I'm 59 and been a mechanic for over 40 years. I also have a couple of properties in the mountains. I am getting one of these for my vehicle. The reasons. Solar doesnt charge when the sun goes down. In the winter months the sun goes down at 5pm. Also my nearest Home Depot or Lowes is 45 minutes to an hour away. So at night i can put my Bluetti power station in my truck and within 2 hours it should be charged. I usually charge my Milwaukee batteries up with a 12 volt adapter and the charger plugged into that adapter. By the time i get home my spare Milwaukee batteries are charged up. Also for the people who are concerned about the battery. If you buy a new 4-5 year battery. In the first 2 years of use that battery can be exchanged for free. 👍🏾
@wextremeart4399 It will have the vehicles battery power connected to the unit. But it won't be using any vehicle battery power, when it's not charging anything. Like the standard 12 volt power outlets in vehicles now. 👍🏾
The sun barely crests over the trees here in the winter and that is a huge factor for me. Over a few days of regular driving short trips the power station will top off and be ready for the weekend. Now I always have at least some power.
@@AdventureGearTV I get it Man. So from 5pm to whenever a person goes to bed you are not getting a charge from solar. Then from 5pm - 6:45am the sun is still not out. So that's over 13 hours of just running off of the power station. Now people can have a noisy generator to charge the station up. And let's say there are 3-4 days straight of cloudy, rainy, or snowy days. How are they charging with no sun ?. But if you have to go into town anyway. Why not just plug it into your vehicle and it be fully charged by the time you get home. 👍🏾 I have 2 bluetti AC200 max power stations. Each one powers half of the home. So I'm pretty set on power.
@2:46 😂 “Don’t ask me how I did it. I did it and It was hard” Thanks for explaining all the pros and some of the risks. I definitely think this setup will work well for casual campers. And you can always pay a stereo installer to run the wires through the firewall if you’re not comfortable doing that part yourself.
I’m definitely going this route over solar panels. I spoke with my dealer. They seem to think my 4Runner can handle the load. The warranty is not voided unless you splice into the wiring. As long as I connect to the battery I’m okay.
@@AdventureGearTVI’m assuming the battery might die out sooner than normal because it’s constantly being charged and drawn from? I would think that’s probably the biggest downside to this.
I have a Bluetti EB3A. I know it's a small unit but I only need it for the 12vdc frig. I saw another Ew Toob video that used a 12vdc to 24vdc convertor that cost a lot less available on Amazon with different models for output amperage needed. I made one up and connect it to a cigarette lighter. Several trips in and I haven't had to use my solar panel. It keeps the EB3A at full charge on even short drives.
The advice I got from an auto elec was that running the car on idle and using the Charger 1 would be bad for the alternator due to the heat produced. He suggested only doing that for 10 mins as a top-up but the Charger 1 should only be used while moving which means the air movement helps keep the temperature under control. I'm not sure if it's right or not but it's worth thinking about.
The results would be : If you keep on charging the power station with 500W (without charger input voltage control), the start battery would gradually decrease from 14V (with alternator running) to 12V.... 11.9V. This would overdraw the alternator output and the vehicle's battery meter would sudden drop down.
That would be correct, but the Charger 1 will stop drawing power when the battery’s voltage drops below 13v. So, it does a decent job of protecting the starter battery and overloading the alternator too much.
I don't think that this will replace the solar panels completely. But it is a good additional way of getting the battery/power station charge up if we encounter extended cloudy days. Great instruction on how to install it.😎👍
putting a charger 1 into my grand cherokee suv build, I didn't really think that the strain on the alternator will be that much. That said, I went ahead and installed a new high output 200amp alternator. I'm running with the ac200max currently.
The price of gas at 3:50 a gallon and the amount of time you have to drive around to charge it is not cost efficient solar is free. That’s why we’re doing it in the first place, right? And the more you’re driving in the more chances you have them getting into an accident….. and most of the mechanics I spoke to said that is the worst idea to ever do because you do damage to your car, can end up with a dead battery, short out your electrical system, and or have a fire. So basically two mechanics, we’re pretty much adamant about not doing this to my vehicle. not to mention you’re gonna wake up one day in your battery‘s dead at $300 a piece for my battery for my big engine in my giant minivan that I just had to replace not too cost-effective for that. And everybody who has the DC to DC chargers in VanLife always has a problem with it.😢
I am getting one of these for my Pathfinder. I have been a mechanic for over 40 years I have 2 properties in the mountains. One is a 3 1/2 hour drive away. The other is 2 hours away. Home Depot and Lowes are 45min to 1 hour away. So if I need to charge up my power station at night. I can put it in my truck and in 2 hours most likely have it fully charged by the time I get home. Remember solar doesn't charge at night. Has low charge on cloudy, rainy, or snowy days. It's also dark at 5pm where I am right now. It will be this way until March. I have a 48 month battery in my truck. 750cca battery. I just bought it a month ago. If you buy a vehicle battery with a warranty they will replace the battery for free during it's first 2 years of use. The charging system in a vehicle can handle the extra load especially when on a long drive. Remember. The a/c, radio, and lights are all drawing on the system, when used at night. The vehicles charging system can handle the extra load.
A lot of times I’ll park in the forest where the sun doesn’t hit the panels. So it’s best to have a second source to work with them. It does take time to charge, but I’m usually a few hours away from my destination anyway. So plenty of time to get a charge.
I don't think it is either or proposition, a lot depends on application and the abundance of sunny days. Solar has its palce and so is DC-DC charging. In my rig, I've 3 ways of charging: solar/alternator/shore power, all 3 methods have served me well. When stationary, I charge via shore power, when the sun is out--solar is doing its magic, and when driving, I'm charging both solar/alternator. Had I lived in the sunny part of the country, I probably wont need alternator chaeging but I live in the PNW, alternator charging is a must per geography. In the final analysis, both solar/alternator changing have their place snd depends on user application.
I lean towards your thoughts on this. It’s good to have some options. In my case I frequently camp in the forest with minimal sun so the charger will help in between trips. I also don’t post up for extended periods.
@@AdventureGearTV Exactly, it all depends on individual needs. I'm running a well resourced ProMaster van, so I've got the real estate on the roof and I use the rig year round and it's power hungry.
Thanks for the awesome update! Isn’t that your same old Sienna?! I have a ‘21 Sienna hybrid LE with the battery in the back that’s easily accessible. Will the Bluetti Charger 1 kill my hybrid system!? Any thoughts are much appreciated.
Hi, the battery in the back is fine. There might be a bigger drop in voltage from the alternator to the battery. I have seen that someone hooked one of the EcoFlow versions up to their 21+ hybrid, but don’t know how it has held up. My main concern is that the gas engine doesn’t always run and can cause abnormal operation while cycling on/off.
I didn’t realize you got rid of the Jeep. I also have a 2015 Sienna AWD and also bought those inserts for the 3rd row that you showed in another video. They’re hard to access but I like the storage. The legs on my bed sit perfectly on the hard plastic part of the insert. I bought a Yakima swing hitch and cargo box but I feel like I still need more storage lol probably just need to thin out what I’m taking with me lol I leave for Quartzsite January 1st
Hey, awesome video, thank you! Given a powerful enough alternator and professionally installed wiring system to support that much power (though not nearly as much power as what people do with custom audio installations), do you know if it'd possible to run two Charger 1s simultaneously, into the same Elite 200 V2 unit, in order to max out the 1000W input? Also, can the Charger 1 charge the car's battery? Cheers!
havent seen this asked anywhere. can you use this with a hybrid or full electric vehicle? not sure it would work since they probably have voltage etc. fully tweeked not to give off excess power the bluetti charger can use.
My only concern with the hybrid model is that you would still need to hookup to the starter battery. So, the charger will only work when the gas engine is running. Unfortunately, I’m not very familiar with the hybrid Sienna yet.
I just replaced my alternator two years ago to make sure I didn’t break down anywhere….. that cost me $600! I think I’m still sticking with the solar, especially after that bill😢
@AdventureGearTV yes it did, that was very expensive lesson and I have the same engine as an F-150. For some reason the alternator just died. And I have nothing to do with the rest of my engine. And it was in good shape before I did all that 😞 so I went right back to solar 🤷😁
I installed a power port or 3rd cigarette liter in the dash of my truck with a wire to the fuse box 10gauge 30amp fuse to charge 18 volt millwauke batteries i have had them swapped out constantly all day and have had to use my noco jump pack to start the truck after a long day optima red top is the only starter batteries i own 7now i will tie an xt60i to the mc4 and try this driving
@@Bobster986 to make it more universal. So, not necessarily MC4, but standard leads coming out. The EcoFlow Alternator Charger currently only works with a few power stations.
I don’t think EcoFlow designed it for universal use, they made it specifically for their units. You know the old saying, right? Jack of all trades, master of none. But! If you own an EcoFlow generator and alternator charger, you can charge any other manufacturer generator by simply plugging it in to the EcoFlow while plugged into the alternator charger, so really, it is a universal unit when you think about it.
I'm 59 and been a mechanic for over 40 years.
I also have a couple of properties in the mountains.
I am getting one of these for my vehicle.
The reasons. Solar doesnt charge when the sun goes down.
In the winter months the sun goes down at 5pm.
Also my nearest Home Depot or Lowes is 45 minutes to an hour away. So at night i can put my Bluetti power station in my truck and within 2 hours it should be charged.
I usually charge my Milwaukee batteries up with a 12 volt adapter and the charger plugged into that adapter.
By the time i get home my spare Milwaukee batteries are charged up.
Also for the people who are concerned about the battery. If you buy a new 4-5 year battery. In the first 2 years of use that battery can be exchanged for free. 👍🏾
Yea but when u cut the car off it will also cut off right
@wextremeart4399 It will have the vehicles battery power connected to the unit.
But it won't be using any vehicle battery power, when it's not charging anything.
Like the standard 12 volt power outlets in vehicles now. 👍🏾
The sun barely crests over the trees here in the winter and that is a huge factor for me. Over a few days of regular driving short trips the power station will top off and be ready for the weekend. Now I always have at least some power.
@@AdventureGearTV I get it Man.
So from 5pm to whenever a person goes to bed you are not getting a charge from solar. Then from 5pm - 6:45am the sun is still not out. So that's over 13 hours of just running off of the power station. Now people can have a noisy generator to charge the station up. And let's say there are 3-4 days straight of cloudy, rainy, or snowy days. How are they charging with no sun ?.
But if you have to go into town anyway. Why not just plug it into your vehicle and it be fully charged by the time you get home. 👍🏾
I have 2 bluetti AC200 max power stations. Each one powers half of the home. So I'm pretty set on power.
@2:46 😂 “Don’t ask me how I did it. I did it and It was hard”
Thanks for explaining all the pros and some of the risks. I definitely think this setup will work well for casual campers. And you can always pay a stereo installer to run the wires through the firewall if you’re not comfortable doing that part yourself.
I’m not used to contorting into the position needed to get my arm in the right spot like I used to be. Lol. Thanks for stopping in!
I’m definitely going this route over solar panels. I spoke with my dealer. They seem to think my 4Runner can handle the load. The warranty is not voided unless you splice into the wiring. As long as I connect to the battery I’m okay.
@@joesoutdoorplaces I don’t think it’s that big of a tax on the system. I suppose I’ll know in a few years if it ever causes a problem.
@@AdventureGearTVI’m assuming the battery might die out sooner than normal because it’s constantly being charged and drawn from? I would think that’s probably the biggest downside to this.
Good video 😊 Happy Holliday 🎉❤ I love your blue shirt it looks warm 😊
Thanks for the kind words! Happy Holidays Yvonne!
I have a Bluetti EB3A. I know it's a small unit but I only need it for the 12vdc frig.
I saw another Ew Toob video that used a 12vdc to 24vdc convertor that cost a lot less available on Amazon with different models for output amperage needed. I made one up and connect it to a cigarette lighter. Several trips in and I haven't had to use my solar panel. It keeps the EB3A at full charge on even short drives.
The advice I got from an auto elec was that running the car on idle and using the Charger 1 would be bad for the alternator due to the heat produced. He suggested only doing that for 10 mins as a top-up but the Charger 1 should only be used while moving which means the air movement helps keep the temperature under control. I'm not sure if it's right or not but it's worth thinking about.
The results would be : If you keep on charging the power station with 500W (without charger input voltage control), the start battery would gradually decrease from 14V (with alternator running) to 12V.... 11.9V. This would overdraw the alternator output and the vehicle's battery meter would sudden drop down.
That would be correct, but the Charger 1 will stop drawing power when the battery’s voltage drops below 13v. So, it does a decent job of protecting the starter battery and overloading the alternator too much.
I don't think that this will replace the solar panels completely. But it is a good additional way of getting the battery/power station charge up if we encounter extended cloudy days. Great instruction on how to install it.😎👍
I’m a big fan of having a backup plan. This is a good way to ensure I’m always topped off.
putting a charger 1 into my grand cherokee suv build, I didn't really think that the strain on the alternator will be that much. That said, I went ahead and installed a new high output 200amp alternator. I'm running with the ac200max currently.
The price of gas at 3:50 a gallon and the amount of time you have to drive around to charge it is not cost efficient solar is free. That’s why we’re doing it in the first place, right? And the more you’re driving in the more chances you have them getting into an accident….. and most of the mechanics I spoke to said that is the worst idea to ever do because you do damage to your car, can end up with a dead battery, short out your electrical system, and or have a fire. So basically two mechanics, we’re pretty much adamant about not doing this to my vehicle. not to mention you’re gonna wake up one day in your battery‘s dead at $300 a piece for my battery for my big engine in my giant minivan that I just had to replace not too cost-effective for that. And everybody who has the DC to DC chargers in VanLife always has a problem with it.😢
I am getting one of these for my Pathfinder.
I have been a mechanic for over 40 years
I have 2 properties in the mountains. One is a 3 1/2 hour drive away. The other is 2 hours away.
Home Depot and Lowes are 45min to 1 hour away. So if I need to charge up my power station at night. I can put it in my truck and in 2 hours most likely have it fully charged by the time I get home.
Remember solar doesn't charge at night. Has low charge on cloudy, rainy, or snowy days.
It's also dark at 5pm where I am right now. It will be this way until March.
I have a 48 month battery in my truck. 750cca battery. I just bought it a month ago. If you buy a vehicle battery with a warranty they will replace the battery for free during it's first 2 years of use.
The charging system in a vehicle can handle the extra load especially when on a long drive.
Remember.
The a/c, radio, and lights are all drawing on the system, when used at night.
The vehicles charging system can handle the extra load.
A lot of times I’ll park in the forest where the sun doesn’t hit the panels. So it’s best to have a second source to work with them. It does take time to charge, but I’m usually a few hours away from my destination anyway. So plenty of time to get a charge.
I don't think it is either or proposition, a lot depends on application and the abundance of sunny days. Solar has its palce and so is DC-DC charging. In my rig, I've 3 ways of charging: solar/alternator/shore power, all 3 methods have served me well. When stationary, I charge via shore power, when the sun is out--solar is doing its magic, and when driving, I'm charging both solar/alternator. Had I lived in the sunny part of the country, I probably wont need alternator chaeging but I live in the PNW, alternator charging is a must per geography. In the final analysis, both solar/alternator changing have their place snd depends on user application.
I lean towards your thoughts on this. It’s good to have some options. In my case I frequently camp in the forest with minimal sun so the charger will help in between trips. I also don’t post up for extended periods.
@@AdventureGearTV Exactly, it all depends on individual needs. I'm running a well resourced ProMaster van, so I've got the real estate on the roof and I use the rig year round and it's power hungry.
Thanks for the awesome update! Isn’t that your same old Sienna?!
I have a ‘21 Sienna hybrid LE with the battery in the back that’s easily accessible. Will the Bluetti Charger 1 kill my hybrid system!? Any thoughts are much appreciated.
Hi, the battery in the back is fine. There might be a bigger drop in voltage from the alternator to the battery. I have seen that someone hooked one of the EcoFlow versions up to their 21+ hybrid, but don’t know how it has held up. My main concern is that the gas engine doesn’t always run and can cause abnormal operation while cycling on/off.
@@foolthepity also, this one is a 2015 LE AWD. It looks just like the old one that was a 2014 LE FWD.
I didn’t realize you got rid of the Jeep. I also have a 2015 Sienna AWD and also bought those inserts for the 3rd row that you showed in another video. They’re hard to access but I like the storage. The legs on my bed sit perfectly on the hard plastic part of the insert. I bought a Yakima swing hitch and cargo box but I feel like I still need more storage lol probably just need to thin out what I’m taking with me lol I leave for Quartzsite January 1st
@@originalsixx I missed the van a little too much. I still haven’t settled on where the bed will sit in the end. Enjoy your trip to Q!
Depends on what you're driving and how much you gotta pay for that alternator
My only gripe is how tight the engine compartment is. The alternator is tightly hidden in the bay. Not too difficult to change, but not exactly easy.
Hey, awesome video, thank you! Given a powerful enough alternator and professionally installed wiring system to support that much power (though not nearly as much power as what people do with custom audio installations), do you know if it'd possible to run two Charger 1s simultaneously, into the same Elite 200 V2 unit, in order to max out the 1000W input? Also, can the Charger 1 charge the car's battery? Cheers!
@@Rakkadeedoo hi, I think it would work if they both have the same output voltage. But, there might be a better option out there for higher power.
Love the blue theme!
It feels nice to have a new shirt on!
Blue flannel, blue shades, Bluetti.👍🏽
havent seen this asked anywhere.
can you use this with a hybrid or full electric vehicle?
not sure it would work since they probably have voltage etc. fully tweeked not to give off excess power the bluetti charger can use.
My only concern with the hybrid model is that you would still need to hookup to the starter battery. So, the charger will only work when the gas engine is running. Unfortunately, I’m not very familiar with the hybrid Sienna yet.
I just replaced my alternator two years ago to make sure I didn’t break down anywhere….. that cost me $600! I think I’m still sticking with the solar, especially after that bill😢
Did your alternator actually go bad? Sounds like you know what’s best for you.
@AdventureGearTV yes it did, that was very expensive lesson and I have the same engine as an F-150. For some reason the alternator just died. And I have nothing to do with the rest of my engine. And it was in good shape before I did all that 😞 so I went right back to solar 🤷😁
I ordered one this week.
Let me know what you think once you get it set up! I just ordered a 6 gauge fuse holder with 80 amp fuse to install next to the battery.
👍🏽New sub here. Great video. Clear explanation and demonstration. Thank you so much for providing us with this info.
Glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for joining the family!
I installed a power port or 3rd cigarette liter in the dash of my truck with a wire to the fuse box 10gauge 30amp fuse to charge 18 volt millwauke batteries i have had them swapped out constantly all day and have had to use my noco jump pack to start the truck after a long day optima red top is the only starter batteries i own 7now i will tie an xt60i to the mc4 and try this driving
Good luck with it. You’ve got a decent system worked out.
They are sold out
BLUETTI says more will be available in January.
Why are u showing Walmart its 100+more i rather wait till its back in stock a bluettie
The TH-cam link? Unfortunately, BLUETTI doesn’t have their products directly on TH-cam. Hopefully they do soon?
Did your wife make you trade in your Glady? 😂
She wanted me to keep it. I missed the minivan too much. 🤣
get a 2$ usb "milk warming pad" from china. plug it in. self heating battery upgrade
That’s an excellent idea. I’ll check it out!
It’s not as good of a design as the EcoFlow Alternator Charger.
I like the EcoFlow version, but really wish they produced the MC4 adapter. Then it would be the perfect solution.
Why would you need MC4 connections?
@@Bobster986 to make it more universal. So, not necessarily MC4, but standard leads coming out. The EcoFlow Alternator Charger currently only works with a few power stations.
I don’t think EcoFlow designed it for universal use, they made it specifically for their units. You know the old saying, right? Jack of all trades, master of none. But! If you own an EcoFlow generator and alternator charger, you can charge any other manufacturer generator by simply plugging it in to the EcoFlow while plugged into the alternator charger, so really, it is a universal unit when you think about it.
@ they projected that they would have a universal cable available in late summer. But, I haven’t seen it yet. Maybe soon.
Take your face from the camera
@@MariaM-ms1mk 🤪