Most Compact Charge Cart based on EG4 3000

[trad]

New 12v 100ah mini LFP batteries triggered my interest. How small can we go? Final dimensions 22 x 21 x 11 and about 120lbs. I could make it a little smaller, but wanted some clearance between the bottom of the EG4 3000 and the ground for ventilation.



The breakers are on the back side and they make the unit wider than it should be. To be added, a 30a RV plug and a paint job.



What else should I add?

 

[DIYrich]

Panels and wheels.

 

[Brucey]

New 12v 100ah mini LFP batteries triggered my interest. How small can we go? Final dimensions 22 x 21 x 11 and about 120lbs. I could make it a little smaller, but wanted some clearance between the bottom of the EG4 3000 and the ground for ventilation.

View attachment 195036

The breakers are on the back side and they make the unit wider than it should be. To be added, a 30a RV plug and a paint job.

View attachment 195045

What else should I add?

Can you show the internals of your battery box? Definitely got some good power density per unit of volume there.

 

[trad]

Up on top, and upside down (not shown) are 2 PowerQueen / LiTime / Redodo minis, (5.25 x 10.25 x 9) and down below are 2 GrenerPower / LiPuls / CyclenBatt / XZNY mini (5.4 x 9 x 8)

 

[trad]

Panels and wheels.

I use a dolly to provide wheels, but yeah. Maybe some solid lift handles too. For solar panels, yeah this baby wants lots and lots of panels.

 

[Brucey]

Those Anderson connectors, are those for your solar input? Two different sizes?

 

[trad]

Those Anderson connectors, are those for your solar input? Two different sizes?

No, there is only one. (the second one was only temporary to brace the install so you get a prize for finding the hidden gem) This Anderson connector is for adding a second 48v battery pack to give more than 100ah, or to hook 2 of these systems together for 220v split phase.

 

[trad]

The solar input are the black and red lines on the ground. This needs more work as the cables are 12 feet long. The simplest would be to have 12 inch pigtails come out the bottom and be held safely off the ground with some kind of a hook or loop for safe transport. But this doesn't provide a solar shutoff.

The orange cord on the ground is an connection to grid and ground. A 12 inch pigtail here too would be possible and could also be made safe for transport by the same hook or loop for the holding the solar wires safely up for safe moving. I don't like long wires permanently connected to a portable power station.

Adding wheels would be nice, but I've not finished that part of the design yet.

 

[Central Coast Solar]

You can use an inexpensive garden cart like this one from Harbor Freight. Maybe put a piece of plywood down first to make a sturdier base.

1000 lb. Capacity Mesh Deck Steel Wagon

Amazing deals on this Mesh Deck Steel Wagon at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[trad]

You can use an inexpensive garden cart like this one from Harbor Freight. Maybe put a piece of plywood down first to make a sturdier base.

1000 lb. Capacity Mesh Deck Steel Wagon

Amazing deals on this Mesh Deck Steel Wagon at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

Yeah, I could, but I want it to stay small and compact. I'll just use a 2 wheel dolly for now until I get some brilliant design figured out.

 

[trad]

Mounting LFE 12v batteries upside down makes the connections and wiring very short. It makes the hooking up the batteries on top (the ones that are upside down) more challenging. It also makes the final unit more compact.

The PowerQueen / LiTime / Redodo all seem to be made for mounting in any orientation. PowerQueen even promotes this flexibility.

GrenerPower says that their batteries must be mounted with 4 inches of air gap on all sides and definitely not upside down. (their lawyer wrote this???)

Cyclenbatt says no upside down mounting. I am still waiting for replies from the others.

 

[trad]

How much moisture can the eg4 3000 take while it is running and charging batteries and creating AC current?

Making a mobile charge cart like this will tempt us to sit the unit out by the solar panels for ease of charging. At some point, it is likely that a we bit of rain will happen. How much moisture has your eg4 3000 been subject to? Did it become a brick?

Obviously heavy rain is not good. What about dew?

 

[JoeHam]

Two of these, 50Ah each, would be 17 x 13 x 10 inches.

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It weighs only 58.42lbs, only 1/3 of the weight of lead-acid Battery and only 2/3 the size of it. ãAdvanced BMS Protectionã. LiFePO4 Battery. ãSmall Size Lifepo4 Batteryã. Its stackable design and easy connectivity make it a space-efficient solution for your storage needs.

www.ebay.com

 

[trad]

How much moisture can the eg4 3000 take while it is running and charging batteries and creating AC current?

Obviously heavy rain is not good. What about dew?

Yesterday evening the skies opened up and the fountains of the deep activated, and there was flooding everywhere. The EG4-3000 was running and sitting partially under an eave covered in a tarp. Thank goodness for the tarp. The eave didn't protect it at all.

 

[trad]

Mounting LFE 12v batteries upside down makes the connections and wiring very short. It makes the hooking up the batteries on top (the ones that are upside down) more challenging. It also makes the final unit more compact.

The PowerQueen / LiTime / Redodo all seem to be made for mounting in any orientation. PowerQueen even promotes this flexibility.

GrenerPower says that their batteries must be mounted with 4 inches of air gap on all sides and definitely not upside down. (their lawyer wrote this???)

Cyclenbatt says no upside down mounting. I am still waiting for replies from the others.

XZNY confirms their batteries may be mounted upside down without problem.

Looking at Brad Cagles teardown video of these batteries doesn't leave me feeling comfortable that they are designed with internal support for upside down mounting. So even though they may approve this, it likely isn't a good idea.