Currently wiring up for a dc to dc charger and a 230Ah lithium under one of the front seats but now having thoughts as to whether to buy a power bank instead. Appreciate it will take up space in the van but can I use the dc to dc charger to recharge the power bank or would I need to use the Ecoflow alternator charger instead?
Ecoflow and dc to dc charger
- Thread starter airhoguk
- Start date
Generally no as a DC-DC charger expects a direct connection to a nominally 12v lithium battery.
The batteries in most power packs run in the 20-30v range as a good compromise between then need to supply 5v, 12v and 240v and work well with solar panels, and they rarely have direct connections.
This is why the major power bank brands have started releasing dedicated chargers - internally they are still a DC-DC charger but they use the proprietary connector and battery voltage suitable for that brand.
The batteries in most power packs run in the 20-30v range as a good compromise between then need to supply 5v, 12v and 240v and work well with solar panels, and they rarely have direct connections.
This is why the major power bank brands have started releasing dedicated chargers - internally they are still a DC-DC charger but they use the proprietary connector and battery voltage suitable for that brand.
I would say that for fixed leisure systems a DC-DC charger and battery still has the edge.
Power banks have great flexibility and you get a lot of functions easily - but they do not integrate well with either fixed wiring to charge them or to discharge them - most tend to prioritise providing 240v with 12v and USB as a secondary function.
It's possible to use both. If you have an infrequent need for 240v then it's not uncommon for folks to use a fixed 12v LiFePo leisure system and then have a power bank instead of a fixed 240v inverter - then you can top the power bank up from portable solar panels, using the trick of feeding in 12v from the leisure battery to the solar input or even EHU if you're touring and have access some days.
Power banks have great flexibility and you get a lot of functions easily - but they do not integrate well with either fixed wiring to charge them or to discharge them - most tend to prioritise providing 240v with 12v and USB as a secondary function.
It's possible to use both. If you have an infrequent need for 240v then it's not uncommon for folks to use a fixed 12v LiFePo leisure system and then have a power bank instead of a fixed 240v inverter - then you can top the power bank up from portable solar panels, using the trick of feeding in 12v from the leisure battery to the solar input or even EHU if you're touring and have access some days.
Depends if you're going to use the van as a camper or plan on wild camping really.
If you're comparing a 230Ah lithium and solar array with a 100Ah Ecoflow then we're in our fourth week of being off grid using a 230Ah Roamer, two 175 watt panels and a 2kw inverter, realistically even when parked in the shade at two of the sites we've still charged up during local site seeing drives.
Get one of these power packs if you're not going to be wild camping but unless you fork out a lot they're a bit more of a gadget than an alternative to an EHU.
If you're comparing a 230Ah lithium and solar array with a 100Ah Ecoflow then we're in our fourth week of being off grid using a 230Ah Roamer, two 175 watt panels and a 2kw inverter, realistically even when parked in the shade at two of the sites we've still charged up during local site seeing drives.
Get one of these power packs if you're not going to be wild camping but unless you fork out a lot they're a bit more of a gadget than an alternative to an EHU.
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