Chris could absolutely go full caveman.
No power.
No running water.
Cooking over an open flame.
Bathing in a creek like some kind of woodland creature.
I, however, require a little luxury.
By luxury, I mean:
- The ability to pee inside.
- A sink.
- Basic lighting.
- And ideally… a TV.
You know. The essentials.
So when we bought our 2018 Travel Lite truck camper, one of my non-negotiables was:
We are not running out of power.
And in the beginning?
I was a maniac about it.
I wouldn’t leave the lights on for more than two minutes.
I acted like every switch flip was draining the Hoover Dam.
What I didn’t realize was that our single, very normal, very non-lithium battery was actually plenty for basic weekend camping.
So here’s our real-life truck camper power setup — from caveman panic to slightly civilized.
Our Original Setup: One Battery & Anxiety
We started with:
- 1 deep cycle 12v battery (non-lithium)
- 1 100w solar panel (that we’ve used… maybe twice)
That’s it.
Everything in the camper runs on 12v except:
- The microwave
- Regular outlets
- The AC unit
With just that single battery, we could run:
- Lights
- Water pump
- USB chargers
- Basic 12v systems
And honestly? For weekend trips, it was fine.
The biggest power drain?
The fridge.
That thing will eat battery life for breakfast. So we immediately switched it to propane and never looked back. This is one of the things I touch on in my post about what no one tells you about owning a truck camper.
We also run:
- Heat on propane
- Hot water heater on propane
- Fridge on propane
Which takes a huge load off the battery.
Once I realized that, I stopped hovering over light switches like a gremlin.
If you’re new to truck camping, our Weekend Truck Camper Checklist will save you from forgetting something important (like turning your fridge to propane).
The “Let’s Add Internet” Era
Then we got Starlink.
Because apparently we can’t just sit quietly in the woods anymore.
To power it, we added a Jackery Explorer 300.
It worked perfectly.
It powered:
- Starlink
- Charging stations
- Random extras
Chris has a Kobalt 300 inverter and a stack of 40V Kobalt batteries from home projects, so naturally we turned yard equipment into our entertainment system .
We used the Kobalt setup to power the TV at night.
Yes. The leaf blower batteries.
Was it polished? No.
Did it work? Yes.
Did I feel like we were hacking electricity? Also yes.
Which is especially funny because Chris is literally an industrial electrician by day.
You would think this would be more sophisticated.
Instead, we were in our 10 foot camper powering the TV with the same battery that normally runs a leaf blower.
To be fair, it worked great!
This was also during our “figure it out as we go” era — the same time things were flying off the dinette on forest roads (you can read that chaos here).
Backup Plan: The Generator
We also carry a WEN 3600 portable generator.
This is our:
- Emergency backup
- “It’s 97 degrees and we need AC” option
- “Let’s use the air fryer because we’re dramatic” solution
We don’t rely on it constantly.
But nothing says “primitive camping” like plugging in an air fryer in the woods.
The Upgrade That Changed Everything
Recently, we upgraded to:
- Anker SOLIX C2000
- 400w solar (two 200w panels)
And this is where camping got dramatically less stressful.
With this setup, we can comfortably camp for 5 days off grid (more if we have a good view of the sky and some sunshine).
And by comfortably, I mean:
- We’re not leaving lights on when we’re outside.
- We’re not microwaving every meal.
- We’re not binge-watching Grey’s Anatomy.
- We actually spend most of our time outside… because that’s the point.
What We Can Run Now
With the Anker powering our camper, we can run:
- TV
- Microwave
- Air fryer
- Standard outlets
- Water pump
- AC (in short bursts)
- Starlink
- Charging laptops and phones
We still run:
- Heat on propane
- Fridge on propane
- Hot water on propane
And that combination makes a huge difference.
The AC will run — just not all afternoon like we’re in a suburban ranch house.
Short bursts? Yes.
All day? No.
And honestly, that’s fine.
What We’ve Learned About Truck Camper Power
- You probably don’t need a massive lithium overhaul for weekend trips.
- Running your fridge on propane saves your sanity.
- Portable power stations are a game changer.
- You don’t have to live like a caveman…
But you also don’t need to live like you’re plugged into your driveway.
There’s a middle ground.
And that’s where we like to be.
I wrote a recap of what a weekend camping looks like if you’re curious.
Final Thoughts
Chris would happily survive with a fire pit and a rock.
I prefer:
- Indoor plumbing
- Basic lighting
- And the occasional air-fried snack
Our power setup isn’t extreme.
It isn’t overly technical.
But it works for the way we camp.
Upgrading our power setup and making a few simple truck camper upgrades has made off-grid camping a lot les stressful and a lot more fun.
And at the end of the day, that’s what matters.
So now I’m curious – what’s your one camping luxury you refuse to give up?