Battery and solar

[ontheheel]

I’ve got an EcoFlow Delta 2, and am curious about how to run charging from both solar and the alternator.

I would like to put a panel on the hood and a panel on my SkyCamp 2.0 - there are panels custom cut for both of those.

What’s the best way to run power?

My goal would be to keep my starter battery topped off, as well as the power bank with a mix of solar (when parked) and alternator (while driving).

Related: I couldn’t get my AC outlet on the center console to charge the power bank. When I plugged it in, I could hear the relay inside the EcoFlow switching repeatedly while plugged in. I lowered the max AC charging wattage as low as I could get it (knowing the outlet is limited to 400W), but to no effect. Being able to use that would make a huge impact vs having to use the low wattage 12v outlet in the cargo area.

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[Ogre]

Google "dual battery setup alternator and solar". It provides a wealth of info that's applicable even if you're not adding a battery. Most controllers will shut off the solar when the alternator starts. This is a very common setup with sailboats as well.

 

[cracKen]

I was looking for a solution myself. Was hoping Cascadia4x4 would come out with an integrated solution. I did email them and will wait until they are back in the office on the 23rd for a reply.

The raised hood portion can only seem to fit a 65w panel and not 100w. But There's a lot of area on the top of the roof for a much bigger solar panel. A trickle charger to the battery as well as a powered usb port in the car would be helpful for longer camping trips.

That being said, I did order some parts to permanently mount some eyelets to the battery for my trickle charger for this winter. But having to run an extension cord outside while in a rainy state makes it more inconvenient.

 

[da_jokker]

Maybe not the answer you are looking for, but I have my power station plug into that 12 volt cargo and then everything plugs into the EB55... It keeps it fully charged during the day while we're out running the trails, then for another 30/40 minutes once you shut the bronco off.

That gives me plenty of time to set up camp, and just switch the cable between cargo and solar panels for the input.

You could even probably get an adapter that would let you unplug from the 12v socket and plug it directly into the solar. For me, I just swap plugs at the power station side.

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