09/21/2026
Struggling to determine what size of power station you'll need for your campervan conversion? That's perfectly normal! Nobody was born knowing this stuff. This is a simple explanation of how to run your calculations;
1. Make a list of all of your appliances and devices that will require power. Don't forget about things you'll need to also recharge (like your cell phone, tablet, rechargeable espresso maker, etc).
2. For each of those items, add a column for how many watts each item requires. Keep in mind some have a "surge" wattage (like your hot plate and AC) that requires much more power at start up of each cycle. You need to use this number in your calculations.
3. Add a 3rd column for how many hours per day you'll use each device/appliance.
4. In the 4th column, multiple the watts by the hours. This is your watt hours per device, per day.
5. If you use 120V AC appliances (like a blender or hair dryer) add 15% to that device's Wh total to account for energy lost to heat during the conversion by the internal inverter inside of your power station.
6. Factor in "Days of Autonomy"
How long do you want to stay parked in the rain or shade without charging?
Multiply your daily total by your desired days.
7.
Lastly, account for your Depth of Discharge (DoD)
Batteries shouldn't be drained to 0%. This is where your battery chemistry matters.
You should really only be looking at power stations with internal LiFePO4 batteries, which means you can safely use about 90% of the rated capacity. AGM batteries are more like 50% of rated capacity.
