Afraid of camping with an electric vehicle? Don’t be. Going exploring and camping with an EV can be not just as good as doing it with an internal combustion engine — it can be even better.
Modern EVs offer features and convenience perks that let you do things that gas models couldn’t even dream of. Of course, there are some things that you’ll need to keep in mind.
We’ve got you covered on both sides, so let’s dive into everything you need to know about camping in an EV.
The Things That Make Camping in an EV Better
While we know there are some downsides to EV camping, we’ll cover those in a minute. First, the positives.
Power When You Need It
The biggest plus of going camping in an electric truck or SUV is that you have a massive battery pack with you at all times. Even the best portable power stations can only hold a fraction of what an EV’s large battery can.
The largest on our list of the best portable power stations holds an impressive 4 kWh and costs $3,000. A typical EV battery holds 100 kWh.
That’s enough battery to power a campsite for days or weeks, especially if you have solar backup charging. The Ford F-150 Lightning can power an entire house for up to 3 days, and that includes all of the major appliances, with 120V and 240V AC power ready to go.
This makes it easy to keep food and drinks cold. It also lets you add some emergency heat when things get very cold in the winter, or just gives you a little more confidence if you decide to stay an extra day.
What to Look For
There are two main ways to power your campsite from your EV. The first, like Ford’s Pro Power Onboard, has plugs in the cabin and/or the truck bed. Ford offers up to 9.6 kW and a 240V plug as well as house-style 120V plugs. That’s enough to power serious power tools for shorter periods. Rivian’s R1T and R1S also offer 120V plugs, and you’ll find these on many EVs.
The other solution is a vehicle-to-load solution. An adapter plugs into the EV’s charge port and gives you a 120V house-style plug. The former works on the go, the latter only when you’re parked.
If you don’t need house levels of power, you can still use the vehicle’s USB ports to charge phones, lanterns, and other devices. Using only USB output, a vehicle’s battery will last for a very long time.
Charge at Your Site
If you’re not sure where you’re going to charge on your next camping trip, you might not need to worry after all. Unlike a gas car, you don’t need to find a station; just a plug. Some sites have EV-specific chargers installed, but every serviced campsite will have a way to charge your EV.
The basic way is through a 120V outlet using the charger that came with your vehicle. Campsites focused on RVs will probably have plugs with more juice, either 30A or 240V 50A, and both of those can charge your EV as well. Some EVs come with the right adapter, but most won’t.
You can purchase a NEMA 14-50 adapter at most hardware stores to charge on a 50A circuit. Some EVs come with a 30A plug, which has two diagonal prongs. If yours doesn’t, the one you want is a NEMA TT-30.
A bit of courtesy, though, is necessary at RV campsites. While they may have higher power ratings, maxing them out, especially on a busy day, can overload the site’s electrical system. Most EVs let you turn down the rate of charge in the center screen. Reducing your charge rate to 50% or less will still top you up overnight and make the site’s electrical system happy too.
Camping in an EV in Comfort
Rivian’s Camp Mode is the flagship of EV camping modes. It starts by balancing the rig using the air suspension. That way, if you’re sleeping in a roof tent (or in the back of an R1S), you’re sleeping on a level surface.
It also lets you keep the power on. So you can use the climate control and the radio while you’re in the back. Or turn it all off to make sure you don’t waste power. Tesla offers a similar Camp Mode that keeps the climate control running.
These modes can make a campsite experience a lot more comfortable. A fully charged battery can run the A/C for days, and the same for the heater if you have a heat pump.
Get Frunky!
One of the best features of electric trucks and SUVs is their second trunk. The front trunk, or frunk, is a feature on many EVs. Some of them hold extra power plugs, but others are watertight with drain plugs.
The watertight kind can work like a giant cooler. Letting you store your cold food and drinks on ice in a place where it’s always easy to get to. And you don’t have to lug a cooler full of ice out of the back of your ride anymore.
Things to Worry About (And How to Deal)
There’s no way around it; if you’re towing a trailer or have a rooftop tent, it’s going to hurt your range. The same thing happens in gas trucks and SUVs; it’s simple physics.
Reduced Range & How to Spend the Time
In my own time towing with EVs, I’ve seen 20-30% less range. That will depend on your trailer, terrain, and speed. It does mean you might have to charge once or twice more, and that means you might have to spend some time maneuvering into a station.
But hey, you have your camper, so you can have a nap while you charge. Or cook a meal. And you can charge at your campsite, something a gas truck can’t do.
Get More Range From Your Trailer
There are trailering solutions that can actually boost your range, like the Lightship AE.1. It is a large trailer that collapses to cut drag and comes with its own battery and motor. The battery and motor let the trailer do some of the work, and that saves the battery in your electric tow vehicle.
Lightship says it can make sure your “300-mile range electric vehicle used to tow [the L1] remains a 300-mile range EV.”
Using All of Those Features Can Drain Your Juice
Running the climate control, plugging in a fridge or cooler, watching movies, and staying up late with the lights on is great, but you need to keep an eye on energy use. An F-150 Lightning can power a house for three full days, but at the start of day three, it will only have one-third of a full charge. That might not be enough.
If you’re off-grid camping, you’ll need to keep an eye on that. To make sure you have enough power left to get back to the nearest charging station. Some EVs let you set a minimum charge where they’ll shut off power to make sure you can make it back.
You’re going to want to watch features like Tesla’s Sentry Mode and other tech that keeps the EV “awake.” Walking around your campsite can keep triggering the EV’s sensors, and constantly opening and closing doors can keep the EV in a ready mode. These can suck down the juice if you aren’t paying attention while camping in your EV.
Go Camping in an EV & You Might Not Want to Go Back
Camping in your EV, especially in the back of your climate-controlled electric SUV, might lead to a long-term problem: You might enjoy it so much that you don’t want to return from the woods and go back to work on Monday. We can’t help you with that one, unfortunately.
But hey, most modern vehicles, especially EVs, offer internet connectivity. Use the car’s hotspot or plug in your satellite internet connection, and you can work from the wilderness. Which sounds quite nice, really.
Tell your boss you ran out of charge. They don’t need to know you meant your personal energy charge, not your car’s.
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