Van Life Power Setup: Fridge, Charging, and Solar Basics
Updated September 2026.
Power is where most van builds go wrong. People either undersize and spend the trip rationing, or buy a system they never use. Three things decide what you need: what you run, for how long, and how you recharge it.
Start with a load list
Write down everything that runs on power and estimate its watt-hours per day (watts multiplied by hours of use).
- Fridge. A compressor fridge cycles on and off, so daily use depends on the setpoint, the outside temperature, and how often you open the lid. A van parked in the Arizona sun makes a fridge work much harder than a shaded mountain camp does. The reliable number is one you measure: run it for 24 hours through an inline DC meter.
- Devices. Check the watt-hour rating on each phone, laptop, and camera battery, and count how many full charges you use per day.
- Lights and fans. USB loads like the Luno Car Camping Fan are rarely the big number.
- Anything that heats. Kettles, hair dryers, and space heaters need a much larger system.
Add it up and leave a buffer for charging losses and cloudy days.
What a portable battery covers
The Dometic PLB15 is the portable battery we carry: a 15Ah lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) pack that stores up to 192 Wh at 12V. It has a 12V socket plus USB-C and USB-A outputs, and it recharges from a wall outlet, vehicle, or solar panel.
To estimate run time, divide 192 Wh by the average draw of what you plug in. A load averaging 20 W runs a bit under 10 hours. That makes the PLB15 right for keeping phones, a camera, lights, and a laptop charged on a weekend, or running a 12V fridge for a few hours between drives.
It is not a whole-van system. If you live in the van or stay parked for days with a fridge running, you need a fixed house battery.
When you need a house battery
A house battery is a larger battery installed in the van, separate from the starter battery, feeding a fuse block for the fridge, lights, fan, and outlets. It charges from the alternator while you drive, through a DC-DC charger; from solar through a charge controller; and from shore power when you have it. Many newer vehicles have smart alternators that need a DC-DC charger rather than a simple isolator. Our dual battery guide explains the difference.
Size the battery to cover your daily load for as many days as you expect to go without charging, then size the charging to refill it. If fusing and wire gauge are new to you, use a qualified installer.
Solar basics
A panel's rated watts is its output in ideal test conditions. Heat, sun angle, dust, and shade cut into that. Multiply rated watts by the hours of strong sun you expect, then plan on noticeably less, and track what you actually harvest on a few trips.
- Park for open sky and keep panels clean. Shade on even part of a panel cuts output sharply.
- Winter's short days and low sun mean far less harvest, so plan on driving or shore power to fill the gap.
Our overlanding solar guide goes further on sizing.
12V fridges
A compressor fridge changes van life more than any other appliance. No ice, no meltwater.
- Dometic CFX2 28: 28 liters, single zone, cooling down to about -7°F. Right for one or two people and tight spaces.
- Dometic CFX2 37: 37 liters for people who cook most meals.
- Dometic CFX5 45: vacuum insulated panels and a variable-speed compressor, built to hold its setpoint with less run time on a limited battery bank.
- Dometic CFX5 75DZ: dual zone, 45L and 30L compartments set independently. Plan on a house battery for this one.
All four run on 12/24V DC or AC. In a van, wire the fridge to the house battery with a Dometic HWK-DC Hardwire Kit, a fused, permanent outlet, instead of a lighter socket. Browse all fridges and coolers.
The setups in short
Weekend trips: CFX2 28 on the vehicle's 12V outlet while you drive (its battery monitor helps protect the starter battery), plus a PLB15 for devices and short stretches in camp.
Longer trips and remote work: CFX2 37 or CFX5 45 hardwired to a house battery charged by a DC-DC charger and solar.
Full-time: CFX5 75DZ on a house battery sized for several days without sun, with solar and DC-DC charging.
Sprinter builds: our Mercedes Sprinter collection has Dometic CFX fridges, a fridge slide, and the HWK-DC kit alongside a Luno front cab mattress. For camp lights, browse lighting and power.