Off Grid Power Jackery and Inverter

[stevelilbigfoot]

So I am in the middle of restoring my Lil Bigfoot 13.5 and am at the point of installing the counter top/fridge etc.

Im not sure I want to install the old Dometic 3 way fridge, not sure how good it is anymore, not keen on a propane fridge (gas, fire etc).

I was thinking I might purchase a basic $200 mini fridge/freezer, install that. And then buy a Jackery 2000 Power station to run the fridge and my CPAP machine and a few other things when camping. I would then buy a 3000 watt pure sine power inverter to charge the Jackery and power the fridge simultaneously from my tow vehicle when driving. Also likely get some solar panels to help out the Jackery when camped - if needed. Does this make sense? has anyone done something similar? it seems simple but I bet its not.

[texastall]

I don't think I will be using propane either unless just a buddy heater. For power I have Bluetti gear so far and was looking at one of these DC to DC chargers. There is a really good video that is on youtube that explains how it works. My panels are portable ones but they can be moved around which prefer. https://www.amazon.com/BLUETTI-Alter...mr_ca_hp_atf_d

[texastall]

to send a reply and it is gone

[tarpkir]

Steve, if you do some research, you'll find out that the Jackery is nothing more than a relatively small 12Vt battery with an inverter stacked on top. You are paying for a lot of marketing. You will get much more bang for the buck buying separate batteries and inverter. You can get an inverter that includes a 12vt charger. (not all have this)

If you want to be power independent you first need:
solar panels
solar charge controller
12vt batteries (lifePO recommended)
1k to 2k inverter. 3,000 watt is definitely overkill in one of these trailers.

There are many websites to help with the calculations of how much power you use during the day, which determines how many batteries you need which determines how many solar panels you need to keep the batteries charged.

If you research, you will also find out that nothing beats propane for energy density. A 12vt refrigerator sounds great, but will require a much larger battery pack. With propane, you can stay off grid for weeks.

[Gerry]

I've always had a problem with Jackery saying it was a power generator! As Richard states, it is nothing more then a battery and a very expensive one at that.
We went cross country in 2019 and used propane and a wet cell battery, (have since went to a gel battery) and just a 100 watt protable, solar panel.

Over the 100 + days on the road, we stayed in full hook-up campgrounds a total of 14 days, the rest of the time was powered by the sun!

[BizCrate]

I had a 2021 Scamp 13 with a 12v fridge by Dometic, standard at the time because Dometic was not making 3-way anymore in that size. I had a Jackery 1000, the standard 88ah flooded battery and 300 watt solar panels - 200 for the Jackery and a 100 folding suitcase that I clipped to the house battery.
I camp in the bright, sunny southwest - mostly boondocking. I have a CPAP, all my lights are LED, little if any furnace use (I had propane for that but the furnace fan draws 12v).
I tell you all of this because the flooded house battery was tanked every night by dawn. The Jackery helped but got drawn down pretty far. I changed out the stock battery for an AGM 100 Ah and tanked that, too. The "highly efficient" electric fridge was the culprit.
Do your calculations carefully. The fridge may be "highly efficient" but the draw is still significant and it may cycle more than you think.
I sold the Scamp within a year and the new camper has a 3-way fridge. I get that many folks are leery of "fires" or propane on board. Campers have been carrying propane for decades. I'd like to get rid of fossil fuels in every aspect of my life. Unfortunately, I don't believe we are quite there yet. Soon, I hope ...but ...

[Perryb67]

Two years ago my wife Terry started using a CPAP. According to our Victron BMV-712 shunt, when using our Progressive Dynamics 2,000 watt inverter, it used 30-40 amp hours a night when using humidity. We then purchased a 12v power block for the CPAP and it uses 15-20 amps a night. Inverters are not that efficient, yes, that includes Victron inverters, so ours is always turned off unless needed.

Those Jackery power stations are NOT cheap. For less than half the price I can install batteries, a Victron BMV-712 shunt, and a 2000 watt inverter, for $1,200-1,500 and have twice the power, plus it's easy to add batteries later on.

If I want a different inverter I just have to replace the inverter, not the whole system. Long term, Power stations are extremely expensive long term, but if you have the discretionary money and don't want to install yourself they work for others.

Terry's cousins in Czechia have a power station in their caravan, but it cost around 3,500 euros. They still had to wire the 220v and 12v plugs inside the caravan.

Food for thought,

Perry

[Mike Magee]

I just bought and received a 100Ah LiFePO4 12.8V battery from Siekon. Regular $229 but I caught it on sale for less. Prices have really come down. Weighs 20-some pounds, and it can be drawn down to zero without harm, unlike lead acid which will start to sulfate below roughly 50% discharge. I plan to use it with a 1500W inverter at times. I also want to get a decent inflatable kayak and trolling motor, so the new battery will serve duty there as well.