When I was setting up my van for off-grid travel, I wanted a power system that was simple, reliable, and flexible — something that would handle the basics (fridge, lights, fan, devices) without needing a full hardwired install. After some trial and error, this is the setup I’ve been running, and it’s worked great for my style of van life — lots of travel through the desert, mountains, and remote spots.
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Right now I’m running:
I’ve got two 100W Renogy panels mounted in parallel on a custom unistrut roof rack I built myself (I’ll write a future post on how I made that).
The cables from the MC4 connectors run through a waterproof housing over a small hole I drilled in the roof — prepped with Rustoleum and sealed with a rubber gasket to prevent rust. From there, the cables run through the wall on the driver side.
Inside the van, the cables terminate with XT60 connectors and plug straight into my EcoFlow Delta 2 Max. I needed an XT60 to XT60 extension cable to reach the EcoFlow, which I have mounted in the base cabinet on the driver side.
For AC power, I’ve also routed an AC extension from the EcoFlow to an outlet I installed in the kitchen area — useful for charging camera gear and small appliances.
Using the EcoFlow instead of a full hardwired system keeps everything really simple and portable. Here’s why it works well for me:
This setup has been reliable for my style of travel — whether I’m on the move or parked in remote areas for a few days. I like that it’s simple, flexible, and doesn’t lock me into a full permanent system. Over time, I’ll keep tweaking it as needed, but for now it handles all my power needs on the road.
If you want to see the exact gear I’m running, check out my full Van Life Gear page.
