Fridge/PortablePowerStation/Solar Help Please!

[nwoodworth1390]

After canceling our grand plan of full time travel we were left without a truck or a plan. Being without a truck simply wasnt an option, and after considering every darn truck on the market to accommodate my family of four, I impulse purchased a 2014 Ford Raptor (with 1400 miles) on BringATrailer. Did i spend way to much money... Yes... Is this truck an absolute hoot to drive... Also yes. Was my wife pissed... Definitely.

So far all i have done to the truck is a Ceramic Pro Gold coating, Woolwaxed the chassis, slapped on some Decked drawers, and am picking up a GFC in February.

I am now at the stage where i need to figure out a fridge and how to power it. I dont want to do a super complicated/expensive dual battery setup, so i was thinking a portable power station with a solar panel should work for our usual trips of 3 nights - 3 weeks??? My thought was a Goal Zero Yeti 1000 Core or Jackery 1000 unit, with a 4rthDSolar 220watt panel on top of the GFC, and an ARB Elements 63l or SnoMaster LP65 fridge? Anyone else out there run a system similar to this? Will it work for my needs? Im also hoping to find a tilting fridge slide that isnt astronomically priced, as well as a way to secure the power station to my Decked system so it doesnt move while im doing Raptor things?

Thoughts and advice are welcomed!

 

[astroflashjones]

I run a 63qt ARB Zero off my main battery. I use a group 27F AGM (X2 from batteries plus). The fridge has a battery saving cutoff feature but its only kicked on a couple times. I do carry a micro jump just in case. I was planning on adding a battery to the system but havent had the need. My friend runs his fridge non stop off a Goal Zero which is charged by the inverter in his van and a 100W panel on the roof.

 

[jadmt]

I have a jackery 1000 with a single jackery 100w solar panel and an ARB 50 fridge. i do not even need to charge my jackery 1000 for 4 days in 100F heat. with the solar panel I pretty much could go forever. I rarely stay in one spot more than 4 days so I charge it while I drive via the 12V vehicle plug. the 100W solar panel charges it way faster then it's spec say it will. I know guys hate them and say they are over priced frauds but mine works and it is a super clean and light set up. I would go this route again 100X 's over.

 

[Borrego60]

See some of my threads on solar, ARC relay, flexible solar panel, and dual battery set up and fridge 24 7 in my tundra .Borrego 60

 

[emulous74]

I've been running ARB Elements with an Alu-cab Fridge Slide mounted to my Decked drawers, and a Goal Zero Lithium 1000, I only have portable solar panel arrays so I have tried fixed solar panels on top of my RTT. I would not suggest running any portable power station in the bed of your truck, none of them are waterproof and none of them are designed to be dust proof, you also need to be weary about heat and cold with lithium batteries beyond what you have to worry about with AGM batteries.

I run my Goal Zero inside the cab of my truck, and run a cigarette style extension cord out to the bed of my truck to plug in my fridge. I do this through the door, as the rubber weather stripping around the doors does not pierce or pinch the wires. This also allows me to plug the goal zero into a cigarette 12v charging socket to basically trickle charge while driving. You could run your solar panel wires through the door too. This setup allows the power station to stay in a conditioned environment so it work most efficiently.

 

[Flyelk1]

I am in the process of a build out with an Alu Cabin. I am running all the power through an Ecoflow Delta which will be powered by 186 W panel on the roof.

The Delta will be mounted in the bed of my truck, in a weather proof box which will be inside one of my 80/20 modules. A friend of mine built a weatherproof box for his out of 80/20 and has had no issues at all. He has stayed out for weeks without one problem.

Although we were a little worried about dust etc. the Alu-Cab is a little different with the permanent installment which keeps dust to a minimum in the bed if done right. Just my thoughts

 

[Errant]

When choosing your battery, be sure it has regulated 12V DC out and that it doesn't have an auto-shutdown or power-save mode when not enough draw is detected.

 

[Borrego60]

https://expeditionportal.com/forum/...-solar-system.207676/#lg=post-2663769&slide=1 Give you some type of an idea.

 

[Borrego60]

Single battery setup vs Dual battery setup

Just a few ya get the idea. Will try to get a picture of the ARC. You can see the size of cable I run for battery 1,2. The breaker is only there for protection and when I put in the Deka battery the factory cables did not reach with enough slack so the breaker also give me a little more...

expeditionportal.com

 

[Superpanga]

We ran a smaller Dometic fridge off of our Jackery 500 for 6 weeks and 6000 miles. Could easily have handled a bigger fridge. If money allows go for the 1000 just for connectivity and the added AH. If not, the 500 will get you there. When driving I would charge up the Jackery via 12v cig lighter and we have a 100A folding panel for charging at camp. Nothing fancy, nothing hardwired. Super easy. (I've now gone and made everything more complicated but there is something to be said for this setup for sure!)