If you dream of staying off-grid for longer but still need to keep things charged, the Rover Lithium 40Ah Power Station from Companion is the trusty power solution to help turn that dream into reality.
This station offers 3-way charging through AC, DC or solar via the built-in MPPT controller, and multiple output charging options with 12V socket, 4 x USB, 1 x USB C, Anderson and 12-14V 2-pin Posi-Fit (Engel Style) output. The 40Ah lithium LiFeP04 battery with 512 Watt-hours, has an improved life of 2000 cycles and 80% capacity afterwards. The Rover includes a battery protection management system, integrated LED light and LCD display so you can be reassured that things are all good on the inside and you can easily check up on your charge from the outside.
With the Rover Lithium 40Ah Power Station from Companion, you can plug it in overnight and then head off in the morning knowing you’ve got self-sufficiency nailed.
Hi I bought this years ago and still have the charger but have misplaced the other leads for Anderson etc. Can they be purchased separately? Regards
G'day Tim,
You can get the cords separately, we have the Companion Rover Lithium Anderson Plug to Mini Lead to connect your solar and for most other cords you can get generic versions of them.
You could contact Companion directly if you were after the original cords. Phone: 61 73193 1110 and Email: online@companionoutdoor.com.
hi - will this power a brass monkey 15l fridge/freezer, and what is the best way to plug the BM in? if at the blue end (as per the video) where the biggest output is, do i need an adaptor, and do you sell one? thanks
G'day Carolina,
You shouldn't have any issues running your Brass Monkey 15L fridge from the Rover 40 - the power cable required will be supplied, it will have the 12v cigarette connection and will plug straight into the battery.
If you want to run your fridge as a freezer, or for more than a a weekend, you'll need to consider grabbing some solar panels to keep the battery topped up.
Is a 120 watt Solar Panel enough to keep the battery running with a 98 litre Dometic fridge? I used a 200 watt that worked fine but not sure if a smaller solar panel will be enough? Cheers
G'day Shane,
Depending on the brand, a 120W panel may produce around 4-6Amp max. Whilst that may be enough in ideal solar conditions, it may not be able to produce enough in winter months or cloudy days to replenish the for running the fridge overnight, etc.
Ofcourse there are a lot of variables to consider, but I'd recommend investing in a 200W to make sure you're covered.
Can this unit be connected to a solar panel for charging at the same time it is being used for powering out? PS: I currently use it on powering my 45L Engel fridge/freezer. It does a great job. It will power for around 24 hours, but then i have to charge it.
G'day Rod,
Yes, you can connect a solar panel to this and it will charge the Rover at the same time as running your fridge!
Hi, with all the extra plastics and casing for these Rover 40 - where do we recycle these types of batteries at end of life - although I'm sure states and businesses do this - is there any guidance from Companion as the manufacturer?
G'day Justin,
Companion do have a Safe Materials section on their website you can find here. Their direction is to follow state and territory regulations.
Is it possible to charge the companion via wiring cable from starter battery running through into back of ute ? if so would I need a Dual Sensing VCR ?
G'day Steven,
I wouldn't recommend connecting this to your starter battery as the Companion Rover 40Ah doesn't have the right connections to attach via wiring cable and is only recommended to charge with the cables included. You can connect it to your car's 12V socket, just not the battery directly.
How many amps can the USB supply How many amps can the USBC supply (We need to provide charge to an Apple MacBook)
G'day Brian,
The USB Type C Output provides a 3A supply. This will work it just wouldn't be as fast as it would be plugged into a wall socket.
Hi, how long can this power up Dometic CFX3 45 at 2C?
G'day Hermie,
Thats like asking how long a piece of string is, sorry!
Depends how many times you open your fridge, the ambient temperature, whether or not you're pre-cooled the fridge with 240v, etc
Dometic state the power consumption as roughly 1Ah at 4C in 32C weather, you've got 32Ah on the Rover 40 before needing to be charged, so you're probably looking at around a day and a half as a rough guide.
Obviously, if you've got some solar panels as well it will keep your fridge going indefinitely.
Can I put in Domestic 12v to 240v (150W) power inverter to charge my small appliances (laptop, mini microwave, hairdryer)from this power station?
G'day Angela,
That depends on the individual power requirements of the devices you've mentioned.
You need to check their power consumptions, which should be on a sticker on the devices themselves, and make sure they do not exceed 150W.
I have a Companion Rover Li 70 and if I bought the Li 40 could I connect them together to give myself more power
G'day Barry,
It's not something you can do, sorry. Both units have different capacities and different battery chemistry. I believe connecting powerstations in series may be possible in some cases, but they need to be the same unit.
My fridge is continually turning off despite the fridge still having charge left and I have to unplug/jiggle the cord in order to get the fridge to turn on. Is the 12v socket faulty or is there another issue such as the battery shutting off its output at 22-25%? (Battery’s current charge left when I’ve had the issue most recently).
G'day Jack,
The Rover only has an 80% capacity which means if your battery says 20% its flat. Generally between 20-25% the output voltage will be dropping rapidly so its sounds to me like the output of the battery here isnt enough to meet the minimum voltage input requirements of your fridge. Thats 100% to be expected in this situation, it's normal and not a fault. Simply, there's just not enough juice left to power your fridge.
Keeping your battery connected to solar is the best option for battery health, otherwise get it on charge ASAP when it reaches that 20-30% mark.
Can you plug in an Inverter (Powertech 150W continuous / 450W power surge) to the companion 40AH ?
G'day Steven,
No, you won't be able to use this inverter, as the maximum 12V DC output on the Rover Lithium 40Ah is 140W.
Will this 40 ah rover unit power a Resmed Cpap machine
G'day Rod,
You'd need to double-check the specifications of your specific unit, however, most of the Resmed units I looked at on their website run from 240V, so will not work with this power unit. You may be able to run it through an inverter, however, the limitation will be the wattage of your CPAP machine, most models seem to be around 300-400W, which is much higher than this, or most battery and inverter units will be able to handle. We'd recommend speaking to the team at Resmed for some portable off-grid options for your machine.
https://document.resmed.com/documents/articles/198103_battery-guide_glo_eng.pdf Link to the size of battery needed for a cpap machine it could work depending on if you have a humidifier or heated tube. You need an adaptor to plug into the cigarette lighter also from resmed
I have the 40ah Companion Rover and tried to use the Resmed dc-dc converter with my Airsense Elite 10 and it doesn't work. Even with the humidifier and climate line tube turned off. The converter works in the car so I know the converter is operational
does it make much noise
G'day Grant,
We haven't done a dB test on these units, but no. They are essentially silent, or at the least, I've not noticed any noise from them in the past.
Is it possible to use this power station to heat a cup of water? If so, what products would be best to make it happen. Also, would a 12v car kettle heat water successfully if plugged into this station? Would the water take a long time to heat? Would it draw a lot of power? Thanks!
G'day Robin,
The 12v output on the Rover 40 has a maximum 10A capacity. If you are able to find a 12v kettle that draws no more than 120W, you should be ok, but I've had a quick google and not been able to find one lower than 150W.
The rest of your questions really depend on the kind of kettle you can find, and unfortunately we don't sell anything that is compatible with 12v power.
In my opinion, the best way to make a cuppa on the road is with a thermos of pre-boiled water, or alternatively pick up a compact and economical hiking stove such as the Furno Stove (or the stove and mini pot set) and a small gas cannister.
This would be a suitable option for anywhere with a relatively flat surface, will boil a litre of water in around 3mins, and you'd get around 20ltrs of boiled water per small gas cannister.
Hope that gives you some good info to consider.
Does this power station have a regulated power output? I am looking at running my dometic cfx with one and have been told they require a regulated power output
G'day Jarrad,
The Dometic CFX 12/24v fridge freezers don't require regulated power, so I'm not 100% sure what you're meaning here sorry. The Rover 40 can power these fridges no worries.
Probably a silly question but...here goes... Q. Is the Companion Rover Lithium 40Ah Power Station compatible with the 120W Solar Charger from Companion. Looking at the combo for home power outages & to save $$$ by not using grid power as well as away from home. & How long does it take to charge from solar charger on a sunny day? Thankyou =)
G'day Nadine,
This unit provides 12v so wont be able to power the majority of household appliances & lights, etc. The only option for domestic usage is for charging mobile phones, etc through a 12v cigarette plug like you use in your car, 12v led style camping lights, and potentially a 12v fridge if you already have one for camping.
In terms of how long it will take to charge, the 120W panel has a max output of 6.6A, so on a good day you'll get around 5A per hour.
Hi - I live in Adelaide and have a car permanently in Tasmania with camping gear in it I would love to get one of these for. My question is that there will be 8-10 weeks in between trips and I'm worried that because it will sit there and do nothing for that amount of time that the battery will drain kinda like a car battery as no one is there to run it up and down. Do you think it will be a problem sitting idle for this length of time in between being used?Thanks
G'day Heidi,
As long as you make sure the Rover is as close to full charged as possible before you leave, and it is turned off and isolated (as in, nothing plugged into it), you should be fine. Generally when stored, LiFePO4 batteries can get away with a charge every 6months.
Is it possible to charge this unit via an outlet from a 120ah lithium battery already set up in the car. That is, charge the 120ah via lithium or through the car, then connect the Companion to the outlet of that larger battery? The reason I ask, is that both of my solar panels are too large to directly connect to the Companion.
G'day Greg,
Yep, absolutely. There are Anderson and 12v cig charging cables that come with the Rover 40, so as long as your 120Ah lithium battery has either of those terminals as outputs, you should be fine.
Hello, can the rover 40 receive both car cig charge and fixed 100w solar charge at the same time? Thanks
G'day Jay,
No, as with most portable power packs, you can only have one charge input at any given time.
Can I convert one of those two DC pin outputs to create another cig output? Is there such a cable adapter as well? I just require a two cig output system. Thanks!
G'day Jarod,
There aren't any cables/adapters we carry that will do this, although you may be able to pick something up at Jaycar, or a similar 12V shop. The other option would be to get yourself a cig to double cig adapter.
Can this power station be charged from a 240V outlet in the home before setting off camping to then maintain the charge on a Companion fridge?
G'day Toni,
Yes, the unit is supplied with a 240V charge cable, and should be fully charged before you head off on your trip.
I am eyeing a 120W solar panel with detachable MPPT. Given that, will this 40Ah lithium battery be better than a 100Ah AGM box combo? Thanks!
G'day Jarod,
This will really depend on what you're wanting to run, and how much power is needed to do so.
The 40Ah Rover Lithium has a much smaller capacity than a 100Ah battery in a battery box.
You'll generally be able to deplete about 80% of a lithium battery, or around 50% of an AGM battery, so even given this, the AGM battery will give you more power to work with.
It's not really a case of what is better when you're comparing different sizes.
Overall a Lithium battery will be a better option if you're looking at the exact same capacity.
Hi Guys, Do you know if the 12V DC socket can be used to power the self priming 12v, 3.5amp water pumps wiht 35psi and 2.4 bar cutoff. A while ago when I was out I overheard someone saying the start stop nature of the pumps causes the pump to stop receiving ower although not quite sure why though? Would this be true? Cheers,
G'day Jim,
I can't see any reason why that would be a problem in a fully functioning system. The 12v outlet is more than capable of providing the required current for your pump.
The only things that I can think of are to check the inline fuse, which would be within the cigarette plug terminal itself, and make sure that isn't blown.
Otherwise, the issue with the pump not kicking on again would be an issue with the pump itself, not the power supply.
You'd be wanting to check the relay & the voltage range, and also check the pressure trigger switch.
Hope that helps.
If I connect this to my car's 12v socket to charge while driving, will it stop drawing power from the car battery when I switch the car off? Say if I forget to unplug it? I have a modern car (2021 model).
G'day Alex,
If you have a new model car it sounds like you'd have a smart alternator, in which case you will need a DC to DC charger in order to charge any power pack or portable battery whilst driving.
My query was whether it would continue to draw power (and drain the car battery) after the car was switched off. Thanks!
G'day again Alex,
That depends on the DC to Dc charge you have, or will use, and whether or not it has a built-in isolator.
As deep cycle batteries and crank batteries have different voltage requirements, features to prevent your car battery from being flattened are actually part of the cars wiring system, and not a question of a portable power pack/battery.
Does this unit have the capability to be used as a jumper pack to jump start a flat car battery?
G'day Ben,
The Rover 40Ah does not have the capability to jump start.
You'll need to find a portable power pack that has a specifically stated Jump Start port, or grab something like the Portable Jump Starter.
I have the Hard Korr 6 bar kit but I couldn’t figure out how to connect it to the Rover directly using the DC5525 sockets and the DC5521 adaptor. The Hard Korr needs the power side to have a male end to go into the switch or the black extension cable, however the little adaptor that comes with the Rover puts the male end into the Rover and leaves a female end out. Did I miss anything, or do I need an adaptor that has two male ends (not sure if there is one)?
G'day Lin Liu,
If you are wanting to use the light port instead of the 12v cig port you'll need a male-to-male adaptor, but Hard Korr don't have one available.
The only place I can think of is to try Jaycar, or possibly even online through eBay, etc.
Thanks heaps Lauren. I was able to find the adaptor from Jaycar.
I'm looking at the Kings 120w solar blanket. it has a PWM controller. would this work with the Rover? this blanket has an output of 6.75 amps. would I need to disconnect any plugs from the blanket?
G'day Mal,
We don't sell Kings, so we cant guarantee compatibility I'm sorry.
The Rover has a built-in MPPT charge controller, so you cant use a second PWM controller aswell.
6.75A is a little higher than the Solar Input requirements, but as this is the max amperage, it's unlikely you'll be getting this out of your panels consistently, so will be fine.
If you can find a way to connect the panels straight to the Rover, you should be ok.
Hi, what connector do I need to connect my mc4 connectors solar panel to this? Is it app? Anderson? Or is there a specific one from companion
G'day Chester.
The Solar Input cable for the Rover 40Ah is Anderson to Mini Anderson.
I'm not sure if you'll be able to find a Mini Anderson to MC4 cable, most likely you'll need Anderson to MC4 and use that plus the provided cable.
Please make sure your Solar Panels specifications are inline with the solar input requirements of the Rover.
Hello, I am very new to fridges and Batteries, however I thought my 25lt BM fridge wouldn’t have pulled so much power from the companion 40ah lithium power battery. I can’t work out why? I put it on fully charged via cig socket at 2pm and at 6am next morning it’s down to 40% left. Set at 4 degrees and outside temp is not hot. This is what the fridge says: 12V DC, 3.75A | 24V DC, 1.875A | 45W Power Consumption: 0.25kw.h/24hr | Current Draw 1.875A-3.75A Thanks
G'day Catherine,
That sounds about right, as you've stated the Brass monkey has current draws 1.87-3.75A per hour max.
The time period of running the fridge that you have mentioned in your original question is 16 hours. Ultimately the fridge has the potential to use 60A in that time which would run your battery flat.
The fact that your fridge has only drawn 24A (60% of battery) in 16hrs, means that it's averaged 1.5A per hour, which is lower than the advertised power consumption.
Even if the battery is down to 40%, you still have another 20% left (8A) in that life cycle, so the fridge will run for another 6 or so hours before the Rover needs charging - going by the consumption you have stated.
If you have solar panels this is absolutely acceptable as the solar will be providing input charge of some capacity whenever the sun is shining, and you won't run out of power.
As a point of reference, just going off specifications of the fridge alone, the Rover 40Ah theoretically can only run the 25Lt Brass Monkey fridge for anywhere between 8-17hrs before requiring re-charge.
The solar panel (150W) I have has a solar controller already fitted. Like many controllers there are three separate connection points. One where the panel is connected/wired (usually marked with a solar panel symbol, the controller’s input), the second is an output where a battery to be charged is connected (usually marked with a battery symbol, controller output) and the third is where a “load” can be connected (usually marked with a light symbol, also an output). Is it possible to connect and charge the Companion Rover Power Station to this third output? The other option is to modify the panel wiring and fit an Anderson plug between the panel and existing controller thus allowing me split the connection to the controller and to either just use the panel to charge the Rover or a standard battery.
G'day Robert,
No, it's not. The Rover 40Ah has an inbuilt MPPT charge controller, so is only compatible with "raw" panels.
You'll need to completely bypass the solar charge regulator that comes with your existing panels.
Alot of panels come with an Anderson connection, so you can plug the supplier Anderson solar cable straight into your panels.
If they don't have an ando connection, you may have to head to JayCar for a compatible cable.
Bear in mind that the Rovers max solar panels requirements are 18-20V 5A, or 100W. You may be able to get away with 120W panels, but 150W is likely to be too much, and could fry the internal MPPT charger.
If you choose to continue with the 150W panels, you'll need to keep an eye on the output and manually manage the charge by disconnecting the panels when the output exceeds 5A.
When charging through the vehicle is there a risk that this system over draws from the main car battery and not leave enough charge on it?
G'day Bill,
The short answer is yes, it will. We recommend only charging this unit whilst driving as long as you have a fixed alternator (14.4V).
Ensure your 12v output port in that car will switch off when your vehicle does, or unplug it.
Would I be able to charge this via the Anderson plug from another standard 12v 100ah Lithium battery?
G'day Brendan,
The MPPT in the Rover requires 14-20v input range, its highly unlikely that your other lithium battery will put out enough voltage to effectively charge the Rover. Whilst we havent tried it in real life, all signs point to you ending up with 2 half full batteries with balanced voltage, or the Rovers MPPT may suck your other battery dry trying to charge up.
Hi, I have a 50w 12v mono solar panel. Specifications are : Open volt: 22 and optimum voltage: 18 Does it suit the companion's requirements? I can't find it in the module
G'day Chester,
You can find the Solar Input specifications on the product page online, which are "Solar Input: 18-20V 5A"
As you have a 50W 18V panel, your absolute maximum output is 2.2A. (W = V x A)
It will definitely charge your rover, albeit slowly even in the most ideal solar conditions.
See how you go, and if you need a bigger panel, you wouldn't want more than 100W.
Hope that helps!
I recently bought the Rover Lithium 40ah Power Station. Do you think 1 x 60W solar panel will suffice in topping it up during the day if we're only running lights & charging phones?
G'day John,
You should be fine, you just obviously won't get a huge amount of power trickling through, but that shouldn't be an issue given the low draw of your lights and phone.
I camp for up to 2 weeks during summer but only power LED lights & charge phones. Will the Rover Lithium 40 Ah suit my needs if I charge it during the day with solar panels?
G'day John,
Absolutely! Even without Solar input you'd get a good 4-5 days off charging your phone and running lights a few hours a night.
That gives you wiggle room in case you have terrible weather or overcast days where your solar doesn't contribute much.
To get the best out of the power pack, I'd fully charge from 240v before you go, then rely on the solar to keep it topped up.
Hoep that helps!
In the video they talk about running led lighting with the little pins included. When led lighting could you use?
G'day Marcus,
The 2 x pin outputs come with DC5521 adaptors which is a generic fitting and will allow the use of most LED strip lighting directly
from these DC jack outlets.
The majority of the strip lighting on the market uses this connection.
Would the Dometic Portable 120W Solar Panel be suitable for this power station - without running into regulator issues as in MPTT?
G'day Marcus,
The Dometic 120W Solar Panel has a built in charge controller, you may possibly be able to bypass it if you know what you're doing, but its not recommended if you don't have the knowledge/skills to do so.
You'll need to use a 'raw' solar panel that meets the input requirements of the Rover 40Ah Power Station, or something like the Companion 120w Solar Charger that has a removable/easily bypassed charge controller.
Hope that helps.
Hi- is the DC output regulated at all? I have devices that have to have 12V minimum or they flake out. Even dropping to 11.8 will stop the devices working so I need something with a regulated DC output.
G'day Adam,
I've checked it with Companion on this one, and they've provided the following info.
"As the chemistry in the Rover is a LiFePo4 (Lithium Ferrophosphate) it will hold a constant nominal voltage of 12.8v till an extremally low state of charge, at which point the voltage will drop straight of the cliff."
Based on this info I'd be confident that you'll be using majority of the battery capacity before requiring further charge input.
Ideally you'll have solar set up, in which case you'll have constant charge and a consistent voltage.
Is this unit big enough to run a bushman 35/52 portable fridge, or would the 70 amp be a better choice.
G'day Brian,
Yes, the Rover Lithium 40Ah is large enough to run the Bushman 35/52 Portable Fridge. You'll just need a way to recharge the Rover while you're away, to keep it topped up during the day, so your fridge will continue running overnight. If you travel with other devices like lights etc, you might find the 70Ah version will give you a little more power to play with.
Ive got an existing 1000w renogy interver. Can I use it with this power station as long as I keep usage at 140w max?
G'day Rex,
Technically yes, but the amount of power you would be getting through your inverter is minuscule.
There are going to be far better options for you based on the small amount of info I've drawn from this.
Please feel free to shoot through an email with more information on what you're wanting to achieve and we can do our best to give you more info!
LiFePO4 can hard to charge below 5-8C and reluctant to discharge at higher temperatures. What are the specs for operating temperature range and min and max temp for charge and discharge?
G'day Tony,
The specifications on the Rover Lithium 40Ah Power Station state the ideal operating temperature is between -10°C and 40°C, so you should be fine in most Australian camping situations!
is this able to be charged via dc to dc charger ?
G'day Graham,
Yes, as long as your DC to DC charger is the same nominal voltage as the battery you want to charge, in this case 12v, then you'll have no problems.
if you have a 1240D Redarc DCDC charger that can put 40 amps in, this unit and most power stations can not take it? it can take max 10amps in? via DC which makes for very slow charging
I am looking for a battery system I may able to charging when I driving from cig plug but also supply power to my 35l fridge at the same time.
G'day Mavis,
Yes, the Rover Lithium 40Ah can be charged at the same time as running a fridge from it. This will increase your overall charge time for the unit, but it can be done without a worry.
Is it possible to replace the built in battery with a new lithium 40ah battery, eg when the existing one degrades. If so can you use any suitable lithium or only a companion one (if they even have it)
G'day Derek,
Companion hasn't explicitly indicated whether the internal battery is replaceable at this stage, however it could possibly be replaced in the future by a qualified technician.
Does this unit support through charging or the ability to charge and discharge at the same time?
G'day Fred,
Yes, the Rover LIthium 40Ah Power Station can be charged and discharged simultaneously.
If I were to leave something plugged in will this unit discharge down to zero oR will the battery be protected and only discharge down to 20% for example?
G'day Kylie,
No, the Rover Lithium 40Ah Power Station will not discharge to 0%, it has a built-in battery management system with a low voltage cut out which will prevent damage to you battery in the case of 'human error'.
This should be around 9.5v which is the common cut off for battery management systems.
Hi, could you please advise if there is an maximum operating temperature. For example the jackery states that it should not be operated when ambient temperatures are above 40 degrees Celsius. My vehicle can heat up to 50 degrees Celsius on a very hot day. Thanks
G'day Kylie
Companion specifies that you should only charge, use and store the unit within an ambient temperature of 0 to 40 degrees celcius.
I'd like to purchase this item to run the Large Travel Buddy 12 volt oven (snowys.com.au/12v-portable-marine-oven). Could you please confirm if I've crunched the numbers correctly? 120 w oven / 12 volts = 10 amps (with 10 amp output on Rover) 514 watt hours of Rover x 80% capacity = 411.20Wh, so 411.20 / 120 watts = 3.4hrs run time. Does that seem about right? Is there any concern with the Travel Buddy requiring all the amps that the Rover can deliver? Or do you have any concerns about running the oven off this power station? Thanks heaps. :-)
G'day Amy,
Yes, theoretically this will work, it's not something that we've tried as we've not had any Travel Buddy stock since the Rover came out, but it should work, as it sits right on the maximum output. In terms of run time, yes the maths looks correct for your theoretical maximum run time, however, we'd suggest budgeting on about 3 hours of usage.
Recently purchased one of these units and over the last few days have been trialing it out on a range of 12volt camping and automotive products. Tried a 12 volt Travel Oven that had a 15amp inline fuse in the wiring - The Rover unit refused to supply power to the travel oven due to the protection circuit cutting in, possibly because of amps drawn by the oven, was over the Rover's set limit. The Rover's specs state that all socket output is capped at 10amps, if the oven was drawing more than 10amps then this might be the answer to why it would not play nice with the oven.
Hi Snowy's, Would the following inverter be compatible with the Rover, as something a little more powerful than the Engel Canverter? www.snowys.com.au/epak-power-inverter-175w
G'day Amy,
The maximum DC output on the Rover Lithium is 40Ah, so the Epak Inverter could give you some options for 240V appliances between 100W and 140W, but you'd be running the risk of damaging the Power Station if you plugged anything greater than this into the Epak Inverter.
How long can this unit run an average 75 liter fridge till it completely runs flat using an average daily draw of 2.5ah
G'day Aldo,
There isn't a hard and fast rule here, but generally speaking, a Lithium Battery can be run down to about 20% of its capacity before it will stop working, so your theoretical maximum output is 32Ah, divide that by your 2.5AH draw, and you should get around 12-13 hours of run time from the Rover Lithium. We'd always recommend ensuring you've got a way to continually recharge your battery, as a 75L fridge is quite a large unit to run from a battery of this capacity.
Hi Leece Thankyou for your reply Was wondering if this would be suitable to run a ARB elements 60L fridge for a 4 hour drive to farm being a fridge that sits exposed to the elements. Do the plugin outlets on the charger fit the fridge or do I need to get some sort of adaptors?
G'day Aldo,
You should be able to run your ARB fridge without too many worries. The fridge should have a 12V cable with a cigarette style plug which can be plugged directly into the Rover Power Station. We wouldn't recommend leaving the Power Station exposed to the elements, as water and dust may cause irreversible damage to the unit.
If I get two of this model, and one outputs to the others input, would it charge? thanks,
G'day Alex,
This isn't really something these Power Stations have been designed to do, and based on the output I don't think it would be possible to use one to recharge another. I'm not sure of any scenarios you'd need to do this either, as if you had two and one went flat you could just unplug it, and plug in the charged unit? The best option would be to ensure you've got a way to keep the Power Station charging while travelling via the 12V DC cable in your vehicle, or solar panels.
Snowy's said, "The only additional consideration is that this Companion Rover Lithium unit has a built in MPPT, so make sure whatever solar panel you go with does not have a solar regular connected, otherwise you'll run into issues". My folding solar panels have an MPPT unit which connects in-line with Anderson plugs, so it sounds as though I could not connect that MPPT and plug straight in to this 40aH unit, then everything will be alright? Sorry to sound dense but electric/solar/voltage does my head in!
G'day Diane,
You won't be able to charge the Rover Power Station if it has two regulators in the line, so you'll need to bypass your solar panels MPPT regulator if you're wanting to charge this battery. If the MPPT unit normally connects in line, then with this unit just connect the Anderson directly to the Power Station rather than through the MPPT unit.
What exactly can be plugged into this socket?
G'day Rebecca,
Some fridges on the market come with a 2-pin 12V plug option which is a little more secure for transit than a 12v cigarette socket plug.
I have a Dometic CFF45 fridge that came with 2 charging cables... 1 being the typical cigarette lighter style. This actually unscrews (near the base) to reveal a 2 pin plug! There was no indication of this in the manual. I imagine other Dometic models will have the same.... This means that I can run my fridge from the 2-pin port which leaves the other Gigarette style port on the Rover free for other appliances
Thanks Rick! Your comment is very valuable! I also have a CFF45 fridge and just bought a Rover power station. I didn’t realise before that there is a 2pin plug hidden in the cigarette plug of the fridge. This is great as it frees the cigarette socket for my 12V LED lights.
Can the battery discharge to a fridge via the 12V DC cigar lighter connection and charge via solar at the same time?
Sure can, Chris, you can connect any charging source to the unit inputs at the same time you are powering a device from any of the outputs. It will obviously take longer to charge doing this, but it is certainly doable.
I have a 250w solar panel with a Max Power Voltage of 18V and a Max Power Current: 13.89A - will this panel work with the product?
It has a built-in MPPT so you don't need a solar controller, Chris. The specs say that the solar input has a rating of 18-20V at 5A which equates to 100-120W. Given the panel is connected directly to the unit, the 13.89A from your panel will be too much, unfortunately.
I have a Dometic CFX3 75DZ Dual Zone Fridge/Freezer 75L. What solar solution do you recommend in combination with the Companion?
G'day Riaan,
We've got some new information here so coming back with updates and a bit more info for you, sorry if our previous advice has confused you.
You can use any solar panel, 120W - 200W is a good option, but the built-in MPPT will only allow charge at 5A even if your solar panel delivers more than this. A larger wattage panel will ensure the maximum of 5A is delivered for longer as it will generate more power under low light.
As for the battery, if you have a decent solar panel attached and providing charge for the full day, you'll just need to make sure you have enough power to get through the night before the sun comes up again. The CFX75 draws about 3A per hour on average, so you'd be charging the battery at 2A during the day. But then you'd have about 14 hours without sun, so you will need about 40Ah of battery power to get through the night, but the fridge won't use as much power during the night so it would be less than this.
Long story short, I'd suggest at minimum a 40Ah Lithium Ion battery, or a 100Ah flooded car type battery, the more power the better thoguh. You've probably got a load more questions, have a look at this article, it may help - https://www.snowys.com.au/blog/solar-formula-for-your-4wd-setup/.
Can you use a small inverter on these?
G'day Rebecca,
Yes, you could use a very small inverter with the Rover Lithium. However the 12V outputs are limited to a combined 140W, so you'd be looking at a small inverter like the Engel Canverter, with limited 240V options that could be plugged in.
Hi, Is Hard Korr 200W Portable Solar Panels with Crocskin Cell Armour too much for this or is it best in the long run? Thank you
G'day Al,
We've had conflicting advice from the supplier here. It seems though, that you need to stick to a max solar input of 18-20V, 5A, which equates to 100-120W solar panels.
Makes it hard if you are using the panels to charge other batteries as 200W is your best bet in that case, so you may just need to charge the Rover from a 12V outlet instead.
Can the Companion run a 40lt Engle fridge and can you replace the battery in this unit?
G'day John,
The Rover Lithium 40Ah will have no troubles running an Engel 40L fridge, just be sure to have a plan to keep your battery topped up either while driving or via solar. Companion hasn't explicitly indicated whether the internal battery is replaceable at this stage, however it could possibly be replaced in the future by a qualified technician.