I mentioned in the video that you can set it to slow charging mode in the app. If you're wondering why they offer that setting, it's because experts believe lithium-ion batteries will last longer as slow charging produces less heat and stress. I keep mine set to slow charging.
Thank you so much. We don't see many videos about the power stations that have been in use for 3, 4, 5 plus years. I just mostly see videos about people who've own the same unit for a few months. My only suggestion is consider adding that to a video title like: EcoFlow after 18 months of use, or Ecoflow after 3 years of use, or Bluetti after 3 years of use. Because I search and searched for " the same power station used for years" power stations's longevity of use & performance, before I decided to click on this video and behold you mentioned you got it 18 months ago. Thank you again.❤😊
That's a good point; I wrote "18 months" on the first line of the description, but that only shows up when people search videos in list format. I'll add that to the title - thanks for your help. I think the main reason why so many TH-cam videos only show the power stations after a few months of use is because so many TH-camrs in the US were posted a free power station in exchange for talking about it. But 2-3 months is not long enough to test it out in all seasons.
Hi , I bought river 2 and 160w solar panel from Ecoflow just a month ago. Powerstation is ok, but I have a problem with the solar panel: first weeks it gave me 110w but now it just give me no more than 70w.
The amount of solar you get is going to vary because some days there is more cloud or you've put the solar panel out at a different angle. The other problem I've found, that I mentioned in my video, is that the digital counter is not accurate when it's powered by solar. Your best bet is to test out another solar panel with it and see if that gives better results, so you can see if it's an issue with the panel or the power station.
So, I'd try out a different solar panel so you can ensure the power station is working fine. If your Ecoflow solar panel has a problem, it's still under warranty so you have plenty of time to return it if necessary, but they'll want to know you've tried out different scenarios first to isolate whether the issue is the power station or the panel.
@@caravanlifenz yes, i talked to them, they offer me to return my new panel and get a refurbished panel in exchange. I dont know if It wiill work fine or how long the process will take, It is quite frustrating.
Invaluable! Thanks for the experience and providing so much detail. (I had no idea that QLD runs a different main voltage :) Disappointing that panel performance is not good on a cloudy day. I'm looking at a 12mth old River 600 Pro (720Wh) + 120W panel for a good price, and I'm thinking a 3rd party panel could provide better solar performance. The 720Wh expansion battery still seems to be stocked in NZ.
Thank you. I bought my generic 180W solar panel for my caravan roof from GoodsDirect2U in Rangiora (I collected it when I stayed at the holiday park out there) and it performs well. I chose the EcoFlow solar panel for my EcoFlow power station purely because the warrant is void if you use unbranded solar panels with it, but since my warrant is about to expire anyway, next time I buy a cheap solar panel I'll try it out with the power station and see if gives me better cloudy day performance.
It's great being able to use your laptop and phone when you're camping. Even if you can't pick up an internet signal, it's just nice to be able to read an e-book or write down ideas or to-do list on the laptop.
They are good to have ...for me its the no more dragging the extension cord out to work on my car .. now I have power right on the spot ..I might have gotten carried away with 4 units 🤔...but at least I'm ready for the next power outage 🙂
That's right. And your other alternative is a generator, but they are extremely heavy as they run on diesel or petrol, and you have to buy a tin of fuel from the petrol station for them. Power stations are a modern, no mess way to access power. I used to lie the solar panel across my car bonnet or roof, but the panel left some scratches, so it's better to lie them on the ground.
Thanks this was super helpful. We have a Delta and love it but about to get a new to us caravan with no solar. Was contemplating whether to get solar on caravan or just buy the potable solar panels. After watching this think we will go fixed to the caravan. Cheers Cath
I get much more power from the caravan roof panel. I think part of the problem is that the EcoFlow flexible panels have that plastic coating on the surface that seems to inhibit light. My caravan panel doesn't have that problem, but you do have to ensure you wash your caravan roof panels every 2 months or they'll eventually get a layer of dirt on them and block some light. Those truck wash places can wash caravans to prevent that problem.
@@caravanlifenz thanks you have been super helpful. I was just saying to my hubby where the heck do you wash your caravan when you are full time on the road?
That's right; there are truck wash stations for that. They're like a car wash, except they cater to trucks, caravans, motorhomes etc that are tall. Going through that will remove the dirt off the solar panels 🤗
Great information! I needed this. Thank you! How to you make sure you dont charge to 100% or discharge to 0 % if you are not watching it? Eg charging over night
Thank you - that's a great question. In the EcoFlow app, there are a number of settings you can choose. In the app, I've set my EcoRiver River so that 95% is the most it can charge to and then it will just stop charging at that point (you'll see the input watts go to 0 as it just stops charging at the level you choose). To ensure it doesn't discharge to 0%, I just simply avoid using it once it gets below around 30-40% and that way I'm safe as it is nowhere near the harmful 0% over-discharge. There may actually be a setting that prevents it from discharging down to 0% in the app, but I just avoid using it below around 30% anyway. I own four power stations and my caravan battery is 100ah, so I switch to another power station when this one gets low.
Thanks for sharing your experience with the ECOFLOW River. I'm still trying to figure out how to attach the MCA to XT60 cable. The connection instructions in the EcoFlow manual states to connect the positive of the MC4 connector to the positive connector to the EcoFlow solar panel, but the positive connector on the panel and the positive connector on the MC4 Coonector cable are both male connectors and therefore won't connect together. Is the MCA to XT60 solar charging cable the correct cable for the ECOFLOW River and is it supposed to connect positive to positive and begative to negative? I have looked all over and no video really explains the positive/negative connection and ECOFLOW costumer service in the USA is useless!! Any assistance you can give would greatly be appreciated. Thank you!
Are you sure the solar panel you bought actually is an EcoFlow solar panel? I made sure I bought an EcoFlow solar panel from a reputable dealer that is approved to sell EcoFlow products, otherwise you may find you get scammed into buying a cheap knock-off product that isn't an official EcoFlow solar panel and doesn't have the right connectors. Because both my solar panel and River are EcoFlow products, each had a male and female connector that easily clipped together with the other male/female connectors without any issues.
That’s strange I have two (river 2 ) and one ( RIVER ) and they connected instantly with no problem when I use one it automatically connects to the phone. Via. Bluetooth ..
That's really good the app connected well for you. With mine, I have to plug the modem into the power station directly. We do have quite weak internet in the South Island, but I saw a lot of people on the global EcoFlow forums complaining about getting their app connected, so I think it's one of the more common complaints about the product. Once I'd chosen the settings I liked, I haven't needed the app since :)
@@caravanlifenz ... That's strange because the new river 2 ... I could understand that it would connect no problem ... And the first Gen RIVER it connected just as easy and it's older 2 ...yeah all three of mine connect no problem and every time I use one of them it shows up on my phone automatically ...
@@caravanlifenz yeah I don’t use app much once I set the settings for all ( 4 ) units , I just bought a river 2 max I don’t really need the app for anything because it doesn’t control any major features , I think it’s more for the WOW ! Factor .. but I’m very HAPPY WITH MY ECOFLOW UNITS .. yes I got carried away with having ( 4 ) 😃😃
This is great info! Thank you! We're trying to set up our first campervan, and we know very little about power. We want to be able to power a few things for 3 day long trips. These include a portable fridge, phones, lights, and maybe a ceiling vent to extract cooking fumes. I've looked up how to wire a second battery from the starter battery, and we intend to put a 200watt solar panel on the roof. Im pretty nervous about actually doing this, though. What would you recommend? Should we just go with a charger and battery box, or is there an ecoflow that would suit our power needs and end up being easier to install and similar in price?
I paid an auto-electrician to put my caravan solar panel on the roof and wire it to my battery and inverter. There have been a few fatal road accidents in Australia where solar panels detached when the driver was on a highway going 100 kmh, and it killed the people behind them. So I opted to have everything done by a qualified auto-spark for safety reasons and because caravans need to pass the eWOF too. If I was going camping in a tent, I'd choose either battery boxes or power stations and set them up myself, but attaching solar panels to vehicle roofs can be deadly. I'd rather pay a professional than be personally liable for the death of others.
@caravanlifenz oh, I'll be attaching the solar panel to roof racks. The solar power part is less stressful for me compared to getting power from the car. I love to hear your your recommendations for what we should use to power the appliances I listed above. As in, how much Watts or Ah (or whatever it is) we'd need and which set up would be able to provide this.
I couldn't give an opinion without seeing the campervan as there are many factors involved with these set-ups, as well as personal factors (for example, I work 7 days per week, so I have to be able to charge my laptop every day to work). I spent a fair bit of time planning my set-up and researching the retailers to compare prices before committing to buying anything. It's an exciting process though and I enjoyed planning my set-up.
I bet you are glad that you bought the Ecoflow rather than the Bluetti. Videos featuring Bluetti are given to TH-camrs in exchange for a positive review. Also your review is based on you actually using in in real life.
I think that's more in the US that people get a lot of giveaways, and there's a requirement that they have to disclose it at the start of the video, but whether they are honest and disclose it is another matter 😂 I'm finding no quality difference between the cheap no-name brands I've bought and the well known ones, like EcoFlow. The EcoFlow foldable solar panel is deteriorating and only gives me low watts now, because the wiring starts to deteriorate due to folding. I won't be buying an EcoFlow foldable panel again.
😂 Those videos use up so much of my internet data to upload that I just went to the local library and uploaded four at once by connecting to their internet. The supermarket is almost next door, so I may as well work in the library when I'm driving in to do my weekly groceries. How is your summer going?
@@caravanlifenz haven't been away in the caravan so far this year...to hot and school holidays isn't the best time...just at home enjoying the garden for the moment..are you back in nz for awhile?.❤️🇳🇿
You must in the North Island? Canterbury has been too cold and windy this summer. I went to Australia for 6 months. NZ had gone down hill so badly after Labour got in and consumer confidence was at an all time low, so I was losing faith that NZ would ever recover. I used to be a Labour supporter and loved Helen Clark, but this the latest Labour government was crazy. I came back from Aussie when the media reported a change in government in NZ.
I mentioned in the video that you can set it to slow charging mode in the app. If you're wondering why they offer that setting, it's because experts believe lithium-ion batteries will last longer as slow charging produces less heat and stress. I keep mine set to slow charging.
Thank you so much. We don't see many videos about the power stations that have been in use for 3, 4, 5 plus years. I just mostly see videos about people who've own the same unit for a few months. My only suggestion is consider adding that to a video title like: EcoFlow after 18 months of use, or Ecoflow after 3 years of use, or Bluetti after 3 years of use. Because I search and searched for " the same power station used for years" power stations's longevity of use & performance, before I decided to click on this video and behold you mentioned you got it 18 months ago.
Thank you again.❤😊
That's a good point; I wrote "18 months" on the first line of the description, but that only shows up when people search videos in list format. I'll add that to the title - thanks for your help.
I think the main reason why so many TH-cam videos only show the power stations after a few months of use is because so many TH-camrs in the US were posted a free power station in exchange for talking about it. But 2-3 months is not long enough to test it out in all seasons.
Hi , I bought river 2 and 160w solar panel from Ecoflow just a month ago. Powerstation is ok, but I have a problem with the solar panel: first weeks it gave me 110w but now it just give me no more than 70w.
The amount of solar you get is going to vary because some days there is more cloud or you've put the solar panel out at a different angle. The other problem I've found, that I mentioned in my video, is that the digital counter is not accurate when it's powered by solar. Your best bet is to test out another solar panel with it and see if that gives better results, so you can see if it's an issue with the panel or the power station.
@@caravanlifenz yes, i tried different angles and those values were with plenty sunlight but the performance decreased greatly.
So, I'd try out a different solar panel so you can ensure the power station is working fine. If your Ecoflow solar panel has a problem, it's still under warranty so you have plenty of time to return it if necessary, but they'll want to know you've tried out different scenarios first to isolate whether the issue is the power station or the panel.
@@caravanlifenz yes, i talked to them, they offer me to return my new panel and get a refurbished panel in exchange. I dont know if It wiill work fine or how long the process will take, It is quite frustrating.
Invaluable! Thanks for the experience and providing so much detail. (I had no idea that QLD runs a different main voltage :) Disappointing that panel performance is not good on a cloudy day. I'm looking at a 12mth old River 600 Pro (720Wh) + 120W panel for a good price, and I'm thinking a 3rd party panel could provide better solar performance. The 720Wh expansion battery still seems to be stocked in NZ.
Thank you. I bought my generic 180W solar panel for my caravan roof from GoodsDirect2U in Rangiora (I collected it when I stayed at the holiday park out there) and it performs well. I chose the EcoFlow solar panel for my EcoFlow power station purely because the warrant is void if you use unbranded solar panels with it, but since my warrant is about to expire anyway, next time I buy a cheap solar panel I'll try it out with the power station and see if gives me better cloudy day performance.
Thanks I was thinking of buying a power station for camping
It's great being able to use your laptop and phone when you're camping. Even if you can't pick up an internet signal, it's just nice to be able to read an e-book or write down ideas or to-do list on the laptop.
They are good to have ...for me its the no more dragging the extension cord out to work on my car .. now I have power right on the spot ..I might have gotten carried away with 4 units 🤔...but at least I'm ready for the next power outage 🙂
That's right. And your other alternative is a generator, but they are extremely heavy as they run on diesel or petrol, and you have to buy a tin of fuel from the petrol station for them. Power stations are a modern, no mess way to access power.
I used to lie the solar panel across my car bonnet or roof, but the panel left some scratches, so it's better to lie them on the ground.
Thanks this was super helpful. We have a Delta and love it but about to get a new to us caravan with no solar. Was contemplating whether to get solar on caravan or just buy the potable solar panels. After watching this think we will go fixed to the caravan.
Cheers
Cath
I get much more power from the caravan roof panel. I think part of the problem is that the EcoFlow flexible panels have that plastic coating on the surface that seems to inhibit light. My caravan panel doesn't have that problem, but you do have to ensure you wash your caravan roof panels every 2 months or they'll eventually get a layer of dirt on them and block some light. Those truck wash places can wash caravans to prevent that problem.
@@caravanlifenz thanks you have been super helpful. I was just saying to my hubby where the heck do you wash your caravan when you are full time on the road?
That's right; there are truck wash stations for that. They're like a car wash, except they cater to trucks, caravans, motorhomes etc that are tall. Going through that will remove the dirt off the solar panels 🤗
Great information! I needed this. Thank you! How to you make sure you dont charge to 100% or discharge to 0 % if you are not watching it? Eg charging over night
Thank you - that's a great question. In the EcoFlow app, there are a number of settings you can choose. In the app, I've set my EcoRiver River so that 95% is the most it can charge to and then it will just stop charging at that point (you'll see the input watts go to 0 as it just stops charging at the level you choose).
To ensure it doesn't discharge to 0%, I just simply avoid using it once it gets below around 30-40% and that way I'm safe as it is nowhere near the harmful 0% over-discharge. There may actually be a setting that prevents it from discharging down to 0% in the app, but I just avoid using it below around 30% anyway. I own four power stations and my caravan battery is 100ah, so I switch to another power station when this one gets low.
@@caravanlifenz thanks for that information.
Thanks for sharing your experience with the ECOFLOW River. I'm still trying to figure out how to attach the MCA to XT60 cable. The connection instructions in the EcoFlow manual states to connect the positive of the MC4 connector to the positive connector to the EcoFlow solar panel, but the positive connector on the panel and the positive connector on the MC4 Coonector cable are both male connectors and therefore won't connect together. Is the MCA to XT60 solar charging cable the correct cable for the ECOFLOW River and is it supposed to connect positive to positive and begative to negative? I have looked all over and no video really explains the positive/negative connection and ECOFLOW costumer service in the USA is useless!! Any assistance you can give would greatly be appreciated. Thank you!
Are you sure the solar panel you bought actually is an EcoFlow solar panel? I made sure I bought an EcoFlow solar panel from a reputable dealer that is approved to sell EcoFlow products, otherwise you may find you get scammed into buying a cheap knock-off product that isn't an official EcoFlow solar panel and doesn't have the right connectors. Because both my solar panel and River are EcoFlow products, each had a male and female connector that easily clipped together with the other male/female connectors without any issues.
That’s strange I have two (river 2 ) and one ( RIVER ) and they connected instantly with no problem when I use one it automatically connects to the phone. Via. Bluetooth ..
That's really good the app connected well for you. With mine, I have to plug the modem into the power station directly. We do have quite weak internet in the South Island, but I saw a lot of people on the global EcoFlow forums complaining about getting their app connected, so I think it's one of the more common complaints about the product. Once I'd chosen the settings I liked, I haven't needed the app since :)
@@caravanlifenz ... That's strange because the new river 2 ... I could understand that it would connect no problem ... And the first Gen RIVER it connected just as easy and it's older 2 ...yeah all three of mine connect no problem and every time I use one of them it shows up on my phone automatically ...
That's good. It's a common complaint about the unit, but I don't use the app much so it doesn't bother me :)
@@caravanlifenz yeah I don’t use app much once I set the settings for all ( 4 ) units , I just bought a river 2 max I don’t really need the app for anything because it doesn’t control any major features , I think it’s more for the WOW ! Factor .. but I’m very HAPPY WITH MY ECOFLOW UNITS .. yes I got carried away with having ( 4 ) 😃😃
This is great info! Thank you! We're trying to set up our first campervan, and we know very little about power. We want to be able to power a few things for 3 day long trips. These include a portable fridge, phones, lights, and maybe a ceiling vent to extract cooking fumes. I've looked up how to wire a second battery from the starter battery, and we intend to put a 200watt solar panel on the roof. Im pretty nervous about actually doing this, though. What would you recommend? Should we just go with a charger and battery box, or is there an ecoflow that would suit our power needs and end up being easier to install and similar in price?
I paid an auto-electrician to put my caravan solar panel on the roof and wire it to my battery and inverter. There have been a few fatal road accidents in Australia where solar panels detached when the driver was on a highway going 100 kmh, and it killed the people behind them. So I opted to have everything done by a qualified auto-spark for safety reasons and because caravans need to pass the eWOF too.
If I was going camping in a tent, I'd choose either battery boxes or power stations and set them up myself, but attaching solar panels to vehicle roofs can be deadly. I'd rather pay a professional than be personally liable for the death of others.
@caravanlifenz oh, I'll be attaching the solar panel to roof racks. The solar power part is less stressful for me compared to getting power from the car. I love to hear your your recommendations for what we should use to power the appliances I listed above. As in, how much Watts or Ah (or whatever it is) we'd need and which set up would be able to provide this.
I couldn't give an opinion without seeing the campervan as there are many factors involved with these set-ups, as well as personal factors (for example, I work 7 days per week, so I have to be able to charge my laptop every day to work). I spent a fair bit of time planning my set-up and researching the retailers to compare prices before committing to buying anything. It's an exciting process though and I enjoyed planning my set-up.
I bet you are glad that you bought the Ecoflow rather than the Bluetti. Videos featuring Bluetti are given to TH-camrs in exchange for a positive review. Also your review is based on you actually using in in real life.
I think that's more in the US that people get a lot of giveaways, and there's a requirement that they have to disclose it at the start of the video, but whether they are honest and disclose it is another matter 😂 I'm finding no quality difference between the cheap no-name brands I've bought and the well known ones, like EcoFlow. The EcoFlow foldable solar panel is deteriorating and only gives me low watts now, because the wiring starts to deteriorate due to folding. I won't be buying an EcoFlow foldable panel again.
WOW...4 posts in 3hours.. having trouble sleeping??.🤣🤣
😂 Those videos use up so much of my internet data to upload that I just went to the local library and uploaded four at once by connecting to their internet. The supermarket is almost next door, so I may as well work in the library when I'm driving in to do my weekly groceries. How is your summer going?
@@caravanlifenz haven't been away in the caravan so far this year...to hot and school holidays isn't the best time...just at home enjoying the garden for the moment..are you back in nz for awhile?.❤️🇳🇿
You must in the North Island? Canterbury has been too cold and windy this summer.
I went to Australia for 6 months. NZ had gone down hill so badly after Labour got in and consumer confidence was at an all time low, so I was losing faith that NZ would ever recover. I used to be a Labour supporter and loved Helen Clark, but this the latest Labour government was crazy. I came back from Aussie when the media reported a change in government in NZ.