Escape Drivable Kit HPP+ Connector
Hey folks….
I installed a GZ Yeti Pro 4000 in my van build — and used the Escape Drivable Kit to connect the 30A Anderson to the 12V circuit of the van, and the HPP+ to the rooftop solar. The connectors provided in the kit with the pigtails have 90deg connectors - so when plugged in to the back of the Yeti, the wires are parallel to the Yeti chassis, and i can push the yeti close to the van wall.
When I tried to add the Remote Display - it has an additional wire harness that plugs into the HPP+ port on the back of the Yeti - and breaks out into a HPP port and a data port - it's the Comms Splitter in the diagrams
So to make this work, I need to unplug the HPP pigtail I was using for solar - plug in the Comms Splitter into the HPP+ port - and then plug the solar HPP into that. But the Comms Splitter cable doesn't have a 90deg HPP+ connector - it stick straight out from the Yeti - requiring the Yeti to sit a couple inches further from the wall.
Am I missing something? Is there a different way to wire this to use the 90deg connector on the Yeti?
Thanks
Steven
Comments
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Had this same issue. GoalZero said they're going to be making a 90 degree cable for this, but just haven't yet. I first brought up this issue with them back in March 2024. You can make a custom cable for it, by purchasing another of their HPP+ cables that IS a 90º version, cutting it, cutting the comms splitter cable, and wiring them together (there are several small wires that are tricky to splice, just fyi, but I managed to get it working).
https://goalzero.com/collections/portable-solar-power-accessories/products/hpp-solar-wall-plate-kit
You can use the above kit. You can also just plug the entire kit here together, and make it work, and only have to splice 2 wires. I made this quick image below to show you - just connect your two red wires, and your two black wires. This worked for me for a while, but I was annoyed with all the cable in my cabinet, so ended up taking the risk and cutting the 90º plug off, and splicing it into the comms splitter cable.
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Thanks for this info @PDX_Jay - I was looking at that kit and thinking I could make this work. As you point out, there will be a lot of extra cable wound up - but this would work in the interim until there is a actual fix from Goal Zero.
Interestingly, the response I got from GZ support was…
"Unfortunately, we would not have an adaptor for this cable to switch it to 90 degrees. The cables that plug directly into the Yeti, are all designed to come straight out."
I responded with a link to their Escape Wiring Kit showing all the connectors being 90deg - and told them they were incorrect, all the connectors are 90deg except for the Remote Display. They have not responded yet.
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Do you folks think that the 4000 with the drivable kit is a good replacement for my 1400 with link integration?
I emailed this to goal zero a couple weeks ago, but they didn’t answer…
I have a Yeti 1400 with a Yeti Link for alternator charging (so fast I love it!) and solar charging from roof. It has always been an awesome setup, but I think my power storage needs are expanding.
Looking at the website it appears the YetiPRO 4000 Escape Drivable Kit could be the successor.
Can you confirm the YetiPRO 4000 Escape Drivable Kit charges at the same fast speed off the alternator like the Yeti Link?
The website makes it sounds like it charges slowly through the 12v cigarette adapter. But some forums posts talk about alternator connection so I’m confused.
I want what I have, but with more battery storage. Thank you. -
you have two options for connecting to your vehicle for charging. You can go with the low-power port, which at 12.5v will get you about 120 watts of charging. Not much. Or you can wire into the HPP high voltage input, which supports 13.3v-150v, up to 40a. This one is ideal, but has 2 problems: 1) even though when your vehicle is running it will hit the 13.3v coming from the alternator, depending on the length of your cable you might have too much voltage drop to keep it above the 13.3v, and the charging will just constantly click on and off…so you have to make sure you really size up that wire running up to you alternator, to almost eliminate any voltage drop. And 2nd problem is that this is the same input you'll probably be using for solar panels on the roof. In my case, my rooftop solar is operating at 36v - and if you use the GZ parallel combiner to allow you to combine the input from 3 sources… it will always choose the highest voltage input if they aren't the same voltage. So I would have to unplug my solar whenever I want to pull charge in from the alternator.
IF your solar array is quite small, and the low power input is enough for solar, then you'd be fine (275w max, 12.3-28v, up to 10a). Just run the alternator charging into the high power port. You should be able to get consistent 500w charging with this, which more or less matches what you're getting with that Yeti Link setup.
The other alternative, which is what I'm going to try to do, is use a couple of relays to allow me to switch between solar and alternator charging from inside the cab of my truck (going to wire the relays to one of my upfitter switches) - so when I start driving, I can switch to charging from the alternator with just a flick of a switch, and when the truck turns off it will revert to solar. -
Thank you for the reply! I'm disappointed that the 4000 makes us choose alternator or solar when the Yeti link let us do both. Switching with a relay sounds like a good idea.
