Tested: Companion 200W folding solar panel and Rover 40 lithium power station

I have always been adamant that a good 12V system with dual batteries is one of the best additions you can make to a touring four-wheel drive.

I feel lost without a reliable way to keep my fridge cool, lights powered and electronic gear charged. My Hilux is well set-up in this regard, but my FJ Cruiser and myriad press cars I’m lucky enough to find myself driving aren’t – so it was time to think of a way to have the best of both worlds.

Enter the Rover 40 Lithium Power Station from Companion, mated to a Companion 200W folding solar blanket. A portable lithium and solar set-up I can charge at home, and then take from car to car and campsite to campsite.

13

The Companion Rover 40 Power Station is small in size but packs a decent punch, offering 40amp of lithium power in a package that weighs just 6.5kg, which is enough to keep my 47L myCOOLMAN fridge running for just under two full days without a charge.

I can charge the power station back up via 240V mains, 12V or solar. What I usually do is ensure the power station is fully charged before leaving on a trip, run my fridge off a 12V outlet in the vehicle when moving, and then plug the fridge into the Companion Rover 40 when at camp.

It will accept a maximum of 5amp charge from the 200W Companion solar blanket (or any solar panel) which is somewhat limiting, but it hasn’t caused an issue as I’m putting in more than I’m taking out.

13

This set-up has come in handy around home, too. We seem to experience a fair few power outages here, so having a backup power source has proven invaluable. Features include a USB-C output that will charge my laptop, two USB points, an Anderson plug output (perfect for my fridge), two CIG outputs (one is a two-pin socket that also works with my fridge), and two DC DC5523 points that can be used for lighting. There’s even a torch built into the Rover 40.

Connecting the Companion 200W solar blanket (they call it a Solar Charger) is as simple as plugging it to the solar input of the Rover 40 with the supplied cables. You get plenty of cable options included in the Rover 40, which is great to see. There’s no need to run a separate solar regulator either, as the Rover 40 has an inbuilt MPPT solar controller.

13

When connecting the Companion 200W Solar Charger to my vehicle’s battery, it could produce at best 10amp of output, which is fine by me. Companion claims a maximum output figure of 11.1amp per hour, so it’s not far off the money. Overall, the quality of the panel feels really good, and I see no reason at this stage to add more solar to my kit as this seems to be a sweet spot for my needs.

I’m in the process of installing a 100amp lithium dual-battery set-up in my FJ Cruiser, but I’ll continue to use both the Rover 40 and 200W Solar Charger.

So far, they have outperformed my expectations, and having portable power when on the go is priceless as far as I’m concerned.

More information: https://www.companionoutdoor.com/