Off-grid power guide
If you camp off-grid for more than a couple of nights, your battery makes all the difference. The right one keeps the fridge cold, the lights on and the phones charged, with no hook-up needed.
Your leisure battery is the heart of every off-grid setup. Solar panels, a diesel heater, a fridge, a phone charger: they all live or die by the battery behind them.
Buy the wrong one and you'll be counting volts by day two. Buy the right one and you'll forget it's there. This guide shows you which type to choose, how much capacity you really need, and the few extras that make it all work safely.
We recommend Lithium LiFePO4 leisure batteries over the alternatives. They give you far more usable power, they're lighter and smaller, and they last much longer.
With a 100Ah lithium battery you can use close to the full 100Ah. With many other battery types, going much past half the rated capacity starts to shorten the life of the cells.
Manufacturers usually class a battery as worn out when it can only hold 80% of its original capacity. Here we count a 50% discharge as one cycle.
Compare the cycles each battery type can handle and the long-term value becomes clear. Lithium costs more up front, but it can pay for itself surprisingly quickly.
The difference between battery types isn't small. LiFePO4 batteries give you much more usable energy and keep performing strongly far longer than the alternatives.
On average lithium can deliver around seven times more usable power over its lifetime, which is why it's become the go-to choice for serious off-grid setups. It also holds its voltage steady, so lights don't dim and pumps don't slow as it drains.
AGM batteries still do a job, but they can't compete with lithium on usable capacity, depth of discharge or life expectancy. They're also around twice the weight for the same capacity.
If you want a setup that feels more capable and less restrictive when you're away, lithium is the upgrade that makes the biggest difference.
Some LiFePO4 batteries are rated for around 4,000 cycles, others for 15,000 deep cycles, so look beyond the Ah figure on the listing.
Check for a built-in BMS (battery management system), which protects the cells from over-charging, over-draining and short circuits. The cheapest battery is rarely the best value: lifespan, reliability and total usable energy matter just as much as price.
Add up what you'll use in a day. These are rough daily figures for typical 12V kit; your own gear will vary.
Add 20% headroom and allow for cloudy days. Most weekend campers are well served by 100Ah. If you run a fridge, a heater and a laptop for a week, look at 200Ah, or two 100Ah batteries linked together.
A great battery is only as good as the kit around it. These are the extras we'd fit on day one, and why each one earns its place.
Charges your leisure battery from the engine while you drive, so you arrive on site with a full battery.
Why it matters: Lithium batteries need a proper DC-DC charger. An old-style split-charge relay won't charge them fully and can overwork your alternator.
A shunt-based monitor shows exactly how much charge is left, what's going in and what's coming out, right on your phone.
Why it matters: Lithium holds a steady voltage until it's nearly empty, so a simple voltmeter can't tell you much. A monitor stops the lights going out unexpectedly.
Charge up on the drive before a trip, or keep the battery healthy through the winter.
Why it matters: Choose a charger with a LiFePO4 mode. Lead-acid chargers use the wrong voltages and can stop short of a full charge.
One twist cuts every circuit, perfect for storage, maintenance or a quick reset.
Why it matters: Small hidden loads such as trackers, alarms and USB sockets slowly drain a battery while the van is parked up.
Fit a main fuse or breaker as close to the battery's positive terminal as you can.
Why it matters: A 100Ah lithium battery can deliver a huge current into a short circuit. The main fuse protects every cable in the van.
Short, thick, properly crimped cables between the battery, fuse and bus bars.
Why it matters: Undersized cables get hot and waste power as heat. Good cable means your inverter and heater get every amp they need.
Positive and negative bus bars give everything a neat, labelled place to connect.
Why it matters: Stacking lots of lugs on the battery terminals causes loose, hot connections. Bus bars make fault-finding easy, and every circuit you add needs its own fuse.
Fast-charge phones, tablets and even laptops straight from your battery.
Why it matters: Charging over 12V skips the inverter, which can waste a good share of your power as heat. Your battery lasts noticeably longer.
Planning winter trips? Some LiFePO4 batteries include built-in heating pads.
Why it matters: Lithium mustn't be charged below freezing. Self-heating models warm themselves first, so solar and driving can still charge them on frosty mornings.
Power, heat and cooling: everything that lets you camp anywhere, in any season.
We have 5 fabulous events throughout the school holidays every year.
Come along for the weekend, or enjoy the whole event.
It's up to you.
1st - 11th April
28th May - 6th June
25th July - 1st August
8th - 15th August
23rd - 29th August
We hope this guide helps you plan a setup that works for you. Shop around, take your time, and ask us if you're unsure about anything.
Got a question, or a tip that would help other campers? Send it to us and we'll add it to the guide.
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