How To Charge Ebike While Camping: 7 Ways

There are several effective ways to charge an e-bike while camping. You can always rely on renewable resources like solar panels, at least you won’t run out of fuel. Also, it would add on a bit more convenience if you could carry a fully charged extra battery for your ebike. Even in a desperate situation, you can efficiently use the car battery inverter to charge the ebike battery. 

Here is a detailed overview of different charging methods while camping. 

1. Solar Panels
2. Battery Bank
3. Car Battery Inverter
4. Generator
5. Use A Power Outlet
6. E-bike Charging Stations
7. Wind Turbine

Solar Panels

The best renewable resource we all have is sunlight. Relying on solar power to charge your e-bike and other gadgets will be the most eco-friendly, cost-effective method.

There won’t be any risk of running out of fuel so just carrying a solar panel or solar blanket is all you need.

Although solar panels are pretty remarkable, there are still a few drawbacks such as the high cost of solar panels, taking a long time to charge the ebike battery, you may not be able to use it in gloomy weather, and more. 

Just set up your solar panels to make sure it’s getting the optimal amount of sun exposure. Connect to the ebike charging port and done. 

For your convenience here is a step-by-step guide on how to connect your ebike to a solar panel 

Step 1 – Find lightweight solar panel

While camping, it’s inefficient to carry heavy loads. Go for a lightweight flexible solar panel so that you can carry it and set it up without losing too much energy.

Step 2 – Connect the solar panel with the charge controller 

You would need to connect a solar charge controller to the solar panel. After connecting the controller you could use a multimeter to check the output. Adjust the output to match your ebike battery requirements.

Step 3 – Use an adapter to connect the whole set with an ebike battery charger 

Now the final and easiest step. Connect one end of the adapter to the solar charge controller and the other end to the ebike battery charger. You are all set to charge your e-bike with a solar panel. 

Battery Bank

If you have an RV battery bank or just brought extra deep cell batteries then you are all set to charge the ebike. 

Step 1 – Know about the output

You can easily get the battery bank output information by reading the manufacturer handbook. You can also use a multimeter to test the output and find out if it fits your needs. 

Step 2 – Connect the battery charger 

The simplest thing to do, just connect the battery charger plug to the battery bank outlet, and the job is done. 

Car Battery Inverter

It’s quite convenient and easy to use a car battery as an electrical power source to charge your e-bike while camping.

Here is a step-by-step guide for you.

Step 1 – Get a pure sine wave inverter

You would need a pure sine wave inverter. Make sure it’s a well-renowned brand and the efficiency of turning DC into AC is top-notch.

Step 2 – Connect it with your car battery

You need to connect the negative end of the inverter to the negative end of the car battery and the same goes for the positive end. 

It’s best to check with a multimeter to ensure the inverter is providing satisfactory output for your ebike battery.

Step 3 – Connect the ebike battery charger with the inverter 

Now the only thing that needs to be done is plugging in the ebike battery charger to the inverter and letting the battery charge. 

(YouTube video link: https://youtu.be/BYp_mJFhERk )

Generator

Having a generator with you will be the simplest and most effortless way to charge your ebike battery and other electronic gadgets while camping. 

Step 1 -Find a powerful generator

You should have at least a 500-watt generator to charge the ebike battery and if it’s in your budget go for a 1000-watt generator. 

Step 2 -plugging in the charger

Keep the generator setting DC to AC. Plug in the ebike battery charger. That’s all you need to do. 

Use A Power Outlet

Finding a public free-to-use power outlet might be tough when you are camping. So you can simply follow this trick. 

Go to the nearest restaurant or bar and order a meal or a drink. Have a heartwarming conversation with the manager or owner. Don’t forget to tip generously. 

Ask politely if you can charge your e-bike battery in their restaurant. You should never rush such things. Even if you had a meal and tipped generously, you are not entitled to use their electricity. So be gentle and patient, people will surely help you. 

E-bike Charging Stations

As the popularity of ebike rises so does the commercial aspect related to it. At present, you might not find ebike charging station within your hand reach but it won’t take that long.

Before taking an ebike for camping, make sure to get an overall idea about the surrounding medical center, gas station, and charging station.

You can use Google Maps to find the nearest EV charging station, if you are lucky you might find a dedicated E-bike charging station. You could easily charge your e-bike in the Electric Vehicle charging station. 

Wind Turbine

Although it’s still in the development stages it won’t take long to be available for the masses. 

The idea is to use wind power to rotate a turbine and produce electricity. They are also gonna combine solar power to generate electricity to be more efficient and eco-friendly. 

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How Much Power Do You Need To Charge Your E-bike?

Usually, it takes as little as 400 Watt hours to almost up to 800 Watt-hour power to charge your e-bike.

The power consumption to fully recharge an ebike might vary from bike to bike. There are several key factors that may increase or decrease the power consumption during charging such as

• The battery size 
• manufacturing design 
• Battery capacity and voltage 

Can I Charge My E-bike While Camping?

You definitely can charge your e-bike while camping. There are more than several effective ways to do it. 

You can carry a portable power station or battery bank while camping. 

Just by using a battery inverter, you can connect your ebike with your car, RV, or motorhome and get it fully charged. 

Is It A Good Idea To Take E-bike Camping?

It’s an excellent idea to take an ebike for camping. When you are trying to get in touch with nature by camping you should also think about your Carbon footprint. 

Ebike being the most effective way to go green and reduce your carbon emission and is quite convenient to take it out while camping. 

It might be difficult if you ride your regular bike on the mountain terrain but with your ebike, you can effortlessly climb up slopes and preserve energy.

All your camping teammates, despite their age, height, and physical condition, would be easily able to keep up with the whole team by just riding an ebike. 

Where Can I Camp With An Ebike?

You can take your e-bike to almost anywhere suitable for camping. Federal law generally considers ebikes as regular two-wheeler non-motorized vehicles. So your ebike will have access to the beach, mountain, Park, etc. 

However, different states might have some restrictions on entering certain areas like certain state parks.

What To Look For In An Ebike For Camping?

Benefits Of An Ebike While Camping

Best Ebikes For Camping

Here is a list of the best ebike for camping, hope you can find your perfect match:

• RECON SCOUT
• RadRunner 2 Electric Utility Bike
• RadWagon 4 Electric Cargo Bike
• Jeep® E-Bike
• Ranger E-Bike

How To Carry Your Camping Gear On An Ebike

There are usually two ways to carry Camping gear on an ebike.

• Bike packing: it’s actually carrying all your necessary camping equipment and other stuff in your backpack. Carrying the bag on your shoulder and riding the bike, it could be pretty hard to keep balance if you do so.

• Attach a trailer: attaching a decent size trailer with your Ebike will help you carry more weight. You would be able to enjoy a more comfortable ride with easy maneuverability. 

FAQ

Conclusion 

While camping, it’s better to have a reliable power source to charge your gadgets.  For a sunny day carry a solar panel and you won’t have to worry about charging your ebike. You should always carry an inverter, an adapter cable and if possible a second replacement battery. 

With an inverter, you can connect with any regular car battery and charge your e-bike. You can also rely on Google maps and find the nearest EV charging station for your ebike. 

Resources

• Guide to Electric Bikes for Camping
• How To Solar Charge Your eBike With Portable Solar Panels