Solar Charger (DCDC) Options?

[jad3116]

Looking for recommendations on other solar charger options, other than REDARC, that would support DCDC charging? Especially, if it's been used/tested while on overlanding trips. Thanks

 

[REDARC_Ryan]

Any particular reason you aren't interested in REDARC options?

 

[4x4tripping]

Therer are severall brands around (sterling, votronic, buettner, redarc) . The question is a bit too open / wide - because today you have a lot more options than at 2018 at example.

You can use today a battery box with 3 way charging (220v / 12v / Solar) at example, where you dont need any additonal hardware. There are Brands like Ecoflow / Goalzero at the highend segment, the jackery for those on bugdet.

Here was my "modern Setup" with a batterybox for 1.5 Years, what did runs fine

Vanlife offgrid power solution with solar

The perfect vanlife offgrid power solution while using solar, 12v, 110v/220v Power Sources. An approved overlander setup.

vanlife.4x4tripping.com

You can also do a classic rugged setup, like many did had in the past 15 years, with agm batterys, booster, Inverter. This was my Setup for 8 Years, all components I can recommend too. The link leads to my german blog, but you should be able to see all components:

Die Stromversorgung im Reisefahrzeug

Die Stromversorgung im Reisefahrzeug: Landstrom, 220v Konverter, B2B Ladebooster und Solar - alle wichtigen Komponenten für die Selbstschrauber....

www.4x4tripping.com

They differs from required size and weight, both methods are well know at the overlanding community. The 2nd way you can too upgrade with lifepo4, to save weight but raise costs.

No brand named above has a bad reputation, any are well known.

And too in 2022 there are new components on the market who are worth to study in all details!

So probably you should give us here your complete plan for energy, for discussion one specific component..

trippin

 

[Ubiety]

Been very happy with my Renogy dual charging setup (alternator and solar); very easy/cheap to add Bluetooth monitor to which is awesome for checking in on battery/charge state while driving or at camp.

DCC30S 12V 30A Dual Input DC-DC On-Board Battery Charger with MPPT

Designed to give you options, the Renogy 30A Dual-Input DC-to-DC MPPT On-Board Battery Charger can charge a service battery in two different ways. The multi-stage charger can utilize connected solar panels or an alternator linked to a starting battery.

www.renogy.com

BT-2 Bluetooth Module

Renogy BT-2 is a new generation of Bluetooth module for Renogy solar charge controllers, smart lithium batteries, and inverter chargers, providing wireless monitoring

www.renogy.com

 

[Viking1204]

Any particular reason you aren't interested in REDARC options?

Love my REDARC that I picked up at Expo East last year, keeps my lithium battery topped off with ease!

 

[jad3116]

Any particular reason you aren't interested in REDARC options?

I love Redarc but cost is a big factor for me. I want something that is comparable but my a little less expensive. Curious to know what other options are out there that people have tried.

 

[reaver]

So, I'm going to be the opposite of folks, and recommend NOT going with an all in one unit. I'll explain why.

While an all in one unit that has both DC-DC charging input, as well as solar input is enticing for many reasons, Personally, I feel that it's better to have separate DC-DC and solar charging for one main reason.

Simplicity.

What do you do if the solar charge controller dies all of a sudden? Now you have to replace the entire unit, as opposed to just replacing the solar charger. Same can be said for the DC-DC charger.

Also, the advantage to going with individual units means you have the ability to customize the capacity as you see fit.

Want 20A DC, and 50A solar input at the same time? Do it! Good luck finding that in a single dual use charger.

For example, if you want to charge at 50A with a single unit, you're going to be either 50A DC, 50A solar, or 25A of each at the same time. This is in contrast to rolling your own system, which you can customize to to 50A solar and 50A DC simultaneously.

That being said....if you still want a single unit (and that's totally fine), you have several cheaper options than the Redarc stuff.

The Renogy unit @Ubiety linked above is good.

Kickass also makes an all in one unit that works with their 3 way anderson plug harness out of the box

KickAss DCDC MPPT Solar Battery Charger 12V-24V 25A Pre-wired Anderson

Discover the next level of vehicle battery charging with KickAss DCDC Charger. Designed for durability and performance, this advanced charger is perfect for a reliable dual battery setup. Experience unparalleled efficiency and longevity in diverse conditions. Upgrade your dual battery system...

kickassproducts.com

There's other options on amazon that likely use the same internals as many other units, that are sold under the brand ATEM Power (which I've heard good things about via solar forums).

I might actually try one of these just to see if they work well.

 

[Ubiety]

Kickass also makes an all in one unit that works with their 3 way anderson plug harness out of the box

Was going to link to KickAss' three way Anderson connectors, which I use, but they are out of stock :( I really like KickAss' portable battery box but it is $$$ and has been out of stock for a long while - I used the Renogy charger mentioned above to build my own take on the KickAss battery box. What I like about this "form factor" is that it can easily be connected to alternator and/or solar, it allows for the battery and chemistry of my choice and is portable - meaning it can live in the bed of my truck for driving trips or at camp for base camp trips and function well in either case. Not everybody has the same desires/needs/wants - this is what works for me.

I did look long and hard at the REDARC chargers but in the end price and the ease of adding BlueTooth for monitoring won me over.

 

[reaver]

Was going to link to KickAss' three way Anderson connectors, which I use, but they are out of stock :( I really like KickAss' portable battery box but it is $$$ and has been out of stock for a long while - I used the Renogy charger mentioned above to build my own take on the KickAss battery box. What I like about this "form factor" is that it can easily be connected to alternator and/or solar, it allows for the battery and chemistry of my choice and is portable - meaning it can live in the bed of my truck for driving trips or at camp for base camp trips and function well in either case. Not everybody has the same desires/needs/wants - this is what works for me.

I did look long and hard at the REDARC chargers but in the end price and the ease of adding BlueTooth for monitoring won me over.

I'm going to convert my lifepo4 from the trailer to the same setup. That's gonna be a winter project. That way I can move it between the X, and the trailer.

 

[DRAX]

I highly recommend Victron components, the price, features, and quality can't be beat. I've heard a number of complaints about Redarc chargers being too blocked off in terms of settings and being stuck with various preset stuff and charge algorithms. Basically, it's great if you build out your electrical system according to what they recommend. If you do that then it's largely plug-and-play with some basic setup tasks. That comes with a price, literally.

Victron components have great build quality and support as well as most of their components allowing very specific custom settings to match however you have your electrical set up. There is a steeper learning curve with Victron because of all the various switches and dials you can tweak, but they also come with some defaults that work good enough to get you up and running.

I've set my trailer up with the following:

Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/30 - 100V, 30A MPPT solar charge controller
Victron Orion Smart 12/12 18A DC-DC charger - I connect the trailer to my truck using an Anderson connector which then allows for up to 18A of charge current to charge/maintain the house batteries in the trailer while driving.
Victron BlueSmart IP22 12v 30A 120v -> 12v "shore power" charger - Used to charge/maintain the trailer house batteries while parked at home or at some location with a 120v outlet available.

I can view/monitor/configure all of these with a smartphone app using bluetooth. If/When I upgrade to LiFePO4 batteries I'll also install a BMS with a SmartShunt from Victron.

The great thing with Victron is you can set it up however you want with whatever Victron components you want, you're not stuck buying a complete system that may or may not have all the features you want or may have more features/functionality than you need, which means you either don't get everything you want or you pay for things you don't need.

Nothing against Redarc personally, I think they are a popular name/choice because of all the publicity they buy and for the most part they make decent products. Victron isn't a small company by any means and they don't have to market themselves like Redarc does in order to get business, so while you're not likely to hear many people promoting Victron in the overlanding world they are big in other markets and just so happen to have excellent products suitable for overlanding electrical systems. I find that a lot of people end up in a similar situation where they only know brands that they've heard or seen advertised or promoted by YouTubers, etc, and when they're told to check out Victron they tend to go that route for the reasons I've mentioned.

For example, Redarc has an "off-grid charger kit" that includes a 40A DC-DC charger and the basics to install it for $968. The DC-DC charger does have a built-in MPPT solar charge controller, so that is effectively 2 of my Victron components in one box. There's no 120v -> 12v charger.

For comparison, the Victron components I listed above (Solar charge controller, DC-DC charger, 120v charger) cost me $610.

Just tossing that out there as an option. It won't hurt my feelings if anyone disagrees or does something else, but I'm surprised at how many people don't know about Victron and then they're shocked when they compare the features, functions, and value to other brands.

 

[jad3116]

I highly recommend Victron components, the price, features, and quality can't be beat. I've heard a number of complaints about Redarc chargers being too blocked off in terms of settings and being stuck with various preset stuff and charge algorithms. Basically, it's great if you build out your electrical system according to what they recommend. If you do that then it's largely plug-and-play with some basic setup tasks. That comes with a price, literally.

Victron components have great build quality and support as well as most of their components allowing very specific custom settings to match however you have your electrical set up. There is a steeper learning curve with Victron because of all the various switches and dials you can tweak, but they also come with some defaults that work good enough to get you up and running.

I've set my trailer up with the following:

Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/30 - 100V, 30A MPPT solar charge controller
Victron Orion Smart 12/12 18A DC-DC charger - I connect the trailer to my truck using an Anderson connector which then allows for up to 18A of charge current to charge/maintain the house batteries in the trailer while driving.
Victron BlueSmart IP22 12v 30A 120v -> 12v "shore power" charger - Used to charge/maintain the trailer house bat interies while parked at home or at some location with a 120v outlet available.

I can view/monitor/configure all of these with a smartphone app using bluetooth. If/When I upgrade to LiFePO4 batteries I'll also install a BMS with a SmartShunt from Victron.

The great thing with Victron is you can set it up however you want with whatever Victron components you want, you're not stuck buying a complete system that may or may not have all the features you want or may have more features/functionality than you need, which means you either don't get everything you want or you pay for things you don't need.

Nothing against Redarc personally, I think they are a popular name/choice because of all the publicity they buy and for the most part they make decent products. Victron isn't a small company by any means and they don't have to market themselves like Redarc does in order to get business, so while you're not likely to hear many people promoting Victron in the overlanding world they are big in other markets and just so happen to have excellent products suitable for overlanding electrical systems. I find that a lot of people end up in a similar situation where they only know brands that they've heard or seen advertised or promoted by YouTubers, etc, and when they're told to check out Victron they tend to go that route for the reasons I've mentioned.

For example, Redarc has an "off-grid charger kit" that includes a 40A DC-DC charger and the basics to install it for $968. The DC-DC charger does have a built-in MPPT solar charge controller, so that is effectively 2 of my Victron components in one box. There's no 120v -> 12v charger.

For comparison, the Victron components I listed above (Solar charge controller, DC-DC charger, 120v charger) cost me $610.

Just tossing that out there as an option. It won't hurt my feelings if anyone disagrees or does something else, but I'm surprised at how many people don't know about Victron and then they're shocked when they compare the features, functions, and value to other brands.

Thanks DRAX! That was some helpful information. Victron is definitely another company I have been looking at.

 

[John and Mandi]

Another vote for Victron, we switched out many components to theirs when we changed from AGM to Lithium. I'm not 100% on what you are attempting to accomplish but, personally, if I were building a non-fulltime rig I'd go with AGM and a Blue Sea Systems Battery Link. As for charge controller there are dozens of high quality brands on the market, our Blue Sky from 2015 is completely configurable so it was fairly easy to switch it from AGM to Lithium. The one thing I would get for sure would be a Victron SmartShunt. It's way easier to install and is Bluetooth enabled for monitoring battery health. What isn't openly advertised is most lithium batteries do not want to fully re-charge everyday, why your cellphone only fully recharges after so many days and gives the message that it will be done at 4AM or whatever. There are battery management systems that can be configured to vary the charge and not fully recover until x days have passed, some require actual code to provide that functionality. If you always disconnect everything this isn't a big deal but you really don't want to have the solar on a constant trickle charge when running lithium. You could put a circuit breaker/switch in between the panel and the charge controller and manually manage it, what we do, but it is something you have to remember. Lead batteries do like to fully recover every day and have no problem with a constant trickle charge. As a set it and mostly forget it system, an AGM setup is ideal for a weekend or vacation rig, again - my opinion. If you are wanting to start with lead and eventually upgrade to lithium, I get the appeal to buy everything upfront that would also work later, but in this space the technology is still improving. A cared for AGM can last a long time. We got 6 years out of ours from fulltime use and abuse. Now, if you are a high power consumer lithium is the way to go and will be pricey. Running a fridge, lights, recharging phones and tablets...easily accomplished with AGM or similar. Just for reference, our 2 lithium batteries cost more than our entire AGM setup (battery, solar, automatic charge relay, battery monitor, etc). Are we glad we switched...we at least saved 80lbs.

 

[tomlee01]

You can try Renogy's charger.