I live vicariously through this channel. That's about the extent to which I can afford to be prepared.

You mentioned down sides to both options, the down side to the solar generators will be initial expense and winter /weather limitations. To remedy that do both, that small honda generator is a good insurance for charging the solar generator if needed.

When life gives you options always choose both

I just spent 5 months living the camp lifestyle in my tool trailer while on a job in nw Montana, i used a goal zero 1000x and a honda 2000. it was the perfect combo. when needing light power loads the goal zero was perfect, when i needed higher amounts of power id start the honda , while it was running it would be charging the goal zero system.. HB

While I agree with all the points presented having the backup of the gas generator to keep a battery bank topped up is never a bad idea. I have an electrician scheduled for next month to come install my generator inlet and I couldn't be more excited!

Been using EcoFlo products for almost two years now. I work in off grid situations. Always had to rely on generators to run power tools. I'd spend $2500-3000 a year on fuel for the gas generator I was using. Granted I spent a good slice of change in my EcoFlo set up, the Delta Pro, three additional smart batteries, the smart gasoline generator, and four solar panels. I've saved nearly $6000 in fuel expenses since my purchases, or roughly 30% of the initial purchase price. The smart generator does come on occasionally but not often. Last year I spent well under a $100 in fuel to generate power, basically nothing. I'm planning to put a similar set up in my home and taking my house off line. Like Cody said with the addition of Starlink, which I also have, working on off grid sights in BF nowhere, I can easily communicate with people. If I need to order something or communicate with a client, I don't have to drive to get to a phone or be in cell service. So I'm not only saving fuel I'm also saving time, and making more money.

Ask anyone who has lived off-grid with solar panels, batteries and inverters for an extended period of time and you'll discover that a backup gas or diesel generator is also part of their solution. If someone was forced to use only one, dinosaur juice is still the best option, but nobody has to choose one or the other...you can and should use both, if you can afford it.

One thing I use for a backup generator is a welder that also produces 120 and 240 power.10 kw Miller Trail Boss 302 Runs my well water heater and Heat Pump plus lights and appliances . I also use Solar Generator.

Keeping both makes the most sense for emergencies. The problem with the Solar generators is the most Electronics become obsolete over a few years. I think about all the money I spent on expensive stereo systems, speakers, computers etc over the years that now are in the garbage or in my attic. My 18 year old gas Honda generator still does as good a job as a new one.

To start small scale I would consider getting the solar powered lights for your house. For heat I have gas logs which do not rely on electricity. I have a tank that will last 2 years. I would start with lights and a gas heater ( you can get propane tank with burner and a gas or charcoal grill. ) having multiple sources is always a good idea

Wranglestar you picked the right solar Generator, top notch in every way. I have the Ecoflow Mini that runs my chest freezer. Its solid as a rock, no glitches, or flaws does what its supposed to.

My only issue is that I had an EcoFlow go bad on me within a few months of purchase. The simple mechanical nature of a gas powered generator versus hoping the electronics on the EcoFlow don’t fail is something to consider. I appreciate your feedback here. It’s just good to have a reliable contingency.

Great vid Cody. Having lived through hurricane Ida in New Orleans in 2021, this is definitely a must have. Our biggest challenge was getting access to fuel for the week after the storm. But what we had plenty of was sunshine.

I agree 100% with everything you said, Cody! Energy independence is more important today than ever before. I love this system as well.

Good info as always - I'll stick with my 8500 watt inverter generator. I've wired my house very similarly , I can power up anytime. I agree about the noise, however visibility is also an issue - like a light or television. I learned this one night when the power failed and I fired up my older generator and older switch panel. The whole area was dark except my home which was lit up like a roman candle and everyone could see.... OK - learning experience - discretion... There's no need to fire up exterior lights or leave blinds open. The noise was not noticable at about 50 yards, the light was very "loud". Cool that I could do a trial run without having a major emergency. Thanks dude!

A car engine can be a big quiet generator. Attach a large inverter and you can power appliances, battery stations etc. Also, a three fuel carburetor on the Honda can sip propane from a large tank and charge the power stations for months.

Dude is singlehandedly keeping amazon stock alive.

i have the eco flow river pro and the external battery at 1440W along with the solar panels extremely nice for quick nimble system in grid down scenario. the delta paro is definitely the way to go for a "base camp" type scenario.

This escalated quickly. I found this channel looking for a front door install video, now I’m installing back up generators 😂🤷🏼‍♂️. Front door works like a charm.

Cody, I've watched--and enjoyed--your content for a long time. However, you should disclose when you are being paid for these infomercials.

Pay attention to battery chemistry, lithium ion is lighter BUT it starts dropping capacity fairly quickly (80% after 500 charge cycles kind of quick) and is know for overheating and catching fire if damaged LiFePO4 or lithium iron phosphate is heavier BUT hits 80% capacity after 3000+ cycles and is way less likely to catch fire. This is a key thing to remember when choosing your system. I have one and as an extra layer of backup I have a good small, quiet gas generator because sometimes you don't have enough sunny days for a system like this to charge.

with that river you should consider a small portal hydo system to power the battery bank

Fun fact, a solar "generator" is just a big battery. The solar panels are the power generator. Edit: This opened a can of worms, lol.

Mitht Be Nithe! I have a loud generator that runs my whole house... but the sound is why I'm investing in parts to build out a solar system. Mostly just need the battery storage now (most expensive part, really).

I love this concept. 1 question, batteries don't last forever. They all have a limited amount of charges. What it the life of these batteries?

The output of the panels is greatly reduced in cloudy locations/ conditions. You still need to be able charge the batteries with a gas generator.

I do suggest getting a faraday cage for them to prevent outside intrusion into the system via blue tooth. 400 Watt panel will take ages to charge them up. Also, you will need a gas generator for back-up, because in some areas, a good part of the year is covered with clouds. I suggest people just invest in their smaller solar generator as it's more portable, but provide enough power to sustain your family's emergency needs for a few days, and from there get the larger system. Larger system requires more than one 400W panels, you will need maybe 6-10 of them panels and a good chunk of clear land to catch solar rays. In total will cost you at at least 20K to supply all your everyday luxuries. Well worth it if you can afford it.

i would like to see ecoflow do a class on repairing these units. I think that needs to be on your cons list about them they would be way harder to fix than a gas generator.

Forget the miniature transfer switches. The best way is if you can, Put a 30 amp breaker (or the max of your generator will allow) in your main house panel. Put it near the main. Install a steel mechanical interlock that ties the main breaker/generator breaker together mechanically, NOT electrically. Shut of the main breaker and it allows the generator breaker to be turned on. Both can't be turned on at the same time. Simply shut off all of the branch circuit breakers in your home, then turn back on those that you feel are critical loads. ALL of your LED lights can be turned on. You only use a room or two at a time and LED bulbs draw next to nothing from your generator.

The unit I have been looking into is the zero point Titan. The stackable battery system and the ability to use any vatteries that are are in the 24 V range means it has a ton of versatility.

Not sure if there’s anything like this in the U.S but here in Australia there is a big push to get people into solar systems for their homes, you can get grants that cover some of the purchase. Additionally you can choose to feed excess power into the grid and the energy companies will pay you for it

Good tip about a generator and noise during a situation. Another tip is if you've got food be aware of smells when cooking it and disposal of trash that looks like it pertained to food. Starving people are at the end of their rope and have nothing to lose.

I set one of my gas generators up to run on wood gas. It works great. If you are worried about being heard then definitely choose a solar generator.

Portable and easy to install, yes, totally agree. Cost effective and best option for off-grid? Not at all, not by a long shot. Two points I'd like to make. Compared to a solid Inverter and LiFeP04 battery system with transfer switch and essentials DB, you're in for close to 50% more cost for the EcoFlow. Something also to remember is ease of repair. With the EcoFlow you're locked into a high-tec all in one system with a single vendor ecosystem and extremely difficult repair or replace options, especially if you''re away from a city or authorized repair centre.

Curious to know the honest experience of staying a week in that canvas tent with one of those ecoflow batteries and the solar panel during the dead of winter with about 2’ of snow on the ground just like our forefathers would have had to endure and reporting on how it performed keeping you connected, looking forward to the video in the coming months!!!

Have both of them. Solar generator for when the sun is shining. It's nice and quiet, saves your fuel supplies. When it's night time or cloudy, use your gas generator to run your loads and top off the solar generator battery.

Great idea well explained, but the cost is way too high. There are cheaper options. Definitely not cost-effective or can be justified for family on a budget. Thanks for the info and God bless.

Some genius needs to put a hybrid system together. Best of both worlds

Consider interlocking a 30 or 50 amp breaker to main breaker and backfeed your whole home panel and choose any load you want .

I’d trust a Honda generator over an Ecoflow in any possible scenarios. I’d personally have both because while they both provide power they both have big pros and cons to them.

It would be interesting to see how well those charge for you in the cold winter this year and how quick it charges. I love solar I wouldn't really call it a generator but guess it could be kind of considered that since it has all of the inverter parts etc built into it. At the very least I would suggest people having any type of 3-400w solar panel and a way to charge 12volt batteries with it and then have even a cheap inverter from 12v to 120v just in case. Most of these panels can support charging usb c as well and can be had with a little inverter from 12v to 120v for less than $200 well worth having. Then you can pop in a few batteries and have at least a bit of a supply.

When we get Solid State Batteries this is going to get very interesting. 2-6 times more energy per kg, faster charge and discharge, much better temperature handling, longer cycle life on the cells and a lot less heat loss. We live in interesting times when it comes to portable energy.

My brother just purchased this EcoFlow system vs a generator. I was pro generator and he leaned towards this system which he just bought 2 days ago.😊

This channel should have 24 million subscribers and i daresay it would if KZfaq wasnt hiding it. I never see these vids in my feed

I found your gonna need both cause some days those 400 watt panels will be like 50 watt panels and then I use the generator to run the rv, and charge the solar generator. Then run the solar generator

I don’t think this is necessarily an affordable option relative to options with server rack batteries and such. The DIY route is more affordable, and offers more customization, and upgrading as needed. There is a learning curve, but there are many resources on KZfaq. This is an area I would love you to explore! Seems more Proho to me…

For my cabin/home I need and use both. We have months of little light in alaska and straight solar is not a solution in itself. Gas has limitations of its own making it really imperative to maintain both

Ill be getting both, during the winter you can turn on the generator once in a while to charge up the batteries if youre not getting enough power also EcoFlow also has a 5% off for military or i believe on top of any savings using a code for is.

It’s best to have more than one option! And their are many generators that run on more than one type of fuel! Solar is great until you need power and you can’t get because it is dark outside. They all have pros and cons to everything that is why I always fallow the creed two is one and one is none. Kinda unsafe to rely on one source of energy in a emergency situation!

For the low low price of $8000 you can have all of this….

Im all about the independent sustainability, i just haven't got the money for these big ticket items. One could piece together a system of the same capacity for half the price or double the capacity for the same

I have this same setup, bought it a little over a year ago. Used it for mig welding already, system works good. I also have the smart generator to go with it

I recently picked up an Ecoflow Delta, with a 200w solar panel. Works absolutely great for doing work in remote locations where AC Power isn't available. I can run many types of power tools, and charge my Milwaukee M18 Tool batteries too.

you can build this cody for MUCH, much cheaper and fit it all on a dolly with an all in one unit above a battery, like the eg4. Thousands of watts, will accept even more amps (more solar panels) than the ecoflow all for literally half or close to half the cost per watt you'll get here. Very little wiring.

This dude finally earned my sub. He knows way to much to pass up. Thank you youtube for showing me this guy

Day 36. Ive always loved gas generator. But you definitely changed my mind. Those solar generators are way better

Only one of those things is a generator, the other just identifies as a generator for marketing purposes.

Having a battery system also allows you better surge capacity than a generator. I still use a generator when I need to charge it quickly and a 3500 watt inverter generator can charge it quickly and minimize noise. You choose when to make noise.

Not only this or only that…combination is the key! One is none and two is one! Better Solar, Power Station and generator

I just bought my first solar generator, an Ecoflow, with panels. Super happy so far.

How have your systems done in overcast skies? Live in Michigan and we’re not exactly known for our sunny days lol

My biggest fear on any battery solution is that when China shuts off access to rare earth there’s no replacements when these batteries go dead. That includes the solar panels.

Thank you for this video. I have been going back and forth with gas power and solar power generators. Although my bank is not that large. I am not one to do maintenance and gas generators scare me. I will probably suffer from CO. However, the pros and cons is very helpful. I wanted a Generac, but way too expensive. I purchased the Delta Pro.

Glad you did this video . Today gas is 5-7 dollars a gallon. The generators are more maintenance to keep going. A solar producing generators has promise.

Nice video . Interesting to see ! Just an idea, why dont use the waterflow and make like a passive generator to charge them ?

Most people can't afford a $2800 solar generator right now cause inflation. Just saying.

Great for sunny locations

I have EcoFlow DP and just recently got the propane smart genny unit from same company . Home Depot no sales tax vet discount I paid 1053. Cheapest around for me. Fills back up the DP battery and has great features. Only suk is the 15 ft cord between the units . But I love the delta pro and I run a full fridge and freezer all day everyday off of sun . 6x350 pv 3s2p keeps under 150v . I love EcoFlow and the 12v options 360/120/36 watt connections. Sorry y’all just 2cents and agree with video thoughts on quiet time

He chose them because they sponsored him, simply as that jack!

Hello wranglerstar, been watching your videos for years and have always loved and been inspired by your content (you got me into the forest)! What I was wonder was what you were doing for the moisture from the ground on your cabin? i noticed you didnt put a moisture barrier and was curious if that was important in a situation like your wall tent?

I really like my Bluetti. Ecoflow is a good option also.

Just found this channel recently, I'm hooked. Blunt, informative, concise. No fluff all class. Well done.

I'll stick with my gas thanks

The "Paid Promotion" banner at the start of the video says it all. Can't trust a shill's opinion.

Yes! A log cabin build! Yes! I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.

Still about double or more than options that are much closer to this than your old van setup. I say 75% of the form factor and portability for 40%, the price and 100% rebuildable.

This is a commercial

I hope you do a follow up during and after this winter season. I’d be interested to see how well the batteries work in extreme cold.

The smart backup duel fuel generator is a nice option for this setup. will help conserve fuel and time with the auto start-stop and ability to use it separately from the Delta's. Add the Wave2 for some creature comfort and it's a solid system. The only thing that would make it better, is to add the ability to daisy chain the extra battery. I have already emailed them and provided the idea, and to offer the same expandability as competitors.

Ihave used a solar gen for 6 years now as a backup to local outages instead of using my pto gen, its quick and we have the essentials for short term or long term as we have 3 -1200 watt gens and the solar capacity of 460 watts. Very nice an ecoflow is part of that equation.

I shouldn't be watching your videos. Your skills put my husband's to shame. He does zero maintenance on anything, nor does he clean up after a roof job or anything else he does. It's so frustrating! Wish I could show you a picture of the messes he's left around this place & the field of unusable tools we can't get rid of. 😢

Why not do a biodiesel or alcohol fuel conversion to the desiel generator? I’m sure you have the ability to make “denatured alcohol” which would be useful for other things around the property. Combine food grease or motor oil with alcohol and that makes a very useable fuel source.

I wish small wind turbine makers would use same solar connectors to plug into battery packs like this.

The one thing bad with these all in one units is that if something fails it's useless. A regular solar setup if there is a problem you can just change the part that broken.

I'm very interested to see how this type of system holds up over time. What can/will break, if it can be repaired, etc. It sounds promising at this point!

They actually pair perfectly with each other

Epic system. Adding the Dual Fuel Generator would be the cherry on top.

Hell yeah, brother! Solar + Battery = Coming Struggle Power Solution. You want to go to Gas Town to refill when its Mad Max times? EV vehicles also work as a great battery backup. Most are 70Kwh+ battery capacity

Love the "Unamerican" comment! Wish there were more people like you. These days, it seems most people 'think' beef grows on the shelf in the department, etc., and so forth....

Thank you for jumping right in. And your knowledge and use of the product is tremendous

Wow, great timing. We will be building our house in the county in the spring & didn't want to bring power lines in but the expense of traditional solar panels made that our only option .... until now.

Honestly....im just happy he called it winter this time instead of "the coming struggle" 😂

You may wear funny hats at times, but this quote from you is on point! “It’s un-American to rely on another man to supply all your needs.”

I’ve got a similar system not as large. The weather definitely controls the solar ability and during cloudy weather it’s almost zero. Still makes total sense

Love the video. Thank you for doing what you are doing, this helps more than you realize. Thank you

This is most interesting. I had never heard of a solar generator before.

I love this tent series. im gonna need to get one once i can afford my own land

Back in 2016, I went to California to trim weed. The house ran on propane for the water and the fridge. We had 3 generators for electricity. They were sooooo loud. We would turn them off at night and sit on the porch in the dark. This solar generator looks amazing and I want one! My dream is to plop a fully sustainable modular tiny home onto a small parcel in upcountry Maui. With the cost of gas, no thank you. I don't drive, so buying gas is foreign to me! With the state of the world today, I don't want to be in the city when it burns! I'll be in my self sustainable home looking at my view of the pacific ocean!😊

Wranglestar, i can't believe you didn't think about bio gas made from compost.

Its true there will be people that will take your stuff, i am only stocking minimal because i know me and my brothers will take semi trucks full of anything we need when time comes