Updated July 2026 · Sizing math based on real California trip patterns from our trip planner data
Most power station buying guides start with products. That's backwards — start with your watt-hours, because buying too small means a warm fridge in Anza-Borrego, and buying too big means $1,000 you could have spent on fuel.
Add up what you'll actually run per day. Typical draws:
| Device | Draw | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| 12V fridge (40–50L) | 40–60W, ~40% duty cycle | 400–550 Wh |
| Laptop (working remotely) | 60W charging | 150–250 Wh |
| Starlink Mini | 25–40W | 200–320 Wh (8 hrs) |
| Phone + tablet + camera | — | 50–80 Wh |
| Lights, fan, water pump | — | 60–120 Wh |
| Diesel heater (fan only) | 15–30W | 100–250 Wh (winter nights) |
A weekender without a fridge needs ~300 Wh/day. A full-timer with a fridge and remote work needs 800–1,200 Wh/day. Now multiply by the days you'll go between charges (solar and driving recharge count), and add 20% headroom — LFP batteries shouldn't live at 0%.
The default answer for weekenders and part-timers. Runs a 12V fridge for two days, keeps a remote-work day going, and recharges quickly from a wall outlet before you leave town — or from solar at camp. The value-per-watt-hour leader in the mid class this year.
Check price on Amazon →Two-plus days of fridge, Starlink, and laptop without sun. If you work from the van and camp off-grid more than you drive, this is the class you want — and the v2 stays portable enough to move between van and campsite.
Check price on Amazon →The pick if your power needs will grow: add battery packs later instead of replacing the unit. The 30A RV-style outlet also makes it the cleanest option for van builds wired with an RV inlet. Heavier and more "installed" than the Jackerys — this one lives in the van.
Check price on Amazon →Comparable capacity to the Explorer 2000 v2 with quicker wall top-ups — useful if your pattern is city stop, charge for an hour, disappear into the Eastern Sierra for four days.
Check price on Amazon →If you don't run a 12V fridge, 500 Wh covers laptops, phones, lights, and a fan for a long weekend. Light enough to carry to a picnic table. Note it's older NMC chemistry — fine at this price and duty cycle, but expect fewer lifetime cycles than LFP.
Check price on Amazon →A power station without recharging is a countdown timer. In California you have three options: 200W of rooftop or portable solar (roughly 800–1,000 Wh on a clear SoCal day), charging while driving via a DC-DC charger or the station's car port, or wall charging at gyms, laundromats, and campgrounds. Most full-timers run solar + driving; weekenders can skip solar entirely and charge at home. Full wiring details are in our California van solar guide.