Solar Generator for Camping and RV: What Size to Buy
A solar generator for camping needs enough watt-hours for the loads you list, and an output rating above their combined watts. Lights, phones and a router for a weekend add up to a few hundred watt-hours. A TV and a refrigerator add thousands. The sums are shown below, using only wattages we have a source for.
How to size it: list the loads, then do the sums
Sizing a solar generator for camping or an RV is a list and some multiplication. For each device, take its watts, multiply by the hours you will use it each day, and multiply by the number of days. The total is the watt-hours of usable energy you need. Then check two things against the maker's page: the unit's rated AC output must be above the combined watts of whatever runs at the same moment, and its capacity, reduced by our 85% usable assumption, must cover the total. The 85% is our assumption, not a Jackery figure. It reflects inverter losses and battery limits.
The only wattages used on this page are the ones in our loads table, each from a source we read on 2026-11-02. Several are single-model figures, and the hours of use below are our own assumptions for illustration, so change them to fit your trip.
| Load | Watts | What the figure is |
|---|---|---|
| LED bulb | 10 W | Top of the DOE FEMP range of 5.9 to 10.5 W for an 800-lumen LED |
| Wi-Fi router | 12 W | Netgear's idle figure for one model |
| Phone charger | 20 W | Apple's recommended adapter rating; an upper bound, not a measured draw |
| Refrigerator, average | 76 W | Our arithmetic on one ENERGY STAR listing, a household model; a 24-hour average, not startup |
| 55-inch TV | 103 W | ENERGY STAR on-mode listing for one LG model |
We read no usable watt figure for a camp stove, a 12 V RV refrigerator, a fan, a fan-forced furnace, a water pump or a laptop, so none of them are in the sums. If you plan to run one, find its wattage on its label and add it with the same method.
A weekend tent camp: two days
Assume two bulbs for 4 hours a night, two phones charged for 2 hours each day, and nothing else.
| Load | Watts times hours times days | Watt-hours |
|---|---|---|
| Two LED bulbs | 2 x 10 W x 4 h x 2 days | 160 Wh |
| Two phone chargers | 2 x 20 W x 2 h x 2 days | 160 Wh |
| Total | 320 Wh |
Because 20 W is an upper-bound adapter rating, the real phone figure is likely lower, but this is the number we can source. The total of 320 Wh is more than the Explorer 300 can deliver at our assumption: 293 Wh times 0.85 is about 249 Wh. Cut one bulb and one phone charge and the load roughly halves, which fits. If you run three days, it does not. A smaller list suits the 300 class and a longer or bigger list does not.
For the lights-and-phones list, a 300 class unit is the starting point. See the Jackery Explorer 300 page for its specifications, and note that Jackery lists the Explorer 300D as a DC and USB charger with no AC outlet stated, so a plan with a router or a bulb on a wall adapter needs a model with a stated AC output.
An RV or van trip: two days with a TV and a router
Now add a router for 4 hours a day, a 55-inch TV for 3 hours a day, and lights for 5 hours a day, with the same two phones.
| Load | Watts times hours times days | Watt-hours |
|---|---|---|
| Two LED bulbs | 2 x 10 W x 5 h x 2 days | 200 Wh |
| Two phone chargers | 2 x 20 W x 2 h x 2 days | 160 Wh |
| Wi-Fi router | 12 W x 4 h x 2 days | 96 Wh |
| 55-inch TV | 103 W x 3 h x 2 days | 618 Wh |
| Total | 1,074 Wh |
Against that 1,074 Wh, check the capacity after our 85% assumption:
| Unit (Jackery's listed capacity) | Usable at 85% | Covers 1,074 Wh? |
|---|---|---|
| Explorer 300 (293 Wh) | about 249 Wh | No |
| Explorer 1000 v2 (1070 Wh in the US spec table) | about 909 Wh | No |
| Explorer 1000 Plus (1264 Wh) | about 1,074 Wh | Only just: it matches the total with nothing in reserve |
| Explorer 2000 v2 (2042 Wh) | about 1,736 Wh | Yes, with about 660 Wh left |
The rounding matters here, which is the reason the sums are shown. A 1000 v2 falls short of this particular list, and the 1000 Plus matches it with no margin. Trim the TV to two hours a day and the TV row falls to 412 Wh, which brings the total to 868 Wh and puts the 1000 v2 back in range. Read the Explorer 1000 lineup for how Jackery's pages disagree on the 1000 v2's capacity, 1024 Wh in one place and 1070 Wh in another; at 1024 Wh the usable figure is lower still.
For the same list, see Explorer 2000 for a unit that clears it with room to spare, and its weight of about 39.5 lb (on Jackery's page) against 7.5 lb for the Explorer 300. For a camp you carry, weight may matter more than watt-hours.
Links: links to company websites on this page go straight to each company’s own site, and this site is not paid when you click them. How we link.
Adding a refrigerator
The 76 W refrigerator average, over a 24-hour day, is 76 x 24, or 1,824 Wh a day. Over two days that is 3,648 Wh, which is more than the 2042 Wh Explorer 2000 v2 holds before any other load. Two figures follow:
- A household refrigerator is not a camping load. On a trip of more than a day, it would be the largest item on the list by a wide margin. The figure is for one household model on a 24-hour average; we have no source for a camping fridge or an RV's 12 V unit, so we cannot size one.
- A cooler is the other option. This page has no wattage for a powered cooler, and does not compare a cooler with a refrigerator. If it matters to your trip, read the label of the one you own.
For a shorter job, the 2000 v2 would run the 76 W average load for about 22.8 hours at our assumption, which is a day, not a weekend.
Charging by solar on the road
Jackery lists the Explorer 2000 v2 as accepting up to 400 W of solar input; the Explorer 1000 v2 page lists a maximum of 400 W also. Its panel prices on 2026-11-02 included the SolarSaga 200W at $429, the SolarSaga 100 Prime at $199 sale and $249 list, and the SolarSaga 40 Air at $129. Jackery's recharge times in spec tables do not state the number of panels or the test conditions. Its collection page says solar time varies with weather and placement. We give no recharge time for that reason: it depends on panel watts, sun and shade, none of which we can check for your trip.
Jackery's page also says mixing panel models is not recommended and that a connector is needed beyond two panels. If solar charging is the plan, read the compatibility picker on Jackery's page before you buy panels.
Safety notes from sources
- Fuel-burning generators. CPSC says never to use a generator indoors or in a garage, basement or shed, and CDC and Ready.gov say to keep one at least 20 feet from doors, windows and vents. That applies to a gas generator on a campsite and not to a battery unit; no agency page we read names battery power stations, so use Jackery's manual for where to place one. See solar generator vs gas generator.
- Lithium batteries on aircraft. The FAA limits spare lithium-ion batteries in carry-on bags to 100 Wh each, with airline approval up to two of 101 to 160 Wh, and says many airlines are stricter. Every Jackery model on this site is listed above 160 Wh, so ask the airline before planning to fly with one.
Water comes with the trip
Power is one need. Water is another, and a pump or a filter changes what you carry. The gravity water filters page covers filtering at camp, and the survival water filter hub covers the rest. For what else goes in a bag, see the 72-hour emergency kit checklist and the bug out bag list.
Where to go next
Our best solar generator hub sets out how this site judges power stations. For the arithmetic of larger loads see what can a solar generator run, and for a maker comparison read the Jackery review.
FAQ
What size solar generator do I need for camping?
Add up watts times hours times days for what you plan to run. Two bulbs and two phones for a weekend come to 320 Wh in our example, which is above the usable 249 Wh of a 293 Wh unit, so trim the list or pick a bigger unit.
Can a solar generator run an RV refrigerator?
We have no wattage source for an RV refrigerator, so we cannot size one. Read the label on yours and use the same sum. A 76 W household average would use 1,824 Wh a day.
Does a solar generator run an RV air conditioner?
We read no wattage for an air conditioner, so this page does not size one. Check its label and Jackery's rated output.
Can I take a power station on a plane?
The FAA limits spare lithium-ion batteries to 100 Wh in carry-on, with airline approval up to 160 Wh. Every Jackery unit on this site is listed above 160 Wh, so ask the airline before you travel.
How long does solar recharging take?
Jackery's pages give figures with unstated panel counts and conditions, so we publish none. It depends on your panels and the sun.