Crock Pot while Boondocking?

If your crockpot is 400 watts, you will need a 500 watt inverter and probably about a 600 watt solar panel. These figures may be a little high but you will have losses.

Adjust the figures higher or lower based on your actual crock pot.

Not a real practical idea. Assuming you need more power for other purposes, you will need a very large solar array and battery bank.

Some alternatives for boondocking:
- Pressure cooker: makes a lot of similar meals but really cuts down on cook time. With a small propane burner outside, it won't heat up the RV and won't use a lot of fuel.
- Since you are in sunny arizona, consider a solar stove. They basically use mirrors to concentrate sunlight on the pot and generally achieve slowcooker type temperatures. (google for premade units or home built units)

Hi Catkins,

Mine draws 300 watts when the element is on. There are 12 volt crock pots.

Being in AZ why not try SOLAR cooking? Seen it done down there a few years back and very effective. The other alternative is Dutch oven. You save power and it just might take as long, and its more enjoyable, if your able to have brickets

Even in Southern Wisconsin there is sometimes enough sun to heat a CI skillet to where I can fry eggs.

I have also used the CI DO in the sun as a slow cooker.

just me wrote:
Being in AZ why not try SOLAR cooking? Seen it done down there a few years back and very effective. The other alternative is Dutch oven. You save power and it just might take as long, and its more enjoyable, if your able to have brickets

Double ditto.

We must have an older crockpot. I just checked it, 170W. We just finished a four month boondocking trip and used the crockpot several times a week. A 400W solar panel, two 6V batteries and a 300W inverter.

Sometimes we cooked while going down the road or on sunny days we used the crockpot at our site. Beans, chicken, beef, pork all good. Started on high for a couple of hours and then put on low. I can taste those beans now.

No issues with using a crockpot. I'm no electrical genius either.

If the solar array is capable of producing more power than is being used the answer is yes. Otherwise it will drain the battery bank.
We use a crock pot quite often when boondocking.

Google Nissan Thermal Cooker. Works just like a crockpot, doesn't need any electricity. Love ours!