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.
Fitting panels to a Truck camper
A truck camper roof is small and often interrupted by an air conditioner, a vent, and the cabover profile, so usable area is less than the footprint suggests. Rigid panels frequently will not fit cleanly, which is why flexible panels appear more often on campers than on vans despite their shorter life. A portable folding panel on a lead is usually the better answer: it lets you park the camper in shade and put the panel in sun.
Solar alone, or solar plus alternator?
Truck campers spend more time attached to a running engine than any other build here, which makes alternator charging unusually effective. A DC-DC charger often contributes more usable energy over a week than the roof does, so treat the panels as the supplement rather than the primary source.
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
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Add loads to size your array.
Show the math
Battery bank
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Show the math
Charge controller (MPPT)
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Show the math
Inverter
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Show the math
Battery-to-inverter wire & fuse
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Show the math
Estimated cost
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Budget street price → premium brands.
Itemized breakdown
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Free to use on your own site — just keep the credit link. Sizing and options.
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.