alternative power supplies?

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   Changing from lead-acid to Lithium Iron Phosphate isn't as difficult as it used to be as the converter in the new ones auto-detects the battery type and adjusts the charging parameters automatically. You will want to check the manual for the solar charge controller though to see if it needs to have any switches changed for the battery type. All else being equal, It is going to be better if you can go with a 200AH LiFePO4 battery. That is what we have.

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StephenH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6429	Post Options Post Reply Quote StephenH Report Post Quote Reply Topic: alternative power supplies? Posted: 04 Mar 2025 at 4:15pm
	Changing from lead-acid to Lithium Iron Phosphate isn't as difficult as it used to be as the converter in the new ones auto-detects the battery type and adjusts the charging parameters automatically. You will want to check the manual for the solar charge controller though to see if it needs to have any switches changed for the battery type. All else being equal, It is going to be better if you can go with a 200AH LiFePO4 battery. That is what we have.
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

Suess Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 01 Mar 2025 Location: Ozaukee Online Status: Offline Posts: 3	Post Options Post Reply Quote Suess Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 04 Mar 2025 at 3:29pm
	I also have a question about batteries and the 12 volt fridge. We have a 200 watt solar panel on our Rpod 203 but we may not always have sun. Been playing around with getting a 100ah but do you think that we should get a ah 200 instead?
	Suess

mjlrpod Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 27 Sep 2016 Location: Massachusetts Online Status: Offline Posts: 1221	Post Options Post Reply Quote mjlrpod Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 02 Mar 2025 at 3:30pm
	The fridge is 12 volt and it will kill that battery in 2 days. Adding a 200 ah lifepo4 is your best option that will get you just about 7 days. T will cost about the same as portable solar panels.
	2017.5 Rp-172 2020 R-pod 195 2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl I'll be rpodding

StephenH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6429	Post Options Post Reply Quote StephenH Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 19 Feb 2025 at 4:37pm
	If your main concern is to keep medications cool, then a small cooler style portable refrigerator might serve your purposes better for this trip. It would likely take much less power to run and since it is a top-opening, the cold air inside won't spill out when you open the door. A small one would also not need as much energy to cool and then to maintain that temperature. You may wish to check into one of them. Here is a link for a Bodega 10 quart model which might be big enough for your medications and for a small amount of perishable food items. https://www.amazon.com/BODEGACOOLER-Refrigerator-Portable-Compressor-DC100-240/dp/B0CJ513NDQ There are others which may have better specifications. Hopefully, one of these might be the answer to your need. Back when we still had the RPod and the propane refrigerator which did not adequately cool in hot weather, I found a Free Piston Sterling Cooler at our local ReStore. These were used to transport pharmaceutical items (not biological though). They only cool to 4C, but are very efficient. I should have gotten a couple more at the price they were selling. I have not seen any since. I could trust the FPSC to keep perishable items cool and safe for use when I could not trust the propane refrigerator to do so. Whatever you decide, do not get a thermoelectric (Peltier junction) cooler. Those are cheap. They use a lot of power and will drain your battery much faster than one of the small compressor powered coolers. They also share the same problem as the propane refrigerators in that they can only cool to about 40 degrees below ambient temperatures. The compressor ones do a much better job with much less energy use. Edited by StephenH - 19 Feb 2025 at 4:56pm
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

karencrist Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 17 Feb 2025 Location: Macedonia Online Status: Offline Posts: 3	Post Options Post Reply Quote karencrist Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 19 Feb 2025 at 2:57pm
	I will be on a bicycle trip camping in parking lots where they do not permit generators. With this in mind I am guessing an extra battery inline hookup with possible solar panel to help would be my best bet. The event is in NW Ohio. It will either be very sunny and hot or rainy with storms. I am hoping a battery powered fan will be enough to keep me comfortable at night with the windows open. I have medication that I need to keep cold and was trying to avoid going out and purchasing ice every day. I will be using the events shower truck and port-a-potties so not using the black tank. Probably will use water but not shower.

StephenH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6429	Post Options Post Reply Quote StephenH Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 19 Feb 2025 at 9:57am
	It would be best to stick with the enclosed ones as they will in general be quieter than an open-frame generator. Check the specifications for decibel level when deciding which to purchase. Edited by StephenH - 19 Feb 2025 at 9:58am
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

gpokluda Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 11 Nov 2018 Location: NM Online Status: Offline Posts: 399	Post Options Post Reply Quote gpokluda Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 19 Feb 2025 at 9:46am
	FYI, companies are beginning to make open frame inverter generators now. I saw a Champion open frame inverter genny at a local feed store the other day.
	Gpokluda 2017 Rpod 179(sold 2023) 2022 Escape 5.0TA 2022 Ford F150 4X4 3.5EB Kawasaki KLR650

StephenH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6429	Post Options Post Reply Quote StephenH Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 18 Feb 2025 at 8:09pm
	Make sure it is an inverter generator and not an open frame cheap one. The inverter ones run much quieter as they can throttle the engine down if the power isn't needed, unlike traditional generators which need to run at full-speed to maintain the 60 Hz frequency. The quietest ones are, of course, the most expensive (read: Honda). There are other good options though.
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

gpokluda Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 11 Nov 2018 Location: NM Online Status: Offline Posts: 399	Post Options Post Reply Quote gpokluda Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 18 Feb 2025 at 2:36pm
	A generator would be the simplest solution. These are popular on another RV forum I belong to https://a.co/d/dlmBxN4. The problem is many campgrounds are beginning to limit generator use. We were at a campground that did not all generators at all.
	Gpokluda 2017 Rpod 179(sold 2023) 2022 Escape 5.0TA 2022 Ford F150 4X4 3.5EB Kawasaki KLR650

StephenH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6429	Post Options Post Reply Quote StephenH Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 17 Feb 2025 at 9:49pm
	A lot depends on where you are camping. If it is in the desert southwest, you would have plenty of sunshine, but temperatures are such that you might want that generator so you could also run the air conditioning. That won't happen on just solar unless you have a very large array of panels and a lot of battery capacity, much more than you would carry in an RPod. If you are not concerned with the AC, but just the refrigerator, then a much lighter 2000 watt generator will suffice. That is well under 100 lbs. It will run the refrigerator and charge the battery. If you are in an area where generator use is limited, it will charge the battery enough during the day to carry you through overnight. I have such a refrigerator in our current trailer. The down side is the need to have reliable electricity from shore power, solar, or generator to make sure the battery is charged. The plus side is that it cools much better than the propane ones that can't really handle summer heat very well. On top of that, I use a CPAP machine and my wife uses an oxygen concentrator. I have had to make choices on what to carry to make boondocking possible.
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS