Van Life Power Setup UK: The Complete Beginner's Guide
- Fred & Ellis
- Jul 26
- 2 min read
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Getting power right is the difference between van life feeling like freedom and feeling like a chore. The good news: you don’t need to be an electrician or spend thousands. This guide walks UK van lifers through the two main approaches, how to size your system, and how a portable power station has become the simplest route for many people converting a van in 2025.
The two ways to power a campervan
Fixed leisure battery system — a permanently installed leisure battery (increasingly LiFePO4), charged by a split-charge relay, mains hook-up or roof-mounted solar. Powerful and seamless, but it involves wiring, fuses and usually a professional fit.
Portable power station — an all-in-one unit with battery, inverter and sockets built in. No wiring, no installation: charge it from the van’s 12V socket while driving, from a campsite hook-up, or from a fold-out solar panel. You can lift it out and use it outside the van too.
Which is right for you?
Choose a portable power station if you want a no-installation, flexible setup, you’re renting or borrowing the van, or you’re new to van life and want to start simple.
Choose a fixed system if you live in the van full time, run a compressor fridge 24/7, and want everything hard-wired and invisible.
Work out your energy needs
Add up the watt-hours (Wh) you use per day. A rough daily picture for a weekend van setup:
Phone charging ×2: ~40Wh
Laptop: ~60Wh
LED lights (evening): ~30Wh
12V compressor cool box: ~200–400Wh
Occasional kettle/induction use: 100Wh+ per use (high draw)
For most weekenders that’s roughly 400–700Wh a day, so a 1000Wh power station gives comfortable headroom. Full-timers running a fridge around the clock should look at 1500Wh+ and dedicated solar.
Charging on the road
The best van life setups use three charging sources: drive charging from the 12V socket or a DC-DC charger while you travel, mains hook-up on campsites, and solar for free top-ups when you’re parked up. Combining all three means you rarely run flat. In the UK, plan for solar to underperform in winter and lean on driving and hook-up charging in the colder months.
A simple recommended starter setup
For most UK van lifers starting out, an EcoFlow DELTA 2 or Jackery Explorer 1000 (both around 1000Wh) plus a 200–220W foldable solar panel and the car-charging cable covers everything: fridge, devices, lights and the occasional kettle, with no installation required. As your needs grow you can add battery capacity or move to a fixed system later.
Where to buy
Prices change frequently — we link to the retailer so you always see the current UK price:
(Affiliate links — see our disclosure at the top of this guide.)
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