While camping fridges can be expensive, despite that, no one can argue that they come in extremely handy when out camping for longer periods of time. I bought my first camping fridge when I planned out to go and live in a tent long term because I needed to somehow store my consumables and keep them safe for consumption for longer.
And since I had no direct access to power, that’s when I started looking for alternative ways to power up my 3-way camping fridge. I came across one possible solution – solar panels.
And that’s precisely when I started asking myself; can a solar panel run a camping fridge?
After some research and personally trying out to power my camping fridge using my solar panels I found out that yes, it is totally possible.
The only thing you need to make sure is to do it right, which is what I’ll be explaining to you in this article. Besides, I’ll also you exactly how much power my camping fridge uses just so you can get an idea.
By the way, The Camping Air Conditioner is sponsored by readers. When you buy through one of our links, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.
Can I Use a Solar Panel for My Camping Fridge?
If you have solar panels on your car or you have a portable solar panel at home, you might want to consider using it to power your camping fridge. The thing with camping fridges is that they won’t use as much power as a normal fridge, which is why you can easily use a solar panel to power it up.
If you don’t have a solar panel at hand (which is the case with most people), there are a ton of great options on the internet. However, since I don’t want to leave you empty handed, I’ve done the research for you, and you can find the best options in this post.
How Much Power Does My Camping Fridge Use?
If you want to use your solar panels for your camping fridge, you need to figure out how much power the fridge actually uses. For instance, mini fridges can be used while camping with most solar panels as they consume very little energy.
The thing is that different fridges will have different wattages and consumption rates, so it can be hard to figure out exactly how much power you need for your fridge.
For a quick guide, we’ve made a table that has the average amount of watts different solar panels produce and how many watts a camping fridge will consume on average. So, before choosing the right system to power your camping fridge, check out the table below.
Type of Solar Panel | How Many Watts the Panel Produces | Power Consumption of Camping Fridge |
Portable Solar Panels | Between 60 and 200 | <100 |
Residential Solar Panels | 250-350 | <100 |
Camping Fridges w/ Built-in Solar Panels | Around 100 | <100 |
As you can see in the table, you can use a portable solar panel to power your camping fridge. Just make sure that the solar panels can produce the same or more watts than your camping fridge. Even camping fridges with built-in solar panels can run on solar, even if the wattage isn’t that high since it uses solar power to keep the battery charged and the fridge cold.
How Do I Power My Camping Fridge with Solar Power?
There are different ways you can use solar power to run a camping fridge. And when camping, it’s important to find and use the method that offers the most benefits for you and fits your own needs.
So, here are the different methods you can apply when running a camping fridge on solar power.
Panels on Your Vehicle
This could be one of the most effective and convenient ways to power a camping fridge and other appliances such as a camping ice maker or a car camping heater if you plan on camping on the beach in the winter. When you have panels built into your vehicle, it will be much easier to hook everything up and have reliable power when on a camping trip.
However, the major downside to this is that installing one of these systems is expensive and complicated. On top of that, if the panels aren’t collecting sunlight (like in the evenings or during gloomy days), the fridge will gather power from the car’s battery, which is something you’re looking to avoid with solar panels.
Portable Solar Panels to Run your Camping Fridge
Another option for people looking to use solar power on the campsite is to use a portable power system. These are usually a combination of batteries and solar panels that work in tandem to provide you with reliable power while on a camping trip.
The biggest benefit of these systems is flexibility. You can look for specific portable systems that don’t produce that much power if you’re only looking to run a couple of appliances. This can save you money and also make it easier to pack.
With these systems, the camping fridge will still run on a battery. However, these batteries are constantly recharged by the solar panel system, which makes them last longer and reduces your consumption. These are the three portable solar panels I think every camper should consider:
- Maximum power - 110W
- Total weight - 6lb (2.7kg)
- Dimensions - 21"x29"x0.5" (54x73x1.2cm)
- Works right out of the box
- Maximum power - 200W
- Total weight - 16.4lbs(7.4kg)
- Dimensions - 25.6"x20.3"x2.4"
- Waterproof
- Maximum power - 200W
- Weight - 18.41lb(8.35kg)
- Dimensions - 24.6"x23"x2.8"
- Set up in seconds
Using Solar-Powered Camping Fridges
The most economical way to use solar power for camping fridges is to get specific solar-powered models. There are tons of solar-powered camping fridges available today, and they can last you a very long time.
To figure out how these work, you can imagine a portable solar power system built right into the camping fridge. So, the fridge has a battery that charges using the power from the solar panels, giving you a lot of sustainable power.
The downside to this is that there are tons of solar-powered camping fridges that aren’t that strong enough to keep going for days. So, make sure to pay close attention to the fridge you buy when going for a solar-powered model to ensure that you get a functional for at the campsite.
Conclusion
If you have a camping fridge, you might be wondering how you can keep it powered up through a solar panel. That way, you won’t have to wonder how to keep food in your car safely while camping. Today, that’s more than possible thanks to the high wattage solar panels can generate and the low electricity consumption by camping fridges.
So, the next time you go camping, don’t worry about your batteries running out on you while running the fridge. Simply pick up one of the solar panels that I’ve recommended above, and you’ll have no trouble keeping your fridge cold what so ever.
