FOUR JACKERYS.
ONE VANILLA.
Why I travel with four portable power stations, what each one actually does, and how I built an off-grid system that suits the way I live.
Some people travel light. I travel with a VW campervan, camera kit, a projector, a rather enthusiastic collection of electrical gadgets — and four Jackery power stations. I can almost hear the question: why on earth do you need four?
The short answer is that they do different jobs. The longer answer involves Vanilla, my 2022 Volkswagen Transporter T6.1, a Fogstar lithium leisure battery, Victron charging equipment, solar on the roof, a proper appetite for getting away and a determination not to be tied to an electric hook-up every night.
This is not a brochure or a laboratory comparison. It is my own account of what I own, why I use it, the things I have learned and the traps worth avoiding.
First, meet the four
My collection covers four quite different needs. The name on the front of each machine matters, but the exact model revision, battery capacity, socket arrangement and continuous output rating matter even more. Where I have not confirmed a revision-specific figure, I am deliberately not guessing.
Explorer 240
The 240 is the sort of machine that earns its place through convenience. I don't need to carry an enormous battery just to charge something small. A compact unit is easy to move from the van to a table, use around the campsite and put away again.
It's a natural companion for low-draw devices, camera accessories and everyday electronics, provided their charging requirements match the unit's actual outputs. It is also the sort of power station I am most likely to use simply because getting it out takes no effort.
Explorer 300D
The 300D occupies an interesting position. It makes sense when the job is charging compatible DC and USB equipment rather than running a high-power mains appliance. That distinction is easy to miss when comparing headline watt-hours.
I think of this one as a tidy way of keeping mobile kit topped up. Direct DC charging can avoid the losses associated with turning battery power into 230-volt AC and then converting it back inside a plug-in adaptor — although real efficiency depends on the devices involved.
Explorer 1000
This is the useful middle ground: a more substantial reserve for a mixed day of electronics and modest mains loads. It is the power station that bridges little charging jobs and the sort of demands that make the smallest units struggle.
Its real suitability for a kettle, cooker or other appliance depends on the specific Explorer 1000 generation and the appliance's actual draw. Similar names can conceal materially different specifications, so I check the label instead of trusting a vague product listing.
Explorer 2000
The Explorer 2000 is the one I associate with heavier responsibilities. More stored energy is particularly valuable on a dull weekend or when I want the option of cooking with electricity, charging several devices and still having reserve capacity.
In my setup, the larger Jackery also has a separate role as a potential source of temporary 230-volt power for Vanilla. That is not the same as saying any plug-and-play connection to the van's hook-up inlet is safe. Earthing, RCD behaviour, neutral bonding and the van's electrical installation all need to be checked by a competent person first.
Why four sizes are better for me than one enormous box
There is a difference between a power station that is technically capable of doing something and one that is convenient to use. Imagine unpacking the largest battery simply to charge a camera overnight. It works, but it is hardly elegant. Conversely, expecting the smallest unit to handle a cooking appliance is asking the wrong machine to do the wrong job.
I like allocating tasks. The small units deal with portable kit. The medium machine gives me flexibility. The big one provides reserve and higher-demand options. They are not wired together into one giant battery, and adding their capacities does not magically produce a single output capable of powering everything at once.
The hidden fifth battery: Vanilla’s Fogstar
Here is the part that makes the whole setup work: the Jackerys do not replace my leisure battery. Under the seat in Vanilla sits a Fogstar Drift 105 Ah LiFePO₄ battery. On paper that is around 1.34 kWh of nominal energy, before you allow for operating limits and losses. It is the core of my fixed 12-volt system.
A Victron SmartShunt shows what is happening, a Victron SmartSolar MPPT 75/15 manages my 200 W PV Logic rooftop solar, and a Victron Orion Smart 30 A DC–DC charger helps replenish the leisure battery while driving. My fridge, heater controls and essential 12-volt loads belong to that part of the van.
The portable Jackerys are a separate layer. They let me run devices independently of the leisure system and preserve the Fogstar for jobs it is meant to do. I have described the full collection as roughly 5 kWh in total, including the Fogstar; that is an approximate fleet-wide energy figure, not a promise of 5 kWh usable from one socket.
The maths that changed the way I camp
Battery capacity is measured in watt-hours (Wh). An appliance draws power in watts (W). Roughly speaking, run time is available watt-hours divided by the appliance wattage, after allowing for inverter loss and the battery’s usable capacity. The arithmetic sounds dull until you are 48 hours into a weekend, the sky has stayed grey and your hot dinner depends on it.
These are examples, not claims about the measured consumption of my own equipment. A heating appliance cycling on and off has a different energy profile from one drawing its nameplate rating continuously. An inverter also consumes something itself, even when the load is small.
Cooking without a hook-up — the big temptation
I do enjoy being able to cook while stopped somewhere quiet. My Jackerys open up more possibilities for a small induction appliance, an air fryer or a compact cooker, but power stations are not magic. A 1,500-watt device can empty a lot of battery remarkably quickly. The sensible question is always not just will it start? but how long will it run?
I check the continuous AC output limit on the actual Jackery, the power demanded by the appliance and the estimated energy per meal. A lower-wattage cooker running longer may or may not use less energy than a powerful one running briefly. The recipe and cooking method make the difference. I also keep ventilation and food safety in mind; electrical convenience does not eliminate condensation or heat.
My real-world scenarios
One night outside a country pub
For a straightforward overnight stop, the Fogstar handles the van’s fixed loads while a smaller Jackery takes care of phones, speakers and camera batteries. I arrive, park, switch off the engine and enjoy the evening without pretending I need to run an entire house.
Three autumn nights in the Peak District
This is where the mix becomes valuable. A diesel heater and fridge continue to depend on the van system, but I can keep entertainment and gadget charging on portable batteries. With colder weather and shorter daylight hours, I treat solar as a bonus rather than a guaranteed refill.
A campervan festival
Three or four days away can mean a lot of music, conversation, photos, cooking and charging. I would rather spread those duties across equipment I understand than discover on the second evening that I have sacrificed the leisure battery to the coffee machine.
Three weeks exploring France and Spain
Longer touring adds another advantage: driving can charge the van battery through its DC–DC system, while stops, weather and available charging opportunities influence how I rotate the portable stations. Solar panels can help, but daily harvest is never guaranteed.
Entertainment is part of the point
Vanilla is not merely somewhere to sleep. I take photographs, fly drones where permitted, listen to music and sometimes turn the van into a tiny cinema with my Nebula Capsule 3 Laser projector. Charging a camera or enjoying a film does not require the same energy budget as boiling water — but lots of small demands add up.
That is why I have become quite keen on switching AC outputs off when they are not needed, using USB or DC where appropriate and watching battery state instead of trusting a hopeful glance at the weather forecast. There is a certain pleasure in understanding where every watt is going.
Watch: Jackery power stations in action
I wanted actual video players inside this story, not decorative thumbnails that throw you somewhere else. The clips below are embedded from YouTube, with direct links underneath each player. They are third-party demonstrations, not footage of my own units. If a video owner disables embedding, or the NIX publishing system strips the iframe, the fallback link still gets you to the source.
Jackery power testing in an RV
A practical video reference on portable power in a recreational vehicle.
▶ Watch video on YouTube — Jackery power testing in an RVVideo not showing? Watch on YouTube ↗
Video source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTWi0EY8bX0
Explorer 300D and 1000 v2: portable power
A second practical video reference illustrating the different roles of Jackery equipment.
▶ Watch video on YouTube — Explorer 300D and 1000 v2: portable powerVideo not showing? Watch on YouTube ↗
Video source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2DHjwA9Q_c
What I would do differently
I would work out the jobs first, then choose the equipment. It is very easy to fall for a headline capacity figure without looking at weight, charging time, DC outputs, inverter rating or whether the actual appliance will work. I would also label charging leads, keep firmware and manuals to hand when applicable, and leave sensible reserve instead of deliberately running everything flat.
Most importantly, I would keep mains power distribution separate from casual experimentation. A portable power station feeding a dedicated appliance is one thing. Supplying a campervan installation via its external hook-up connection is another and needs the protection arrangements verified properly. My existing Sargent mains charger is isolated because it is not my chosen lithium charging path. That does not, by itself, prove that any proposed portable-power hook-up arrangement is safe.
The verdict: would I buy four again?
For most people, no. A single correctly sized power station is probably the rational answer. But I am not most people when it comes to vans, cameras, gadgets and looking at battery graphs. I like the flexibility. The 240 is about convenience; the 300D is about lightweight DC duties; the 1000 is my all-rounder; and the 2000 gives me serious reserve.
Together with the Fogstar, Victron and rooftop solar, they let me choose how I use energy instead of assuming an electric hook-up will be waiting for me. That is the real luxury. Not an orange box. Not a number on a spec sheet. Just the freedom to pull into somewhere beautiful, make myself comfortable and stay awhile.
FOUR JACKERYS. ONE VANILLA.
And a lot more road still to discover.