On the one hand, everyone should take care to keep their CO2 or environmental footprint as small as possible, on the other hand, the complete hobby or traveling in a camper or van is in stark contrast to this. Only those who fly on vacation once a year will probably have an even worse environmental balance, but first things first…
What do you need a power generator for anyway ?
If you want to use a 230 volt device in your van, it will be difficult without a power generator. If you’re at a campsite, of course, that’s not a problem, because most motorhomes and vans supply the interior with 230 volts when shore power is connected. But if you are self-sufficient, then it usually looks different, because then the sockets do not work. To secure the power supply with 230 volts during “free standing”, there are now two possibilities.
A voltage converter that converts battery voltage from 12 volts to 230 volts. There are several variants here, fixed or mobile systems. All variants are available in a variety of colors, power levels, price categories.
If you do not want to use the body battery of the vehicle to convert the voltage from 12 to 230 volts, it is possible to use a power generator. Either the terminal equipment is connected directly to the generator or the shore power is supplied through it.
Jackery, our first choice ❤️
A generator usually runs on gasoline, makes noise, and must be operated outside. For these reasons, classic generators are out of the question for us! We decided to use a “solar generator”, this works on batteries. The batteries can be charged via a solar panel or via the cigarette lighter and thus via the body battery. In principle, a huge power bank, only not for the smartphone, but for the van.
The choice on the market is huge, there are tens of manufacturers and models. We would like to recommend our Explorer 500 from Jackery. Founded in 2012 in the USA, Jackery’s mission is to make portable power green. What better portable power station that can also be charged via solar? Jackery’s Explorer models are attractively priced and compare favorably with the competition. The Explorer 500 costs around 600 Euros. Every now and then there are sales, so we were able to get our Explorer for 450 euros.
Jackery’s Explorer models come in 3 models, 240, 518 and 1002 watt hours. We opted for the golden mean and are completely satisfied with the 518 watt hours. The performance data of the Explorer 500 in detail:
- 500 Watt power (1000W at peak)
- Pure sine wave AC output
- 3 USB ports
- 1×230 Volt AC output
- DC outputs car connection 12 V, 10 A; 2 * 6.5*1.4 mm DC output: 12 V, 7 A (for DIY)
The integrated 518 watt-hour lithium-ion battery can, for example, charge an iPhone around 50 times or operate a cooler for around 9 hours. As you can see, this small box contains decent power. If that’s not enough, you can opt for an Explorer 1000, which doubles the performance, but also the price.
The Explorer 500 can also be used to connect the Grand California to shore power, which is then used to charge the body battery. But you must always take into account the maximum power, which is 1000 watts. Our small explorer cannot deliver more than that; if it is loaded more heavily, the device switches off. A normal hair dryer has an average of 1000 to 2000 watts. Here, you wouldn’t get far with the Explorer 500 and you have to reach for a larger model.
How to charge the Explorer?
Each Jackery Explorer can be charged via a normal 230 volt power supply, 12Volt cigarette lighter or by solar panel. We bought the latter with our Explorer, so the power bank can be charged climate-neutrally in summer. Jackery’s Foldable Solar Panel delivers a maximum power of 100 watts and can fully charge the Explorer in about 9 hours. The highlight is that the panel also has two USB ports and can thus be used without the Explorer to charge end devices.
There are many providers on the market. Jackery was able to convince us with good workmanship, a fair price-performance ratio and excellent customer service. If you are looking for a solution, Jackery might be the right place for you.
