Dometic PLB40 Battery – 40 Hours of Sustainable Energy

I have been using the Dometic PLB40 Battery ($850) and Dometic CFX3 55IM ($1100) Cooler for 100 days of non-stop testing. From blizzards to hot weather, this setup has been through it all.  I added a 100W solar panel to the setup and I think this could be a fantastic setup for a lot of you out there. See our review on the Dometic CFX3 55IM here.

Dometic PLB40 Battery –

The Dometic PLB40 battery is a high-end Lithium Iron Phosphate battery that can provide up to 40 hours of power for many different devices.  Check your appliance to see how many watts it will need to make sure of how much power it will need. In my case, I was using the PLB40 with the Dometic CFX3 55IM Cooler, so I was able to get 40 hours of use out of this battery.

Dometic PLB40 Battery

The PLB40 is a really remarkable battery system.  When I say system, I am referring to the battery being an all-in-one solution for many of us.  The battery not only looks good, but it also has the connectors you will need to keep your DC appliances – and two USB devices – charged up for a weekend of use.

On top of that, there is a built controller – meaning you can plug your solar panel directly into the battery.  That is amazing!  I could not wrap my head around that at first.  But, after I installed my 100W panel on top of our Roofnest Tent (review here) and plugged the panel directly into the battery, I was a believer!

The battery is so smart that it will protect itself from overcharging as well as let you know if the power is not coming in.  Now, this can be annoying at first, but it is a good feature.  For example, you are relying on the battery to charge from the AC or DC source, and that source stops working.

It is nice to know that and find a new source of power.  However, I was not able to turn that alarm off.  So, I would make sure to unplug the solar panel as soon as the sun was setting.  This avoided the alarm and kept us from startling our dogs (or your sleeping kiddos!).

Multiple ways to charge the Dometic PLB40

The PLB40 comes with an AC adapter that works well for charging inside or with an inverter.  That could be all many of you need to charge this battery.  Case closed.  Super simple. But, you can also charge it from DC.  Whether that is from a cigarette lighter port or a solar panel.  This is how I used it 99% of the time. I appreciate that you can charge it with both AC and DC.

Dometic PBL40 Battery

Reliable

I did not have any issue with the battery not working, not charging or failing in any way.  It is a very well-designed and built battery.  I used it non-stop for 100 days without issue.  That is impressive.

Some possible opportunities

The usable temperature range of the battery is 40 – 115F.  This might be good for most people, but at least 70% of the camping I do is below 40 degrees. The PLB40 has a feature that lets you know when the battery is too cold to use.  This happens around 40 degrees F. The alarm goes off and I have not found a way to disarm it.

average winter camping trip 🙂

That is a bummer as the temps in Colordao can easily get below 40F, even in the summer.  So, this creates an opportunity.  My workaround was to unplug the battery (turning it off) and letting the cooler chill in the colder temps.  My logic is this – if the battery turns off ~40F and I keep the cooler at ~37F, then I can just let the outside temp keep the cooler cold (or colder) than 40F.

Seems to work fine, and I have used it this way for 90% of the time testing it. Just something to keep in mind when looking at investing $850 for this battery.

Another potential issue for users is that you can not use more than one together.  You can use more than one using different power sources, but not the same one.  This might be a turn-off for some of you looking for a bigger setup.

Dometic PLB40 – Portable lithium battery, 40 Ah

Dometic PLB40 Battery Review

The PLB40 is an amazing portable power supply for most uses.  It charged up fast (5 hours or so with AC or DC). It has a built-in solar controller and is plug-and-play with solar panels. The size is small enough to carry around and the looks are streamlined.  The only gripes are the two alarms as mentioned above.  All in all, this is a very reliable portable power supply!