Boondocking ladder, beginner tier
Beginner RV Boondocking Power Setup
Researched from published standards and manufacturer specifications. Updated .
Quick answer
A first boondocking setup is one 100Ah LiFePO4 battery, roughly 200W of solar with an MPPT controller, and a shunt monitor. That covers a typical weekend load of about 50 amp-hours a day with a margin, and the shunt is what stops you guessing.
Who this is for
Weekends and long holiday weekends away from hookups, running lights, a fridge, a water pump and device charging.
Who should not buy this
Anyone who needs air conditioning off grid. That is a generator question, not a battery one, and no build at this price solves it.
The complete build
Everything needed to make this system work, grouped by function. If you buy this list you can finish the job.
House battery
| Item | Qty | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Empower 12V 100Ah LiFePO4, Group 24 SUPER EMPOWER Drops into a standard Group 24 tray, with a BMS that stops charging below freezing. | 1 | $182.99 | Buy |
| House battery subtotal | $182.99 |
Solar
Two 100W panels is the smallest array that genuinely covers a weekend load.
| Item | Qty | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| JJN 100W Monocrystalline Panel JJN The lowest cost per watt here, and two panels fit around roof obstructions more easily than one large one. | 2 | $119.98 | Buy |
| Renogy Wanderer Li 30A PWM Controller Renogy One of the few low-cost controllers with a genuine lithium profile rather than a relabeled lead-acid one. | 1 | $32.99 | Buy |
| Renogy Solar Z Brackets, 2 Sets Renogy Raises the panels off the roof so air can move underneath and keep the cells cooler. | 1 | $21.82 | Buy |
| BougeRV Double Cable Entry Gland Box BougeRV The roof penetration is where a solar install leaks. This is the part that stops it. | 1 | $9.99 | Buy |
| Solar subtotal | $184.78 |
Monitoring and charging
| Item | Qty | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AILI TR16 Shunt Battery Monitor HENGSHAN A cheap shunt still beats an expensive voltmeter, because LiFePO4 voltage is nearly flat across most of its range. | 1 | $42.00 | Buy |
| LiTime 12V 20A LiFePO4 Charger Litime Fills the pack from shore power before a trip and wakes it if the BMS has cut out. | 1 | $93.99 | Buy |
| Monitoring and charging subtotal | $135.99 |
Wiring and protection
| Item | Qty | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOJACK 200A Inline ANL Fuse Holder with Fuse BOJACK Fuses the main positive feed at the battery terminal. | 1 | $15.99 | Buy |
| TOPDC 4 AWG Battery Cable Pair, 18 in TOPDC Short battery runs with factory-crimped lugs. | 1 | $11.98 | Buy |
| Nilight 90015A Battery Master Disconnect Switch Nilight A disconnect for storage and for working on the system safely. | 1 | $12.12 | Buy |
| Wiring and protection subtotal | $40.09 |
Build total
$543.85Totalled from the catalog price of every line above at the quantities shown. Prices change often, so treat this as a planning figure and check each listing.
What you can skip
Telling you not to buy something is what makes the rest of the list worth trusting.
- An inverter, at first. Most weekend loads are 12 volt already, and adding an inverter mainly adds idle draw. Add one when you know what AC load you actually need.
- A 400W array. At one 100Ah battery you would be generating more than the bank can store.
- A self-heating battery, unless you camp below freezing.
What to upgrade first
A second battery. At one 100Ah pack the bank is the limit rather than the array, and doubling capacity turns a two night trip into a four night one. Add the second panel pair afterward, not before.
Compare the tiers
Intermediate
Intermediate RV Boondocking Power Setup
A week off grid: 200Ah of lithium, a 400W roof array with a proper MPPT controller, a 2000W inverter and DC-DC charging
Expert
Expert RV Boondocking Power Setup
Full-time off grid in any season: 400Ah of self-heating lithium, a large roof array, an inverter/charger, DC-DC charging
Different use case?
For rigs that are plugged into a pedestal most nights. The spend goes on protecting the rig from bad shore power and on covering travel days, not on solar. See the campground ladder.
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Frequently asked questions
- Who is the beginner boondocking build for?
- Weekends and long holiday weekends away from hookups, running lights, a fridge, a water pump and device charging. Anyone who needs air conditioning off grid. That is a generator question, not a battery one, and no build at this price solves it.
- What can I leave out of this build?
- An inverter, at first. Most weekend loads are 12 volt already, and adding an inverter mainly adds idle draw. Add one when you know what AC load you actually need. A 400W array. At one 100Ah battery you would be generating more than the bank can store.
- What should I upgrade first?
- A second battery. At one 100Ah pack the bank is the limit rather than the array, and doubling capacity turns a two night trip into a four night one. Add the second panel pair afterward, not before.
- Why are there two different build ladders on this site?
- Because RV power has two genuinely different buyers. A rig on a pedestal most nights needs shore power protection and a converter matched to its battery, and gains almost nothing from solar. A rig off grid for days needs usable capacity and a way to refill it without a pedestal. One ladder cannot serve both without giving bad advice to one of them.
Before you wire any of this. Never exceed a conductor's rated ampacity, and fuse every positive conductor as close to the battery as it will fit. A LiFePO4 bank needs a lithium charge profile at every source, and must not be charged below freezing without a low temperature cutoff or a self-heating design. Never connect lithium directly to an alternator. Never run a generator in an enclosed or partly enclosed space, because carbon monoxide is odorless and kills. Permanent AC wiring is work for a qualified RV technician or licensed electrician.