Words and photos by Perry and Cindy Mack
I nostalgically remember Styrofoam coolers and bags of ice on camping trips with the family. I say nostalgically because I remember those early camping trips fondly, but I have no desire to re-live them. Those trips really had to be in an RV Park in a designated spot. You needed a store to buy more ice from as it melted, and a store to buy more food from if you wanted to stay any length of time. It was camping, but we were still tethered to modern facilities.
Let’s skip ahead a few generations of coolers. The ‘coolers’ are now fridge/freezers. And as long as you can power them, you don’t need to find civilization. The tether has stretched.
Perry and Cindy Mack
Ready for adventure, the tiny PLB40 is the perfect piece of hardware to complete our MorRyde kitchen with CFX40 W fridge/freezer.
The challenge is power. Sounds like the human condition. Need more power. But for overlanding, it needs to be portable, and rechargeable. The Dometic PLB 40 (Portable Lithium Battery) takes new technology and helps people who are trying to escape from it - for a little bit longer. It is compact, light, powerful and reliable. Specifically designed to power units like the CFX series of coolers from Dometic. While its main purpose is staving off starvation due to spoiled food, you can also use it to power your other 12V devices and USB accessories.
The magic is in the nature of Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePo4) batteries. According to Dometic, “with a very low self-discharge rate, stable output voltage at 12V they can deliver a much higher energy density in comparison to other chemistries. They are safe batteries and suitable to work in harsh ambient temperature. With the built-in BMS they are self-protected against overcharge, deep discharge and over/under temperature situation.”
We’ve been huge fans of Dometic for eons, well 18 years anyway, since the founding of the company in Sweden in 2001. The companies’ strength is in appliances for mobile living.
Using Lithium Iron Phosphate allows the PLB40 to deliver more stable power for longer periods than other lithium ion batteries. It weighs in at just 7.3 kg (16 lb) and can provide up to 40 hours of power, 40Ah/512Wh in technical terms.
You’re right if you’re thinking that 40 hours isn’t always enough - that’s a weekends worth. We could almost get by with ice, barring the soggy hotdog buns and meat floating at the bottom of the cooler.
The single most important piece of information I need, the charge level is clearly shown in a large display on top of the unit. You can recharge the battery from a 12V vehicle socket, solar panel, or AC power using the charge ports in the back. Going from 51-100 percent power charging via AC took about two hours - in line with Dometic’s claim that five hours using AC or DC will take you from 0-100 percent. The PLB comes with an AC wall adapter, and to charge via DC the PLB comes with a ballast and connecting cable with an Anderson plug. Push the included DC accessory plug into one of your vehicles accessory sockets to keep the battery charged. The DC to DC charger means you can charge the PLB40 while it powers your cooler. So while you’re driving the battery is always getting topped up
A terrific feature is the unit has a built in charge controller. Your solar panel just needs an Anderson SB50 connector and you are set.
Which means that out on the trail, as long as you have gas in the tank or sunshine and a solar panel, your food stays fresh (or frozen).
In order to test the 40-hour power stat we connected it to our Dometic CFX 40W cooler, which is used to generate this baseline - 40 hours for 38L-sized cooler.
Lots of factors affect this 40-hour benchmark including ambient temperature, temperature you’ve set the cooler to maintain, location (is the cooler sitting in the sun), and how often you open the lid to grab another bevy. The scientific measure we use is called ‘Normal Use’. Impressive, right? Using the cooler the way we use any other cooler (don’t leave the lid open, keep it out of the sun, maintain beverages at a refreshing temperature), the battery kept the cooler cool (4°C) for 46 hours without getting recharged. That’s solid performance.
But we had to ask ourselves how long would it last if for instance, you forgot you were supposed to be testing the battery and left the empty cooler in your Jeep connected to the cooler set at 4°C (hypothetically)? Funny you should ask. After four days the battery had a 25% charge and after five it finally ran out - well over 96 hours of keeping the cooler cool.
Letting the PLB40 bounce around in the back of the Jeep for five days proved it is rugged enough for the trail and that it deserves its IP44 rating - connectors are protected against solid objects over 1mm and water splashed from any direction, or in our case a can of Red Bull that was pummeled by a loose multi-tool.
You can connect a cooler to the PLB via a traditional accessory socket or through the 2-pin outlet. Using the 2-pin outlet leaves you with another 12V socket to power another device. A small 150W AC inverter with a 12V accessory outlet will allow you to power small electronics that have an AC plug, but the PLB40 doesn’t have power to start your vehicle.
If you’re setting up a base camp for a day on the trails, you drop your cooler in the shade; connect the battery and food stays fresh - a nice advantage over a dual battery system built-in to your vehicle.
As far as longevity goes, Dometic says the PLB40 is rated for 2,000 charge cycles. I’m not sure how many trail and overland adventures that adds up to, but I’m going to enjoy finding out.
MSRP: $849.99 USD Dometic.com
1 of 5
Perry and Cindy Mack
We tested the rugged construction by letting it fly around loose in the back of the Jeep for five days. The charge display is clear and easy to read.
2 of 5
Perry Mack
Snug fitting rubber seals keep out dust and dirt, to help achieve an IP44 rating, while also clearly marking the ports beneath. The comfortable carry handle lowers to save space.
3 of 5
Perry and Cindy Mack
Fuses, A/C power and Anderson recharging ports are easily accessed.
4 of 5
Perry Mack
Similar rubber seals keep out dust and dirt out of the USB, 12V input and output ports.
5 of 5
Perry Mack
Two USB ports and a 12V output let you power or recharge most mobile accessories.
PLB40 Specifications
SKU number: 9600014024
Model PLB40
In the Box: 40Ah Lithium ion Phosphate battery pack, 10Amp AC/DC charger, DC cable extension with Cig plug & Anderson connector
Description: Portable lithium battery, 40 Ah
Dimensions product depth 197.10 mm (7.76 in)
Dimensions product height 254.50 mm (10 in)
Dimensions product width 197 mm (7.76 in)
Net weight 7.30 kg (16.1 lb)
Input voltage (DC) 12 V
Output voltage 12 V
Output current 15.00 A
Battery type Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4)
Rated battery capacity 40.00 Ah
IP class IP44
Operating temperature min 0.00 °C
Operating temperature max 50.00 °C
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