On a weekend trip, being able to lift your whole power system out of the van and charge it at home is useful. A portable power station puts the battery, inverter, charger and sockets into one box.
In a simple conversion, that can save space and avoid installing as much permanent wiring. You can also take the unit indoors between trips.
But that does not mean a power station is automatically the best answer. They can be expensive for the amount of battery capacity you get, and sooner or later every power station needs recharging. That is the part people often forget about.
Start with three practical figures instead: what you need to power, how much energy you use in a day, and how quickly you can put that energy back.
What is a portable power station?
A portable power station normally combines a rechargeable battery with a mains inverter, USB outlets, 12V outlets and its own charging electronics. Many current larger models use LiFePO4 (LFP) battery cells, which are well suited to repeated charging and discharging.
Capacities are normally quoted in watt-hours (Wh). A 1,000Wh unit has 1kWh of rated capacity. The inverter rating is different: a unit may store around 1,000Wh but have an inverter capable of supplying 1,500W or 1,800W at any one time.
That distinction matters. Wh tells you how much energy is stored. Watts tell you how quickly an appliance is using it.
Power station or leisure battery?
A power station makes most sense when simplicity and portability matter. A simple weekend van used for lights, phones, a laptop and perhaps a compressor fridge may need surprisingly little electrical equipment. A removable power station can do that job without turning the van into an electrical installation project.
A conventional leisure-battery system starts to make more sense when the electrical system is a permanent part of the campervan: fixed lights, water pumps, fridge, diesel-heater electrics, solar panels and regular off-grid touring. It can be built around the van rather than asking everything to connect to one portable box.
If you are deciding between the two, our campervan electrics guide explains the traditional leisure-battery approach.
Work out how much power you actually need
Before looking at brands, list the things you expect to run and roughly how long you will use them each day.
The basic calculation is simple:
Watts × hours used = watt-hours (Wh)
A 50W laptop used for two hours uses about 100Wh. A 10W light used for four hours uses about 40Wh. Add the daily figures together and you have a useful starting point for sizing the battery.
Fridges are slightly different because a compressor fridge cycles on and off rather than running continuously. If the manufacturer gives a realistic daily energy figure, use that. Otherwise actual measured consumption is far more useful than simply multiplying the compressor’s maximum wattage by 24 hours.
Our solar-panel guide goes into the same watt-hour calculation in more detail.
Remember that the capacity printed on the power station is not exactly what will reach a mains appliance. The inverter and electronics consume some energy themselves, so allow a sensible margin rather than planning to use every last watt-hour.
What can a 1kWh power station run?
The current 1kWh class is interesting for campervans because it is still portable enough to move around while offering enough capacity for considerably more than phone charging.
A unit in this class can comfortably handle low-power jobs such as phones, tablets, laptops, LED lighting and cameras. It can also be useful with a 12V compressor fridge, provided the power station’s 12V output is suitable and you have accounted for the fridge’s real daily energy use. Our campervan fridge guide explains the main fridge types and their practical differences.
Higher-powered appliances are where the numbers change quickly. A microwave, kettle, toaster, hair dryer or induction hob may be within the inverter’s wattage rating, but that does not mean you can run it for long without taking a large bite out of the battery.
For example, an appliance drawing 1,000W uses roughly 250Wh if it runs continuously for 15 minutes, before allowing for inverter losses. Four short high-power uses can therefore consume as much stored energy as many hours of smaller loads.
If a microwave is part of your plan, see our campervan microwave guide as well. The appliance’s cooking wattage and its electrical input are not necessarily the same figure.
Recharging is just as important as battery size
A large battery is only useful if you have a practical way of recharging it. There are four common options.
Mains charging
This is the easiest option. Charge the unit at home before a trip, or recharge it from campsite electric hook-up when available. For occasional weekends away this may be all you need.
Solar charging
Many power stations accept portable or fixed solar panels. This can work very well in good conditions, but UK solar output varies enormously with the season, weather, panel angle and shading.
Do not size the whole system around a perfect summer afternoon if you want to tour through autumn and winter. Our campervan solar guide explains why daily energy production matters more than the wattage printed on the panel.
Charging from the van’s 12V socket
Most units can charge from a vehicle 12V socket, but this is usually much slower than mains charging. It can still be useful if you drive regularly and your daily consumption is modest.
Higher-power alternator charging
There are now dedicated alternator chargers designed to recharge some portable power stations much faster while the engine is running. This makes a big difference for touring because a normal day’s driving can replace far more energy than a basic cigarette-lighter connection.
Compatibility matters here. Do not assume every alternator charger works with every power station or every vehicle. Follow the manufacturer’s installation and vehicle-compatibility requirements.
What about winter?
Winter is where an apparently generous solar setup can become much less impressive. Shorter days, low sun and poor weather all reduce the amount of energy available.
If you intend to use the campervan year-round, think about the worst part of the year rather than the best. You may decide that solar is useful when available but that driving, campsite hook-up or charging the removable unit indoors is the dependable backup.
That is one of the strongest arguments for a portable unit: if the van is parked where there is no mains supply, you can take the power station indoors and charge it separately.
For more cold-weather considerations see using your campervan or motorhome in winter.
Can you use one alongside a leisure battery?
Yes, and for some vans that is probably the most flexible arrangement of all.
A conventional 12V system can look after the fixed campervan equipment while the portable power station handles laptops, mains appliances or extra capacity. It also gives you a removable emergency reserve without rebuilding the van’s existing electrical system.
Keep the two systems separate unless the equipment is specifically designed to connect them, and use the charging methods and outputs the manufacturers provide.
What should you look for?
For campervan use, battery capacity and headline inverter wattage are only part of the story. Also check the 12V output limit, USB-C power, solar-input voltage and wattage, charging speed, weight, dimensions, battery chemistry, cycle-life information, warranty and whether the capacity can be expanded later.
Pay particular attention to the 12V outlet if you plan to run a fridge or other permanent-looking 12V equipment. A power station with a 1,800W mains inverter can still have a much lower limit on its 12V socket.
Weight matters too. One of the reasons for buying a portable power station is that it is portable. Once extra batteries are added, some systems stop being something you will casually carry between the house and van.
Three current 1kWh-class options worth comparing
Some of the product links in this article are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through one of them I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
There is no useful first, second and third here. They all sit around the 1kWh mark, but each makes more sense for a different type of campervan owner.
EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus – strong for charging while touring
The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus has a 1024Wh LFP battery and 1800W AC output. What makes it particularly interesting in a campervan is the range of ways it can be replenished. EcoFlow quotes up to 1000W of solar input on the Plus model and supports its 800W alternator charger, which can make far more sense on a touring van than relying on a normal 12V socket.
It is also expandable, so you can add more capacity later rather than replacing the whole unit. At around 12.5kg it is still portable, although it is not the lightest option here.
Best fit: regular touring, faster charging while driving, larger solar arrays or somebody who may want more battery capacity later.
Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 – strong for portability
The Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 stores 1070Wh and provides 1500W AC output. At about 10.8kg it is noticeably easier to carry in and out of the van than many 1kWh units, which matters if one of the attractions of a power station is being able to charge it indoors.
It accepts up to 400W of solar input and includes a DC car outlet. The trade-off is that the inverter has less continuous AC output than the EcoFlow and Anker options below, and the capacity is not expandable.
Best fit: weekend and holiday vans where weight, simple carry-in/carry-out use and quiet operation matter more than maximum output.
Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 – strong for higher AC output
The Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 combines a 1024Wh LFP battery with 2000W continuous AC output. That gives it the highest normal AC output of these three while still weighing about 11.3kg.
It supports up to 600W of solar input and a 12V 10A car outlet. Unlike the older C1000, the Gen 2 is not expandable, so the extra inverter power should not be confused with extra stored energy: a 2000W appliance can still empty a 1kWh battery very quickly.
Best fit: somebody who wants a compact 1kWh unit but needs more headroom for short-duration higher-powered appliances.
Amazon UK availability changes quickly, so treat these as current examples rather than permanent model recommendations. The important part is choosing the role that fits your own use rather than buying whichever unit has the biggest headline wattage.
So, are portable power stations worth it in a campervan?
For a simple campervan, a portable power station can be a very neat solution. It is especially attractive if you want to avoid a large permanent electrical installation, can charge the unit at home, or want the flexibility to take your power supply out of the van.
For a campervan with permanently installed electrics and regular off-grid use, a properly designed leisure-battery system can still be the better foundation. It integrates with the van more naturally and can be sized around fixed loads and charging sources.
Whichever route you choose, start with the same calculation: work out what you use in a day and how you are going to replace that energy. Once you know those two things, choosing the battery becomes much easier.