My job allows me to work on the road as long as I have access to the internet and E-Mails. For years I’ve been carrying around my IBM LapTop in a Pelican case in one of my painers. But every time I wanted to access the computer, it was a chore to get it out, hook it up to the battery or find a 117V outlet.
I mostly camp when motorcycle touring so having the ability to recharge the laptops batteries while on the road was also something needed.
I started with a Pelican case. I attached it to the motorcycle with a very heavy duty Touratech mount that locks the Pelican case to the motorcycle, but allows very easy removal.
Inside the case is a 117V inverter, a small AA Battery charger, a 12V AUX Battery, a BMW Power Outlet, two cigarette lighter outlets, a voltage meter, a circuit breaker and a switch to run the whole unit off internal AUX battery or the bikes battery.
You can see in the above picture the AUX battery hiding beneath the aluminum deck. Next to this battery is a voltage controller for the solar panel mounted on top. This solar panel can charge the AUX battery or the bikes battery, depending on the position of the toggle switch.
To keep both batteries charged while on the road in cloudy or raining conditions, when the solar panel doesn’t produce enough output, I installed a battery separator.
This device constantly looks at both batteries and flips the output of the alternator to the battery falling below 12.5 volts. Works great!
The whole unit is now easy to access on the road. I simply pull over, open the pelican case, and start computing.
The whole unit can be removed from the bike and used in the tent or at a roadside picnic table. Between the AUX battery and the laptop’s battery, I can use the computer for about 5 hours before recharge. A simple automobile dashboard light is nice at night.
I’ve used this unit for over two years now with no issues what so ever…
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