Truck camper Solar Calculator
Truck campers trade roof space for go-anywhere ability. With only 200–400 W of solar realistic, a DC-DC charger from the truck alternator is a common partner for cloudy stretches. Keep loads lean — fridge, fan, lights, and device charging — and a 100–200 Ah LiFePO4 bank will carry most overlanding trips.
Roof space: Compact — 20–40 sq ft — so 200–400 W is typical, often supplemented by DC-DC charging.
A representative Truck camper build
Based on the preset loads below (840 Wh/day at 4.5 peak sun hours).
- Daily energy
- 840 Wh
- Solar array
- 249 W
- Battery (LiFePO4)
- 175 Ah
- MPPT
- 30 A
- Wire & fuse
- 2 AWG · 175 A
- Est. cost
- $1,043–$2,976
Adjust the preset below for your exact appliances, location, and cold-weather needs. The calculator recomputes everything live.
Quick start with a profile:
Your daily loads
Add each device with its watts and hours per day.
No loads yet. Add your fridge to start, or pick a profile above.
Solar array
—
Add loads to size your array.
Show the math
Battery bank
—
Show the math
Charge controller (MPPT)
—
Show the math
Inverter
—
Show the math
Battery-to-inverter wire & fuse
—
Show the math
Estimated cost
—
Budget street price → premium brands.
Itemized breakdown
Embed
Next steps for your Truck camper
- Compare battery chemistry in the LiFePO4 vs AGM guide.
- Check your region's sun with the location pages.
- Get the wire right with wire gauge sizing.
- Work through the full pre-purchase checklist.