Goal Zero Yeti 3000x August 18, 2022, 01:14:15 pm It was quite unintentional that we ended up with one of these portable power stations. As I’ve mentioned previously, my 89 year old mother is now living with us and she qualifies for several different programs through our utility provider (Southern California Edison). I had applied, on her behalf, for their Critical Care Backup Battery (CCBB) program since she has medical equipment that qualifies under that program. I had no idea exactly what the program provided but last night, SCE delivered a brand new Yeti 3000x power station and a Boulder 200 briefcase solar panel. This is not an inexpensive set-up! I’m wondering if the 200-watt solar panels can be hooked up to the LD to supplement my 100-watt panel?Just mentioning this in case anyone here qualifies for a similar program through their utility company. Definitely worth investigating!Amazon.com : Goal Zero Yeti 3000X Portable Power Station, 2982Wh Portable...Amazon.com : Goal Zero Boulder 200 Briefcase, 200-Watt Monocrystalline Solar... 6 Likes As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Goal Zero Yeti 3000x Reply #1 – August 18, 2022, 01:40:07 pm I found this in the customer reviews of the GZ panel:"Other minor complaint about the B200 specifically, is that its ‘high power plug’ connector is a basic Anderson connector where its terminals have been turned into a 'vertical' orientation *without* the option of making them go lateral (you can’t pull back the rubber sheath on the plug)."If I understand that correctly, you should be able to make a mating connector using standard Anderson Powerpole parts, since the individual connectors can be stacked either horizontally or vertically. Others here who have more experience with Powerpole connectors than I do can probably supply specifics.That leaves two issues. The first is whether the GZ panel has a built-in solar charging controller. If it does, you could connect it directly to your house batteries. But I'm betting that it doesn't. That's something you'll want to verify by reading the panel's spec sheet or calling up Goal Zero's tech support. If it puts out the raw (probably 18V) power from the panels, you'll need to feed that into a solar controller--with luck, the one your rig has built in.That bring us to the second issue: voltage. If using your built-in solar controller, for best efficiency you'll want the GZ panel's output voltage to match that of your rig's 100 W panel within a volt or so. Otherwise, you'd want to add a second solar controller dedicated to the GZ suitcase.I'm guessing that you can probably make this work. A portable panel can not only be a very handy supplement, but also offers the possibility of letting you want to park in the shade, but set the suitcase out in the sun.Hats off to SCE for making this setup available. Of course, it tells you something about their expectations for the future... 2 Likes
Re: Goal Zero Yeti 3000x Reply #2 – August 18, 2022, 03:02:20 pm I have been using a 200 watt Renogy solar briefcase with a built in solar controller directly connected to house batteries to supplement power when dry camping for the last three or so years. I heartily agree with Andy's comment about this setup and the additional flexibility it brings to campsite selection. I also suggest you pick up 2-25' anderson extension cables to really maximize your positioning flexibility. Powerwerx (Andy has link in his posting) is definitely a great source for cables and other accessories.Andy is correct that the Boulder 200 does not include an attached solar controller since it is designed to be used with a wide variety of GZ solar generators that have built in solar controllers. As Andy also mentioned, basic cables that have Anderson PP connections can be easily set up in any configuration. The connectors that GZ sells are encased in sheathing that does not allow you to change the configuration (unless you wanted to remove enough of the sheathing to allow reconfiguring:)Happy Trails! Matt 1 Likes
Re: Goal Zero Yeti 3000x Reply #3 – August 19, 2022, 05:12:39 pm A note about solar suitcases: most are ridiculously overpriced. That Goal Zero 200 W suitcase, for example, is $549.95 sans controller. Yow! That's almost three dollars per watt, at a time when most 100 W panels are selling for under a buck a watt.I built my own 200 W solar suitcase earlier this year. I bought a couple of 100 W panels that were on sale for $79.95 apiece, used two 2" hinges to connect them, and added two handles on the top edges. Total cost: about $170.00.I connected the panels in series to double the voltage, in order to minimize voltage drop in the 25 foot cable I use, and fed them into my existing Victron MPPT solar controller. That's not strictly necessary--you could connect them in parallel--but they're more efficient this way.Now, if you want a suitcase that can connect directly to your batteries, it's a little more complicated. You'd have to find a waterproof solar controller and mount it to the back of one of the panels. But my point is that a basic controller-less solar suitcase can be built with a couple of panels and ten bucks worth of common hardware, using nothing but a drill and a screwdriver. Keep that in mind when price shopping! 2 Likes
Re: Goal Zero Yeti 3000x Reply #4 – August 20, 2022, 04:41:33 pm Been learning a little more about this power station and solar panel set-up. The power station has a MPPT solar charge-controller built-in so the briefcase panels provided do not have a charge-controller. I'm testing the panels today as it's bright and sunny outside. Found a helpful video on YouTube also:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G11JzcZMTs 3 Likes
Re: Goal Zero Yeti 3000x Reply #5 – August 21, 2022, 06:38:31 am Quote from: HiLola - August 20, 2022, 04:41:33 pmBeen learning a little more about this power station and solar panel set-up. The power station has a MPPT solar charge-controller built-in so the briefcase panels provided do not have a charge-controller. I'm testing the panels today as it's bright and sunny outside. Found a helpful video on YouTube also:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G11JzcZMTsThanks for sharing. That is amazing! I would rather have the Yeti instead of a generator. I can see how this could bring about the all electric RV very soon in the future. Lazy Daze mini camping all electric van!!Ron 1 Likes
Re: Goal Zero Yeti 3000x Reply #6 – August 21, 2022, 11:46:44 am Quote from: Sarz272000 - August 21, 2022, 06:38:31 amThanks for sharing. That is amazing! I would rather have the Yeti instead of a generator. I can see how this could bring about the all-electric RV very soon in the future. Lazy Daze mini camping all-electric van!!I'm not sure the electric RV is around the corner, most of the areas we camp in are not wired at all, where charging electric vehicles is a dream. The existing power grid can barely deal with summer heat waves much less provide the billions of kilowatts that will be needed to charge electric RVs that will mostly be used in the summer. I do not see the infrastructure and generating facilities being developed fast enough to make this possible in the near future. It will take a huge battery (expensive) to power an RV down the road any distance. Electric RVs will require many thousands of rural high-output charging stations to make them practical. I doubt if the RV industry is willing to fund the billions needed for the expansion. With nuclear and coal-powered generating stations closing, it's hard to see where the power is going to come from.A A Goal Zero is not a generator, it's another battery with a built-in inverter. The Yeti 3000X costs $3500 and has a 250 AH battery. An LD can be equipped with this amount of lithium battery (or more) and an inverter for less and would not require carrying and storing a large, 80-pound portable battery, I fail to see a major advantage for normal RV usage. Solar panels are great but do not work well during periods of rain and clouds and produce significantly less power during the short days of winter. There are times that a generator is handy.We keep our LD at home and it is comforting to know that it can provide power to our home during extended power outages.Larry 6 Likes
Re: Goal Zero Yeti 3000x Reply #7 – August 21, 2022, 12:44:21 pm Quote from: Larry W - August 21, 2022, 11:46:44 amI'm not sure the electric RV is around the corner, most of the areas we camp in are not wired at all, where charging electric vehicles is a dream. The existing power grid can barely deal with summer heat waves much less provide the billions of kilowatts that will be needed to charge electric RVs that will mostly be used in the summer. I do not see the infrastructure and generating facilities being developed fast enough to make this possible in the near future. It will take a huge battery (expensive) to power an RV down the road any distance. Electric RVs will require many thousands of rural high-output charging stations to make them practical. I doubt if the RV industry is willing to fund the billions needed for the expansion. With nuclear and coal-powered generating stations closing, it's hard to see where the power is going to come from.A A Goal Zero is not a generator, it's another battery with a built-in inverter. The Yeti 3000X costs $3500 and has a 250 AH battery. An LD can be equipped with this amount of lithium battery (or more) and an inverter for less and would not require carrying and storing a large, 80-pound portable battery, I fail to see a major advantage for normal RV usage. Solar panels are great but do not work well during periods of rain and clouds and produce significantly less power during the short days of winter. There are times that a generator is handy.We keep our LD at home and it is comforting to know that it can provide power to our home during extended power outages.Good points, Larry!How exactly do you hook up the LD to your home?
Re: Goal Zero Yeti 3000x Reply #8 – August 21, 2022, 01:00:41 pm Quote from: HiLola - August 21, 2022, 12:44:21 pmGood points, Larry!How exactly do you hook up the LD to your home?Nothing exotic such as a transfer switch, instead, we use extension cords to the refrigerator and other appliances needing power, such as the furnace.If things get really bad, we can move into the LD.When we bought our home, we purposely looked for one where the LD could be stored on-site.Larry 3 Likes
Re: Goal Zero Yeti 3000x Reply #9 – August 21, 2022, 01:12:38 pm Quote from: Sarz272000 - August 21, 2022, 06:38:31 am I would rather have the Yeti instead of a generator. Well, now I have both. Want to buy a Honda 3000? :D Amazon.com : Honda Power Equipment EU3000IS1AN 3000W 120V Portable Home Gas... As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Goal Zero Yeti 3000x Reply #10 – August 21, 2022, 01:40:27 pm Quote from: Larry W - August 21, 2022, 11:46:44 amI'm not sure the electric RV is around the corner, most of the areas we camp in are not wired at all, where charging electric vehicles is a dream. The existing power grid can barely deal with summer heat waves much less provide the billions of kilowatts that will be needed to charge electric RVs that will mostly be used in the summer. I do not see the infrastructure and generating facilities being developed fast enough to make this possible in the near future. It will take a huge battery (expensive) to power an RV down the road any distance. Electric RVs will require many thousands of rural high-output charging stations to make them practical. I doubt if the RV industry is willing to fund the billions needed for the expansion. With nuclear and coal-powered generating stations closing, it's hard to see where the power is going to come from.A A Goal Zero is not a generator, it's another battery with a built-in inverter. The Yeti 3000X costs $3500 and has a 250 AH battery. An LD can be equipped with this amount of lithium battery (or more) and an inverter for less and would not require carrying and storing a large, 80-pound portable battery, I fail to see a major advantage for normal RV usage. Solar panels are great but do not work well during periods of rain and clouds and produce significantly less power during the short days of winter. There are times that a generator is handy.We keep our LD at home and it is comforting to know that it can provide power to our home during extended power outages.LarryLarryAll good points. However, moving forward if RVing is still to remain affordable and open to all while saving the environment electric RVs are the way to go.1) US energy department committed and is progressing with adding hundreds of super charging stations around the US. They are committed to EV so RVs can tag along with minimal participation from RV manufactures. 2) Onan 4000 generator weighs 172 lbs plus weigh of gas to run it at 6lbs/gal. Yeti type device saves weight which is important. Yeti could be located where generator exists now.3) West coast utilities do have issues but the northeast utilities are upgrading the high voltage transmission systems to serve higher loads. True power plants are shutting down but solar seems to be higher priority so more advancement in technology will occur making them better generators. In Michigan we are interconnected to Canada which has power surplus. They supply some power now. Michigan is also adding gas power plants and has a nuclear license on hold just in case. 4) CGs do not need to upgrade if RVers charge at stations before arrival. Much the same as gassing up an RV. Trickle charging while there will reduce that high demand as well.5) Watch the previous video and know that he shows solar works to some extent during cloudy conditions by tipping panels. A fully charged RV and Yet type device could get RVer through days in a CG. I know full electric RV has issues but it is the future. Just need the technology to make it occur. It could start with a hybrid style RV and gradually working up to full electric.Ron 2 Likes
Re: Goal Zero Yeti 3000x Reply #11 – August 21, 2022, 05:22:04 pm "Onan 4000 generator weighs 172 lbs plus weigh of gas to run it at 6lbs/gal. Yeti type device saves weight which is important. Yeti could be located where generator exists now."There's no comparison. Larry's point bears repeating: Yeti type battery packs can't make electricity; they can only store it. And while a solar panel can make electricity, a 200 W panel--even at high noon in mid-June in the Arizona desert--can only output one twentieth the power of that 4,000 W Onan generator.Now, if you live a low-powered lifestyle, you can get by with just 200 watts of solar power, at least in the spring and fall. I've done it in a small, bare-bones trailer. Even in winter, you could manage a weekend trip using a large powerpack like the Yeti unit, as long as you charged it up at home before leaving and kept a tight rein on power usage while camping. (No hair dryers, coffeemakers, microwave ovens, induction cooktops, heaters, etc.)But come summer you're going to want air conditioning, and at that point you'll either need a real generator, or you'll need to go plug in somewhere.Bottom line: a battery pack is not a generator, no matter what the manufacturer's marketing department calls it. One can't substitute for the other. 2 Likes
Re: Goal Zero Yeti 3000x Reply #12 – August 21, 2022, 05:35:29 pm Quote from: Andy Baird - August 21, 2022, 05:22:04 pmNow, if you live a low-powered lifestyle, you can get by with just 200 watts of solar power, at least in the spring and fall. I've done it. Even in winter, you could manage a weekend trip with just a large powerpack like the Yeti unit, as long as you charged it up at home before leaving and kept a tight rein on power usage while camping. (No hair dryers, coffeemakers, microwave ovens, induction cooktops, heaters, etc.)But come summer you're going to want air conditioning, and at that point you'll either need a real generator, or you'll need to go plug in somewhere. Bottom line: a battery pack is not a generator, no matter what label the manufacturer's marketing department slaps on it.My current configuration, 850 watts solar, 400ah lithium, 3000 watt inverter allows me to use all the appliances save the AC pretty much whenever I want to.On a hot drive, I even run the AC for a hour or two when the batteries are above 90%, since the alternator and solar will top it right back up. I’ve two generator days, both rookie mistakes, arriving too early on a hot day, though one of those days counted as a generator excercise day. Will keep the generator for Alaska next year, but I suspect it will be removed in favor of another 6-8 batteries, if I can stomach the cost, as the generator is just overhead now. 1 Likes
Re: Goal Zero Yeti 3000x Reply #13 – August 21, 2022, 06:40:39 pm Quote from: Sarz272000 - August 21, 2022, 01:40:27 pmHowever, moving forward if RVing is still to remain affordable and open to all while saving the environment electric RVs are the way to go.I know full electric RV has issues but it is the future. Just need the technology to make it occur. It could start with a hybrid style RV and gradually working up to full electric.Hauling your house around everywhere you go is never going to be a way to save the environment. RV's and trucks are more expensive than ever - hardly affordable and open to all. You're looking at 100k (new) to start these days. All electric RVs won't be a thing, for all of the reasons posted above. Gas is just too portable, too affordable, too quick to refuel, and carries too much energy per pound to compete with batteries for heavy vehicles that are designed to travel away from infrastructure. A hybrid powertrain would be a well received option. Doubling current fuel economy is within reach, without any concerns about charging infrastructure. If I was interested in pulling a trailer, a Ford Hybrid truck would be high on my list. With a built in inverter/generator, it seems almost perfect for the task. Rich
Re: Goal Zero Yeti 3000x Reply #14 – August 21, 2022, 06:50:41 pm The way global issues are arising (fires, storms, droughts) everyone needs to consider a more minimized life outside a main residence. Gone are the days of a/c, microwaves, ovens on camping trips. The environment or infrastructures cannot support that lifestyle. Camping needs to get back to living with nature and enjoying what we have before it is totally destroyed. The video above did a good job of demonstrating how one can live with this type of camping lifestyle without a generator. It makes no sense to me to have a solar system and still depend on a generator. Go big or go home. With upcoming focus on solar that technology will improve dramatically from todays solar because of competition and ability to make money. With an all electric RV one could also use RV batteries to support Yeti type devices which will give someone more capacity to stay in the wild. So the RV will not be limited to solar panels themselves. I am kind of playing devils advocate to point out that things need to change from todays lifestyle. Otherwise, there will be no nature left for future generations to enjoy.Ron 1 Likes
Re: Goal Zero Yeti 3000x Reply #15 – August 21, 2022, 07:06:18 pm Quote from: Sarz272000 - August 21, 2022, 06:50:41 pmGone are the days of a/c, microwaves, ovens on camping trips. I understand what you're getting at, but that's not the direction we are headed in. The RV industry has shipped over 320,000 new units so far in 2022. The industry shipped 1 million+ new units in 2020 (420k) / 2021 (600k). The vast majority of those were shipped with A/C, microwaves, and ovens (and probably multiple TVs). Sad that LazyDaze closed while the industry was selling more units than ever. In some ways, that's part of what did them in. Rich 1 Likes
Re: Goal Zero Yeti 3000x Reply #16 – August 21, 2022, 08:01:10 pm Ron, I agree that we need to reduce energy and materials consumption. A couple of years ago I spent seven months in a rig that had a much smaller energy and materials "footprint" than my Lazy Daze or my Airstreams.My 13-foot Trillium was towed by a Subaru Outback, but a modern hybrid vehicle could have done as well. For a solo traveler it was cozy but surprisingly comfortable. While I didn't spend a winter in it, I have friends who have wintered in very similar small fiberglass trailers. (Yes, they were plugged in, but it doesn't take much to heat a 13' trailer.) 200 watts of solar panels on the ground and a single 160 amp-hour LiFePO4 battery provided plenty of 12 V power. Even with its small compressor fridge, I needed relatively little electricity. I cooked on a single-burner propane stove, heated with a 3,000 BTU catalytic heater, and had no water heater. (With no shower, I couldn't see the need, so I removed it to free up storage space.) I didn't even have a water pump--I replaced it with a marine foot pump.However, in summer I had to install a small (600 watt) window air conditioner and use plug-in power in order to keep it livable. If I had headed up into the mountains, I could probably have gotten by without, but circumstances required me to be in an area that even at 4,100' elevation, got quite hot.But that minimalist rig would not have suited a couple, let alone a family. In fact I bought it, nearly new, from a couple who had quickly discovered that it was too small for two.And as Rich pointed out, the RV industry in recent years has been churning out staggering numbers of heavily equipped vehicles with every power-hungry convenience imaginable. It's going to be a long time--probably decades--before they all wear out and are scrapped. In short, as much as we might wish it, the RV industry isn't going to change course soon enough to do us much practical good. As Rich said, "that's not the direction [they] are headed in." 3 Likes
Re: Goal Zero Yeti 3000x Reply #17 – August 22, 2022, 08:30:41 am There was a study eight years ago that showed travel via RV is the most carbon friendly method.https://www.rvt.com/blog/rv-lifestyle/rv-vacations-leave-smaller-carbon-footprint-than-traditional-travelOf course the study was commissioned by the RV industry, so there is a bit of bias.Was hoping a greener RV would come to market by the time I retired, like a Rivian with a camper shell, technically feasible but out of my budget. Heck, was really hoping a hybrid RV would have been available by now.So given when I needed an RV (now), my option was to buy a quality RV (Lazy Daze - check), and max out the solar / batteries to minimize its footprint while in use. My upgrades aren’t cost effective, even if I did them myself, but it was the greenest thing I could do. 1 Likes
Re: Goal Zero Yeti 3000x Reply #18 – August 22, 2022, 09:28:50 am Quote from: Dave Katleman - August 22, 2022, 08:30:41 amOf course the study was commissioned by the RV industry, so there is a bit of bias.They compared a RV trip to one that involved an airline flight. Airplanes are terrible from a greenhouse emission standpoint. For the fly/drive/hotel trip:1.93 tons CO2 – airline0.19 tons CO2 – rental car0.49 tons CO2 – hotelFor the RV trip:0.80 tons CO2 – car/folding camping trailer1.26 tons CO2 – SUV/travel trailer1.69 tons CO2 – Type C motorhome1.35 tons CO2 – Type A motorhome (diesel)Hard for me to imagine that the RV isn't much worse from a CO2 perspective than anything not involving an airplane. RVs aren't particularly cheap or environmentally friendly. I still like them. The are, however, better than airplanes or rockets! RichRocket travel is coming:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HIAx36Lrbw&ab_channel=Newsthink
Re: Goal Zero Yeti 3000x Reply #19 – August 22, 2022, 09:54:18 am One has to wonder what the environmental effect will be when all these electrical vehicle batteries need to be replaced, not to mention the mining of lithium and the manufacturing process to build new ones. 1 Likes
Re: Goal Zero Yeti 3000x Reply #20 – August 22, 2022, 10:04:52 am The topic has moved a tad but...The bottom line is we all (us older folk and our parents before us) steal our lifestyle from our children and grandchildren. We humans rarely pay the full price of the items we gather. One example out of many. We have built dams to capture water and generate power. ALL dams have a definitive life span. All some point ALL dams will have to be pulled down. That means our children will be paying the cost of the damage of the dam and get none of the benefits. The phase of 'clean energy' is nothing but a propaganda phase to make us old folk feel ok. All energy is harmful to the natural world. We human has and will find a path to use the energy but somebody will pay for it. It's either us or them.glenps I love my LD and solar panels. I have built a portable solar system. <smile> I know I'll be giving my kids an old run-done beat-up RV after I died and gone. 2 Likes
Re: Goal Zero Yeti 3000x Reply #21 – August 22, 2022, 10:09:13 am Quote from: rich - August 22, 2022, 09:28:50 amThey compared a RV trip to one that involved an airline flight. Airplanes are terrible from a greenhouse emission standpoint. For the fly/drive/hotel trip:1.93 tons CO2 – airline0.19 tons CO2 – rental car0.49 tons CO2 – hotelFor the RV trip:0.80 tons CO2 – car/folding camping trailer1.26 tons CO2 – SUV/travel trailer1.69 tons CO2 – Type C motorhome1.35 tons CO2 – Type A motorhome (diesel)Hard for me to imagine that the RV isn't much worse from a CO2 perspective than anything not involving an airplane. RVs aren't particularly cheap or environmentally friendly. I still like them. The are, however, better than airplanes or rockets! RichRocket travel is coming:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HIAx36Lrbw&ab_channel=NewsthinkTo compare planes vs RVs one would have to normalize or determine counts/day for each. If more RVs are on the road than planes or visa versa the impact would be different and could be dramatically different.Ron
Re: Goal Zero Yeti 3000x Reply #22 – August 22, 2022, 03:17:28 pm I've got some bad news and some good news this morning. I mentioned a few days ago that I had put together an inexpensive 200 watt solar suitcase that I was very happy with. Just before dawn this morning it was run over and smashed. I had to bag it up in a contractor bag, haul it away, and then sweep up the remaining glass fragments from the campground driveway behind my rig.Here's what happened. Late last night a powerful line squall blew through our area. I didn't realize it at the time, but the gusts blew the panels from behind my rig out into the road. This morning an early-rising friend called to tell me that they'd heard a pickup drive over them. My suitcase panels were propped up about four inches with a couple of small rocks, in order to let air circulate under them. Panels do get quite hot, and that's not good for their efficiency (or probably their longevity). Of course the wind happened to be blowing from a direction that let it get under the panels and flip, then drag them.Moral: I should have secured the panels with ropes to a couple of more substantial rocks. My friend does this with their two separate panels, and they stayed in place through the storm. I used to secure my panels that way in wintertime when I was tilting them to 35°, but I hadn't thought it necessary now, with such a low angle. I was wrong. This is a lesson for anybody with panels on the ground.Now the good news. When I went to order replacement panels, I found that the new version of this model has more efficient cells and is five inches shorter. Price is $85 apiece, so it's still possible to build a 200 W solar suitcase like mine for $170 and change. Of course, you could use any panels you want--just add hinges and handles. I chose these because they were cheap, and because their squarish shape made them a bit easier to carry when folded than a more rectangular panel would be. 4 Likes As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Goal Zero Yeti 3000x Reply #23 – August 26, 2022, 07:30:11 am Maybe that all electric RV is coming sooner than anyone expects! HaHahttps://apnews.com/article/technology-california-air-resources-board-climate-and-environment-dc75c11280f85a8ab134cf392497be68Ron
Re: Goal Zero Yeti 3000x Reply #24 – August 26, 2022, 07:32:28 am Quote from: Sarz272000 - August 26, 2022, 07:30:11 amMaybe that all electric RV is coming sooner than anyone expects! HaHahttps://apnews.com/article/technology-california-air-resources-board-climate-and-environment-dc75c11280f85a8ab134cf392497be68RonOr people will go to NV or AZ to buy a motorhome.- John
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