Middle row seats removable?

[DaveB]

YUCK! So what do seat deleters of the world do? Please tell me you're wrong about the main battery. One of the reviews spoke of a 260 VAC inverter, which would be useless.

The two seat utility has a flat panel over the rear footwell and over the battery compartments
While that configuration isn't available in the US you should be able to source the parts from Europe or a third party copy
As for the voltage it was never 260V, it was 230V which suits 90% of the world except the US as 110V is extremely limiting in usefulness.

 

[MidnightCamper]

Shame on me. I never meant 260 VAC. I meant 260W at 120 VAC. Looking back over posts, they talk about 400W to 2000W output. It's not a complete answer.

 

[DaveB]

Shame on me. I never meant 260 VAC. I meant 260W at 120 VAC. Looking back over posts, they talk about 400W to 2000W output. It's not a complete answer.

The problem with inverters in a station wagon is where do you mount them
They need extremely good ventilation when operating
The other problems are power output, continuous and peak, and current output
Typically on a 230V/240V system a 2,000 to 3,000 W unit is good enough, but not if that is peak output and the duty cycle is only 50%
The trouble in a 110V/120V system is you need twice as much current to get the same job done as a 230V/240V system.
That means batteries, cables, connectors all have to be larger.
Typical loads would be around 1,800W to 2,400W so 10 amps max in a 240V and 20 Amps in a 120V

 

[MidnightCamper]

My mechanic calls lead acid batteries bombs in boxes. I put a Lifeline in my ArkPak because I was worried about hydrogen gas. I didn't use it enough and it no longer takes a charge. Now I use a stand alone lithium Li-ion NMC with 2000W inverter. I'm worried about having a starter battery in the passenger area. Moll has all kinds of safety warnings.

 

[DaveB]

My mechanic calls lead acid batteries bombs in boxes. I put a Lifeline in my ArkPak because I was worried about hydrogen gas. I didn't use it enough and it no longer takes a charge. Now I use a stand alone lithium Li-ion NMC with 2000W inverter. I'm worried about having a starter battery in the passenger area. Moll has all kinds of safety warnings.

I would be more concerned about a lithium battery than a lead acid.
LifeP04 seems to be the best choice these days.
Sealed lead acid batteries have been kept inside vehicles for many many years.
Lithium batteries can catch fire just from being charged or discharged as hundreds of Youtube videos will show.
They also tend to explode if you get them damaged and wet

 

[MidnightCamper]

Detail. Lifeline is a model of AGM glass mat lead acid battery which reabsorbs hydrogen gas. It is safe enough for an airplane cabin.

 

[MidnightCamper]

Unfortunately Yeti insists on using Li-ion NMC. I would prefer LiFeP04 but I wanted the Yeti Plug and Play feature.

 

[DaveB]

Unfortunately Yeti insists on using Li-ion NMC. I would prefer LiFeP04 but I wanted the Yeti Plug and Play feature.

I have to admit I new nothing about LifeP04 batteries until someone on this forum told me about them last year.
I have since done a lot of research into them
I ordered the auxiliary battery setup so I get all of the wiring etc and may change it over to LifeP04 at some stage
The standard auxiliary is exactly the same as the main battery so is a very convenient spare if the main dies.

 

[MidnightCamper]

I had to learn when I bought the ArkPak to run an Engel refrigerator years ago. All I read said cranking batteries and appliance batteries should be different. But long haul overlanders may need the extra crank battery. They don't have the luxury of shore power. North America is different.

 

[MidnightCamper]

Yep, and since it already exists from IA it should be an easy reproduction.

As long as it's not Goo$$e Gear.