DIY Portable Solar Generator

We had some 12v electrical components sitting around from a previous van build. Unfortunately, they don’t fit the planned electrical system for our new Family Friendly Ram ProMaster Build. So, instead of letting the battery sit and die, we decided to use the parts to build a simple power station, a cheap DIY Portable Solar Generator.

Building A DIY Portable Solar Generator

Summer is rapidly approaching and rather than rush build the Vans permanent battery and electrical system, we figured repurposing our old AGM battery and inverter would be a great use of our time. And, way cheaper than buying a new one! This way we have some temporary power for the van, then once the permanent system is installed we can still use the DIY Portable Solar Generator elsewhere.

The Best Portable Power Stations For Van Use

Instead of DIY, we seriously considered getting a pre-built Portable Solar Generator like the Goal Zero Yeti and did some extensive research on the Best Portable Power Stations and Solar Generators For VanLife. See our findings in this post.

Building Our DIY Portable Solar Generator – How We Did It

Tools and Materials Used

• Deep Cycle AGM Battery
• 1000 watt Pure Sine Inverter
• Solar Charge Controller
• 12v Cigarette Socket x 2
• Quick Charge 3.0 USB Socket
• Fuse Block (6 Circuits)
• Maxi Fuse Block x 2
• Panel Mount SAE Socket x 2
• Assorted Wire and Terminals
• Assorted Bolts, Screws, and Hardware
• Kregg Tool
• Kregg Screws
• Piano Hinge
• Folding Handle x 2
• Drill Driver
• Drill Bits
• Jigsaw
• Jigsaw Blades (Wood)
• Circular Saw
• Enamel Spray Paint
• Automatic Wire Stripping Tool
• Terminal Crimping Tool
• Wood Glue
• Corner Clamps
• Other Assorted Hand Tools
• ½” x 4 x 8 Construction Plywood

Assembling All Of The Electrical Components

The Deep Cycle AGM Battery and the 1000 watt Pure Sine Inverter were from a previous van. The 12v Cigarette Socket and the Quick Charge 3.0 USB Socket were ordered from Amazon.

Designing The Power Station Battery Housing

I wanted to make the housing as small as possible, leaving just enough room for the Solar Charge Controller, Cigarette, Quick Charge 3.0 USB, SAE Sockets and wiring.

Cutting And Kregg Drilling The Battery Housing Panels

We used the Kregg Tool to drill the holes ready for assembly

Assembling The Battery Housing

We Kregg Screwed and Wood Glued all the panels together.

Painted With Enamel Spray Paint

Next, we coated the housing with two coats of paint. First coat, sandable primer. Then a coat of Black Enamel Spray Paint

Installing All Electrical Components

Once the housing is all painted, we installed the Deep Cycle AGM Battery, 1000 watt Pure Sine Inverter, Solar Charge Controller, 12v Cigarette Socket, Quick Charge 3.0 USB Socket and Panel Mount SAE Sockets.

DIY Solar Generator Wiring Diagram

Our DIY Solar Generator is wired to match this Wiring Diagram

Wire Up All Electrical Connections

Next, we wired everything up to the 6 Circuit Fuse Block, The inverter has its own separate fuse using a Maxi Fuse Block.

The Finished Product

Charging Our New Solar Generator

Charging Via Solar

The power station can be charged bit a Solar by simply plugging a Solar Panel into the “Solar” SAE Socket.

Charging Via 120v AC

We can charge from a 120v outlet by plugging a 12v charger/maintainer into the “12v in/out” SAE Socket.

Charging Via 12v DC

Finally, by plugging in an Optimate DC-DC Charger into the “12v in/out” SAE Socket we can get a complete charge from any 12v DC power source. The auxiliary outlet in the back of the van is perfect for this.

Verdict – Is Our DIY Portable Solar Generator Better Than Goal Zero or Inergy?

After a few uses of our new DIY power station, we are extremely happy! It has quite a large capacity and with multiple ways to charge the unit, it is very functional. I can see this unit being very handy while camping, out on day trips or even to keep the fridge running during a power outage.

Lastly, if you have any questions, post a comment below or reach out on one of our social channels, we would be happy to help.
Check out some more of our #Vanlife related content Here.
Thanks for reading, and remember to always take the road less traveled!