BougeRV Portable Power Station Review
(Camp Addict does NOT accept payment from any company to review or endorse their products.)
By Kelly Beasley
A portable power station can be a game-changer if you plan to hit the road in your recreational vehicle or head out camping.
With so many options available on the market, it's challenging to know which is right for you.
That's why we put several different power stations (also called solar generators) to the test, and today we're excited to share our thoughts on the BougeRV portable power station.
One of the first things we noticed about this unit was the construction quality.
It feels sturdy and well-built, and we appreciate the attention to detail that went into the design. Additionally, it offers an outstanding balance of cost, battery lifespan, and portability.
A quick overview: it is a good (and affordable, compared to other similar units) product if you need to keep a heater or fridge powered for a few days or keep other smaller devices powered.
Let's dive deeper to see what this solar generator/portable power station provides for your RV life.
Full Disclosure: BougeRV sent us a solar generator to test and evaluate. As with all products we agree to test, we are under no obligation to write a glowing review for a product given to us. If we like a product and think it's a good fit for our audience, we will discuss it on Camp Addict. If we don't like the product, you will never hear about it from us.
What Does A Solar Generator Do?
In basic terms, an RV solar power generator is a big battery pack. It has places to plug in appliances, devices, and more to power them or recharge.
These solar generators, sometimes called power stations, are usually lightweight and portable.
They are recharged using solar systems (thus the name 'solar generator'), AC outlets, and sometimes even 12-volt car cigarette lighter style ports.
They supply power when camping, going off-grid, people with RVs use them often, and they come in handy when losing power at home.
What's In The Box?
The BougeRV portable power station comes in a high-quality, thick box decorated in black and yellow marketing colors. Two things are immediately apparent:
1. It's clear which side is up.
2. Damaging the unit would require a massive blow to the box.
It has open holes for using as handles making carrying easy. The contents are well-packaged in dense foam, giving excellent protection from any hits or drops.
The unit arrived in good shape and undamaged.
What we like most about this portable power station is it's well-built, sturdy, and has every input you'd ever want. It's also light and easy to manage.
At 1100 watt-hours, it's likely to cover you over a weekend or even a week camping trip without recharging if your power needs are low to medium.
The manual is not overwhelming and is easy to read.
Specifications And Features
Here we look at what comes with the power station and what it offers for your camping or RVing trip.
Specs
So what does this unit have that you need?
It has nearly every output type available, including USB ports. However, it does not have grounds for the AC outlets (it has 2-prong plugs instead of 3-prong plugs required for grounding).
Power ports include:
Each style of power port is independently switched on and off. This way, the power station isn't wasting electricity by powering unnecessary outputs (i.e., you independently control the AC outlets from the USB outlets from the DC outlets).
The display clearly shows which ports are currently powered on.
Display showing AC outlets active
The only thing we dislike is that the AC outlets have no grounds. There are holes for the third prong, but they aren't wired.
It's your choice to decide if you want to risk plugging in a three-prong appliance without grounding.
Battery
While it has a lithium-ion battery (NCM), it's not the 'best' type of lithium battery out there (the LiFePo4 type is considered the 'gold standard' of lithium batteries).
That said, the BougeRV battery DOES last for 1,500 cycles.
(Note: BougeRV offers a LiFePo4 version of this portable power station which you can buy here.)
Battery Type: Lithium Ion (NCM)
Life Cycle: 1,500+ cycles to 80% capacity
Capacity: 1100 watt-hours (Wh)
Solar Recharge: 12-30V, 8A 200-watt maximum
DC Recharge: 12-30V, 8A 200-watt maximum
USB-C Charge: 20V, 3A 60-watt maximum
Charge Times: 5.5 hours from 200W solar or from AC (wall) charger, 9 hours via car 12-volt power port (120-watts maximum). You can use USB-C charging to supplement either solar or AC charging to get charge time under 5 hours.
Dimensions and Weight
The compact size and nature of this solar generator makes it easy for almost anyone to lift and carry on a trip. It's extremely easy to move and won't tip over easily.
It's way too large and heavy to carry on a hiking trip but will suffice for most in-place needs.
Dimensions: It's 12 inches long by 9.1 inches deep and almost 10.5 incles tall.
The unit weighs 30 pounds. It has two large and broad yellow handles at the top, making it easy to grab and pick up.
Display
We like the display on this power supply. All the ports are on one side for easy access.
Display showing power supply not being used
The almost three-inch screen shows everything you need to know. Whether it is charging or being charged, the relevant information shows on the dual-color screen.
You must turn on each style of power output to use that port. When you do so, the screen shows that section as 'active' or 'on.'
Display showing all power outlets on
It also displays an up-to-date reading of the input and output watts. Overall, we like the display screen functions, but unfortunately, you cannot dim the display's brightness.
How Much Power Can It Store?
The BougeRV solar generator has an 1100 watt-hour capacity and a 1200-watt rated power output (2000-watt peak). What can you do with 1100 watt-hours?
Well, that's a loaded question with only a complicated and personal answer.
It all depends on how much 'power' you need in a typical day of usage. This depends on what types of items you are powering and how long you plug them in.
The more you use and the higher the power consumption of the appliances/devices, the shorter the lifespan of a full charge.
For example, if you only use the BougeRV power station to recharge your phone, the unit's capacity will last you a very long time.
But if you are looking to power an electric space heater, the BougeRV will be drained rapidly.
Example usage times for appliances powered by the BougeRV Portable Power Station
Above is a chart that might help.
It shows how long you may be able to power various common appliances.
Know that within each type of appliance, power consumption can vary considerably between manufacturers and models.
You can also figure out how much power you use in a day using a watt-hour calculator (or a Kill-A-Watt electricity monitor) to determine how many watt-hours each appliance or device uses in a typical day.
BougeRV Solar Generator Portability
Being so lightweight at only 30 pounds, it's clear that you can bring this unit almost anywhere.
While it may not be the smallest portable power station available, it's still reasonably sized for its impressive battery capacity, making it easy to carry around short distances.
With this size, you can use it in your tent camping setup, bring it in your car for car camping, or on a day trip to power a small refrigerator and whatever else you need.
It quickly provides great off-grid power for multiple power needs, such as CPAP machines, lighting, and other necessary accessories or household appliances.
The yellow handles on the top of the unit make it easy to pick up and carry.
Durability Of The BougeRV Power Station
The casing for the unit is aluminum. The top and bottom portions are plastic, and everything feels solid and sturdy.
Though we've only tested it for about six months as of the time of publishing this review, time will tell how well this power station performs and ages.
The manufacturer warns against storing it for a long time in a very humid environment as the BougeRV power station is not waterproof.
Recharging The Unit
Though it only has two inputs for recharging the BougeRV solar generator, it recharges in almost any manner imaginable.
You can use solar panels (BougeRV does offer a 130-watt solar panel, sold separately), a wall outlet, or use a vehicle or RVs 12-volt cigarette lighter port.
Or, you can use any solar kit rated up to 200 watts if it has an MC4 connector. Connect it to the PV input using the supplied adapter cable, and you're charging the unit.
BougeRV provides the AC and DC cables needed for charging the unit and has an MC4 solar cable for the solar panel kit.
The USB-C port has input as well as output capabilities. Meaning for the fastest charge, you would use the AC input at the same time you use the USB-C input.
Using both, dual charging to fully powered takes just under 5 hours.
It has a built-in MPPT (maximum power point tracking) charge controller, meaning it regulates itself and, therefore, will 'live' a longer lifespan.
Here are the different recharging options:
Solar Recharge: 12-30V, 8A 200-watt maximum
DC Recharge: 12-30V, 8A 200-watt maximum
USB-C Charge: 20V, 3A 60-watt maximum
Charge Times: 5.5 hours from 200W solar or from AC (wall) charger, 9 hours via car 12-volt power port (120-watts maximum). You can use USB-C charging to supplement either solar or AC charging to get charge time under 5 hours.
Warranty
The BougeRV solar battery has an 18-month warranty with 'lifetime technical support.' Like many online websites, we believe they should be more detailed about the warranty.
The customer support at BougeRV is stellar so far, and we hope it continues to be great for the consumer.
Downsides To The BougeRV Portable Power Station
Thus far, the only two things we are not excited about with this unit are:
120-volt outlets have a space for ground prong, but outlets themselves are not grounded
Conclusion
The BougeRV solar generator is a solid performer that rivals popular brands such as the Jackery 1500 solar generator.
We feel that the EcoFlow Delta Max is worth checking out if you need all the bells and whistles.
BougeRV provides an 'easier on the budget' system that works very well.
We continue testing our BougeRV unit and use it and will update this page with any new findings.
Author: Kelly Beasley
I dedicated myself to living the full-time RV life for over 6.5 years, immersing myself in the unique quirks and joys of the boondocking lifestyle and gaining a wealth of knowledge and experience along the way. In December 2020, my business partner and I made the transition to part-time RVing, but in January 2023, we hit the road once again, this time in our trusty vans. My mission is to help others embrace the RVing lifestyle with confidence and excitement, armed with the knowledge and resources needed to make the most of their adventures. I believe that the more you know, the more you can truly appreciate and enjoy the freedom and flexibility of the open road.