Last Updated on April 30, 2024 by Nikole

There’s a lot of equipment you need to live the camper van life including a slat bed, kitchen accessories, and a TV.

Let’s be honest there is a time and a place for TVs even when you explore the world. You need to find times to rest between your adventures. Rainy days, injuries, and resting are all great reasons why you need TVs for camper vans.

Let’s take a look at all the different TVs you can use for van life. You may be surprised at what you can actually power with your vehicle’s battery.

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Is there a difference between a camper Van TV and regular TV?

Yes, there are several differences between a camper van/RV tv and a regular home tv. The following points are the key differences.

• Sturdiness
• 12v capabilities
• Weight
• Size

Sturdiness: Camper van/RV TVs are designed to withstand bumps in the road. While on the road your tv is sure to be jostled around because of sharp turns, off-roading, and swift stopping.

Camper van and RV TVs are designed with the capabilities of being in non-temperature controlled environments, whereas home TVs are not. If you find yourself in ever-changing weather or humid climates be sure to purchase the appropriate TV.

12V Capabilities: If you plan on boondocking you will need a 12v TV so you can run it off your camper van battery. Otherwise, you will use a 240v plug, which will work great if you are staying at a campsite and using their shore power (this is what we do).

Weight: Weight is a huge deal for all van lifers, and it’s something important to consider before purchasing your tv. The bigger the TV, the more it weighs, therefore, you’ll need a smaller one.

Size: Considering a camper van is fairly small you want to consider the size of your TV. 19″ to 27″ is the typical size for camper van TVs. This size will give you the perfect amount of screen and save you space in your living quarters.

Can you use home TVs for Camper Vans?

Yes, you can use a home tv in a camper van. However, You will need to plug this into shore power or a battery inverter. This kind of TV isn’t the ideal option for boondocking, because regular home TVs will not run off your 12V van battery.

You will need a deep-cycle battery along with a capable inverter to use a regular 120V TV. A regular TV runs off of AC power, whereas your vehicle battery produces DC power. You will need the inverter to convert the power from DC to AC so your TV can run properly.

We Actually use a home TV in our High Top Ford Transit van, and it’s lasted us about a year now. We use a deep-cycle battery and inverter with the TV when we are off-grid. However, this barely gets us through a few hours of constantly watching movies.

Why Do I recommend 12v Camper Van and RV TVs?

I recommend using a 12v Tv in your camper van because that’s what those TVs are built for. They are built sturdy and withstand bangs and bumps.

I also love you can hook them directly up to your vehicle battery without an inverter. These 12v TVs are designed to work directly hooked up to the battery because it uses DC power.

What kind of Tvs Can I run off of my van battery?

You can run just about any TV off your van battery with the right equipment (listed above). You can run a 12v tv or a regular home TV, this just depends on the invertor you have.

Here are several types of TVs you can choose from.

LCD

These are perfect camper van and RV TVs because you can find them just about anywhere. They are the most common type of TV used in recreational vehicles.

They feature slim frames making it easier to store. The lightweight bodies allow you to install them on a mount without worrying about them tearing down your walls.

LED

LED TVs are known for their reduced power consumption. If you are boondocking with your camper van or RV this is the perfect option for you. It will help you save your power for more important things like cooking.

Plasma TVs

If you want the best picture quality and aren’t too concerned about power consumption Plasma TVs are the right choice for you.

With this TV no matter what angle you watch it from will give you the best picture. It doesn’t blur when watching from an angle.

A huge downside to this is the heat plasmas produce. You don’t want one of these when you are boondocking in 90-degree weather. These are best suited for RVs or camper vans at a campground.

Best TVs for Camper Vans

I found all the best TVs for camper vans so you don’t have to search for them.

Large 12 Volt Smart TV

If you are anything like me, you go all out when you watch TV. That means you get the biggest TV offered for camper vans. Unfortunately, the SYLVOX 32-inch RV TV won’t fit in our van, but when we upgrade to a bigger van that’s the tv we are getting!

The SYLVOX TV is designed specifically for RVs, so you will be getting the best of the best with this one. It has 12V capabilities, HDMI/USB/VGA Input, and an ultra-widescreen angle.

Pros

• Fantastic screen display with ultra-wide angle
• 12V
• Large 32-inch screen
• Made for RVs and camper vans
• 1080P high definition

Cons

• Doesn’t have a DVD player built-in

headrest TV

This 13″ LED TV is perfect for small camper vans. You can set it up on the back of your headrest or get a TV mount to watch your favorite shows in bed.

Here are some pros and cons to this SINYOFOX TV.

Pros

• 12v capabilities
• HDMI in and out
• Built-In Wi-Fi
• Capable of using hotspot from phone
• Phone mirroring. Supports iPhone and Android devices.
• 4k

Cons

• Has a good picture, but not the best
• No battery built-in

Battery-operated TVs for Camper Vans

This 13.3-inch LCD TV can provide you with all your off-grid camper van needs. It comes with a rechargeable battery and a 12v plug to recharge the battery. You can easily install it on your table or wall with the right TV mount.

Pros

• Comes with a rechargeable battery
• 12V capabilities
• LCD
• Great picture
• HDMI input

Cons

• The battery is built-in and cannot be removed
• Cannot mirror phone

How Long Can a Car Battery Power a TV? 

A car, or in this case a camper van battery, can power a tv until the battery is 50% depleted, and can run a 30-watt TV for around 10 hours.

This is also determined by the wattage of your television. The higher the wattage of the television, the fewer hours your battery will be able to power it. The lower the television’s wattage, the more you can watch it.

How can I watch Camper Van TV without a generator?

You can watch TV in your camper van without a generator and without a vehicle battery. You can look into a battery-operated tv. These TVs come with batteries built into them.

Using your camper van battery is also a great option and will give you the most playtime.

What is the best RV TV antenna?

If you want to see local broadcasting on your camper van television, you’ll need an antenna. You’ll need an antenna if you don’t want to search these things up on the internet. Unfortunately, antennas can be quite sketchy, sometimes you can pick up on channels, and sometimes you can’t.

Personally, we have never had success with antennas, and we don’t have the patience to deal with them, and that’s why we just check the news on our phones when we have a good signal. We also watch DVDs or stream Netflix.

Tv Mounts for Camper Vans

TV mounts for camper vans may seem as simple as getting a wall-mount and installing it on the walls of your camper vans, but there’s more to it.

It’s important to remember that your camper van is a MOBILE home. Anything in the back is subject to breaking if you don’t properly store them.

You will need a locking mount that way your TV isn’t banging against the walls on those sudden stops.

Trust me this is a good investment. We had the wrong mount for our TV and just the noise of it banging against the wall at every turn was enough to drive us crazy.

How to Get Netflix, Hulu, etc in a Camper Van.

Most of us want a TV with streaming capabilities, so the first thing you need to look for in a TV is if it can mirror your phone. If not, you can try a DVD player, Xbox, PlayStation, or Roku device. As long as your TV has an HDMI plug all of those devices can be used for watching Netflix, Hulu, or other streaming services.

You also need an internet connection to stream these on your TV, ideally, a connection that can handle a 2 Mbps bandwidth. If you are boondocking in the middle of nowhere streaming may not be possible. If you want to enhance your Wi-Fi you can get a booster, which we will talk about next.

How do you get WiFi in a camper van?

Can you get internet in a camper or camper van? There are several WI-FI options you can look into.

• Satellite Internet
• Wi-Fi booster
• Mobile routers
• Mi-Fi

I would recommend getting a booster for any internet you decide to go with, this will really help “boost” your streaming services.

A booster will help those who are boondocking because it can extend the reach of any network. However, that doesn’t mean you will always have Wi-Fi, it all depends on how far away your campsite is.

A Mi-Fi is a small box-like device you can get from your internet or cell phone provider. This device is essentially the same thing as a mobile router. It acts like a hot spot from your phone, you just connect your device to the internet through the Mi-Fi device.

In Conclusion

Now that you have found the perfect TVs for camper vans it’s time to watch your favorite movie. Let me know what your favorite movies or shows are in the comments.