Power Stations for Working from a Van: What You Need
Working from a van or truck is increasingly common — but the power math matters. Here's what a remote work setup actually draws and how to size your power accordingly.
Remote work power consumption
Measure your actual loads — they vary significantly by equipment:
| Load | Wattage | 8h workday | Wh/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Pro 14" | 30–90W (varies with load) | 8h | 320Wh avg |
| Windows laptop (15") | 45–95W | 8h | 480Wh avg |
| External monitor (24" 1080p) | 25–35W | 8h | 240Wh |
| 27" 4K monitor | 60–80W | 8h | 560Wh |
| Mobile hotspot | 5–15W | 8h | 80Wh |
| USB hub / accessories | 10–20W | 8h | 120Wh |
| Phone charging (2× daily) | — | — | 25Wh |
Basic setup (laptop + hotspot + phone): ~425Wh/day
Extended setup (laptop + external monitor + hotspot): ~665Wh/day
Heavy setup (laptop + 27" 4K monitor + accessories): ~1,000Wh/day
Power station sizing for work-from-van
Target: Your power station should hold enough for a full workday (8h) plus a safety margin, while solar or alternator charging replenishes it during or between work sessions.
| Work setup | Daily Wh | Power station size | Solar needed to sustain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic laptop + hotspot | 425Wh | 800Wh | 200W (5 PSH area) |
| Laptop + monitor | 665Wh | 1,000Wh | 300W |
| Heavy dual-screen | 1,000Wh | 1,500Wh | 400W |
Power station recommendations for remote work
EcoFlow Delta 2 (~$750) — Best for most
1,024Wh | 1,800W AC | LFP
One full workday of typical laptop + monitor loads. AC charges in 80 minutes — park at a library or café for lunch and you're fully recharged. Solar input up to 500W.
EcoFlow Delta 2 Max (~$1,200) — Best for heavy setups
2,048Wh | 2,400W AC | LFP | Expandable
Two workdays of heavy load, or indefinite use with 400W+ solar in good sun. If you work in a van full-time, the extra capacity buffer is worth the price.
Anker SOLIX C2000 (~$1,100) — Best for solar-heavy remote workers
2,048Wh | 2,400W | 1,000W solar input
Higher solar input than EcoFlow's 500W — ideal if you've invested in 600–800W of roof panels and want a power station to match. Charges from solar significantly faster.
Video calls: the hidden power spike
Video calls (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet) push laptop CPU and GPU harder than document work. A MacBook Pro's power draw nearly doubles during video calls — budget 50–60W per hour of video vs 30W for document work.
For a day with 3 hours of video calls and 5 hours of document work: ~380Wh instead of 240Wh for laptop alone.
Internet power: hotspot vs campground WiFi
Mobile hotspot: 5–15W constant draw, plus any cellular modem in your laptop using 3–5W extra. Budget 80–100Wh/day.
Campground WiFi: Free power savings — your hotspot and laptop's cellular modem stay idle. But campground WiFi is often unreliable for video calls.
Starlink Mini: ~20–30W during active use. If you're using Starlink for remote work, add 150–200Wh/day to your budget.
The solar charging advantage for remote workers
The beauty of van remote work: you're stationary during work hours. Parked with solar panels deployed, you're generating power while consuming it.
A 400W solar setup in average US conditions generates ~1,200Wh/day. A heavy remote work setup consumes ~1,000Wh/day. This means you can work indefinitely in good sun without AC charging — the van becomes fully off-grid for work.
In low-sun areas or winter: supplement with coffee shop charging, library parking, and campground hookups.