SPECIALIST VEHICLE FITTERS

After a realisation of sorts and a kind of 'maturing' over time, the Team at Tough TOuring began to naturally move away from built in Dual battery systems, partially because rebuilding a great set up into a Modern truck is heatbreaking when you've done it all before and your old truck has died. 

Doing it all again really nails down the realization that the last set up was bloody expensive and time consuming. 

Enter the new high tech world of 'Portable' Power stations' available everywhere and 'Renewable power stations'. (a bit harder to find)
 

Berfore you google up the difference between the two, I should tell you that Google won't know - because we invented the term 'Renewable power stations' to seperate the wheat from the chaff. 

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THere are many many companies selling 'Portable power stations - and many are really impressive - Until they go flat 2 days in and you realise that recharging rates from your cig socket and the folding solar panel are about as fast as a lizard drinking. 

 

So we've categorised 'Portable power stations' in the "weekend Camper/Tourer' slot - because they are actually really good for this purpose. They tend to be incredibly affordable for what they deliver, light and small in size for the power they punch. They are also affordable - although typically a rip off for the actual components included inside the box. 

 

If your a longer term tourer. (Anything longer than 2 days) - a 'Portable power station' will not cut it. You will need either a 'built in Dual Battery' system or a 'Renewable Power station" - Both these will keep recharging themselves at via vehicles alternator and or Solar panel at a good rate. 

 

Not all systems are equal - And this comes back to the chargers, batteries, Ports and Inverter quality... (The internal components) With Victron energy easily ahead of the field for power outputs, simultanious operation and probably almost the cheapest set up cost - its strange to see so many touring set ups spending a fortune on outdated RV gear. 

Without naming and Shaming - The Things to look out for: 

Does the Charger/Solar regulator accept household Solar panels? Because if it doesn't - you'll get half the power at twice the cost and twice the weight. 
Does the DCDC charger turn off the Solar charger when you start the car? Because if it does, it may thus take twice as long to charge your batteries.
With inverters - 

Is the Inverter also a charger?  A total genius came up with this idea to make the power stations smaller.... but it sucks because - you can't use any power at all while its charging -which for most of them is almost all the time. 

 

The Team at Tough touring are easily pissed off with rubbish, and thus went through nearly 3 years of R&D to build a 'portable power station' that worked for our longer touring trips. 

We actually had to invent the new name "Renewable Power stations" to seperate the different types of portable Dual battery Systems available in the market today. 
 

So forgive the old you tube videos as in the past during the first few years of building power systems for Long term tourers, we used the words "portable power stations, when infact - without knowing it, we were actually  building 'Renewable Power stations" which i trust you now know are quite different.

 

We'll call Wikapedia next week...... Hahahahah - Yeah nahhh... 
 

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