Nothing ends a camping trip faster than a flat battery and a warm fridge. Yet 12V power is where we see the most confusion — and the most money wasted on the wrong gear. Here's the plain-English version we give customers across South Africa, whether they run a rooftop tent setup or a full off-road caravan.
Start with your loads, not the battery
Your fridge is almost always the biggest consumer — a quality 60 L compressor fridge draws roughly 1 amp on average in SA summer conditions, call it 25 Ah per day. Add LED lights, phone charging and a water pump and a typical couple's camp uses 35–50 Ah a day. That number drives everything else.
The battery: AGM vs lithium
- Deep-cycle AGM — cheaper upfront, heavier, and you can only use about half its rated capacity without damaging it. A 105 Ah AGM gives you ~50 usable Ah: one full day's camp.
- LiFePO₄ (lithium) — pricier upfront, but nearly all its capacity is usable, it's half the weight, charges faster and lasts many times more cycles. A 100 Ah lithium is a genuine two-day battery.
Rule of thumb: if you camp more than a few weekends a year, lithium pays for itself. It's why current caravans — and kitted trailers like the Metalian Genie's Victron pack — ship lithium as standard.
Charging: the part most setups get wrong
A battery is only as good as what refills it:
- DC-DC charger — charges the camp battery properly from the vehicle while you drive (modern smart alternators need this; a plain jumper wire no longer cuts it).
- Solar — for stays longer than a night. Sizing rule of thumb in SA sun: every 100 W of panel returns roughly 30–40 Ah on a decent day. A 40 Ah/day camp runs indefinitely on ~150 W of panel. Browse solar panels & regulators.
- 220 V charger — for powered sites and pre-trip top-ups at home.
The Victron ecosystem (MPPT solar regulators, DC-DC chargers, Bluetooth monitors) is the benchmark here — it's what we fit and what serious builds run.
Wiring safety — the 60-second version
Every circuit fused, cable thickness matched to the load and distance, proper connectors instead of twisted wire, and the fridge on its own circuit. Badly wired 12V doesn't just underperform — it starts fires. If in doubt, have it done properly: our Bellville workshop wires dual-battery and solar systems every week, and fits what we sell.
Three proven setups
| Setup | Gear | Good for |
| Weekender | 100 Ah battery + DC-DC charging | 1–2 nights, drive-day between camps |
| Off-grid regular | 100 Ah lithium + DC-DC + 150 W solar + monitor | Long weekends, unpowered sites |
| Expedition | 200 Ah lithium + MPPT solar + inverter | Weeks out, Tankwa/Kgalagadi-style trips |
Round it out with efficient camping fridges and 12V LED lighting — the cheapest "upgrade" is using less power.
Frequently asked questions
How big a battery do I need to run a fridge for a weekend?
A 60 L compressor fridge uses roughly 25 Ah/day. For two days unassisted you want ~50–60 usable Ah — a 100 Ah lithium or a 105 Ah AGM used gently, ideally with solar or DC-DC topping it up.
Is solar worth it in South Africa?
For any stay past one night, yes — SA sun is excellent, and 150 W of panel keeps a typical camp indefinitely topped up.
Can I just use my vehicle's starter battery?
No — you'll flatten it and strand yourself. A separate deep-cycle or lithium camp battery, isolated from the starter, is the whole point of a dual-battery system.
Can 4Matt install all of this?
Yes — we supply and fit batteries, DC-DC chargers, solar and full Victron systems in our Bellville workshop, with nationwide delivery on the gear itself.