qrohlf
New member
For context, I have a very compact camping platform & drawer system build in my 2000 4Runner that I'm looking to add a fridge, battery, and solar to. My power requirements are pretty minimal – I'd like to have a 12v DC input for alternator charging, an MPTT input for charging off an 85W vehicle-mounted solar panel, and about 400-800Wh of capacity to be able to run the fridge for 2-4 days while parked under tree cover. I don't need any AC power, I already have a 12v to USB-C charger setup that I like for charging gadgets, since space is at such a premium in this rig, I really need something with a small footprint like the PLB40.
Unfortunately, it seems like there are very few convenient options out there that tick this box. In the consumer "solar generator" space, you're stuck with a bunch of options from brands like Yeti and Jackery that are using outdated battery chemistry, have huge footprints, and dedicate a ton of space to useless AC outlets, with the 12v outputs being limited at best (usually just 1 cigarette socket & maybe a small barrel connector). Or you're buying from a relatively unknown company like Pecron and dealing with flaky apps, customer support and manuals that aren't in fluent English, and not much in the way of a guarantee that the product's been tested comprehensively. There's a whole thread going right now in this forum on this type of option, and frankly none of them seem that compelling from my perspective.
I thought I'd found something good in the Dometic PLB40, since it's got a great, small form factor, has all the right inputs (12v in via barrel jack, 8-25v in to an integrated MPTT charger via an Anderson connector), all the right outputs (Anderson connector & cig socket), and no AC inverter or smart-gadget chaff to complicate things and add failure points. It's basically just a LiFePO4 cell, MPTT charger, and a DCDC charger in a nicely designed rugged box with input/output ports. Which is exactly what I'm after.
Unfortunately, after some back and forth with Dometic’s customer service to determine how the unit would behave when both the 12v and solar inputs were connected, I got back this response:
Seems like somehow Dometic managed to go through the whole development process with a product that has two input ports and not only didn’t design for both those inputs being used, but seemingly hasn’t even tested (!?!) to see what would happen if someone connected a solar cell while the product was plugged into wall/car power. I considered just “fixing” it myself with a changeover relay connected to an ignition-on fuse in my rig, but since I'd like to keep the number of hacks and workarounds in my rig to a minimum (and because I'm frankly pretty frustrated with Dometic's engineering that a product like this made it onto shelves), I'd love to find a superior option that doesn't require the changeover relay hack.
To recap, I’m looking for a commercially available DC power station that can:
Unfortunately, it seems like there are very few convenient options out there that tick this box. In the consumer "solar generator" space, you're stuck with a bunch of options from brands like Yeti and Jackery that are using outdated battery chemistry, have huge footprints, and dedicate a ton of space to useless AC outlets, with the 12v outputs being limited at best (usually just 1 cigarette socket & maybe a small barrel connector). Or you're buying from a relatively unknown company like Pecron and dealing with flaky apps, customer support and manuals that aren't in fluent English, and not much in the way of a guarantee that the product's been tested comprehensively. There's a whole thread going right now in this forum on this type of option, and frankly none of them seem that compelling from my perspective.
I thought I'd found something good in the Dometic PLB40, since it's got a great, small form factor, has all the right inputs (12v in via barrel jack, 8-25v in to an integrated MPTT charger via an Anderson connector), all the right outputs (Anderson connector & cig socket), and no AC inverter or smart-gadget chaff to complicate things and add failure points. It's basically just a LiFePO4 cell, MPTT charger, and a DCDC charger in a nicely designed rugged box with input/output ports. Which is exactly what I'm after.
Unfortunately, after some back and forth with Dometic’s customer service to determine how the unit would behave when both the 12v and solar inputs were connected, I got back this response:
Seems like somehow Dometic managed to go through the whole development process with a product that has two input ports and not only didn’t design for both those inputs being used, but seemingly hasn’t even tested (!?!) to see what would happen if someone connected a solar cell while the product was plugged into wall/car power. I considered just “fixing” it myself with a changeover relay connected to an ignition-on fuse in my rig, but since I'd like to keep the number of hacks and workarounds in my rig to a minimum (and because I'm frankly pretty frustrated with Dometic's engineering that a product like this made it onto shelves), I'd love to find a superior option that doesn't require the changeover relay hack.
To recap, I’m looking for a commercially available DC power station that can:
- MPTT charge off solar when my engine’s not running
- DC-DC charge off my alternator when the engine is running
- Has ~400-800Wh of LiFePO4 battery capacity
- Smallest footprint possible
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