Brian, you are THE man. Your presentations move at a good pace, you're efficient, and very understandable, even for an old Boomer Ape like me. I'd been looking to stick my toe into portable solar power generators as a more mobile option. Tonight I pulled a trigger on the entry level Oupes generator based on your excellent recommendation. We spent years camping with our daughters. Now in our retirement years we need to find a small but comfortable camper to continue our journey into the sunset. You have become an important member of our team. God bless you and your family with good health and prosperity.
Brian you give a lot of good info, approximately one year ago I purchased my Bushwacker HD 10 and at first I thought it was junk because I had so many problems but the longer I have it the more I really like it, quite a while ago I sent you a message About all the negative things on my trailer I wasn’t happy with it but I’ve done so many modifications and I do mainly back country travel with my dog and my trailer has been modified for extreme back country travel done so much to it and still changing it, but I wanted to thank you for all the info that you give, It’s been really helpful, I think you’re a brilliant guy when it comes to electricity I don’t have the skills and it seems I just don’t have the patience to learn those electric skills it’s frustrating to me but because of your videos it’s really helped me out, I really wanted to thank you!!👍👍👍😊
Thank you so much, I really appreciate you tuning in. It seems like we had a pretty similar experience, I was pretty upset with the Bushwhacker for a while, after some upkeep and mods, I couldn't be happier
It's great to have 30-amp capabilities. Great review of the Oupes power station. No matter the brand, everyone should get something for backup power, too much instability in the world. Enjoy the BW road trip, no place like the Southwest for Winter travels. Stay safe and enjoy!
Thank you Oupes for finally building the power I wanted all along. The Anderson 30amp power pole for high output 12v is perfect for powering the 12v needs in a small camper. No proprietary adapters needed. I use the 30amp 120v 3 prong plug with a 4 prong adapter to convert it to 240 and power our electrical needs in our house during short power outages without having to get put the generator. Its an awesome feature!
Great video on power stations! For outdoor enthusiasts and RV lovers, I highly recommend the Segway Portable PowerStation Cube Series. It has a massive capacity of up to 5kWh, fast recharging, versatile sockets, and comprehensive protections. Plus, it's waterproof! A reliable backup power solution for your camping adventures and ensuring uninterrupted family time.
If you're an RV lover with skills, you can build you own power units much cheaper. If you're an outdoor enthusiast, what you do need 5KWh for? Unless by outdoor enthusiast you mean bringing all the accoutrements of home and camping with a couple of hundred other people also bringing all the accoutrements of home. But my wife calls that glamping. I tell her, if that's what she wants to do, I'll string an extension cord to the backyard.
You do such a great job and got me looking at teardrops. I own a Mega 3 that powers my off-grid workshop/garage with 600w of solar for charging. Oupes is releasing the Mega 1 in a few days (9/15?) that will go for $499 on its release that I'll use to back up my TC Teardrop's onboard power. I also have an EcoFlow but I'll use that for other things if I get a Mega 1
There was a time not too long ago that I could not understand why would anyone want or need a “Power Station” especially if you own a generator. I took the plunge (Another lithium Iron brand) after much research for a 3 month trip out west. Although we had our Honda generator the power station was a welcomed accessory when the generator was not allowed at a national park or at a WalMart RV Resort (overnight) 😂 BTW I always appreciate you easy to follow teaching style. Thank you
Thank you for such a clear review. I was looking at this brand last spring, but for some reason, Oupes is no longer available in Canada and is no longer an option. We have a 16 ft trailer and currently camp in our provincial campgrounds with electrical hookups. We would like to venture further afield and drydock, and are looking to figure out a way to do this and keep our rv fridge powered. Since it is a compressor fridge, it doesn't have the option of propane. We thought a power station would help accomplish that, but are trying to figure out how to do this. The microwave and air-conditioning aren't a factor. Thanks for your straightforward videos and safe travels
Another great video. I would love to see that video showing the 30amp Anderson hook up. All the options and ways to use it. I will search for it now if you have it.
Excellent review. Always looking for improvements and how all of the pieces fit together. The Anderson ports and being 30 Amps as a viable replacement for the house battery continues to pique my interest. I use smaller portable power storage units for most everything as point of use devices and seldom use the AC side of the electrical system. I picked up a Dabbsson, DBS2300 Plus, to help with the power at the house if the power goes out, to keep a freezer going. It has the DC Anderson connection also rated at 30 Amps but no 30 Amp AC RV connection. Over 50 lbs is a two person lift to minimize getting a hernia is always a consideration. Eyeballing the ultimate power upgrade to an Epoch 12V 460Ah Portable Power Station. Safe travels and stary nights.
I've been following that, I find it kind of surprising. This is definitely a discount power station, but I have several Oupes that worked out great for the price. I have received feedback from people that I've had problems, but they've always been able to get good tech-support. I will keep an eye on the reviews, I don't wanna recommend products that people have trouble with. Thanks for watching!
I'll get one of these eventually, I think, but not right now. All the holiday sales are gone, and you don't have a discount code here (WTF?? 😄). I have too many other rando PPS units hanging about that I should sell first. I want to be able to wire this right into the DC side of my Class C and bypass the house battery altogether. Spring projects are piling up already. Enjoy the rest of your trip!
It's basically the same price as the holiday sale... lol you gotta love marketing. I will get a promo code soon, but sometimes they make you sell your soul for them. I usually ask once Ive made the video, so they can't tell me to say certain things. Happy holidays!
Brian - thanks for the information. If I were to connect the power station to my camper via the Anderson power pole, would I be able to use the outlets inside the camper to say charge my phone? How about run the built in Atwood mini refrigerator? Thanks.
By using the Anderson DC port, you will only be able to run DC items in the camper. Your phone is DC, so you can plug it into any of the USB or 12 V ports, but your outlets will not work. They make refrigerators in both AC and DC, if you're Atwood is DC, then it will run . Hope this helps .
Great video for sure!!! I purchased this power station and notice when I have the unit on and dc on but no devices attached (no load) it loses 1% battery per hour so 42Ah per day. Anyone else seeing this? I called support and they said this is normal for the bms/fans to run. 42Ah a day seems way high.
If you are losing 1% per hour, your unit had a lot higher standby loss than mine. Remember, it will slow down considerably once the battery depletes a little, the drop is always much faster in the 90%'s. Your conversion is off, it wouldnt be 40ah. Stick with watt hours because the battery is not 12v. Either way, its a bummer, I hope it fixes with a firmware update on the app. Some loss will always be there, there is a buck converter providing regulated 12vdc, but 1% of 2048 per hour is way too high.
Yes, it will work doing that. Since you're running through the inverter, you're going to notice that you get much less runtime. In fact, you could actually run your air conditioner plugged in this way, it's just not gonna run for very long. There's a few tricks to get amazing results, if you're willing to do this modification, it will last 4 to 5 times as long as plugging into the inverter. (do this with the oupes instead of yeti) Using Goal Zero for RV Battery ua-cam.com/video/_MRIg0Szh-0/v-deo.html
How long could you potentially run a dometic 12volt fridge and 12 volt systems in a small camper via the 30amp Anderson connection? Just looking for a ballpark for a small teardrop camper
The short answer is, at least a weekend. This unit is 2048Wh I believe. Multiply by 0.9 to account for the efficiency of the DC-DC converter. That's 1843.2Wh of energy available. At the worst case of 30A continuous and a nominal 13.2V, that's about 4.5 hours of run time. But you aren't running 30A all the time. I doubt you're even peaking at 30A. Your fridge is using about 400Wh of energy over a 2-day weekend. That's 20% of this device's energy capacity. My 15qt Vivor fridge uses about 40W or 3A while running, and it's not running all the time. At 400Wh, it's running about 10 hours the entire weekend (400 / (13.2V * 3A)). The larger fridges will use a little more but not much more. But plan on about 400Wh of energy used no matter what. Not sure what else you're running off of 12V. Maybe some LED lights? This device is plenty big enough for most things I can imagine to run an entire weekend without charging. My experience has been, if you want worry-free camping in a small camper over a weekend, you need about 1300Wh. That's a 100Ah 12V lithium battery. LiTime is selling theirs for $300 (LiTime has a good recommendation from Will Prowse). You can get away with a 50Ah 12V lithium battery, but you'll probably need to count on the sun being out. A Victron solar charge controller, which is the good stuff, will run about $125. So if you don't need AC, you're better off buying a battery and solar charge controller and leave these units to people who need AC.
Depends on the size of the fridge and the conditions, but very long. I've run my camper with the 12 V bouge RV fridge for 7 days of the DC without solar and had plenty of capacity left.
Great info as always. I would add the AC charging to the mix as a big one. The Oupes 1200 has cold temp prot., mppt, inverter, USB and AC charger for $500. Building out a system off a battery is always my favorite, but if you add in the apples to apples, its not the price gap that it used to be. Thanks again, always great seeing your comments. Did you start your channel yet?
@@DIYOutdoorLife I think UA-cam got me again. My reply either didn't post or got deleted by the system. Seems to be happening a lot lately. You can buy a 20A AC charger for under $100. Total DIY cost for 100Ah battery, Victron solar charge controller, and charger is about $500. If you need a little AC, a high frequency inverter is under $200. So maybe $700 for basic DIY setup. What you're paying for in these units is the assembly and integration time and expertise if you don't have that. I always ask, do I have more time or more money? For things like this, I still have more time than money, so I do it myself. I also get the benefit of easy mods and upgrades, which is hard to do with buying off the shelf. As for a channel, I just set one up last night a few hours before you asked. It's under a different account and handle, and I'm not ready to share just yet. Still need to get videos uploaded. And before that I need to do some editing. The first video will be something like "Hiker Trailers - You Get What You Pay For". Sorta knocking them, sorta not. I keep asking myself how upset I can be given the price. But the channel will be about my other projects, too, with an educational component. My ultimate goal is to take my hobbies and turn them into a business and give up my current day job.
So, is this now what you are using to run your AC unit as well? That video resonates with us very much as sleeping while hot means no sleep at all. We are about to pick up a Bushwhacker 12RAD and looking for "bang for the buck" solution for ensuring we have AC for maybe up to a week at a time.
I use the EcoFlow Delta 2 max with expansion batteries for the AC. This unit is certainly capable, but I have not purchased any of the expansion batteries. If I were to do it all over again, this would be a pretty good buy to do the same thing as I do with the delta max 2
@@DIYOutdoorLife In your opinion, how would this system compare to the new Bluetti AC200L? The AC200L doesn't have the 12v/30A Anderson plug, is that really a game changer/deal breaker?
@@fragsrus1 the major difference here is obviously price. Bluetti makes a great power station but several hundred dollar difference isn't justified. The 30 A DC plug is a game changer if it's something that you will use. The ability to run an RV, van, or cabin DC system completely off the PPS is really convenient and saves so much power. If thats isnt something that you intend on doing, than it doesn't really make a difference. Thanks for watching, hope I answered your questions.
Hi, do you recommend the Oupes Mega 2, or Mega 3 or Mega 5 .to replace the travel trailer battery? I've watched your other video on the topic, but it's over three years old now, and this field is rapidly changing. Were I to purchase this, I would use this (and the additional batteries) as an emergency power source for my home, as well as the power source for my travel trailer, including the archaic, loud and inefficient Coleman roof A/C.
Archaic old air conditioners are going to be a nightmare, no matter what power source you’re using. It’s almost always cheaper to change the air conditioner than it is to get enough battery to run it. With that being said, yes, these are great systems to replace or supplement batteries with . With the reduction in the pricing of lifepo, I usually like to have both an onboard battery and the option to use a power station like this. If you are attempting to power AC, the bigger the better. In an effort to get decent runtime, you might want the mega five with some expansion batteries. I would start with the main unit for testing, and if you need.
Is the mega one worth considering for a small travel trailer? Or should I go ahead and jump up to the mega two? It’s twice the price. Your channel is awesome! Thank you for your help.
It completely depends on what you need to use. You could have a small travel trailer with a need for nothing but lights and a water pump or you could be talking about refrigerators and TVs etc Let me know what appliances you want to use while camping and I’ll see if I can help you out . Thanks for watching!
@@mikescott7289right, but the size of the battery or power station is going to completely depend on what you’re using and duration. Whether it lasts you one day or 10 days requires knowing the appliances that you run and how long you camp for. I would say go with the bigger one, no one ever regrets having extra capacity. I know the price tag can be steep, but the freedom of being able to dry camp is worth it for most of us.
@@DIYOutdoorLife Thanks for the feedback. I’ll save up for the bigger one. I’ve enjoyed learning from your videos. It made a recent long drive home seem a lot shorter.
I have not yet seen anyone use the Mega 2/3 to charge their Tesla. Other power stations require to to use a neutral to ground bonding plug, or Ecoflow Pro 3 has the ability to bypass this in the app. Any chance we can use the TT-30 outlet on here to charge a Tesla?
Because all power stations have a floating ground, you do have to bond. EF did a good job with their ultra that actually bonds for you with the app, like you said. You can get a neutral - ground bonding plug for a few dollars, but it would be required to charge a device that is checking for that ground . Make sure to unplug that anytime you're charging any power station.
Brian - my wife and I recently purchased the Oupes Mega 2 and 240 watt solar panel. Does the solar panel have an integrated charge controller or do we need to purchase one separately if we want to use the panel to directly charge our camper battery? We are new to solar and just trying to figure this out. Thanks
Hi Bruce, A high-quality charge controller is built into the Oupus, the solar panel itself is unregulated. To use with a battery directly, like on your camper, you will need a charge controller . Hope this helps, thanks for watching!
Brian - your response was very helpful and your videos are amazing. I am guessing that we would need an MPPT controller. Any thoughts on what size controller and any brand recommendations? we have a 12 volt lead acid that we will soon be swapping out for an AGM.
Morning Brian - Thanks for the recommendation on for the Victron charge controller. I am wondering if a 10 amp is large enough. While trying to bring myself up to speed on charge controllers last night, many articles and videos suggest that you need to divide the voltage of the solar array by the battery voltage to determine size (240W/12V = 20) and then add an extra 25%. Would a 25 amp controller make sense? Looks like the Victron’s come in 10, 20, 30 and up. Thanks again - Bruce
@@brucemarshall4054 That is a good beginner friendly way to determine charge controller size, but the best way is to look up the specs on the actual panel that you're using . Depending on the voltage, the current is different on solar panels, even if they're wattage is the same. I just looked yours up, it's max current is 11.7 A. A 10 amp would work, I would get a 15 amp. This one is on sale and has Bluetooth, the Bluetooth feature is nice . amzn.to/4cFwoBF
Hey brother, lover your videos! New to the rv lifestyle. Always went camping in text but bought a 2024 Coleman rubicon 1400bh. It’s “set up” for solar but only runs the fridge and not AC,heater and outlets. It there a way to use this oupes with solar so I can go off grid? That is my goal to make my camper completely self sufficient
Thanks for watching the channel! This can be a huge topic, very difficult to discuss in a simple text. You can use this oupes to run anything you want, the runtime is what becomes a variable. With the high output DC plug, you can run everything that your camper runs off the battery for a very, very long time. To run a huge appliance like an air conditioner can be very challenging. We have four or five videos on the channel where I talk about it, check out some of the older videos for more details. There's some running air conditioners off power stations, and there's others about replacing the air conditioner with the DC unit. Let me know if you have any other questions, thanks for watching.
Hey Brian, awesome video! I stumbled upon your channel while trying to find an answer to my power dilemma. It's cool that you respond to so many questions and comments. You mentioned some older videos that cover the topic of electrical usage in RV's...I looked and couldn't find em....probably operator error I'm sure! Anyways, here's my dilemma. I have a 23' travel trailer and prefer to spend most of our time off grid. Our only 110 draw in the traile is the AC, microwave and TV, plus what ever we plug in to the outlets. We have a 175 watt solar, roof mounted and a single Renogy 100 watt lithium battery. I'd like to be able to mostly power some cooking appliances like air fryer or a crackpot. A little bit of TV and occasionally the microwave. If it's hot enough to have to run the AC, my rule of thumb is I need to find higher elevation! So here's the question: should I add a bank of batteries and an inverter for my power needs or would this Oupes solar generator cover my needs? I would store it in the pass-thru storage and hard wire it in...as much as possible. It certainly seems like and easier path and probably cheaper, dollar for dollar vs batteries and an inverter. I so appreciate ur time if you can point me in the right direction. Thanks Tom
Thanks for the information I'm struggling so much which POWER box to buy. There's so many of them I'm afraid I'm gonna get a cheap China built thing I wish you could somehow prove to us which one definitely is the cheapest and the best .,.I don't wanna pour $10,000 into my camp trailer that I use a couple of weeks out of the year.
I completely understand. Do you know what type of things you wanna do with your power station? Thats a good place to start. As far as price, dividing $ into watt hours can be helpful as a gauge- this one is 60 cents per watt hour... that's as cheap as it comes for machines with these features. Happy to help any way I can, I understand the struggle.
Thx for the Information. I basically just want to run a refrigerator with a 200 W solar array in southern Utah in the summertime. As far as that power station that is more than enough to run 70 W refrigerator. I'm hoping with a 200 W solar panels would keep up with it, I'm not trying to run air-conditioning or microwave just a refrigerator and then a couple of lights. Thanks again for your information. I enjoy watching your videos.
Brian, can I charge my Bluettii AC1800 directly from my Renology 200-watt suitcase panel. Do I hook up everything just like I was charging up an AGM battery?
Your renogy suitcase can work if you bypass the charge controller. Remember that your bluetti already has one built in. This is super easy with most brands but renogy makes it a little bit of a paid, sometimes you have yo cut and crimp.
I am in the planning stages of turning my cargo trailer into a 6x12 teardrop 😂. I am on the fence as to go with this or goal zero with the high amp 12v. Or just build a 200ah lifepo system. Whats your thoughts? You really do a great job helping newbies get a handle on what could be a complicated endeavor. Thanks for everything
Thank you, I appreciate you watching. The reason I prefer the pre built systems is because you can pick them up and bring them in the house when the power goes out. There's a million other uses for a portable power station, the portability tends to make it more practical than the home built battery build out. The goal zero is bulletproof, but for the price, I will probably go with one of the systems . If you need more capacity, you can add a oupes expansion (b2) battery later.
The goal zero yeti 1500 with solar panel is $1,500 right now. Would you recommend that over the Oupes mega 2? I have a 30 ft 2015 cruiser shadow that I want to power on long weekends boondocking. @@DIYOutdoorLife
@@calebpeper7409its such a tough call. This is 33 percent bigger and charges much faster. On the other hand, the GZ has a really solid build quality. For construction, id choose the yeti, for camping, id go with the oupes for the size and charge speed. Hope this helps!
It really helps! Your videos are excellent and have helped me so much. I'm new to this camper world and you're giving me confidence with the way you teach and recommend solutions and products honestly. Thank you and keep it up!@@DIYOutdoorLife
Check out the link in my description that goes directly to their website. Thank you for watching from the Philippines, the origin of the word, Boondock!!!
@@DIYOutdoorLife unfortunately everything is here ..lol But we are trying to figure out.. off grid solutions that might give us a few more years of peace and quiet.. on the farm.. #ITSMOREFUNINTHEPHILIPPINES
Hi Brian Hope you are doing well I am “shopping” around for a “self contained” portable power unit. This one odd on Costco got the same price as yours, I know price isn’t everything. Would you be able to provide me your feedback on this? Thanks Anker SOLIX F3800 and BP3800 Expansion Battery Solar Generator Kit Item #: B179011M With an ultra-high AC output power of 6,000W/9,000W and 120V/240V dual-voltage AC output and 7.68kWh capacity, this combo can power almost your all home appliances, a perfect companion for home backup and RV life. Kit Includes: Anker SOLIX F3800 All-in-one Power Station Anker SOLIX BP3800 Expansion Battery Anker SOLIX PS400 (400W) Foldable Solar Panel
That's a very good set up, what's the overall price for all of that? I have used the Anker F3800 and I overall I love it. I stopped featuring any of their products on the channel because they were involved in a pretty ugly situation. Their company produced security cameras that were selling online and became popular. The camera was actually storing data and sending it back to the company in secret, it was very sketchy. Huge lawsuit, essentially they were selling data for facial recognition and other things... that's why I stopped featuring anything from their company. If you're interested, look it up online for details. Objectively, they make a wonderful power station, you'll be happy, just don't change in front of it 😂
Think of AC as the power in a house, the outlets on the walls. This is 120v alternating current (AC). Those devices are powerful, they use a lot "juice" because the electric is infinite and cheap at home. Think of DC 12 volt like the electric in your car. The lights, radio, cigarette style plugs, and usb can run from the battery in the car when the engine is shut off. If you leave them on too long the car wont start bc the battery is dead. A device like this power station has a really high performance battery that allows you to use AC and DC. It also has the chargers built in and a screen that tells you what's happening. I hope this helps, thanks for watching.
I really think we should stop calling power stations as solar generators. They are not solar unless you buy a solar panel of some sort. The name is completely misleading. They are battery power supplies, that’s really it.
you almost never hear me use the term. Sometimes you have to put it in the title so people can find a video. I say portable power stations, sometimes when they get really heavy I'll say solar generator, but I agree
There are gas generators, diesel generators and solar generators. I think the name is consistent with how we name other generators, it’s specific to the “fuel” supplying each device.
@@stuartstuart866 this is very true, but the former two or actually generating- the latter is storing. Solar power station. The Generator part can be confusing for some.
@@stuartstuart866 Except with a lithium battery unit,, there is nothing "solar" about it. All it is is a battery that provides either AC or DC power. You need a separate solar panel to do anything related to providing power from the sun.
Ok, first of all I’m a newb to these units, so I’m going to ask some real basic questions……..don’t judge please. I’m sure some of these questions are gonna be simple…. Can I charge my cell phone with this? Can I run my fridge/chest freezer with it? Any help would be much appreciated Thanks
Welcome to the community, never worry about basic questions! A lot of people want to know the answer, but don't have the courage to ask. This will run your cell phone with no trouble at all, it could probably charge at 10,000 times. A chest freezer does very well, they draw a lot less than standup refrigerator/freezers. My refrigerator will run for almost 2 days on this, but how long yours will run will depend on the size, brand, age, etc.. it can run your refrigerator, how long will depend on your set up.
Brian, you are THE man. Your presentations move at a good pace, you're efficient, and very understandable, even for an old Boomer Ape like me.
I'd been looking to stick my toe into portable solar power generators as a more mobile option.
Tonight I pulled a trigger on the entry level Oupes generator based on your excellent recommendation.
We spent years camping with our daughters. Now in our retirement years we need to find a small but comfortable camper to continue our journey into the sunset.
You have become an important member of our team.
God bless you and your family with good health and prosperity.
Thank you so much for the kind words and watching the channel. It's good to know that the videos are helping some people out, thanks again!
You explain this so fluid and efficiently. I wish my home contractor knew anything about it like you did. amazing research I loved it
Haha...thank you 🙏🏻
Brian you give a lot of good info, approximately one year ago I purchased my Bushwacker HD 10 and at first I thought it was junk because I had so many problems but the longer I have it the more I really like it, quite a while ago I sent you a message About all the negative things on my trailer I wasn’t happy with it but I’ve done so many modifications and I do mainly back country travel with my dog and my trailer has been modified for extreme back country travel done so much to it and still changing it, but I wanted to thank you for all the info that you give, It’s been really helpful, I think you’re a brilliant guy when it comes to electricity I don’t have the skills and it seems I just don’t have the patience to learn those electric skills it’s frustrating to me but because of your videos it’s really helped me out, I really wanted to thank you!!👍👍👍😊
Thank you so much, I really appreciate you tuning in.
It seems like we had a pretty similar experience, I was pretty upset with the Bushwhacker for a while, after some upkeep and mods, I couldn't be happier
It's great to have 30-amp capabilities. Great review of the Oupes power station. No matter the brand, everyone should get something for backup power, too much instability in the world. Enjoy the BW road trip, no place like the Southwest for Winter travels. Stay safe and enjoy!
Thank you! Heading to Texas tomorrow!
Thank you Oupes for finally building the power I wanted all along. The Anderson 30amp power pole for high output 12v is perfect for powering the 12v needs in a small camper. No proprietary adapters needed.
I use the 30amp 120v 3 prong plug with a 4 prong adapter to convert it to 240 and power our electrical needs in our house during short power outages without having to get put the generator. Its an awesome feature!
Pretty awesome and the price is amazing!
Wow, I've never heard of these! Thank you for the excellent review!
Thank you for watching!
Great video on power stations! For outdoor enthusiasts and RV lovers, I highly recommend the Segway Portable PowerStation Cube Series. It has a massive capacity of up to 5kWh, fast recharging, versatile sockets, and comprehensive protections. Plus, it's waterproof! A reliable backup power solution for your camping adventures and ensuring uninterrupted family time.
If you're going to keep leaving this message, you better send me the Segway cube!
I don't mind spreading the word, but at least let me test one out !
If you're an RV lover with skills, you can build you own power units much cheaper. If you're an outdoor enthusiast, what you do need 5KWh for? Unless by outdoor enthusiast you mean bringing all the accoutrements of home and camping with a couple of hundred other people also bringing all the accoutrements of home. But my wife calls that glamping. I tell her, if that's what she wants to do, I'll string an extension cord to the backyard.
You do such a great job and got me looking at teardrops. I own a Mega 3 that powers my off-grid workshop/garage with 600w of solar for charging. Oupes is releasing the Mega 1 in a few days (9/15?) that will go for $499 on its release that I'll use to back up my TC Teardrop's onboard power. I also have an EcoFlow but I'll use that for other things if I get a Mega 1
This stuff gets addictive.. lol
The mega three is pretty awesome for running workshop tools, the inverter is a beast!
Thanks for the great review! And it was nice to see ripple as well.
Ripple loves her camera time.. lol thanks for watching!
There was a time not too long ago that I could not understand why would anyone want or need a “Power Station” especially if you own a generator. I took the plunge (Another lithium Iron brand) after much research for a 3 month trip out west. Although we had our Honda generator the power station was a welcomed accessory when the generator was not allowed at a national park or at a WalMart RV Resort (overnight) 😂 BTW I always appreciate you easy to follow teaching style. Thank you
They are very handy. I just stayed in a Cracker Barrel RV resort the other night... lol
Thanks for watching!
Thank you for such a clear review. I was looking at this brand last spring, but for some reason, Oupes is no longer available in Canada and is no longer an option. We have a 16 ft trailer and currently camp in our provincial campgrounds with electrical hookups. We would like to venture further afield and drydock, and are looking to figure out a way to do this and keep our rv fridge powered. Since it is a compressor fridge, it doesn't have the option of propane. We thought a power station would help accomplish that, but are trying to figure out how to do this. The microwave and air-conditioning aren't a factor. Thanks for your straightforward videos and safe travels
@@cmarion1544 I don't think you can get it on Amazon, but did you try factory direct from Oupes?
Another great video. I would love to see that video showing the 30amp Anderson hook up. All the options and ways to use it. I will search for it now if you have it.
Here is one that shows some of the capability-
Using Goal Zero for RV Battery
ua-cam.com/video/_MRIg0Szh-0/v-deo.html
Excellent video! Great production, great information. Thank you for your posting. I really like this unit.
Thanks for swinging by and watching the video, I appreciate it the comment.
Excellent review. Always looking for improvements and how all of the pieces fit together. The Anderson ports and being 30 Amps as a viable replacement for the house battery continues to pique my interest. I use smaller portable power storage units for most everything as point of use devices and seldom use the AC side of the electrical system. I picked up a Dabbsson, DBS2300 Plus, to help with the power at the house if the power goes out, to keep a freezer going. It has the DC Anderson connection also rated at 30 Amps but no 30 Amp AC RV connection. Over 50 lbs is a two person lift to minimize getting a hernia is always a consideration. Eyeballing the ultimate power upgrade to an Epoch 12V 460Ah Portable Power Station. Safe travels and stary nights.
Thank you for tuning in! That dabbsson got my attention, im glad it's working out for you.
Hoping youre enjoying your 12sk!
Thank you for the review.
Thank you for tuning in!
Sounds good. But it has a lot of bad reviews on Amazon, Thank for your review.
I've been following that, I find it kind of surprising. This is definitely a discount power station, but I have several Oupes that worked out great for the price. I have received feedback from people that I've had problems, but they've always been able to get good tech-support. I will keep an eye on the reviews, I don't wanna recommend products that people have trouble with.
Thanks for watching!
I'll get one of these eventually, I think, but not right now. All the holiday sales are gone, and you don't have a discount code here (WTF?? 😄). I have too many other rando PPS units hanging about that I should sell first. I want to be able to wire this right into the DC side of my Class C and bypass the house battery altogether. Spring projects are piling up already. Enjoy the rest of your trip!
It's basically the same price as the holiday sale... lol you gotta love marketing.
I will get a promo code soon, but sometimes they make you sell your soul for them. I usually ask once Ive made the video, so they can't tell me to say certain things.
Happy holidays!
Brian - thanks for the information. If I were to connect the power station to my camper via the Anderson power pole, would I be able to use the outlets inside the camper to say charge my phone? How about run the built in Atwood mini refrigerator? Thanks.
By using the Anderson DC port, you will only be able to run DC items in the camper. Your phone is DC, so you can plug it into any of the USB or 12 V ports, but your outlets will not work.
They make refrigerators in both AC and DC, if you're Atwood is DC, then it will run .
Hope this helps .
Great video for sure!!!
I purchased this power station and notice when I have the unit on and dc on but no devices attached (no load) it loses 1% battery per hour so 42Ah per day. Anyone else seeing this? I called support and they said this is normal for the bms/fans to run. 42Ah a day seems way high.
If you are losing 1% per hour, your unit had a lot higher standby loss than mine. Remember, it will slow down considerably once the battery depletes a little, the drop is always much faster in the 90%'s. Your conversion is off, it wouldnt be 40ah. Stick with watt hours because the battery is not 12v. Either way, its a bummer, I hope it fixes with a firmware update on the app.
Some loss will always be there, there is a buck converter providing regulated 12vdc, but 1% of 2048 per hour is way too high.
Ah, great info. Thank you!
I really enjoy your channel Brian 😊I own the Bushwhaer 17BH, so will the 30a plug work with this unit? I assume probably everything accept A/C.
Yes, it will work doing that. Since you're running through the inverter, you're going to notice that you get much less runtime.
In fact, you could actually run your air conditioner plugged in this way, it's just not gonna run for very long.
There's a few tricks to get amazing results, if you're willing to do this modification, it will last 4 to 5 times as long as plugging into the inverter.
(do this with the oupes instead of yeti)
Using Goal Zero for RV Battery
ua-cam.com/video/_MRIg0Szh-0/v-deo.html
How long could you potentially run a dometic 12volt fridge and 12 volt systems in a small camper via the 30amp Anderson connection? Just looking for a ballpark for a small teardrop camper
The short answer is, at least a weekend. This unit is 2048Wh I believe. Multiply by 0.9 to account for the efficiency of the DC-DC converter. That's 1843.2Wh of energy available. At the worst case of 30A continuous and a nominal 13.2V, that's about 4.5 hours of run time. But you aren't running 30A all the time. I doubt you're even peaking at 30A.
Your fridge is using about 400Wh of energy over a 2-day weekend. That's 20% of this device's energy capacity. My 15qt Vivor fridge uses about 40W or 3A while running, and it's not running all the time. At 400Wh, it's running about 10 hours the entire weekend (400 / (13.2V * 3A)). The larger fridges will use a little more but not much more. But plan on about 400Wh of energy used no matter what. Not sure what else you're running off of 12V. Maybe some LED lights? This device is plenty big enough for most things I can imagine to run an entire weekend without charging.
My experience has been, if you want worry-free camping in a small camper over a weekend, you need about 1300Wh. That's a 100Ah 12V lithium battery. LiTime is selling theirs for $300 (LiTime has a good recommendation from Will Prowse). You can get away with a 50Ah 12V lithium battery, but you'll probably need to count on the sun being out. A Victron solar charge controller, which is the good stuff, will run about $125. So if you don't need AC, you're better off buying a battery and solar charge controller and leave these units to people who need AC.
Depends on the size of the fridge and the conditions, but very long. I've run my camper with the 12 V bouge RV fridge for 7 days of the DC without solar and had plenty of capacity left.
Great info as always. I would add the AC charging to the mix as a big one.
The Oupes 1200 has cold temp prot., mppt, inverter, USB and AC charger for $500.
Building out a system off a battery is always my favorite, but if you add in the apples to apples, its not the price gap that it used to be.
Thanks again, always great seeing your comments. Did you start your channel yet?
@@DIYOutdoorLife I think UA-cam got me again. My reply either didn't post or got deleted by the system. Seems to be happening a lot lately.
You can buy a 20A AC charger for under $100. Total DIY cost for 100Ah battery, Victron solar charge controller, and charger is about $500. If you need a little AC, a high frequency inverter is under $200. So maybe $700 for basic DIY setup. What you're paying for in these units is the assembly and integration time and expertise if you don't have that. I always ask, do I have more time or more money? For things like this, I still have more time than money, so I do it myself. I also get the benefit of easy mods and upgrades, which is hard to do with buying off the shelf.
As for a channel, I just set one up last night a few hours before you asked. It's under a different account and handle, and I'm not ready to share just yet. Still need to get videos uploaded. And before that I need to do some editing. The first video will be something like "Hiker Trailers - You Get What You Pay For". Sorta knocking them, sorta not. I keep asking myself how upset I can be given the price. But the channel will be about my other projects, too, with an educational component. My ultimate goal is to take my hobbies and turn them into a business and give up my current day job.
So, is this now what you are using to run your AC unit as well? That video resonates with us very much as sleeping while hot means no sleep at all. We are about to pick up a Bushwhacker 12RAD and looking for "bang for the buck" solution for ensuring we have AC for maybe up to a week at a time.
I use the EcoFlow Delta 2 max with expansion batteries for the AC. This unit is certainly capable, but I have not purchased any of the expansion batteries.
If I were to do it all over again, this would be a pretty good buy to do the same thing as I do with the delta max 2
@@DIYOutdoorLife In your opinion, how would this system compare to the new Bluetti AC200L? The AC200L doesn't have the 12v/30A Anderson plug, is that really a game changer/deal breaker?
@@fragsrus1 the major difference here is obviously price. Bluetti makes a great power station but several hundred dollar difference isn't justified.
The 30 A DC plug is a game changer if it's something that you will use. The ability to run an RV, van, or cabin DC system completely off the PPS is really convenient and saves so much power. If thats isnt something that you intend on doing, than it doesn't really make a difference.
Thanks for watching, hope I answered your questions.
@@DIYOutdoorLife thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.
Great information! Thanks
Anderson 30 amp from Oupes battery to where on camper side ??
Like this-
Using Goal Zero for RV Battery
ua-cam.com/video/_MRIg0Szh-0/v-deo.html
Hi, do you recommend the Oupes Mega 2, or Mega 3 or Mega 5 .to replace the travel trailer battery? I've watched your other video on the topic, but it's over three years old now, and this field is rapidly changing. Were I to purchase this, I would use this (and the additional batteries) as an emergency power source for my home, as well as the power source for my travel trailer, including the archaic, loud and inefficient Coleman roof A/C.
Archaic old air conditioners are going to be a nightmare, no matter what power source you’re using. It’s almost always cheaper to change the air conditioner than it is to get enough battery to run it.
With that being said, yes, these are great systems to replace or supplement batteries with . With the reduction in the pricing of lifepo, I usually like to have both an onboard battery and the option to use a power station like this.
If you are attempting to power AC, the bigger the better. In an effort to get decent runtime, you might want the mega five with some expansion batteries. I would start with the main unit for testing, and if you need.
Is the mega one worth considering for a small travel trailer? Or should I go ahead and jump up to the mega two? It’s twice the price. Your channel is awesome! Thank you for your help.
It completely depends on what you need to use. You could have a small travel trailer with a need for nothing but lights and a water pump or you could be talking about refrigerators and TVs etc
Let me know what appliances you want to use while camping and I’ll see if I can help you out .
Thanks for watching!
@@DIYOutdoorLife I would like to use it for all electrical appliances. Much like a second battery.
@@mikescott7289right, but the size of the battery or power station is going to completely depend on what you’re using and duration.
Whether it lasts you one day or 10 days requires knowing the appliances that you run and how long you camp for. I would say go with the bigger one, no one ever regrets having extra capacity. I know the price tag can be steep, but the freedom of being able to dry camp is worth it for most of us.
@@DIYOutdoorLife Thanks for the feedback. I’ll save up for the bigger one. I’ve enjoyed learning from your videos. It made a recent long drive home seem a lot shorter.
@DIYOutdoorLife
With price being similar, would you go with oupes or ecoflo?
Thanks for the review 👍 do you have to use the phone app or can you use it without? Thanks
There's buttons that allow you to do anything you want without using the app... no worries
@@DIYOutdoorLife thanks I'm thinking seriously about this unit.
My dad has an oxygen condenser that he is trying to run on battery over night in his RV. I am thinking this will be what he needs.
These can be a great way to run portable set ups like that!
Thx 👍👍
Thank you for watching!
I have not yet seen anyone use the Mega 2/3 to charge their Tesla. Other power stations require to to use a neutral to ground bonding plug, or Ecoflow Pro 3 has the ability to bypass this in the app. Any chance we can use the TT-30 outlet on here to charge a Tesla?
Because all power stations have a floating ground, you do have to bond. EF did a good job with their ultra that actually bonds for you with the app, like you said.
You can get a neutral - ground bonding plug for a few dollars, but it would be required to charge a device that is checking for that ground . Make sure to unplug that anytime you're charging any power station.
Brian - my wife and I recently purchased the Oupes Mega 2 and 240 watt solar panel. Does the solar panel have an integrated charge controller or do we need to purchase one separately if we want to use the panel to directly charge our camper battery? We are new to solar and just trying to figure this out. Thanks
Hi Bruce,
A high-quality charge controller is built into the Oupus, the solar panel itself is unregulated.
To use with a battery directly, like on your camper, you will need a charge controller .
Hope this helps, thanks for watching!
Brian - your response was very helpful and your videos are amazing. I am guessing that we would need an MPPT controller. Any thoughts on what size controller and any brand recommendations? we have a 12 volt lead acid that we will soon be swapping out for an AGM.
@@brucemarshall4054
This controller would pair well and is very high-quality -
amzn.to/3VJWvBs
Morning Brian - Thanks for the recommendation on for the Victron charge controller. I am wondering if a 10 amp is large enough. While trying to bring myself up to speed on charge controllers last night, many articles and videos suggest that you need to divide the voltage of the solar array by the battery voltage to determine size (240W/12V = 20) and then add an extra 25%. Would a 25 amp controller make sense? Looks like the Victron’s come in 10, 20, 30 and up. Thanks again - Bruce
@@brucemarshall4054
That is a good beginner friendly way to determine charge controller size, but the best way is to look up the specs on the actual panel that you're using .
Depending on the voltage, the current
is different on solar panels, even if they're wattage is the same. I just looked yours up, it's max current is 11.7 A. A 10 amp would work, I would get a 15 amp.
This one is on sale and has Bluetooth, the Bluetooth feature is nice .
amzn.to/4cFwoBF
Hey brother, lover your videos! New to the rv lifestyle. Always went camping in text but bought a 2024 Coleman rubicon 1400bh. It’s “set up” for solar but only runs the fridge and not AC,heater and outlets. It there a way to use this oupes with solar so I can go off grid? That is my goal to make my camper completely self sufficient
Thanks for watching the channel! This can be a huge topic, very difficult to discuss in a simple text. You can use this oupes to run anything you want, the runtime is what becomes a variable. With the high output DC plug, you can run everything that your camper runs off the battery for a very, very long time.
To run a huge appliance like an air conditioner can be very challenging. We have four or five videos on the channel where I talk about it, check out some of the older videos for more details. There's some running air conditioners off power stations, and there's others about replacing the air conditioner with the DC unit. Let me know if you have any other questions, thanks for watching.
Hey Brian, awesome video! I stumbled upon your channel while trying to find an answer to my power dilemma. It's cool that you respond to so many questions and comments.
You mentioned some older videos that cover the topic of electrical usage in RV's...I looked and couldn't find em....probably operator error I'm sure!
Anyways, here's my dilemma. I have a 23' travel trailer and prefer to spend most of our time off grid. Our only 110 draw in the traile is the AC, microwave and TV, plus what ever we plug in to the outlets.
We have a 175 watt solar, roof mounted and a single Renogy 100 watt lithium battery. I'd like to be able to mostly power some cooking appliances like air fryer or a crackpot. A little bit of TV and occasionally the microwave. If it's hot enough to have to run the AC, my rule of thumb is I need to find higher elevation! So here's the question: should I add a bank of batteries and an inverter for my power needs or would this Oupes solar generator cover my needs? I would store it in the pass-thru storage and hard wire it in...as much as possible. It certainly seems like and easier path and probably cheaper, dollar for dollar vs batteries and an inverter.
I so appreciate ur time if you can point me in the right direction.
Thanks
Tom
Thanks for the information I'm struggling so much which POWER box to buy. There's so many of them I'm afraid I'm gonna get a cheap China built thing I wish you could somehow prove to us which one definitely is the cheapest and the best .,.I don't wanna pour $10,000 into my camp trailer that I use a couple of weeks out of the year.
I completely understand.
Do you know what type of things you wanna do with your power station? Thats a good place to start.
As far as price, dividing $ into watt hours can be helpful as a gauge- this one is 60 cents per watt hour... that's as cheap as it comes for machines with these features.
Happy to help any way I can, I understand the struggle.
Thx for the Information. I basically just want to run a refrigerator with a 200 W solar array in southern Utah in the summertime. As far as that power station that is more than enough to run 70 W refrigerator. I'm hoping with a 200 W solar panels would keep up with it, I'm not trying to run air-conditioning or microwave just a refrigerator and then a couple of lights. Thanks again for your information. I enjoy watching your videos.
@@stacyjourdain4435 that will do it. If run a very similar set up without any problems.
What’s the approximate weight of the Mega 2? I couldn’t find those kind of specs on their website.
My sheet says 55 pounds, I don't recall what it actually was on the scale, but it seems to be around 50 pounds
Brian, can I charge my Bluettii AC1800 directly from my Renology 200-watt suitcase panel. Do I hook up everything just like I was charging up an AGM battery?
Your renogy suitcase can work if you bypass the charge controller. Remember that your bluetti already has one built in. This is super easy with most brands but renogy makes it a little bit of a paid, sometimes you have yo cut and crimp.
I am in the planning stages of turning my cargo trailer into a 6x12 teardrop 😂. I am on the fence as to go with this or goal zero with the high amp 12v. Or just build a 200ah lifepo system. Whats your thoughts? You really do a great job helping newbies get a handle on what could be a complicated endeavor. Thanks for everything
Thank you, I appreciate you watching. The reason I prefer the pre built systems is because you can pick them up and bring them in the house when the power goes out. There's a million other uses for a portable power station, the portability tends to make it more practical than the home built battery build out.
The goal zero is bulletproof, but for the price, I will probably go with one of the systems . If you need more capacity, you can add a oupes expansion (b2) battery later.
The goal zero yeti 1500 with solar panel is $1,500 right now. Would you recommend that over the Oupes mega 2? I have a 30 ft 2015 cruiser shadow that I want to power on long weekends boondocking. @@DIYOutdoorLife
@@calebpeper7409its such a tough call. This is 33 percent bigger and charges much faster. On the other hand, the GZ has a really solid build quality. For construction, id choose the yeti, for camping, id go with the oupes for the size and charge speed.
Hope this helps!
It really helps! Your videos are excellent and have helped me so much. I'm new to this camper world and you're giving me confidence with the way you teach and recommend solutions and products honestly. Thank you and keep it up!@@DIYOutdoorLife
@@calebpeper7409 I really appreciate that and thank you for watching the channel!
This or the anker f2000? For mobile detaling or the mega 3?
The mega 3 would be the way to go IMO
Total noob question, can you charge with solar panels while powering appliances in real time?
Yes, you can, simultaneous charging and discharging is fine.
I'm here in the Philippines.. Do they have any 220v units?
Check out the link in my description that goes directly to their website.
Thank you for watching from the Philippines, the origin of the word, Boondock!!!
@@DIYOutdoorLife unfortunately everything is here ..lol
But we are trying to figure out.. off grid solutions that might give us a few more years of peace and quiet.. on the farm.. #ITSMOREFUNINTHEPHILIPPINES
Hi Brian
Hope you are doing well
I am “shopping” around for a “self contained” portable power unit.
This one odd on Costco got the same price as yours, I know price isn’t everything. Would you be able to provide me your feedback on this? Thanks
Anker SOLIX F3800 and BP3800 Expansion Battery Solar Generator Kit
Item #: B179011M
With an ultra-high AC output power of 6,000W/9,000W and 120V/240V dual-voltage AC output and 7.68kWh capacity, this combo can power almost your all home appliances, a perfect companion for home backup and RV life.
Kit Includes:
Anker SOLIX F3800 All-in-one Power Station
Anker SOLIX BP3800 Expansion Battery
Anker SOLIX PS400 (400W) Foldable Solar Panel
That's a very good set up, what's the overall price for all of that?
I have used the Anker F3800 and I overall I love it.
I stopped featuring any of their products on the channel because they were involved in a pretty ugly situation. Their company produced security cameras that were selling online and became popular. The camera was actually storing data and sending it back to the company in secret, it was very sketchy. Huge lawsuit, essentially they were selling data for facial recognition and other things... that's why I stopped featuring anything from their company. If you're interested, look it up online for details.
Objectively, they make a wonderful power station, you'll be happy, just don't change in front of it 😂
The overall price right more through Costco is $3700. $1000.
Sale is 3/21 to 3/23.
Plus Anker is giving $50 off shipping.
I won’t 😂
Thanks
Right now.
It’s $1000 off
what's the total price? I know what it goes for online, was wondering about Costco
$3699.99 + S&H + sales tax on/at Costco
Is this what you mean?
Can you plug an air conditioner into this lol?
Yes-
Running Teardrop AC with Solar! Portable Power Station Air Conditioner
ua-cam.com/video/DzRKUQEo5K0/v-deo.html
Im a woman im so confused about ac dc omgosh
Think of AC as the power in a house, the outlets on the walls. This is 120v alternating current (AC). Those devices are powerful, they use a lot "juice" because the electric is infinite and cheap at home.
Think of DC 12 volt like the electric in your car. The lights, radio, cigarette style plugs, and usb can run from the battery in the car when the engine is shut off. If you leave them on too long the car wont start bc the battery is dead.
A device like this power station has a really high performance battery that allows you to use AC and DC. It also has the chargers built in and a screen that tells you what's happening. I hope this helps, thanks for watching.
Thank you for all the info i will have to look at it latter today been up all night with the storms
I really think we should stop calling power stations as solar generators. They are not solar unless you buy a solar panel of some sort. The name is completely misleading. They are battery power supplies, that’s really it.
you almost never hear me use the term. Sometimes you have to put it in the title so people can find a video.
I say portable power stations, sometimes when they get really heavy I'll say solar generator, but I agree
There are gas generators, diesel generators and solar generators. I think the name is consistent with how we name other generators, it’s specific to the “fuel” supplying each device.
@@stuartstuart866 this is very true, but the former two or actually generating- the latter is storing. Solar power station. The Generator part can be confusing for some.
@@stuartstuart866 Except with a lithium battery unit,, there is nothing "solar" about it. All it is is a battery that provides either AC or DC power. You need a separate solar panel to do anything related to providing power from the sun.
Ok, first of all I’m a newb to these units, so I’m going to ask some real basic questions……..don’t judge please.
I’m sure some of these questions are gonna be simple….
Can I charge my cell phone with this?
Can I run my fridge/chest freezer with it?
Any help would be much appreciated
Thanks
Welcome to the community, never worry about basic questions! A lot of people want to know the answer, but don't have the courage to ask. This will run your cell phone with no trouble at all, it could probably charge at 10,000 times.
A chest freezer does very well, they draw a lot less than standup refrigerator/freezers. My refrigerator will run for almost 2 days on this, but how long yours will run will depend on the size, brand, age, etc.. it can run your refrigerator, how long will depend on your set up.
@@DIYOutdoorLife
Thank you so much for the information, it was very helpful.
Fantastic. Your reporting, is the best I've seen. Good work, keep it up, please. ❤🏌️✌️
Thank you for the kind words, I appreciate you watching the channel!