IMPORTANT NOTICE!
Activities and vehicle modifications appearing, described, recommended, or linked to on this web site may be potentially dangerous.
We do not endorse any such activity for others or recommend it to any particular person.
These are simply the experiences and opinions of the writers.
If you choose to engage in these activities it is by your own free will and at your own risk.
Any and all modifications will likely cause a vehicle to behave differently than stock - some modifications may significantly increase your risk for an accident
or equipment failure when driving the vehicle or be dangerous in some driving situations.
Use common sense when engaging in any activity or making any modifications.
Do not take unwise risks, consult a certified professional if you are not sure of something, if you are uncomfortable with your mechanical ability, if you don't
have the experience to do a project, if you have not received proper training and education for the job you are thinking about doing, or if you do not have the proper tools, equipment or safety devices to do the job you are considering.
The owners, operators, members (or any associated parties) of the JEEPEXPEDITIONS.ORG web site and the writers / authors of the content contained within this web
site are not liable or financially responsible for any damages including -- but not limited to -- emotional, physical, or financial damages incurred during or after
the use of this web site or any content contain within.
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THE ARK-PAK, ADVANCED PORTABLE POWER PACK
This is what THEY say about it:
The ARK-PAK, America's Top Portable Power Pack
The ArkPak is a unique 12V and 110V power battery box, which allows you to choose a 12V 130 amp hour battery so you can replace at any time. You can get up
to 3 days of 110V power or up to 7 days of 12V power*, potentially giving days of continuous power!
So whether you are camping, hunting or boating you'll have continuous silent power 24 hours a day for days on end. Giving you more freedom to stay
longer off the grid.
The Ark-Pak will power recharge items below and many more:
- Power Tools
- Digital Cameras & Batteries
- MP3 Players & Docking Stations
- Four Height Positions
- 12v Shower
- DVD Player
- Flat Screen TVs
- 110v and 12v Camp Lights
- Portable Fridge/Freezers
- Lap Top Computers
- Cell Phones, SAT Phones
- Tablets
- and More!
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Here Is What WE Say About It:
What is one of the most popular modifications someone wants to do to their Jeep for Expedition/Overland travel? Dual Battery set up. The only problem with that
is where am I going to stuff a second battery and then there is the cost and when you trade or sell you Jeep, guess what, another dual battery set up. In something like
a classic Grand Wagoneer, there is plenty of room for a second battery up front. In a new JK Wrangler, not so much. In fact one of the biggest factors on battery life is
heat. A 2nd battery in the tight confines of newer Jeep means in two years or so, you are going to have to replace one or two batteries. I have a stack of Yellow Top
Optimas in my garage as proof of that.
There is an alternative that is not only extremely effective and versatile but it's 100% portable. You can move it from your Jeep to your grocery getting mini-van
to your campsite just as easy as toting a battery box. The perfect power solution for your off-road trailer. What it will do that dual batteries won't do it
jump start another vehicle, provide 120 volt power via it's
built in inverter, provide USB power for your phone, tablet, MP3 player and more. All that is a package that is not much bigger than the battery inside.
Just for kicks, I decided to price out a dual battery system for a Jeep JK Wrangler. The battery tray will run you around $100. Two Optima Yellow Top D75/25's will
run you $250 each. Add to that a Genesys Dual Battery System for $479. So for a quality dual battery system in my JKU, the total cost with two batteries will be
$979. With one battery $729. Now you can get a cheaper system for your dual battery isolation but in any case you are still going to spend well over $400 with just one
battery or $650 with two batteries to do it on the cheap. And you are stuck with it. You can't take your power to the campsite, you can't take it to your off-road trailer
or anywhere else, it's in your Jeep and that is where it is going to stay.
The Ark Pak portable power pack is the versatile solution to the dual battery issue. The Ark Pak is manufactured by Ark Corporation, a well know name in the "Land Down Under"
or by it's formal name, Australia. The Ark name is well known there for their 33+ year reputation for making a quality product. Ark's website says that the Ark Pak is taking
the world by storm and I can see why.
When my Ark Pak was delivered by Fed Ex I made it a point to read the enclosed manual and go over the entire unit several times before I started using it. You need to add a battery
to your unit to give you power. Ark recommends you go with a 100ah deep cycle marine battery. I chose the Interstate 31M-AGM Group 31 Marine Battery for a number of reasons the first
being Interstates reputation for making a reliable, long lasting battery and the fact that the warranty is 36 months full replacement.
The first real test of the Ark Pak was on the Great Western Trail Jeep Expedition. My Grand Cherokee became the home for 8 days for the power pack to power my Dometic 63
quart fridge/freezer. With a fully charged and fresh battery installed in the Ark Pak I loaded it in the cargo area along with my fridge. For the first 24 or so hours
the Ark Pak was connected to 110v to keep it fully charged and the fridge was connected to the unit via it's 12v cord. I set the freezer section of the fridge to seven
degrees for the entire six days of this test. In less than two hours the freezer was reading between six and nine degrees. I took the Ark Pak off of home electric to
see how well it would work on its own.
I checked in on the Ark Pak four or five times a day to see how it was doing. After a full 24 hours, the display showed that I had 82% of battery capacity available at 12.6
volts. Not too shabby I thought but what will it say tomorrow. After 48 hours I had 39% battery capacity available at 12.4 volts and I figured out that I had another day
or so left of power. On day three, my fridge was still running at six to nine degrees in the freezer section and my Ark Pak now had 11% capacity left at 11.8 volts. So I now
know that I can run my fridge independently for at least 3 days. With that test done, now let's see how it works the way I expect to use it.
Connecting the Ark Pak to 110v power again to charge up the battery to 100% I picked up a 12ga extension cord for an RV and connected it directly to the Grand Cherokee battery
and ran it back to the cargo area. The 12v charger adapter for the Ark Pak will be used when I am driving to keep the unit charged up and at night I will flip the battery
isolator switch on the Ark Pak and run entirely off of the power the unit provides. Using the Ark Pak this way I can take advantage of all the other things I can do with it.
As stated earlier, unlike an under hood dual battery set up, the Ark Pak has a number of useful features besides twin 12v outlets. How about a 110v 150 watt power inverter to power things like
lighting, your laptop, a flat screen TV and so many other things. It also features a USB port to power and charge your cell phone, tablet, MP3 player or anything else that uses
5v USB power. Someone has a dead battery? Your Ark Pak has high amperage terminals on the left side that can be used for jumping car batteries. Need more features? How about
an interactive LCD screen and a built in 6 amp 7 stage charger. You can charge up the Ark Pak using the 110v and the 12v charger adaptors or you can connect it directly to your
battery with the 50amp Anderson Plug. All of this in one compact package that is just a bit bigger than the battery inside and to make it portable, built in handles on each side.
The time has come for this set up to hit the trail for a 4 day off-road trip that will cover nearly 400 miles from southern Arizona to northern Arizona. Except for
day time charging maintenance the Ark Pak will be on it's own for probably 16 or more hours per day. Not knowing what to expect with something new to me I keep
monitoring the unit several times a day during the trip.
Four days of some at times bone jarring trails, I can say with confidence that the Ark Pak is a product that you should seriously consider if you are thinking about an
underhood dual battery in your vehicle. Using it in the manner I did the Ark Pak battery never went below 87% capacity and voltage remained in the mid-12v range the entire
trip. My fridge freezer worked flawless with this amazing unit and my ice supply was kept solidly frozen in the ten degree freezer compartment. My fresh food compartment
held temps in the low 40's. I even tried using the fridge plugged into the Ark Paks 110v inverter. Again, nothing but positive results.
The bottom line here is that the Ark Pak is a great little unit that performs every bit as advertised which offers so much versatility. Use it in your vehicle, use it at base camp, use at
the beach party to keep your fridge running surf side. The ways to use the Ark Pak are limited only to your imagination.
As for my Ark Pak, it's going to do double duty as the power plant for my off-road trailer to power the fridge/freezer, the electric water pump and all the lighting. In the
back of my Jeep when the trailer gets left at home to act as my dual battery system. You can bet I won't leave home without it!
See this on Arks website Click here ---->
The Ark-Pak Portable Power Pack.
And be sure to watch their videos of the Ark-Pak in action!
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Check back monthly as we add new reviews as they are completed.
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Want to have YOUR Product Reviewed Here?
If you have a quality product that can be used by the off-road pubic we would be glad to test it, do a fair write up about it
and make an honest recommendation about it.
Products that we feel are useful to off-road travel whether it be Jeep related or camping related will not only be posted on our website but we will submit them
to one of several magazines for more possible exposure.
Email info@jeepexpeditions.org with detailed information about your product and your interest in working with
our organization.
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*The opinions expressed in this product review are the opinions of the writer and are based on the writers tastes and preferences. The writer
may have and in most cases invited other people to participate in this review. Despite the review (favorable/unfavorable)
you are encouraged to try out any product that you might be interested in.
**Copyrighted images & trademarks for products/items appearing on this website and/or portrayed and reviewed here
are the property of their respective owners
and are used within for informative and identification purposes only.
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Jeep Expeditions is the PREMIERE Jeep Exclusive Expedition/Overland Adventure CLUB Anywhere!
Jeep Expeditions is a non-profit corporation registered in the State of Arizona.
The state recognizes us as a fraternal
organization, we prefer to say we are a club. Our members and volunteers are dedicated to the exploration of
this great land for the educational value, historical value, scenic beauty, the geology, paleontology, the camaraderie of people
who share the same interests and to escape the confines of civilization if only for a few days. Our organization and members adhere to the
standards of "Tread Lightly" and "Leave No Trace".
Jeep Expedition Members enjoy adventures that vary in length from one day, a weekend, long weekend, week long, two weeks and like our Arctic
Expedition in 2011, a full month. Don't worry, most of our trips are one day and two day trips. We are Family Friendly and we have
a number of members who bring their friendly "Jeep Dogs".
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JEEPEXPEDITIONS.ORG or any other Jeep Expeditions, Inc /Jeep Expeditions Group web sites liable or financially responsible for any damages
including -- but not limited to -- emotional, physical, or financial damages incurred during or after the use of this web site. Use of this
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