Power Your Campsite: The Whats and Hows of Battery Boxes

Camping has been on the rise since Covid kicked in, and more people are prepping campers and caravans for the ultimate outdoor getaway. Besides trips lasting longer than a short weekend, campers are taking more camping essentials and creature comforts. Solar setups power basic items like 12V fridges, ovens and portable devices, and are backed up by deep-cycle batteries when dusk sets in. To keep power reserves up and running, besides panels, batteries and solar essentials, you’ll also need a decent camping battery box to protect the battery from the elements and keep it secure during transport. 

Battery Box Basics 

The hard ABS plastic housing of a battery power box ensures that the battery steers clear of water, dust, debris and any contaminants during transport and at the campsite. The material is water, heat and impact-resistant, and keeps the battery intact in sudden downpours, the odd spills, exposure to campfires, or sudden knocks. It additionally contains gassing and leaks in lead-acid batteries, electrical fires from damaged units, or power surges in the solar setup. Besides the safety features, a decent unit also has enough input connections to hook up to solar panels and outputs to power all your power-hungry camping gear. 

Why You Need One 

If you’re after a relaxing, carefree camping experience, a battery box helps with safety, durability and convenience. A fully-specced heavy-duty unit turns any deep-cycle battery into a convenient portable power station. It can also be used in a dual battery setup with a separate DC-DC charger or a voltage sensitive relay (VSR), allowing two batteries to be charged at the same time. Ideal if you’re a heavy power user. 
There’s enough space to fit even the biggest-capacity deep-cycle batteries and the ability to store lead-acid, AGM, Gel, and lithium-ion batteries. The hard ABS plastic is rated for high UV resistance and is IP64 dust and waterproof to suit any location. Not only will you be prolonging battery life, but also prevent common campsite accidents like short-circuits and even electrical fires. 
Furthermore, boxes are fitted with numerous power and convenience features. They have multiple ports, including USB-C and USB-A ports to power several mobile devices at once; cigarette plug ports to hook up items like air compressors or 12V electric fans and several high-amperage Anderson plugs to easily connect the battery to chargers or panels, or power larger essentials like fridges. Anderson plugs are recessed in the box body, to minimise the possibility of damage or tampering, and internal cabling comes in high-gauge wires and connectors. Additional niceties are digital voltage displays that show the current battery charge. 
For campers going light (without a solar setup), there’s the option of connecting a VSR from the box to the car starter battery and top-up charge in the secondary camp battery for later use. A nice addition is that the opposite is also true, and you can recharge a depleted car battery with rated jump start leads and continue with your journey. Considering all the benefits of safe storage. protection and campsite functionality, battery boxes are inexpensive feature-rich additions for any camping journey. 

What to Choose

Camping and solar gear differ greatly in price, quality, practicality, safety and how long they last. This is often reflected in prices. When buying a battery power box, ensure it’s of the right size, compatible with your battery (cheaper versions won’t accommodate all types), well-built, and comes with the necessary accessories. 
Most campers opt for batteries with 100Ah (or more) of overall capacity, so deep-cycle batteries can get big and weigh over 30 kilos. Ensure that the box you’re buying will snugly fit your deep-cycle battery. With sizes of 455mm long, 240mm wide and 330mm high, standard boxes can fit units of up to 200Ah with no issues, and comfortably handle the weight that comes with bigger lead-acid batteries. 
As for compatibility, all boxes work perfectly fine with sealed AGM or Gel batteries, as these are self-contained and won’t leak or gas. The same is true of newer lithium batteries. Some boxes can struggle with older or bigger wet, lead-acid types, mostly due to poor build. If you still rely on a wet (lead-acid) battery to power your camping gear, ensure that the box is up to the task. 
This is where build quality and materials come into play. The tough thick plastic does well against external factors, but a tight build makes this possible. Look for boxes with thick bases, sturdy side walls, and sealed lids, especially for lead-acid batteries. Lids also contain most of the connections. Check the quality of the cabling and outlets and choose a power box with integrated circuit protection to keep expensive appliances and devices safe if something goes wrong. Fuses will disconnect anything connected to inlets and outlets, sparing damage and accidents. 
The last thing to consider is accessories. The wide range of available extras further increases battery box safety and usability. Essential items here include Anderson plug covers, jump start leads, wiring kits for dual battery setups, and voltage-sensitive relays. If you’re using the battery and box in a larger solar setup, also consider a decent battery monitor. Boxes and accessories are sold in most camping. marine and off-roading stores.