Portable Power Station DIY Build -- My Portable Battery System

[cr117]

Love the detail in this post, the planning, the execution... awesome!

Also...

Hey, BATFE & FBI! This guy, right here!

However, is it really only going to last 2 days???

Largely depends on what I have plugged in. Dometic fridges seem to pull around 2A on average, that’ll give me around 50 hours of battery life if that’s the only thing I have plugged in and I don’t recharge it at all. However, if I’m not driving and charging it, I could plug in a couple of solar panels to theoretically recharge it from 0-100% in 7 hours.

Sponsored

 

[Squatch]

Largely depends on what I have plugged in. Dometic fridges seem to pull around 2A on average, that’ll give me around 50 hours of battery life if that’s the only thing I have plugged in and I don’t recharge it at all. However, if I’m not driving and charging it, I could plug in a couple of solar panels to theoretically recharge it from 0-100% in 7 hours.

Well, I'll be waiting for the solar panel update. My rotomolded cooler stayed cold sitting outside in Key Largo for 3 days (left with ice in it). The 7hr recharge would make it worth it, but I want that datalogging.

Showing off a really modular DIY off-grid camping solution with data from your adventures... I'm about to propose.

Seriously, much more interested in this than the rest stop overlanders hawking overpriced gear or rebranded overseas landfill-ware.

 

[Tricky Mike]

Taking orders?

 

[cr117]

Do you have a pic of where it will live in the Bronco? I think you mentioned under the back seat at one point...Would like to see that and how you secure it at some point.

Pictures as requested of potential storage location underneath the back row of seats. As I mentioned, it’s a little tricky to get it wedged under there at first, but once you have the technique, it’s pretty easy, and it doesn’t move around much at all.

 

[cr117]

Taking orders?

Might consider it if you bring your frame horn reinforcements back…

 

[Tricky Mike]

Might consider it if you bring your frame horn reinforcements back…

Oof you drive a hard bargain. BTW, how are you liking the EV6? My wife wants one and with the new 9k WA credit it makes a lease stupid cheap. But I'm not sure we qualify with the income cap.

 

[cr117]

Oof you drive a hard bargain. BTW, how are you liking the EV6? My wife wants one and with the new 9k WA credit it makes a lease stupid cheap. But I'm not sure we qualify with the income cap.

Love it! We put almost 100 miles on it everyday to get to work and back and only use around 30% of the battery. Have it configured to charge at home at 10pm and it’s usually back to full by midnight. Super comfortable, really quiet, and only one minor infotainment issue so far (dealership fixed under warranty).This is the first Kia I’ve ever owned, my perception has completely changed about the brand from what it was 10 years ago. I think the only thing we’d trade this in for would be the EV9, due to our family likely growing out of it in a couple years.

 

[cr117]

BTW, @Tricky Mike, your compressor fits perfectly in the same case. I've been debating whether or not to modify a 2nd case I keep the compressor in to make it easier to plug in and connect hoses. The issue is I still have to open the lid to allow for air flow and cooling while in use, so there's not much benefit. We'll see if I get bored at some point in the future though, I might just come up with something for it.

 

[FerkinBlonco]

Well, I'll be waiting for the solar panel update.

+1 on waiting for the panel update! I've been thinking of rigging up some sort of DIY solar horror show to my roof rack that would plausibly withstand 70+mph winds without decapitating unwary bystanders. From what I'm seeing here, I feel like @cr117 might rig up something clever.

Cool battery suitcase! I wish lithium was a little easier to get 'hold of in my parts. This looks like a fun project!

 

[Imaginary Friend]

Super cool. I might need to duplicate this...

 

[mpeugeot]

This is "da bomb", nicely done. It's very slick.

 

[cr117]

+1 on waiting for the panel update! I've been thinking of rigging up some sort of DIY solar horror show to my roof rack that would plausibly withstand 70+mph winds without decapitating unwary bystanders. From what I'm seeing here, I feel like @cr117 might rig up something clever.

Cool battery suitcase! I wish lithium was a little easier to get 'hold of in my parts. This looks like a fun project!

Thanks! For my solar panel, since I likely won't be using it while driving, I'm envisioning sliding it underneath my roof rack's cross bars into some brackets I'll have to make. I want to be able to store them up there along with other stuff on top of the rack, while being able to easily slide them out when I get to camp.

 

[cr117]

Plugged it in and charged the battery to 100% to set the monitor's max capacity setting. According to the monitor, with everything unplugged and the system on, the internal components only run on 0.2A (most of that coming from powering the monitor display). That means if I leave the power station on, but with nothing plugged in, it'll keep running for around 20 days. Thinking back on this now, I should probably verify this figure with a multimeter.

Next up is to cycle it back to 0% to test the low voltage warning and the cutoff level. Just need to find something to plug in and drain it relatively quickly... air compressor should do the trick.

 

[JEMSA]

Beautiful work and great design. Where did you tap ignition? I was looking for run indication for my charger, given auto-stop at traffic lights vs ignition.

 

[Squatch]

Thanks! For my solar panel, since I likely won't be using it while driving, I'm envisioning sliding it underneath my roof rack's cross bars into some brackets I'll have to make. I want to be able to store them up there along with other stuff on top of the rack, while being able to easily slide them out when I get to camp.

I was just about to reply and say the panels shouldn't be permanently setup on a roof rack. Although, while you're making brackets, you may want to consider both an adjustable-tilt easel-like stand for campground setup on the ground and a way to attach them to the rack after gear is off and you're parked. I'm sure you could incorporate both modes into one stand/brackets. Some campsites may have blocked sunlight and the Bronco will be your best bet as a surface.


Too bad you don't have the gunner's hatch top or you could make turret mounted assault solar panels!!

Sponsored