GOAL ZERO yeti 150

[livesimply5]

Just getting ready to head out on the road and considering our solar options. We have zero knowledge on setting up solar and were thinking of this goal zero 150 instead. It seems like everyone loves it and it just looks way easier to have. Has anyone tried these or anyone have an opinion of getting one instead of a full solar with batteries and inverter? Everyone said they are expensive but seems like the hole solar setup is expensive also...with battery, solar panel, inverter, cables,etc. Thanks in advance for any advise!

 

[Almost There]

That unit is a very small battery (14ah) in  fancy case that has outlets pre-wired in for you, nothing more!

It says it takes 8 hours to recharge from a car charger but that's at 30 amps and the wiring in your vehicle will probably limit it further. Unless you're driving every day for 8 hours, it's not going to be recharged any time soon!

Solar (which is NOT included) can take anywhere from 17 to 52 hours of good sunlight to recharge it based on their choice of 3 different really small solar panels.

At $200 it is neither a good battery nor a complete system.

Tell us what it is that you need to have power for and we'll be able to help you figure out how to do it.

 

[livesimply5]

That unit is a very small battery (14ah) in  fancy case that has outlets pre-wired in for you, nothing more!

It says it takes 8 hours to recharge from a car charger but that's at 30 amps and the wiring in your vehicle will probably limit it further. Unless you're driving every day for 8 hours, it's not going to be recharged any time soon!

Solar (which is NOT included) can take anywhere from 17 to 52 hours of good sunlight to recharge it based on their choice of 3 different really small solar panels.

At $200 it is neither a good battery nor a complete system.

Tell us what it is that you need to have power for and we'll be able to help you figure out how to do it.

Thank you. We are 2 females getting ready to head out, just trying for solar first. We will need a to charge 2 cell phones, run a small usb fan at night and possibly during the day too, charge a laptop that we use A LOT, and in the future maybe a dometic fridge. Nothing major - no tv's or appliances at all. Just basic electronics I guess. Maybe more items later on if all goes well - a tv would be about it that we would ever most likely.

 

[livesimply5]

That unit is a very small battery (14ah) in  fancy case that has outlets pre-wired in for you, nothing more!

It says it takes 8 hours to recharge from a car charger but that's at 30 amps and the wiring in your vehicle will probably limit it further. Unless you're driving every day for 8 hours, it's not going to be recharged any time soon!

Solar (which is NOT included) can take anywhere from 17 to 52 hours of good sunlight to recharge it based on their choice of 3 different really small solar panels.

At $200 it is neither a good battery nor a complete system.

Tell us what it is that you need to have power for and we'll be able to help you figure out how to do it.

Forgot to ask, if we decide to go with just a panel and battery would a 50 watt panel be enough for us? Thanks again!

 

[29chico]

Are you going to drive most days?  If so, charge everything while you drive.  Get a power supply for your laptop that will take 12v dc input.  That will allow you to recharge the laptop from your vehicle's alternator while driving.  Much more efficient than using an inverter to power the standard plug into the wall laptop power supply.   Take the laptop into any coffee shop or restaurant that you stop at and charge it while you are there. I'm not endorsing McDee's food but they do have decent coffee and wifi and most have power outlets for the public to plug into.

You can get a small USB battery pack intended to charge a cell phone and use it to run your fan.  It can be recharged while you drive also.   I bought the below linked power pack as it allows "pass thru charging", it  works well.  You may need more than one of them to keep your fan running a lot...

If you are going to have multiple days w/o driving solar is a good idea.  Since you use the laptop a lot you probably should go for a 100w panel as a minimum.  The below linked 160w panel is a quality item and is much more likely to supply your power needs than a 100w panel for little extra cost.  Size may be an issue.

If you had a tablet, they use less power than a laptop, you might be able to cut down your use of the laptop and save some energy.

Power pack:

https://www.amazon.com/Patriot-Dual-Port-Rechargeable-Smartphone-PCPB90002/dp/B00DWPMU12


Panel;

https://www.amazon.com/Grape-Solar-...d=1470692403&sr=8-1&keywords=grape+solar+160w

 

[highdesertranger]

I built my own small battery box for running prospecting equipment. here's the thread, https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-small-battery-box?highlight=battery+box . the box itself cost around 50 bucks to build. the solar panel I got for free when we demo'd a building. so I don't have a lot of money in it. however you could build a small system WITH the solar panel for cheaper then that Yeti. I wouldn't count on it running a refer over night. highdesertranger

 

[BradKW]

Yeah, powering a fridge bumps you up the scale a fair bit over the first list of items. But it's good to think this through before just buying something that's either way more than needed, or way less. Glad you asked about GoalZero before buying...few things make me cringe quite like watching a YouTuber blather on about how much they like their Goal Zero. I have to remind myself that they are happy, that's what's important, and me leaving snarky comments benefits no one

 

[akrvbob]

Instead of buying the Goal Zero, do something more useful with the money like burn it in the winter to keep you warm. It'll be just as well spent.

Or, buy a Renogy 200 watt kit for $340 and a Walmart battery for $100 and $60 for miscellaneous stuff you'll have an actual system that will meet your needs for $500.
Bob

 

[SternWake]

We will need a to charge 2 cell phones, run a small usb fan at night and possibly during the day too, charge a laptop that we use A LOT, and in the future maybe a dometic fridge. Nothing major - no tv's or appliances at all. Just basic electronics I guess. Maybe more items later on if all goes well - a tv would be about it that we would ever most likely.

A laptop is a power Hog and will consume 2.5AH each hour and that is if its battery is already fully charged.  Mine in one hour uses 3 times as much electricity as my fridge does.

The Yeti has no chance of powering your needs for any length of time.

YOu will likely need at least 100Ah of battery capacity and 150 to 200 watts of solar if the laptop is to be used "A LOT"

Look at the power brick on your laptop.  it will list an output like 6.5 amps at 19v or something.  This 123.5 watts is the maximum it can provide to the laptop, not what the laptop will always consume, but it is what the laptop can consume when charging the depleted battery while doing some cpu intensive task like watching a DVD or streaming HD video