Batteries


The battery is the heart of your camper van’s electrical system. Choosing the right battery depends on how you use your van—whether it's for summer trips or year-round adventures—the electrical appliances in your system, and how long you plan to stay off-grid relying solely on battery power. At Vanset Store, we offer Renogy LiFePO4 lithium batteries ranging from 100Ah to 500Ah to suit every setup.

How do I choose the right battery?

Lithium or lead-acid battery?

A LiFePO4 lithium battery can be safely discharged almost completely, while a lead-acid battery provides only about 50% of its rated capacity. In practice, a 100Ah lithium battery delivers roughly the same usable energy as a 200Ah lead-acid battery.

Lithium batteries are also around 50% lighter and last 4,000–6,000 charge cycles, compared to just a few hundred cycles for a lead-acid battery. For these reasons, we strongly recommend choosing a LiFePO4 lithium battery for your camper van.

Do I need a heated battery?

Whether you need a heated battery depends on how you use your camper van.

If you plan to travel year-round, especially during cold Nordic winters, a heated lithium battery is highly recommended. Standard lithium batteries cannot be charged below 0°C (32°F) and will automatically stop charging in freezing temperatures. This means your solar panels and DC-DC charging while driving won't recharge the battery during winter trips.

A battery with a built-in heating system automatically warms itself and allows charging in temperatures as low as -20°C (-4°F). For year-round camping, this is the best choice.

If you only travel during the summer months, a heated battery is generally not necessary.

How many amp-hours (Ah) do I need?

As a general rule of thumb for a typical camper van setup:

  • 100Ah = approximately 1 day off-grid
  • 200Ah = approximately 2–3 days off-grid
  • 300Ah = approximately 4–5 days off-grid
  • 400–500Ah = ideal for extended off-grid adventures or high-power electrical systems

The right battery capacity depends on your daily power consumption, the appliances you use, and how often you can recharge your system.