Jackery Power Station question.

[OVERMTN]

I’m looking to power an ARB Zero 47 fridge in my 2019 Jeep JLUR. I know many Overlanders use dual batteries in their rigs. That sounds great, however, I don’t necessarily want to mess with the electrical system in my 4x4, warranty, reliability etc… After hours of research, I narrowed it down to a Jackery Power Station and possibly a solar panel or two. The Jackery type system is mobile and not hardwired into your vehicle and can be used to power many things, charging electronics, run CPAP machines while in a tent, power outages, etc… What do you guys think? Does anyone here have or know about the Jackery Power Station, and if so, how does it work for you? Thank you for any input.

 

[OutdoorsBen]

Jackery is a great choice. However IMO i'd go with the 1000 as it's got an MPPT controller which allows the charge time to be MUCH faster. The 500 is a great unit too but it takes much longer to charge.

 

[OVERMTN]

That's good to know. Thank you!

 

[JKU Ray]

I''ve heard good things about the Jackery. If/when you get one please let us know how it works out for you!

 

[OVERMTN]

I will.

 

[carlospalooza]

I just bought a Jackery 500 to power an ARB 35L fridge. I also bought the Solar Saga 60 watt panels. The Jackery had trouble keeping up with the 50-60 watt demand of the fridge over a 3 day camping trip in mid 70s weather. The solar panels performed well (mid 50 watts) when positioned toward the sun properly. Even with the panels, the 500 wouldn’t last a day powering the fridge. Granted, I had the fridge filled to the hilt with no room for cold air to circulate. The conditions weren’t ideal but that’s what part of the trip was all about. To test my gear. I recommend the Jackery 1000 with at least 100 watt panels. The 1000 should handle most appliances and gadgets when camping or overlanding.

 

[bradxn]

I recently started using a Jackery 1000 with an ARB ZERO 73qt fridge/freezer and have been getting about 48 hours on a charge. So far I've only been out for a weekend at a time, so it has worked out well, but solar panels are probably in my future...

 

[Shokgoblr]

Can the Jackery be recharged while driving? What kind of charge rate/speed does tht get?

 

[bradxn]

Can the Jackery be recharged while driving? What kind of charge rate/speed does tht get?

Yes...I keep mine plugged into an inverter that only provides power while the engine is running. I haven't measured actual performance, but Jackery claims a full recharge takes 7 hours with the AC adapter or 14 hours with the 12VDC adapter (for the Jackery 1000).

 

[OVERMTN]

Yes...I keep mine plugged into an inverter that only provides power while the engine is running. I haven't measured actual performance, but Jackery claims a full recharge takes 7 hours with the AC adapter or 14 hours with the 12VDC adapter (for the Jackery 1000).

So, you plug your Jackery 1000 into your vehicle while driving so it charges it, then when you stop, you run your fridge using the Jackery? What happens if you plug your fridge into the Jackery and the Jackery into your vehicle while driving? Will that keep the Jackery fully charged while still powering the fridge?

 

[bradxn]

Sorry, the fridge is always plugged into and powered by the Jackery. When I'm home, the Jackery is plugged into the wall so it's fully charged when I leave (and it keeps the fridge going). When I'm not at home, the Jackery is plugged into the truck's inverter which keeps the Jackery fully charged and the fridge going while I'm underway. Once I stop somewhere, I seem to have about 48 hours before the Jackery shuts itself off due to a low battery. What I haven't measured yet is how long it really takes to fully charge the Jackery while it is powering the fridge; presumably this will be longer than it takes to charge the Jackery while it's not powering anything.

 

[carlospalooza]

My previous comment about the Jackery 500 mainly dealt with the unit not being charged by anything except the Saga 60 solar panels. When the unit got too low, I charged with either my cars 12v lighter, or in some cases, I wired clamps directly to my car battery and into the 8mm charge connector. So the unit will charge while in use. The downside and risk was running down my starting battery but I was with friends in case I ran out of starting juice. If you have a mix of driving and solar, of course the Jackery’s lifespan would be extended. Also keeping your fridge well ventilated and in the shade helps as well if stationary. I plan on sticking with my 500 and allow for charging options wherever possible.
I’m not sure if I would keep the Jackery in use and charging all of the time since that may decrease the overall lifespan of the unit since there is a finite amount of charge cycles. I don’t remember what the expected charge cycles are for the Jackery.

 

[OVERMTN]

Thank you!

 

[OutdoorsBen]

I do not have a Jackery, yet. I will get the 1000 when it goes on sale for 899 again. However I do have a 444wh battery, which will remain nameless as it's had some problems. I also have a 31qt fridge with a danfross so the compressor time is very comparable to an ARB/pre this gen Dometic for the size. Anyway, I get about 36hrs with my 444wh battery running my fridge without recharging. I also have a rockpals folding 100w solar panel that often is on the jeep when it's stopped. Laying flat not angled at the sun. I never run out of power with that setup if i'm parked even remotely in the sun. In the summer the sun comes up at say 5am and by the time I get out to my jeep at 8am the battery is topped off no issues. Everyone's setup will be different due to sun, solar panel gathering, fridge draw etc... However that's what "works" for me. Now with that said I'm getting an Engel fridge of a larger capacity and a Jackery 1000 as a family of 4 with two growing children that 31qt isn't cutting it for 4 day's out in the bush.

 

[OVERMTN]

I think the best bet would be the 1000 or even the 500 and solar, that seems like it would work best for Overlanding.

 

[HIALT2D]

I just purchased the Jackery 1000 & the Jackery 100w foldable solar panel. I have a 62 L TruckFridge dual zone, dual lid, chest fridge coming on Friday. We aren't going anywhere until the fires die down a bit, which could be at least a couple of weeks. In the mean time, I'll do a little experimenting with the new set up in order to get some general idea of what my power draw will be, how well the solar panel works, what my charge times will be, Etc.

Once I have some worthwhile info., I'll report back on this thread...

 

[OVERMTN]

I just purchased the Jackery 1000 & the Jackery 100w foldable solar panel. I have a 62 L TruckFridge dual zone, dual lid, chest fridge coming on Friday. We aren't going anywhere until the fires die down a bit, which could be at least a couple of weeks. In the mean time, I'll do a little experimenting with the new set up in order to get some general idea of what my power draw will be, how well the solar panel works, what my charge times will be, Etc.

Once I have some worthwhile info., I'll report back on this thread...

That sounds awesome, I bet many people will be interested. Thank you!

 

[OVERMTN]

I just received my Jackery 1000 . Yesterday at about 5:30am put my ARB Zero 47 fridge in my Jeep and plugged it into the Jackery with 100% charge, set to 35 degrees. I drove to work where it spent the day parked in a hot Jeep. This morning at 6:00am it was at 70% charge. I will continue until the Jackery is depleted, and let you know how long it powers the fridge. Note: I live in Northern California and the temperature has been in the 90's. I'll keep you posted.

 

[OVERMTN]

Second day, checked it at 6am, Jackery is at 46%.

 

[OVERMTN]

I made it 88 hours on one charge running my ARB Zero 47 at 35 degrees. I stopped my test at 7% charge. I hooked up two Jackery 100w solar panels and within four hours, the charge was at 46% (with fridge running). I live in the foothills with many trees. It seemed that every time I looked at the solar panels they were in the shade and I had to adjust them, "PIA." With two panels, I was pulling around 140w in direct sun with smoke haze. One panel was exactly half. So far, I love this system. I ended up plugging the fridge into the Jackery, and switched my rear 12v plug to only power when the Jeep is running. Now the Jackery charges while I drive, yet runs the fridge 100% while Jeep is off. The only negative I see is: The fridge 12v plug wiggled out of the Jackery two times within two hours of driving. Luckily the ARB alerts you when it loses power. I need to figure out a way to keep the plug in while driving. Overall, I think this is a great alternative to a dual battery system.