Spending time in a van? away from the busy environment? can be fascinating and relaxing for adventurous folks.
If you are one of those people, pack your stuff to explore the world, but do not forget the best solar generator for van life.
It will help if you have something to charge your mobile, laptops, tablets, and other electronic devices on your van. Can you imagine a life without these gadgets?
Not only these tiny gadgets, but there must be a fridge, LED, and a small washing machine if you make a van your permanent home.
So, you have to look into your power needs and sources to attain the power before moving into the van.
Top 6 Best Solar Generators for Van Life + Reviews 2024
We have multiple options, such as installing a solar panel on your van’s roof. But that could not be very easy as it is way more electrical and complicated.
After checking so many generators and solar panels, we had a solar generator to run electronic things smoothly in our van.
| Preview | Product | Type | Rating | Price |
 | Renogy PHOENIX 150W Solar Generator | Best solar generator for van life | 4.6 | |
 | Goal Zero Yeti 400 Solar Generator | Best budget-friendly solar generator for van | 4.5 | |
 | Nature’s Gold 1800W Solar Generator | Best handy solar generator for van | 4.6 | |
 | EF ECO FLOW DELTA Solar Power Station | Best heavy-duty solar generator for van | 4.6 | |
 | Jackery Explorer 1000 Solar Generator | Best useful solar generator for van | 4.5 | |
 | MAXOAK EB150 Solar Generator | Best competitive solar generator for van | 4.6 |
Let’s discover why a solar generator is a reliable power source and what are the best solar generators in the market for a Van Life.
List of Best Solar Generator For Van life
- Best solar generator for van life: Renogy PHOENIX 150W Solar Generator
- Best budget-friendly solar generator for van: Goal Zero Yeti 400 Solar Generator
- Best handy solar generator for van: Nature’s Gold 1800W Solar Generator
- Best heavy-duty solar generator for van: EF ECO FLOW DELTA Solar Power Station
- Best useful solar generator for a van: Jackery Explorer 1000 Solar Generator
- Best competitive solar generator for van: MAXOAK EB150 Solar Generator
Best Solar Generator For Van Life Reviews
Renogy PHOENIX 150W Solar Generator – Best in the Market
“Best solar generator for van life”
The Renogy Phoenix is an ideal portable generator. This generator is foldable, which makes it easy to carry. It is one of the best solar generators to charge your appliances.
It is specially designed for travelers and is the best option for off-grid activities, emergencies, and a van.
Features and Specifications
Phoenix Solar generator is all-in-one for all your outdoor needs; it is a highly efficient system with 20 watts of built-in solar and can be expanded up to 100 watts with additional panels.
It has been made to make life more convenient, and one of its unique features is multiple charging options. You can charge Phoenix solar generators with AC power, a 12V car charging socket, and solar power.
It offers multiple modes of 3W LED light, pure sine wave inverter, and MPPT charging technology.
Its charging time can be lessened with an extra solar panel.
Phoenix has a Li-ion battery type, and the battery standard voltage is 14.4 V. Its battery capacity is 17.1 Ah.
Moreover, Phoenix’s total harmonic distortion is 10℅, and the output AC voltage is 110 VAC.
It offers an 80% maximum continuous output, 150 w power overload, and temperature and low voltage protection.
Phoenix provides a 25-year output warranty, a 5-year material and workshop warranty, and a year material warranty.
All these features of the Phoenix solar generator make it one of the best solar generators for van life.
Goal Zero Yeti 400 Solar Generator – Budget-Friendly
“Best budget-friendly solar generator for a van”
If you’re looking for a reliable, Budget-Friendly solar generator for a van, we have Yeti 400 Solar generators. It won’t cost you a lot; you can buy one for under $1000 and enjoy your outdoor activities without hassle.
Features and Specifications
It has a 396WH AGM lead battery; it charges multiple devices like phones, tablets, lights, mini-fridges, etc. As it is a deep cycling battery, it is noise-free. You can charge the Yeti 400 Solar Generator battery in five hours. The battery can be charged from solar panels, car power, 110 VAC house current, and 12VDC car power.
Yeti comes with multiple ports to charge all types of devices. It has USB ports, 12V ports, and 110V AC outlets.
Yeti portable solar power generator has a solid handle which makes carrying a generator easy.
The Yeti offers 400w power capacity, which is adequate to charge small appliances. Yeti battery has a 500 life cycle and a 6-month shelf life.
If we talk about Yeti solar generator charging time, it depends on the mode of charging. If you charge from a solar panel kit, it will take 9 hours to charge. Through the AC outlet, the charging time is 7 hours. A 12V car charger will take 14+ hours to charge a solar generator.
Yeti solar generators can be operated at a high temperature. The temperature range is 0° to 40°C, so you can enjoy camping, fishing, or van life without worrying about the heat.
Its pros include eco-friendly, pure sine wave inverter, visibility of remaining battery life, and cost-effectiveness.
Nature’s Gold 1800W Solar Generator – Handy Generator For Van
“Best handy solar generator for a van”
If you are environment-conscious and prefer a low-noise generator, Nature Gold can be your first choice.
Nature Gold offers to generate free energy from the sun and wind. It’s super easy and, of course, free of cost.
You can say bye-bye to your gas generators when the nature gold generator’s Monocrystalline solar panel provides energy from the sun.
Features and Specifications
Nature gold generator is low-maintenance cost-effective, less noisy, and has a 0° to 40° C operating temperature.
You can check the battery level of your solar generator through the front LCD.
It has 1800w maximum power output, pure sine wave, 120V output voltage, and 60hz frequency.
Nature gold solar generator for van comes with multiple ports such as three 120V household outlets, two USB ports, one 12V DC port, and an expansion port.
Nature gold battery type is a sealed lead acid battery. Battery capacity is 12V 60Ah. You can run heavy appliances on nature goal solar generators such as LED TVs, CPAP machines, Circular saws, smartphones, tablets, laptops, fridges, refrigerators, and so on.
The AC cord will take 10-15 hours. 10 to 15 hours through power panel and wind turbine charge time can vary.
Besides these features, Nature Gold offers a 1-year warranty; use it freely without any difficulty.
EF ECO FLOW DELTA Solar Power Station – Heavy-duty Generator
“Best heavy-duty solar generator for a van”
Eco flow delta is a heavy-duty generator and has long battery timing. You can stay powered long time and avoid power shortages.
You can charge different types of devices and appliances with this generator. It is portable and the perfect solar generator for van life.
Most amazingly, we were impressed by its extra fast charging speed. You can charge 80% EcoFlow delta in just 1 hour. Isn’t that super cool? Through new X stream technology, it’ll need only 2 hours to charge it from 0 to 100%.
Eco Flow Delta has standard overload, temperature protection, and 13 output ports, including 4USB A ports, 2 USB C ports, 12V car outlets, and six pure sine wave AC outlets.
The life cycle is another important factor that must be considered before buying a solar generator. Eco Flow delta has an 800 life cycle, which, in our opinion, isn’t bad.
This generator gives 1800w output; however, the inverter is rated at 3300 watts. It means you can use large appliances as well on this generator. Along with large appliances, it supports sensitive devices and electronic items.
It has many more perks, such as Eco flow Delta offers many ports, is eco-friendly, and covers two years of warranty.
In short, it does everything you want on your van to attain your power needs. So, it is an excellent option to consider.
Jackery Explorer 1000 Solar Generator – Useful Solar Generator For Van
“Best useful solar generator for a van”
Jackery Explorer is a useful solar generator for van life. It has a solid handle to carry. You can take it on your van, boat, camping, and wherever you want.
Jackery Explorer is like a large power bank with a 1002w battery. You can run large appliances quickly or charge as many devices as you want.
Thanks to the Jackery Explorer for the several ports option. You’ll find two USB A ports, two USB C ports, three AC outlets, and a 12v car charger.
The jackery Explorer offers an autonomic power shut-off feature. It is reliable and waterproof. Do not worry if you accidentally spill water near the generator.
As it is a massive power station, it has plenty of capacity. It can charge eight full MacBooks, a mini fridge for 7 hours, and 100 phones. It seems like it would be enough for outdoor camping, boating, fishing, and other activities.
After testing it for a while, we found it completely user-friendly. There is no complication in charging your devices. Just plug in your device and hit the button; you are good to go.
If we talk about recharging your solar station, you can charge it within 8 hours through the solar panel. Surprisingly, you can charge it within 2 hours with four solar panels.
Most importantly, less noisy. You don’t need to bear the buzzing noise; the generator operation is quiet and silent.
MAXOAK EB150 Solar Generator – Competitive Generator For Van
“Best competitive solar generator for a van”
Such a heavy-duty power station. It is designed to run high electronic devices. It is a briefcase-type solar generator that comes with a sturdy handle to carry. Its weight is 35Ibs which is not that much weight. You can handily take it with you.
If we talk about its technical features, it has a 1000w power capacity. In our opinion, it is adequate to run sufficient appliances. You can run any 1000w device for an hour with an EB150 solar generator.
It has a cooling fan that turns on when the solar generator reaches some threshold. It also provides AC/DC on-off switch and digital display.
EB150 offers a good battery capacity, which is 1500wh. It means you can run several devices depending on their power. For example, you can use a 200w TV for almost 8 hours and a 1000w drilling machine for 85 minutes with an EB150 solar generator.
Most power stations support solar nowadays. EB150 is also compatible with solar charging. Now, let’s talk about its charging time. Through solar panels, you can charge it in 8 hours which is a pretty good charging time.
Besides the solar option, you can charge it through the AC outlet. It will take almost 10 hours to set up your EB150 solar generator by this means.
You can see the consumed battery, input power, and AC DC output power with the power display feature.
Eb150 has 110V AC outlets, DC output, USB A, and USB C ports. It can almost power any home appliance.
All these features are worth considering for van life.
Advantages of Solar Power Generators
Solar power portable generators are pretty trendy and helpful. Nowadays, people prefer buying solar generators because they are environmentally friendly. You do not require fuel, diesel, or gas to run it. You can charge through solar energy.
Above all, they are pretty easy to carry. People can use it for boating, fishing, camping, vans, farming, and household needs.
Let’s talk about its advantages and see if it is worth investing to buy a solar generator or not.
- It saves our environment. We charge those generators through the energy provided by the sun. Energy is held in a power station. They are made of lithium batteries.
- Along with the environment, it saves you money. Getting energy from the sun is free. You won’t spend money buying gas, diesel, fuel, etc.
- They are perfect to use in emergencies. If you are facing power shortages in an office, house, or anywhere, you can utilize a solar generator. They are best for outdoor activities as well.
- Low maintenance is another advantage of buying such generators. They don’t require any monthly service or maintenance. It means you’ll be free from spending extra money on their service.
- Most of these generators operate quietly & calmly. They do not create a buzzing noise.
Disadvantages of Solar Generator For Van Life
Everything has pros and cons, as with portable solar generators. They have a few drawbacks as well. Let’s discuss those disadvantages.
- Most portable solar generators are not actually handy and portable. They are heavy and require much effort to take from one place to another. Moreover, some of them take much space.
- They are pretty expensive. An average solar generator will cost you more than $1000. It is a considerable upfront investment that people can’t afford.
- Slow charging time is another drawback of these solar generators. They take almost 8 to 12 hours to charge.
- Solar generators have a limited power supply. They won’t power your whole house. You can only charge a few appliances. Large appliances will take more power. Therefore, they could be run for a short period.
- Solar generators use solar energy to charge fully. If there is a cold and foggy environment, you won’t be able to set up your power station.
Uses of Solar Power Generators
- Whether in your home or away from your house, you can use solar generators to fulfill your power needs.
- Solar generators can light up your home, run appliances, and charge different gadgets.
- A solar generator is a must-have thing for those people who are adventurous and love traveling.
- When you are facing a power shortage in the chill, and stormy season, you can utilize the power generators. It is best to use it in emergencies to tackle energy crises.
- This device is beneficial as it needs solar energy to charge, which puts no burden on your pocket.
Conclusion
Solar generators are beneficial and valuable. They are used to meet the additional power needs.
They are environment friendly, cost-effective, and above all, do not produce buzzing noise while running.
As solar technology is becoming famous, people are opting for these solar power systems instead of bulky generators. Those old-model generators run on fuel, which will burden a customer’s pocket as fuel prices skyrocket daily.
Many generators are available in the market; some offer low power capacity, and some provide enormous power capacity. If you intend to buy one, analyze your power needs, and research before purchasing.
But the above-mentioned solar generators are best for your van life and can make your van life adventure convenient.
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FAQs
Is it worth investing in portable solar generators?
It depends on your circumstances. If you are living in a place that does not get proper sun exposure, you can’t charge it fully.
If you want to run the whole house on the solar generator, it is not possible as it has limited power capacity.
Solar generators are usually expensive as compared to fuel or gas generators. It depends on your budget as well.
The solar battery has almost 500 to 1500 life cycles. It means it is not a long-lasting device.
Are solar generators suitable for off-grid living?
Yes, solar generators are the future of off-grid living. Solar generates are handy; you can take it on your far-off campaigns.
Solar generators are charged through solar energy, which makes them cost-effective. They do not consume fuel, which means they are eco-friendly devices.
They save the environment from noise pollution as their operation is relatively calm and peaceful.
Is a solar generator adequate to power an RV?
The short answer is yes. You can power your van and RV and can be free from the power shortage. But you need to figure out your power needs and have to buy a generator that can quickly fulfill your power desires.