Home-built version of Bluetti AC300+ 1*B300 Any suggestions?

[Bellyman]

Have been looking at specs for various "solar generators" online and think that something like the Bluetti AC300+ 1*B300 system could do well for what I would like to use it for. There is no need for 220v electric and it would never be hooked to any kind of grid-tie setup. It would primarily be for an RV that I want to set up as a "remote cabin" though it's not terribly "remote". Running electricity would not necessarily be easy from the grid, possible, but I feel like I'd like to go a different direction. It could also be a backup for various things around our homestead should grid power go down for more than a few hours. No, it doesn't have to run a whole house. A small amount of refrigeration might indeed be handy, though, as well as some limited microwave / hotplate / coffee maker use (and I do mean limited).

I've run an RV on a 120 volt 15 amp extension cord for months at a time (which actually included a small chest freezer), I kinda get not having a lot of power available. A little power makes life a whole lot easier than no power at all. So yeah, I get the idea of conservation and "power sipping", I do.

Anyway, the budget is quite tight. And while I could potentially go buy that Bluetti and a couple thousand watts of solar panels, it would hurt pretty bad. Solar panels are cheap enough and available enough used that I think I can cover that part of it. But I kinda get lost looking at inverters, solar charge controllers, and even LiFePo4 type batteries, often getting overwhelmed at even figuring out whether I'd be better looking at 12 volt, 24 volt or 48 volt setups. (I'm thinking 48 volt would probably be better as I don't have a lot of 12 volt stuff to run, plus, I also get that power losses at 12 volts require heavier wiring, etc.)

So anybody have suggestions as to possible components I should look at to build something up from scratch? Or am I better off just going with pre-built? I've heard Will say that some of these pre-built setups are pretty economical for what you actually get while I've heard others say that you can do a lot better building it from scratch.

I've looked at a few older threads but stuff changes over time, companies go out of business, prices change...

Interested in your thoughts if you'd care to share, even if it's just "have a look at x website".

Thanks!

 

[12VoltInstalls]

budget is quite tight. And while I could potentially go buy that Bluetti and a couple thousand watts of solar panels, it would hurt pretty bad. Solar panels are cheap enough and available enough used that I think I can cover that part of it.

suggestions as to possible components I should look at to build something up from scratch?

Build a basic component system. Get lesser-priced 200W+ panels 50c/watt. Epever charge controller. Reliable QZRELB inverter or Giandel, batteries.
That’s going to give you adequate power for less than finagling the bluetthi and have MUCH MORE capacity. And be unlikely to fail.
My opinion.

there’s also these things that are super inexpensive to run and just barely enough for a fridge and freezer with this model (bigger model takes more panels)
imho this is a bargain

 

[Bellyman]

Build a basic component system. Get lesser-priced 200W+ panels 50c/watt. Epever charge controller. Reliable QZRELB inverter or Giandel, batteries.
That’s going to give you adequate power for less than finagling the bluetthi and have MUCH MORE capacity. And be unlikely to fail.
My opinion.

there’s also these things that are super inexpensive to run and just barely enough for a fridge and freezer with this model (bigger model takes more panels)
imho this is a bargain

Thank you! That info is helpful and I'll poke around looking at those options.

I saw Will's review of the EG4 6500EX yesterday. Looks like a lot of bang for the buck there, and it seemed to impress Will, which I imagine isn't that easy to do. That's probably larger than I would want most of the time but I'm thinking that going larger than I think I need will likely work out way better than buying something small and immediately wishing I'd spent more to get more.

 

[12VoltInstalls]

Will's review of the EG4 6500EX yesterday. Looks like a lot of bang for the buck there,

A component system has a powered-on consumption usually much lower than the larger AIOs like that. For example, the Epever 30A charge controller has like a couple watts of consumption, and the backup QZRELB aka Reliable 2000W inverter I measured at about 11W. That EG4 is like 80W+. My backup Giandel 1200W is 18-26W (I don’t know why it appears to change. It’s been 18W a couple times, 26W every time I’ve measured than those two)

Anyway, the budget is quite tight.

you could be up and running quite well for about the same as the EG4 cost alone

 

[Bellyman]

A component system has a powered-on consumption usually much lower than the larger AIOs like that. For example, the Epever 30A charge controller has like a couple watts of consumption, and the backup QZRELB aka Reliable 2000W inverter I measured at about 11W. That EG4 is like 80W+. My backup Giandel 1200W is 18-26W (I don’t know why it appears to change. It’s been 18W a couple times, 26W every time I’ve measured than those two)

you could be up and running quite well for about the same as the EG4 cost alone

Thanks for the input!

Is this the inverter you're talking about? Definitely economical at $250.

2000W Power Inverter 12VDC,24VDC or 48VDC to 120VAC Pure Sine Wave Inverter RBP2000W(Stock available in United States)

WZRELB Pure Sine Wave Inverter converts the DC power from battery in to AC power for AC equipments such as heater, oven, refrigerator, A/C ect. The power inverter has good protection such as protection bells or whistles ,short circuit, over temeprature protection, low/high battery volt...

reliableinverters.com

 

[12VoltInstalls]

this the inverter you're talking about

Nearly almost basically the same. But in white not black. So yes.

My daughter bought it for her 2019 Sprinter project that she sold at a profit before completing it. And she kept most of the equipment to sell. Naturally I had to test the thing.
Wicked low idle fuel usage and I couldn’t make it overload to shutdown with a shopvac and heater running. I sold my NIB 1500W Giandel backup and kept the QZRELB. I ran it s couple weeks no issues.

 

[Bellyman]

Thanks for the input.

About the only concern I'm pondering is whether a 2000 watt inverter is large enough to cover the surges I might expect with inductive loads, some would be, and the potential for two loads starting at once may be too much for it even if it's quite enough to run them once started.

Are the larger inverters of the same manufacturer of similar quality to the one you mention? I had felt like the Bluetti in the other setup having 3000 watts continuous and 6000 watts surge would likely be enough not to have to worry about two compressors kicking in at once.

So two other thoughts are coming to mind. 1), I have heard of people having multiple inverters, basically a small one to run continuously, and a larger one to run just for larger loads that is not intended to run 24/7. 2), I am wondering whether units like these do well at being turned on and off multiple times a day. Or maybe I really do need to suck it up and plan on larger idle drains at off times and just bump up the size of pretty much everything.

It is a places like right here that I get bogged down.

 

[12VoltInstalls]

6000 watts surge would likely be

….would likely be very optimistic.