Self-sustained power ‘a game-changer’ for off-grid Kiwi adventures
Self-sustained, not self-contained. That’s the motivation for a small group of Kiwi 4WD off-road adventurers who want to show that their favourite pastime is not about “dirty diesels” or “pesky petrolheads”. Instead, they’re using clean, 21st Century technology to help them along the trail.
Sam Constable is one of the driving forces of Kiwi4WD. Established in 2021, it’s a community that loves to explore our beautiful country while championing the responsible and sustainable side of their passion.
“Our goal is to build a brand that gives back, shares knowledge, educates, and respects the land. Kiwi4WD is more than an off-roading brand; it’s a community with a mission,” says Constable.
“We’re debunking the myth that four-wheel drivers only harm the environment by showing that we’re all about responsible fun. Our focus is on local communities, giving back to the land with beach clean-ups, fundraising, and vital tips for safe exploration.”
When we caught up with Constable, it was the day before a long weekend and, like thousands of other Kiwi families, he couldn’t wait for Friday afternoon and hooking up the caravan to his beloved “land whale” and heading to Miranda. “The forecast’s good. Twenty-four hours to the first surf cast, mate.”
For him, EcoFlow’s On-the-Road Power Solution has been “a game-changer”.
The tech allows off-roaders to get right off the beaten track or bustling beach without the hassle of noisy generators or old-school, slow-charging batteries.
Constable has his Toyota Landcruiser fully set up. “We’ve got the 4WD kitted out with the full set-up: separate batteries, chargers, and solar panel. We’ve wired it into our caravan so we’re running full 240v electricity, using solar to charge both the 12v battery and the EcoFlow during the day. It’s not only self-contained, it’s self-sustained.
“Because you can charge it before you leave home and you’ve got solar, you’ve got permanent charging throughout the day. You’ve quite literally got an endless supply source of power while you’re in the middle of nowhere.”
The EcoFlow Delta 2 Max portable power station can be charged up at low-peak on-grid prices, storing up to 2kWh of energy, which is enough to run 99% of household appliances. Constable could also use the 800w Alternator Charger to draw energy from the 4WD’s alternator while he drives, topping up 1kWh in less than 90 minutes.
The 400W Portable Solar Panel can charge the power pack in the great outdoors and users can easily manage charging, monitor appliances and check battery levels, temperature and energy activity through the app via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
Constable can park at a remote beach and go fishing, or head into the bush for the day, knowing the EcoFlow’s built-in inverter can convert the stored energy into conventional 240V electricity to cook, heat, light, stream movies or use power tools for any running repairs to their gear in the evening.
Like many Kiwi discoveries, Constable’s introduction to EcoFlow was a happy accident. “It was at the Rotorua Outdoor Expo last year – all the hunting, fishing, camping is on show there. Our mate was setting up his 4WD display and we went down to give him a hand.
“I was going for a beer and I took a look at the next stand, which was EcoFlow. I thought, ‘I’ve heard about these but I’ve never seen what they can do,’ and I got talking to them. They gave me a rundown and I thought, I’ve never seen anything like this, with the monitor system on it, the inverter built in, etc, etc.
“Now we disappear absolutely to the middle of nowhere – the further we can get away from people and reception, the better, according to us. We’ve taken this thing to the middle of the beach up on the west coast of Northland, we’ve taken it down through the South Island as well to the Macaulay Hut (18km up a rugged alpine track in the remote MacKenzie Country) and all that kind of carry-on.
“Being able to wake up in the morning knowing you’ve got plenty of battery storage left, plugging in your induction cooker, even in wind conditions, plugging in your coffee machine – it’s an absolute game-changer. I struggle to reflect back to the 12V system that we’ve got both in the caravan and in the 4WD.”
There are more practical uses than a good flat white. “I remember the first time we used it. For two weeks down south, we had a whole campsite running everything off it, whether it was charging phones, charging camera gear, the drones, running a laptop off it so we could upload all the footage we got through the day.
“This little unit, for the sake of 23kg, you can take it anywhere. It’s so compact you can put it wherever you need it to go. When you look into what this thing can actually do, it’s incredibly well priced.”
Constable has a special fondness for the monitoring feature, which he says trumps other systems. “100 per cent, unless you go and spend a good couple of thousand dollars with other 12V applications. You’ve got to have an app on your phone, so you’ve got to constantly have your phone on you when you don’t even have reception.”
Ready to power your next off-road adventure? Explore EcoFlow’s solutions at www.ecoflowtech.co.nz