Simple 12V Diesel Heater Power Setup for Our Yucca-Pac Camper
- Dan
- Jun 27
- 5 min read
When we brought our Yucca-Pac camper home, the long-term electrical system was still very much a future project. We knew we wanted a proper 12V setup eventually, but Alberta Outdoor Adventure Expo was coming quickly and we needed a way to keep the camper warm.
With less than 12 hours to figure it out, we put together a simple, locally sourced battery and solar setup to power our diesel heater.
It was not the cheapest setup possible. There are definitely lighter lithium battery options and less expensive components available online. But this was built with what we could find locally, right away, without drilling holes in the camper or committing to a final electrical layout.
The result? Our HCalory Toolbox diesel heater ran for approximately 26 hours straight through a cold, rainy Alberta Expo weekend.
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Gear Used in This Setup
Group 31, 105Ah AGM battery
NOMA 100W solar panel with included charge controller
Basic battery terminals, wiring, and connections
Our Goal: Simple Heat Without a Permanent Electrical Build
The Yucca-Pac has a really useful front cubby behind the fold-down table. It gave us a place to tuck away the battery, charge controller, and wiring without permanently changing the camper.
That was important for us.
We are still deciding what the final electrical system will look like. We do not use much 120V power in the camper, and we are not running a fridge yet. Instead of buying a portable power station as a temporary solution, we wanted to start with a simple 12V system that could grow with the build.
For this first stage, the goal was simple:
Power the diesel heater
Add solar recovery while parked
Keep everything removable
Avoid drilling holes in the camper
Use parts available locally in one day
The Simple 12V Setup We Used
The system itself was about as basic as it gets.
We used a Group 31, 105Ah AGM battery as the main power source. It is heavy, around 63 pounds, but it was the biggest battery available locally and had the dual terminals and capacity we needed for the heater.
We wired the battery directly to the HCalory diesel heater power cord and tucked everything into the Yucca-Pac’s front cubby.
For solar, we picked up a NOMA 100W solar panel that came with a basic 8.5A charge controller and a fold-out stand. The useful part was that the connections matched the solar hookup already installed on the Yucca-Pac, so we could plug in without drilling holes or running new wiring through the camper.
That gave us a fully removable system. We could set the panel outside, plug it into the camper, and let it charge the battery while everything else stayed safely tucked inside.
What This Setup Cost Us
This was not built as the cheapest possible 12V setup. It was built to get heat into the camper immediately using parts we could find locally.
Here is roughly what we paid:
NOMA 100W solar panel with charge controller: C$179.99 on sale
Group 31, 105Ah AGM battery: C$419, including the refundable battery core charge
Wiring, terminals, and connections: approximately C$7
HCalory diesel heater: approximately C$210
That put the complete heater and power setup under C$900.
Could we have ordered a lithium battery online for less money? Absolutely. There are 100Ah lithium batteries available online for less than what we paid for the AGM battery.
But that was not the situation we were in.
We needed something available that day, and this setup gave us a workable starting point that can still grow into a larger camper electrical system later.
Why We Used AGM Instead of Lithium
Lithium is still likely where we will end up long term.
A lithium battery is lighter, offers more usable capacity, and makes a lot of sense for an overland camper build. The problem was that nobody local had one in stock when we needed it.
The AGM battery was available immediately, had enough capacity for what we needed, and gave us a way to get the heater running before Expo.
It may not be the final battery in the camper, but it worked.
How Long Did the Heater Run?
The real-world result was better than we expected.
Our HCalory diesel heater ran for approximately 26 hours straight during Alberta Outdoor Adventure Expo.
That was through a weekend with rain, clouds, and very limited solar conditions. We did not have a proper battery monitor installed, so we cannot tell you exactly how many amp-hours the heater used or how much the solar panel replaced.
The charge controller is very basic. It uses indicator lights rather than showing battery voltage, solar wattage, or amp-hour usage.
Still, after roughly an hour of sunlight, the controller showed a green light indicating that the battery was fully charged.
That does not give us perfect data, but it does show that the 100W panel was helping the system recover even during a mostly overcast weekend.
For a quick, simple setup, we were impressed.
Why We Did Not Buy a Portable Power Station
Portable power stations were available locally, but they were significantly more expensive than ordering one online.
The bigger reason, though, is that a power station does not really fit our long-term plan.
We are not running big 120V loads. We do not have a fridge in the camper yet. We are mostly looking to power 12V accessories like the diesel heater, interior lights, USB charging, and whatever else we add as the Yucca-Pac build comes together.
Starting with a standalone 12V battery and solar panel made more sense for the way we camp.
It gives us something we can expand instead of buying a separate power station that may not fit the final setup.
What We Plan to Upgrade Next
This was a quick, functional setup. It is not the finished electrical system.
The biggest upgrade we want to make next is a better solar charge controller. The included controller worked, but it is very basic. It tells us if the panel is connected and whether the battery is charging, but it does not show enough information to properly track the system.
Eventually, we would like to add:
A better MPPT solar charge controller
A proper battery monitor
Fused 12V distribution for lights and accessories
Cleaner, more permanent wiring
A lithium battery bank
Roof-mounted solar using the Yucca-Pac roof rack
Interior camper lights and USB charging
For now, though, the setup does exactly what we need.
It keeps the camper warm.
A Simple Camper Power Setup That Actually Worked
There are cheaper ways to build a 12V setup. There are lighter ways to build one. There are definitely more advanced ways to build one.
But this system was built in under 12 hours with local parts, required no permanent camper modifications, and ran our diesel heater for about 26 hours during a wet Alberta weekend.
That is a win in our books.
We now have heat in the Yucca-Pac, a removable 100W solar panel, and a battery setup that can become the starting point for a larger electrical system.
This is only the beginning of the Yucca-Pac build.
Stay tuned as we keep adding to the camper, improve the electrical setup, wire in lights, and share a full breakdown of the Yucca-Pac itself.
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