POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

There's a great deal of hype surrounding portable power stations, but what are they, and do you really need one? Peter Rosenthal delves beneath the surface of these fancy - but handy - boxes

Portable power stations have really taken off recently - for many who post online, they're a must-have item that promises to transform your motorcaravanning life. But what exactly are portable power stations and do you need one?

The first point to bear in mind is that, over the years, motorhome manufacturers have refined their products to the point where the modern vehicle is a pretty powerful bit of kit, which can generally offer you at least a weekend's camping on its built-in battery power.

If you find yourself in need of more. off-grid capability, the cheapest way to achieve this is simply to double or triple your battery bank.

However, power banks are still very popular so what are they all about?

WHAT IS A POWER BANK? 

A portable power station doesn't replace the motorhome's electricity source, but is designed to be used as a standalone all-in-one box, which usually features an inverter (so you can have 240V mains power), several 12V and USB sockets, all powered from an internal battery. The amount of power that you can have will depend very much on the size of your power bank's internal battery.

The internal battery is usually a small lithium iron phosphate unit, which has the benefit of being able to be drained down to a low level without damage, while still maintaining constant voltage. The best motorhomes are already fitted with these types of batteries and they are an excellent choice for a leisure battery.

Some power bank models also link to folding solar panel systems, while others are modular, allowing you to easily add more battery power to the power station should you need it.