When it comes to powering a truck camper, most people fall into the same trap: they start researching batteries, inverters, and solar panels, and before long they’re three hours deep into a YouTube rabbit hole on 12-volt wiring. It’s overwhelming.

At GFC, we see this all the time. You just want to run a fridge, charge your phone, or keep Starlink online—not become an electrical engineer. From our experience, there are three common approaches to powering a camper.

1. Dead Simple ($150–$500)

If your idea of camping is rolling into a trailhead and crashing after a long day, this is your lane. Plug in the lights that come with your GFC, charge your phone, and call it good.

It’s also the most portable solution. If you start here while you’re still figuring out your truck setup, that same small power station becomes useful anywhere—charging phones, laptops, or cameras at home, on the road, or wherever you end up next.

We usually see this phase as a bridge into the more capable systems below. It’s the starting point we recommend for anyone who isn’t ready to take the leap into a full, integrated power solution just yet—things like adding solar, hard-mounted wiring, or a larger battery bank for longer trips.

Examples of this type of setup include compact, all-in-one power stations like the BLUETTI Elite 30 V2 Portable Power Station, the EcoFlow RIVER 3 Portable Power Station, or the 2025 Renogy Upgraded 76,800mAh 276Wh Power Bank. All three are dead simple, bombproof little boxes that just work.

We don’t recommend overcomplicating this tier. You don’t need to add solar or buy the fanciest unit on the market—because the next step up, while more expensive, delivers a huge jump in capability and long-term value.

2. Bang for the Buck ($1,250–$2,500)

This is the sweet spot for most weekend warriors. You want to run a fridge, maybe a heater, and keep your gear charged. You don’t need expedition-grade gear; you just want something that works, is expandable, and doesn’t empty your wallet. These systems are all-in-one solutions—everything you need built into a single, portable unit.

Common items that can be run with this setup include:

• Fridge

• Diesel heater

• Phone and laptop charging

• Electric cooking (induction)

• Starlink

• Electric blanket

• Camp lighting

With a mid-tier setup, you’ll get roughly 80% of the performance of a top-end system for about a third of the cost. The trade-offs? You might see some limits in cold-weather performance, packaging efficiency, and alternator-to-battery charging can be a bit complicated. But it’ll power almost everything you need for a few days off-grid—reliably.

Solid examples in this range include the Bluetti AC200P L, the EcoFlow Delta 2 Max, and the Redarc GoBlock 100. Each offers different strengths—whether it’s higher-capacity storage, vehicle-charging capability, or modular expansion—but all strike that balance between performance and simplicity that makes this tier so practical.

This is the range we strongly recommend if you plan to do more than just run your lights. Anything less capable than the systems listed above will introduce limitations that typically aren’t worth the small savings.

3. Buy Once, Cry Once ($2,500–$5,000+)

Unlike the all-in-one systems above, this tier uses multiple dedicated components working together—high-performance lithium batteries, DC-DC chargers, solar controllers, and distribution panels—to create a true off-grid power system. It’s more complex, but it’s also far more capable.

If you want to see what next level looks like, read @hunnyd's breakdown in the GFC Forum

These systems handle cold weather, feature custom packaging, and let you run anything—fridge, heater, Starlink, lights, even water systems—without ever worrying about power. It’s a “set it and forget it” level of reliability, but only if it’s done correctly. We’ve seen DIY versions of this range from PhD-level electrical engineering masterpieces to full-blown AutoZone wiring disasters.

We tend to hesitate going too deep into this category—mostly because there isn’t enough server space on our website to explain everything it involves. But if you’re looking at DC-DC charging solutions, expandable heated lithium battery banks, high-end pure-sine inverters, and solid-state switching systems, this is your category.

If you’re interested in exploring a fully custom solution, we recommend reaching out to one of our partner shops—or our good friends at Wired by Greg, who specialize in high-end power systems built the right way. 

The Backbone: GFC Pre-Wire

No matter which path you choose, wiring is the hidden complexity that trips people up. That’s why we developed our pre-wire system—originally designed for the GFC Max. It’s currently exclusive to the Max but will be made available to all customers as an aftermarket DIY or shop-installed upgrade sometime in the new year.

Think of it as the backbone of your power setup. It keeps things clean, safe, and expandable without turning your camper into a spaghetti factory. Whether you start simple or go all-in later, this system makes upgrades painless and future-proof.

The pre-wire bridges every level of system—from a simple plug-and-play power pack today to a fully integrated DC-DC setup down the road. It’s what ties all three tiers together, giving you the flexibility to evolve your build as your trips get bigger—like when you’re ready to add the margarita blender in the Turbo Cubby next to your La Marzocco Linea Mini espresso machine.

Start with Experience

If you don’t already know what you want, go camping. Seriously. The best way to figure out what power setup you need is to get out there and see what you actually use. If you don’t feel the need for a fridge, don’t buy one. If you realize you’d love to keep Starlink online or warm up a cup of coffee in the morning without firing up the truck, then you’ll know what to build toward.

Our goal at GFC has always been to help you focus on experiences, not wiring diagrams. So we’re gathering input from our community to help shape what comes next in GFC power systems.

Are you looking for a turnkey, section-3-style solution? Want all the functionality without the soldering iron? Or would you rather have an all-in-one system pre-installed in your rig and ready to roll?

We’d love to know what kind of setup you’re after—and your feedback directly informs what we build next.

👉 Take the Power System Survey

We can’t wait to see what you plug in.