Portable power banks have really taken off recently – for many people who post online, they’ve become a must-have item that promises to transform your caravanning life. But what exactly are portable power stations – and do you need to buy one?
The first point to bear in mind is that over the years, caravan manufacturers have refined their products to the point where the modern tourer is a pretty powerful bit of kit, which can generally offer you at least a weekend’s camping on its built-in battery power.
If you find yourself in need of more off-grid capability, the cheapest way to achieve this is simply to double or triple your battery bank.
However, power banks are still very popular – so what are they all about?
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What is a power power station?
A portable power station doesn’t replace the caravan’s electricity source, but is designed to be used as a standalone, all-in-one box, which usually features an inverter (so you can have 240V mains power), several 12V and USB sockets, all powered from an internal battery.
The amount of power that you can have will depend very much on the size of your power bank’s internal battery.
The internal battery is usually a small lithium iron phosphate unit, which has the benefit of being able to be drained down to a low level without damage, while still maintaining constant voltage. The best caravans are already fitted with these types of batteries and they are an excellent choice for a caravan leisure battery.
A few power banks link to folding solar panels, such as the Jackery Solar Generator 1000, while others are modular, allowing you to easily add more battery power to the power station should you need it.
The key point to be aware of here is that the size of the internal battery determines every aspect of the unit; while your tourer might have a large battery bank of 100-200Ah, for a battery bank to be portable and compact, they usually use much smaller battery packs.
Larger power banks do offer much longer running times for electrical equipment, but they’re bulky and heavy, making them trickier to handle and taking up storage space and payload.
What can a portable power bank power?
One of the most common themes relating to power supplies is that many people struggle to envisage the amount of power that certain items will need.
For example, a domestic electric kettle is around 3000W. To power it from your leisure battery or power station, you would need a 3000W continuously rated inverter, which would consume about 250A in use. That’s enough power to drain a 100Ah battery in minutes and is the sort of current you can weld metal with.
There’s no way a portable power station could power that. Nor would you want it to, with that amount of current flowing.
So realistically, you’ll want to only be using power banks with low-powered electrical items that are under 500W in total. Generally speaking, anything that heats, cools or has a motor will be a heavier consumer of power.
Microwaves, air-conditioning units and heaters are the heaviest electrical consumers of all. Here is a rough idea of the power draw of some common items to be found in your caravan:
- USB fan 5W
- Fairy lights 10W
- Mobile phone trickle-charger 10W
- Mobile phone fast-charger 40W
- Laptop 45W
- CPAP machine 60W
- Electric bike charger 80W
- High-power laptop (gaming or video editing) 250W
- Fridge 250W
- Sandwich maker 1000W
- Inverter and air fryer 1500W
- Inverter and coffee machine 1500W
- Inverter and fan heater 1500W
- Inverter and microwave 3000W
What features do portable power stations have?
Almost all power banks include a built-in inverter that is linked to at least one 240V socket, and various USB and USB-C sockets, together with 12V sockets. Many now provide a variety of 12V outputs, for powering a wide range of electrical equipment remotely.
Some also have a wireless charging panel for mobile devices and built-in lighting, which makes them ideal for use in caravan awnings or tents.
Some models are modular and you can clip on extra battery units if you need more power. So they’re quite flexible for adding electricity to a location remote from mains power.
If you want to power delicate electrical items, such as a coffee machine, laptop or medical equipment, it’s essential to look for a unit with a pure sine wave inverter. These smooth the electrical current and will work with most 240V electrical equipment.
A modified sine wave inverter is entirely different and far cheaper than a pure sine wave model – and can potentially make delicate equipment malfunction. If in doubt, always go for a pure sine wave inverter, because it is far more compatible with a wide range of electrical equipment.
When you shop around for power stations, you should be wary of very cheap products from unknown brands that are supplied direct from China and claim to feature pure sine wave inverters – this isn’t always the case.
If the power station that you select is being supplied direct from China, it could also have circumvented very important electrical safety testing – and we have highlighted the dangers of such untested products before in Practical Caravan.
It really is best to bear in mind the old saying that if the price seems to be too good to be true…
For this reason, we always recommend sticking to reputable UK suppliers for power banks – you’ll also have less of an issue with the warranty in the event of any fault developing in the unit.
Converting Wh to Ah
Working out the size of the battery often requires a little maths, because power bank manufacturers don’t always quote capacity in amp hours (Ah).
Most people are familiar with leisure battery terminology and understand that in theory, a 100Ah battery can deliver 10A for 10 hours, or 1A for 100 hours.
In practice, it can’t, because there is a maximum depth of discharge before the battery is permanently damaged, so it’s only ever safe to use 50% of the available capacity.
In other words, 10A for five hours or 1A for 50 hours. Going for a 200Ah battery doubles the available capacity, 400Ah triples it. And so on.
Power banks tend to be rated in terms of watt hours (Wh), which can be a bit confusing. For example, take a typical 240Wh power bank – to convert Wh to Ah, simply divide the figure by 12V (or the voltage the unit runs at).
So if that unit runs at 14.4V, it will be 240/14.4 = 16.7Ah. You can buy a 20Ah AGM battery for around £40 and an unbranded lithium iron phosphate one for about £90, so you will need to decide if the extra outlay (the power station could cost at least double the latter) is going to be the best option for you.
How much does a portable power station cost?
The Bluetti AC200MAX currently costs £1899 and offers 142Ah of capacity. It is possible to buy a high-quality 100Ah lithium iron phosphate battery for £650, so £1000 will easily get you 150Ah of lithium power.
The equivalent in lead acid batteries would cost around £200.
The Bluetti also has a 2200W pure sine wave inverter (which could be purchased for around £300 on its own) and about £50-worth of switches and 12/240V sockets. So you are essentially paying extra for the neat packaging and the display screen.
Some customers might not consider this worthwhile, while others are likely to appreciate the tidy appearance and the additional features, as well as having everything in one handy unit.
How much do portable power banks weigh?
As with anything that passes through the door of your caravan, you have to allow for the weight of the power station that you will be using, and subtract it from your available payload.
While some smaller power banks are not that heavy (for example, the Jackery Explorer 240 is a very portable 3kg), some larger-capacity units are pretty bulky.
The Bluetti AC200MAX weighs 28.1kg, so isn’t something you’re going to want to lug for any great distance.
Ideally, you want to pick the lightest model of power station that you can get away with to fulfil your energy needs. And the lighter the unit, the more you are going to use it.
Portability
This is the number one reason for buying a power station – you can take the power source outside with you.
If you work remotely on a laptop, being able to do so outside your caravan in the sunshine, with a splendid view, is a very appealing thought.
This works best if the unit isn’t too heavy and you can carry it in addition to all of your other work paraphernalia.
If you simply want to be able to work outside the caravan, using a mains or 12V extension lead might work just as well, and costs less.
So when you’re considering a power bank, it’s all about trying to source one that offers you just enough battery power for your needs, and perhaps mating it up to a compact solar panel. While solar panels are trickle-chargers that only work really well in summer, that might be a good solution for you. After all, who wants to work outside in the winter?
Being portable also means that if you’re thinking of buying a new caravan and selling on your tourer, you can transfer the power bank to your next caravan without the hassle and cost of wiring.
In addition, you will be able to have a portable power supply in a gazebo, or your tow car, so it can be a handy item to have for other applications, too. Many people use them for Bluetooth speakers and fairy lights, for example.
Plus, a portable and charged power bank is a handy thing to keep at home, in case of power cuts.
Not keen on DIY?
The other reason to buy a power station is if you’re not competent at DIY and don’t trust yourself to safely wire in an inverter. Inverters often carry massive currents – hundreds of amps when being used with high-power items such as microwaves – and you really need to know exactly what you’re doing when wiring them in place.
If you’d struggle to wire up a three-pin plug, inverter wiring really isn’t for you, and if you don’t want to pay a professional to install one, adding a power station is another reasonable option.
Charging a portable power bank
All portable power stations are battery powered, so you will need to charge them up after they’ve been drained down. The charging time required will depend on the unit’s battery capacity.
To give you a rough idea of the times involved, the Totalcool Totalpower 500 (which has a 40Ah battery) takes about seven hours to charge on a 90W mains charger and around 11 hours to do so on a vehicle charge.
Solar takes around eight hours when using the optional £300 100W solar panel, but this assumes eight hours of full sun, and in the UK – classed as a cold climate – this isn’t always assured.
On cloudy summer days, this might double – so two days to charge up via solar is possible. However, the unit can be used while it’s charging, so this could still extend your usable power.
During the winter months, all power stations will take considerably longer to recharge in the UK, so you would definitely be better off charging them up from the mains supply.
Some of the larger units – those with 60Ah batteries and above – would need several hundred watts of solar power to recharge, even at the peak of summer. These would take days to charge up with just a 100W solar panel, so it’s really most practical to charge them via the mains.
Do I need a portable power bank?
Basically, there are two main advantages to running a separate power supply: first, it’s portable, and second, if you are not competent at DIY wiring, it avoids the potential risk of causing damage to your caravan with bodged wiring.
The downside is that you’ll be paying a premium to have a battery, inverter and sockets in a smart box with a handle.
But they are a convenient way of adding power to your caravan, and using solar power raises their green credentials.
The decision really all depends on your needs. If you just want to extend your wild camping capability, then the more cost-effective solution would be to double up your battery bank.
Going from 100Ah to 200Ah instantly doubles your battery reserves and will cost quite a bit less than the price of an equivalent capacity power bank. It works 24/7 and doesn’t need the sun to be out to run (unlike just adding a solar panel).
A 100Ah battery will typically cost you around £150 for a high-quality brand, or about £650 for a lithium iron phosphate unit. The latter is the best long-term bet, and some of the newer models also come with 10-year warranties and all sorts of useful additional features (for example, handy Bluetooth apps that will provide you with remote voltage and charging/discharging information).
If your interest in a portable power station is to gain an inverter or some extra 12V or USB sockets, then one option is to have these items added to your caravan directly.
As little as £10 easily buys you a 12V or USB socket online and these can be dotted around your tourer where you need them (remembering, of course, to fuse each one – and always employing a professional to fit them if you’re in any way unsure of your abilities).
A UK-sourced inverter can cost from £40 for a 300W model, which can be wired up in less than an hour. So even if you are paying a professional to do the job, it shouldn’t cost too much.
However, if you’re looking for a neat, portable, all-in-one pack that will be able to recharge a variety of items no matter where you are – including at home – you could consider a power station.
The final word on portable power banks
Portable power banks definitely have their place in the world of caravanning electricals, so long as you bear in mind that they are still quite a specialist application.
Of course, their portability is their real advantage, so it’s best to pick one that you can lift outside with ease, and which won’t take up a lot of room.
If you don’t need a portable unit and you simply want to have more battery capacity, then adding a second leisure battery, or swapping to lithium iron phosphate cells, would be an easier upgrade, and one which will benefit all aspects of your caravan.
The good thing is, there is so much choice in the market – no matter what your requirements are, there will be a power bank to suit your needs.
Future Publishing Limited, the publisher of Practical Caravan, provides the information in this article in good faith and makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Individuals carrying out the instructions do so at their own risk and must exercise their independent judgement in determining the appropriateness of the advice to their circumstances and skill level. Individuals should take appropriate safety precautions and be aware of the risk of electrocution when dealing with electrical products. To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither Future nor its employees or agents shall have any liability in connection with the use of this information. Check any warranty is not affected before proceeding.
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