Yeti : American Adventurist

September 22nd, 2019February 11th, 2020

TESTED: Dometic PLB 40

Editor’s Note: This article was updated on 2/10/2020 to include cold weather testing, as requested by our members. Find it below. -Chad

Dometic’s PLB 40 is a truly plug and play portable battery solution that allows anyone to have a dual battery system in any vehicle. That’s right – no custom wiring or additional purchases required. As long as you have a 12V outlet in your rig that can supply 100W, you can plug in the PLB 40 and enjoy an additional 40 Amp-Hours of power that can be used to power whatever you want. This means that you can power 12 V cigarette-style devices like an electric cooler, your USB devices, and two-pin 12V appliances without pulling from your vehicle’s starting battery.

Dometic certainly isn’t the first company to make a portable battery, but the ease of use and a few electric cooler-specific optimizations to the PLB 40 make it a great choice for folks who want to be able to use their electric coolers in just about any vehicle, or have a versatile supply of power in anywhere they may need it.

The number one reason I hear from folks against getting an electric cooler is that they don’t want to have to deal with wiring in a second battery or a adding a dedicated circuit for their electric cooler. While a second battery certainly isn’t required to run an electric cooler in a vehicle, having a constant supply of power is. Since most vehicles have all of their 12V circuits switched by the ignition (for obvious reasons), adding a non-switched circuit has been the minimum effort required to keep an electric cooler powered up when your vehicle is not running. A switched circuit, a quality battery, and utilizing the low voltage cutoff on your electric cooler will work, but you’re still limited in how long you can stay out by the capacity of your starting battery. Yet, by adding a PLB 40 to your system, you don’t have to touch your vehicle’s wiring, and you’re able to add a considerable power reserve.

Literally all it takes to use the PLB 40 to power an electric cooler is to plug it into a 12V outlet on the vehicle and to plug your electric cooler into to the PLB40. The end.

It’s really that simple. While the vehicle is on, the PLB 40 charges up, and once the vehicle is parked, the PLB 40 becomes the power supply for your cooler and anything else you want to plug in, leaving your vehicle’s starting battery topped off. The PLB 40 means that you can run an electric cooler in any vehicle that has a 12V outlet, so whether you’re traveling in your buddy’s rig, or even a rental car, the PLB 40 lets you bring all of the benefits of an electric cooler into any car with a 12 V outlet. Want to use your fridge in the wife’s car for a grocery run on a hot day? Add a PLB 40 and you’re all set. No need to worry about groceries spoiling in the back of a hot car while you’re running errands.

If you’re wondering how long 40 Amp Hours lasts, the answer is – it depends. The size of your electric cooler, how efficient it is, how hot the environment is, and how much you’re getting into your cooler, and what you’re putting into your cooler are all things that will impact the runtime you’ll see from the PLB 40. Dometic advertises 40 hours of runtime when powering a CFX 40 electric cooler for a baseline reference. I’ve been running my PLB 40 with my CFX 75 DZW and as you would expect that with nearly twice the volume of the CFX 40, my runtimes are considerably shorter. I’m also typically running one compartment as a freezer, which requires even more power than a refrigerator temperature setting.

All that being said, PLB 40 is able to keep my Dometic CFX 75 powered up without being replenished for at least 24 hours. If you know the average draw of whatever you want to power, doing the Amp-Hour math is pretty easy, just divide 40 Ah by your total draw. If I’m going to be in the same place for longer, I’ll plug in a solar panel to the back of the PLB 40 using the Anderson SB 50 port, or I’ll plug the PLB 40 into an always energized 12v outlet in one of my trucks. The PLB 40 also accepts AC charging, so if your destination for the night is a hotel or someplace with grid power, you can charge the battery from a 120V source so it’s ready to go in the morning.

The charge controller on the PLB 40 will continue to accept DC input all the way down to 8 VDC, so if you have your PLB 40 drawing from your rig’s starting battery through an always-energized circuit, make sure that you’re keeping an eye on your starting battery’s voltage. Depending on how large your vehicle’s starting battery is, pulling 30 + Ah from it could make quite a dent in your starting battery, and it’s ability to crank your rig over. Having a jump start battery with you is also always a good call. Dometic has this 8 VDC cutoff in place to allow for solar charging the Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery in the PLB 40. This LiFePO4 battery has a couple of advantages over other types of Lithium batteries found in other portable batteries, namely an increased lifespan and the chemistry is more stable (safe) than other lithium designs. Being powered by a lithium battery also means that the PLB 40 is lightweight, and very portable.

The PLB 40 is so easy to move around thanks to its beefy top handle, that you’ll find yourself using it all the time, and you’ll never have to convince yourself to go lug your battery around. Tipping the scales to just past 16 pounds, the PLB can easily be moved anywhere it’s needed by almost anyone. Not only it is lightweight, but it has a small footprint that’s less than eight inches on a side, so it can be stashed in all kinds of places where power is needed.

This size and weight opens doors for how this thing can be used. No power outlets in reach of the kid’s seats in the family hauler? Stick the PLB with the kids, and let them run their devices for the entire duration of your drive (if that’s your thing). Need power someplace in camp that’s not your rig? Grab your PLB. Hosting a BBQ in the backyard, and want to use your electric cooler for easy to access beverages, but don’t feel like dealing with all of the extension cords? You get the idea. If you’ve been lugging around other battery battery boxes where you supply a car battery – you need to experience the PLB’s size and portability. It’s a game changer.

That ease of use however, does come with a price tag and the PLB 40 isn’t cheap. Googling the PLB at the time of this writing turns up prices from $765 USD, and up. With that money, you’re in striking distance of other solutions out there, so just make sure that you’re getting the product solution that best meets your needs. If you’re shopping the PLB 40 against other portable batteries, Dometic has this handy chart that helps potential customers assess the return on investment of a PLB 40 vs. other popular options:

Speaking of value, it would be awesome to see Dometic offer a version of the PLB 40 that had two 12 V cigarette-style ports instead of one 12 V cigarette and one 12 V two-pin. Or at least a two-pin to cigarette-style dongle with the current PLB 40. If you’ve ever unscrewed the 12 V plug from your Dometic electric cooler, you’ve no doubt discovered the two-pin connector hidden inside, but I have far more 12 V cigarette style devices than two-pin devices, so it would be nice to have the added flexibility of 2 cigarette-style ports. The one redeeming part of the 2-pin connectors is that they screw in, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally knocking your plug out. Depending on how you pack your rig however, this may be a clutch feature or it may not make that much difference for you. A screw in connection definitely adds piece of mind, but I have yet to knock out a 12 V cigarette style plug – and I’m probably jinxing myself by saying that.

Yet, for a plug and play, as easy as it gets, “I just want the thing to work”, you can’t go wrong with the PLB 40. Other solutions are going to require purchasing other chargers, adjusting cut-offs, or taking other steps to get the function that the PLB 40 comes with out of the box – and it’s just so nice to just be able to plug two things in and go.

Dometic’s PLB 40 is a pretty awesome piece of technology. Based on conversations I’ve had with other folks who’ve shelled out for one, it’s been exactly the thing that they were looking for to be able to get into the electric fridge game, and they couldn’t be happier. It doesn’t have all of the outputs that other portable batteries have, but it’s true plug and play functionality, portability, and reliable performance make it any easy choice for folks who don’t want to touch their vehicle wiring to be able to run an electric cooler.

The PLB 40 hasn’t missed a beat in my use, which has included multiple trips to Phoenix in the middle of summer. Even when the unit was well heat-soaked with a surface temperature that meant the unit would start to experience diminished performance, the PLB 40 didn’t slow down or indicate on it’s display that it was getting too hot. It’s small size and weight means that you can actually take the unit to just about anywhere you need power, and the PLB 40 is flexible enough to power all kinds of DC and USB powered devices.

Cold Weather Testing:

It’s important to set the stage when it comes to talking about battery performance in cold weather. Most folks figure that cold weather will severely impact the performance of their batteries, based on past experiences starting (or attempting to start) a vehicle in cold weather with a Lead-Acid or other common car battery chemistries. When you attempt to start a vehicle in the cold, your vehicle’s starter needs hundreds of amps from your battery to crank a cold motor over, and at lower temperatures the chemistry of a given battery cannot provide as much current as it can when it’s warm. This is the exact reason that there is a Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) spec on vehicle batteries. When it comes to a high current load, you’ll absolutely notice a difference in battery performance when it’s cold out.

Powering an electric cooler in cold weather is completely different, as an electric cooler is only going to pull a couple of amps or less, no matter how cold it is outside. Plus, the colder the outside temperature is, the lower the temperature difference is between the compartment(s) of your electric cooler and outside, which means that your cooler’s compressor is going to have to run less often to keep your electric cooler temps where you want them. This means less energy is required from your battery. In my testing, I was able to get longer run times out of a PLB 40 with temps near freezing than I was when temps were in the 70’s, and I attribute this to the compressor running less often.

To quantify exactly what kind of difference temperature has on the PLB 40, I ran two tests. In the first test, I used the PLB 40 at 70 degrees F, and applied a constant load of 100 watts, which I pulled through a power meter to see how many kilowatt-hours I could get out of the battery before it hit 50% state-of-charge. I then repeated this experiment with the PLB 40 being cold-soaked and held at 32 degrees F. The warm battery was able to provide a few hundreths of a kilowatt-hour more power before hitting 50% state-of-charge. So yes, the the cold does impact the power output of the PLB 40, but the devices that you’re most likely powering with a PLB 40 don’t pull enough current and will require less energy when it’s cold out, so the difference will come out in the wash.

The PLB’s LiFePO4 battery will hold up to thousands of charging cycles, which means that you can have that many adventures fueled by whatever awesome stuff you can keep in your electric cooler. If you’ve been looking for that missing link in the power supply chain for an electric cooler, or for charging media devices or drone batteries, the PLB 40 is definitely worth checking out.

Full Disclosure: Dometic provided a sample PLB 40 at no charge to the author for the purposes of this review.

May 11th, 2019May 13th, 2019

10 Years Gone: Overland Expo, Then and Now

Enjoy the ride as we look back at TEN YEARS of Overland Expo! Lodestone Events has entered the game, and 2019 is shaping up to be even bigger than previous years so please stop by and say hi at the American Adventurist booth at site PS1. We’ll have a cold beer ready for you courtesy of Wanderlust Brewing in Flagstaff, bring your cup!

In 2009 at the Yavapai Fairgrounds in Prescott, Arizona, an ambitious group of like minded travelers gathered for something new. Something called Overland Expo.

Before 2009, roof top tents, 4WD vans, off-road campers, Glamping, Overlanding, all of it was virtually unknown in North America. Yes, some of the gear was around, and car camping was hardly a new thing, but Yakima didn’t sell awnings yet, and Walmart wasn’t dabbling in 12 volt fridge/freezers. It was more of a “you need to know a guy” to get a roof top tent or 12 volt fridge back then.

Overland style gear and builds were quite rare in the mid to late 2000’s, and gathering them all in one place was unheard of. Even more exotic were the tales some of these people told, with many miles traveled by 4WD in Africa, Australia and other distant lands.

Legend says that around 900 people attended that first event along with a handful of pioneering companies: Equipt, Adventure Trailers (AT Overland), Land Rover, Baja Designs, ARB, Viking Offroad, Four Wheel Campers, Ursa Minor, KC Hilites, Autohome USA, Sportsmobile, Overland Journal, Aluminess, and Global Expedition Vehicles. These are the Plank Owners of Overlanding in America as we know it.

Organized and led by Jonathan and Roseann Hanson, that first Overland Expo was the catalyst for the Overland mania that is now mainstream. Today, this event draws top automakers, hundreds of outstanding companies, and tens of thousands of eager enthusiasts. Few dared to imagine back then that it would have grown to be the largest event of it’s kind in the Western Hemisphere, fueling a global, multi-million dollar Overland Industry.

Mark Twain said ““Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” I think if Mark Twain were here today he would be proud of the community that grew up around Overland Expo.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I still remember their second Overland Expo in 2010 at the Amado Territory Ranch in Arizona like it was yesterday. The entire Overland thing was still in it’s infancy and it was there that I met Jerry from Tembo Tusk, before anyone ever heard of a skottle. It was in Amado that I contracted the Snow Peak virus, a mishap that cost me more than a few dollars in “must have” glamping equipment over the next decade.

I shared midnight tequila with the late Al Walter and company in Amado, remembering favorite Baja trips while Al regaled us with his vast knowledge of obscure places and desert history. It was at Overland Expo that I got to hang out with people like Chris Marzonie, the Baja Taco himself. I had a beer with Scott Brady from Expedition Portal, and partied with the likes of Mario Donovan from Adventure Trailers and Paul May from Equipt before they were Overland Rock Stars.

All the coolest people were there, and it was there that I realized I wasn’t that weird, and I found many others just like me, eager to follow the paths less traveled while exploring the most remote places in the world.[/vc_column_text][vc_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1557774108123-abc7103f-1d6e-3″ include=”9042,9036,9034″][/vc_column][vc_column][vc_column_text]Overland Expo was also my first look at many, many exotic 4WD’s and top-shelf vehicle builds. As a career military guy, “vehicle dependent expeditions” were nothing new to me but this new Overland thing was very, very different. I learned that I could eat well in the field, have hot coffee and cold beer, and above all I didn’t have to sleep on the ground unless I chose to. It was even possible to have a hot shower in camp.

So many things that I loved were blending together in one place: travel, 4WD’s, camping, cooking, training, gear, motorcycles, and the stories these activities produced. The Expo was blurring all the lines and I was all in.[/vc_column_text][vc_masonry_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1557774108130-aa9ac40c-8be1-1″ include=”9098,9097,9095,9062,9094,9096,9054,9056,9092,9068,9067,9065,9066,9064,9063,9061,9046,9041,9045″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]More than just a trade show, the Hanson’s brought in concepts like education, hands-on training, environmental responsibility, community service, and film festivals making the event greater than the sum of it’s parts. Above all, I was fascinated by the quality of people that I met at the Expo, and I left that event personally inspired to become better educated and better traveled. This all came at a time in my life when I was suffering from some combat related survivor’s guilt as well as recovering from my own deployment injuries and really needed “something” to focus my own surplus energy on.

Attending that Overland Expo in Amado inspired me to found American Adventurist, and I started organizing my own Desert and Mountain Rendezvous events that same year.

Thank you Jonathan and Roseann for inspiring us.

[/vc_column_text][vc_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1557774108155-db63c481-078e-1″ include=”9075,9076,9077″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1557774108159-9512a648-87f3-10″ include=”9044,9057″][vc_media_grid element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1557774108162-9b88b2d2-e723-3″ include=”9040,9052″][vc_column_text]Fast forward a bit as Overland Expo grew. And grew. The American Adventurist crew attended every year in Mormon Lake and then at Fort Tuthill. When they added Overland Expo East at Taylor Ranch, we expanded too with our first Appalachian Rendezvous in North Carolina. We attended Overland Expo East at the Biltmore and then at the Reeb Ranch. We met thousands of amazing people and became involved in land stewardship and access issues.

I am unaware of any other events that have inspired such a fast growing, diverse, and dedicated following as Overland Expo.[/vc_column_text][vc_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1557774108165-918ed293-5e06-0″ include=”9091,9086,9090″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Looking back now on 10 years of events we have nothing but good memories – Underwater Expo, Snowverland Expo and Mudderland Expo included. For those of you who were there well… if you know, you know!

Challenging weather, the tyrannies of time and distance to travel to these events, in our experience it was all worth it to attend these grand family reunions. The one family reunion that you don’t have to dread going to each year. Where else in the world can you learn so much, see so much, and do so much in one weekend?[/vc_column_text][vc_masonry_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1557774108168-f602e6c7-a740-6″ include=”9058,6362,9069,7070,9060,9050,9051,9070,9049,9052,9059,9055,9043,9054,9085,6597,6578,6589,6566,6560,6562,6559,6543,6508,6492,6479,3790,3762,3767,1679,1676,1677,1650,1699,1688,1638,3855,3854,3840,3838,3848,3835,3825,3817″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]So what did we learn along the way at Overland Expo? Too much to list really, but here’s a few salient points that may be of help to anyone attending for their first time:

The 7P’s aka Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. Always be prepared for the wind, the wet, and the cold. Or blazing heat. Or monsoons and mud. There are no guarantees when it comes to weather, and there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear.
Site Selection. Just in case weather happens, select a camp site that provides for good, rapid water runoff and wind-blocking protection if at all possible. Tent and vehicle placement to take advantage of prevailing wind conditions is critical to maintain a stable structure. Arrive early for best results.
Meal Planning. Plan your meals carefully in advance to save time and preparation, you’re going to be on your feet a lot at an Expo and being prepared with easy meal plans pays off.
Be prepared to have FUN. We’ve made so many great friends at Overland Expo, and every year brings a wild bazaar of the latest goods and services sprinkled with happy hours with friends old and new. Bucket list trips and new business partnerships take root here every year.
Bring some walking around money. You don’t know it yet, but there’s something shiny there that you need that you’ve never seen before. Trust us when we say shiny squirrels abound.

[/vc_column_text][vc_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1557774108218-de3af5f0-cee8-9″ include=”7347,7399,7343″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_masonry_media_grid element_width=”3″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1557774108223-77a3125c-8be6-8″ include=”7440,7439,7437,7433,7428,7429,7423,7418,7420,7397,7391,7372,7353,7349,7340,7335,7345,7997,7954,7580,7456,7333,7426,7443,7377″][vc_column_text]Today, the Hanson’s have handed over the keys, and Overland Expo West 2019 marks the first year with Lodestone Events at the helm. We’re confident that it’s in good hands, and we look forward to seeing what they do to take it to the next level. With well over 10,000 like-minded enthusiasts headed to Overland Expo West, it’s guaranteed to be a show for the record books. Again.

So stop by and have a beer with us at Overland Expo West 2019 courtesy of Wanderlust Brewing in Flagstaff. Grab some swag from us, trade some patches, grab a raffle ticket to win a set of Falken Wildpeak tires at 3pm on Saturday, we’d love to hear your story and how this community of interest impacts YOU.

See you out there!

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Event photos used with the express permission of Overland Expo and Exploring Overland.

Additional photo credits and thank you to: Chris Collard, Chad de Alva, Richard Soohoo, Chris Griggers, Bryon Dorr, Chazz Layne, David Croyle, Bosque Bill, Adventure Trio, Mike Petrucci and Gary Haynes.

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