In this video we review the EcoFlow Alternator Charger and test how well it works for Overlanding and 4x4. First we do an unboxing at our campsite in South Luangwa, Zambia, then we discuss the difference between a traditional dual battery system and an EcoFlow power station combined with the Alternator Charger as well as how to wire up the vehicle if you have a lot of 12V accessories. Once the Alternator Charger is installed, we disconnect our dual battery system to test it in a real-world situation.
Power Stations typically have high wattage pure sine wave inverters, and excellent charging from solar and AC. Their weak points have always been slow DC charging and lack of high amp DC outputs.
The alternator charger solves the slow DC charging issue, and the reverse charging mode provides a solution to power all the DC loads in my vehicle.
The Ecoflow unit also has some USB and 12V outputs. These are very useful but somewhat limited in this scenario. I need to power multiple USB ports for charging. I also power my camera directly from my auxiliary battery and I have floodlights on the roof and a compressor for inflating tyres. The 12V outputs on the EcoFlow can't handle all these loads and I need USB outputs in the front of the vehicle.
Thankfully there is a rather simple solution to this issue. The EcoFlow Alternator Charger has a reverse charging function. This can send power backwards from the power station to the starter battery. So all I need to do is to wire all my 12v accessories to the starter battery. Then I can use the Alternator Charger's reverse charging function to power these accessories from the EcoFlow Delta 2 Max.
The alternator charger is the missing link that makes EcoFlow power stations feasible alternatives to dual battery systems for overlanding. Installation is simple but if you set it up like I have, with the DC loads on the starter battery, then you do need to remember to switch modes in the app before and after you drive the vehicle. Hopefully EcoFlow will add an auto mode in a future firmware update.
The nice thing about this setup is that all of the accessories will continue to work, even if the Ecoflow unit is removed from the vehicle. You will just have to be careful to not run your starter battery flat. Of course if the Power Station's battery runs flat, then the starter battery could be drained. Thankfully there is a setting in the ecoflow app to always keep some capacity in reserve, and this can be used to ensure you don't get stuck with a flat battery. A better solution is to install a battery protector between the starter battery and the 12V accessories - this would cut the power to the auxiliary loads when the battery drops to a preset voltage.
Ecoflow did provide these products to me at no charge for this test and review, but they don't get any say in the content of this video.
Link to buy the Alternator Charger (note that it is significantly cheaper if purchased with a power station) - [ Ссылка ]
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Music licensed from soundstripe.com
00:00 Intro
00:28 Overview
01:04 Unboxing the EcoFlow
03:22 How dual battery systems work
04:45 How the Alternator Charger works
06:10 Powering 12V loads
08:04 Installation
12:02 Testing the Alternator Charger
14:07 Coffee Time!
17:03 Back at Camp
18:16 Conclusion
