Solar generator for powering laptop?

[SCOTTinNJ]

kayt, just to be sure you are following along, what we are saying is to buy a small inverter like this 200w unit. You would then plug that into the 12V socket by your stereo. You really could use that to charge your laptop, phone, and tablet.

(If you have a car charger for your phone and tablet that you can plug directly into the 12V socket, you can do that because it will be a little more efficient)

If you wanted a larger inverter to power additional items, you'll have to step up to one that gets hard wired directly to your batteries. This is the only part that would be complicated, and frankly it's not that complicated if you are somewhat mechanically inclined and can read directions. Or have someone local that can help. An inverter like that would typically be in the 600W to 1000W range. I wouldn't go much larger with the stock battery bank.

[KristiBear]

I have seen this suggested elsewhere and frankly I still don't understand the usefulness. You essentially are just bringing an extra battery that cost you $450. For that same $450 you'd be much better off - in my opinion - investing in solar as a way to charge the batteries that you already have in your trailer.

Certainly, to each his own, but we have solar that tops off our batteries and have still run our house batteries down at night watching a movie with those parts plugged into the inverter. (Discovered this the hard way, when the furnace fan couldn’t come on one cold night.) We’ve also spent many foggy days boondocking at the coast when the solar had little effect and we were forced to run our generator to recharge our house batteries after running them down using our inverter to recharge laptops.

The Yeti has seamlessly solved all of that. We can plug anything into it – USB devices and regular wall plugs. Would buy it again in a second.

[kayt]

Scott, thanks for the link to the 200v inverter-- that looks like just what I need (my laptop and MIFI both have plugs, not USB charge cable).

TBRich, thanks for the instructions on how to find the factory inverter-- it doesn't look like I have one because there is no extra switch near the Systems Monitor.

[Jim Foster]

Your Verizon MIFI operates on USB 5.5volts. You can get a cigarette lighter plug at Walmart and many other places, with a USB output, that will run your MIFI. Your laptop is another story.

[SCOTTinNJ]

Originally Posted by KristiBear

Certainly, to each his own, but we have solar that tops off our batteries and have still run our house batteries down at night watching a movie with those parts plugged into the inverter. (Discovered this the hard way, when the furnace fan couldn’t come on one cold night.) We’ve also spent many foggy days boondocking at the coast when the solar had little effect and we were forced to run our generator to recharge our house batteries after running them down using our inverter to recharge laptops.

The Yeti has seamlessly solved all of that. We can plug anything into it – USB devices and regular wall plugs. Would buy it again in a second.

At the end of the day all you have done is added an extra 33 amp hours to your battery bank with no ability to charge it short of your generator or shore power.

You wouldn't be much short of that switching your group 24 batteries to group 27 and you'd be over double that by going to 6v batteries.

Still not understanding the benefit but I'm glad it's working for you.