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Guide

How many lithium batteries do I need for boondocking?

Divide what you use per day, times the days without charging, by each battery's usable watt-hours. The sample travel-trailer loads below use 1,080 Wh a day, so 3 days with no charging need 3,240 Wh usable: that is 4 LiTime 100 Ah batteries at a 20% reserve calculated. Data updated .

The loads are the boondocking weekend scenario: six LED bulbs, a water pump, two phone or laptop chargers and a portable TV, with the inverter's idle draw. Solar or driving cuts the number; put your own loads in the planner.

Batteries needed for 3 days with no charging

BatteryUsable per batteryNeededMaker's parallel count
Battle Born BB10012 100Ah 12V1,024 Wh4not stated
Battle Born BB10012H 100Ah 12V Heated1,024 Wh4not stated
LiTime 12V 100Ah LiFePO41,024 Wh4up to 4: fine
Epoch 12V 100Ah Group 241,024 Wh4up to 16: fine
Redodo 12V 100Ah Ultra Mini Bluetooth (Group 22NF)1,024 Wh4up to 4: fine
Epoch 12V 105Ah Heated Bluetooth (Essential)1,075 Wh4up to 4: fine
Redodo 12V 200Ah Plus2,048 Wh2up to 4: fine
SOK SK12V206H 206Ah 12V (heated, Bluetooth)2,109 Wh2not stated
Epoch 12V 300Ah Heated Bluetooth Group 313,072 Wh2up to 4: fine
LiTime 12V 320Ah Mini Bluetooth3,277 Wh1up to 4: fine
Epoch 12V 460Ah V2 Elite (heated)4,710 Wh1up to 16: fine

Usable = Ah × 12.8 V × (1 − 20% reserve) calculated. Where the maker states no parallel count, we can't confirm more than one in parallel; ask the maker.

Boondocking with a portable power station instead of house batteries? RunTimeFit, our sister site for portable power stations, covers that route.

Sources