When preparing a vehicle for off-road adventure travel one of the first considerations is the lights. With LED headlights and auxiliary LED lighting for vehicles exploding in popularity, drivers have a lot more options than before. Typically a light bar is the first purchase as it provides good, supplemental forward-facing auxiliary lighting and you can look at some of our favorite ones here. After that purchase, drivers will typically turn their attention to finding quality ditch lights. Ditch lights are great at illuminating the side of the road at night when driving in the back country or off road.
Best Tri Fold Tonneau Covers To Protect Your Truck Bed
One of the easiest ways to take good care of your truck is by equipping a quality tonneau cover. The tonneau cover will keep your truck bed clean and keep the items stored inside it more secure. They also provide a sleek profile to your truck that improves fuel efficiency by reducing drag. New truck owners should consider one of our top tri fold tonneau covers as the first accessory they buy.
Tri Fold Tonneau Covers
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Strong Winches for Jeeps, Trucks, and SUVs
If you travel off-road and overland regularly then you are eventually going to get stuck. Having a vehicle bog down in the mud or stuck on the rocks or slipping on the snow is inevitable on rough terrain and when you get stuck it is important to have a way out. When traveling with another vehicle your tow strap can get you out of most jams but for more freedom and independence on the trail you should consider a winch.
Best Winch for Jeeps, Trucks, and SUVS
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Use Your Truck Battery for Portable Power and Emergency Electricity
Everyone needs to charge up these days and one of the best tools for the job is surprisingly your car or truck. Every time you run your car the alternator is working hard to pump out electrical current. In a lot of ways your car resembles a generator full of gasoline. Still, there are some good ways and some bad ways for you to turn your car’s gasoline into electricity. Whether you need electrical power on the road, at a campsite or a job site, or at home during an emergency you can count on your car to be one of your most reliable sources of energy if you have the right tools.
Goal Zero Yeti Link Car Charging Kit Review
Below we look at two devices that work to leverage your car’s electrical power. They both operate very differently but have the same goal of using your car battery to give you safe, clean power for your electrical devices.
1. GoalZero Yeti Link Car Charging Kit – Intelligent Portable Power
The GoalZero Yeti Link Car Charging Kit is one of the most exciting advancements in on-the-go automotive power. Campers and homeowners alike rave about the ability to pop the trunk and charge up to ten electrical devices for up to 3,000 watt hours. The high-power outputs deliver on demand energy at the push of a button.
Electrical Power on the Go
The system combines a quality, lithium portable power station with your car battery using the unique Yeti Link Car Charging Kit. The car charging kit connects the lithium battery to your car vehicle battery using an EC8 Female to Ring Cable. The ring cable connects directly to your vehicle’s 12V battery or the alternators +/- terminals. A 12’ extension cable runs from the connector to the trunk where you can plug in any of the Yeti Power Stations devices 1000+.
Turn on your vehicle and it will charge the Yeti device at a blistering 300-750 watts in. In as little as two hours you can charge up even the larger Yeti devices.
Having something like the Goal Zero Yeti 3000 or the new Yeti 3000x charged and in your trunk delivers an unparalleled power station.
The Yeti 3000 fully charged in your trunk delivers quiet portable power that can run lights, tools, fridges, and even other essentials like blenders and wifi all gasoline free. That means no noise and no fumes so it is safe to use indoors and outside. You can keep everything from laptops to medical devices charged and ready to go. No maintenance is required but like other Yeti devices you can control it with a handy phone app to check battery levels and turn ports on and off.
Solar Panels Charge Your Car
The link car kit from Yeti can deliver even more peace of mind in the back country when it is paired with a solar panel. Integrate a solar panel like the Goal Zero Boulder 200 and you can plug it directly into the Yeti 3000 and add power back into the system. Amazingly, this means that you can use solar panels to charge your car battery and keep it topped off! Collect power directly from the sun and transfer it to your car.
CarGenerator Review
People looking for a less complicated system might prefer the unique CarGenerator product that we examine below. It can provide 1000 watts continuous power using your car or truck to power it. Connect it quickly and easily to your battery and start immediately generating electrical power.
2. CarGenerator CG1000 – Car Battery Inverter Generator
The CarGenerator is very different from the Goal Zero setup we looked at before. This device does not have any battery inside it at all. There is no lithium ion battery to charge and this device does not store any electrical power. Instead it connects directly to your car battery and converts the alternators DC power into AC power. It outputs the power directly using two plugs on the end. That allows you to use it around the household, campsite, or work site to power electrical devices.
It produces 7-10 amps for household use using your car battery to power it.
Installing the device is surprisingly easy. Unlike the permanent installation of the Goal Zero, the CarGeneartor installs and de installs easily. It is designed to be pulled out of the trunk in an emergency and quickly installed. Just set up the gator clips directly on the battery similar to using jumper cables and it will begin to draw power.
Used Worldwide by Emergency Response Teams
Attach an electrical cord to the end of the device and use it to power cell phones, laptops, or medical devices. Some of the most remote doctors and hospitals use these devices to tap into the awesome electrical power generating capability of the truck engine. The CarGenerator has two receptacles on it that total between 7-10 amps of power. Rugged, rainproof shell allows for safe and easy operation in any weather.
The CarGenerator is a good option for people who do not want to own a generator but are looking for a little bit of power protection. If you do not have room to store a generator or are intimidated by operating one, this can give you some of the same protection but by leveraging your car battery and alternator.
Conclusion: Drawing Electricity From Your Car Battery
Sevearl innovative devices on the market make it easy for you to safely draw electricity from your car battery. People looking for a robust solution with lots of flexibilty should consider the amazing Goal Zero setup. It provides lots of power, charges fast, and incorporates optional solar panels to keep your car battery charged.
People looking for a simpler solution should give the CarGenerator a good look. It is a valuable tool in an emergency and can quickly provide electrical power. Most useful in situations where it is ok to keep the car running and tough enough to handle adverse weather conditions.
If you want to bypass your car altogether then take a look at our favorite gas generators to deliver lots of power quickly and easily. These heavy duty solutions provide plenty of electrcial power for your needs.
Best Tire Inflators for Cars
Digital tire inflators are a fast, portable solution for adding air to your tire. If your low pressure light is on but you do not have a puncture, then using a tire inflator is the easiest way to get back on the road. Keep one around to protect yourself from a low tire. Current models are safe and effective and store easily in the garage or the trunk of your car. We have compiled a list of our top five favorite tire inflators along with a helpful buying guide to get you headed in the right direction.