Lithionics 8.4kW vs. 17kW Off-Grid Power Systems: Compared

Your camper van's power system can make or break your travel experience. But, not every van needs the same power capacity. Today, we'll be comparing the two power systems we offer: the 8.4kW lithium power system from Lithionics with their 17kW lithium power system. We'll discuss the differences in capacity, run time, and how your van's use case can impact your power needs.

By the end of this overview, you should have a pretty clear idea of which power system is right for your off-grid adventure van.

Lithium Power System Basics

Let's start with the basics. First off, what is a kilowatt/hour, how is it calculated, and why does it matter in the off-grid world?

Watt = Rate of Energy Transfer

Kilowatt = 1,000 Watts

Kilowatt / Hour: 1,000 Watts / Hour

A Kilowatt hour, put simply, is just a measure of energy transferred over time. 1KWH (Killowatt / Hour) means you can runa a 1,000 Watt device for 1 hour.

So, when we have an 8.4KWH system, that means you should expect around 8.4 hours of run time at 1,000W of power draw.

When we look at 17KWH, the formula stays the same, but the run time is drastically increased with ~17 hours of run time at 1,000W of power draw.

Think of KWH as the size of your fuel tank: the bigger the tank, the longer you can go without having to refuel. It's also important to keep in mind that every feature that requires electricity in your camper van is pulling from that fuel tank at different rates.

Now that we understand the basics of KWH, let's take a look at some estimated daily power draws and how long you can stay off-grid using each of our premium power systems.

Estimated Daily Power Draws

Below, you will find some simplified charts outlining some of the most frequent systems usages in your van as well as their run times and estimated daily watts consumed.

Item	Power Usage	Daily Run Time	Daily Watts
Cabin Lighting	40W	6 HRS	240W
Maxxair Fan	30W - 60W	8 HRS	320W
Fridge	17W	24 HRS	400W
Phone Charge	20W	2 HRS	40W
Laptop Charge	65W	2 HRS	130W
Air Conditioning	400W - 900W	4 HRS	2,400W
Induction Cooking	1800W	20 MIN	600W
Microwave	700W	5 MIN	58W
Total Daily Draw			4,188W

With this information, we can determine (about) how much time a person can spend off-grid with both the 8.4kW and 17kW lithium power systems.

Typical Power Consumption

The "typical" van owner (if there's such a thing) will use their interior lighting for a few hours in the early morning and a few hours once it starts to get dark at night.

When the day starts to heat up, they'll turn on their exhaust fan for ventilation. During the hottest part of the day, they'll crank up their air conditioner.

In the kitchen, they'll want to breifly use their induction cooktop and microwave for meals and, of course, their refrigerator will be running 24/7.

Finally, they'll want to keep all of their electronics, like their phone and laptop charged for daily use.

Item	Power Usage	Daily Run Time	Daily Watts	% of 8.4kW	% of 17kW
Cabin Lighting	40W	6 HRS	240W	2.9%	1.4%
Maxxair Fan	30W - 60W	8 HRS	320W	3.8%	1.9%
Fridge	17W	24 HRS	400W	4.8%	2.4%
Phone Charge	20W	2 HRS	40W	0.5%	0.2%
Laptop Charge	65W	2 HRS	130W	1.5%	0.8%
Air Conditioning	400W - 900W	4 HRS	2,400W	28.6%	14.3%
Induction Cooking	1800W	20 MIN	600W	7.1%	3.6%
Microwave	700W	5 MIN	58W	0.7%	0.3%
Total Daily Draw			4,188W	49.9%	24.9%

Once we have plugged this watt usage data, we see that normal usage would use about 50% of the 8.4kW battery capacity in a single day. This means that (with no charging input) the 8.4kW system could operate fully off-grid, unsupported for about 2 days.

With an upgrade to the 17kW system, you see this daily draw number shrink to ~25% of power used per day. This means that the 17kW system would be capable of about 4 days of fully off-grid, unsupported operation without a single charging input.

Solar Charging Input For Off-Grid Longevity

If you have any charging input from your solar panels (standard with every Off Highway Van), the power consumption numbers shown in the charts above start to change dramatically.

Item	Power Usage	Daily Run Time	Daily Watts	% of 8.4kW	% of 17kW
Cabin Lighting	40W	6 HRS	240W	2.9%	1.4%
Maxxair Fan	30W - 60W	8 HRS	320W	3.8%	1.9%
Fridge	17W	24 HRS	400W	4.8%	2.4%
Phone Charge	20W	2 HRS	40W	0.5%	0.2%
Laptop Charge	65W	2 HRS	130W	1.5%	0.8%
Air Conditioning	400W - 900W	4 HRS	2,400W	28.6%	14.3%
Induction Cooking	1800W	20 MIN	600W	7.1%	3.6%
Microwave	700W	5 MIN	58W	0.7%	0.3%
Total Daily Draw			4,188W	49.9%	24.9%
Charging Input
Solar Energy	200W	8HRS	1200W	14.3%	7.1%
Net Daily			2,988W	35.6%	17.8%

At Off Highway Van, we add a 200W solar energy system to every van build to offset your van's daily power consumption by around 1200W. This increases your potential time off-grid by almost 40% with the 8.4kW system: extending your off-grid run time to almost 3 days.

Using this same solar energy system with the 17kW power system, means extending off-grid run time by about 1.5 days to ~5.5 days unsupported.

Dual Alternator Input For Off-Grid Longevity

For 2026, all Off Highway Van models will come standard with our dual-alternator kit. This kit allows you to recharge your off-grid camper van's battery system by simply driving or letting the van idle for a few minutes.

Item	Power Usage	Daily Run Time	Daily Watts	% of 8.4kW	% of 17kW
Cabin Lighting	40W	6 HRS	240W	2.9%	1.4%
Maxxair Fan	30W - 60W	8 HRS	320W	3.8%	1.9%
Fridge	17W	24 HRS	400W	4.8%	2.4%
Phone Charge	20W	2 HRS	40W	0.5%	0.2%
Laptop Charge	65W	2 HRS	130W	1.5%	0.8%
Air Conditioning	400W - 900W	4 HRS	2,400W	28.6%	14.3%
Induction Cooking	1800W	20 MIN	600W	7.1%	3.6%
Microwave	700W	5 MIN	58W	0.7%	0.3%
Total Daily Draw			4,188W	49.9%	24.9%
Charging Input
Dual Alternator	6500W	30 MIN	3000W	35.7%	17.9%
Net Daily			1,188W	14.1%	17.8%

In just 30 min (moving between campsites, exploring, etc) our 6500W dual alternator kit will charge your van's battery system with around 3000W. This means that with the 8.4kW system, you can easily spend an entire week off-grid using this 30 min method.

Upgrading to the 17kW power system with the dual alternator kit can keep you off-grid for 2 weeks (given a 30 min daily drive)!

Dual Alternator + Solar (The Off Highway Van Standard)

Combining our dual alternator kit and 30 min of daily driving with our 200W solar energy system (both standard on every Off Highway Van) your time off-grid becomes nearly unlimited.

With the standard usage calculated below, you might even be able to achieve net positive wattage!

Item	Power Usage	Daily Run Time	Daily Watts	% of 8.4kW	% of 17kW
Cabin Lighting	40W	6 HRS	240W	2.9%	1.4%
Maxxair Fan	30W - 60W	8 HRS	320W	3.8%	1.9%
Fridge	17W	24 HRS	400W	4.8%	2.4%
Phone Charge	20W	2 HRS	40W	0.5%	0.2%
Laptop Charge	65W	2 HRS	130W	1.5%	0.8%
Air Conditioning	400W - 900W	4 HRS	2,400W	28.6%	14.3%
Induction Cooking	1800W	20 MIN	600W	7.1%	3.6%
Microwave	700W	5 MIN	58W	0.7%	0.3%
Total Daily Draw			4,188W	49.9%	24.9%
Charging Input
Dual Alternator	6500W	30 MIN	3000W	35.7%	17.9%
Solar Energy	200W	8HRS	1200W	14.3%	7.1%
Net Daily			12W	0.1%	0.1%

With these two, standard systems, the only things you'll need to head to town for are gas and food!

Who is the 8.4kW System For?

Now that we've gone over the basics of KWH and standard power draws, let's talk about which travelers the 8.4kW lithium power system is best for.

If you're a weekend adventurer or a frequent explorer this system is extremely efficient, capable, and more than enough power for most use cases. If your typical trip looks like this, it will make a lot of sense to choose the 8.4kW system:

• You explore most days (charging via the dual alternator)

• You use air conditioning occasionally, not continuously

• You travel in sunny climates (solar energy generation)

• You want a lighter, more cost-effective electrical system

Who is the 17kW System For?

We've talked about the 8.4kW system and who it's for, but what about the 17kW system? This system is designed for van owners who are seeking maximum off-grid independence.

This system is ideal when you're looking for a van that can:

• Spend around a week in the same place without driving

• Run air conditioning continuously in hot climates

• Cook more often than average

• Use multiple high-draw appliances

• Be used to work remotely full-time / as a full-time living space

With 17kW of usable energy on demand, you effectively double the available off-grid run time of your camper van's systems.

Our Van Expert's Take: 8.4kW vs. 17kW

After consulting with our team of adventure van experts, they came up with the following TL;DR explanation for the 8.4kW vs. 17kW power system debate:

8.4kW Lithium Energy System

The 8.4kW system is ideal for 90% of van owners. It is very rare that you will not have input to offset your daily watt usage. As experienced van users, owners, and testers ourselves, we have had no issues spending long stretches of time off-grid using the 8.4kW system.

17kW Lithium Energy System

Though the 8.4kW system fits most use cases, we are acutely aware that there is a percentage of van owners that demand more power and more independence in some of the most extreme environments. We also understand the needs of long-term van life and the benefits of being able to bring a couple of extra creature comforts into your adventure van build.

Safety + Reliability: Standard

No matter which system you choose, you can rest easy knowing that Off Highway Van's team of experts have tested and vetted these top-of-the-line lithium energy systems, have installed the systems with the utmost care, and will back their reliability for 5 years.

If you're still unsure about the right power system for your off-grid camper van build, our team can walk through your exact travel style and help you configure the system that makes the most sense for the way you adventure.