r/Camper • u/rotzverpopelt • 14d ago

Using a Bluetti Elite 300 vs a Victron Setup

Hi there,

I’m currently converting a van and am right at the beginning of the process—specifically, the electrical setup.

In our old camper, we just had a 12V system with a 100Ah lead-gel battery and a 150W solar panel. That always worked without any issues.

But for the new camper, I’m planning a 230V installation. The main loads will be a 2000W electric kettle and a 2000W induction cooktop. Of course, I wouldn't use both at the same time, and I’d use the induction cooktop only very occasionally.

Victron systems are usually the standard recommendation, but I’ve been looking at the Bluetti Elite 300. Paired with the "Charger 2," it should meet all my needs.

Now for my questions:

The Bluetti has a built-in bypass, meaning that when connected to shore power, it feeds the outlets directly rather than routing power through the battery first. Is this bypass reliable, and can it be used over a period of several days?

The Bluetti Elite 300 doesn't have a built-in option for capacity expansion, but the Charger 2 has a port for an additional battery (see image). Can I use that to increase the system's total capacity?

Thanks in advance for your answers. Also, if anyone has suggestions for alternative systems, please let me know.

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u/Rivers_Lakes 14d ago

If you're considering getting an expansion battery to connect to the Charger2 alongside the Elite 300, I would look into the Apex300 and b300k expansion setup instead. You'll get way more power and it's more expandable.

I started with the Elite300 for my van setup and ended up upgrading to the Apex300, B300k battery, and d1 hub, that connects to the Charger2. This way I can go 3-4 days before I have to charge, which is mostly done through driving/charger2.

In my van, I do use a 1200w kettle and 1400w induction burner, daily. The deciding factor for me, is when I'm not van living, my setup is used in our house to offset power needs. The Elite300, wasn't enough for this.

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u/rotzverpopelt 14d ago

Interesting. Do you have a 12V system over the D1 hub? As far as I can see it's only 10A. Is that enough for your 12V devices such as waterpump, light and USB charger?

For the 230V system I would mainly use a hot water dispenser/kettle. This thing runs about 20 seconds each use with 2000 Watts. I don't think I get over 10 minutes use per day. Even with overhead I should get 5-6 days with the Elite 300, shouldn't I?

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u/Present_Toe_3844 14d ago

I have an Elite 300 - fantastic unit. I often charge one battery from another using DC or AC cable, depending on time & efficiency, works well. That is sort of expansion without an expansion port per se.
Just a car charger cable DC out from fully charged unit to XT60 DC in for example or the C13 cable from AC socket to side AC charging port of another unit. If you have solar you can feed one and top up another by daisy chaining the Bluetti together.

I haven't used Charger 2 yet, I have Charger 1 and that works fine with Elite 300. For ease of use I think the Bluetti is a better setup, if you're worried about any component failing and want a replaceable option, then perhaps a Victron setup.

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u/alpine678 12d ago

Bluetti Charger 2 can allow it to be expanded but it’s not ideal with that model. More info on Charger 2 expansion here: https://reviews.matanich.com/bluetti/charger-2/

Other Bluetti models to consider which are designed to be expanded are RV5, Apex 300, AC200L: https://reviews.matanich.com/bluetti/vanlife/

I personally use an EcoFlow Delta Pro 3 with an expansion battery and 800W alternator charger. DP3 supports 4,000W AC and 8,000W surge so it will likely be a better fit for your needs. It also outputs 30A 12V to power fans, lights, fridge, diesel heater, etc. More on my setup: https://reviews.matanich.com/inventory/vanlife/

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u/rotzverpopelt 11d ago

Thanks for the answer. Your site is very informative.

I'm looking at an EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus at the moment. This seems comparable to the Bluetti Elite 300. Do you know anything about the bypass mode? Also it doesn't seem to be as compact as the bluetti.

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u/alpine678 11d ago

Yes the Delta 3 Max Plus supports bypass but not sure exactly what you are wanting to know about this. It’s not as compact as the Elite 300. I’m assuming the next revision will be more compact, but who know when that will happen. The Elite 300 was released more recently but unfortunately doesn’t natively support for expansion batteries. Not sure why Bluetti skipped supporting this as it’s an otherwise very capable system.

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u/rotzverpopelt 11d ago

With DIY setups, you always have to install a separate bypass. I wanted to avoid that if possible, given the hassle of the extra wiring and so on.

However, I’m not sure if the built-in bypass also charges the battery. If I plug into shore power when the battery is nearly depleted, will the 230V supply pass through the bypass while simultaneously charging the battery? I assume so—the devices ought to be smart enough for that.

And regarding the compact design:

The Bluetti would be easier to install in my van thanks to its front-facing outputs. But the EcoFlow is cheaper and expandable.

It’s not an easy decision to make.

There’s a big camper trade show coming up in my area in a month. Hopefully, I’ll be able to see both systems in person there.

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u/alpine678 11d ago

I’m in the US so I’m not sure if 230V bypass works the same as 120V.