What portable power station do you use when CT camping?

[HaulingAss]

Since keeping the truck outlets active takes several hundred watts, it makes sense to use a power station for small loads.

In my case, I never have small loads that require the inverter built into the Cybertruck. All the small loads run off the USB or 48V accessory feed (Starlink). I only turn the outlets on if I'm using a induction cooktop, toaster oven, espresso machine, milk heater/frother or charging the 750 Wh battery in my EMTB (that would take half of my power bank anyway). The outlets remain off most of the time.

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[Outdoors]

I don't camp for other's approval (so I don't care what you think most people do).
Comprende?

Did I reference you ? Not thinking so. Enjoy the day.

Facts are facts. Look at what the Cybertruck burns per Kwh while in motion. Use more than one is comfortable from base including camp use. Well then one should look at alternatives. To say one shouldn't is foolish.

Yes one's first post was a hip shot to make a post. That doesn't really belong when people are traveling far from charging and trying to make the best of it. Maybe some are some aren't. Seems like you aren't. I think 10 miles is a big deal. Also. One is keeping the truck awake all the time. Never sleeps. You can't do that for a week after driving in and using 40%. So again think again before the hip shot.

 

[Legend_]

Anker Solix C2000

 

[HaulingAss]

Did I reference you ? Not thinking so. Enjoy the day.

I've never seen you be so disingenuous before. Obviously the third post on this thread (by you) referenced the second post on this thread (by me).

Don't deny it.

 

[Gigahorse]

i get it and am used to it! so how big of a battery does your ecoflow have? im mainly a weekend camper but sometimes do go for a week. im now going to try to avoid walk in sites for the extension cord reason. (I was an ICE camper for a long time). planning on having a full service tailgate kitchen workstation now haha.

For a weekend you are golden for power, assuming you can charge the truck and arrive with a high state of charge.
If you are doing over-landing etc a generator is really the only option

 

[drrussellhogue]

I had the same question last year when setting off on my first camping experience with the CT. Yes, the trucks battery is massive, and yes you could buy a separate battery to preserve the trucks battery for driving, but it comes down to a few simple questions.

1) Are you camping in or next to your truck?

2) How many days are you camping for?

3) What is the SOC when you arrive at the site?

4) Is there a nearby SC to top off at before setting up camp?

I went with an all-electric camping experience, Starlink, Induction stove, Electric blankets, coffee maker etc. and never used more than 12% of the trucks battery per day.

The longest camping trip I took this past year was 2 days, so I personally was never in danger of running out of battery. However, it all depends on the questions above, such as whether you need to preserve the truck's battery to get to and from your camping location.

I think this is spot on. I was kind of working through the same details and trying to figure out if I need to do the extra power supply. I also bought a portable AC/heater. It looks like to me most of the places we are planning have a power connection onsite. I figure charging onsite during the day, and running everything off the truck at night is no problem…but you are right, it all depends on location and proximity to fast charging.

I have been doing some testing during the day, working from my truck, running camp mode all day In freezing temperatures (Using heat instead of seat heaters). I have a refrigerator in the car, have my laptop, iPad, phone plugged in…using the screen for Netflix, etc. I see it taking 10-12% in an all day session.

I can see the value in getting the external battery, but we will probably only be camping for 1-2 days at a time and it’s pretty easy to plan out the trip and figure out your charge on arrival and What charge you need to reach the charger on exit. If I run into a situation where I need additional battery, I will get the external power, I just don’t see a need for it yet.

 

[CyberT]

I think this is spot on. I was kind of working through the same details and trying to figure out if I need to do the extra power supply. I also bought a portable AC/heater. It looks like to me most of the places we are planning have a power connection onsite. I figure charging onsite during the day, and running everything off the truck at night is no problem…but you are right, it all depends on location and proximity to fast charging.

I have been doing some testing during the day, working from my truck, running camp mode all day In freezing temperatures (Using heat instead of seat heaters). I have a refrigerator in the car, have my laptop, iPad, phone plugged in…using the screen for Netflix, etc. I see it taking 10-12% in an all day session.

I can see the value in getting the external battery, but we will probably only be camping for 1-2 days at a time and it’s pretty easy to plan out the trip and figure out your charge on arrival and What charge you need to reach the charger on exit. If I run into a situation where I need additional battery, I will get the external power, I just don’t see a need for it yet.

I WANT an extra battery more than I NEED the battery. I have EcoFlow batteries at my place in the Philippines, and they are a game-changer. I love the tech so much that I would love to buy another for camping or road trips, etc., but I just personally don't need it with my setup.

 

[MisterChilidog]

the battery of the CT is huge.
things I will likely be powering when camping:
-starlink
-phones/ipad
-2 laptops
-induction range
-I dont (yet) have an electric cooler

was thinking that this was going be fine:
https://a.co/d/6a34XPj

thoughts? recs?

The induction range will likely need more watts AND more watt-hours than that generator can provide. My wife and I learned that lesson the hard way while camping in Southern Utah, before the Cybertruck. We promptly upgraded our off-grid power source to an EcoFlow Delta Max (2400W and 2000Wh). Paired that with a 400W portable solar panel and we were good to go. Since this upgrade, we've provided the camp kitchen for several extended-family camp trips, and it's always handled the load, without being overkill.

When we bought our toy hauler, the Delta Max was enough to service the trailer while boondocking in mild weather, but A/C is beyond its capacity. With the addition of the Cybertruck, we decided 240v output, a lot more capacity, and a big solar upgrade were in order. The EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra and six 200w flexible solar panels gave us the ability to gradually recharge the truck during boondocking vacations, and also run everything in our trailer.

The Cybertruck, with its big battery and power outlets, shifts the priority (for your solar generator) to the solar input and inverter output. If we can charge the truck via solar power, we don't really need the battery in the generator. This is one of the features missing from the Cybertruck - solar input. As it stands, the trick is to get as many solar watts as possible, and charging the truck a little below the rate of solar input. Then you can run camp off the truck's output at night.

Of course, there are plenty of ways to skin this cat, but a solar powered DC charger for off-grid EV adventures (eVentures?) would save inverter losses, and reduce the size of the batteries carried for the solar generator to just what is needed for voltage stability. But that's a whole other topic, right?

TL;DR - To power your camp kitchen, you're going to want a 2000+ watt inverter and probably 2000+ watt-hours of battery capacity. Something comparable to the EcoFlow Delta Max (the Delta just below the Pro series).

Just my $0.02

 

[MisterChilidog]

i get it and am used to it! so how big of a battery does your ecoflow have? im mainly a weekend camper but sometimes do go for a week. im now going to try to avoid walk in sites for the extension cord reason. (I was an ICE camper for a long time). planning on having a full service tailgate kitchen workstation now haha.

My philosophy is to target enough battery capacity to handle one day's activities with some reserve capacity to spare. Once I have that, sufficient solar to completely recharge the generator (including the spare capacity) in a single day is the next requirement. Barring too much bad weather, this ought to be sufficient to allow you to stay out as long as your consumables last. This strategy has served my wife and I well on several 1-2 week camp trips and numerous weekenders.

 

[MisterChilidog]

I think that ill use the CT battery for my induction range (chat gpt says use one of these:

https://a.co/d/aRb9GKu

and then an anker c800x for everything else (starlink, ipad, laptop, phone, coffee maker/water boiling) hopefully with a 50a RV pedestal and a 200w solar panel ill be fine.

You shouldn't need the 14-50 to 5-20 adapter. The induction range (assuming 2 burners) likely still doesn't need more current than the 120v outlets in the CT bed can provide. My wife and I have run our induction range at full tilt and measured only 1800 watts on the kill-a-watt meter. But that adapter isn't a bad thing to have - never know when you might want a couple extra outlets.

 

[MisterChilidog]

I had the same question last year when setting off on my first camping experience with the CT. Yes, the trucks battery is massive, and yes you could buy a separate battery to preserve the trucks battery for driving, but it comes down to a few simple questions.

1) Are you camping in or next to your truck?

2) How many days are you camping for?

3) What is the SOC when you arrive at the site?

4) Is there a nearby SC to top off at before setting up camp?

I went with an all-electric camping experience, Starlink, Induction stove, Electric blankets, coffee maker etc. and never used more than 12% of the trucks battery per day.

The longest camping trip I took this past year was 2 days, so I personally was never in danger of running out of battery. However, it all depends on the questions above, such as whether you need to preserve the truck's battery to get to and from your camping location.

This is a good planning approach. But there's at least one more consideration I would suggest - weather. I recently went on an elk hunt in the high Uintahs, and the overnight cold was sapping 8%-12% of my CT's battery each night. With the nearest Supercharger an hour drive away, I was left with not as much driving juice as I would have liked. I ended up taking lots of solar, lots of battery capacity, and a substantial amount of propane and a dual fuel generator. My buddy's trailer suffered an electrical problem, and he had to pull power from my setup to get him through the week. So I was glad I packed heavy.

But the main point is: don't let cold weather sneak up and drain your battery while you're sleeping.

 

[kpanda17]

This is a good planning approach. But there's at least one more consideration I would suggest - weather. I recently went on an elk hunt in the high Uintahs, and the overnight cold was sapping 8%-12% of my CT's battery each night. With the nearest Supercharger an hour drive away, I was left with not as much driving juice as I would have liked. I ended up taking lots of solar, lots of battery capacity, and a substantial amount of propane and a dual fuel generator. My buddy's trailer suffered an electrical problem, and he had to pull power from my setup to get him through the week. So I was glad I packed heavy.

But the main point is: don't let cold weather sneak up and drain your battery while you're sleeping.

hopefully coming
Portable NACS solid state battery cans
I’d put a bunch in the back
Pour the KWs into the CT while boondogling

 

[EWELON]

You shouldn't need the 14-50 to 5-20 adapter. The induction range (assuming 2 burners) likely still doesn't need more current than the 120v outlets in the CT bed can provide. My wife and I have run our induction range at full tilt and measured only 1800 watts on the kill-a-watt meter. But that adapter isn't a bad thing to have - never know when you might want a couple extra outlets.

and when you ran 1800 on the 120s it didnt “trip” anything? thats why chat gpt
recommended that adapter.

 

[EWELON]

My philosophy is to target enough battery capacity to handle one day's activities with some reserve capacity to spare. Once I have that, sufficient solar to completely recharge the generator (including the spare capacity) in a single day is the next requirement. Barring too much bad weather, this ought to be sufficient to allow you to stay out as long as your consumables last. This strategy has served my wife and I well on several 1-2 week camp trips and numerous weekenders.

and for you what battery do you use and how big of a panel do you use?

 

[MisterChilidog]

and when you ran 1800 on the 120s it didnt “trip” anything? thats why chat gpt
recommended that adapter.

That's worth testing beforehand. I've always run the range on our EcoFlow. But the bed 120s are supposed to be 20-amp, which should suffice. But "should" doesn't necessarily stand up to reality, so definitely test. I'd be interested in hearing your results, but now I'm absolutely going to try it with my induction range.

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