- First Name
- Matt "Rusty" R.
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2021
- Threads
- 87
- Messages
- 1,582
- Reaction score
- 2,214
- Location
- Jupiter, FL
- Website
- www.instagram.com
- Vehicle(s)
- 2022 Ford Bronco Badlands Sasquatch
- Your Bronco Model
- Badlands
- Thread starter
- #1
This setup exists for one reason: I once killed my Bronco in the woods.
Early trip to Ocala National Forest. We rolled in way too late, full darkness. The delay? We had to pick up my buddy’s wife who needed two hours to “shower and get ready”… for a two day camping trip. "Ma’am, the woods do not care about your hair. We’re all about to smell like smoke and bug spray in 20 minutes."
So I did what I had to do and turned on my trusty @Baja Designs ditch lights to set up camp.
Moments later, dead battery.
That was the night I realized I didn’t just need more power. I needed a smarter system where camp power and starting power worked together instead of fighting each other. So the research spiral began. I wanted something I could charge while driving, use at camp, move around easily, and not tethered to a power outlet or a giant solar setup just to stay functional.
At first I ran an earlier charging setup with a Bluetti Charger 1 and small power station. A big improvement. I could store power, run gear, and recharge while driving. But it still felt one directional. Great for camp comfort, not great if I made a mistake and the Bronco battery paid for it. I wanted insurance. Something that didn’t just power camp, but could also help the truck in an ”oh shit" moment.
Bluetti Charger 2 enters the chat. I installed it as a permanent part of the Bronco. Install was easy. I routed the main charge cable down the driver side firewall, passed through the factory firewall gromet, and ran everything cleanly to the cargo area. The unit is mounted directly to my cargo molle panel so it is secure, out of the way, and part of the build instead of loose gear. Now anytime the Bronco is running, it is actively charging my power stations instead of just draining things and hoping Thor, the Thunder God, holds me in his favor.
For power storage I run two units that cover different roles. The Bluetti AC2A is my smaller, portable unit and it lives on my cargo shelf. That is my grab and go power for a heated blanket, charging camera batteries, running my diesel heater, and the random small stuff that always pops up at camp. It is light, easy to reach, and simple to deploy outside the truck.
The Bluetti AC200L is my larger battery and it stays in the Bronco full time as the base power source. It runs my Starlink, keeps my 48qt @WolfBox fridge cold, and handles the heavier loads when we are parked. The game changer is that this system can support the truck’s battery with its reverse charging capabilities, so I can easily carge the OEM battery while running my auxiliary switched lighting, including my roof rack lights, without constantly worrying that I am setting myself up for another Ocala morning. It also supports adding solar as a power input, so you can still charge your gear - even when the truck is parked.
In real use the flow is simple. While driving I am charging. When parked I am running camp. In the morning the Bronco starts like normal. No more watching voltage, no more shutting lights off early, and no more failed starts in the middle of the woods.
When I show the app during trips you can see power flowing in while driving and flowing out while camp is running, and it finally feels like the electrical side of the build matches the rest of the truck. I went from a dead battery in the forest to basically unlimited off grid power with a Bronco that is always ready to move. That peace of mind alone makes this one of the most practical upgrades I have done for overlanding.
A few people have asked what exact gear I am running, so I put everything in one place to make it easy. The Charger 2 that ties into the Bronco, the Bluetti AC2A portable unit, and the Bluetti AC200L main battery are all here if you want to check out the same setup and see how it might fit your build.
Charger 2: https://amzn.to/46hmcgS
AC2A: https://amzn.to/3LYmjar
AC200L: https://amzn.to/4qKf6d7
How are you all handling camp power without risking the truck battery? Are you raw dogging it? Or have you made upgrades?
Would love to hear about your setup. Happy to answer anything about mine.
Early trip to Ocala National Forest. We rolled in way too late, full darkness. The delay? We had to pick up my buddy’s wife who needed two hours to “shower and get ready”… for a two day camping trip. "Ma’am, the woods do not care about your hair. We’re all about to smell like smoke and bug spray in 20 minutes."
So I did what I had to do and turned on my trusty @Baja Designs ditch lights to set up camp.
Moments later, dead battery.
That was the night I realized I didn’t just need more power. I needed a smarter system where camp power and starting power worked together instead of fighting each other. So the research spiral began. I wanted something I could charge while driving, use at camp, move around easily, and not tethered to a power outlet or a giant solar setup just to stay functional.
At first I ran an earlier charging setup with a Bluetti Charger 1 and small power station. A big improvement. I could store power, run gear, and recharge while driving. But it still felt one directional. Great for camp comfort, not great if I made a mistake and the Bronco battery paid for it. I wanted insurance. Something that didn’t just power camp, but could also help the truck in an ”oh shit" moment.
Bluetti Charger 2 enters the chat. I installed it as a permanent part of the Bronco. Install was easy. I routed the main charge cable down the driver side firewall, passed through the factory firewall gromet, and ran everything cleanly to the cargo area. The unit is mounted directly to my cargo molle panel so it is secure, out of the way, and part of the build instead of loose gear. Now anytime the Bronco is running, it is actively charging my power stations instead of just draining things and hoping Thor, the Thunder God, holds me in his favor.
For power storage I run two units that cover different roles. The Bluetti AC2A is my smaller, portable unit and it lives on my cargo shelf. That is my grab and go power for a heated blanket, charging camera batteries, running my diesel heater, and the random small stuff that always pops up at camp. It is light, easy to reach, and simple to deploy outside the truck.
The Bluetti AC200L is my larger battery and it stays in the Bronco full time as the base power source. It runs my Starlink, keeps my 48qt @WolfBox fridge cold, and handles the heavier loads when we are parked. The game changer is that this system can support the truck’s battery with its reverse charging capabilities, so I can easily carge the OEM battery while running my auxiliary switched lighting, including my roof rack lights, without constantly worrying that I am setting myself up for another Ocala morning. It also supports adding solar as a power input, so you can still charge your gear - even when the truck is parked.
In real use the flow is simple. While driving I am charging. When parked I am running camp. In the morning the Bronco starts like normal. No more watching voltage, no more shutting lights off early, and no more failed starts in the middle of the woods.
When I show the app during trips you can see power flowing in while driving and flowing out while camp is running, and it finally feels like the electrical side of the build matches the rest of the truck. I went from a dead battery in the forest to basically unlimited off grid power with a Bronco that is always ready to move. That peace of mind alone makes this one of the most practical upgrades I have done for overlanding.
A few people have asked what exact gear I am running, so I put everything in one place to make it easy. The Charger 2 that ties into the Bronco, the Bluetti AC2A portable unit, and the Bluetti AC200L main battery are all here if you want to check out the same setup and see how it might fit your build.
Charger 2: https://amzn.to/46hmcgS
AC2A: https://amzn.to/3LYmjar
AC200L: https://amzn.to/4qKf6d7
How are you all handling camp power without risking the truck battery? Are you raw dogging it? Or have you made upgrades?
Would love to hear about your setup. Happy to answer anything about mine.
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