Power stations for camping and campervans: size, charging and cold nights

Size it for one weekend

ADAC gives a simple reference: a 1,000 Wh unit runs a 50 W cool box for about 20 hours. A compressor cool box does not run all the time, so here is an example per day with assumed figures: cool box averaging 20 W over 24 hours 480 Wh, LED lights at 10 W for 4 hours 40 Wh, two phones 30 Wh, a laptop 60 Wh. Together about 610 Wh, or about 1,220 Wh for two days. Run the cool box from the 12 V outlet and charge phones by USB, so the inverter can stay off. A 1,024 Wh station delivers about 940 Wh on its DC side in our model, so plan a top up or choose a larger unit.

If you use a CPAP machine, treat it as a separate load. We give no figure, because we found no official typical draw. Ask the maker or your care provider which battery or DC adapter they approve, measure the draw with a plug in meter, and keep a reserve. Do not rely on a power station for medical equipment without the advice of your doctor or the equipment supplier.

Calculate the runtime for your camping loads

Charging from the car

The car sets the limit. A 2025 Hyundai owner's manual says devices on the power outlet should draw less than 12 V and 180 W with the engine running, and that long use with the engine off may discharge the battery. The station sets a limit too: EcoFlow gives the Delta 2 a car input of 8 A from a 12 V or 24 V battery, which at 12 V is around 100 W. Filling its 1,024 Wh from empty therefore takes more than ten hours of driving. Check your own car's manual for the outlet rating.

In its June 2025 test, ADAC downgraded two models because their DC inputs were not isolated from each other, which could damage the connected vehicle's 12 V system. Look for this point in independent tests before you charge a station in the car.

Solar panels and campsite hookups

Solar inputs are rated by the station: EcoFlow gives the Delta 2 up to 500 W at 11 to 60 V, Anker gives the C1000 up to 600 W. A panel's rated power applies at standard test conditions of 1,000 W per square metre and 25 °C, as Jackery's data for its SolarSaga 100 Air states. Weaker light gives less, and so does heat: the same data sheet gives a power loss of 0.22 percent per degree. Point the panel at the sun and keep it out of the shade of the van.

On a pitch with a hookup, the station charges from the mains. The Caravan and Motorhome Club says nearly all its sites supply at most 16 A per pitch, that all appliances in use on a pitch together must stay within it, and that a breaker cuts the supply otherwise; 1 kW is about 4.3 A at 230 V. The Delta 2 charges at up to 1,200 W, about 5.2 A, so avoid running the kettle at the same time on a small supply.

Read: how to choose a power station

Weight, cold nights and a generator at camp

Around 1 kWh weighs between 12 and 16 kg: EcoFlow gives 12 kg for the Delta 2, Jackery 14.5 kg for the Explorer 1000 Plus, Bluetti about 16 kg for the AC180. ADAC recommends sturdy handles for this reason. Cold limits charging, not use: Anker gives the C1000 a charging range of 0 to 40 °C and a discharging range of minus 20 to 40 °C, Jackery 0 to 45 °C and minus 10 to 45 °C, Bluetti 0 to 40 °C and minus 20 to 40 °C. On a frosty night the station can still run the lights, but charge it only once it is above freezing, inside the van or tent.

Our runtime calculator also lowers usable capacity in the cold, by about 12 percent at 5 °C; this is an estimate. If you think of a petrol generator instead, Santé publique France lists the camper van among the enclosed spaces where generators must never be used.

Read: batteries in winter and outdoors

Flying with a power station

IATA's guidance for travellers says lithium batteries up to 100 Wh are generally allowed in hand baggage, those from 100 to 160 Wh may be allowed with the airline's approval, and those above 160 Wh are usually not permitted on passenger aircraft. Spare batteries and power banks never go in checked baggage. The stations in this article hold between 1,024 and 1,264 Wh, far above that limit, so plan your power at the destination instead and ask your airline about exceptions for medical devices.

Read: LFP or NMC, which is safer?