Sunday, May 10, 2009 at 14:34
Michael,
I have a 75+ A/h Thumper made by Blue Apple (
Home of 12 volt)
People have criticized the cost of these units when compared to other alternatives.
The reason I bought
mine was:-
1. To use as a portable power pack with a decent amp hour capacity.
2. To use as a jump starter when necessary.
3. To be able to charge from the vehicle alternator while driving.
The Thumper comes with & without jump start capability.
If you buy one without this facility you can save a bit and some people do not desire this feature.
When you buy the Thumper (assuming you get one of the jump start capable models) you get a pair of removable jumper leads that connect via high capacity Anderson connectors.
You also get an in-car charging kit of either 20 or 40 amp capacity, including a patch lead with 50 amp Anderson connectors on each end.
You get a digital display (on the newer models) that show you exactly how much voltage is remaining in the battery pack.
You get multiple on-board 12 volt sockets to plug accessories into.
You get the ability to repack the unit with fresh battery cells, when required.
Mine has two Hella type sockets and one cigarette type socket which I use to plug the fridge and two 12 volt LED/Fluro lights into.
The battery packs are contained in a sturdy plastic case with two carry handles which make transport of the pack easy and as it is sealed, is totally waterproof.
There is other alternatives such as ABR's "Flyer" (which I am not knocking by any means).
When you look at the purchase price for the Flyer case and add the cost of a decent AGM battery to put inside it, the cost is getting close to that of the Thumper.
Derek doesn't list a pair of jump starter leads under the Flyer accessories, so I'm not sure if this option is available, although I noticed there is a pair of heavy duty terminal posts on the case.
The Thumper used to be used and distributed by Waeco, but Blue Apple wished to expand the product into different size capacities and with different features to suit a more flexible market, such as camping, or caravanning, etc. (Some of the Thumpers are available with
Inverters attached). Waeco wanted the manufacturer to restrict their product range and the end result was a parting of the ways.
The Waeco RAPS36 power pack at $335 is also not much cheaper, when you consider for a practical power pack for a fridge, you would need at least two coupled together and this unit does not provide jump start capability.
I have no connection with
Home of 12 Volt (Blue Apple) and am simply a user of their product, but the overall flexibility that the Thumper provided, convinced me to invest in one.
The fact that I saved a considerable amount on the RRP from a 4WD camping show some years ago made the decision even easier.
Basically, it gets down to what you particular requirement are and how much you can justify spending to fullfill those requirements.
IMHO, the Thumper is the exact product that will satisfy your stated requirements.
Bill.
AnswerID:
364155
Follow Up By: WVB - Sunday, May 10, 2009 at 17:02
Sunday, May 10, 2009 at 17:02
Cheers everyone. I think i'll have a chat with the 12 volt
shop.
Bill, I reckon your'e right about what youve got and how you use it. i think it might fit my needs but i dont think i can or need to stretch to a 75A/H.
i reckon the 30A/H thumper will deliver what i need. I dont need to jump start a diesel and the bigger the packs get the heavier they get.
thanks again,
Michael.
FollowupID:
631868
Follow Up By: tim_c - Monday, May 11, 2009 at 19:37
Monday, May 11, 2009 at 19:37
I got a thumper a couple of years back because there was no room under the bonnet for a second battery (without substantial modification). I thought it (60A/Hr I think) would be plenty big enough to run the fridge for a couple of days, but I should've got a bigger one - it might run the fridge for 48hrs on paper but in the real
test in the back of the car it doesn't run it anywhere near that long. I also found that even with travelling for a ~5-6 hours every day, the 20A charging kit didn't quite keep up - I ended up with the fridge plugged into the Thumper only while stopped, and plugging it into the car while driving so the Thumper could "catch up". Next time I wire it into a car, I'll wire in an automatic change-over so I don't have to plug/unplug all the time.
FollowupID:
632041