Wild camping solar — how much is enough?

I've been wrestling with this on the boat for the past couple of years, and honestly it depends entirely on what you're actually doing out there.

When I first set up, I thought 400W would be loads. Turned out I was naive — that sounds great on paper until you've got the fridge running, a laptop charging, and some decent lighting all at once, especially in winter when you're lucky to get 3-4 hours of decent solar per day.

The real game-changer for me was being honest about consumption. I spent a week just logging what actually pulled power. The fridge murdered me — a decent 12V compressor model is essential, but it'll drain you. Then there's the psychological stuff: people always want more than they think they need, and that's fair enough.

My current setup (600W Renogy, Victron MPPT, 300Ah LiFePO₄) keeps me comfortable without needing to hunt for hookups, but I'm also disciplined about it. No kettles, no hairdryers, and the heating comes from diesel.

I reckon the minimum for genuine wild camping is probably 300-400W paired with decent battery storage and a realistic idea of what you're plugging in. Add another 200W if you want to run a small fridge without stress. And honestly, accept that winter is grim — even then, I'll have a backup generator stashed for the really grey weeks.

What's your actual must-haves list? That'll tell you more than any generic wattage figure.

@FZ_Builds spot on. I made the same mistake with my tiny house setup — assumed bigger panels = sorted forever.

Reality check: it's about usage, not just the panels. A 400W array sounds brilliant until you're running a fridge, charging devices, and heating water. Winter output in the UK drops to maybe 30-40% of summer anyway.

I'd say dial in your actual power consumption first. Stick a monitor on everything for a week. Then work backwards — you'll need maybe 1.5-2x that in panel capacity depending on your location and how adventurous you get seasonally.

Also worth noting: where you park matters heaps. Full sun vs dappled woodland is the difference between genuinely viable and constantly depleted batteries.

What's your actual load looking like? That'll tell you whether 400W cuts it or if you need to expand.

@FZ_Builds nailed it. The trap I fell into with my garden office was thinking peak output matters — it doesn't, especially in winter. I've got 600W facing south, but December? You're lucky to see 150W useful generation on a cloudy day.

What actually matters is your average consumption versus realistic generation across the seasons you'll be camping. A fridge pulls constantly. Heating doesn't. Phone charging is negligible.

I'd say start with what you reckon you'll draw daily, assume 50% of rated panel capacity on average (being generous for UK conditions), and build in buffer for cloudy stretches. A small battery bank makes a massive difference — lets you bank those good days instead of needing panels for every single hour of use.

Victron's MPPT controller shows you actual generation too, which beats guessing.

You lot are spot on. The real killer is usable capacity vs peak output — everybody fixates on the sunny day scenario and forgets about November.

I've got 800W on the static caravan and 600W split across the boat. Sounds decent until you factor in angle, cloud cover, and the fact that winter sun in the UK is basically a sick joke. I'm pulling maybe 150-200W real-world on a decent winter's day.

What actually matters: your daily consumption and how many days you're willing to run on battery before needing a top-up. I sized everything around 3-4 days autonomy because I know I'll get dodgy stretches. Added a small petrol genny for when the weather's truly grim — sorted my anxiety entirely.

Skip the marketing specs. Work backwards from actual winter usage on your kit.

@DODGuy's nailed the real issue — usable capacity is where most folks get caught out. I've got a 400W array on the van and honestly it's fine for three days of drizzle, but that's because I'm running a modest 200Ah LiFePO4 bank with proper battery management.

The wild camping question isn't "how many watts" though — it's "how many days of rubbish weather can you tolerate?" If you're prepared to sit tight for 48 hours on cloudy days, 200-300W sorted. If you need to keep moving and producing, you're looking at 600W+ depending on your load.

Also factor in angle of your panels. A £200 adjustable mount beats a grand's worth of rigid kit in Scottish winter, trust me.

What's your actual consumption doing out there?

The usable capacity point @DODGuy's raised is spot-on, and it's where the maths gets properly interesting. You're not actually cycling through your full battery capacity daily — you want to keep lithium above 20% and below 80% for longevity, which immediately halves your real working window.

I learned this the hard way with my garden office setup. I'd spec'd 10kWh of storage thinking I was golden, but realised I was only accessing about 6kWh effectively. The actual limiting factor became winter days with cloud cover — three cloudy days in a row and you're drawing hard.

Wild camping's different from stationary setups though. You've got the luxury of moving to better sunlight, which @FZ_Builds' experience probably reflects. On a van or boat, you can chase decent irradiance; fixed installations can't.

What matters more than panel rating: how many consecutive grey days you're planning for, what your actual daily load is (not theoretical peak), and whether you can tolerate controlled load-shedding. A modest 300W array with realistic battery management beats an oversized system you

@DODGuy's got it spot on with the usable capacity angle. I've learned that the hard way with my motorhome setup.

Running 400W of panels with a 200Ah lithium bank sounds brilliant until you realise you're only actually cycling 100Ah properly to keep the battery healthy. Then suddenly your effective storage is half what you thought. Add in a cloudy week and you're rationing power fast.

The real game-changer for me was accepting that wild camping isn't about peak sunny-day performance — it's about what you can generate on an average overcast day in November. My current setup (450W Renogy + 300Ah) genuinely gets me through a week without grid hookup, but that's because I'm ruthless about loads, not because the panels are magic.

If you're just topping up between sites, smaller's fine. If you're genuinely off-grid for weeks, you need to size for mediocre weather, not sunshine. And that usually means more capacity than you'd think.

@FZ_Builds has hit on the real variable here. For wild camping specifically, it's less about peak output and more about what you're actually drawing day-to-day.

I've got a garden office setup that runs similar logic to a campervan — 300W array with a 5kWh LiFePO4 bank. The difference between my office (stays put, predictable load) and wild camping is that you've got unpredictable weather and movement. You might be sat in cloud for days.

The usable capacity point @BoatPaddy's raising is crucial. A 200Ah battery at 50% DoD gives you genuine 10kWh to work with, not the full 20kWh. Most people spec their array for average conditions and then wonder why November is grim.

My pragmatic take: size the array for 60% of your worst month's sun hours, not peak summer. For the UK, that's roughly 2–3 peak hours in winter. If you're drawing 1.5kW daily, you need at least 500–600W. Add 20%

The usable capacity thing is key, but there's another angle worth considering — your actual usage pattern when you're wild camping versus stationary.

I'm running 800W of panels on my setup and honestly, if I'm parked up for a few days in decent weather, I generate loads. But come November in the Scottish Highlands? Different story entirely. Your panel angle, shading from trees, time of year — it all matters more than the raw wattage when you're off-grid.

@FZ_Builds' point about needing to actually use the kit is spot-on. No point having 600W if you're only drawing 200W per day and undercharging your battery bank in winter. You'll degrade the batteries faster.

Real world: I'd say aim for panels that let you hit 80% state of charge on a typical cloudy day for your usage. Anything beyond that is bonus for quick top-ups. Size your battery bank first (based on your actual loads and acceptable depth of discharge), then work backwards to panels.

The motorhome lot tend to underestimate their phantom loads too — fridge, converter, t

@FZ_Builds nailed it. I've seen blokes turn up with a single 100W panel thinking they're sorted, then wonder why their fridge dies by teatime.

Real talk though — wild camping solar is basically a maths problem wearing a campervan hat. Your usage determines everything. If you're just charging phones and running LED lights, 200W

Spot on with the usage pattern angle, @FZ_Builds — I'd add that wild camping is where undersizing really bites you. I've got 600W in the van and genuinely use maybe 400W on a typical week because I'm disciplined about it; friends with similar setups running air fryers and heated blankets constantly are knackered by day three.

The trick is working backwards from your battery capacity and how many genuinely grey days you'll tolerate. If you've got 200Ah usable and want to manage a three-day cloudy spell without rationing, you're looking at needing enough panel area to recover 60-70Ah daily when it's reasonable weather. In the UK that's usually 400-500W minimum for anything beyond "phone charging and a kettle."

That said, oversizing never hurt anyone — extra panels just sit idle on bright days, but they're genuinely lifesavers when you hit week-long November drizzle. A Victron MPPT controller actually helps squeeze more from marginal conditions too.

How's your actual consumption tracking against the 400W @FZ_

The real killer is assuming your phone charger and a cuppa kettle run on fresh air and good intentions. I've lost count of how many folk rock up with a 200W array expecting to run a fridge, charge a laptop, and keep the heater ticking — all simultaneously in November.

Rule of thumb I've hammered home for years: whatever you think you need, add 50% and then be honest about cloudy days. A decent 400-600W setup with proper MPPT (Victron or Fogstar if budget allows) and at least 200Ah lithium is the sweet spot for most wild campers. Anything less and you're rationing showers like it's 1945.

The other factor nobody mentions — orientation and angle matter more than raw wattage. A 300W panel at 45 degrees in winter beats a 400W panel flat on a roof every single time.

@FZ_Builds is right though — two years of real-world testing beats any spec sheet. What's your actual draw on an average day?

You lot are spot on about usage patterns being the real variable. What I've found with the static caravan setup is that people consistently underestimate phantom loads and inefficiency losses. You might think a 400W array sounds reasonable until you factor in:

• Controller losses (even Victron MPPT isn't perfect)
• Wiring resistance over longer runs
• Panel degradation in UK cloud cover (you're rarely getting nameplate output)
• Battery charging inefficiency, especially lithium

I run 800W across two Renogy panels specifically because I'm out there year-round, not just weekends. Winter output is genuinely dire—I'm pulling maybe 200W on an overcast December afternoon when I need it most.

The honest answer: work backwards from your actual winter consumption, add 30% for losses and cloudy days, then size your array. If you're camping occasionally and mainly running a fridge and laptop, 400W might cut it. If you're anywhere near full-time or want reliable heating/hot water, you're looking at 600W minimum for the UK.

Battery size matters just as much—a small array feeding

The undersizing trap is real, innit. I learned the hard way on the narrowboat — thought I'd get away with 200W initially, which was laughable once I actually started living aboard rather than just weekending.

The thing nobody mentions is that wild camping solar isn't just about peak conditions. You're fighting British weather, panel angle, and the fact that winter gives you maybe 4-5 usable hours even on decent days. I've got 800W now across the roof and I'm genuinely comfortable.

What changed my thinking was tracking actual usage for a month. @RetiredElectrician74's dead right — folks massively underestimate standby draws and phantom loads. My Victron MPPT was doing half the graft I'd expected because I wasn't accounting for the fridge, water pump, heating controller all ticking over.

For wild camping specifically, I'd say don't go below 600W unless you're genuinely only topping up for occasional charging and aren't running any 12V appliances. And even then, budget for grey days.

What's your actual power budget looking like, @FZ_

Spot on about usage patterns. I'm running 200W on the Array for EV charging top-ups and general battery work, and honestly it's taught me that what you're charging matters far more than how much you've got.

The kettle thing @RetiredElectrician74 mentions — yeah, that's the real energy vampire. But if you're clever about it (gas kettle, anyone?), you can get away with less solar than you'd think.

My question though: are you folk factoring in seasonal variation? Winter charging capacity is brutal. I'm looking at adding another 200W come autumn, but wondering if there's a sweet spot where lithium battery sizing makes undersized panels actually viable. Like, if you've got decent storage and low daily draw, can you essentially "top up slow" over several days rather than needing panel power for immediate demand?

@Spider, @Compo — what's your depth-of-discharge strategy looking like? That might be the missing piece in this conversation.