluetti would state that in their tech specs like others have.

[@LovesDaSun]

@T4Rgarage Jasonoid video about fast charging was successful with this charger on AC200max kzbin.info/www/bejne/f2ibg6ugh72HpJYsi=-c5uNFHQ1cH1L-Ca

[@k31rifleman]

FYI Just bought the ecoflow delta 2 at Cabelas on sale for $659!!!!

[@T4Rgarage]

That's a steal of a deal!

[@doberman118]

did you upgrade to a high output alternator ?

[@T4Rgarage]

No and it has had no issues, I’ve ran AC and air cooled seats while charging at 420 wats

[@AVMAR]

The larger ring terminal goes under the smaller ring terminal.

[@Rj-22]

Same 400 to 700 w with power inverter ,and also same wire .

[@T4Rgarage]

Almost the same. It isn’t efficient to take DC and convert it to AC (power inverter) only to have the power station convert it back to DC to store the power. You lose power each time you convert it and in order to get the same charge rate you will require more power from your source (alternator). It’s best to just take DC to DC

[@jakemetz1742]

Tacoma has an ECU-ACC fuse not "ACC" anybody know if these are the same?

[@T4Rgarage]

Do a quick search for where Tacoma owners plug in their raptor lights. You can use that location

[@dustydawson8977]

This doesn't work with my power station, 30 volt minimum. A 1100 watt pure sine inverter off the battery, i can run 1500 watts in charging. Dual 29.2v 25amp chargers,pulls 980w from the inverter, 75 amp from the alternator

[@beepsarieaniIwee]

No Goal Zero?

[@bryanmcmahon2475]

BTW your code does not work for discounted bundles.

[@fredio54]

Your circuit breaker shouhave been right next to the battery. That long unsupported run to it is a future fire waiting to happen. In lieu of fixing it properly, please restrain and protect that section of cable thoroughly.

[@T4Rgarage]

Tried to get it as close as possible

[@BenjiLorenz]

What power station is that? Delta 2?

[@T4Rgarage]

Yes sir