My favorite campsite in twenty years of RV travel is a dispersed site in southern Utah — no hookups, no dump station, no neighbors within a quarter mile, and a view of red rock formations that makes every plugged-in campground feel like a parking lot by comparison. The price of that view is managing your own power, and how well you manage it determines whether you're comfortable or constantly anxious about your battery levels and appliance runtime.
Boondocking — off-grid camping without shore power — has become one of the fastest-growing segments of RV use, and the technology supporting it has improved dramatically in the last five years. Portable power stations with lithium battery technology have moved from expensive enthusiast equipment to practical tools for mainstream RVers. Smart generators that run only when needed and shut off automatically have replaced the constant-run gasoline units that used to be the only option for off-grid AC power. Car-based generator solutions have emerged for owners who need occasional AC power without carrying a separate generator.
The four products below represent the current range of portable power solutions available through RV Upgrade Store — from a car-powered generator solution to lithium power stations with solar integration. Each targets a different level of power need and budget, but all of them make off-grid camping more practical and more comfortable than it used to be.
Best for: RV owners who tow with or drive a vehicle and want 1000 watts of AC power from that vehicle's existing alternator without carrying a separate conventional generator
The CarGenerator concept is one of the more genuinely clever solutions in the portable power space, and the reason is this: if you're towing a trailer or have a tow vehicle or daily driver parked next to your rig, you already have a 12-volt alternator generating power whenever the engine runs. The CarGenerator is a purpose-built inverter that connects to your vehicle battery terminals via the included quick-connect cables and converts that 12-volt DC current into 120-volt AC output — up to 1,000 watts — without any modification to your vehicle.
The use case is specific: you need occasional AC power for a few hours, and you're willing to run your vehicle engine to generate it. Running a vehicle engine for two hours burns about a gallon of gas and charges the 12-volt battery simultaneously, which means if you have a 12-volt lithium house battery in your trailer, you're also topping it up while you run the CarGenerator. The math works out reasonably well for moderate power needs: a coffee maker, a CPAP machine, laptop charging, a phone charging station — all of these run comfortably within 1,000 watts.
The all-weather enclosure is important because this device typically lives in the engine compartment or the bed of a truck, not in the climate-controlled interior. The enclosure handles rain, road spray, and temperature extremes without degrading the electronics. The quick-connect cable setup means deployment takes about two minutes — connect, start the engine, plug in. No setup complexity, no fuel to carry separately from your vehicle's fuel.
A couple I know who boondocks in a small travel trailer towed by an F-150 uses the CarGenerator to run a coffee maker every morning before moving to their next site. It handles their morning routine without touching their lithium battery bank, which stays reserved for evening lighting and device charging. That's smart power management, and the CarGenerator is exactly the right tool for that morning-power application.
Buy CarGenerator 1000W with Quick Connect Cable
Best for: CarGenerator owners who want wireless monitoring and control of their generator from inside the RV without walking out to the vehicle
The Bluetooth module is the companion product to the CarGenerator that adds remote monitoring capability — knowing your output status, runtime, and power draw from your phone inside the rig without walking out to the vehicle. For CarGenerator users who run the unit at night to power a CPAP or overnight device, being able to check status from bed rather than going outside in the dark is a meaningful quality-of-life addition.
The module connects to the CarGenerator's data port and pairs with a smartphone app that shows real-time power output, cumulative runtime, and connection status. The Bluetooth 4.2 standard has adequate range for typical campsite use — you can monitor from inside the trailer while the CarGenerator is running from the tow vehicle parked next to it. The app also provides alerts if the output drops below a threshold, which can indicate vehicle battery issues or overload conditions.
This is the kind of accessory that seems optional until you've spent a night wondering whether your CarGenerator is still running properly. For users who rely on the CarGenerator for overnight power needs, the visibility and peace of mind the Bluetooth module provides are worth the additional investment. The app setup is straightforward, and the connection is stable through typical campsite distances.
Buy CarGenerator Bluetooth Module
Best for: RV owners who want a self-contained lithium power station for silent off-grid operation with no engine noise and no fuel handling
Furrion entered the power station market with the Trekker line after establishing itself in RV electronics, and the 1000W Trekker reflects that background — it's designed with RV use in mind rather than being a repurposed outdoor recreation product. The 1,000-watt inverter output handles the most common RV power needs: device charging, a small fan, a coffee maker, a CPAP machine without the heated humidifier, LED lighting systems, and small kitchen appliances.
The lithium battery chemistry matters significantly here. Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) — the chemistry in quality portable power stations — provides more charge cycles than standard lithium-ion, maintains its capacity better in cold weather, and is more thermally stable, which is relevant in the high temperatures that power stations can experience in enclosed RV storage spaces. You're not just buying the capacity on the label; you're buying the ability to use that capacity reliably over hundreds of camping trips.
The Furrion Trekker charges via AC power (shore power when available), via solar panels through the MPPT charge controller input, and via 12-volt DC from your vehicle's outlet — three charging paths that give you flexibility to top it off from whatever power source is available. The 1,000-watt AC output is a pure sine wave, which matters for sensitive electronics like CPAP machines, medical devices, and anything with a motor. Modified sine wave power can damage certain devices over time.
For boondockers who want silent power — no generator noise, no engine running, no fuel smell — the Furrion Trekker is a complete solution for moderate power needs. I've recommended this unit to several customers who wanted to try off-grid camping without the commitment of a built-in generator installation, and the consistent feedback is that 1,000 watts handles more than they expected when they're thoughtful about what they're running simultaneously.
Buy Furrion Trekker 1000W Power Station
Best for: Budget-conscious boondockers who want a complete start-to-finish solar power kit — power station plus solar panel — in a single purchase at a rational price point
The bundle format is the right way to buy into solar-charged portable power, and here's why: the power station and the solar panel need to be compatible at the charge input level, and buying them together eliminates the research required to verify that compatibility. SouthWire has matched the Elite 500 power station with a solar panel sized for its charge controller input, so you get a working integrated system rather than two separate products that need to be verified against each other.
The 500-watt-hour capacity positions this below the Furrion Trekker in total storage, which makes it the right choice for lighter power consumers — phone charging, laptop charging, small fans, LED lighting, and occasional small appliances rather than sustained high-draw devices. For weekend camping trips where the bulk of your power needs is device charging and convenience appliances, 500 watt-hours is often sufficient, especially when the solar panel is keeping the unit topped up during daylight hours.
SouthWire is an established name in electrical products rather than a pop-up brand in the power station space, which matters for long-term support, warranty service, and replacement parts availability. Budget power stations from unfamiliar brands can be false economies — the battery degrades faster than promised, warranty service is difficult to access, and replacement cells aren't available. SouthWire's background in professional-grade electrical products suggests better component selection and quality control than the market's lowest-tier offerings.
For a first-time boondocker who wants to try off-grid camping without a significant equipment investment, the SouthWire bundle provides a complete solar-charging power solution that covers most casual camping power needs. Add a second panel as your needs grow or as you identify the specific power demands of your setup, and you have a scalable system rather than a fixed-capacity unit.
Buy SouthWire Elite 500 Power Station with Solar Panel
The most common mistake with portable power station purchases is buying based on inverter output wattage rather than battery capacity. The output wattage tells you how much power the unit can deliver at any given instant — it does not tell you how long it can sustain that delivery. A 1,000-watt inverter connected to a 500-watt-hour battery can run a 100-watt device for approximately 4 to 5 hours (accounting for efficiency losses), or a 500-watt device for about 1 hour. Battery capacity — measured in watt-hours — is the number that determines runtime, not inverter wattage.
Make a list of what you actually need to power and for how long. A CPAP without a heated humidifier typically draws 30 to 60 watts — an 8-hour night requires 240 to 480 watt-hours of storage. A laptop charges at 45 to 90 watts and takes 1 to 3 hours — call it 90 to 270 watt-hours per day. LED lighting at 10 watts for 6 hours is 60 watt-hours. Adding up your actual daily needs gives you a realistic minimum battery capacity, and you want to buy at least 20 to 30 percent more than that minimum to allow for efficiency losses and to avoid consistently draining to near-empty.
Solar charging changes the calculus significantly. A 100-watt solar panel in good sun conditions generates roughly 400 to 600 watt-hours per day — enough to offset most casual camping power consumption. If you're parked in full sun and not running heavy loads, a solar-connected power station can sustain indefinitely at modest usage levels. If you're in partial shade or running higher loads, solar supplements rather than replaces generator or alternator charging.
Conventional generators produce AC power directly and can sustain any load within their rated output indefinitely as long as they have fuel. Their limitation is noise, emissions, and fuel management — you can't run a conventional generator indoors, and campground quiet hours create real limitations on when you can operate them. Modern inverter generators like those from Honda and Yamaha are quieter than older designs, but they still produce exhaust and require fuel storage.
Portable lithium power stations produce no emissions, make no noise, and can operate indefinitely inside the RV. Their limitation is capacity — they store a finite amount of energy and require a power source to recharge. Solar charging extends the time between recharges, but a sustained cloudy period or high power demand can deplete the battery faster than the solar input restores it.
The CarGenerator splits the difference: it uses your vehicle engine (which you're likely to have running for other reasons at some point) to produce 1,000 watts of AC power without requiring a separate fuel supply or generator storage. It's the right tool for owners who already have a capable tow vehicle or daily driver and want occasional AC power without carrying additional equipment.
For most boondockers, the best solution combines a power station for silent daily operation with either solar charging to sustain it or a vehicle-based solution for supplemental recharging on longer stays. Choosing a single product from this roundup is a starting point; understanding how it integrates with your overall power management strategy is what makes off-grid camping reliably comfortable.
Off-grid camping used to require either accepting significant power limitations or hauling a noisy conventional generator. The portable power technology available today has changed that equation substantially. A lithium power station with solar integration provides silent, emission-free power for most casual camping needs. The CarGenerator turns the vehicle you're already towing into an occasional 1,000-watt power source. And the Bluetooth module adds remote monitoring that makes overnight power use more manageable.
The right product depends on your specific power needs, your camping style, and how much you're willing to invest in the off-grid capability you want. Start with a realistic assessment of what you actually need to power and for how long, choose the product capacity that covers those needs with margin, and add solar charging if your camping style includes multi-day stays without moving. The freedom that comes with reliable off-grid power makes it one of the most transformative upgrades in the RV experience.
I’m Bill Rowell, the founder of RVupgrades.com. In 2002, I launched the business to help fellow RV enthusiasts find unique and hard-to-find products. Over the years, it’s grown to offer more than 15,000 items, with a warehouse in Eastlake, Ohio. Having owned and repaired nearly every type of RV, I bring over two decades of hands-on experience to the table. For me, this isn’t just a business – it’s a passion and a way of life that I love sharing with the RV community.
Follow me on LinkedIn