Say goodbye to noisy generators with EcoFlow’s power system.
Daylight saving time. Labor Weekend. We’ve sped past those signposts to summer and thousands of Kiwis will be preparing their campers for trips up, down and over the motu.
From luxury apartments on wheels to the much-loved garage makeover of a Hiace, campers have come a long way in recent years. Nowadays you can sit back next to a stream in the bush and stream box sets, prepare Michelin-level meals on the induction hob or fire up the hairdryer.
EcoFlow’s On-the-Road Power Solution allows road trippers to take their home comforts with them on every trip without the hassle of plugging into a power source or relying on noisy generators or slow-charging 12V batteries.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
The company’s 800W Alternator Charger draws energy from the vehicle’s alternator as you drive, replenishing 1 kWh in less than 90 minutes. The Delta Pro portable power station allows you to store up to 3.6 kWh of excess energy; enough to run 99% of everyday devices.
The 400W EcoFlow solar panel, mounted on top of the vehicle, can charge the battery pack off-grid or off-grid. Users can control charging and monitor battery level, temperature and energy activity of devices on their phone, via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
EcoFlow says the system can charge a smartphone 360 times, power a lamp for 108 hours, a mini projector for 43 hours, a coffee maker for 3.3 hours, an electric grill for 2.9 hours, and a car refrigerator for 57-114 hours, depending on size.
Matt Andrews and Dan Baxter, the duo behind Matt and Dan’s Campervans in Christchurch, not only rent out campers to some of the thousands of international and local tourists who hit our highways, they also convert off-the-lot vehicles into campers with every amenity , high-quality facilities and a sleek design.
Andrews is a fan. He says the benefits of EcoFlow are that it is an all-in-one system, rather than the bits and pieces they had to cobble together in the early days of their business; it’s compact – essential in the space-consuming space of a camper; and the costs are very competitive with our own products or other products.
“For 90% of the people we deal with, this unit will meet all their needs. When people come back and say, “I’m using more higher wattage, higher current devices than I thought,” we can easily – or they can – throw in a new battery and double or triple their capacity.
“The other benefit is that the EcoFlow units are controllable from your phone, giving you monitoring so you can switch different systems on and off and plan your energy use. And their app is very user-friendly.
“A wide range of people come to us, people who care about technical matters, who just want it to work. As long as they get used to using apps on their phone, they will find it very easy. But it’s really nice to be able to turn things on and off from your phone, to be able to check how much battery you have left or how much charge you’re receiving.”
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
The intention, he says, is also for campers to be able to dispense with gas bottles, stoves and heaters. “We’re trying to move away from gas because it’s cumbersome and potentially dangerous, it’s messy and you have to run a fan.”
Andrews says the portable power station will change the way owners think about their RVs’ power sources. “Historically, people would throw power banks in a car or whatever and have that as a backup battery. Now you have the advantage of the portable power bank that charges the vehicle’s alternator when the van is moving.
“We try to involve solar energy in almost every construction we release. We advise the customer that at least two charging sources are useful, and that solar power is good as most people travel in the summer.”
He emphasizes a major cost-benefit analysis: future-proofing. “It’s removable, so if you have another vehicle you can take it out and use the same wiring in the second vehicle so you don’t have to pay for two systems. If you sell the vehicle, you do not have to sell it including the drive system.”
Given the events of recent years, there’s another somewhat unexpected bonus to owning an EcoFlow portable power station, and Andrews has personal experience with it.
“We have one in the back of our car, where we put a small refrigerator. Not too long ago the power went out in the house and I thought, ‘Cool, it’s charged, I’m going to get it,’ and I brought it up and we used it as our power source. It’s very helpful to have that little thought in the back of your mind.”
For more information
· Guide: How to outfit a DIY camper
· What size generator do I need to run my RV?
To rescue
- Copy link
- Twitter/X