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Jason “Deep Dive” Lord • • About the Author
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Upgrade Our inTech Flyer Explore: LiFePO4 + 200W Solar (Budget to Premium)

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Upgrade Our inTech Flyer Explore: LiFePO4 + 200W Solar (Budget to Premium)

Upgrade Our 2018 inTech Flyer Explore: LiFePO4 Battery + 200W Solar

Weekend-friendly power for our Dometic electric cooler, night fan, morning coffee, and device charging—without winter camping headaches.

Upload 16:9 hero image here (our campsite + panel + battery)
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TL;DR

  • Replace the old starting battery with a 100Ah LiFePO4 for real 12V capacity and long life.
  • Keep the Jackery 1000 as a separate AC station (coffee, laptops). Don’t use it to charge lead-acid unless it’s an emergency.
  • Our 200W solar pairs perfectly with a 20A MPPT. Expect ~500–800Wh on a good summer day in Michigan.

Affiliate note: Links below use our Amazon tag deepdiven1l-20. If an item shows ASIN_HERE, we’ll drop in the real ASIN later.

Shopping Lists (Amazon) — Low / Mid / High

Basic Budget (Low) — ~$500–$900 Recommended Starter

Simple, reliable LiFePO4 + MPPT for our 200W panel. No fancy monitoring; perfect for weekends.

Mid Budget — ~$1,100–$1,700

High Budget — ~$2,000–$3,200 (Premium Components)

Detailed How-To: Basic Budget Install

Goal: run our Dometic 12V cooler, a night fan, and charge phones—solar-sustained most days. This assumes a portable 200W panel.

Safety First

  • Disconnect shore power and the trailer’s negative battery cable before starting.
  • Fuse as close to the battery positive terminal as possible (MRBF on the post is ideal).
  • Use correct wire gauge (8 AWG for main runs here), crimp with the right tool, and heat-shrink all lugs.

Parts Map

Solar Panel → MC4 Cables → 20A MPPT → LiFePO4 100Ah (MRBF fused) → ST Blade Fuse Block → Trailer 12V loads (cooler DC outlet, fan, lights, USBs)

Step-by-Step

  1. Mount the battery in the Group 27/31 box near the original location. Strap it down.
  2. Install MRBF holder on the LiFePO4 positive post. Insert a 100A MRBF fuse but leave it out until the end.
  3. Run main positive/negative (8 AWG) from the battery to your DC fuse block. Add a 100A ANL fuse + holder on this run if you’re not using the MRBF for that branch. Keep runs short and protected.
  4. Land your loads (fan, lights, 12V outlet for the cooler) on the ST Blade fuse block with appropriately sized blade fuses (5–15A typical). Ground to a clean chassis point or a negative bus bar.
  5. Mount the MPPT near the battery (ventilated space). Wire battery first: battery positive (through a 30–40A inline fuse if you want local protection) and battery negative to the MPPT “Battery” inputs.
  6. Connect the solar: plug the panel’s MC4 pair into your MC4 extensions, then into the MPPT “PV” inputs. Do not reverse polarity; PV positive to PV+, PV negative to PV−.
  7. Program the MPPT for LiFePO4: Bulk/Absorption ≈ 14.2–14.6V (per battery spec), Absorb time 15–30 min, Float ≈ 13.4–13.6V, Temperature compensation OFF unless the battery/BMS requires it.
  8. Final fusing & power-up: Insert the MRBF and ANL fuses, verify polarity and voltage (~13.2V resting for LiFePO4), then turn on loads one by one.
  9. Test a sunny cycle: With the cooler running, confirm the MPPT shows PV watts coming in (expect ~100–180W midday with a 200W portable) and that voltage climbs to absorption during the day.

Operation Tips

  • Run the Dometic on DC (more efficient than inverter/AC).
  • Use the Jackery 1000 for AC coffee makers or laptops; keep the trailer battery for 12V house loads.
  • Shade kills solar. Angle the portable panel to the sun when you’re in the trees.

Simple How-To: Mid Budget

  1. Swap the battery for the Renogy 100Ah Self-Heating LiFePO4.
  2. Install the Victron SmartSolar 100/20; pair via Bluetooth and select a LiFePO4 preset (tweak to your battery spec).
  3. Place a Victron SmartShunt on the negative battery lead to get accurate % state-of-charge on your phone.
  4. Optional: add the Renogy 30A DC-DC between the 7-pin charge line and battery for alternator charging while towing.

Simple How-To: High Budget

  1. Install the Battle Born Heated 100Ah and MRBF protection at the positive post.
  2. Add Victron SmartSolar 100/30 (gives headroom for more panels) and the BMV-712 monitor.
  3. For towing top-offs, wire in the Victron Orion-Tr Smart 12/12-30A from the vehicle to the trailer battery.
  4. If your converter can’t do a Li profile, replace with Progressive Dynamics PD9145ALV so shore power charges correctly.
Amazon Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability may change after publication. Always follow manufacturer instructions and local codes when working with electrical systems.

© Deep Dive AI • Weekend camping in Michigan (Zone 6a). We store the trailer in winter; LiFePO4 is charged only above 32°F.

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