Scenarios › What size solar generator for van life
What size power station / solar generator for van life?
Van life is a steady, modest load — a 12 V fridge, lights, devices — that you recharge with solar every day. So you size for the overnight buffer between charges, not a full 24 hours off the battery. Here is a 12-hour buffer for a typical build, plus the solar-input note that matters most: pick a unit whose solar input can replace a day’s energy before the next night.
2,760 Whcapacity needed
272 Wrunning watts
572 Wsurge to clear
12 hruntime horizon
This load: Mini Fridge · LED Lights (10 bulbs) · Laptop · Phone / Tablet Charging. Want to tweak it? Open the full sizing tool and adjust the appliances and hours.
What size you need
You need about 2,760 Wh — and 12 units fit. The smallest sufficient is the Bluetti Apex 300; we never push more capacity than your load can use. Surge to clear: 572 W.
The math
Running watts (everything on at once) = 272 W
Surge watts (worst single startup + the rest running) = 572 W
Average draw (cyclic loads counted by their duty cycle) = 207 W
Watt-hours = 207 W × 12 h ÷ 90% usable reserve = 2,760 Wh
1
Bluetti Apex 300smallest that fits
2,765 Wh 3,840 W cont · 7,680 W surge expandable ~12 h on this load $$$
A near-3 kWh home-backup system with a 3,840 W continuous inverter and 7,680 W surge — built for a well pump or central AC start, expandable well into whole-home territory.
LiFePO4 · Up to 4,000 W solar input; expandable to 19.4 kWh with B300K batteries (58 kWh with multiple units)
2
Bluetti Elite 300
3,014 Wh 2,400 W cont · 4,800 W surge ~13 h on this load $$$
Frost & Sullivan certified as the world's smallest 3 kWh class unit — a full 3,014 Wh / 2,400 W in a 58 lb body, no expansion path.
LiFePO4 · 0-100% in 78 min AC (0-80% in 70 min) · 58 lb
3
Jackery Explorer 3000 Pro
3,024 Wh 3,000 W cont · 6,000 W surge ~13 h on this load $$$
Three kilowatt-hours for multi-day outages and heavier loads, on wheels.
LiFePO4 · ~2.4 h AC; up to 1200 W solar · 64 lb
4
Goal Zero Yeti 3000X
3,032 Wh 2,000 W cont · 3,500 W surge expandable ~13 h on this load $$$
Three kWh on wheels for multi-day essentials backup.
NMC · AC/solar; integrates with home kit · 70 lb
5
Bluetti AC300 + B300
3,072 Wh 3,000 W cont · 6,000 W surge expandable ~13 h on this load $$$
A modular 3 kW system with a sub-20 ms UPS switch — toward whole-home with a transfer switch.
LiFePO4 · Modular; expandable to 12.3 kWh, 24/7 UPS · 116 lb
6
EcoFlow DELTA Pro
3,600 Wh 3,600 W cont · 7,200 W surge expandable ~16 h on this load $$$
The whole-home contender on wheels — 3,600 W, expandable to 25 kWh, panel-ready with a transfer switch.
LiFePO4 · AC + EV charging; expandable to 25 kWh · 99 lb
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Disclosure.
The load, appliance by appliance
| Appliance | Running | Surge | Duty | |
|---|
| Mini Fridge | 100 W | 400 W | 35% | |
| LED Lights (10 bulbs) | 100 W | — | 100% | |
| Laptop | 60 W | — | 100% | |
| Phone / Tablet Charging | 12 W | — | 100% | |
⚡ Informational only — a computed sizing estimate from published appliance-wattage charts and manufacturer station specs. It is not an electrical guarantee. For hardwired or whole-home backup, transfer switches, or any permanent install, consult a licensed electrician. Appliance wattages are representative chart values and vary by model; check your nameplates. Duty cycle (how much of the time a load actually draws) is how we keep the watt-hour estimate from overselling capacity.
Common questions
What size power station / solar generator for van life?
For Mini Fridge, LED Lights (10 bulbs), Laptop, Phone / Tablet Charging over 12 h, you need about 2,760 Wh of capacity, 272 W continuous output, and at least 572 W of surge. The smallest unit that clears all three is the Bluetti Apex 300; a step-up like the Anker SOLIX F3800 adds headroom for longer outages.
How many watt-hours does this load need?
About 2,760 Wh for 12 h — we take the duty-weighted average draw (207 W, since cyclic loads like fridges and pumps don't run constantly), multiply by the hours, and divide by a usable-capacity reserve. Running watts are 272 W; surge is 572 W.
Other scenarios
Sources: appliance wattages — standard appliance/generator sizing charts; station specs — manufacturer published specifications (compiled 2026-08-10; approximate). Informational only — a computed sizing estimate from published appliance-wattage charts and manufacturer station specs. It is not an electrical guarantee. For hardwired or whole-home backup, transfer switches, or any permanent install, consult a licensed electrician.