Portable solar panel/generator

[North American Sojourner]

One thing we all need is power when we are out in the middle of nowhere. I have used a large jump for a while now and I haven’t had any problems on “shorter” trips, but charging that takes so long and has to be plugged into the wall.

I’m saying that I am looking for suggestions on a solar setup.
- it can’t be fixed in place
- must easily pack away
- and hopefully can’t break the bank

I have looked at GoalZero and Jackery but I would love suggestions!

Any help??

I bought my solar kit directly from the source and fab'd up a charging station. (I'm a photographer, videographer, fly drones and other silly crap) At one time I was charging 9 items. I had 8 ports. LOL. It's a lot of fun to build things, and see them in action. If you need some help, let me know. We're here to teach, and provide advice.
Zim

 

[lhoffm4]

I bought my solar kit directly from the source and fab'd up a charging station. (I'm a photographer, videographer, fly drones and other silly crap) At one time I was charging 9 items. I had 8 ports. LOL. It's a lot of fun to build things, and see them in action. If you need some help, let me know. We're here to teach, and provide advice.
Zim
View attachment 217312View attachment 217313

That looks bad-ass!

 

[North American Sojourner]

That looks bad-ass!

Thanks. It was fun, and I'm getting ready to do it again. Toyota sold, have the F250 now. Shell is for sale, $1000 or scrap, which ever comes first. LOL

 

[lhoffm4]

Thanks. It was fun, and I'm getting ready to do it again. Toyota sold, have the F250 now. Shell is for sale, $1000 or scrap, which ever comes first. LOL

looking forward to seeing the new install!

 

[Countryboy20241]

One thing we all need is power when we are out in the middle of nowhere. I have used a large jump for a while now and I haven’t had any problems on “shorter” trips, but charging that takes so long and has to be plugged into the wall.

I’m saying that I am looking for suggestions on a solar setup.
- it can’t be fixed in place
- must easily pack away
- and hopefully can’t break the bank

I have looked at GoalZero and Jackery but I would love suggestions!

Any help??

When it came to power for me I just spent some money upfront and went with a bluetti eb150 solar generator, it last forever and worked great across my trip through Colorado and Utah offroading, I used a victron dc to dc charger wired into the truck to charge while I drive and offroad.

 

[Countryboy20241]

One thing we all need is power when we are out in the middle of nowhere. I have used a large jump for a while now and I haven’t had any problems on “shorter” trips, but charging that takes so long and has to be plugged into the wall.

I’m saying that I am looking for suggestions on a solar setup.
- it can’t be fixed in place
- must easily pack away
- and hopefully can’t break the bank

I have looked at GoalZero and Jackery but I would love suggestions!

Any help??

I use a Bluetti 1500 and it does just about anything you want.

 

[jimmyjamson]

Well, the likely easiest setup would be just buying a Minnkota trolling motor battery box and sticking a cheap 100amp hour flooded or AGM battery in there. Then, buy yourself a 100 watt folding solar panel power generator +charge controller kit off Amazon and you have yourself a simple yet effective charging station. You could also run cabling from your starter battery to the back cargo area and attach your battery box to charge while driving.

The Minnkota box is great though (or Newport), has built in breakers, volt meter, usb ports, 12v outlet, exc.

Buy that, a battery, folding solar panel kit, and misc cabling and you will have yourself a nice battery generator for around $300-400 bucks, really just depends on the battery type you get. Add a few more bucks if you install a simple dual battery option with some anderson plugs or something for when you are on the road. Easily removable.

For a portable solar setup, consider the Jackery Explorer 300/500, EcoFlow River 2, or Bluetti EB3A, paired with foldable solar panels like the Jackery SolarSaga or Renogy Eclipse. For budget options, brands like ALLPOWERS or Rockpals offer reliable alternatives. Ensure compatibility between the generator and panels, and look for pass-through charging for convenience. These options are lightweight, packable, and great for off-grid trips.