Battery Inverter as the main generator

[cazual6]

Has anyone used an ECOFLOW Pro or alike with the 30A plug and used it as a primary generator instead of a gas generator? I like the appeal of putting up solar panels to have "infinite" energy.

My concern is running the AC. How long can it run even with the (2) battery expansion and the solar panels?

My other concern is weight. Carrying (2) Yamaha inverter generator and a (5) gallon jerry can is doable. However, carrying the inverter, (2) battery banks and a solar panel might become overwhelming in space and weight.

*Bonus question, do you guys know of any company that would rent ECOFLOW-type inverter to try on the field?

[dee_gee]

Your solar energy will only be as "infinite" as the sunlight you can receive. Clouds, atmospheric conditions, trees, angle to the sun -- lots of things could sub-optimize the recharging of the battery unit.

[Shiny16]

Originally Posted by dee_gee

Your solar energy will only be as "infinite" as the sunlight you can receive. Clouds, atmospheric conditions, trees, angle to the sun -- lots of things could sub-optimize the recharging of the battery unit.

And the amount of batteries to hold collected solar.

This really isn’t a generator. Why not just add some solar panels and lithium batteries to your camper? Thats all the solar generator is.

[starlite29]

Hoo boy. You’re going to get a lot of opinions on this. I love lithium power and I own a Tesla but these things are just marketing and in no way replace a gas generator.

The “Ecoflow Pro” is 3.2kwh which at 240v translates to 13 amp hours. That’s going to run an AC unit for a couple minutes. To get the advertised 25kwh you have to chain SIX of these things together. They’re $3500 each.

For camping needs, gas generator all the way. Most people learn pretty quickly that if they need AC they’re going to be a lot happier somewhere with a pedestal, so the generator is really just for topping off the batteries. Buy the Caravan to Carbon Neutral pack to offset, it’s actually a pretty cool partnership with National Forest Foundation.

[Wayne&Sam]

Originally Posted by starlite29

Buy the Caravan to Carbon Neutral pack to offset, it’s actually a pretty cool partnership with National Forest Foundation.

I hadn't seen this. Thanks for the tip.

[Shiny16]

Originally Posted by starlite29

Hoo boy. You’re going to get a lot of opinions on this. I love lithium power and I own a Tesla but these things are just marketing and in no way replace a gas generator.

The “Ecoflow Pro” is 3.2kwh which at 240v translates to 13 amp hours. That’s going to run an AC unit for a couple minutes. To get the advertised 25kwh you have to chain SIX of these things together. They’re $3500 each.

For camping needs, gas generator all the way. Most people learn pretty quickly that if they need AC they’re going to be a lot happier somewhere with a pedestal, so the generator is really just for topping off the batteries. Buy the Caravan to Carbon Neutral pack to offset, it’s actually a pretty cool partnership with National Forest Foundation.

You could always get a Cyber Truck to hall the 6 units around. I’m not sure where you would put the solar panels.

[Glen Carter]

I bought the Lion Safari ME at Costco to use to replace the generator. It's only 15A, but can run the microwave or my A/C for a little while...

You must turn off the converter when using these or a small generator because the converter will try to charge the batteries and overload generator.

Lion Safari ME Kit

[cazual6]

Originally Posted by Shiny16

And the amount of batteries to hold collected solar.

This really isn’t a generator. Why not just add some solar panels and lithium batteries to your camper? Thats all the solar generator is.

You misunderstood my question. I need it to run the AC. Having an inverter setup to run an AC is also taxing both on weight and $$.

I do have Li-On and Solar Panels on my rig.

[Wazbro]

Originally Posted by cazual6

You misunderstood my question. I need it to run the AC. Having an inverter setup to run an AC is also taxing both on weight and $$.

I do have Li-On and Solar Panels on my rig.

For a stock 15k btu AC figure it will use about 2kwh each hour with the inverter not being 100% efficient. While not exact, that way it's easy to do the math 3.2kwh divide by 2 about 1.6 hours of AC with nothing else running. Then the hard part how long will it take to charge?

[cazual6]

Originally Posted by Wazbro

For a stock 15k btu AC figure it will use about 2kwh each hour with the inverter not being 100% efficient. While not exact, that way it's easy to do the math 3.2kwh divide by 2 about 1.6 hours of AC with nothing else running. Then the hard part how long will it take to charge?

That's what I figured. Thanks

[LADan]

I use the EcoFlow Delta Pro with my AS and it fits right on top of the battery box when camping. I also carry the dual champion 2500 generator to top off the Ecoflow during the day if solar could not top it off. The Ecoflow runs the A/C all night as the A/C turns on and off when the temperature is right on the inside of the AS. I am looking to install the Ecoflow Power Kit 5kwh when the price comes down.

[Bill M.]

I carry one Honda 2000 and an empty 2 gallon gas can. Easy start installed. If we need the AC for day or so I stop and fill the can. The gen runs about 6 hours on the gallon in its tank which I keep full. Weight when traveling is about 55 lbs. I cannot imagine running the AC for a couple of days from an inverter and solar. So far solar power is neither cheap nor powerful for an RV. Generators pretty much are so.