Shore power means plugging your van into an electrical outlet - at an RV park, a friend's house, or anywhere with grid power. The question is how much you should invest in this capability, and the answer depends entirely on how you'll actually use your van.
Most people overthink shore power. With how cheap solar panels and DC-to-DC chargers have gotten, the majority of van builders are better served by investing in more solar or a bigger DC-to-DC charger than by spending money on shore power equipment.
Use the decision tree below to figure out what actually makes sense for you.
Ask yourself these questions:
If you answered yes to most of those, you probably don't need to invest much (or anything) in shore power. Here are your options, from simplest to most complex:
Mostly off-grid, have enough solar/DC-to-DC?
→ Skip shore power entirely, or grab a general-purpose battery charger
Want faster built-in charging when you occasionally have access to an outlet?
→ Get a more powerful built-in converter/charger
Frequently staying at campgrounds with power? Have an AC or other high-draw appliances?
→ Get an inverter/charger combo
Before choosing a charger, you need to think about what kind of outlet you'll actually be plugging into. This matters more than most people realize.
The normal outlet you find everywhere - friend's garage, outside of a building, etc. Delivers about 1,800W max. This is what most people will have access to.
Portable chargers and the 55A converter work here.
Looks almost identical to a standard outlet but has a T-shaped slot on one prong. Common in kitchens, garages, and workshops. Delivers about 2,400W max.
The 80A converter needs this or larger. Its 20A plug won't fit a standard 15A outlet.
The dedicated RV plug found at campgrounds and RV parks. Delivers about 3,600W max. Completely different plug shape.
Inverter/charger combos benefit most from this. Only found at campgrounds.
Think honestly about where you'll actually be plugging in. If your "shore power" access is mostly going to be borrowing a regular outlet at a friend's house, at work, or from an exterior outlet on a building - you need equipment that works on a standard 15A circuit. Getting a charger with a 20A plug and then needing adapters and worrying about tripping breakers defeats the purpose.
If you'll mostly be at campgrounds with dedicated RV hookups, then bigger equipment makes sense because you'll have the circuits to support it. But if you're not sure, go smaller - a 55A converter on a standard outlet still charges a 280Ah battery from empty to full overnight, which is plenty for most people.
Bottom line: If you won't have regular access to 20A+ or 30A RV outlets, don't buy equipment that needs them. A charger that works on a standard outlet is more versatile and will actually get used.
If you mostly boondock or stealth camp and your solar panels and DC-to-DC charger keep your batteries topped up, you genuinely don't need any shore power setup. Don't spend money solving a problem you don't have.
If you do want the option to charge from an outlet on the rare occasion - say, at a friend's house or when you're parked somewhere with power - you don't need anything fancy. A general-purpose battery charger like the one below works great. You might already have one for car starter batteries. Just clip it onto your house battery terminals when you have access to an outlet.
Works with LiFePO4, lead-acid, AGM, and gel batteries. LCD display, trickle charge/maintenance mode. Not permanently installed - just pull it out when you need it. Plugs into any standard household outlet - no special wiring or RV hookup needed.
Cost: $0-70. This is the right answer for most people who camp off-grid. Don't let "but what if I need to plug in someday" drive you to spend hundreds of dollars on equipment you'll rarely use.
If you think you'll periodically want to charge faster than a portable charger can manage, and you want charging built into your electrical system, a dedicated converter/charger is the move. These convert 110V AC from an outlet to 12V DC and push serious amps into your batteries.
Wire it to a shore power inlet on the side of your van, and when you have access to an outlet you just plug in and it starts charging. No clipping cables, no pulling out equipment.
Which size you get depends on what outlets you'll have access to:
110V AC to 12V DC, 55A output. Uses a standard 15A plug, so it works anywhere you can find a regular outlet - friend's garage, exterior outlet on a building, etc. Charges a 280Ah battery from 20% to full in about 5-6 hours.
110V AC to 12V DC, 80A output. Has a 20A plug (NEMA 5-20) - won't plug directly into a standard household outlet without an adapter, and even with an adapter you risk tripping a 15A breaker at full draw. Best if you have access to 20A circuits or dedicated RV hookups.
My take: The 55A unit is the better choice for most van builders. It works on any outlet you'll find in the wild, and 55A is still plenty fast for overnight charging. The 80A is only worth it if you'll regularly have access to 20A+ circuits and need the fastest possible charge time.
Total cost: ~$120-170. This is a great middle ground. Permanent, fast charging capability without the cost and weight of an inverter/charger combo.
This is the option for people who will actually, frequently camp at campgrounds with power hookups and run high-power appliances like an air conditioner. An inverter/charger combines your inverter and battery charger into one unit, automatically switches between shore and battery power, and passes shore power through to your AC outlets.
3000W inverter + built-in charger. Automatic transfer switch between shore and battery power. LCD display, remote control. Compatible with LiFePO4 batteries.
Total cost: ~$400 (including shore power inlet and wiring). This used to be a $1,500-2,000 proposition with Victron units, which is why I historically recommended against it for most people. At Vevor's price point, it's much more reasonable if you'll actually use the features.
For most people, I'd recommend against spending $1,500+ on a premium inverter/charger like a Victron MultiPlus. They're genuinely excellent units, but they're expensive and heavy. With how cheap solar panels and DC-to-DC chargers have gotten, most people are better served by:
If you're only plugging in a few times a year, you're paying $1,500+ for convenience features you'll barely use. That money goes much further toward solar, batteries, or just more camping trips.
The exception: If you're spending months at a time in RV parks with hookups, running an AC unit, and want a completely seamless experience - then yes, a Victron MultiPlus is a great product and worth the money. But that's a small minority of van builders.