EcoFlow 800W Alternator - Who Has Used It?

The EcoFlow Alternator Charger is proprietary to certain EcoFlow power stations. But it can do a few pretty cool things.

In fact, what EcoFlow doesn't even mention, is that you can buy a cheap 300w lithium battery on sale, throw it in the back seat of the truck, or in your RV/travel trailer, and then use the Alternator Charger to feed off of that battery to charge your EcoFlow power station.

Pretty neat.

 

Is anyone aware of how you add solar to one of these devices? I currently have the Victron DC-DC converter in my truck and recently added a solar panel and currently have to switch the plugs between the two depending on how I want the ecoflow to charge. I would like to have them both plugged in at the same time.

I think they really dropped the ball not adding a place for solar input to this unit as well.

 

what Ecoflow power station do you have? All I’ve seen have solar input directly

 

Most use the same port for DC-DC as Solar input. So you can only have one or the other, not both at the same time.

 

This - Only one port and both the DC-DC and the solar panel are using the same connector. Only other input is for AC

It's a DELTA Max 1600 for reference

 

To spend multiples of what a secondary AGM or Lead acid would cost ig

 

As someone who had a triple battery AGM system, these solar generator/power stations are WAY more bang for your buck, and WAY lighter.

 

Oh I'm sure they're lighter, I guess I don't really know what the "portable" part is needed for since I'm assuming typical use case is going to be within 100ft of your truck anyway

 

Well, seeing as how I have 2000 watts (~166AH), a 3000w inverter, MPPT controller, USB ports, Cigarette Port, Battery monitor and AC adapter in the same space 2 of my three batteries took up, the Portability aspect just means it's small/light. I actually semi-permanently mounted mine, so portability wasn't a big deal. The form factor though is awesome!

 

Bluetti came out with a "charging enhancer" that seems to be an external MPPT controller that plugs into the spot for the AC brick. That way you can use it for another DC input, or an additional 500w solar. It outputs whatever the correct voltage is for that port.

 

That's a great solution for the Bluetti I actually have a smaller Bluetti power station that I really like but unfortunately that won't work with the ecoflow as it only has the one input for dc/solar.



Solar/Car Charging is the only thing I've got.

 

What someone needs to come out with is a DC-DC + Solar Combiner that doesn't just output 12v. If it put out 48V or so, it'd do pretty well for us.

 

I have had the 800w alt charger in my truck since the week after it dropped.

I installed the power wires through a firewall grommet that added just to the right (looking into the engine bay) of the brake master cylinder mechanism.

Routed the cables down along the drivers kick panel, under the drivers door kick panel, behind the seatbelt panel, under the drivers rear door kick panel, under the carpet behind the driver rear seat and out between the 60/40 seat split.

I removed my pass side rear seat completely years ago and built a platform for my ARB fridge. The Ecoflow alt charger head unit is mounted underneath this platform.

Currently have two Delta 2 units and one Delta 2 Smart Extra Battery. So, depending on my power needs, I can run:
1x Delta 2 unit (~1000watts).
1x Delta 2 + Smart Extra Battery (~2000watts).
2x Delta 2 units (~2000watts).
2x Delta 2 units + Smart Extra Battery (~3000watts).

The Delta 2 fits and rides on the floor behind the pass front seat to run my fridge. If additional power is desired, the other unit rides behind the drivers seat.

As for charging stuff. I have options.

If I am running the 2x100 watt rigid panels on my bed rack, this will be plugged into the Delta 2 behind the pass seat to keep it happy during the day while parked. This also works with the Smart Extra Battery corded together from the side ports on each unit.

Now for the 800 watt alt charger, it plugs into the same side port that normally tethers to the Smart Extra battery, so this would interfere with that connection option. In this case, I would swap out the Smart Extra Battery for the other Delta 2 unit. Connections would be.....solar AND alt charger connected to the Delta 2 behind the pass seat. Then the 120VAC out from that Delta 2 is connected to the 120VAC input of the other Delta 2 behind the driver seat. Although there is some loss in efficiency going from DC to AC and back to DC, it is not even noticeable.

My panels produce on avg about 150-175 and as high as 196 watts on a good day while mounted flat and not even aimed directly at the sun. Pair this with up to 800 watts from the alt charger and it charges quick. From the app, I just turn on the 120VAC output from Delta 2 #1 and it will begin charging Delta 2 #2 at whatever charge rate I set it for (usually 500 to 800 watts).

The beauty of this alt charger is the functions of it. Mainly driven from the app, but can also be controlled from the power button on the unit itself.

Once installed in the truck and the unit is fully updated and set as you like it, it just sits and waits. It will not draw power from the truck battery until it is connected to a Delta unit AND is sees a set VDC coming from the alt (~13VDC). Once these are met, it will automatically kick on and do its thing.

As for alt damage is concerned. Ecoflow has it setup to monitor the load on the alt like lights, fan, winch, stereo, etc and reduce the output accordingly to keep the alt load safe.

For reference, my 17 TRD OR can easily support the full 800 watts while idling with no accessories on. With the lights on, it will drop to around 650. While driving, with lights on, and stereo on it maintains the full 800 watts just fine.

The Delta 2 can support the 800 watt alt charger input AND up to 500 watts solar at the same same time, so it very similar to your 1200 watt input from 120VAC charging.

Now if I really needed any more available power than 2000 watts on tap, I could run both Delta 2 units and and the Smart Extra battery. I would set it up the same way I do when using just the pair of Delta 2 units, only now I can tether the 2nd Delta 2 with the Smart Extra battery via the side ports. The 1st Delta 2 would receive power from the solar + alt charger and then feed 120VAC out to the 2nd Delta 2 + Smart Extra battery as needed.

System works like a charm.

 

This write-up is awesome! Thank you so much, as this is exactly why I was looking for this thread!

*Note* I will be using a Delta Pro with a Delta Pro Smart Extra Battery, along with a Smart Generator and 400w solar panel array as part of my setup. This Alternator Charger will really be able to reduce charge times for me while off-roading or traveling to my next boondocking destination! I may even sell my solar panels now! lol

 

I have 2x 100w rigid panels that I mount above my bed rack for when I am not hauling kayaks up there. Desert trips, etc.

These do a great job of keeping the units topped off while parked for more than a day at a time.

I also have 2x 220 bifacial folding panels from EcoFlow and two sets of folding stands to use when I plan to be camping off grid for a week or more and not driving anywhere.

I don't just "overland", and actually destination camp pretty often off grid.
Be it for scenery, mountain biking, kayak fishing in the ocean with buddies, or other I have my bases covered.

On a side note, and I will apologize now for those that haven't seen this, I have been looking into the Joolca Hottub and Hottap to set up near a creek, river, lake somewhere way off grid for a few days. I think it would be an awesome setup in the cooler months by putting it inside one of my awning rooms so I have a hot tub out of the cold wind in the evening, string of color changing LED for mood lights, barley pop, light tunes, no clothes, wife......etc.

Open all the walls to enjoy a soak with a killer view during the daylight hours.

Fabricated, sets up and packs down like an inflatable SUP.



Ok, back to the regular scheduled thread.

 

Don't make the mistake I did getting the basic kit, and get the Joolca Nomad kit from the get go. I got basic kit and double shower tent discounted when I bought my 2023 T@G XL Boondock last year. Had I known about the Nomad kit, I would have gotten that one instead (the RV dealership didn't stock the Nomads). I have to add on the pump, and the 100' extension hose to tap into lake/river water for the shower if I want that option. And the sink is a nice option if the T@G is winterized. Ugh.

Thanks for the solar panel feedback!

 

I don't need the Joolca sink option or the two room shower tent I actually already have those features covered with other products that are much more compact and even quicker to setup.

I am genuinely curious how long a standard BBQ LP tank will last with the Joolca Hottap pre heating and circulating hot water in and through the Hottub in say a matter of hours total.

 

Ordered this for the build. Excited to see it in action.

 

You're going to love it. Once you have it installed, app installed and firmware updated on all parts of the system, it's Game On!

 

Per google, Hottap has a 37,500 btu burner. 21,548 btu per pound of propane, so about 431,000 btus in a 20 pound BBQ tank. That comes out to 11.5 hours of run time on a bbq tank, BUT, only about 80-90 percent of the propane's energy is turned into heat. Assume a 15% loss in efficiency... ~9.75 hours? This should be a decent ballpark.

I wondered about this in the past with my Eccotemp L5 hot water system I made. Figured I could easily heat a few hundred gallons of water with my 11 pound propane tank. The L5 only flows a max of 1.5gpm, so yeah... that's a lot of water. More than I ever carried, and I always used potable water, never stuff outta a stream.