High output DC port needed?

[PoLar_BeaR]

I am in the process of building a basic SUV overland/camper, and I've gone down the rabbit hole of power systems. I was initially planning to build my own setup with GC batteries, but due to the lack of space and the convenience of portable power systems, I've changed my mind and decided on a portable power station. This won't be a full time overland vehicle so the flexibility of adding and removing equipment as needed is ideal.

The biggest question I have right now is whether a high output DC port is needed, or if I can get away with 12v/10amps. From what I have found in my research, the Goal Zero Yeti X series and the larger Bluetti power stations are the only options that offer a higher output option. There are several van/RV builders I've come across that stress the need for a high output DC port on a portable power station to integrate with a hardwired electrical system, but they also have greater power needs and run several appliances or accessories at once. My power needs will be more simple to start which is why I think I can get away with only 10A. But I'm leaning towards a larger unit like Bluetti if I do ever need the additional power so I can future proof my setup.

My initial setup:

• 2 12v Caframo fans - running at night
• LED light strip - occasional use
• Iceco JP50 fridge - running full time (could also use the AC ports to run fridge?)

Near future:

• 2 courtesy/reading lights
• usb ports for charging devices etc.
• additional 12v female outlets for occasional appliance use

Other possibilities

• roof fan/vent
• heater
• additional lighting

Based on my initial needs I feel like I would be okay my setup at 10 amps, even with a fridge running full-time. Ideally I would hardwire the fridge into my system with either an additional female cigarette lighter or spliced directly in with a 12v plug.

I also stumbled upon Goal Zero's 12v max current cable https://www.goalzero.com/products/12v-max-current-cable, but it does not look like its available anymore and I question how well it would function with other brands of portable power stations.

 

[DaveInDenver]

This seems like a question you need to answer for yourself.

I'll say that I've found high current connection to a portable battery useful. For example giving the option to use a faster charger, in my case a 45 amp. On another battery I had an Andersen SB175 connector that I was using for a 2000 watt inverter and that one turned out to be handy as a portable jump starter.

Obviously there's got to be a design intention limit. If you really do expect never to run more than household stuff then putting a large, expensive, cumbersome connection might just be irritating every day. But sometimes you never know what might be useful.

 

[PoLar_BeaR]

This seems like a question you need to answer for yourself.

I'll say that I've found high current connection to a portable battery useful. For example giving the option to use a faster charger, in my case a 45 amp. On another battery I had an Andersen SB175 connector that I was using for a 2000 watt inverter and that one turned out to be handy as a portable jump starter.

Obviously there's got to be a design intention limit. If you really do expect never to run more than household stuff then putting a large, expensive, cumbersome connection might just be irritating every day. But sometimes you never know what might be useful.

I agree based on my power needs and potential needs. I just have no experience in this area and wondered if anyone has had experience with this and went down a similar path.

The 12v max current cable seems like a good option to bridge the gap, but unsure how effective or safe that route would be to use with something other than a yeti power station. For example, a lot of portable power stations typically have a 12v/10a cigarette port and 5.5x2.1 ports with varying amp ratings. I wonder if someone makes a cable similar to the goal zero option, or if it would be a good idea to make your own custom cable and leverage all DC outlets.

 

[DaveInDenver]

The Goalzero thing just makes a connection to each available output, so there's not really a high current output per se. It could be fine to rig up something similar with other portable power sources in theory. Each output would only add what it's designed to do and provide that to the combined output.

There are potential gotchas, so you do need to be careful. There is a limit to how fast the battery inside can be discharged and if the system was not expected to use all of it's outputs at the same time at max rate you could exceed that. But this is a fundamental design issue in that case since the same could happen if you were using all the outputs to different loads, too.

Whether it's useful or not, can't say. In my view 40amps isn't really all that much current. Nothing is coming to mind that would fall into that more than 10 amps but not hundreds of amps. Maybe if you wanted to feed a fully charged battery into some sort of DC-to-DC charger to fast charge another. But 40 amps isn't going to help with a jump start or running a big inverter. Maybe a larger liquid pump or a portable heater or blanket?

 

[jonyjoe101]

As long as the 12 volt output is regulated you should be ok to run a fridge with the 10 amp output. But there are some devices that might need more, my roadpro cooker requires 12 amps. Maybe 15 amps is a good tradeoff as the minimun if your going to have a 12 volt cooker of some sort down the line.
Some fridges don't like voltage drop, my joytutu 26 liter fridge doesnt run good (compressor cycles back and forth) if I run it straight from either my 220ah lifepo4 or 312ah li-ion bank. I have to run the fridge from a boost buck converter set to 13.2 volts, its been running nonstop 24/7 for almost 3 years from the converter. The boost buck converter does the same thing as a regulated output on a power station.